We must not be bullied into building on the greenbelt
A Government report called “Projections of Households in England and the Regions” published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 14th March predicts an increase of 561,000 household in the East of England between 2001 and 2021. This is just under 100,000 more houses than are already contained in the draft East of England Plan.
The draft plan could see Dacorum build up to 6,300 new houses. John Prescott’s new announcement will be certain to add to this number and will make it even more difficult to achieve without encroaching on the greenbelt. Kings Langley is surrounded by greenbelt land – that is what is stopping it becoming a suburb of either Watford or Hemel Hempstead – we must be able to trust the Government not to destroy the greenbelt.
Visit to Rudolf Steiner School. This month, I had the privilege to be invited to visit the Rudolf Steiner School in Kings Langley. I visited the school, together with David Gauke, MP for South West Herts. We discussed the ethos and approach of the school with pupils who are preparing to take the A levels and were taken on a tour of the school. The education system at the Rudolf Steiner is based on the Steiner philosophy of developing the “whole child” with an emphasis on creativity. Children are measured not against each other, but against their own potential and I was most impressed by the schools ethos of self-achievement for their pupils and the care, love and dedication of the teaching staff. | 
