Christopher Day

Village Hotel Club plans to refurbish and extend the former Delta Marriott hotel in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, with a new gym, spa, restaurant and bar. The site housed asylum seekers from December 2022 until earlier in 2026 and has since stood empty. Broxbourne Borough Council’s planning committee unanimously approved the plans, which will reduce the number of bedrooms from 145 to 142 and are intended to open by 2028.

Planning officers recommend approving a privately funded stroke rehabilitation clinic, Brian's House, proposed for Hillfield Lane in Aldenham. The project would offer extensive therapy services, with supporters including the UK Stroke Association and the South and West Herts Health and Care Partnership. Despite acknowledging harm to the Patchetts Green Conservation Area, officials judge that the clinic’s significant benefits outweigh concerns ahead of the final council decision on 16 July.

Watford Borough Council plans to sell the disused Lower Derby Road skate park, along with nearby vacant properties, to a housing developer. Councillor Penelope Hill said the site’s location makes it suitable for a parking‑free housing scheme, and marketing will begin later in the summer. The land was earmarked for about 59 homes in the council’s 2022 local plan, with additional adjacent land purchased in 2024 to support a larger scheme. Residents launched competing petitions, one seeking parking use due to concerns about antisocial behaviour, and another opposing redevelopment to preserve the skatepark. The council said it must balance local concerns with housing demand.