Meeting presentation 18/01/20131

We design one to be mindful of the other don’t we? Meeting presentation 18/01/20132

Panshanger Residents Meeting What are the proposals? What does the WHBC Core Strategy mean for us? How can we influence what happens next? 18 th January 2013

Meeting presentation 18/01/20134

Remember No Way to 10k? 5Meeting presentation 18/01/2013 In the last government decisions about planning and housing allocations were made centrally and we came under the East of England Plan and it’s Regional Spatial Strategies. WGC residents had virtually no say in the matter. But the Wel Hat 10k plan was overturned by the High Court in 2009, the judge said: “inadequate consideration had been given to the environmental effects of expansion” and that “the decision had been taken to erode the Green Belt without alternatives being considered”. From the Review: Campaigners feared the most obvious vulnerable open spaces included land near to the Commonswood Nature Reserve on the south side of Welwyn Garden City and Panshanger Airfield.

Core Strategy & Local Plan 6Meeting presentation 18/01/2013 New legislation means that local authorities must produce a local plan that sets planning policies. These must be examined by independent planning inspectors. The National Planning Policy Framework was published on 27 March The framework gives guidance to local councils in drawing up local plans and on making decisions on planning applications. From the Planning Inspectorate: The Government aim is for every area to have a clear local plan which sets out local people's views of how they wish their community to develop, consistent with the framework and against which planning applications for planning permission will be judged.  Our current ‘District Plan 2005’ will be updated with a new Local Plan  The Core Strategy document will form a key part of the local plan!

Local people should decide 7Meeting presentation 18/01/2013 Currently there is no housing target for Wel Hat as the High Court scrapped it. Under the new Localism Act and NPPF that replaces the old system Welwyn Hatfield Council decides how many homes are needed and has a duty to consult us on the issue. All part of the localism agenda. It has identified that 6,800 are needed by on the aerodrome site and 200 near the hospital The biggest development (2000) would be in Hatfield

We were consulted in Meeting presentation 18/01/2013 Core Strategy Issues and Options 2009 consultation: 6,682 comments were made, here is comment from the CS p.21: “The majority of responses were especially concerned about growth at Welham Green, Brookmans Park, Little Heath and Panshanger in Welwyn Garden City. Most respondents were either opposed to Green Belt release or saw it as a last resort after a rigorous search for brownfield sites. A variety of issues were raised relating to the broad locations but generally people were concerned about the level of infrastructure required, maintaining the character of existing towns and villages and the quality of the environment. People were also concerned about the loss of agricultural land, flood risk, coalescence between towns and village and the impact on the historic and natural environment. “ Only Panshanger remains from that list.

From 2009 Core Strategy document Meeting presentation 18/01/20139

10 Only these two locations remain Why not elsewhere in the borough?

Land Availability Assessment Oct 2012 Meeting presentation 18/01/ “The results of the Phase 2 Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) indicate that of the 103 sites assessed in this process, 16 are considered suitable, available and achievable for development in the Green Belt or on safeguarded land. These sites adjoin Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Oaklands and Mardley Heath and Cuffley. “ Page 28 states: This recent document is omitted from the CS docs. It suggests 230 homes in Brookmans Park, 210 in Welham Green & 150 in Cuffley.

Where we fit in... Meeting presentation 18/01/ Green Belt

You may wish to comment! Meeting presentation 18/01/ Six documents are open for consultation, four seem to be key but all can be commented on.

10 Reasons you may wish to comment: Meeting presentation 18/01/ ) Previous Consultations: Local resident’s views from previous consultations have not informed or directed this consultation. People overwhelmingly objected to the proposal for Panshanger in 2009, and yet it remains an unchanged broad location for growth in ) Balance: Putting almost all new housing for the next 18 years in only two locations will have a detrimental effect on those areas, and put unnecessary pressure on local services and infrastructure. The quality of life of existing residents is likely to fall.

10 Reasons you may wish to comment: Meeting presentation 18/01/ ) Landscaping: Panshanger specific policy in the Core Strategy “CS15 Broad Location for Growth1–Neighbourhood Extension North East of Welwyn Garden City” Implies that existing Panshanger residents will have their current view of the Mimram Valley obscured by some form of new landscaping, Residents of the Tewin area will have a screen from the new development but Panshanger residents won’t. 4) Green Belt: The area identified as WGC4 is not within the Metropolitan Green Belt. However, the documentation states that Green Belt land, in reality all the land on the north side of the actual grass airstrip, may be required so there will be a review of Green Belt boundaries

10 Reasons you may wish to comment: Meeting presentation 18/01/ ) Gravel Extraction: This precise area was the subject of a large campaign to prevent gravel extraction only a few years ago. Campaigners won and future extraction was ruled out. The Land for Housing in Urban Areas document states on page 13 that: “...land here forms part of a sand and gravel belt and part of the site has potential for gravel extraction”. 6) School Provision: By council calculations, 700 houses mean a 1 to 1.5 class form entry is required, which since existing primary schools are full, requires the building of a new primary school, but there is no available land to accommodate this and no plans to build it. When the Bovis estate was built Bericot Green was set aside by the developer for a new school. That plot lay undeveloped for twenty years and no school was ever built.

10 Reasons you may wish to comment: Meeting presentation 18/01/ ) Unsustainable Development: The Core Strategy CS 1 policy is given the following reasoned justification in section 4.3:...whilst protecting and enhancing natural resources and heritage assets of the borough, minimising the need to travel and avoiding areas of greatest risk from flooding. It meets the need for housing and economic development at a level which can be supported by the necessary infrastructure and which recognises environmental limits, seeks to protect mineral resources, prevent pollution and minimise waste. It promotes the delivery of high quality sustainable housing within walkable neighbourhoods where residents can easily access services to meet their day to day needs, and designed to protect and enhance the built environment and character of the local landscape.

10 Reasons you may wish to comment: 8) Supporting Infrastructure: The Core Strategy document contains many references to infrastructure, what we have now and what will be required. Policy CS12 is called Infrastructure Delivery but it contains no actual detail about how and when infrastructure will be delivered. It also references the Infrastructure Development Plan as providing more details. This plan is an 84 page document with most of it headed Infrastructure Requirements. The final page, page 84, is the only one titled Implementation, and yet this still gives no actual detail or timeline for when any of the infrastructure will be implemented. Three key infrastructure points are A) Water – water is already piped into the area as extraction was\harming the Mimram. There is no capacity for 700 more homes on this scheme. B) Sewage – the current treatment works, RyeMeads is at capacity and further expansion is complicated by an RSPB site. C) Run off from Panshanger will potentially pollute the Mimram and the water table and cause flooding downstream in Hertford

10 Reasons you may wish to comment: Meeting presentation 18/01/ Coalescence: Welwyn Garden City is a unique and distinct from any other adjacent towns. Developing the Panshanger site will result in a built environment right up to the East Herts border. The CS document on page 36, section 5.7 talks of: an allowance for growth immediately adjacent to the borough boundary on the edge of Welwyn Garden City, on land in East Hertfordshire with the potential to deliver around 1,500 dwellings. 10) Panshanger Aerodrome: Panshanger Aerodrome pre-dates all the housing in the area and is one of the few thriving small airfields still surviving. It plays an important role in training new pilots and connects with the local community through social events. The airfield buildings also represent WW2 heritage and should be valued as such. The only other remaining airfield in Hertfordshire, is Elstree. Airfields like Panshanger provide employment for instructors, maintenance engineers, catering staff and other employees.

A quick guide to commenting... Meeting presentation 18/01/ Commenting on the proposal is daunting at first glance The main documents alone total 600 pages There is a How To guide available on the internet that takes you through it Once you’ve made one comment it quickly becomes familiar. Lets have a quick look at the website:

Meeting presentation 18/01/ We can also try and look at it online now?

More Q & A Meeting presentation 18/01/ Deadline has been extended to the 31 st Jan for all. Councillor Representation? Comments in writing are ok! Do we want form a committee? Thank you for taking part tonight!