On the very northern edge of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, sits the area of Grovehill. Surrounded to the north by swathes of greenland and woodland, Grovehill developed as part of the New Towns Act of 1946, stretching up from the original development of Adeyfield. The area is divided into two distinct areas; the first site of development from the 1960s, and the second social housing development estate from the 1970s. As such, a majority of the housing stock comprises of mid-to-late twentieth century social housing, with a few privately built sections!

Grovehill’s development started with the second-wave of urban development generated from the New Towns Act in 1946. The New Towns Act granted provisions for urban and suburban development in many of London’s satellite towns and beyond, in order to account for the severe shortage of housing caused by the blitz, and in an effort to curtail the rampant over-crowding of London prior to WWII. Much of the UK’s working-class housing was poor and inadequate, and the New Towns Act worked to prevent this, aiming to provide ample and adequate housing to the working classes of the UK. The first district, helmed by the New Towns Commission in 1967-8, was specifically designed to house the new generation of professionals and families migrating from London. This housing is typified by the general style of mid-century social housing, cast in concrete or traditional brick, with slatted panelling on the front. The second, is a large social housing estate beginning at Washington Avenue, in which development started in 1972. This project took many years to finalise, and was only completed in the 1980s! The Grovehill area now has a population of over 7,000!

The Dacorum Council, which covers Hemel Hempstead, has offered a Local Plan in order to regenerate the local area of Grovehill with sustainable building practices, with the aim of preserving the local character of Grovehill and the natural pastoral landscapes to the north. This local plan aims to integrate all areas of Grovehill into the wider Hemel Hempstead locale, utilise under-used space, and improve connectivity. These local plans will usher in a new and revitalised area, and aims to provide an abundance of new housing east of Margaret Lloyd Park!