Elstree Village: Settlement overview and required infrastructure

Elstree Village lies to the west of the main built-up area of Borehamwood and Elstree and is the second largest village in Hertsmere.

Whilst close to the built-up area of Borehamwood and Elstree, and Northern London suburbs, the village is regarded as a separate settlement and retains its distinct identity. It is surrounded by countryside in a largely wooded landscape setting. Its centre is located on the crest of a ridge which runs eastward to the A1. The historic part of the village is designated as a conservation area and includes all but the more recent Composers Park housing development, close to the Centennial Park Employment Area to the south-west. The conservation area has two main parts: the High Street, noted for medieval and later historic buildings, and Elstree Hill North and South and Barnet Lane, which are later extensions from c.1900.

The village is well served by open space, with the main Composers Park being rated highly in both quality and value terms. A small number of convenience retail and other business and service facilities are located around the crossroads in the centre of the village. The village also has a primary school and GP surgery as well as multiple places of worship.

Elstree Village is well connected by road; the north-south A5183 Watling Street connects Elstree with Radlett, St Albans and the A414 for onward connections north as well as south to the A41 and links to the M1. It also provides access to Centennial Park and adjoining Employment Areas. The east-west A411 Barnet Lane connects to Borehamwood and Barnet in North London. The junction of the two routes in the centre of the village is a notable traffic delay hotspot/pinch-point and a designated Air Quality Management Area with congestion occurring on the approaches.

The need to enhance sustainable transport connectivity – including walking and cycling – within the village, and between Elstree Village and Borehamwood has been identified and this is reflected by proposals within Hertfordshire County Council's South Central GTP. The Sustainable Transport Appraisal suggests several bus priority interventions which would improve bus service availability in the village if implemented.

Key issues and challenges
• The gap between the village and the western part of Borehamwood and Elstree is limited. Need to protect the character of the village as a separate and distinctive settlement.
• Views into and out of the village – particularly of the spire of St Nicholas church - are important to its character. The settings of heritage assets also merit careful consideration.
• A5183 (Elstree Hill) and A411 (Barnet Lane) carry significant levels of traffic.
• Need to reduce traffic congestion and increase the availability and use of sustainable modes of transport both within the village and connecting it with other locations – nearby employment areas and neighbouring Borehamwood in particular
• Physical constraints limit the scope for any further adjustments to the junction design in centre of the village; traffic congestion, particularly at peak times, often occurs.
• The area around the crossroads is a designated Air Quality Management Area (AQMA).
• The primary school and GP surgery are on constrained sites; opportunities for on-site expansion are limited.
• Level of growth in general needs housing in the village limited by Hertfordshire County Council’s assessment of existing primary school capacity to meet the needs of the local community
• GP practice is seeking to move to a less constrained site within the local area.

Elstree Village statistics:
• Population: 1,740
• Built-up area: 0.31 sq miles / 0.81 sq km
• Population density: 5,587 people per sq mile / 2,157 people per sq km
• Population change between 2011 Census and 2021 Census: +0.13%
• New homes built in current Local Plan period: 27

• Proposed new homes: 260 (including 141 age restricted extra care units)
• Proposed Green Belt area: 7.14 hectares
• Change to number of new homes proposed in 2021: +37%
• Change to area of Green Belt proposed in 2021: (includes new brownfield site in the Green Belt) -13%

Required infrastructure
The Hertsmere Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) Phase 1 report and IDP Phase 2 report previously identified the following infrastructure upgrades needed. Infrastructure requirements for the Local Plan will continue to be reviewed before the plan is submitted for independent examination.
• Bus – Improvements to village bus stops
• Active travel - improve active travel modes between Borehamwood, Elstree and Centennial Park (South Central GTP package PK21)
• Gas – elevation of gas feed source pressure within local gas network to accommodate levels of growth with Elstree Village
• Primary healthcare – expansion and relocation of existing Schopwick Surgery due to the small size of the existing surgery and inability to expand on its existing site. The NHS has agreed the case to relocate the surgery to a site on Allum Lane (subject to planning permission).
• Primary education - general housing (i.e. excluding specialist provision for older people) growth in Elstree has previously been set at a level of 95 dwellings. This reflects the available capacity of St Nicholas School, and principle that primary-age pupils should not travel to other settlements for school. St Nicholas School is relatively small and on a constrained site, meaning that expansion would be challenging.
• Allum Lane cemetery – expansion to accommodate borough's future burial demands.
• Green infrastructure – There are broad deficits in various types of green infrastructure provision across Elstree Village, which the Local Plan will need to help address.

Further information can be found in the South West Hertfordshire Joint Strategic Plan, Strategic Infrastructure Baseline Study 2023.

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