Hospital site could be part of near-1000-home estate as Government housing targets bite
- Nearly 1000 new homes could be built on the Hemel Hospital site and in the next-door Paradise area
- Government housing targets are encouraging more residential development in Dacorum
- In October 2024, the Council said in Cabinet papers that it would aim for 15,332 new homes in the Borough by 2041.
- And earlier this year Dacorum Investment Partnership (DIP) claimed the Borough required ‘over 17,270 new homes’ by 2041.
- DIP is a decision-sharing collaboration between housebuilders Hill Group and Dacorum Council
- Recently the local NHS proposed that a total of 639 homes should be built on the Hospital site – 189 more than previous plans
- That would mean complete demolition of the Hospital
- Some or all of the services remaining at the Hospital would be moved to two floors or so in a Market Square health centre
- The Paradise area, which adjoins the Hospital site, is separately planned to have over 300 new homes by 2041.
- The Dacorum Local Plan says that ‘Tall buildings of up to 8 storeys’ could be acceptable in Paradise if ‘they have been identified
within the Paradise Design Code’ - The two developments together could create a new estate of nearly 1000 homes.
- Below is the DIP document which refers to the higher housing target (see page 4)
- dacorum-investment-plan-2026