EAST HERTS MERCURY ARTICLE

Developers hope to turn Green Belt land near the landfill site in Ware into housing.

Residents have seen new boundary fences and 'Keep out' signs being erected around the site in recent weeks.

Speculation about its future has mounted on community website Ware Online.

The Mercury has learned that the 23-acre site, east of the A10, sandwiched between Wodson Park sports centre and the Biffa-owned Westmill landfill site, was sold by the owner of the Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel and Country Club in Thundridge.

The new owner is developer Swanfield (Hamels) Ltd, whose head office is at Hamels Park, near Puckeridge.

A spokesman said: "The land will shortly be granted a farm business tenancy to a local farmer who will probably take a hay crop and graze livestock during the term of the tenancy."

But the firm hopes to get planning permission for new homes.

"Swanfield acknowledges the mature setting of the site and would wish to bring forward development proposals that respected this," said the spokesman.

"It's unlikely that the local authority would consider dense, urban development on a site that forms the northern gateway to the historic town of Ware."

Swanfield bought the land, north of Quincey Road and The Larches, from Poles Ltd, the owner of Hanbury Manor.

The land was used to stage hotel-related activities, including shooting and quad biking.

At a public inquiry into the Local Plan, the development blueprint for East Herts, Poles promoted the idea of building homes on the land.

The findings of the inspector overseeing the inquiry have yet to be published. But as the site lies in the Green Belt, a Swanfield spokesman admitted: "At this stage it seems likely that other sites will be allocated for development in preference to this site."

But the firm said it would still press ahead with its proposals by lobbying East Herts Council, which will soon begin drawing up a new local development plan.

In the meantime, Swanfield pledged to manage the site "sensitively" and urged people to stay off the private land.

"Disappointingly, some of the fencing recently erected has been vandalised by those seeking unauthorised entry.

"This damage will be repaired in order that security is maintained," said the spokesman.

Swanfield is an associate company of Hubert C Leach Ltd, a house-building firm of more than 70 years standing.