Local Plan Consultation on proposed changes.

by | Apr 17, 2020 | Latest News

The consultation deadline has been extended to 5.00pm 1st May.

If you haven’t already lodged your comments, there is still time to do so.
Full details of the Proposed Changes consultation can be found here

The relevant chapters of the consultation document for North Mymms are:

  • Chapter 13 Welham Green.
  • Chapter 14 Brookman’s Park
  • Chapter 15 Little Heath.

Responses can be made through the consultation portal or by completing a Response Form which can be downloaded from the portal and returned by email or post.
However, please note that the Council’s website strongly recommends commenting on-line as paper comments will not be processed until officials are back in the office.

In making your comments, don’t be put off by the references to “soundness” and “legality” in the consultation portal. For “legality” you may tick all as a “yes”. For “soundness” tick “yes” in support of the recommendation to remove an allocation from the Plan, e.g. HS22 and HS24. Otherwise tick “no. It is not necessary fill in the box on alterations to the Plan if you don’t want to.

Below are some points that you might consider including in your representations.

Unrealistic targets.

The target level of 16,000 dwellings over the plan period (2021 – 2036) is far too high for the Borough. Even the Council’s offer of 14,000 is unrealistic. The assumptions underlying the plan envisaged a 20% increase in the population of Welwyn/Hatfield without any consideration of how this might be achieved. The assumptions are out of date. Even before the recent budget, HM Treasury’s own estimates pointed to a slowing of the rate of economic growth over the next 15 years. And now we have the pandemic shutdown with unknown economic consequences.

It is irresponsible to continue with these targets and to use Green Belt land to increase the size of Welwyn/Hatfield. If the Green Belt is to be used for housing, it should be reserved for local people.

Welham Green

Reference: Chapter 13
No overall view of the impact of the totality of the proposals on the Village which would be overwhelmed by the expansion.

Site WeG1: Units 1-3, 51 Welham Manor

  • Site not “previously developed” but occupied by small industrial units whose removal would lead to loss of employment land.
  • Site previously promoted for housing development and rejected in 1993 and 2001
  • No vehicular accessed. Unsustainable as a site on its own.
  • No defensible green belt boundaries

 SiteWeG3a: Land at Welham Manor and west of Station Road

  •  Not acceptable on Green Belt grounds, do not accept assessment of “moderate harm” only
  • Site is currently open farmland; development would encroach on open countryside. No suitable Green Belt boundary
  • Severe impact with high visibility on local landscape
  • Reduction of important gap between Welham Green and Brookman’s Park.
  • Marked increase in traffic on Station road
  • Increase in flood risk as surface water run off drains into Station Road and Skimpans Brook.

 Site WeG10: Land at Dixons Hill Road

  •  Not acceptable on Green Belt grounds. Do not agree with assessment of “moderate harm” only.
  • Housing development would encroach on to local countryside, contrary to one of main purposes of the Green Belt
  • Inadequate Green Belt boundaries resulting
  • Damage to strategic Green Belt gap between Hatfield and Potters Bar
  • Impact on local wildlife sites
  • Problems with local flooding and advice from Thames Water about the inadequacy of wastewater services

 

Bell Bar and Brookman’s Park

 Reference: Chapter 14

 Site BrP1: Upper Bell Bar Farm

  •  Bell Bar is a scattered hamlet on the A1000 north of Brookman’s Park and not part of Brookman’s Park
  • The site was rejected by the Council for inclusion in the Draft Plan in 2016 for good reasons: nothing has changed
  • The site contributes to the strategic gap between Potters Bar and Hatfield
  • Development on this site is unsustainable, there is no access to shops, primary schools or medical services
  • The proposed housing development would overwhelm the area and totally change its character.
  • Poor access, either onto busy A100o or through narrow country road to Welham Green.
  • Inevitable additional car usage onto busy A1000
  • No reason to remove Bell Lane itself from the Green Belt.

Site BrP4: Land west of Brookman’s Park railway station 

  • Support the Council’s proposal to remove this site from the draft Plan on Green Belt grounds
  • Site assessed as “high harm” to the Green Belt
  • High harm to the strategic gap between Potters Bar and Hatfield
  • Would narrow the gap between Brookman’s Park and Welham Green
  • Proposed site has weak Green Belt boundaries
  • Impact on local wildlife sites -Brick Kiln Wood
  • Flooding issues – Mimms hall Brook/ Skimpans Brook/ swallow holes at Water End
  • Currently agricultural land.
  • Poor access onto Station Road at a dangerous bend/railway bridge

Little Heath

Reference: Chapter 15
Sites LHe4/5 Videne and Studlands, Hawkshead Road

  • Site should be rejected on Green Belt grounds where the assessment was “high  harm”.
  • It is not necessary to alter the Green Belt boundary beyond the site to include the Jehovah Witness Hall.

 Site BrP7

  • Support the Council’s proposal to withdraw this site from the draft plan on Green Belt grounds. Development would cause “high harm”
  • Site is not sustainable, not within walking distance of Potters Bar town centre and there are no local facilities.

 

The consultation deadline has been extended to 5pm 1st May.
If you haven’t already lodged your comments, there is still time to do so.

Full details of the Proposed Changes consultation can be found here