GREEN BELT REVIEW
As part of the Public Examination of the Local Plan, the Inspector, asked Welwyn Hatfield Council to carry out an additional review of the Green Belt in the Borough.
This Green Belt Review was published at the end of August with a very short window for comment until the 18 September.
Worryingly, the report assesses two locations in North Mymms – Swanley Bar and Bell Bar – as places where future development would cause only “moderate harm” to the Green Belt.
Click here to see our comments prepared by planning consultant Jed Griffiths on this crucial and disturbing report.
The Inspector has set aside Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 November for hearing sessions to discuss the Green Belt Review. We shall attend with Jed Griffiths.
The Stage 6 hearing sessions, which will deal with the sites proposed in the Draft Plan, have been provisionally scheduled for week commencing 10 December.
The Green Belt Review is long and detailed and confusing. If you want to delve further, you may find it helpful to look at the maps in the “Figures” volume and, in the “Appendices” volume, the sections on Sites 53 through to 83 which broadly cover the area from Bullens Geen to Little Heath.
You can access the Green Belt Review at http://www.welhat.gov.uk/article/6938/Examination-Documents
The Green Belt Review documents, towards the bottom of the page, are:
EX88A Note to accompany Welwyn Hatfield Green Belt Study Stage 3
EX88B Welwyn Hatfield Green Belt Study Stage 3 Main Report
EX88C Welwyn Hatfield Green Belt Study Stage 3 Figures
EX88D Welwyn Hatfield Green Belt Study Stage 3 Appendices
GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS – effective from the 25 May 2018
As a member organisation we are required to advise our members about the information we collect and how it is used. Please click here to view our Privacy Statement
WHBC LOCAL PLAN EXAMINATION STAGE 4
The dates for Stage 4 of the Local Plan Examination have been announced:
Thursday 26 June – Thursday 28 June 2018
Friday 29 June – Reserve session
Please click here for further details.
AGM 2018 Follow Up
As promised in our AGM note below please click here to see Richard Knox-Johnston’s Power Point presentation highlighting his talk from that evening.
AGM 2018
Our AGM took place on 26 March which was presided over by our President, Gary Mabbutt MBE.
Amongst the 80 or so attendees were several local Parish, Borough an County Councillors.
The Officers and Committee Members were re-elected for a further year.
Our planning consultant, Jed Griffiths gave an up date on the progress of the public examination of the Local Plan.
The Stage 3 sessions on topic Specific and Development Management Policies were held in the WHBC Council Chamber on 20, 21 and 22 February. The hearings can be viewed on the council’s webcasts by clicking .here.
The Stage 4 hearing sessions are scheduled to take place during weeks commencing 18 and 25 June. Details of the programme and the Inspector’s matters an issues for these hearing sessions will be available after Easter.
According to the Programme Officer, the Inspector is aware that the new Green Belt Review will not be ready until the end of June and that it is likely to raise new issues relating to housing land supply. He is prepared to hold additional hearings, probably in September, to consider those matters.
The Chairman of the London Green Belt Council, Richard Knox-Johnston, was the main guest speaker. He spoke of the Green Belt not just as a protection against urban sprawl but as an important contributor to the well-being both physical and mental, of an urban-dwelling population.
Richard’s full talk will be on our website shortly. Meanwhile you can find details of the London Green Belt Council (of which NMDGBS is a member) by clicking here.
RIP
We are very sad to report that our Vice President, Clive Bennett has died after a brave struggle against cancer.
Clive was a founder member of our Committee. He was a passionate defender of the Green Belt in North Mymms with a wealth of local knowledge. We shall miss him sorely.
PLEASE NOTE MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2018 ARE NOW DUE – click here to sign up online . THE NMDGBS WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INVALUABLE SUPPORT. IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED.
LOCAL PLAN UPDATE – MARCH
As you are all aware the Local Plan Examination Hearings are well under way and we are now approaching Stage 3 of the Examination. Following the Stage 2 Hearing please click here to view an interesting document prepared by The Inspector regarding the expansion of the WHBC Green Belt Review.
Stage 3 will be concerned with the topic-based policies in the Local Plan. Please click here for details of the next hearing session. However the main interest for our Parish will be in Stage 4, which will examine the site allocations.
To view a Progress and Other Issues Report prepared by our Planning Consultant, Jed Griffiths click here
LOCAL PLAN EXAMINATION HEARINGS Stage 2 Overarching Strategy
24 to 27 October 2017 – 10.00 – 18.00
Council Chamber, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Offices, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6AE
Please click here to view our Statement in response to questions raised by the Inspector. Our Planning Consultant, Jed Griffiths, will be speaking on our behalf at these hearings.
Government issue a Planning Consultation white paper
This consultation seeks views on a number of changes to planning policy and legislation. There are some alarming proposals including:
- building most houses in the more unaffordable areas
- capping authorities to no more than a 40% increase to existing plans – a possible 5,000 to 6,000 more homes on top of the 12,000 to 15,000 already in the plan
To read the whole paper click here
We shall be responding to the Consultation before the deadline of 9 November and will post our comments. Members can respond individually using the response pro-forma included within the Consultation Paper.
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER
Our September Newsletter will be coming through your doors shortly. Please click here to view it.
LOCAL PLAN UPDATE
The Public Examination of the Local Plan starts on 21 September continuing through the Autumn. Mr Mel Middleton, the Appointed Inspector will test the Council’s draft Plan against legal requirements and consider comments and objections previously submitted. Our Society will be represented at the sessions with the help of our Planning Consultant, Jed Griffiths.
Due to the complexity of the Local Plan and number of representations received the Inspector has organised the hearing sessions into four distinct sessions and full details concerning this are available in his Guidance Notes at paras 19-28. All the hearing sessions will take place in the Council Chamber at the Welwyn Hatfield Council Offices, The Campus, Welwyn Garden City AL6 6AE and will start at 10.00am. Documents relevant to Stage 1 – Legal Soundness and Duty to Co-operate – of the hearing sessions are listed below:
- EX06 Inspector’s Issues and Questions for Stage 1 of the Hearing Sessions click here
- EX07 Inspector’s Guidance Notes click here
- EX08 Draft Hearings programme V1 of the Examination in Public of the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan click here
Stage 2: Overarching Strategy & Associated Polices is scheduled for 24 – 27 October and 1 – 3 November. Details of the issues and questions for the hearing sessions in October and November will be sent out at the end of the first week of September.
Stage 2: Topic Specific Policies and Stage 4: Settlement and Site Allocations – dates to be announced.
This is a crucial stage of the Local Plan process. The Inspector could recommend an increase in the Council’s target of 12,000 houses, if he feels that is insufficient. The latest projections up to 2031, based on 2014 statistics, indicate a housing number requirement of 15,200. Click here to keep in touch with the progress of the Examination and scroll to the tab entitled ‘Latest News and Updates’
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