Please find enclosed my response to the NHDC 2016 Local plan.
My objections are mainly based around the proposals for Baldock, in particular the land to the North of Baldock, BA1 - referred to as Blackhorse Farm, but which is in fact known on the Ordnance Survey maps as Bygrave Common.


I believe the Local Plan is Unsound, and Not Justified because of the following:


1. Traffic, noise and pollution during the BA1 houses construction period
Site - BA1; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

During the extended period to build 2,800 houses to the north of Baldock, this will cause the traffic along North Road to increase, and the current traffic to be disturbed by the additional construction traffic.
It may even affect the Police forces who I understand occasionally use the North Road into Baldock for high-speed pursuit training.
The building of the houses will cause noise, traffic and air pollution problems for local residents.


2. Traffic through and around Baldock - increased volume and noise
Site - BA1; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

With the building of 2,800 houses to the north of Baldock (BA1) there will be at least one car per household which may choose to gain access to Baldock for shopping, and to local towns for commuting to work.
At the moment all of this traffic will try to pass south under the Baldock railway bridge, causing even more congestion down London Road, into Station Road up to the traffic lights on the corner of White Horse Street.
If as suggested there may be a northern loop road built from London Road to the Royston Road / Bypass roundabout, the traffic for Baldock will turn west along the Royston Road to the Whitehorse traffic lights. The resulting queuing at the traffic lights will add to the traffic congestion and air pollution.


3. Traffic through and around Baldock - increased Air Pollution
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

Good Air Quality is critical to the public health. Concern has already been raised within NHDC about the poor air quality near the Paynes Park and Three Moorhens roundabouts in Hitchin.
With a greatly increased flow of traffic into Baldock passing through (and waiting at) the Whitehorse traffic lights, this will have an adverse effect on the air quality for the local residents, including residents of the retirement homes close to the traffic lights. Poor health in the local residents will result in more visits to the local Baldock Surgery, and to Lister Hospital for serious cases. Poor Air Quality in Baldock was part of the justification for the current Baldock Bypass. Poor Air Quality has not been included in the Local Plan.


4. Baldock Railway Bridge footpaths- inadequate for more pedestrians from the new houses
Site - BA1; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

The footpaths under the Baldock Railway Bridge are narrow, especially on the east side of London Road, where it is just about wide enough for a mother and push chair. If she has a toddler, then it can be dangerous, especially if none rush hour traffic is speeding under the railway bridge inches away from the pedestrians. Pedestrians from 2,800 houses to the north of Baldock will only exacerbate this problem.
Baldock Railway Bridge is low (4.4m / 12ft 6in) and lorries hit the bridge several times per year. This can cause disruption to London Road traffic for a few hours, and can even affect pedestrians if the bridge strike is serious. I do not believe this problem has been highlighted in the Local plan.


5. Baldock Railway Station - inadequate for more commuters from the new houses
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

There is a probability that many of the new residents in the houses to the north of Baldock (and elsewhere in Baldock) will have bought their houses to be near to the Baldock Railway station, where they can commute to their place of work, be it London, Cambridge, or stations in between. If these commuters choose to drive to the station, they will be delayed by the additional traffic. The current provision for car parking at the rail station is limited, and will not cater for the increase in commuter's cars.
Likewise only the 4 and 8 carriage trains can stop at Baldock Station, due to the short length of the Platforms. The rush hour trains are already full to standing capacity. Either more trains will be needed, or the platforms would need extending (by the Rail operator) to take the new 12 carriage trains.


6. Baldock Town Centre Parking - inadequate for more shoppers from the new houses
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

Since the re-development of Baldock Town Centre parking, the parking spaces are just adequate for the current population of 4,500 houses. With an additional 3,300 houses in Baldock, the car parking spaces in Baldock will be woefully inadequate, and shoppers will drive elsewhere to park and shop.
For the 2,800 houses to the North of Baldock, it will be just as easy to drive up the A1 to the shops in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Their alternatives could include driving to Letchworth, Hitchin and Stevenage, where parking is currently just about adequate. Wherever the shopper's cars go, they will cause an increase in local traffic volumes, noise and Air Pollution, giving poor Air Quality for the local residents.


7. Sewage system in Baldock will need enhancing for the new houses
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

At the moment all the sewage from the 4,500 Baldock houses flows to the Ivel Springs Sewage Pumping Station, where it is pumped up to Norton, along a pipe which passes under the Baldock Football ground, and over the Norton Road Bridge, passing over the A1M road. From Norton the Baldock sewage flows by gravity down to the Stand Alone sewage works in Letchworth. During a conversation with an engineer at the Baldock pumping station, he believed the current pumps and pipe are close to capacity, and would have to be doubled in size, to cater for the additional 3,300 houses in Baldock. This required increase to the sewage Infrastructure has not been mentioned in the Local Plan.


8. Surface water run off and flooding in Baldock
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

With 174 hectares of prime agricultural land being covered over by houses, roads and driveways, the rain water will not be able to soak into the land, as at present where it adds to the underground water table.
All of this run-off ground water will either pass into the already overloaded sewer system, or flow into the adjacent River Ivel, where it would disrupt the fragile eco system. I believe this water run-off problem has not been considered in the Local Plan, as has the effect on the River Ivel eco system.


9. Provision of Water to the additional houses in Baldock
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

The local water authority are already trying to move all of Baldock's residents to a metered water supply, due to the lack of water available from the local Aquifer under Weston Hills. A presentation was made by the water authority to the local Baldock councillors saying they were unable to pump water down from the Grantham reservoir, because Aquifer water and reservoir water should not be mixed (due to differing salts and acidity), and that it can cause problems to the water network if it was mixed. The additional 3,300 houses in Baldock (and more houses in other North Herts areas) will only make the water shortage more critical. I believe this water shortage has not been considered in the Local Plan.


10. Lack of spaces for additional pupils in Baldock Schools
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

With an additional 3,300 houses in Baldock, many of these new houses will contain families whose children are of school age, and will need to travel to a school each weekday, probably by car. At the moment the headmasters of local Baldock schools say they do not have the space for these additional pupils, and the schools will need to be increased in size to take the additional pupils. An alternative would be for the pupils to attend schools in other areas, travelling by road, causing further traffic problems.
I believe the needs of children from the additional 3300 houses in Baldock, have not been fully addressed in the Local Plan.


11. Increased pressure on the Baldock Doctors Surgery
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

With an additional 3,300 houses in Baldock, many of these new houses will contain young families. It is probable that the parents would normally be initially quite healthy and would not require a doctor. Where there are children, the parents may need to consult a doctor regarding injections, breakages, child illnesses, etc. The Local Plan does not take this need into account.


12. Loss of Green space in and around Baldock
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

As part of the Green Space Management Strategy, NHDC have identified green spaces in the following North Herts towns for improvement / revision - Hitchin (12), Letchworth (12), Royston (9), Great Ashby (9). Baldock currently has only 5 green spaces for the current local residents. This is inadequate for the health and fitness of the current residents in 4,500 houses. No mention has been made for the provision of additional green spaces for the new residents in the proposed 3,300 new houses in Baldock (which are to be built on Green Belt land). It would be useful if the new houses were separated from the existing houses by green spaces. This lack of green space in Baldock has not been addressed in the NHDC Local Plan.


13. Not all available land around Baldock has been included in the revised Local Plan.
Site - BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA8, BA9, BA11; Policy - SP14; Paragraph -

Additional HCC (Herts County Council) land had been previously identified as being available to the South of Baldock (to the south of the Bypass, near the old airfield, off the A507 Buntingford Road), but this has not been considered by the NHDC planners, and has not been included in the latest NHDC Local Plan.
Likewise, some of the farmers in the Bygrave area have additional land, which could be made available for housing. I believe the owners of this additional land should have been proactively approached re the inclusion of this additional land in the revised North Herts Local Plan.


14. Duty to Co-operate / not Positively Prepared
The North Herts Local Plan is taking into account the needs of Luton.
I believe South Cambridgeshire should likewise take into account the needs of North Herts, by considering the land in the Odsey area around Ashwell Railway Station for additional houses for North Herts.
This area has excellent links to the road (A505 Royston to the A1M), and rail (Cambridge to London Kings Cross) Networks.
The land to the south of the A505 is HCC (Herts County Council) land and could form part of this new development. It is on a slight slope, but houses in many parts of England are on much steeper ground.
A bridge over the A505 would give easy access to the Ashwell Rail Station (which has land available to be extended to take the 12 carriage trains, unlike Baldock Station).