CD1 Land south of Cowards Lane

Land south of Cowards Lane - 73
Land north of The Close - 48
Codicote Garden Centre, High Street - 54
Land south of Heath Lane - 140 (and an extension to the school)

I write in connection with the above planning proposals.
I wish to object to the development of this number of houses and I object strongly in particular to development on Land south of Cowards Lane and Land south of Heath Lane which are on undeveloped farmland.
Green belt is recognised by the government as very important to retain and should only be built on in very exceptional circumstance which in this case I do not believe can be met.
Codicote is a small village reached by a B road and small lanes and as such is very unsuited to this number of large housing sites.
Most working residents have to travel out of the village to work.
The traffic congestion is currently very bad and the increase in traffic which the proposed developments would bring will have a serious impact on the area.
Witness the tailbacks that currently occur between Codicote and Welwyn morning and evening together with standing traffic through Codicote High Street.
The surrounding lanes will inevitably become car and lorry rat-runs making usage increasingly dangerous especially for local walkers, riders and cyclists.
(Many cyclists use the Great North Way Cycle Route which passes through Codicote.)
The extra cars and lorries will cause rapid deterioration in the road surfaces and the destruction of verges where vehicles try to pass on the narrow lanes.
The public transport through Codicote is not currently adequate to serve the residents.
There is no railway station and no suitable bus service to one.
The nearest railway stations to Codicote are at Knebworth and Welwyn North which have inadequate provision for existing car parking resulting in commuters filling up residential streets to their detriment.
For these reasons, I am objecting to the proposals.

We understand and agree that our country and our county, Hertfordshire, are in need of additional housing for the future.

However, we have concerns for Codicote and we submit below our representations. My husband and I have previously presented our views at the appropriate times by way of emails and letters since the commencement of the North Herts Local Plan 2011-2031. We fervently trust all views will to be taken into account.

We consider that the sites to the north and south of the village, CD2 Codicote Garden Centre - site number 205 and CD1 Hollard's Farm - site number 318, appear to be the more viable areas for development mainly as their access would be directly on to the B656 and not by way of Codicote's housing estate roads.

On the contrary, our main objection is to the proposed development known as CD3 Land adjacent to The Close - site number 032 and wish to present our reasons as to why we believe this site to be unviable.

The land, a field, is known to be a floodplain, confirmed by an Infinity Water Company representative, when houses adjacent to the right hand side of The Close (address of The Paddocks) flooded again earlier this year. Sewerage has been known to overflow on several occasions from drains in the front garden of a home in The Close and residents have series concerns as to whether or not the water/sewage system in place could cope with additional use in the future.

Consideration should be given to the three water springs at the top end of the field. These have become particularly evident and thereby exposed since 2014 with excess water appearing in the field following rainfall because the farmer (who rents the field) 'dug up', for no apparent reason, many and all young oak trees that had grown over the past years - the beginnings of a wood, such as was in the field fifty years ago. Some of them were at least 20cm diameter (evidence of this is the pile of trees next to the remaining aged oak tree on the far side of the site). A gas main runs directly through the field - there is a 'gas shed' just inside the field. A storm water drain runs parallel to the fence The Close garages and The Paddocks.

Residents are extremely concerned about where the access for the proposed houses will be.

The roads: Valley Road, The Close and The Paddocks (past the junction with The Ridgeway) have residents' vehicles parked all along both sides of these roads. It is known that residents from Newtown also use Valley Road for parking and visitors have trouble finding parking spaces. The Close also provides access to 19 NHDC garages. Officials wishing to understand the difficulties of driving along the narrow centre of these housing estate roads would be advised to visit the area at 8 am and 6pm week days and on weekends. Any inspection, as has recently been the case, during mid-morning, when many cars have left for the day, would give a completely misinformed reading of traffic congestion in the vicinity.

The site off The Close is frequented by many dog walkers, ramblers and families enjoying an area of Codicote countryside. There are the public footpaths and other pathways (clearly seen on aerial views) ingrained over the years by walkers. Residents understand that these paths, if walked for over 20 years, do indeed become 'public footpaths'.

This is Green Belt land and although we understand it is permissible to extend the boundaries for Green Belt, it is hoped that some Green Belt land will remain surrounding Codicote.

The field has been fallow in excess of 30 years and many indigenous varieties of trees, shrubs, wildflowers and wildlife survive in the field and its bordering areas of natural habitat, together with numerous wild birds, including wrens, song thrush, kestrels and the once rare, Red Kite, roost and breed in the mature oak tree on the site and the trees and shrubs edging the field. Owls frequent the area and bats have been spotted.

Furthermore, there are public concerns regarding the high volume of traffic on the roads leading into the village.

Bury Lane running east to west in Codicote. Already a very busy road, being the main route from Codicote village to Knebworth and Stevenage, it can be foreseen that if the large amount of proposed housing on the edge of Knebworth is built, those residents will use Park Lane and Bury Lane travelling through the village, either to Hitchin or Welwyn to access the A1M motorway. Road maintenance is poor on Bury Lane, a country lane with substantial side potholes, particularly on the road from the bottom of Church Hill to the Sally Deards Lane junction - causing traffic to slow in order to manoeuvre safely.

This will create additional traffic on the already very congested B656 through Codicote, particularly at peak times. Congestion and tailbacks through the village have increased since the housing was built at the south end of Codicote Road and on the site of The Clock Hotel on the roundabout at Welwyn when joining the A1M. Additionally, when problems occur on the A1M, Codicote bears the diverted traffic.

The B656 becomes Codicote High Street and then continues to Old Welwyn. The High Street consists of a few shops, public houses and many homes (some of which date back to the Victorian era and earlier), therefore residents' park 'nose to tail' on both sides of this road thus already restricting the available space for passing vehicles - from cars to heavy plant.

St. Albans Road (running west to east in the village) experiences a large number of major large plant vehicles to and from Codicote Quarry joining/leaving the junction at the High Street. (At present this Quarry is subject to an unauthorised development appeal under the Town and Planning Act 1990, under Section 174 and residents of Codicote are in the process of making representations to reduce the movement of vehicles.)

Heath Lane also running west to east in the village experiences a great deal of traffic, including farm vehicles and farm delivery vehicles,) and through traffic.

St. Albans Road, Heath Lane and in particular Bury Lane are country lanes - they are narrow, windy and unkempt - requiring effective maintenance to cope with any increase in the volume of traffic entering and leaving Codicote. Widening of these roads would be costly and difficult to achieve due to the routes they take. At the entrance to Codicote via Bury Lane is the historic 1000 year old St. Giles Church.

Further great concern is the lack of infrastructure for any additional housing and people. Aside, from the congestion on our arterial roads, High Street, estate roads, Codicote has no doctors' surgery or dental practice. Residents currently have to travel to either Knebworth, Old Welwyn or beyond for these facilities - to oversubscribed practices. Codicote Primary School is an Ofsted Outstanding School - it has a waiting list and although could expand in the future, has no accommodation currently for larger classes. There are no secondary schools in Codicote - students have to travel by public transport to outlying towns, Hitchin, Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage.

Reference should be made to the Member of Parliament for Stevenage (including the Parish of Codicote), Stephen McPartland's two page letter, paragraph 4, dated November 2016 headed 'Formal response to consultation on North Hertfordshire District Council Local Plan 2011-2031 (Proposed Submission)'. This letter was linked via his email Newsletter of the 27th November 2016.

I hope due consideration and extensive reviews of the plans are given by everyone making decisions about the future, and also respecting the history and heritage, of the village of Codicote.

Thank you for reading our presentation.

Re: North Hertfordshire Proposed Submission Local Plan
As long time residents in Codicote village we have several objections regarding the North Hertfordshire District Council Local Plan and are concerned regarding the impact on the district and particularly our village, Codicote. The plans show no infrastructure work and seem excessive and do not seem to be joined up as there are plans for nearby Knebworth and Woolmer Green , too much for three villages .

Objections

13.77 Local Housing Allocation

Site CD5: Number of houses in the plan states 140 homes for Land south of Heath Lane based on 20 Dwellings per hectare. However, the developer is promoting circa 200. This is an 45% increase on the proposed number of houses than the local plan suggests.

Site CD5 gives a clear example that the Local Plan has not calculated the number of houses on each site correctly. The proposed number of newly built homes in the Local Plan is 20 per hectare. Government Guidance of the number of house built; 30 per hectare has been withdrawn and therefore the actual number being built by developers is far greater sometimes up to 40-50 per hectare.

The NHDC Local Plan has failed to correctly calculate the number of houses. The fact is that there will be a significant increase in the number of homes built in the Local Plan than have been proposed. Therefore, suggesting the Local Plan has allocated at least 45-50% more land than is required. The only logical conclusion is there is too much land allocated in the plan and therefore there is no need to develop on Green Belt sites and Villages which do not have the infrastructure.

Site CD5, CD1, CD2, CD3. Building on Green Belt conflicts with national Green Belt Policy.

Site CD5, CD1, CD2, CD3. The site will have visual impacts on the Countryside and wildlife, loss of trees and nature, impact on public footpaths.

Site CD5. Access to sites is difficult due to width of the existing roads. Heath Lane and St Albans Roads are lanes with one vehicle road width. Government Inspectors need to visit the village and drive these roads at peak time more cars will be dangerous. There is no highways plan to improve the infrastructure.

Site CD5, CD1, CD2, CD3. Thames Water have spent over £4m investigating drainage in Codicote. It is believed some is pre Victorian and have no records on drainage. Codicote has a high water table and sites are prone to flooding. There is no plan to address flooding more hard staying means less run off more flash flooding .

Site CD5, CD1, CD2, CD3. Building over 364 homes in Codicote will have considerable impact on traffic through the village. More than 364 cars as most homes have multiple cars. Increased congestion and pollution

Site CD5 was a last-minute addition to the plan and there was not proper consultation to the significant increase in size to this site.

There is no employment in the village apart from shops , restaurants and the local garden centre Wyevale. The garden centre is an employer and also a social centre for many local elderly and disabled communities. To loose this to housing is not a good plan. Loss of local employment and local community site Wyevale .

13.81, 13.82, 13.83 Infrastructure and Mitigation

* NHDC have not given reasonable consideration to the impact on traffic through the village and the current road networks to people to travel to employment. The plan is not consistent with National Policy Section 4 "Promoting Sustainable transport"
* Heath Lane/Heath Hill. Route to Luton, regularly floods at CodicoteBottom due to the River Mimram. The road has very poor forward visibility and one vehicle width road.
* High Street, Codicote. Route to A1M, Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, London, Hitchin and Luton. It's a through road to A1M significant congestion already at peak travel times. Any hold ups on the A1M already results in very heavy traffic through the village, motor vehicles and HGV Lorries. Significant number of residential houses in the high street with no parking which causes one vehicle lane.
* St Albans Road. Working quarry with regular HGV lorries visiting site. Main route from Codicote to St Albans. Road is one lane with lack of forward visibility and regular flooding at three locations.
* Bury Lane. Busy cut through route to Stevenage, one lane roads.
* All roads feeding the high street are becoming rat runs for the lack of accessibility to the A1M and high traffic load on the A1M.
* Lack of consideration to the Traffic impact caused by new housing north of Codicote. We believe there will be a significant increase without the new housing being built in our village as the regular traffic routes would be those named above.
* Limited bus service to local towns and hospitals.
* A & E Department at Lister Hospital is 9 Miles away with no public transport available.
* A1M is expanding to three lanes and during congestion Ambulance services would rely on the coming through Codicote on the B656. Delays in the Ambulance Service could mean life or death.
* Nearest NHS available Dentist is 5.6 miles in Welwyn Garden city, normal journey time 16 minutes.
* Bridge Cottage Surgery Welwyn is our nearest GP Service. Can wait up to 2-3 weeks for an appointment and daily appointments are taken within 10 mins of opening and queuing starts an 1hour before appointments are released.
* Railway stations Knebworth and Welwyn North are already at parking capacity and not in walking distance and the railway plan proposes fewer fast services to London , again evidence no joined up thinking

* No Local Authority Leisure facilities in the village. The sports centre is funded by residents and opened and operates via a volunteer group.
* Codicote Primary school is already oversubscribed without the additional houses being added to the village. The school currently requires immediate expansion to cope with existing numbers. Building new houses would not solve this issue only exacerbate the problem. The Local Plan has not forecast the correct demand for the Primary School expansion.
* No higher education facilities in the village children rely heavily on buses increase in traffic. There would also be further impact on secondary schooling which has not been considered in the local plan.
* No commuting cyclists as roads are very dangerous and nearest employment and railway stations Knebworth and Welwyn North are too far to cycle.

Under these circumstances I would recommend New Garden City or Cities which be developed that would be able to meet future housing needs at the same time developing public services and employment opportunities and transport networks for the new community. This plan causes more problems than solutions for current residents and indeed future residents.

I wish to object to the current proposed local plan with regard to the proposed new housing bolted on the VILLAGE of Codicote.

Transport and all amenities are already considerably stretched. There is only 1 main road through the village. A 25% increase in housing will mean a 25% increase in traffic which this road will not sustain. There is no station in Codicote so all workers will need to commute by road as there is no major employer in the village either.

CD1, 3 and 5 in particular are built onto narrow windy country lanes with no passing spaces and in CD1 case no pavement. These roads are not suitable for any increased regular commuter time traffic. Pedestrian safety would be a serious issue.

I am writing to you in connection with the District Council's consultation on its Local Plan, and particularly in relation to the proposed expansion of Codicote. I strongly object to the proposal to allow the construction of over 300 houses in the Green Belt surrounding Codicote. I shall explain my reasoning beginning with reference to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). I shall also demonstrate that the proposal is inconsistent with North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC's) own policies.

Driving a coach & horses through the principles outlined in the NPPF
The proposals for building houses in the areas CD1 - 5 run contrary to the principles enshrined in the NPPF, as follows:

Par. 79
'The Government attaches great importance to Green Belts. The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence.'

Par. 87
'As with previous Green Belt policy, inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances.'

Comment: Building in the Green Belt is only allowable under very special circumstances, and NHDC has simply not demonstrated this is the case. Here I would like to refer to CPRE's submission of 23rd November 2016, and there is little purpose in my repeating what CPRE has said. However, it is worth emphasising that case law has demonstrated that general housing need does not constitute an exceptional circumstance, as were it to do so then in effect the Green Belt would be afforded no protection. This argument is made very clearly by CPRE and I would like to endorse everything they say concerning the fact that NHDC has failed to demonstrate the case for exceptional circumstances justifying the release of the Green Belt for development around Codicote.

Par. 109
'The planning system should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by:

* protecting and enhancing valued landscapes,...recognising the wider benefits of ecosystem services;
* minimising impacts on biodiversity and providing net gains in biodiversity where possible, contributing to the Government's commitment to halt the overall decline in biodiversity..'

Comment: This proposal can only harm biodiversity, resulting in the local extinctions of farmland dependent species.

Par. 113
'Local planning authorities should set criteria based policies against which proposals for any development on or affecting protected wildlife... or landscape areas will be judged... commensurate with their status.. [giving] appropriate weight to their importance and the contribution that they make to wider ecological networks.'

Comment: Where has the Council established a policy that states that new developments are acceptable in the context of eliminating populations of fauna that rely on farmland?

Incompatibilities with NHDC's District Local Plan with Alterations (1996)
The proposal to expand Codicote by nearly 25 per cent is not supported by the Council's Local Plan:

Policy 3
Settlements within the Green Belt
Comment: This policy states that development may only be considered for strict agricultural need, the service needs of the settlement within which the development is proposed, a single dwelling not resulting in outward expansion, or an identified rural housing need which meets the criteria of Policy 29. Policy 29 refers to a 'specific and proven local need,' which would not be available on the 'general housing market,' visually sympathetic to the existing character of, in this case Codicote, not detracting from the 'character' or local 'landscape,' all of which would be 'secured in a legal agreement.' In short, neither Policy 3 nor Policy 29 permits development of the nature envisaged for Codicote in NHDC's Local Plan.

Policy 5
Excluded Villages
Comment: This policy states that the Council may permit development in Codicote 'only if the development is compatible with the maintenance and enhancement of village character [my emphasis] and the maintenance of Green Belt boundaries... Clearly increasing a settlement by some 25 per cent cannot by any definition 'maintain and enhance' village character - what this development does is begin the inexorable transformation of our village into a small town. How can the following inevitable consequences of this expansion maintain or enhance Codicote as a village, but to the contrary it will degrade village life in a number of respects:

* there is insufficient capacity in the local primary school for more pupils and as it is secondary school pupils have to travel on overcrowded buses to neighbouring towns like Welwyn Garden City on congested roads;
* Codicote does not have a GP's surgery and the local surgery at Bridge Cottage is already at overcapacity;
* Codicote's High Street is already overfull with limited parking, with cars often obstructing the pavement - this situation can only worsen with more housing;
* Affinity Water will not (rightly in my view) allow any more abstraction from the Mimram. How, therefore, is the demand for more water going to be met? There are already constraints on the infrastructure for waste water;
* There are currently frequent short power cuts in Codicote - how can this improve with more demand for electricity unless power cables are to be strengthened.

Expanding Codicote by 25 per cent is unsustainable
The NPPF makes clear the Government's support for sustainable development but the NPPF also incorporates the Brundtland understanding of what sustainability entails, namely that it must have economic, social and environmental protection at its heart. The proposal in the Local Plan fails on all three criteria. That is, there will be few economic benefits to the village with this development (in terms of long term employment - as almost all the new householders will work elsewhere), when there is already pressure on schools, health facilities and other infrastructure the development can only create tensions rather than improved community cohesiveness, and finally environmentally it can only be very harmful. The new houses - assuming they will not be zero carbon homes - will produce green house gases and 315 new houses will result in approximately 550 additional cars, all of them queuing at rush hour along the rural roads surrounding Codicote as the new residents drive to work elsewhere. So together, home energy consumption and transport, will contribute to Climate Change. And what these developments will be replacing is rural land which currently serves as a habitat for wildlife.

Conclusion
In summary, the NPPF explicitly states that the Green Belt can only be developed in very exceptional circumstances, and as CPRE has pointed out NHDC has not demonstrated any such exceptional circumstances, and general housing need categorically does not constitute an exceptional circumstance. In this regard I would like to quote from the letter of the Chief Planner to all Planning Authorities in 2015. Here he says:
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that most development in the Green Belt is inappropriate and should be approved only in very special circumstances. Consistent with this... unmet need are unlikely to clearly outweigh harm to the Green Belt... so as to establish very special circumstances. (Letter from Steve Quartmain CBE of 31 August 2015)
Moreover, when the Council considers its own Local Plan, it is clear that the development proposed for Codicote does not 'maintain or enhance' but rather is of a place changing scale and should not be permitted. It is also wholly unsustainable, from the perspective of socially dividing the community rather than bringing people together, increasing the congestion on lanes not designed for 'rush hour' traffic, increasing green house gas emissions, threatening already overstretched water supplies, and replacing wildlife habitats at a time when the State of Nature report published recently tells us how much of our rural wildlife is declining. In every respect, therefore, the proposal to expand Codicote should not be permitted.
Thank you for considering the evidence I presented in this letter.

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You have identified three sites within Codicote Parish for potential housing as part of the need to build additional housing to meet the strategic plan for the county.

I wish to express my views on the proposed sites.

I am not against the designation of areas within the village, previously seen as 'green belt', to be used for small scale developments which seek to provide housing opportunities for the young people of the village and those wishing to 'buy in' to village life.

Village life will mean consideration must be given to primary school places in the village for under 11's, minimising risks of the ever increasing through traffic, ensuring the remaining shops survive by improving parking opportunities, reducing the speed of traffic, etc. I understand from a recent presentation that it is too early for these issues to even be discussed.

Of the three sites for housing the two sites along the Welwyn- Hitchin roads (CD1 and CD2?) appear to offer the least environmental impact on the village, though they will require investment in upgrading the road layout around the village. Should CD2 be chosen, please consider purchasing the adjacent allotment area for the parish to stop the potential of further development.

The third site off the bottom of Valley Road has a greater impact, not in the reduction of green belt or village amenities, but in the positioning of housing in an area with no exit to the High Street other than via Valley Road to Bury Lane, then left to the Welwyn/Hitchin Road or right to Knebworth/ Stevenage, along a 3 mile country road which will also require upgrading along its whole length at considerable cost to the environment and community.

In agreeing that new housing is required, I feel that the additional community charge income and indeed the parish precept generated (compared to the profits generated to the land owners, property developers, builders, etc.) will not be adequate to meet the additional costs involved on the community. Again, I understand that no figures are available at this time. Points that need covering are:




Road network improvements- refer to above comments.

Additional school places within Codicote for children under 11. I understand that new buildings are already necessary but not approved , with 100-150 new properties this can only increase the overcrowding. This could be alleviated by committing funds to purchase the adjacent unused farm land as a sports field and building onto the existing footprint and into the existing sports field. This would have the additional benefit of securing this area as 'green' belt for the future.

Damage to the viability of the few remaining shops as the flow of traffic, additional parking, etc. will reduce the potential for customers to stop and make purchases.

Increase the environmental damage being caused to property along the High Street and St Albans Road by traffic, on top of the damage being done through the continued use of Codicote Quarry for material reclamation beyond the original agricultural reclamation it was historically authorised for.

The need to provide adequate parking for new households which will have 2-3 cars (the norm. these days ). To see this in practice I would suggest a visit to the last 'high density' project at the Paddocks at the bottom of Valley Road. Also along the High Street, where cars are parked obstructing the pavement due to the Welwyn/Hitchin (A1M 'rat run') on an evening or early morning. A public parking option is urgently needed.

In addition the proposed long term improvements to the A1M recently reported as close to being authorised will only increase the traffic through the village and require managed entry into the flow from the proposed housing developments as well as Bury Lane, changing the village significantly.

To sum up there is a need for 'affordable and mixed' housing for the existing population of the village, both for new families and for 'seniors' to downscale. The possible developments could assist this.

I realise that the final decisions are needed to house the growing populations of Hertfordshire. I can only hope that you look beyond the housing numbers and consider the other quality of life factors which makes village life so attractive,

I strongly object to the huge number of homes planned for the North of Hertfordshire, in excess of 7,000 that due to their siting will inevitably render the A1 corridor and surrounding road network, completely overwhelmed and unable to accommodate the weight of traffic. Even the most conservative estimate would put an additional 13,000 cars on the roads in the towns and villages adjacent to the A1 extending from Knebworth and Codicote to Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock.

I strongly contest that NDHC has satisfied it's Duty to Cooperate with Welwyn Hatfield District Council, given the planned village at Simonshyde which would see a further 1,400 homes situated adjacent to the A1 that would add to the weight of traffic on the already burgeoning A1.

I reside in the Limberlost, Welwyn which is situated just off the B656, Codicote Road. The B656 is an essential commuter route that drivers use to access the A1 at junction 6 in Welwyn heading from Hitchin. Every morning on my journey to my children's school in Codicote, I have a clear view of the traffic trying to access the A1 on the B656 through Codicote. Since the new development of housing at the old Clock Hotel, the new development at Wilshere Park (The Frith) and the Welwyn exit lane for junction 6 on the A1, Welwyn village and the Welwyn Bypass have become gridlocked during peak times.

Any minor incident in the morning on the A1 or M25 will extend back to Welwyn and Stevenage to the point that the B656 is queueing for up to 2 miles beyond the northern boundary of Codicote. Not to mention the actual effect to the A1, and all major routes heading south.

My own family are already experiencing intolerable traffic jams travelling 6 miles from Welwyn Garden City to Codicote that can take as long as 50 minutes. These traffic jams are entirely due to cars trying to head north on the A1 from Welwyn to Stevenage and beyond. This is the kind of congestion that one would expect to experience during rush hour in London, not in North Hertfordshire. Policy SP7 details Infrastructure Requirements and stipulates that the plan should:

"avoid placing unreasonable additional burdens on the existing community or existing infrastructure."

Given the current weight of traffic on the A1 in North Herts and surrounding road network during peak times, it is unavoidable that the proposed scale of development will place a thoroughly unacceptable burden on the existing community and infrastructure.

Regarding the Countryside and Green Belt of North Hertfordshire, section 4.51 acknowledges that: "The vast majority of land in North Hertfordshire is rural in nature". With the scale of development planned for green belt areas, particularly in Codicote, the local plan threatens the very "nature" of the district. Further in section 4.144 the plan claims to acknowledge the importance of the "natural environment" in North Herts:

"The natural environment forms the setting to the towns and villages in which people live, work and spend their leisure time. Where possible, it should be protected and enhanced in the future to maintain the existing high quality of life that people in the District enjoy."

With this proposed level of development largely on green belt land, it is clear that the local plan has little regard for the quality of life of the existing residents, which will surely suffer as a result of the proposed new housing and vast swelling of the number of cars and new residents.

With particular reference to Codicote and the proposed site CD1 south of Cowards Lane, this site boarders an area of extreme environmental significance and supports an array of rare wildlife species in what is locally known as the Riddy, a wild meadow with wetland and a natural spring. This is a private wildlife habitat, part of Hollards Farm that has been managed as a wildlife preserve for more than 15 years. Policy SP12 states that the local plan should ensure that the "natural environment is protected and enhanced". Section b. provides further that NDHC should be making planning decisions to:

"Protect, enhance and manage biodiversity networks including wetlands and riverine habitats....and seek opportunities for net gains in biodiversity."

To think that it is possible to achieve a net gain in biodiversity is an absolute nonsense. Biodiversity relates to the complete ecosystem of an environment, which essentially includes wildlife. If you decimate the natural habitat of a wildlife population, you destroy the wildlife within that habitat. Why is it that conservation and wildlife preservation is only a matter for the tropics, the rainforests and the oceans? Wildlife preservation is your responsibility too.

If you destroy rural habitat in North Herts, particularly in Codicote, South of Cowards Lane, you are destroying the wildlife and there is no coming back from that. It is entirely impossible to achieve a "net gain in biodiversity". That is just lip service to environmental policy and so bitterly disappointing.

It seems that much of the local plan is paying lip service to what the District Community would want to hear, but I call upon the NHDC to protect and preserve our quality of life in Hertfordshire and the rural nature of our environment. The local plan is not sustainable! The scale of housing growth and development in Hertfordshire is not a viable solution to the national housing shortage.

If you fail to protect the very nature of North Herts, a sharp decline in the living standard of this area is inevitable and a sharp increase in mental illness and poor health is certain to follow in the wake of such a devastating blow to North Hertfordshire.

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Objections to some of the plans for building houses around Codicote. My objections cover the following areas:-
1. Impact of traffic congestions- All the proposed site increases the pressure of traffic. Rush hour already causes a very busy road, heavy congestion. the high street is partially single lane due to parked vehicles of residents, this is no problem with low level of vehicles. However, the quarry continues to flaunt it rules having lorries come at 7 am in the morning weekdays and weekends, and the volume of lorries coupled with increase traffic from the new houses puts considerable pressure in the system. There are not plans to manage this pressure. Access routes of traffic for some sites (CD1, CD2 & CD3) are manageable but not for CD5. The access onto St Albans road are only large enough for one vehicle at a time between 2 houses and really should not be an access route at al. The another route onto dark lane, again and small narrow access route that comes into a blind corner. A corner that is extremely dangerous. Quarry lorries come around that corner in excess of 50 miles and hours and I have seen several near misses that could be fatal. Increasing traffic pulling out into the corner would need thorough planning. This means access into the Meadow way estate or direct onto Heath hill would be required but not sufficient for the sheer volume of houses. I suggest reducing the volume of houses on CD5, allocating land for school expansion and fund building projects to expand the school in advance of the housing.
2. No account for sufficient infrastructure- if all these houses are built the local school is not sufficient to take the children. there needs to be supporting plan to extend the school. The only land the school can extend to is the field adjacent to the school the other side of the foot path and that field should be used for expansion with the foot path being diverted.
3. Loss of green belt outside of policy- the Government fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence. the current plan goes against this essential policy. Adding such a large number of houses increases urban sprawl, especially the site CD5 which urbanises an areas used a lot by local dog walker, children for walking and leisure.
4. Affordable housing. The plans need to have some affordable homes. Not homes starting at £300 000, but affordable flats for new starters or for people in the village to buy. The housing build in Codicote tends to be luxury 4 bed homes, there needs to be commitment but builders who get the contract to build sustainable homes and at least 20% affordable homes for first starters.

I am writing to you provide you with my objections to the proposed Codicote Local Development Plan (part of the Proposed Submission Local Plan 2011-2031). I have been a resident of Codicote for around 50 years, and my two daughters have also been homeowners here. As such I feel I am well placed to comment on the Local Development Plan.

Whilst I appreciate that there is a shortage of housing in the current climate and that the village will have to provide new houses, the number of dwellings proposed in this Plan is far beyond what the village infrastructure could cope with. The 315 dwellings proposed represents growth of almost 25%.

Over the last few years Codicote has grown significantly and its infrastructure is already severely over stretched. The proposed plan will radically change the nature of this rural country village. My objections are as follows:

1. School

The school is already oversubscribed. Although enlarging it is within the plan, the quantity of houses envisaged will fill that immediately. The secondary schools all involve a commute (which would add extra traffic and school buses to the roads) and would struggle to provide places to the additional children.

2. Doctors

The local GP surgery is already at crisis point and it is extremely difficult to get a doctors appointment with the present number of residents. They often quote 3-week waiting times. The surgery finds it extremely hard to recruit new GPs to cope with present demand.

3. Transport

The village roads are crowded and these are rural lanes quite unsuited to managing a lot more traffic. At peak times it is difficult to gain access to the main B656, and there are long daily tailbacks through the village. Parking near the shops on the high street is already always difficult, and school drop-off and collection times mean gridlock in the side streets. Extra houses would increase pollution and journey times.

4. Utilities

The main drains in the village are said to be struggling to manage the present level of use. There are still some houses that are not connected to the mains drains because of the difficulties with levels.

It is doubtful that the pumping station by the river could deal with the number of houses in the proposed plan. It has one small pipe leading to the village water tower that is a fair distance away from the pumping station. A few years ago the river even dried up due to increased demand.

The electricity supply is similarly challenged and a new sub-station had to be built after the supply dropped below the legal limit after some in-fill houses were built.

5. Recreation & Nature

Although some of the proposed sites (such as CD2 by the garden centre) would appear to have good road access, other proposed sites are in the green belt. They are also extremely rural and are traversed by footpaths that are regularly used by dog walkers.

The Mimram Valley is one of the most beautiful areas in this part of Hertfordshire. To blight it with the CD5 development is a significant loss. The large green belt area to the south of Heath Lane and west of St Albans Road (CD5) is prime green belt land. Building on it would totally affect the entire nature of the village and have a very detrimental effect on the diverse wildlife dependent upon it. This includes deer, foxes, badgers, herons, egrets, owls, red kites and many other species.

Dark Lane offers an attractive year-round walk. The villagers extensively use it for recreational purposes. Dog walkers, cyclists, horse riders and families visiting the Mimram river (that is accessed further down via a bridleway) use this quiet, pretty lane frequently. The proposed CD5 development would surely mean that the high traffic levels would be too dangerous for this recreational use to continue. This would be a big loss to the community and to their access to, and enjoyment of, nature.

6. Farming

The CD5 and CD1 proposed houses would replace a dwindling supply of established permanent pasture, which has for decades been used for fattening farm cattle and sheep, and producing summer hay crops. We need such established farmland to feed the British cattle and sheep that in turn feed the people of our country. There would also be loss of open space and loss of Green Belt land.

7. Road Safety

The proposed access to CD5 from St Albans Road and Dark Lane is ridiculously inappropriate. One access is a grassy farm track just wide enough for a tractor or land rover. The other access point off Dark Lane is also narrow, and becomes an overhung single-track road currently serving just three houses. Dark Lane comes off a very dangerous blind bend on St Albans Lane. This is surely the most dangerous corner in the village. To increase the traffic to it would be unfeasible.

Similarly the CD1 houses would be accessed off Cowards Lane, which too is a single-width lane that connects onto one of the faster travelling sections of the High Street featuring a blind summit.

To conclude, I believe that the rural nature of Codicote village would be lost forever by the proposed number of houses outlined in this ill conceived plan.

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