11 thoughts on “Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan – Site Review”

1. A prime concern for everyone that lives and uses the facilities at Welwyn Village is that ALL traffic from Welwyn, Knebworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote and Kimpton to get to and use Junction 6 of the A1M, (&/or to access the nearest train station for this area at Welwyn North,) is forced to pass through overly complicated roundabout system that we have been ‘blessed’ and have to contend with!
   Increases in houses at Codicote will have a massive impact on this village and if even more houses are to be built, use of this motorway junction will surely increase too.
   Thus it would seem to me to be far better that any expansion of the village is made to the East side of the motorway, rather than the West side, to avoid congestion.
   Proposals for the building of housing estates at Sherrardswood, between Digswell and Junction 6, and to the north of Welwyn Garden City would seem a far more appropriate solution, than for increasing the population and use of the road networks through, to the west and to the north of Welwyn Village.
   Whether or not these proposed houses are built, it would seem to me to be vital that the inevitable problems that will come from the increase in traffic using the A1m Junction 6 ‘tangle’ is not overlooked, preferably before any final decision is made on house building developments.
   Therefore, to accompany any proposal to increase the population of this village, a serious plan MUST be proposed for a far less complicated motorway junction, to accommodate the increased traffic. This will be expensive, but it MUST be undertaken to avoid simply funnelling the increased volume of traffic, and thus further congesting Welwyn village and the Motorway Junction any more than currently endured.
   Tony Almond

2. I downloaded the full document, and having looked through it, the phrase “Fake news” came to mind. Did someone seriously suggest the loss of such a huge amount of Green Belt land, plus clubhouses, allotments and other facilities?

   How about Han40a in the centre of WGC (p14)?
   Current use : Mixed use including: car parks – surface level and multi-storey, public realm, junction and road network, retail stores and bus interchange.
   Proposed: 480 dwellings.
   That’s two of the biggest car parks in the town centre! Where are people supposed to go instead?

   Or what about HE17 (p40), Link drive, Hatfield. The car park and skate park across the road from the market place in the centre of Hatfield?
   Who suggested taking away the car park, and how, in a space which has a capacity for 114 cars, can you build 80 to 103 dwellings?

   This is typical of so many of the proposals where the number of dwellings is at 2 to 3 times the current density. E.g. in Cuf12 (p168) you can see from existing houses the there is room for about 150 in the proposed area, yet the plan is for 250 to 300.

   Cuffley’s population is about 4,000, yet the proposals will add OVER 2,000 DWELLINGS to the village!
   This must be re-thought urgently.

   • Thanks for the time and effort putting these thoughts together. WPAG are as dumbfounded as you are. All areas of the Borough have to make sure the the Borough Planners get these thoughts and reactions loud and clear. We all have to respond to the 2019 Promoted Sites Consultation.

     • It is impossible to believe that planners have had an in depth study in proposed housing around Welwyn
       For instance how is it remotely possible to place 250 houses at the top of School Lane. If they had taken the trouble to go up School Lane they straight away see that there is no way it could take the traffic involved.
       The Wilshere development were not allowed to access Whitehill with cars prescisely because of the narrowness of School Lane.
       This only one example of ridiculous plans but there are many others. Welwyn is already to congested.To lose 66 acres of green belt is unbelievable
       Doctors already overloaded. Local schools already too full.
       Planners had better go back to their IN DEPTH look and not seriously damage Welwyn.
       Mr B A SEEKINS

3. There is gridlock every morning and evening during the week getting in and out of WGC and people entering and exiting the A1M. I look forward to a future where another 1,000 new households add to the congestion.

4. Can we vote against this ?

   • Please see my reply to earlier comments, which in similar ways echo those you are making. Please ensure that your comments are properly lodged with the WHBC in accordance with their directions for responding to the Consultation Paper – which you can complete online.

   • Liam – nobody is voting at this stage. The WHBC is seeking a response from the Borough and will quite shortly come up with a proposed change to their draft Local Plan which should reflect the views of consultees. I believe that the final WHBC submission will be presented to us all in the Borough before their Final draft is re-submitted to The Inspector.

5. The proposed sites will destroy the village and surrounding areas of Welwyn. The roads are already struggling to cope with the traffic and the surgery, which is already under immense pressure, cannot cope with the patients it currently has. I imagine schools will be in the same situation. Welwyn is a lovely area with green spaces that people need too and these plans I feel will destroy the area for our children and grandchildren.

   • Please see my reply to earlier comments, which in similar ways echo those you are making. Please ensure that your comments are properly lodged with the WHBC in accordance with their directions for responding to the Consultation Paper – which you can complete online.

6. This planning scheme is ridiculous as it will turn the lovely Welwyn village into a population that is equivalent to a town. The more people generates destruction of green belt, pollution, congestion, needs for schools and surgeries, and crime. Should be opposed. My opinion.

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