Not much has changed in Sarratt since its rolling green fields provided the backdrop for Hugh Grant's bumbling best man speech in Four Weddings And A Funeral.

Its quintessentially British scenery - admired by the millions who turned out to see that quintessentially British rom-com - remains untouched, while a list of its attractions would still consist exclusively of three excellent pubs and a Post Office.

From the distant sound of horses' hooves clipping the surface of its narrow roads to the complete absence of Uber, solid phone signal or any semblance of public transport, Sarratt is stuck in a bygone era many would like to return to.

But the Hertfordshire village is facing an existential threat at the hands of Governmenthousing targets that locals say could 'ruin' their rural idyll forever.

Planning applications are proposing 289 newbuild homes on the area's Green Belt land - an increase of 53.5 per cent, according to campaigners.

An initial development was blocked in 2023 but later approved on appeal after being taken all the way to the Planning Inspectorate.

At the time, officials said the village was an inappropriate location for such projects and recommended the development be the last of its kind.

But families living in Sarratt have been hit by a slew of fresh building proposals - and are concerned this is just the beginning.

They worry the vast housing projects will be a blot on the landscape, and threaten local wildlife, as well as their peaceful rural environment.

Pictured: A portion of land adjacent to Church Lane in Sarratt which has had the green light for newbuild homes. Locals say the village's roads will not be able to cope with an influx of lorries

The picture postcard location was the setting for Hugh Grant's bumbling wedding speech in classic British rom-com Four Weddings And A Funeral, pictured

Helen Lynch - who has expanded the campaign against the encroaching developments from a small WhatsApp group to a village-wide revolt - fears the centuries-old Sarratt way of life is under attack.

The local, 61, told the Daily Mail: 'We are worried about the long-term impact on nature and wildlife, and the fact that once it's gone, it's gone.

'They are trying to use every argument they possibly can to just concrete over the fields.

'The walks are circular walks that link up the pubs and it's been like this for hundreds of years. Unfortunately they are going to go.'

The plans include 97 approved properties adjacent to Church Lane, as well as a further 108 pending decision off the same road.

Meanwhile, another 64 houses are touted for Dawes Lane - pending a decision - and a further 20 in a field behind the Cock Inn on the southern tip of the village.

One developer, Burlington, which the Daily Mail has contacted for comment, is particularly unpopular after campaigners accused the company of using 'bully boy' tactics during the legal dispute.

Barbara Bivens, who has lived on the village green at the end of Dawes Lane for 30 years, agreed that the unique character of the place was under threat, saying: 'It's a pretty area. There's wildlife. It's going to spoil the environment.

'Horses come up the lane, hikers go down the lane. You're going to spoil it all for them.

'This is just a lovely village. And we are going to have all these dumper lorries coming up and down. It won't work.

'It will be awful. It's Green Belt land, but that doesn't mean anything any more does it?'

The Campaign To Protect Rural England (CPRE) has recognised Sarratt as 'Washed-Over Green Belt' - where every last metre can be classed as Green Belt.

Planners need exceptional circumstances to build on this land, but the bar for this appears to be falling ever lower and many areas are now being redesignated as Grey Belt, much to the dismay of those who adore them.

Three Rivers District Council originally proposed 5,000 new homes in its local authority, campaigners say, but Labour argued this was not enough.

The area also lacks an established Local Plan to protect it from such projects - a problem which has heavily harmed the campaign.

The idyllic Hertfordshire village is facing an existential threat at the hands of Labour housing targets that locals say could 'ruin' their rural idyll forever (Pictured: Sarratt's local Post Office)

Helen Lynch, pictured, has expanded the campaign against the encroaching developments from a small WhatsApp group to a village-wide revolt

And yet, furious locals remain terrified of being branded with the dreaded title, 'NIMBY', so are at pains to cut the emotion out of their arguments and stick to the facts.

Indeed, they claim they were even told there was 'no place' for sentimental points at a July inquiry into the project.

Their main gripe is with the impact of having potentially dozens of heavy lorries travelling down Sarratt's narrow lanes during the development process.

It's hard to imagine anyone wanting to leave the idyllic village, but when the Daily Mail had to head home after a recent visit, we realised how cut-off the place really is.

Buses only depart to the hubs of Watford and Hemel Hempstead every two or three hours, and modern taxi services, like Uber, have a very limited presence in the area.

Ultimately, we had to rely on generous locals to provide lifts and even then the car had to squeeze perilously past other vehicles on tight country lanes, and take lengthy diversions to avoid minor roadworks.

These are all aspects of the village residents point to when they argue that conducting large-scale developments in the area is highly impractical.

'The infrastructure and the road will not take it - this was a track until 1963 when the curb was built,' Ms Bivens, 78, said. 'You struggle to get an ambulance down there. You won't get a lorry through.

'They are going to have to put double yellow lines all down here. What are they going to do when the fair is here? Parking is manic.'

Gill Goldfinch, who has lived with her husband Steve Goldfinch on the Green for three decades, said: 'The roads are narrow. The entry to the one they have approved on Church Lane is on the bend of one of the main roads.

'It just defies any logic that anybody who knows anything about the area would approve something like this.'

To live in Sarratt without a car is to leave yourself virtually stranded - or at least at the mercy of the unreliable transport network.

It follows, then, that hundreds of new neighbours will bring hundreds of new vehicles to a village where parking spaces are already scarce, especially on busy weekend days.

'At the weekend, so many people come here. We have three very popular pubs. People come here because it is Sarratt and it is in the countryside and they can go walking.

'But the parking on those days is ridiculous. It is already under strain just with visitors. The weekend we just had, there was just an amazing amount of cars and people.'

Andy Sceats, who lives on Church Lane, said: 'At the weekend, so many people come here. We have three very popular pubs. People come here because it is Sarratt and it is in the countryside and they can go walking.

Pictured: A portion of Green Belt land adjacent to Dawes Lane in Sarratt which is set to be 'concreted over' with newbuild homes

Steve and Gill Goldfinch, pictured, who have lived in the village for three decades, are both concerned about the dangers of increased traffic in the area

'But the parking on those days is ridiculous. It is already under strain just with visitors. The weekend we just had, there was just an amazing amount of cars and people.'

Ms Goldfinch said: 'We are appalled. Traffic is already a nightmare. It leads onto the M25 so it is constant. At school time, it is chaos.'

Tony and Jane Spicer - who moved to Sarratt 10 years ago from nearby King's Langley to enjoy the 'fresh air and small village feel' - said: 'It will be ruined by new houses. The roads will not be able to handle the traffic.'

Pre-empting accusations of inviting extra air pollution, developers have plans for green travel baked into their proposals.

One of them - a scheme to turn a small private road next to the Church Lane site into a cycle path - was the subject of the inquiry at the Three Rivers District Council offices in Rickmansworth on July 21.

Locals branded the path 'dangerous', featuring two sharp bends and leading onto a 60mph road, and said a woman was killed there several years ago.

Mr Goldfinch said: 'Part of their argument is that it is in cycling distance to stations - and they're not.

'Cyclists take their lives into their hands round here. It's a recipe for disaster.'

Ian McClelland, who lives on Church Lane, added: 'Quite unusually, the local authority laid on a free bus for school children in the village to Sir Clement Danes School because the route has been deemed dangerous.'

Developers are even offering to provide one e-bike per property on the new sites to encourage cycling, but locals say this will not make things any safer on the narrow streets.

In an area where locals claim school capacity, water supply, phone signal and sewage systems are already creaking - and power cuts are not an uncommon occurrence - there are substantial fears the tsunami of new properties will be unsustainable.

Campaigners say they understand that houses need to be built to ease the strain on the UK housing market.

But they insist there are better places on which to erect them than Green Belt land which overlooks Areas Of Outstanding Natural Beauty - including the vast swathes of Brownfield land which sits nearby.

Mr Goldfinch said: 'Everyone's called a NIMBY - but it just doesn't make sense.

'We are not opposed to development on brownfield sites, but it's not happening.'

'CPRE told us how much brownfield there was, and more than enough to cope with building requirements,' Mr Sceats added. 'But it probably costs more money to clear a brownfield site than to just stick something in a field, whether that field is appropriate or not.

'They build round here because it is convenient for the developers.'

The proposed homes are touted for 'affordable housing' options - properties available at below the market average for the area.

But in Sarratt the average house sells for more than £730,000, according to Rightmove, begging the question of how 'affordable' these homes can really be.

Ms Bivens said: 'It's supposed to be affordable housing, but it won't be affordable for kids in the village. Affordable to someone on £90k maybe.'

Mr Goldfinch added: 'I haven't seen an awful lot of people in favour of the development. I understand the arguments, but affordable housing round here...I don't understand it.'

For many, the dream of a peaceful rural life in a picture postcard village is fizzling out fast - but even those considering a move elsewhere are finding it impossible to sell.

'While they're doing this, if you want to sell your house, you've got no chance,' Mr Goldfinch said. 'Prior to this, as soon as property comes on the market, it goes. Now it is sitting there for years.'

Already looking ahead to future battles, Mr McClelland is particularly concerned about the unstoppable 'urbanisation' of his beloved local area.

He said: 'Many years ago, residents were asked if they wanted street lights and they opposed it. People liked the darkness and the feeling they were out in the countryside.

'Now one of the aspects of the cycle path is they will put lighting in there.

'Slowly you will get a little rural village urbanised and it will change the character. It's crazy.'

The situation seems hopeless with councillors 'hamstrung' and held hostage by central government targets as well as a move to give planning inspectors more power, according to residents.

Despite this, a truly encouraging campaign has emerged - and gained the support of dozens of passionate locals.

Ms Lynch, who returned to Sarratt three years ago after a spell in Watford, kickstarted Operation BOB (Bog Off Burlington) when she discovered plans to build on the land next to Dawes Lane.

'There is a very strong sense of community here and this is bringing it together further,' she said. 'We are all very defiant. We want to keep Sarratt as it is for future generations.

Tony and Jane Spicer, pictured, moved to Sarratt 10 years ago from nearby King's Langley to enjoy the 'fresh air and small village feel' but now think the area will be 'ruined'

Pictured: A portion of land behind The Cock pub in Sarratt which is touted for newbuild homes

'We will carry on fighting. There is a fear these greedy developers are going to keep on going.

'We've seen how Burlington works. Their lawyer in the Church Lane appeal used such bully-boy tactics. He bullied the inspector, he bullied everybody.

'If that's how they behave, that is probably filtering down to the planning level. It will be very difficult not to pass things.

'It feels like David and Goliath. We haven't got the money, we haven't got the power. All we can do is fight.'

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'For too long we have not built enough housing, which has put secure homes out of reach.'

'To meet that challenge we need all areas, including in Three Rivers, to play their part and ensure we build the homes communities need – supported by the right level of infrastructure and services.'

The Daily Mail has approached Three Rivers District Council for comment.