To label Whitwell as a category A village is an incorrect assessment. This categorisation deems that the village needs an increase in housing numbers in order to thrive but there is no evidence to this effect in the case of Whitwell. The village thrives BECAUSE of its rural nature and location. Its attraction to those who live in the nearby conurbations are those very attributes that would be put under threat by development . The village is a magnet for ramblers, hikers, cyclists and those who wish to escape the nearby towns for a short while and experience the atmosphere of a country village with its attendant pace of life - an amenity all too rare in this corner of North Herts. Whitwell would be correctly classified as a 'category B' village.