Hub would harm Hemel’s heritage, says national watchdog

8 January 2026
|In News, News Updates
|By philip
  • Historic England, the national heritage expert body, says the Market Square Hub would harm important parts of Hemel’s heritage.
  • It has asked for the allocation of the Hub to the Square to be reversed.
  • The body is concerned at the impact of development and high-rise buildings on the heritage of the Water Gardens area, according to a 2025 report on Local Plan consultations.
  • Historic England, opposing previous plans for development on the Market Square, said in 2024 that ‘the market square forms an important part of the setting of the Grade II Registered Water Gardens … while the Market Square itself is an important part of the New Town’s urban design.’ Historic England urged that the site should be used as ‘enhanced public realm [open space]’.
  • The Hertfordshire Gardens Trust is also against the siting of the Hub, and said that, in Market Square:
  1. there should be no high-rise buildings,
  2. the frontage along Waterhouse Street should be set back from the road, and
  3. the key views through to Hillfield Road should be retained.’