Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director (Planning)

The Panel received the report of the Assistant Director (Planning).

St Albans District and City Council (SADC) was in the process of producing its new Local Plan. Once adopted, the new Local Plan would guide the future spatial development over a 15-year period from 2024 to 2041. The consultation period will end on 25 September 2023. The draft Plan identified a preferred level of growth and set out a preferred spatial strategy and policies for accommodating that growth. A local housing need figure of 888 dwellings per annum had been calculated, based on the Government’s Standard Method, which equated to a minimum of just over 15,000 homes up to 2041. However the draft Plan stated there might be significant changes in the government’s evidence and approach to housing need between this consultation and the next iteration of the Plan to be consulted on in 2024.

In terms of spatial strategy, 81% of SADC is designated Green Belt land, and there is insufficient land available to meet housing need without releasing land from the Green Belt.

The spatial strategy gave priority to the development of larger urban centres which can provide a greater range of services and facilities, and supported the re-use of land within the urban areas, which could reduce the need to travel. The spatial strategy resulted in most site allocations being within and adjacent to the larger and most sustainable urban centres, specifically St Albans and the edge of Hemel Hempstead, but also development in Harpenden and London Colney. A series of Broad Locations for development were identified in the Plan; the most significant were the four comprising Hemel Garden Communities, which were planned to the east and north of Hemel Hempstead on Green Belt land and would provide a large contribution to meeting the district’s growth requirements. Other Broad Locations were north of St Albans, west of St Albans, west of London Colney, North East Harpenden, North West Harpenden, West Redbourn, Glinwell Nursery in St Albans, and Harper Lane near Radlett.

The site with the strongest locational relationship to Welwyn Hatfield was Glinwell. It was identified as a Broad Location for growth, with a site area of approximately 20 hectares, potentially providing a mixed-used development of 436 dwellings, a possible primary school, green infrastructure, transport infrastructure and other community infrastructure. The site was currently in use as a nursery with glasshouses, together with a farm shop and associated car parking. As such, the site was identified as Previously Developed Land.

A draft consultation response was attached to the report at Appendix A. The key issues were the potential impact on the purposes of the Green Belt and the need for development to be supported by infrastructure. The Welwyn Hatfield Green Belt Review noted that the gap between St Albans and Hatfield was narrow to the west of Hatfield. The gap was considered to be fragile as the site was just under 1km away from the nearest point to the boundary with Welwyn Hatfield, and there were concerns development of this site might reduce the already “fragile gap.” However, the site was extensively built-up, with glasshouses and buildings on the site, which reduced the contribution it made to the sense of openness of the wider countryside. In addition to the site-specific considerations already identified, WHBC was suggesting there should be appropriate landscaping and edge treatment of the site to reduce the visual impact of the development on the Green Belt. The draft response also noted a traffic impact assessment would be needed to ensure necessary infrastructure was in place to cope with additional traffic on the A1057 and surrounding roads resulting from the proposed development. Site specific considerations including proposed improvements to the A1057 and to the Alban Way were welcomed.

Following conclusion of the consultation SADC would consider the comments received and use them to help inform its decision making on the next stage of the Plan preparation process.

Members raised issues identified below:

·       It was noted that the 15,096 additional new homes was slightly less than what the Inspector had asked for Welwyn Hatfield, despite SADC having a larger population and being slightly bigger physically. Officers responded that SADC generated its housing numbers differently using the government’s current standard method for calculating housing need, whereas WHBC’s Local Plan was progressing on the basis of transitional arrangements under the NPPF from 2012.

·       There was an issue of horizontal connectivity between Hatfield and St Albans and the report did not comment on improving public cross-connectivity such as improved railway or bus links. Officers agreed this would be considered in the consultation response.

·       A motorway connected the two areas. Any housing close to WHBC would have an impact on the local roads transport network. Officers replied that they would need to consider the strategic transport network as a whole and the impact of any proposed development in relation to the St Albans Local Plan, which would be examined both by the County Council and the examination process. With regard to the site closest to the WHBC boundary, the proposed response already included reference to ensuring the impact on that road network were carefully considered before a decision was made. Officers drew a distinction between the response to a specific site close to the WHBC boundary and the broader Local Plan processes SADC was embarking on which would require them to look at issues strategically as well as taking committed development and proposed future growth into account.

·       A Member expressed concern about the impact on the A414 where it met Junction 3 of the A1M which was already particularly overloaded. It was not just the interchange at Radlett that would impact on the road network there; the west of Colney development was likely to have a direct transport impact on the A414 and it would be helpful to say so in the response. Officers would add comments to reflect this.

·       A Member felt it was surprising Glinwell Nursery was proposed as a housing development site as it appeared to be a functioning economic site with significant business there. The land was presumably employment land which would be lost for the purposes of housing delivery and WHBC might wish to comment on this as its draft Local Plan sought to increase housing opportunities. Officers agreed to raise concern at the loss of employment generating use on the existing site.               

RESOLVED:

(unanimous)

Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel agreed the consultation response provided in Appendix A, subject to the inclusion of additional comments delegated to the Assistant Director (Planning) reflecting concerns about:

1)    Impacts on the functioning of the A414/A1(M) at Junction 3 and to highlight that careful consideration should be given to the impact of both committed and planned levels of development on this key junction.

2)    The potential loss of employment generating activity and use at Glinwell Nursery.

3)    The need to consider horizontal connectivity between key settlements such as St Albans and Hatfield/Welwyn Garden City.

4)    Improved and maintained street lighting.

5)    More focus on bus availability, including evenings and weekends.

6)    Question where the source evidence is to support the statistics around retail spend.

7)    Consider implication of the emerging trends for e-scooters and e-bikes.

8)    Require that active travel interventions demonstrate high quality design and take account of meaningful consultation in the local area where they are proposed. They should also consider safety and longevity of the design.

9)    Amend paragraph 4 of the letter to remove the specific references to the schemes in WGC.