For years the BRE has been trying to build housing on its Bricket Wood site and now the latest proposals have been given short shrift from local residents.

It’s a classic example of the difficulties of sustainable planning. The development with close-by links to London and a rural location would certainly be an attractive place to live but is it sustainable? Residents don’t seem to think so and that objection hangs mainly on the transport to and from the site.

If the BRE is struggling to plan sustainably in the eyes of the local community, and they are the experts, it makes you realise just how big the challenge is for developers, especially now the requirement to be sustainable is enshrined in the National Planning Policy Framework.