Baldock, Bygrave & Clothall Neighbourhood Plan - Submission Version

Policies for specific sites

Reason for this policy

Although the opening of the Baldock bypass in 2006 provided partial relief from through traffic, the benefit was not universal. In North Road and Hitchin Street traffic increased^[17], many heavy goods vehicles have continued to take the shortest route through the town, and parts of Baldock still suffer from congestion. The Whitehorse Street/Station Road crossroads is a significant bottleneck that operates at or above capacity^[18], and causes frequent delays to traffic, particularly from the north. The volume of traffic using the crossroads also harms the setting of several listed buildings that surround it.

A further consequence of high traffic volumes within Baldock is the risk of poor air quality around some roads, particularly in the Whitehorse Street/Hitchin Street area. While current nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels are within the level set by the relevant national Air Quality Objective, they would deteriorate over coming years without action to mitigate the impact of the developments being proposed in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan. In addition, there has been no monitoring of fine particulate matter in Baldock, which is linked to vehicle emissions^[19].

The evidence prepared to support the proposed development of these sites anticipates that new link roads and junction improvements will mitigate the impact of additional traffic on the Whitehorse Street/Station Road crossroads^[20]. However, as experience with the bypass has shown, the impact of road improvements can be difficult to predict, as it relies on assumptions about trip rates and distributions, and wider factors such as changes in vehicle fuels and usage. In this context it is appropriate to require additional measures, beyond those already proposed in the new Local Plan, to minimise the risk of unacceptable impacts on congestion and emissions, and to monitor impacts as the developments are implemented (allowing further measures to be pursued if needed, as set out in part (f) of the policy).

This is particularly important for sites BA2, BA3, BA4 and BA10, for which the new Local Plan proposes very few specific requirements relating to sustainable travel^[21]. These, like site BA1, will result in additional pedestrian and cycle movements to other parts of the town, so should contribute to appropriate off-site improvements. The introduction of bus services – if necessary with some initial financial support from the developments – is particularly important for site BA1; not just to assist those with limited mobility, but also because significant parts of the site are more than 20 minutes' walk from the town centre and/or beyond a ten minute cycle ride^[22].

Reason for this policy

Suitably located and designed green spaces and recreational facilities play a vital role in creating places that are attractive, healthy and which benefit the environment (including by helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change, such as through increased tree cover). It is important to supplement the general policies for securing green infrastructure in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan, so that Baldock's expansion is guided by specific requirements that reflect the scale of proposed development, local needs and appropriate advice.

The most recent assessment of green infrastructure within Baldock shows an existing deficiency in 'amenity' green space compared to North Hertfordshire's standards^[24], while the proposed growth of the town will generate a substantial additional requirement for outdoor spaces of different types. Although the new Local Plan proposes development on a number of different sites at the edge of Baldock, these need to be considered together so that the best sites are chosen for different types of green infrastructure – an approach which is made possible by the fact that all the sites (and some neighbouring land) are owned by Hertfordshire County Council. A strategic approach is particularly important for outdoor sports provision, due to the specific requirements that exist in terms of the size/layout of spaces and need for supporting facilities.

The Government's National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that opportunities for environmental 'net gains' should be sought through the planning system. The combined scale of the proposed urban extensions to Baldock provides an opportunity to put this principle into practice: it should be possible to create a network of multifunctional green infrastructure that offers an enhanced range of recreational facilities for the town and neighbouring villages, as well as enriching and diversifying habitats for wildlife. Particular care will be required in designing sustainable drainage systems as part of this network so that these benefits are realised, taking into account the SuDS Design Guidance for Hertfordshire and industry best practice^[25].

New and expanded school provision could help to meet some of the additional sports requirements generated by the proposed developments, but should not be relied upon to meet all of those requirements, given the limited hours during which school facilities can be made available for wider community use, and the need to avoid over-use of school pitches. In addition, Sport England has recommended that financial contributions towards enhancing off-site provision are likely to be the most appropriate way of meeting additional demand for certain sports, where this can improve existing facilities that serve Baldock and/or the additional population could not sustain a new facility within the town.

In applying this policy, it will be appropriate to take into account North Hertfordshire District Council's standards for open space^[26]; the Green Infrastructure Plan for North Hertfordshire^[27], which provides specific advice on green infrastructure opportunities in and around Baldock (as well as more general principles that may be relevant); and North Hertfordshire's Playing Pitch Strategy Action Plan^[28].

Construction site, Fairfield

Reason for this policy

Construction work on the sites proposed in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan is expected to take many years – especially on those at the edge of Baldock where new infrastructure such as roads will need to be put in place. To minimise the impact of this work on the existing communities, it is important that suitable mitigation measures are considered and agreed at an early stage. Conditions are expected to be attached to permissions on these sites to ensure that the measures needed are implemented at appropriate points during the construction phase.

Reason for this policy

Development on the scale proposed in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan will mean changes in Baldock's size, facilities and feel over a period of many years. It is important that local people have opportunities to influence this process, so that local ideas and preferences can be reflected as much as possible, and the expanded town retains and builds on Baldock's strong sense of community. Involving new residents and businesses will be just as important for this as engaging fully with the existing community.

The early availability of facilities to serve the proposed developments at the edge of Baldock is a particular concern highlighted during initial consultations to produce this plan. This is important not just to avoid placing additional pressure on existing services, but also because of the vital role that accessible local services play in creating new neighbourhoods (through the opportunities they provide for meeting day to day needs, as well as being places to meet).

Successful large-scale developments tend to be characterised by active community involvement in their long-term management^[29]. Some aspects of this can be provided for at the application stage, such as the arrangements proposed to manage new recreational facilities and sustainable drainage features. However, some developers have realised the benefits of going further, and invest proactively in building new communities (e.g. by initiating and supporting community events). This is particularly valuable where schemes will take some years to realise, meaning the developer needs to build and maintain a long-term relationship with a community as it evolves. Efforts to support the social development of Baldock will, therefore, be encouraged alongside specific measures that may be agreed as part of any planning approvals.

Reason for this policy

Site BA1 is contained largely within Bygrave parish, and will have a significant impact on the relationship between Baldock and Bygrave, as well as on the character and function of Baldock itself. Policy E5 builds on policy SP14 in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan by providing additional safeguards, so that Bygrave village retains its separate identity, the character of the site and the relationship with Baldock are taken fully into account, and necessary new facilities are secured.

Bygrave village will remain in the Green Belt, and it is important that a meaningful gap between Lower Bygrave and Baldock is retained to prevent coalescence, integrate new development into the surrounding landscape and limit the extent to which site BA1 is perceived to encroach upon the countryside. A narrow gap would not achieve this, as it would need to rely on dense planting to secure adequate screening and fail to retain a sense of Lower Bygrave as a separate settlement within a rural setting. A landscape and visual appraisal carried out for the Neighbourhood Plan^[32] indicates that a gap of at least 170m (corresponding to the 80m contour line, at the point that new development would come closest to Lower Bygrave) is the minimum necessary to secure appropriate screening and landscape integration.

Taking into account indicative masterplans that have been produced for the site, a gap of 170m should be possible to achieve without reducing the overall developable area^[33]. However, the appraisal also shows that a 250m gap would be more effective in maintaining longer-distance views of the landscape from Lower Bygrave, and a sense of separation between Baldock and Bygrave.

Bygrave Road, with part of site BA1 proposed in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan

Appropriate screening of site BA1 will also help to maintain a sense of separation, and additional guidance on a suitable approach to planting is set out in North Hertfordshire's Green Infrastructure Plan^[34].

Views of the wider countryside from Bygrave are an important feature of the village. It will be important to conserve these longer-distance views so far as possible as Baldock expands, and to mitigate any adverse impacts. Policy SP14 in the new Local Plan already requires built development to be contained to the south/south-west of the ridgeline that runs east from the A507 towards Bygrave, and planting to integrate it into the wider landscape. However, the arrangement and height of development within the site will also affect long-distance views, and should be taken into account in the detailed design of the scheme.

The proposed development of site BA1 is likely to bring new housing close to the existing residential area around Salisbury Road and Larkins Close in Baldock. To minimise the impact on existing residents, the edge of the new development in this area will require particularly careful treatment, some principles for which are set out in the Design Guidelines that accompany this plan.

Much of site BA1 comprises an open field system with a relative lack of visible historic features^[35], but those features which are present are important to retain and incorporate sensitively within the development, in view of their historic or environmental importance. The Green Infrastructure Plan notes the importance of Bygrave Road/Ashwell Road as a green corridor, with part of the road being a designated local wildlife site. Some 90% of responses to the Neighbourhood Plan survey thought it was important or very important that such features are kept as part of the new development. Most of the houses on Bygrave Road that lie beyond the current edge of Baldock are also distinctive features, being remnants of the County Council's Rural Estate that provided smallholding opportunities to returning servicemen following the First World War.

The new Local Plan requires a range of facilities to be provided on site BA1 so that many of the day-to-day needs of its residents can be met, including new schools, a GP surgery, shops and a community hall. The parish of Bygrave has no indoor community facilities at present, other than the parish church, but its population will expand considerably once the proposed development of site BA1 gets under way. Therefore, it is important that the community space (or spaces) to be provided is suitable for the needs of local groups including the Parish Council, and provides sufficient capacity and flexibility to meet the range of needs likely to be generated by the proposed development.

In view of its impact on both Bygrave and Baldock, the development of site BA1 should make some further contributions towards improving facilities (over and above those specified in the new Local Plan), to help make the development acceptable in planning terms. The new Local Plan does not make specific provision for additional recreational facilities, despite evidence that both outdoor and indoor facilities serving Baldock are either lacking or already at capacity^[36]. New green infrastructure – including land for outdoor sport – is addressed through policy E2 in this plan. In addition, site BA1 should as a minimum provide additional sports hall facilities that are suitable for community use, which could be through multi-use of the proposed schools facilities. Fitness suite/activity studio facilities could also form part of this provision.

The proximity of the proposed development to Bygrave village is also likely to generate more pedestrian or cycle trips from the village into Baldock, so a suitable footpath/ cycleway between the two – using the route of Ashwell Road/Bygrave Road – should also be provided. This would help to maintain this historic route between Baldock and Bygrave, but would need to be done in a sensitive manner that maintains as much as possible of its rural character and habitat value. It may be possible to maintain limited vehicular access along this route, but this will depend on the detailed network design and masterplanning for the proposed development.

There is concern within Bygrave about the potential for site BA1 to generate many more traffic movements through the village, which could have a significant impact on its character and tranquillity^[37]. While access to Ashwell from Baldock and Bygrave will need to be retained, every effort should be made to minimise the number and speed of vehicle movements through Bygrave as site BA1 is developed. Consequently, contributions will be required towards a suitable package of traffic management measures. These should be appropriate to the rural character of the village, by avoiding features that would have an urbanising effect and keeping signage to a minimum.

Note: this map does not form part of the adopted policies map.

Reason for this policy

The developments proposed in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan will have a significant effect on the character and appearance of Royston Road. It is important to ensure that these schemes are implemented in a way that enhances Royston Road's appearance, as this is one of the main routes into the town, and currently there is a fragmented pattern of development and barriers to movement between Clothall Common and other parts of Baldock. The relationship between commercial and residential uses will also require particularly careful treatment to ensure satisfactory living conditions for existing and future occupiers.

This requires a coordinated approach to the proposed developments, which will allow opportunities to enhance the appearance and accessibility of this corridor through the design of the buildings, landscaping and other infrastructure. Establishing an appropriate landscape framework for Royston Road at an early stage will help to ensure that this coordinated approach is realised, and is made more practical to deliver by the fact that the sites are in single ownership (Hertfordshire County Council).

The Landscape Sensitivity Study for land to the north of Baldock, and the North Hertfordshire Green Infrastructure Plan^[38], highlight the potential prominence of development in this part of Baldock, and suggest appropriate mitigation measures through appropriate landscaping and building design. They also highlight the scope to enhance the ecological value of the railway corridor by creating a green buffer alongside it.

There is scope to improve the appearance of the Ashville Trading Estate (employment site BE2 in the new Local Plan) over time, as proposals to redevelop existing units come forward^[39]. Applying policy E6 to such proposals will help to ensure that they contribute to the wider opportunities for improving the appearance of Royston Road.

Reasons for this policy

Sites BA2 (Cambrai Farm) and BA3 (south of Clothall Common) both occupy prominent positions at the eastern edge of Baldock, within Clothall parish. Development on both sites will affect views from a number of locations within Baldock, and the Green Infrastructure Plan^[41] has identified the need for careful treatment of the site boundaries to limit their visual impact. Policy E7 supplements the measures proposed in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan, in particular to ensure that other sensitive boundaries to these sites incorporate appropriate landscaping and screening.

Site BA2 to the left, part of BA3 at mid-right, and BA1 in the distance

Development bordering the Baldock bypass could be particularly intrusive, both from the road itself and from adjoining public rights of way, so it is particularly important that a soft edge is provided in these locations. This should be implemented in a way that supports necessary levels of noise reduction for new properties, as well as achieving visual screening.

The more elevated, northern parts of site BA3 serve an important purpose as a large area of informal open space created after the construction of the Baldock bypass, and the need for this recreational use is expected to increase once sites BA3 and BA4 proposed in the new Local Plan are developed. Currently the visual quality of this land is relatively poor, and could be enhanced through measures such as additional planting.

Figure 7: Location of raised land to the east of Aleyn Way and Merchants Walk

Imagery © 2019 Google    This map is indicative and does not form part of the adopted policies map.

New buildings on this part of the site would not be appropriate, and not just because of the potential impact on its recreational value. The land rises relatively steeply to the east of Aleyn Way and Merchants Walk (apart from a corridor at the foot of this slope^[42]), so buildings on the raised land would not be sympathetic to the surrounding built environment and landscape setting. This would also be true if the slopes rising up to the raised land were to be used or excavated to accommodate development. The raised parts of the site are also potentially unsuitable for building, as they were formed by spoil deposited during the construction of the bypass.

While the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan and policy E5 in this document require new community facilities to be provided as part of site BA1, these are unlikely to be built for some years (if, as expected, site BA1 is developed after the other major sites proposed in the new North Hertfordshire Local Plan). The new Local Plan does not propose any new community facilities in association with the other sites that it allocates for residential development, even though they are likely to put increased pressure on existing facilities.

This is a particular issue for community spaces: while there may be some scope to make more intensive use of the halls that currently exist in Baldock, there is a shortage of facilities that provide suitable indoor and outdoor space for groups such as after-school clubs and scouts/guides. There is an opportunity to provide such a facility as part of the proposed development of sites BA2 and BA3, potentially making some use of part of the 'urban open land' between these sites proposed in the new Local Plan for any outdoor recreation element.