PR push on Water Gardens car parks development. But will we have proper consultation as well?

• The PR push to promote schemes for housebuilding via the Dacorum Investment Partnership (DIP) is under way
• But will we have proper public consultation on the strategy for housing as well as the spin?
• Housing and other development is planned on the Water Gardens car parks – one of three initial DIP ‘priority’ sites. It should include extra parking for the Health Hub
• PR firm Puttock Brown aims to publish a ‘stakeholder newsletter’ and mount ‘digital campaigns’, to sell the theme of ‘Investing in Dacorum’s Future’
• DIP says it will ‘Promote meaningful community engagement, supporting consultation and collaboration throughout the development process’
• Puttock Brown is being paid by DIP, which is a joint venture between Dacorum Council and housebuilders Hill Group
• The PR plans are on page 23 of the DIP Investment Plan:

https://www.dacorum.gov.uk/docs/default-source/regeneration/dacorum-investment-plan-2026.pdf?sfvrsn=f24109e_3

• Below, from the Investment Plan, is an image showing DIP’s three ‘priority’ sites for affordable housing – Cherry Bounce in blue, Civic Centre site in yellow, and Water Gardens in red, Also the page on the Water Gardens car parks developments