CD3 Land north of The Close

This land is green belt, Government policy allows for the building on green belt in exceptional circumstances, increasing the size of the village by almost 25% in an area that clearly can not cope now with services and amenities is not exceptional, not when one of the smaller proposed brownfield sites is preferable (CD2 on old garden centre). Codicote is a small village set in rural countryside in what is an ever increasing urban commuter belt. This expansion here would alter it's character detrimentally, affect the tight knit community and most importantly destroy yet more habitat for wildlife. We ourselves moved to the village 3 years ago from a large town, we live in the same road is the primary school but had to appeal the council's decision at a hearing as our son was not allowed at the school due to class overcrowding. I understand there will be some school expansion however that is only finite as the school is hemmed in by housing and could not cope with the numbers proposed with such massive building. Codicote suffers from traffic congestion as it acts as a back route for traffic travelling north and south avoiding the congested A1(M) and traffic travelling east and west across the country avoiding the clogged A roads. I am a local traffic police officer and have attended serious collisions within the village boundaries, believe me they are not reducing and I worry for my children. The campaign to save rural codicote has commissioned a detailed traffic survey, the conclusion of this is that development of Codicote would substantially increase car journeys, there being very poor public transport and limited and expensive shopping. I have to concur with the report's author. The nearest doctors surgery is located in Welwyn village, this is practically groaning under the weight of patients with waiting times extending to weeks. Quite where these extra families are going to get there medical care is beyond me. In short this village will have its sole ripped out and will not be the place we wanted to live when we moved from a big town should this level of development go ahead.

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Letter of objection

I am writing to strongly oppose the development and over-residentialisation of sites in Codicote and specifically that of The Close.
Codicote is an ancient village of historic interest, the character and preservation of which is of enormous importance.
Traffic
The main road through the village is lined closely on both sides with attractive, period cottages and houses and the road is further constrained by parked cars belonging to the cottages.
The High Street is the main thoroughfare between the A1 and Welwyn and Hitchin, Knebworth, parts of Stevenage and the surrounding villages and is regularly blocked by weight of traffic, especially during the rush hours, following an accident on the A1 or at any time of lorry deliveries to and from the quarry, to businesses or at refuse collection times. Traffic is already way in excess of capacity.
The roads leading from Codicote to the surrounding villages are single track lanes at many points and are already totally unsuitable for either the volume or size of vehicles that use them. There are many serious accidents along the lanes, often caused by rush hour speeding. These lanes are shared by many horse riders and cyclists and are already extremely dangerous. Our children already have a very treacherous journey to school, many of whom travel in from this residential area, with only one safe crossing on the high street. More houses, more cars, more danger.
The road surfaces are already unacceptable and these standards will only descend to almost impossible levels with an increased level of traffic using roads in the area.
Public transport is simply not comprehensive enough to be practical for the vast majority of residents.
The levels of pollution will rise with increased traffic with resultant health issues for any residents with asthma and other breathing related illnesses. There will also be pollution damage to historic buildings, flora and fauna.
Schools
The school provision is plainly inadequate for the large influx of children that this new housing will produce. Codicote Primary School is already over-subscribed from the current population.
Under the National Planning Policy Framework 2012, the Government states that 'key facilities such as primary schools ....should be located within walking distance of most properties. The Government attaches great importance to ensuring that a sufficient choice of school places is available to meet the needs of existing and new communities.'
There will also be increased pressure on the secondary schools in the wider area and the necessarily increased transport links.
Green Belt
Codicote stands in the Green Belt and is therefore protected from development and expansion.
According to the National Planning Policy Framework 2012, the idea of the Green Belt 'is a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail.' The Framework continues: 'Once an area of land has been defined as green belt, the stated opportunities and benefits include:
* Providing opportunities for access to the open countryside for the urban population
* Providing opportunities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation near urban areas
* The retention of attractive landscapes and the enhancement of landscapes, near to where people live
* The securing of nature conservation interests
* The retention of land in agricultural, forestry and related uses
* Green belt in England is protected both by normal planning controls and against "inappropriate development" within its boundaries.'

Implication for village in terms of :
Environment
Character
Community
Access to healthcare
Infrastructure
Wildlife
Traffic
Parking
Road safety
Schooling
Power
Water
Drainage

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This area is often waterlogged. Drainage will be a problem. Overcrowding of houses in the area. As with all the plots the increase in dwellings will put pressure on water supply, drainage and basic rights such as healthcare and education. The space provides an open area for walkers to have access to the local environment and enjoy the well being and health benefits.

I believe the NHDC plan is unsound and will have implications for the village in terms of:
Environment
Character
Community
Access to healthcare
Infrastructure
Wildlife
Employment
Traffic
Parking
Road Safety
Schooling
Power
Water
Drainage

I wish to register the fact that I am totally against the 315 new house building proposal.
The extra influx of residents and cars would be detrimental to the village in terms of environment character community access to healthcare INFRASTUCTURE wildlife employment parking road safety schooling power water drainage.

At the commuting periods in the day the traffic is almost at gridlock when passing through the High Street. As and when there are roadworks or building projects requiring coned off sections of the road, tailbacks develop and often traffic backs up if going north into Old Welwyn. Old Welwyn village is a bottleneck area in the mornings, extra building in this area will just exacerbate the already dire traffic situation.
When an incident occurs on the A1 motorway I have had to on occasions detour via Wheathampstead in order to reach home in Codicote High Street.
If an Ambulance has to get through on the B 197 in either direction it will NOT BE ABLE TO in an emergency.
Further development of housing is shear lunacy. Infrastructure is totally inadequate

I object to the NHDC's plan and believe it is unsound and will have implications for the village in terms of:
Environment
Character
Community
Access to healthcare
Infrastructure
Wildlife
Employment
Traffic including the safety of our children and damage to our vehicles
Volume of traffic and the impact on the road maintenance
Parking
Road Safety
Schooling
Power
Water
Drainage

This a green field site, the Garden centre is a more suitable site and in my view meet local demand.

I object to the NHDC's plan and believe it is unsound and will have implications for the village in terms of:
Environment
Character
Community
Access to healthcare
Infrastructure
Wildlife
Employment
Traffic including the safety of our children and damage to our vehicles
Volume of traffic and the impact on the road maintenance
Parking
Road Safety
Schooling
Power
Water
Drainage

High Street already heavily congested with village used as a cut through by residents of Hitchin and surrounding area to avoid A1. Not enough facilities for extra housing. Green belt land and important Codicote remains as a village NOT a town.

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Loss of green belt land used for public access - green space popular with local walkers and children would be lost
Access - access road Valley Road already narrow and constrained would not be able to safely support additional dwellers and construction traffic. Refuse truck already has difficulty.
Housing - NHDC are pushing extra houses on local communities to support Luton and Stevenage requirement. Development of a new Garden town/city should be prioritised
Sustainability - would increase village by 25% overwhelming local services and transport infrastucture

Over populating an already large village - developing on green belt destroying nature and beautiful views are a few reasons why this development should not go ahead. we do not have the road structure, amenities, sewage capability, or room to fir in these houses.

Site CD3 (land north of The Close) has consistently featured in SHLAAs and, for the avoidance of doubt, it remains available and deliverable to fulfil the Local Plan housing provision.

It is of a size to provide a mixture of housing, including affordable, along with landscaping and incorporation of the existing rights of way. Mindful of the Regulation 18 consultation statement comments, the owners have carried out a Highways Access Report which confirms that the site can be accessed in a technically satisfactory manner and also that the surrounding roads are capable of absorbing the traffic generated.

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Broadband infrastructure is not sufficient to support new houses.

The land here is subject to flooding.

The cars currently using the surrounding roads have huge difficulties in the winter months getting up the the main roads. Valley Road is impassable when it snows and is icy. Cars are frequently abandoned, or residents park on the High Street to ensure that they are able to get to work the next day.

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NHDC Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft
Section Four - Communities
* Codicote(13.77)
* * CD1 Land south of Cowards Lane
* * CD2 Codicote Garden Centre, High Street
* * CD3 Land north of The Close
* * CD5 Land south of Heath Lane
Objections are as follows:
The proposed sites are all on Green Belt land and there are no 'exceptional circumstances' that warrant building on them. As our local M.P. Stephen McPartland states " the local plan is not positively prepared, justified, effective or consistent with national policy". He suggests consideration should be given to a new Garden City. It is not justifiable for Codicote to lose so much recreational space i.e the open countryside. Our local NHDC Councillor for Codicote Jane Gray is also "not in favour of the plan" and states that there should be an "urgent attempt to establish a new settlement in the District". Why has this not been considered by NHDC? This would save the character of so many villages being destroyed in North Hertfordshire.
Codicote does not have the infrastructure to cope with more houses. There is a poor bus service and no train station, therefore people need to use cars to travel in and out of the village. The roads are clogged with parked cars and over run with commuters using the B656 as an alternative route to the A1M. Other roads that allow access to the village, are simple, narrow, country roads. There is no Doctors Surgery in Codicote and getting an appointment at neighbouring Doctors is difficult. What improvements to services are planned to cope with all the new patients? We regularly get power cuts and breaks in Broadband service, what plans are there to cope with the extra draw on power and services?
Parking for the current school is not sufficient, with local residents experiencing blocked drives and difficulty accessing their properties. This situation will get worse if the school is expanded. How will the issue of parking for the School, be addressed? There is no more capacity in the roads surrounding the school. St Albans road near the school is notoriously dangerous for school children to cross, due to the parked cars and HGV lorries that travel up and down the road, to the Quarry. (Reducing the number of lorries has been, so far, unsuccessful by campaigners). A bigger school can only mean more parked cars and more children walking to school on this dangerous road. It is also not sustainable to create a larger school, as there as there is no expansion planned for the local secondary school. The proposed school site has a footpath running through it, how can you have a footpath through a school site? (ref 13.77 CD5 "sensitive incorporation of existing rights of way")
Please consider all the above objections to this plan.

RE: North Herts Local Plan Site CD3 - I do not want to take part in the oral examination and do wish to be notified when the plan is submitted

I am writing to oppose the housing developments in Codicote, in particular the site at CD3 Land North of The Close.
The charm of Codicote is that it is an ancient village, where the residents, in the main, know each other. The proposed development is going towards turning it into a small town, thus completely ruining it's character forever.
I stated my objections during the last round of consultation and wish to restate them here. In the first instance I would like to ask why the idea of creating a new Garden City has not been further explored in this consultation. This would provide the housing that the plan seems to suggest is needed. It would then be possible to provide the infrastructure that the current plans are sadly lacking in. This would make use of the areas of disused land.
In particular I would like to ask how you plan to overcome the following problems which will inevitably arise from the building of further housing in Codicote.
1. Transport and travel
There is currently no train station and a limited bus service. This already causes problems for residents attempting to get to local doctors, hospitals and to shops. This results in people further taking to their cars, creating yet more congestion within the village. The High Street is the main access for many to reach the A1M, both from Codicote itself and surrounding villages and this is already an extremely congested area with rush hours causing long delays. The added traffic from the new Clock development has already added to this congestion at the A1 roundabout. This along with the added strain of Quarry traffic will make this road dangerous and difficult to park on, therefore reducing the number of people using the local businesses The building of houses in Codicote, Kimpton and Old Welwyn will only add further pressure to this already busy, congested and often dangerous road. An increase in traffic will surely be in contravention of Design Policy D3 Protecting living conditions, in the Local Plan.
There are an additional 315 new houses planned for Codicote, The average number of cars per household in rural villages is 1.77 (source: Department of Transport National Travel Survey). That equates to nearly 560 additional cars in the village. The Local Plan (paragraph 13.82) states: "Sites in Codicote will need to ensure that any transport assessments appropriately take these issues into account and contribute reasonably to any necessary mitigation measures which may seek to address these issues." Given that currently approximately 75% of the residents travel out of the village for work and that this will also be the case for residents in new developments; how could any mitigation measures possibly address these issues to any degree of satisfaction, this surely fails one of the key criteria of the plan - that it be 'justified'.
In particular site CD3 will involve traffic from all 48 houses exiting along an already congested and poorly unkept residential road, Valley Road, exiting the village either through the already busy high street or the again poorly kept lanes leading to Stevenage. I would like to ask how this can be an option which your surveys and investigations found to be preferable to a site where access is via a main road.
Section 4 of NPPF paragraph 34 dictates that Local Plans should prioritise developments in areas where journey times and distances are minimised, where good public transport links exist and where sustainable transport (walking, cycling) can be maximised. Codicote is not such an area and the plan on this count fails the sustainability test.
2. Schools and Education
The local primary school is a successful and outstanding school. It is ideal as a village school for village residents, if the plans to extend the school go ahead then this will change the character and nature of the school completely.
I would like you to tell me your plans for where these children will attend secondary school when schools in nearby Stevenage are already closing. Also to how you see the increase in transportation of these children being achieved without creating more congestion and traffic in our village.
3. Doctors' Surgeries.
Codicote does not have it's own doctors' surgery at present, this means that residents have to travel to outlying villages and make use of the already busy surgeries there. I would like to hear from you how you plan to address this within your current plan of building 315 new houses. How does your plan demonstrate that the infrastructure to accommodate this is present.
4. Green belt land.
Codicote is within the boundaries of the Green Belt area, and subject to it's protections. It protects the boundaries between the villages and provides opportunities for access to open countryside, the ability to see wildlife flourish and get the exercise that the government promotes as so vital to the health and wellbeing of residents. Building on the sites such as CD3 will be a misuse of green belt land and adversely affect those living here.
5. Flood risk
The area adjacent to site CD3 had in the past been vulnerable to flooding. The reduction in open countryside, the addition of further Tarmac and concrete non porous surfaces all built on a steep slope leading down to The Paddocks and Valley Road will surely increase this flood risk to unacceptable levels. Currently my own property is up to 8 inches deep in water in heavy rains with water running down from the higher land at the front of the house and and the back where the proposed housing would be on site CD3, this will only get worse if houses and building goes ahead on this site. I would like to know how you propose to prevent this in your plans.

In conclusion village life is about ' achieving sustainable development which means ensuring that better lives for ourselves don't mean worse lives for future generations' Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Minister for Planning - National Planning Policy Framework 2012.
'Adding new developments of homes on the edge of villages... Is hugely damaging to the immense strain on public services in the Villages' As stated by Stephen McPartland MP Stevenage. I strongly oppose the plans for Codicote and in particular CD3 for the reasons that I have stated above. Again I ask why the apparent need for housing stated in your proposal is not being covered by the creation of a new Garden City.

I have seen some of the information publicised in connection with your proposed local plan and have also read Stephen McPartlands comments in connection with the proposals.

Unfortunately, I have been away and unable to make a detail comment on the whole plan at this stage but I would like to say that I agree with Stephen McPartland comments and would also like to add my own observations and concerns in relation to the scale of the proposed expansion and the potential implications and impact, should the plan be approved, on the rural landscape and character of Hertfordshire and existing infrastructure.

My initial comments in relation to Codicote are as follows:

* The proposed 315 new houses represent a growth of 25% and question whether this growth is actually required. Stephen McPartland also makes comment about additional houses that have already been approved that seem not to be included in these figures.

* The provision of these additional properties will impact on the existing rural character and landscape of the area.

* I understand that there is no new infrastructure planned. The addition of the proposed housing will therefore have a detrimental impact on the existing traffic flow through the village, the car parking and road safety, schooling and the supply of power, water and drainage. We are already subject to repeated power cuts in this area.

At first glance it is clear:

Area CD2 will be visible from the B656 as you drive up and down the hill (on the west and northern boundaries) and will be detrimental to the existing landscape character of the rolling rural landscape along the road. New hedge/tree planting are unlikely to screen the new development due to the existing contours.

Area CD3 is more secluded but is at the base of a valley and accessed from a road that already presents severe access difficulties in bad weather due to ice and with added parking problems as residents park higher up the road so they can get out in the mornings.

Area CD5 is more secluded but is shown to have an access onto St Albans Road which is a rural lane and already very busy at peak times.

Extensive tree and shrub planting will be required (not odd trees, grass areas etc as shown on the west of Stevenage proposals in the past) if any of the these schemes are to settled into the fabric of the existing rural landscape.

However, I do not believe this will be sufficient (representing a mere sticking plaster) against what is a fundamental problem of over development of the area. This overdevelopment will impact severely on the character, landscape, infrastructure of the existing village and is completely out of scale and character and therefore should be considered as inappropriate development in the area.

I would therefore ask the Inspector to turn down the proposed NHDC local plan.

We would like to voice our concerns regarding the proposals to build houses in Codicote, and more specifically on plot CD3.
As a family with young children, we firmly agree that affordable houses are needed.
However we feel that this is the worst possible site for houses as it would impact most heavily on Codicote as a village. Access to this plot would inevitably result in an increase of traffic as well as the use of heavy machinery on the High Street, Valley Road and adjacent roads, which have not been designed to cope with this level of usage. There are already major bottlenecks to get onto and off the High Street at rush hour. We feel that this would dramatically increase the risks of serious accidents. The village has already severe problems caused by traffic re-routing itself from the A1M at rush hour and regularly becomes gridlocked. The other proposed sites in Codicote, CD2 and CD1, being on the outskirts of the village, are less likely to increase further the bottlenecks.
It is also a plot which is located on a slope at the bottom of the village. Drainage for the new properties is likely to be an issue and put an additional stress on existing properties.
Having children attending both the school and pre-school in Codicote, we feel that both are already stretched to, and possibly beyond, their limits. Additional houses, we fear, could result in children having to travel further afield to attend school due to lack of capacity. Whilst we understand that part of the proposal involves the extension of the school, this would need to happen prior to the development, not as an after thought. With tighter fiscal budget, who knows if this would happen if it isn't done first.
It is also worth pointing out that this area is widely utilised by locals of all ages to walk dogs, play games, ride horses, in brief enjoy the country side and nature that is so precious in this part of the world. Indeed we understand that this plot is part of the Green Belt and should not be built on as a priority. There is one oak tree which should be considered as vital natural habitat, probably hosting a thousand species, and no matter what course of action is taken, should not be removed for fear of damaging the local eco-system.
Thank you for taking our concerns into consideration.

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I would like to register my objection to the amount of housing being planned for Codicote. I appreciate that you must build houses somewhere but I don't understand why you have to destroy villages in the process. I don't think there is anyone in the council that appreciate how much traffic goes through this old village from outside the village let alone the locals. How do you plan on dealing with this?... Knock one side of the high street down. This high street was never built to cope with this amount of traffic, we are now inundated with huge lorries. Obviously we are going too have to take legal action somewhere along the line...as every house you build will have at the very least two cars....there is not in infrastructure here for that amount of housing. Last year we had all the trouble with the school not being able to allocate places for all the local children...that will only get worse. I know there must be some housing, but there is constantly houses being built here on every scrap of land...in gardens...you name it they build there.

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Find below my objections to the local plan for Codicote:-

Of the 4 sites (CD1 - CD4), 3 will involve building on green belt (CD1, CD3 and CD4). According to NPPF this should only be carried out in exceptional circumstances. Building on green belt will change the character of the area by reducing the distance between villages.

CD2 which is a brownfield site although a preferred site for redevelopment also provides one of the few opportunities for employment within the village.

Transport does not appear to be considered problematic. Public transport is limited and therefore it is likely that at least 2 cars per dwelling will be added to the car total in Codicote. All the proposed building sites will discharge their traffic onto the B656 which is already busy on weekdays at peak times. Adding a possible 600+ further cars will further exacerbate the queues which build up in the High Street and mean that it frequently takes 25 minutes to travel the 2.5 miles to the A1. A problem on the A1 increases the congestion further. The road congestion is aggravated by the trucks going to the quarry. All these reduce the air quality in the High Street.

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.