Garston (Hertfordshire)
| Station Name | Garston (Hertfordshire) |
| Station Code | GSN |
| Station Owner | West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway) |
| Developable Area | 28.33ha |
| Development Capacity | 850 homes (at 30dph) |
| Local Planning Authority | Watford |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Required | 2,048 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Delivered | 980 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Score | 48% |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Consequence | Presumption |
| Green Belt | London |
| Green Belt Area | 3.97ha ( 14.01% of the potential development area) |
| Network Rail Region | East of England |
| Network Rail Sub-Region | Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire |
| Passengers, 2020 - 2021 | 8,796 |
| Passengers, 2019 - 2020 | 75,218 |
| UK Station Passenger Rank (Use) | 2,068 |
Development Potential
England's busiest station (apart from those serving airports) had 4,170,558 passenger movements in the period 2019-2020. The station with the least was 68. Garston (Hertfordshire) station had 75,218 passengers enter or exit it during this period. That's roughly 207 people per day.
For a station with this number of passengers passing through it each year a density of 30 homes per hectare is reasonable, based on its proximity to major population centres and existing infrastructure.
Garston (Hertfordshire) is located within the East of England railway region. The potential area for development around the station (excluding existing buildings, national parks, flood zones, public green space, protected habitats, areas of outstanding natural beauty, world heritage sites and surface water) is approximately 28.33ha.
Assuming an appropriate (but not prevailing) development density of 30 dwellings per hectare, this area has a development capacity of around 850 homes.
The station sits within Watford planning authority, which in 2021 achieved a Housing Delivery Test Score of 48%, having delivered 980 homes from a target of 2,048. As a result of this score, the authority is subject to a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development', according to the NPPF.
The total capacity of all Watford's stations is 850 homes. That's 41% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
Taking green belt into account, the capacity of Watford's stations is 731 homes without building on protected land. That's 36% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
