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Bell Bar and Brookmans Park Consultation
Bell Bar and Brookmans Park
14.1 Brookmans Park is one of four larger villages that fall into the third tier of settlement types, known as ‘Larger Excluded Villages’, as set out in Policy SP3: Settlement Hierarchy demonstrating its relative sustainability following the borough’s two towns at Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.
14.2 Brookmans Park is therefore a sustainable location for development in the borough, following the main towns, being a large village excluded (inset) from the Green Belt and offering a range of services and facilities, employment and good public transport connectivity including a railway station.
14.3 Bell Bar and Brookmans Park are considered together as the potential changes to the Green Belt benefit from being considered comprehensively.
Proposed changes to the site allocations at Bell Bar and Brookmans Park
14.4 There were three sites proposed for allocation in the Draft Local Plan 2016 at Brookmans Park (HS22/BrP4, HS21/BrP13 and HS23/BrP14) for 274 dwellings. However, the Council’s Cabinet (30th January 2020) resolved to consult on the potential removal of HS22 (BrP4).
14.5 There were 17 additional sites, or site options, promoted at Bell Bar and Brookmans Park for consideration by the Council and one of these sites are proposed for allocation (i.e. a total of three sites with a combined capacity of 128 dwellings).
14.6 The consultation sites section indicates the new site that is proposed for allocation. These changes are now the subject of this consultation event.
14.7 The map below illustrates all the sites proposed for allocation along with proposed changes to the Green Belt boundary.
14.8 For information, the implications of the proposed changes for the Draft Local Plan site allocation policy relating to this settlement are then shown on the following pages, including the site specific policy requirements. These requirements complement the other policies set out in the plan to ensure that any site specific requirements are properly planned for. This does not however form part of the current consultation. Changes to the policy, if agreed by the Inspector following the relevant hearing sessions, will be subject to consultation at Modifications stage.
Local Plan Consultation Feb/March 2020
- The latest consultation on the Welwyn Hatfield Local plan is now under way. Full details can be accesses through the Council’s web site here. Comments must be received by 5.00pm on Wednesday 1st April. The NMDGBS will be submitting its comments towards the end of the consultation period.
- This consultation is complicated because the proposals do not fully reflect what the Council’s cabinet agreed at its meeting on 30th January. Then, it decided to withdraw several of the sites already proposed in the draft plan. The decision reflected the latest Green Belt Study which assessed the “harm” that would be caused to the Green Belt. Included in the sites to be withdrawn were HS22(BrP4) and HS24(BrP7). However, when the council advised the Inspector of their intentions he responded saying that only he can remove sites from a Plan once it has been submitted for examination. This would be done as a ‘Main Modification’, which the Inspector would only do after the site has been in examined in public (now set to be in May sometime) and if after the examination, the Inspector considers the inclusion of the site to be “unsound”, then he can recommend it to the Council to be removed. The public examination is likely to take place in May. The NMDGBS will attend and makerepresentations.
- The result is that the Draft Plan currently includes sites that the Council no longer supports but which the Inspector may later find are suitable.
- The Draft Plan currently proposes building 12,000 dwellings; the Inspector has asked for proposals to meet a target of 16,000 dwellings. In this consultation the Council is proposing 14,000 dwellings and is arguing that to go further will cause undue harm to the Green Belt.
- The NMDGBS argues that the figure of 12,000 dwellings for the borough is too high. It does not reflect the natural organic growth of the local population but rather is influenced by ambitious desire for economic expansion and a response to the housing pressures from London. Meeting that target will inevitably require land from the Green Belt. The target of 16,000 just make things so much worse.
- Though we are disappointed at the proposed increase in the Council’s target from 12,000 to 14,000 dwellings we are encouraged by their determination to resist allocating sites within the Green Belt where to do so would cause “high harm” to the purposes of the Green Belt. However there is still a prospect that the Inspector will disagree with the Council and seek to achieve the full 16,000 target.
- It is as important as ever to respond to this consultation. As many people as possible should do so: it may be the last chance. The previous consultation received over 10,000 responses. Let that be our target!
- What arguments do we use?
Object to the unrealistic targets. It may be a lost cause, but we should continue to press for a sensible and proportionate increase. Even the 12,000 figure overstates the natural growth of the Borough and is based on assumptions of economic growth which were over-optimistic at the time and are now out of date.Support the Council in its resistance against the target of 16,000 dwellings.Argue that if the Green Belt is to be used for expansion, it should be reserved for local people.
Emphasise the importance of the Green Belt in maintaining the character of our villages.
Keep up the pressure on the individual sites, emphasising the harm to the Green Belt which would be caused by development, the lack of infrastructure to support new development.
AGM Update
Minutes of the 44th Annual General Meeting.
Gary Mabbutt, President, welcomed local councillors, members and residents and our Speaker, Planning Consultant, Jed Griffiths. After 44 years the Society still had a strong voice and at this time was in need of an even stronger voice to uphold the Green Belt. He thanked the committee and asked anyone present who could assist in any way to come forward and join. Help was always needed especially with the Local Plan at its present stage. He urged members to use the website to keep up to date.
Update of Local Plan Consultation with Planning Consultant Jed Griffiths,MA Dip TP FRTPI
Jed explained that there had been six stages so far with the Inspector asking Council to supply sites for 16,000 dwellings. The Council asked for sites to come forward and had 140 replies. Representations were made, Councillors were lobbied with complaints of significant harm to Green Belt, strategic gaps decreased between settlements and environmental harm. The Council is putting forward a plan for 14,000 dwellings.
At present most sites which would encircle Welham Green have gone.
WeG3a for 68 dwellings (access?) and WeG10 for 120 dwellings (surface water?) remain with Marshmoor for 80 dwellings (science park)
BrP 1 for 104 dwellings at Bell Bar makes a revision of the green belt (extension of Brookmans Park) BrP 4 for 250-300 dwellings – against as good quality agricultural land, woodland and countryside gap.
LHe 4/5 is still in. HS24 – members need to comment.
LHe3 – rejected by Council.
Jed urged everyone to respond to the Consultation either by email, on line or by letter.
A question and answer session followed.
The Chairman thanked Jed who was warmly applauded by the audience. He reiterated that the community must respond to the document individually. Local people can see what the issues are and it is important to show these. For instance the traffic problems at WeG10 and BrP1. We will provide information through our website. There were 10,000 responses last year. We need 10,000 again.
The President asked anyone who had pictures of local problems to let us have them. He thanked everyone for coming and their questions and urged people to be proactive and join the committee.
The turn out was estimated to be between 120 and 140 members
Latest news on the Welwyn Hatfield Draft Local Plan Consultation
Consultation on proposed changes to the submitted Draft Plan 2016 (site allocations) 2020, the Addendum to the Sustainability Appraisal and the updated Habitats Regulations Assessment 2020
The Welwyn Hatfield Draft Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for examination in May 2017 and a number of Local Plan examination hearing sessions have been held to date. During the course of the examination, the Planning Inspector (Melvyn Middleton BA (Econ), DipMgmt MRTPI) has advised that the Plan, as submitted, does not provide sufficient housing development proposals to meet the objectively assessed need for housing in full and the Council has been asked to investigate if there is any scope for additional housing sites to be identified.
To assist with this, in January and February 2019, the Council carried out a Call for Sites. Over 140 sites were promoted for housing, employment, mixed use or other forms of development. The promoted sites were subject to consultation in May and June 2019 and over 10,000 responses were received. Subsequently, the Council has carried out further assessments informed by an extensive evidence base.
Following meetings of the Council’s Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel and The Cabinet in January 2020, the Council is now consulting on potential additional site allocations and other changes to site allocations in the Draft Local Plan 2016. Consultation is also being carried out on the Addendum to the Sustainability Appraisal of the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan (February 2020), and the Habitats Regulations Assessment Updated HRA Report (February 2020).
Consultation is taking place over a six week period, commencing on Wednesday 19th February and ending at 5pm on Wednesday 1 April 2020.
The best way to view the consultation documents, and other supporting documents including the Representations Procedure is online via the consultation portal. Once on the portal, you will also be able to download documents, and submit comments online: www.welhat.gov.uk/local-plan-sites
Alternatively, you can return your completed response form by email to localplan@welhat.gov.uk or by post to: Planning Policy, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, The Campus, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6AE.
Please use a separate form for each site or settlement you wish to make comments on and ensure that we receive your comments by 5pm on Wednesday 1 April 2020 as we cannot accept late comments.
During the consultation period, a copy the consultation documents and a number of supporting documents including the Representations Procedure will be available to view at the following locations during normal advertised opening hours. Copies of response forms will also be available at these locations.
- The Council Offices: The Campus, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6AE. (Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 8.45 – 17.15; Friday 08.45 – 16.45.
- Librariesin Brookmans Park, Cuffley, Hatfield, Welwyn, and Welwyn Garden City (Campus West and Woodhall).
- Parish and Town Council Offices: Hatfield Town Council, Northaw and Cuffley Parish Council, North Mymms Parish Council, Welwyn Parish Council, and Woolmer Green Parish Council. For Essendon Parish Council, Ayot St Lawrence, and Ayot St Peter Parish Meetings, no standard opening times apply and you are advised to contact the relevant Parish Clerk.
AGM Wednesday 26 February 2020
Chaired by our Honorary President Gary Mabbutt, MBE
The Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 26 February 2020 at 8 pm in the North Mymms Memorial Hall, 36 Station Road, Welham Green.
Proceedings will include a Q&A session on latest developments on The Local Plan with our Planning Consultant, Jed Griffiths, MA DipTP FRTPI.
Please come along and support your local society.
If you need any further information regarding the AGM please contact secretary@northmymmsgreenbelt.org.uk
February 2020
Local Plan: Some good news – but must keep up the pressure.
The Council is currently consulting on proposed changes to the Draft Local Plan. The number of dwellings now being sought is increased from 12,000 to 14,025 in response to the Inspector’s demand to get nearer the target of 16,000.
But there have been some positive changes in respect of the Green Belt:
- All sites rated as high harm to the Green Belt have been removed from the Draft Plan
- No new sites rated as moderate/high are proposed to be added to the Draft Plan.
- There are two exceptions to the above – in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.
For our Parish this means:
The following sites have been withdrawn from the Draft Plan:
HS22 (BrP4) west of Brookmans Park railway station
HS24 (BrP7 south of Hawkshead Road
The following sites are now to be added in the Draft Plan:
BrP1/BrP35 (106 dwellings) in Bell Bar, west of the A1000
LHe4/5 (36 dwellings) in Little Heath, Studlands and Videne, Hawkshead Road
WeG10 (120 dwellings) in Welham Green, north of Dixons Hill Road
WeG1 (16 dwellings) Welham Manor, Welham Green
WeG3/3a (68 dwellings) land south of Welham Manor, West of Station Road, Welham Green
The following sites remain in the Draft Plan:
HS21 (BrP13) (14 dwellings) west of Golf Club Road, Brookmans Park
HS23 (BrP14) (10 dwellings) east of Golf Club Road, Brookmans Park
HS35 (12 caravan pitches) Dixons Hill Road, east of the railway line, Welham Green
SDS7 (92 dwellings and employment land) Marshmoor, Welham Green
HS25 (LHe1) (35 dwellings) north of Hawkshead Road, Little Heath
HS11 (120 dwellings and secondary school) New Barnfield
What Now?
- Check out the consultation details on the Council’s website: welhat.gov.uk
- Come to our AGM to learn more
- Please make your views known again. This will be your last chance to have your say. Over ten thousand comments were submitted following the last consultation. The outcome shows that your voices have had an effect in protecting our communities and the Green Belt
- The closing date for responses is 22 March 2020
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Our Green Belt Society has been in existence since 1976 and has around twelve hundred members who pay an annual subscription and make donations. Thank you. Without you we wouldn’t exist. We have your support at public meetings and you are active in making representations in support of the Green Belt. Again – thank you.
But we need to draw on our membership in a more regular way; we need eyes and ears in the community and we need to strengthen our committee, which meets monthly, with two or three new members. We particularly would like help with our website and communicating with members. Can you join us? If you are interested in a greater involvement in this aspect of your community, please get in touch either by speaking to a committee member at the AGM or through our website www.northmymmsgreenbelt.org.uk
Please also renew your membership if you haven’t done so already you can do this on the website here or download and print off the membership form here.
November 2019
You can now follow us on Facebook & Twitter
July 2019
RESPONSES TO THE CALL FOR SITES CONSULTATION
Our Planning Consultant Jed Griffiths MA DipTP FRTPI, prepared on our behalf responses to the consultation document issued by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council on the 7 May 2019. To view our responses to those sites in North Mymms click here. To view BrP17 Land east of Swanland Road and west of Warrengate Road click here.
NEW DEADLINE DATE FOR LOCAL PLAN CONSULTATION
Please note that the closing deadline date for objecting/commenting on the additional sites in the Local Plan has now been extended to Monday 24 June 9am.
Following the NMDGBS and Parish Council Meetings, the Welham Green residents formed an action group and distributed information to all houses in the Welham Green community on how to object to the Local Plan consultation. To view their covering letter click here and to view the map click here.
Objection points are already shown below in the Welham Green and South Hatfield hand outs.
WELWYN HATFIELD LOCAL PLAN CONSULTATION
At the Public Meeting held on the 3 June, the following hand outs were given: Brookmans Park and Bell Bar click here ; Little Heath and Swanley Bar click here and Welham Green and South Hatfield click here
Watch our website for further developments.
PUBLIC MEETING
In response to the Council’s published details of their supplementary “Call for Sites” we are holding a Public Meeting on Monday, 3 June 2019 at 8pm at the United Reformed Church, Bluebridge Road, Brookmans Park.
If you feel passionate about protecting the area you live in then come along to the meeting where our Planning Consultant, Jed Griffiths, MA Dip TP FRTPI will update you on the Local Plan and answer questions. REMEMBER Your support is important as once the fields that surround you have gone they will never return.
Please pass this information on to your neighbours as without the support of the community our voice will not be heard. Look forward to seeing you on the 3rd June.
LOCAL PLAN UPDATE
ADDITIONAL SITES FOR OVER 3,000 NEW HOMES PLUS FURTHER EMPLOYMENT LAND AND A PRIMARY SCHOOL PROPOSED FOR NORTH MYMMS
WHBC have published details of the response to their supplementary “Call for Sites” to make up the shortfall in the housing numbers in the draft local plan.
Over 140 new and re-promoted sites have been put forward in our Borough.
42 of these sites are in North Mymms with suggestions for over 3,000 dwellings plus further employment land and a primary school.
The Council has opened up a Consultation on these proposals with a closing deadline of 5pm on Tuesday 18 June.
The consultation documents and guidance notes for making a representation can be viewed by clicking here.
The Society has previously commented on those sites which were promoted at earlier stages of the Local Plan process but we will be commenting in detail on all of the sites now proposed within North Mymms.
We will also comment on the overall impact on the Green Belt in the Borough.
The Council will be carrying out both individual and cumulative analysis of the sites. It is unhelpful that the analysis is not available during the consultation period.
Whilst these are only proposals they are a frightening indication of the fragility of our precious Green Belt and the fierce desire of local developers.
We shall be holding a Public Meeting on Monday 3 June to give members an opportunity to voice their views. Further details will be communicated shortly.
Volunteer social media editor and webmaster wanted.
Local green belt society looking to boost on line presence.
Are you a local student or young professional looking for voluntary work experience as a website and social media editor? Do you know how to send out compelling updates on Twitter and Facebook? Do you have an interest in the local environment?
If so, the North Mymms District Green Belt Society (NMDGBS) would like to hear from you.
The NMDGBS has around a thousand members, and currently communicates through regular newsletters which drop through local doors. The society also has a website where updates are posted from time to time. But the NMDGBS doesn’t have a social media presence, and the society would like to start sharing its updates on both Twitter and Facebook.
The position is voluntary and the hours flexible. You would be expected to be able to set up a Facebook page for the NMDGBS and manage both the updates, new members, and any comments, working closely with society members who would produce the content updates and act as a second pair of eyes for everything produced.
You would also be expected to help set up a Twitter presence @NMDGBS and produce updated tweets when requested. And you would be required to monitor responses and feed those back to the Society’s committee.
Anyone interested should contact the secretary on greenbeltnothmymms@hotmail.co.uk
AGM REPORT
The Society’s AGM was held in the North Mymms Memorial Hall on Monday 25th March and was presided over by our President, Gary Mabbutt, MBE.
The meeting approved the Chairman’s report and the Annual Accounts.
Answering questions on his report, Chairman, again asked for interested members to consider joining the Committee. He acknowledged that the Society sometimes struggled with communications and said that the Society would be advertising for a volunteer to develop social media communications and the web site.
The Society’s planning advisor, Jed Griffiths, MA DipTP FRTPI, gave an update on the Local Plan and answered questions.
The Council officers had been overwhelmed by the response to their new call for sites in January. As well as 79 sites being re-submitted, 65 new sites had been offered. It had been impossible for the officers to carry out the required appraisals in the time available and a new timetable had now been agreed. The identity of the sites would not be revealed until after the local elections in May when there will be a public consultation. Officers would present the outcomes to the Council in September; the public examination sessions with the Inspector would take place in December with a view to the Plan being adopted in Spring 2020. The Society would respond to the consultation once the identity of the new sites had been published.
Guest Speaker
The guest speaker at the AGM was Professor David Church, Deputy Principal of the Royal Veterinary College.
Professor Church gave an overview of the College’s work, its reputation as, now, the number one Vet College in the world and the plans for new facilities at the Hawkshead Campus in accordance with the development Master Plan approved recently by the Council. He also outlined the extent of the College’s local land ownership and spoke about the land that had been put forward to the Council for development in the Local Plan.
Responding in a lively question session, Professor Church confirmed that the College is not relying on the proceeds of land sales to fund the improvements at Hawkshead Lane Campus and that the lands of Boltons Farm are required long term for teaching and husbandry.
Gary Mabbutt thanked Professor Church for his excellent presentation which was warmly applauded by the members.
The Society and the College will maintain a dialogue as the local plan process continues.
MARCH UPDATE
Our AGM Newsletters are out for delivery and should be coming through your letter boxes within the next week or so. Please click here to view.
Subscriptions for 2019 are now due. Please join or renew your annual subscription – details of payment are shown in our Newsletter.
As we went to print with our Newsletter, the Council Officers are reviewing the new sites and new timetable. The 66 entirely new sites and 77 re-promoted new sites that were submitted far exceeded expectations, which means that it is not possible to conclude the intended consultation stage before pre-elections start on 26 March 2019. This will result in a short delay to the agreed timetable, such that presentation of results and recommendations to members could take place in September 2019 and examination hearing sessions could take place in December 2019.
The Council has also received a letter from the Inspector asking them to consider a quicker timetable than the one they originally submitted to him.
FEBRUARY UPDATE
AGM Monday 25 March 2019 8pm North Mymms Memorial Hall, 36 Station Road, Welham Green
Please come and join us at our AGM which will be chaired by our Honorary President Gary Mabbutt MBE on the 25 March at 8 pm in the North Mymms Memorial Hall, 36 Station Road, Welham Green. Proceedings will include a QandA session on latest developments on the Local Plan with our Planning consultant, Jed Griffiths, MA DipTP FRTPI. This will be followed by a talk by Professor David Church, Deputy Principal, Royal Veterinary College.
LOCAL PLAN UPDATE
Following a meeting of the Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel (CPPP) in mid-December, the Council decided that it need more development sites to be able to reach the housing target of 16,000. It published a new timetable which envisages adoption of the plan in Spring 2020. Click here to view.
NOVEMBER 2019 UPDATE
To view a Progress and Other Issues Report prepared by our Planning Consultant, Jed Griffiths click here