Object

Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Representation ID: 1498

Received: 29/11/2016

Respondent: Mr Richard Ross-Langley

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Representation Summary:

It is not sensible nor effective to add more traffic and more people to the current traffic and road safety problems on and around the B197 through Knebworth.

Full text:

Draft is not legally compliant due to lack of consultation when it was decided to include the removal of KB4 from the green belt.

Unsound because the plan is unrealistic regarding the infrastructure needs of Knebworth, in particular the traffic around the junctions of the B197 with the school on Swangleys Lane, the church and post office on St Martin's Road, and the shops along Knebworth High Street.

This concentrated area is the heart of the village - in the long term it needs to be pedestrianised with provision for public transport and a considerable increase in car parking facilities (for the village and the nearby railway station).

Unfortunately the high street on the B197 is a rat-run for the parallel A1M which reduces to 2 lanes from Welwyn heading North. When there is an incident on the A1M, there are queues of traffic from Woolmer Green through Knebworth up to Stevenage.

Attached are photos of the morning traffic in this area on a typical school day (28 November 2016) when the weather is clear and dry and there are no abnormal incidents on the road system. As can be seen, it is already a dangerous situation, heavy traffic going in all directions mixed with children and other pedestrians.

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