North Herts councillors have voted to grant planning permission for a 100-home development in Ickleford.

The homes, to be built on a green belt site to the south of Turnpike Lane, will include 50% affordable housing.

The proposals, submitted by Hawridge Land, were unanimously approved by councillors at a meeting of North Herts Council's planning committee on Tuesday (April 21).

Currently, North Herts Council can only demonstrate a 2.6-year supply of deliverable housing sites, well below the required minimum of five years. It means it is far harder for the authority to block unwanted developments. 

Half of the planned homes will have three or more bedrooms, while the other half will be one- or two-bedroom properties.

While outline planning permission has been granted, the full details of the development will be ironed out in future planning applications.

Several committee members suggested the decision to approve the plans was "finely balanced".

Cllr Ruth Brown said it was a "really difficult application" as the site had not been allocated for development and warned: "If we continue to approve applications like this, Ickleford will be swallowed up by Hitchin very, very soon."

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But she added that the affordable housing was "a very significant plus point" and also praised the plans for improving accessibility to green space.

Others felt that the development on the site being concentrated in its northern half – furthest away from Hitchin – was a significant positive, including Cllr Emma Fernandes, who said it "safeguards" the village from being "completely swallowed up", while Cllr Nigel Mason said it would "protect" the southern half of the site from being built on.

Cllr Daniel Allen praised the development for providing "desperately needed" affordable housing, and said the proposals would not "cause major issues to the separation of the village of Ickleford and Hitchin".

"It continues to have the green space running in between, with a better, accessible green space, where members of the public can enjoy having access to the edge of the River [Oughton]," he said.

Kathy Goldie, chair of Ickleford Parish Council, spoke to oppose the plans and said the village is "drowning from overdevelopment".

She said the site is "Ickleford's last barrier … from the unrestricted urban sprawl of Hitchin", and building on it would "destroy" the village.

Louise Peace, ward councillor for Cadwell, raised concerns about "excessive traffic" in the area and called for the committee to reject the plans.

During consultation, the council received 202 objections to the plans from members of the public, compared to 47 comments in support.

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Millie Dodd, of Just Build Homes, said her organisation had spoken to young professionals living nearby who worried about being priced out of the area and supported the development.

She added: "Many parents and grandparents spoke about their concerns for their children and grandchildren being able to remain in the area they grew up in.

"Behind planning applications are real people trying to find suitable homes in the communities where they already live."

The site's developers will pay £3.6 million in Section 106 payments towards local infrastructure, including highways and education.

Kathryn Ventham, speaking on behalf of the developer, said their aim is for construction to begin in mid-2027 and for the homes to be built by mid-2029.