KB4 Land east of Knebworth

KB1 Land at Deards End Lane
Deards End Lane is a busy access point into Knebworth from Stevenage and is used to access the west side of Knebworth without travelling along the B197 through the often congested high street. Deards End Lane is a single track road for most of its length with some passing points and many blind corners make it dangerous to drive and especially for pedestrians. At its junction with the B197 there is a bridge, over the railway. This bridge is weight limited and narrow allowing only single lane traffic. The proposed development on the KB1 site will cause increased traffic on this already congested and dangerous route.
An alternative route through Knebworth to the KB1 site is via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, which is height restricted is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions, and subsequently does not even have road markings down the middle of the road.
Both of the above routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it. Another contributor to this is the A1M motorway running past Knebworth reduces to 2 lanes at junction 7 to the north of Stevenage through to junction 5 to the south of Knebwort/Welwyn. This stretch becomes very congested causing traffic to route through and already congested Knebworth via the B197.

KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane Lane
The KB2 site Can be accessed via multiple routes. One such route is Deards End Lane as detailed above.
There are three other main access routes through Knebworth
1. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, This is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
2. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Gun Lane, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow and is blind to traffic travelling from Stockens Green.
3. Via Wych Elm Lane which reaches Wolmer Green via Bridge Road. This is a single track lane for most of its length with a height restricted bridge which is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions.
All of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

Living in Broom Grove I travel along Gypsy Lane to Park Lane daily and experience high congestion due to Gypsy lane being single track for most of its length with limited passing points.

The KB2 site is prone to surface water run off onto Gypsy lane. This causes the drains to overflow into Orchard Way and Broom Grove. This has occurred twice within the last four years to an extent that houses flooded. The concern is that development of both the KB1 and KB2 sites will cause greater surface water run off and subsequent flooding.

The development of the KB2 site conflict with national Green Belt policy (Section 9 of the NPPF).

KB4 Land East of Knebworth
There are three possible access routes through Knebworth
1. Via Watton Road which has traffic calming measures to improve road safety by restricting road width by the use of two single lane passing places.
2. Via St Martins Road which is a private road.
3. Via Swangleys Lane, the site of Knebworth Primary School
All three of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

The development of the KB4 site will risk convergence of Knebworth and Stevenage and put the identity of Knebworth as a village at risk.


The cumulative effect of all four sites (KB1, KB2, KB3 and KB4) would put a great strain on local services and facilities including roads as detailed above, health services and the Knebworth Primary School. The Knebworth Primary School is consistently oversubscribed year on year and with an intake of just 60 children per year, children living in Knebworth are often refused places. The addition of the proposed approximately 660 houses will greatly increase this demand and will be detrimental to both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth. The lack of a local secondary school results in high volumes of applicants to secondary schools in nearby towns Stevenage, Hitchin and Hertford from Knebworth. The proposed development will cause increased competition for secondary school places, which will again be to the detriment of both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth.

KB1 Land at Deards End Lane
Deards End Lane is a busy access point into Knebworth from Stevenage and is used to access the west side of Knebworth without travelling along the B197 through the often congested high street. Deards End Lane is a single track road for most of its length with some passing points and many blind corners make it dangerous to drive and especially for pedestrians. At its junction with the B197 there is a bridge, over the railway. This bridge is weight limited and narrow allowing only single lane traffic. The proposed development on the KB1 site will cause increased traffic on this already congested and dangerous route.
An alternative route through Knebworth to the KB1 site is via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, which is height restricted is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions, and subsequently does not even have road markings down the middle of the road.
Both of the above routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it. Another contributor to this is the A1M motorway running past Knebworth reduces to 2 lanes at junction 7 to the north of Stevenage through to junction 5 to the south of Knebwort/Welwyn. This stretch becomes very congested causing traffic to route through and already congested Knebworth via the B197.

KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane Lane
The KB2 site Can be accessed via multiple routes. One such route is Deards End Lane as detailed above.
There are three other main access routes through Knebworth
1. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, This is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
2. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Gun Lane, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow and is blind to traffic travelling from Stockens Green.
3. Via Wych Elm Lane which reaches Wolmer Green via Bridge Road. This is a single track lane for most of its length with a height restricted bridge which is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions.
All of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

Living in Broom Grove I travel along Gypsy Lane to Park Lane daily and experience high congestion due to Gypsy lane being single track for most of its length with limited passing points.

The KB2 site is prone to surface water run off onto Gypsy lane. This causes the drains to overflow into Orchard Way and Broom Grove. This has occurred twice within the last four years to an extent that houses flooded. The concern is that development of both the KB1 and KB2 sites will cause greater surface water run off and subsequent flooding.

The development of the KB2 site conflict with national Green Belt policy (Section 9 of the NPPF).

KB4 Land East of Knebworth
There are three possible access routes through Knebworth
1. Via Watton Road which has traffic calming measures to improve road safety by restricting road width by the use of two single lane passing places.
2. Via St Martins Road which is a private road.
3. Via Swangleys Lane, the site of Knebworth Primary School
All three of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

The development of the KB4 site will risk convergence of Knebworth and Stevenage and put the identity of Knebworth as a village at risk.


The cumulative effect of all four sites (KB1, KB2, KB3 and KB4) would put a great strain on local services and facilities including roads as detailed above, health services and the Knebworth Primary School. The Knebworth Primary School is consistently oversubscribed year on year and with an intake of just 60 children per year, children living in Knebworth are often refused places. The addition of the proposed approximately 660 houses will greatly increase this demand and will be detrimental to both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth. The lack of a local secondary school results in high volumes of applicants to secondary schools in nearby towns Stevenage, Hitchin and Hertford from Knebworth. The proposed development will cause increased competition for secondary school places, which will again be to the detriment of both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth.

See attached

Please find here my OBJECTIONS to the proposed local plan relating to:-

Knebworth (paragraphs 13.183 - 13.202 of the local plan)

1.The plan seem to have no strategy to deal with the additional transport and services infrastructure required for the additional homes.
2.Green belt removal is contradictory to government policy. This is not justifiable when there are suitable brownfield areas are available for development.
3.Effect on Conservation areas. Both Deards End Lane and Stockens Green would be heavily impacted by the increased population, traffic, flooding and pollution generated by such an enormous developments.

Site KB1
- Traffic congestion and pedestrian safety at the railway bridge by the station (Park lane). This bridge is narrow and would be completely unsuitable for higher traffic levels.
- Traffic congestion to Deards End Lane. This is a narrow road with no spare capacity.
- Loss of wildlife in the various wooded site of Park lane. A full conservation study should be conducted to asses the risk.
- Drainage.The current system is regularly over capacity after rainfall and results in flooding. More homes would reduce the natural dranage and add to the high levels of run off and over capacity drainage.

Site KB2

- Building a new school in an area of high pollution will put the health of children and staff at risk and make it a "second choice" school and divide the village socially.
- Traffic congestion and pedestrian safety at the railway bridge at Gun Lane. Vehicles frequently mount the pavement at present (personal observation). Additional traffic will only add to this current pinch point.
- Drainage. The current system is regularly over capacity after rainfall and results in flooding.

Site KB4

- Yet more Green belt loss as above, it's is contradictory to government policy
- Traffic issues related to the increased traffic on the narrow Watton Road
- Yet again no consideration to the effect on the current drainage system.
This plan is ill-considered and seems to have been drawn up with little thought regarding the environmental and social impact, current and future residents or infrastructure affects.

Please find here my main objections to the proposed local plan relating to:-

Knebworth (paragraphs 13.183 - 13.202 of the local plan)

-The plan seem to have no overall strategy. There is no mention of how the current infrastructure with be improved to accommodate such a huge percentage growth (663 additional homes)
-Green belt removal is contradictory to government policy. How can this be justified when much more suitable areas are available for development?
-Drainage. The current system is regularly over capacity after rainfall and results in flooding. I see no consideration within the plan to tackle this and the addition surface water created by a major development.
-Effect on Conservation areas. Both Deards End Lane and Stockens Green would be heavily impacted by the increased population, traffic, flooding and pollution generated by such an enormous developments.

Re. Site KB1

-Traffic congestion and pedestrian safety at the railway bridge by the station (Park lane). This bridge is narrow and would be completely unsuitable for higher traffic levels.
-Traffic congestion to Deards End Lane. As per railway bridge, this is a narrow road with no spare capacity.
-The impact on the wildlife in the various wooded site of Park lane. How will these be protected?
-Drainage. As above - . The current system is regularly over capacity after rainfall and results in flooding.

Re Site KB2

-How the A1(M) will impact the proposed school. Building a new school in an area of high pollution show no thought of the motorways environmental effect has been considered.
-Traffic congestion and pedestrian safety at the railway bridge at Gun Lane. Vehicles frequently mount the pavement at present (personal observation). Additional traffic will only add to this current pinch point.
-Drainage. As above - . The current system is regularly over capacity after rainfall and results in flooding.

Re Site KB3

-This is a key commercial site and if lost will detrimentally alter the High street and overall village feel.
-The High Street drainage is already an issues. 14 new home will only add to this problem.
-Employment in the village will fall. No alternative employment opportunities are noted.

Re Site KB4

-Yet more Green belt loss as above, it's is contradictory to government policy
-Traffic issues related to the increased traffic on the narrow Watton Road
-Yet again no consideration to the effect on the current drainage system.

This plan is completely flawed and seems to have been hastily drawn up with little consideration to the environment, current and future residents or infrastructure affects.

I trust this OBJECTION will be useful to you.

With reference to the Local Plan in respect of the proposed to development around Knebworth.

I do not feel that the plan provides an adequate solution to the development of Knebworth.

The current plan does not offer any connection between proposed development location.
The current plan does not have a strategy to upgrade local resources to cope with the additional population and houses introduced.
The suggested development at KB4 would cause excessive erosion of the green belt between Knebworth and Stevenage
The site at KB3 should not be developed for property but should remain as commercial to increase employment and facilities for Knebworth ie Parking/shops/schools
The current transportation links and highways are already congested. Areas such as the narrow railway bridge with narrow pavements causing people to stand in the highway to pass are already dangerous. Increasing developments on either side of Knebworth would dramatically increase both vehicular and pedestrian traffic through these locations

A plan that centred around development in ie Old Knebworth would appear to offer a better solution as resources and infrastructure could be concentrated in one area.

I am writing to detail my objections to the proposed local plan. In general the proposed local plan takes no account of the following:-

1. The proposed development of the green belt land amounts to an increase of 31% dwellings in Knebworth. There is no account taken of the impact this would have on the infrastructure of Knebworth. The development would have a major impact on the Rye Meads Sewage Treatment Works, already heading towards major capacity. There is no allocation for commercial premises in the plan so how can the development create jobs in the village. There is no connection between housing, further development and infrastructure to support this development.

2. The removal of the green belt goes against government policy in that the green belt protects the space between towns and villages and maintains the separate identity of Knebworth. It would have a major impact on the two Conservation areas in Knebworth.

3. There would be a very serious negative impact on the local roads. The B197 is always congested at busy rush hour times, the local roads are not suitable for further traffic which would be created by further development in the area. I suggest that the planning inspector visits the area during rush hour times to witness the chaos that ensues at busy times on the B197.

3. One other thing to think about is the amount of extra, heavy traffic which would use the narrow local roads whilst construction is going on. Dears End Lane which runs from Park Lane to Stevenage has a narrow bridge at one end with a weight restriction. This is not in any way suitable for heavy construction lorries as besides the weight restriction on the bridge Deards End Lane is part of a conservation area and as the word Lane suggests it is a narrow lane suitable for only single car traffic. If the construction traffic travelled through the village on the B197 it would have to go along Station Road and under the railway bridge by Knebworth Railway station which again is only suitable for single lane traffic and also has a height restriction. The only other route for construction traffic from Welwyn or Stevenage would be along the B197 and then along Gun Lane which again is a narrow lane with a bridge again only suitable for single lane traffic and with a height restriction.

KB1
This development is sited next to a conservation area in Deards End Lane. Looking at the placing of KB1, the only entry and exit point would be Park Lane which again, as the name suggests is a narrow lane. Residents wanting to drive to Stevenage would have to travel along Park Lane and the only way to get to Stevenage by car is either along Deards End Lane or through Station Road and onto the B197. Both routes would be grid locked at busy times and at best busy at all other times.

KB2
This site again would only be entered and existed via Park Lane directly opposite the KB1 site. There has been mention of a school being built on this site. However the County Council have shown no interest in building a school and as there will be several developers on this site, none of them would have an incentive to build a new school which would be needed if the housing in the area is increased by 31%. When the Orchard Road development was built during the early seventies, a school was promised by the builders in what is now Bellamy Close but once the development was passed no school was built. Instead of a school which was badly needed even then, a development of large detached houses was built on the land which was supposed to have a school. Nothing was done about this at the time so how can Knebworth residents believe the NHDCs' promises of a new school on this site. The site is next to the A1 so pollution levels should be taken into account if a school was to be built and in fact flooding is another problem with this site. During heavy rain, flood water drains from this site onto the houses and gardens in Orchard Way, these houses are often flooded and Gipsy Lane which runs beside this site is often flooded at the lowest point of the lane making it impassable at times. As I have said before this all has an impact on the infrastructure of the area.

KB3
This proposed development is on the Chas Lowe site in the middle of the village. Once again the problem with this site is flooding. Shops on the B197 within the village are regularly flooded and in fact have to put sand bags at the doors some times during bad weather. This site is a commercial site at the moment so a housing development would in fact remove an area which supplies employment.

KB4
This site again would suffer from flooding, the cemetery on the Watton Road is often flooded during bad weather and the KB4 site is on the same level or maybe lower than the cemetery. The entry and exit points are again on a narrow lane ( Watton Road) and this would have a detrimental affect on the area with heavy traffic which the lane is not suitable for. This site is also a large agriculture area which would be lost with this development.

In summary, the local plan is not a positive plan for Knebworth. The roads in the area will not sustain an increase of 31% in housing development, the drainage and sewage system will not cope with this increase. The loss of green belt will be detrimental to the area, it is national policy to protect the green belt so how can this vast decrease of green belt be positive for Knebworth. The Govia Thameslink railway is proposing significant changes to the train timetable for trains stopping at Knebworth meaning less 'all stations' trains. The NHDC has identified Knebworth as having a 71% rise in use during the last decade so how can a 31% increase in housing be justified.

Land at Stevenage West has been identified and reserved for housing (3,100 homes) so how can NHDC justify the proposed Locan Plan.

I submit my objections to the Local Plan and trust that they will be taken into account along with others.

I object to the proposal to build 663 houses because it is not justified and it does not benefit the people of Knebworth for the following reasons:-

there is no local demand for development
there is no job creation
loss of green belt, landscape, countryside and space
added strain on already creaking and aged infrastructure
unnecessary loss of quality of life due to overcrowding
increased traffic on already crowded roads

Site KB4. Land East of Knebworth
the Green Belt already pitifully thin would be reduced to a few yards and if the neighbouring authority (Stevenage) were to insist on a similar infringement it would be non- existent.
Flooding and Drainage. This area is prone to flood due to surface water and subsequent back flow has flooded property on the south side with raw sewage. Development downstream would increase the risk of this problem. There is also the risk of endangering the purity of the water from the Watton Road Bore pumping station situated here.

KB1 Land at Deards End Lane

Access through Knebworth is via Deards End Lane, which is a single track road for most of its length and the bridge, over the railway, at its junction with the B197. The bridge is weight limited and narrow allowing only single lane traffic.
The alternative route through Knebworth is via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
Both of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane Lane
There are two access routes through Knebworth
1. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
2. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Gun Lane, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
Both of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

KB4 Land East of Knebworth
There are three possible access routes through Knebworth
1. Via Watton Road which has traffic calming measures to improve road safety by restricting road width by the use of two single lane passing places.
2. Via St Martins Road which is a private road.
3. Via Swangleys Lane, the site of Knebworth Primary School
All three of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

I am sending this email of behalf of myself and my husband, to register our objections to the current proposals to build a minimum of 633 dwellings in Knebworth. As we understand matters the proposals are as follows:-

Site KB1 Land at Deards End - 200 dwellings
Site KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane - 184 dwellings
Site KB3 Chas Lowe Site, London Road - 14 dwellings
Site KB4 East of Knebworth - 200 dwellings

Knebworth currently has 2002 dwellings with a population (from the 2011 census) of 4496, using the same ratio the proposal would give a 35% increase in population, although we believe that to be a very conservative number as the population has grown since that census. In addition it is likely that there will be an average of 2 cars per dwelling thus increasing the number of residents cars by over 1200.

It is also relevant to consider this proposal in the context of the other proposed sites in neighbouring villages/towns which will impact significantly on the infrastructure in Knebworth, in particular the proposed developments on the Odyssey site and in the neighbouring villages of Woolmer Green, & Codicote.

I can confirm that my husband and I are residents of Knebworth, and have been for the last 30 years, we know the village and surrounding areas very well having also lived in Stevenage for nearly 20 years.

Our objections are as follows:

1. Assessment of Need - We question the accuracy of the assessment of housing needs for the future, population forecasts have fluctuated and the impact of Brexit resulting in less immigration has not been taken into account. We ask that the current forecasts are revisited.
2. Infrastructure - the current proposal does not provide any strategic policy for the proposed expansion, yet the Local Plan provides that there should be a Strategic Policy for each Strategic Housing Site, a Strategic Housing Site is defined as a site of 500 homes or more. The proposal provides for a collective total of 663 homes and will have a massive impact on the current infrastructure which cannot cope with the present needs, if this proposal is to progress it must have a Strategic Policy covering all 4 sites dealing with transport, parking, sewerage, education, jobs, & health care.
Railway - Knebworth is served by a railway service it is a very busy commuter transport link between London and Cambridge, the station serves all surrounding villages, and South Stevenage. During rush hour the platforms are overcrowded to the point of being dangerous. There is inadequate parking at the station to accommodate commuters, they therefore seek parking in non-restricted streets around the village, which simply creates a new problem in a different location, the village cannot cope with an increase to the current numbers. The increase in the commuter population with not only come from the additional dwellings that are proposed in Knebworth but also from the expansion in the surrounding villages and south Stevenage.
Road - The main access in and out of the village is via the B197, formerly known as The Great North Road, it runs north and south through the centre of the village and forms the high street. It is constantly congested, it is often not possible for 2 vehicles to pass side by side, buses and lorries have to wait until nothing is coming in the opposite direction. During rush hour traffic is at a standstill it can take 30 to 40 mins to travel through the High Street. Traffic is diverted from the Motorway (A1M) if there has been an incident or big event (erg. Festivals/concerts regularly held in the nearby Knebworth Park), this being a designated route. Congestion along this route is also compounded by the fact that the local school (mixed infants/juniors) is located in Swangleys Lane which is directly off one end of the high street. Swangleys Lane is a very narrow road with no pavement, which coupled with the current volume of traffic presents a high safety risk for pedestrians. The other roads in Knebworth are minor street roads some are only single lane, all have residents and commuter cars parking on the road way. The village is divided by the railway line, vehicular and pedestrian access from one side to the other is via narrow bridges which only provide for single file traffic, and also have height restrictions. The bridge at the station end of the village is the route taken by commuters, it only has a narrow path on one side, on which you have to walk in single file, it presents as a high risk for the current volume of pedestrians. An increase to road and pedestrian traffic will increase the risk to unacceptable levels.
Sewerage/drainage - The existing sewerage and drainage infrastructure is not sufficient for the current level of use, many parts of Knebworth suffer from surface water flooding, an example is St Martin's Road which is a private un-adopted road with no foot path on either side but which is likely to be a possible access route for the proposed KB4 development, this suffers from surface water flooding, and the sewage run is constantly getting blocked, feeding another 200 dwellings into this old system is simply not sustainable. It should be noted that the field forming part of the KB4 site that is parallel to St Martin's road is one of the lowest points in the village to which water flows, it together with Old Lane the single track road that runs adjacent to is are regularly flooded.
Education - There is a mixed infants/junior school as described above, it is over-subscribed year on year. Whilst a site is identified for a school there is no certainty it will be built either at all or at the same time as other development, increasing the population further without appropriate education provision leaves parents no option but to school children outside the village, leading to social detachment from village life, and added congestion on the roads/trains to and from Knebworth as well as impacting on the location where they travel to. There is no mention of a secondary school provision.
Jobs - there is no plan in the proposal to create jobs, this means that the proposed housing will increase the commuter population which has the impact as set out above. There is no commercial/retail allocation, and indeed the proposal for Site KB3 is for a change of use replacing a current retail outlet and local employer entirely with dwellings. If the village is to be expanded a proper plan to incorporate commercial/retail growth is essential if the village is to maintain its character and serve its population, if this starts to be eroded it is likely to be the beginning of the demise of Knebworth as a self-sufficient community.
Healthcare - The current GP and dental services. The GP practice is looking for a new site to serve the current population, the proposal they are submitting would not be adequate to accommodate a 35% population growth. 2 new Care Homes for the elderly have recently been opened which will add to the already overstretched service. There are 2 dental practices, only 1 takes NHS patients and their intake is at its limit.
3. Green Belt - Sites KB!, KB2, and KB4 are all green belt land around Knebworth. We oppose development on these sites and as custodians of our Green Belt we would ask you to protect it. Green Belt is deemed to be the least acceptable land for development and if they have to be chosen then it should be sites that do least harm to the purpose of the Green Belt that are chosen first. There must be exceptional circumstances to remove Green Belt protection. We do not believe that exceptional circumstances exist, and further that there is another solution which would not have the unsustainable impact on Knebworth and the surrounding villages. One of the key purposes of the Green Belt is to prevent the coalescence between neighbouring conurbations, should the proposal proceed the impact will start to merge housing developments between Stevenage and Welwyn/Hatfield Councils. Stevenage Borough Council stated in their June 2015 Local Plan housing consultation that KB1 and KB4 were a significant contribution for Green Belt purposes. There are other sites which are rated as only having a moderate contribution which are not being considered. The KB4 site in particular is the only open space between Knebworth and Stevenage on the East side of the village, these sites are fundamentally important and key to preserving the distinct community of Knebworth, preventing the coalescence of settlements, sites that narrow the strategic gap between Knebworth and Stevenage and Knebworth and the neighbouring villages should be protected at all costs, this is a view not only held by the residents of Knebworth but also by the residents of Stevenage and the neighbouring villages.
4. The Alternative - In our view the better plan would be to build on the site that has already been set aside on the west of Stevenage, this site will accommodate in excess of 3000 dwellings, work had already commenced but has been parked. The plan should be resurrected, were it to proceed, it will meet the bulk of the housing needs currently identified, and will only require a small number of houses to be accommodated elsewhere. Logistically the development can progress without causing health and safety risks to existing residents, and a good, modern, infrastructure can be incorporated to ensure building to a good and efficient level.
5. Procedural Compliance - Finally I would like to bring to your attention the fact that the KB4 site has not previously been identified in the Local Plan as a preferred site for development, therefore due process has not been followed, by including it at this late stage insufficient time has been allowed for consideration and comment.

With reference to the Local Plan in respect of the proposed to development around Knebworth.

I do not feel that the plan provides an adequate solution to the development of Knebworth.

The current plan does not offer any connection between proposed development location.
The current plan does not have a strategy to upgrade local resources to cope with the additional population and houses introduced.
The suggested development at KB4 would cause excessive erosion of the green belt between Knebworth and Stevenage
The site at KB3 should not be developed for property but should remain as commercial to increase employment and facilities for Knebworth ie Parking/shops/schools
The current transportation links and highways are already congested. Areas such as the narrow railway bridge with narrow pavements causing people to stand in the highway to pass are already dangerous. Increasing developments on either side of Knebworth would dramatically increase both vehicular and pedestrian traffic through these locations

A plan that centred around development in ie Old Knebworth would appear to offer a better solution as resources and infrastructure could be concentrated in one area.

I am writing with regards to the planning proposals for Knebworth, in particular KB3 and KB4.

I have a strong objection to building going ahead on both of these sites for many reasons. Firstly with regards to KB3, turning this area into residential properties is not in-keeping with the immediate environment. The village could really benefit from more shops/ boutiques/ restaurants on this site. Keeping this as a commercial site of some description will benefit the other traders in the village, attract people from surrounding villages and keep a more vibrant buzz about the village. A licenced restaurant would be the preferred option for many!!

In relation to KB4, I feel it is outrageous for any sort of building work to go ahead. Firstly, it is green belt area and building on this would dilute any distinction between Stevenage/ Knebworth. The village high street cannot cope with any increase in traffic, similarly the speed at which cars descend upon the village from Stevenage Road is already hazardous. The lanes into Knebworth, from Watton Road are not wide enough to manage any increase in volume of traffic. The impact on the doctors , school, library and local conveniences will be significantly negative. The local school is already over subscribed and it would be outrageous to think that many children would not be able to attend their nearest/ local school! Finally, due to the rising land, the visual impact of the domineering skyline will be awful and the feeling of space would be lost because of loss of valuable surrounding countryside.

In summary, I am in strong opposition to the NHDC proposals on KB3 and KB4.

See attachment

I am writing to oppose the proposed submission by NHDC regarding the Local Plan 2011-2031 and in particular the sites identified for development in the village of Knebworth.

As a resident since 2009, a commuter into London and a local school mum using village roads, there are several reasons why I object, all based on personal experience as set out below.

SOUNDNESS

I do not consider that the plan has been based on a strategy which seeks to meet objectively assessed infrastructure requirements which are consistent with delivering and achieving sustainable developments. The road and rail network is already over-crowded for a village population of 2000. To increase the population by 33% without transport modelling to give evidence that NHDC can deliver improved and long term sustainable infrastructure improvements fails to meet basic requirements of both the plan and residents. Supported by the following cases:

* Knebworth's roads - the B197 is always used to by-pass the A1M in the event that the motorway is shut or has reduced lanes due to an accident. Traffic queues from as far back as Woolmer Green all the way through to Junction 7 by Knebworth Park (3 miles). The centre of Knebworth has time limited parking on both sides of the high street which restricts the width and often forces traffic to queue while vehicles use the high street in single file. The B197 is a main bus route and no consideration has been given to the impact of more commuters, either requiring additional bus services which will increase traffic flow or to the increased number of cars for 600+homes which will have the same effect. Access under the railway bridge by Knebworth station is single file and the footpath dangerously narrow underneath the bridge, particularly for parents with buggies who use that path often on the way to and from school. Swangley's Lane is a narrow country road with a sharp and dangerous bend just beyond Swangley's Farmhouse; there is no footpath along this road beyond Knebworth primary school. Watton Road (which I use four times a week for school runs) has speed bumps and only single file traffic due to residents parking on one side. Because Hertford Road was closed as a through road it has since forced traffic through Knebworth, specifically along Watton Road. Oakfields Road (where I live) is fully occupied by cars at weekends on one side of the road from visitors to the recreation ground when its car park is full (the recreation ground has two full size and two junior size football pitches used on both Saturdays and Sundays, 4 tennis courts, a playground, a basketball pitch and a bowling green). The village cannot sustain more traffic and there are no provisions for widening the roads.
* Rail services - there are only 2 trains an hour (except 3 during rush hour) but there is currently a proposal by Thameslink Govia to reduce the number of trains even further. I commute into London 4 days a week and will testify to already overcrowded trains which necessitate standing only during peak times. Knebworth has a significant commuter population, currently served by fast trains to/from King's Cross in peak times, but removing fast train services will lead to even more overcrowding and endanger public safety, even force out commuters from the district. An example of overcrowding is the 18.43 from King's Cross to Knebworth on 28/11/16. The train was not going to stop until St Neot's so commuters relocated to the departing 18.52. At Welwyn Garden City, where the 19.27 train divided from 8 to 4 carriages, a separate train ended service and the commuters piled on to the 19.27. Some could not get on. The train continued, 15 minutes late to Knebworth. This was not a one-off incident and since the line was assigned to Thameslink the service has deteriorated and is set to deteriorate further with fewer trains.
* Higher population will require more bus services. These will further reduce traffic through the village centre and along the B197 to Stevenage.

I do not consider the plan to be the most appropriate strategy when considered against reasonable alternatives.

* There is no evidence that the proposed 33% growth of Knebworth housing can be supported by the current infrastructure and absence of any transport modelling plans.
* GP surgery - it is already impossible to get a doctor's appointment at Knebworth Surgery on Station Road within 3 weeks, unless for an emergency. The surgery is over subscribed or under staffed and it is not possible to provide adequate services to additional residents of the village should the proposed developments go ahead. With the recent addition of a care home and retirement village in Knebworth I expect that home visits for the Knebworth Surgery GPs will only increase over time. The proposal for a surgery on the site of the existing library is for a replacement not an additional surgery and public health is therefore at significant risk from the proposals.
* Development of site KB4 would remove a vital wildlife habitat from a green belt area. The agricultural land is actively farmed all year round and living close to the fields I have first hand evidence of 2 to 3 crop rotations per year. The fields provide valuable and safe tracks for dog walkers and runners, something which surely must be considered given the absence of footpaths and high density traffic along several main roads in Knebworth.

I do not consider the plan to be deliverable based on effective joint working on cross boundary strategic priorities.
* There is no account in the plan of the need for highways, sufficient secondary and primary education facilities or health facilities to support the proposed development in Knebworth.
* There is no consideration given to educational needs, either for a secondary school for the current population (the nearest secondary school being Stevenage) or for an additional primary school. Class sizes at the primary school are already 30 with a dual-class entry in Reception. Facilities at Knebworth primary school are already over crowded and in need of modernising. Educational and PSHE requirements cannot be delivered in the absence of a sustainable educational plan for Knebworth's expansion.
* There may be a need to deliver housing by 2031 but the aggregate number of houses across all 4 proposed developments in Knebworth places enormous strain on a small village and significant risks to the existing and new communities.

LEGALITY

* KB4 has never been submitted before to the community as a site being considered for development. I do not think adequate pre-consultation work has been undertaken on this site and I believe the Council has failed to adhere to the legal compliance criteria as stated in the Council's Statement of Community Involvement.
* The National Planning Policy Framework states that local plans must be supported by local evidence base yet I do not consider the local needs to have been objectively assessed and, instead, to have been left unconsidered while the Council identifies potential sites in order to meet Government set housing quotas. There seems be no cooperation across local authorities with each developing local plans in isolation rather than collectively.

For all the reasons above I do not consider the local plan to be positively prepared, justified, effective or consistent with national policy and because of the detrimental and enormous impact it will have on Knebworth I wholeheartedly object to the proposal and feel it should be withdrawn.

I would like to put forward the following comments for consideration by the Planning Inspector.

Knebworth has already grown massively over the past 40 years with Green Belt being taken and used for housing (hundreds of new dwellings in the Rialto estate during the 1980s and the Wimpey estate during the late 1970s), plus more recent housing developments on brownfield sites within the village. All this without any increase in infrastructure or facilities to date. Knebworth is currently at breaking point and cannot sustain any further large housing schemes. All facilities within the village are stretched beyond their limit. The school is oversubscribed and the health providers over capacity. The village cannot sustain the proposed 31% increase in housing and the loss of Green Belt around the entire village is against Government policy of protecting space around villages to maintain a separate identity and will definitely not support the character of Knebworth as it is. So living conditions will not be sustained for current residents.

Traffic in Knebworth has a long history of being a disaster. The A1(M) was built as a bypass around Knebworth. However, the congested B197 continued to be very busy with local traffic and previous plans to widen the A1(M) to alleviate the problem were abandoned. So the existence of the traffic issues in and around Knebworth have been known for years, but the issue has never been properly addressed and the B197 is busy, almost continuously. This is made worse whenever there is a problem on the A1(M) and all traffic comes through the village centre. Often there is complete gridlock.

All proposed developments in Knebworth and north of Knebworth along the A1(M) would have an impact on local roads. While the plan to use the hard shoulder of the A1(M) between junctions 6 and 8 may help current traffic flow a little, with the proposal to have over 14,000 new dwellings in North Hertfordshire, this is nowhere near enough. The volume of traffic and importance of the A1(M) to Knebworth should not be underestimated. The current two lane section and the route south should be widened to four lanes before any house building work commences. Also, the plan to widen the Welwyn viaduct to eliminate the bottle neck for trains there should be revisited. There is currently often standing room only on commuter trains from very early in the morning. The rail infrastructure in the area needs vast investment and parking provision for Knebworth train commuters should be increased to sustain even the status quo.

Local residents are often unable to even get out of side roads to join the main road. Any increase in the volume of commuter or social traffic due to an increase in population can only make these situations more likely and last longer. This is not in line with the sustainable journeys to services and facilities desired in the Preferred Options Consultation Paper.

The new houses are likely to be bought by workers employed elsewhere and add to the current traffic and parking problems. The proposals for Knebworth will increase pressure on the infrastructure. The side roads of Knebworth are divided by three bridges. All these are narrow with very narrow footpaths. In addition, leaving Knebworth along the B197 towards Welwyn Garden City the road layout has recently changed to widen the footpaths and narrow down the road, bus stops are opposite each other and buses stopping there halt traffic completely from time to time. Shortly after this, there is another narrow bridge. Two of the bridges in the centre of Knebworth have electrical substations next to them and are therefore unlikely to be able to be widened.

Previous developments were supposed to have a certain housing density and provide multiple accesses to and from the estates, but this did not happen. There is only one access to each large estate and the density of the housing built was higher than that agreed.

Parking is another major issue. Knebworth lacks sufficient parking even for current requirements let alone additional needs. Roads around the station area have commuter cars parked from 5a.m. during the week. Actions to relieve parking close to the station only served to push the problems to residential roads slightly further away. Knebworth station is not only used by Knebworth residents, but also residents of Codicote, Woolmer Green, Datchworth, Bragbury End and all other local rural settlements. The trains are packed every day.

It is true that limited parking is allowed in the village centre, but this is vital to keep the local businesses going. If short term parking was not allowed, customers would be driving straight through to the nearest supermarket and local traders would not be able to sustain their business. There has not been any provision within the NHDC proposal for increasing or improving local trade, retail or commercial. This adds to Knebworth becoming a dormitory village, so not even local trading can be sustained.

I believe that previous housing development proposals have been discounted due to the constraints in the infrastructure of connecting to the Rye Meads Sewage Works which services Knebworth sewage and that this is still a relevant limitation.

The allocation of 31% increase in housing for Knebworth does not seem justified as there is a large plot of land to the West of Stevenage, reserved by NHDC for housing development. It would seem more logical to use that land, with direct access to the A1(M), for housing without destroying the sustainability of Knebworth and other North Hertfordshire villages. Future planning should then be directed towards a completely new town or garden city type settlement, with infrastructure put in place before house-building begins. Currently proposals seem to be directed towards total coalescence along the B197, or with Stevenage, neither of which would be a good outcome.

All these issues, which would impact enormously on the quality of life of Knebworth residents, have been raised in previous suggested developments. There have been local meetings with planning officers attending to hear residents' concerns, but their concerns do not seem to have been addressed. In fact, quite the opposite, this latest proposal is much, much bigger than anything previously suggested, especially as none of the infrastructure problems have been solved.

KB1
This site is currently in the Green Belt, government policy saying that housing does not justify going into the Green Belt, makes this site unsuitable. The narrow bridge giving access to this site is unsuitable for heavy traffic and would damage the character of the Deards End Conservation Area. It is close to the motorway and therefore there are risks of pollution and traffic noise.

KB2
This site is currently in the Green Belt, government policy saying that housing does not justify going into the Green Belt, makes this site unsuitable. The narrow bridge giving access to this site is unsuitable for heavy traffic and would damage the character of the Stockens Green Conservation Area. It is close to the motorway and therefore there are risks of pollution and traffic noise.

KB3
Although vehicles going in and out of this site can currently be a traffic problem, it is a large employment site. It brings outside customers into Knebworth, who then use other facilities such as cafes and shops within the village. Change of use here, without commercial proposals, could reduce the sustainability of village trading. In the past, there have also been issues in the main road due to flooding.

KB4
This site is currently in the Green Belt, government policy saying that housing does not justify going into the Green Belt, makes this site unsuitable. Building on this site creates a danger of coalescence with Stevenage destroying the whole character of Knebworth village. It is currently productive agricultural land and an area of open landscape viewed from the village. There have been flooding problems on this land over many years, mainly due to poor drainage and a high water table. Hard standing will surely increase flooding problems.

Legally Compliant - No
I believe this does not comply with the regulations as this is the first time KB4 has been included in the Plan, so we have not had a reasonable amount of time to consider it.

Sound -
Positively prepared - No
I do not believe the infrastructure requirements for this new amount of development can be met because of the major unresolved problems in Knebworth, existing for donkey's years. These are chiefly the inadequate roads (including 3 dangerous railway bridges), traffic, parking, as well as poor medical facilities (NB the long-awaited current plans for rebuilding a new doctors' surgery, along with pharmacy and library, were designed to accommodate current needs only), and the known drainage/flooding issues. The main arterial roads in Knebworth, namely Stevenage/London Road (B197), and Watton Road/Station Road/Park Lane, come to a standstill twice a day, and Swangley's Lane (a narrow country lane without footpath beyond the school) jams twice a day at school times. The High Street, with vital parking on both sides, can scarcely allow two cars to pass, and buses and trucks have to wait, sometimes for 10 minutes or more, until someone at the far end selflessly decides not to enter the fray. This road cannot be widened, like many others in Knebworth. Swangley's Lane for example is narrow, and the lack of footpath means it is dangerous for children going to and from school. Also residents cannot safely back out into the road when cars are parked outside their drive, as without the vision of the road a footpath gives, drivers are blind to oncoming traffic which then travels down effectively a single lane. A guest of mine attempting to back out recently had his car virtually written off by a passing car, and dangerous incidents happen frequently. Yet this is yards from where the plan will site a new crossroad/roundabout to service the southern KB4 development.
Flooding is frequent in many places, including east of Knebworth, exacerbated by poor drainage - another major problem for any new development.

Justified - No
Effective - No
The plans are to increase Knebworth housing by 31%. Will the infrastructure also effectively increase by a third? It seems unlikely,
but if it does not the plan seems unworkable.
More specifically, if the plan is implemented as it stands this village, having accommodated considerable development over the years, will have finally overstretched its limitations. Chief among these is the problem of access via the High Street bottleneck, and the dangerous narrowness of the three railway tunnels/bridge, which appear to be insuperable problems. This in itself would make the plan unworkable.

We understand that the question of a new town/settlement after 2031 has been considered. Why is it not being considered now? With all the current problems of expansion of existing built up areas, the urgency of this would seem a no-brainer, and would help retain the semi-rural character of the North Herts area, especially our already over-populated southern section.

Consistent with national policy - No
The Green Belt - while this is now allowed to be eroded, we should still be aware of its aims and strive to keep these intact wherever possible.
One is to retain the rural character of villages. Despite considerable development in recent decades Knebworth, though now a large village, still manages to retain much of its rural character, for example its narrow lanes without footpaths, which traffic somehow manages overall to accommodate, e.g. Swangley's Lane, Old Lane, Deards End Lane. These will surely be rationalised into anonymous straightened and paved modern roads given the inevitable increase of traffic.
Another is to avoid merging with neighbouring towns and villages. However the new plans give the go-ahead to the real possibility of Knebworth coalescing with Stevenage, a purpose-built town with a totally different living environment. This is surely not justified.

Complies with the duty to cooperate - No
I don't believe the local plan fulfils the duty of cooperation to give Knebworth residents living in KB4 , especially those having been here for well over 40 years as I have, such a short time to make considered representations about the plan about to be decided.
Secondly, I don't think it is reasonable cooperation to expect one village, Knebworth, which has already accepted considerable expansion over the years, to accept such an additional proportion (31%) of new development - and probably unreasonably disproportionate to what has been allocated elsewhere.

Please find below my strong objections to the proposed development on SITE KB4 in Knebworth.

GREEN BELT
I am not aware that this site has been included in any previous documentation as a preferred option for housing development. The land is a working agricultural farm, which would be a loss of produce if buildings were allowed on it. The site is also on rising land which would impact visually on the whole area. Losing the greenbelt in this area would appear to be against National Planning Policy and the Councils review. It is necessary to keep the land for future generations to enjoy the countryside and not to be part of a huge sprawl of buildings linking neighbouring towns into one large building site.

TRAFFIC

This has to be a major concern. The whole of Knebworth at times is like a car park, the B197 is at a standstill a certain times every day. It is also the main route when the A!M is closed. The access from the B197 to Swangleys Lane is a very narrow country lane, already overused as a rat run together with Old Lane and St Martins Road. The local Primary school is based at the end of Swangleys Lane and in the morning, midday and afternoon when parents/children are being dropped off etc. it is already extremely dangerous as there is no footpath. Also, like a lot of roads in Knebworth it used by people parking all day so the access for the large vehicles going to and from the farm is already a hazard. If housing development is agreed in Woolmer Green this will again add to the already congested conditions in Knebworth.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Before any major increase in housing the main services in Knebworth should be looked at before adding to the already overuse of the existing facilities. The Doctors surgery is already inadequate and the proposed new surgery etc. will still not be sufficient to provide for the existing population.
The school is already bursting at the seams and causes major parking problems. The suggested new school would appear to be another issue which will take years to resolve (ie position etc.) The station is already a major draw for people outside the village to use and park cars all day. As there are no major employers in the Knebworth, especially when Chas Lowes closes (yet more development!!) this will mean more people using the station to commute to London.

I don't agree with any of the plans for development on the planned four sites:
Site KB1 Land at Deards End (200 dwellings)
Site KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane (184 dwellings)
Site KB3 Chas Lowe Site, London Road (14 dwellings)
Site KB4 Land East of Knebworth (200 dwellings)
KB1, KB2 & KB4 are all Green Belt and are a threat to the openness of the landscape which surrounds the village. This will also affect walkers that enjoy our beautiful countryside. We've paid a higher cost to live in this area because of our surroundings.
Building on site KB3 is taking away employment. Also there is no planned extra employment within the area and what the planned extra properties to be built this only means more people around the village travelling by car, train or bus to work and school (every child in secondary school has to travel to school by either car, bus or train) at the busy peak time rush. These times currently around the village are really bad at present so this is only going to make matters a whole lot worse. They are currently no plans to add extra trains or buses. There is currently parking issues at the train station and around the village. As these plans are on the surrounding areas of Knebworth, this will only encourage people to use their vehicle to move about. Parking around the village centre is always very busy at it is. With no extra plans for more parking I don't understand how this will work?
I have a son that's registered blind and autistic that gets collected for School in a School bus. The driver is always complaining how busy Knebworth is at the moment. These Plans are only going to add to the stress to my son and others on the bus due to the amount of traffic that would be added.
I believe Knebworth already has the largest population of any village within Hertfordshire. Surly we shouldn't be adding to this?

Site KB1 Land at Deards End
Not ideal ground to build of being so near to the A1, traffic noise and pollution. You'll be removing Green Belt buffer to west of village. Also causing traffic congestion on narrow Deards End Lane and on narrow railway bridge which would be unsuitable for heavy traffic. This will also damage character of Deards End Conservation area. Impact to wildlife sites and Knebworth woods site of special scientific interest.
Site KB2: Land off Gypsy Lane
Not ideal ground to build as being so near to the A1, traffic noise and pollution this area of land isn't great for plans to build a primary school on also. You'll be removing Green Belt buffer to village. This will also damage character of Stockens Green Conservation area. There would also be a drainage issue of surface water flooding from A1. In the past these fields have suffered flooding in heavy downpours. Impact on traffic as not near to any current bus stop or the local train station will be a 10-15 minute walk which only encourages people to use their cars.
Site KB3 chas lowe site
As mentioned above removal of local employment (ideal area for local business)

Site KB4 Land East of Knebworth
This will only bring Stevenage and Knebworth together, not leaving a border between the two. Taking away the current open landscape. Loss of productive agricultural land. Impact on traffic to Watton road and Swangleys lane.

I hope you'll take my points into considering and understand the upset these plans would have on my family and the current residents of Knebworth.

I am writing regarding the proposed Village Plan for Knebworth.

My understanding is that the any proposed development must be compliant under four main headings:
*Is the Positive
*Is the Plan Justified
*Is the Plan Consistent With National Planning Policy
*Is the Plan Effective

There are currently four development sites proposed for Knebworth and it is my assertion that each fail to meet the requirements of the inspection process.

Knebworth is a small area and any issue that affects one area of proposed development will have the same impact across all sites. Also many objections can be lodged under one or more of the inspection process criteria: for this reason I am grouping my responses as a whole.

Consultation
For a plan to be adopted it is required to be developed with the interests of the village at its centre and with full consultation with the residents. The KB3 site is a relatively new addition to the development and there has been no formal discussion regarding it. This is the same as KB4 which has not been, as far as I am aware, discussed at any level with residents. This is a large area to be developed without full discussion and local input, especially as it is agricultural land that has never been developed.

Housing Targets
It is my understanding that the housing targets have increased during this process: there is a concern that the numbers of houses required by the plan are not actually required by the village. There is a view in the village that new houses will be for those moving from London who cannot afford London prices rather than for local people. Recent developments in the village have sold for £400k+, this is not affordable housing. I have neighbours that rent and who are desperate to buy but there is no affordable housing stock. What assurances are there that the plan is for local people to help build a community rather than create a larger commuter belt.

The current plan will increase the size of the village by 31%: to grow any area by one third seems excessive. There is a plan to build 3,100 homes in Stevenage West and 150 homes in Woolmer Green which do not seem to have been taken into account during the formulation of this plan. What is the justification for such a large increase in dwellings in a small area: is this sustainable and actually needed? Are there any figures that show that these houses are actually needed in Knebworth?

Infrastructure
It appears that Knebworth does not have a Strategic Policy in place: the reason being that one is only required if a development exceeds 500 houses. In essence, although there is not a proposal for one development of 500 houses, the total amount across the village is 663 which will have just the same impact as one major development. By not developing a Strategic Policy it is impossible to assess the impact on the village for transport , education and commerce: this seems to have been side stepped in the desire to build houses.

There is a major issue in the village: Drainage. I live in Orchard Way and the cul-de-sac regularly floods during periods of heavy rain. We have been told that this is because the land at KB2 gets saturated and fills the drains, the overflow then finds its way to lower ground and floods outside my house. If this field is to be built upon there will be nowhere for the water to go except to flood the lower areas more regularly: what provisions have been put in place for adequate drainage in the village. Will the provisions be implemented for the whole village or just for the development sites? If the problem is only fixed for the development sites it will impact on the rest of the village.

This leads onto a concern that more homes mean more water usage & sewage disposal and the capacity of the Rye Meads Sewage Treatment Works needs to be .carefully evaluated to ensure that it can process the increased effulense.

There are plans for a school in the village but it is not made clear if this is an additional school or if the current schools will be closed when it opens. This leads to further concerns: if the old school is closed are there plans for yet further development of homes on that site? Any future plans have not been disclosed in the proposed building figures. The traffic generated by a new school will impact on the morning & afternoon rush-hour. There are already queues out of Knebworth towards Stevenage of a morning and more cars will be added to this as parents try to drop children off and head off to work. The village is also gridlocked at school pick-up time: it has taken me 20 minutes to drive from Orchard Way the High Street in the past. There was a comment that parents would walk their children to school but a lot of parent use their cars as necessity. There is also a question of noise from a school: it will be in a residential area and children shouting & playing in a playground can be very disturbing, especially for these working at home. There doesn't seem to be any consideration for the increased traffic and the noise & pollution that will come with it.

Services
There is no provision in the plan for growth of the medical centre in Knebworth. At present there is a lead time of approx. 4 week for an appointment. 663 houses is at least 663 new patients to be treated at the surgery and there is not the capacity.

Having spoken to one of the doctors, it appears that house prices are a deterrent for recruiting GPs to the practice, plus doctors would prefer to work in London. It was admitted to me that they do not know how they will cope with the influx, especially as their budgets are being cut. As an example, I had a bad shoulder earlier this year but they were not able to refer me for an MRI: what will be cut next due to the demand from the extra patients.

The high street is a busy & has a good range of shops but it is very crowded. There is not enough parking for the current users and the road can be dangerous with cars trying to park and pass through the high street.

Greenbelt & Conservation
Knebworth is a village set in the Hertfordshire countryside: this countryside is being slowly eroded with various building projects taking place, plus the proposed developments. Knebworth is in danger of losing its identity as a village in its own right, instead blending into a suburb of Stevenage. The idea of the Greenbelt was to guarantee open spaces and to allow space between towns & villages. It could be claimed that the KB4 development is in breach of the National Planning Policy Framework that exists to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; stop towns merging into each other and safeguard against countryside encroachment.

There are several areas in the village that are designated as conservation areas. The extra traffic and the pollution it brings will have an impact on these areas. The pollution and extra people in the village will also impact on the natural wild life in the area: we often see roadkill and this will only get worse with extra cars. I also believe that the extra pollution will have an impact on the natural woods and greenery around the village.

Transport
Knebworth is a commuter village and it can be assumed that many people moving into the new developments will be commuters: the system cannot cope with an influx of train users. I have been commuting for 16 years and the trains have got worse year on year. They are always late, are over-crowded and now face the threat of cuts from the Govia Thameslink 2018 review.

Knebworth is limited in its train capacity due to the viaduct at Welwyn North: only one train each way at a time can pass through which causes a bottle neck and sets a finite number of trains that can cross it each day. There is no room for growth on the trains which means that more users (from other stations as well as Knebworth) will overload the system.

If 663 homes are built in the village then it is likely to lead to 663 cars: the roads cannot cope with this number of extra vehicles. They are not wide enough: many of the country lanes already struggle with the number & size of cars. Will the new homes have driveways or garages, and if so, how many? Will the development cater for all the extra cars or will they park where they can? The roads are already treated as a car park and the roads are clogged. Buses cannot always pass through the high street as there is not enough room with the parked cars which leads to delayed services and scratched cars.

There have been occasions when the emergency services have been unable to reach their destination due to the roads being blocked by parked cars.

The situation is made worse when there is a problem on the A1 as Knebworth is an overflow and alternate route for the motorway traffic. This includes all lorries and trucks that can hardly pass through with the parked cars.

Commerce
The plan, especially KB2 & KB4, will be building on agricultural land which will have an impact on farming jobs in the area. Not only will it reduce these jobs, there are no provisions in the plan to create any jobs of any type. The development of KB3 is again reducing employment opportunities in the village. This means that the village will be increasing residential with no commercial opportunities and people will need to commute to work.

I hope that my concerns will be taken into consideration during the consultation period: the village plan will have a huge impact on the people living in Knebworth and the future of the village.

I write to register my objections to the proposed housing developments at Knebworth as suggested in the draft development plan from NHDC. Knebworth is a pleasant place to live - the addition of a further 600+ dwellings may change this permanently. My objections are mostly in the "soundness for North Herts", camp.

Parked vehicles in the roads surrounding the station and the high street currently prevents an even flow of traffic. This affects both traffic coming through the village and local people going about their business. Travel from my house in Deards End Lane to the A1 between 8.30 and 9.30 am can take as long as 40 minutes due to queuing traffic on a normal work day. If there is a problem on the A1M then this time can easily extend. Indeed, if the A1M is closed all traffic is routed through Knebworth and queues quickly build up at both ends of the High Street. Adding another 1000 local vehicles to this situation can only make it worse. KB1, KB2, KB3 and KB4 all affect this.

On the same track, vehicular access around the village is hampered by the physical barrier of the existing railway route, which effectively splits the village. The three bridges which provide the links were built in times when motor vehicles were rarities. They are ill suited to the size; numbers and frequency of the traffic they now must support. These "pinch points", will not cope with the additional traffic volumes that will result from the building of 600+ additional dwellings.

Access to the KB1 and KB2 developments is planned to be from the existing Park Lane route. This road is already congested, made difficult to pass by parked cars for the station and is used as a "rat run" by traffic which has chosen to avoid the congested High Street. In its current state, it will not cope with additional traffic to and from the 350+ new dwellings.

I have already mentioned the current parking problems in the village. One of the main contributors to this is commuter parking for the railway. As rail fare prices have increased and parking costs have increased at other nearby stations, the number of workers coming to Knebworth to commute by train has increased. This is not just in roads adjacent to the station as it now affects roads up to 20 minutes' walk away. Increasing the housing stock of the village by around 30% will only make this problem worse. Knebworth needs some official car parking areas, not new housing, but I imagine that there would be less money in that for the landowners.

Knebworth is in a slight physical valley and some parts of it have flooded on recent years with heavy rainfall. One area proposed for the new houses hosts lagoons to contain excessive water flow from the A1M. More "hard", surfaces in this area will speed up the movement of water to the village. On a wider point the new developments proposed at the sites KB1, KB2 and KB4 are all in areas around the edge of the village where surface water would naturally disperse. The proposed use of this land for housing will remove this and add further concrete/tarmac, placing more pressure on the existing drainage system. On the same topic, I believe that the sewage treatment infrastructure will need to have significant modification to support these new dwellings and the other additions on the route to the facility.

Although a junior school is planned for inclusion at the KB4 site I can see no other industry being attracted/planned for. This means no new source of employment and that all the people who come to Knebworth are expected to work somewhere else. The addition of so many new residents without any new form of employment will hasten the demise of the village by making it a dormitory town. This should not happen; it will accelerate the change of the character of the village.

Overall strategy:
The overall strategy is not clear. In fact, there is not an overall strategy and as such means that the plan is not effective. The fact that there is no strategy is apparent in the lack of connections between housing, cumulative development and infrastructure needed to support growth sustainably. Therefore, the plan is not sound.
Amount of housing:
The amount of new housing (663 dwellings) would increase the village size by 31%. This is an increase of approximately 200 homes in this Plan to 2 years ago. None of the issues highlighted then have been addressed, so how can the village now support and additional 200 homes to 2 years ago? Please note Knebworth is a village, even though it is referred to as a town in the Plan.
Plan for over 500 homes should have a specific plan with developer obligations. Because of the separate sites, this obligation has been overlooked at bets, or deliberately manipulated at worse (by calling each site separate in its own right, rather than all part of the Knebworth site). There is no provision for jobs creation in the Plan as a whole and therefore no consideration for the local economy.
Planning has been granted for the Odyssey site to the north of Knebworth for approx. 70-100 homes. This hasn't been taken into account when determining amount of housing for Knebworth. These houses are being termed 'windfall gains'. A clear strategy should take these into account.
Furthermore, Stevenage West land has already been reserved for 3,100 homes. This would be better able to provide facilities and services.
There is no joined up thinking with adjacent parishes. Plans for Woolmer Green of 150 homes (to the north of Woolmer Green) have not been taken into account. If all the proposals go ahead then Knebworth and Woolmer Green will merge and Stevenage and Knebworth would be practically joined up. The town and villages will all merge into one.
The site KB4 has not previously undergone any consultation. This is against policy and verging on illegal.
Chas Lowe site: Again, as there is no proposal for any commercial use it is evidence of a lack of strategy for Knebworth. The village centre will be changed and this will have an impact. The facilities of Knebworth are designated as a village centre in the retail hierarchy under policy SP4. Therefore, any development of the village centre needs to take this into account. At a bare minimum, some mixed use should be proposed.
Transport:
It was raised in the previous consultation in 2014 that the existence of the railway line poses huge challenges regarding transport/traffic through the village. These challenges have not been addressed in this plan; in fact, the Plan says (13.195) that there are no mitigation requirements regarding transport. In fact, the Highways Agency has raised this issue previously. The problem with the bridges has been ignored. The two railway bridges at either end of the village are already dangerous due to the current volume of traffic, narrow roads, corners, and narrow pavements. An increase in volume of traffic and pedestrians will make this increasingly dangerous. There have already been many near misses. These two routes are used extensively by small children going to and from school, in the morning rush hour. An increase of 31% of this scale can only add to the problems.
The high street is also a known pinch point; it current takes over 35 minutes to reach junction 6 of the A1 in rush hour, which is only 2 miles away. Increased traffic will only exacerbate this).
Deards End Lane is already dangerous, and it can't be widened. It is unsuitable for heavy traffic and increased traffic will make it more dangerous and over-crowded.
In the Plan (13.192) it states that much of the traffic in the mornings is caused by secondary school pupils going to school in the car. This is simply not true. Virtually ALL secondary school pupils use the trains (to Hitchin and Hatfield) and the school provided buses (to Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Hertford, Ware), and public buses. Therefore, the idea that possible secondary school provision could ease the traffic volume is simply inaccurate.
Regarding site KB4, there is an obvious lack of capacity on Watton Road and Swangley's Lane.

Schools:
Primary:
* A second primary school on site KB2 is not well considered. This would be adjacent to the A1 and as such noise and air pollution will be significant. Children and teachers cannot learn and teach in this environment. In December 2014 the Environmental Audit Committee issued a report stating that: 'A ban on building schools, hospitals, and care homes near air pollution hotspots must be introduced to help cut thousands of deaths connected to the 'invisible killer' of traffic fumes.'
* A second primary school will change the village feel of Knebworth to more of a town, or urban sprawl. It will increase pressure on the roads under on the railway bridges because more people would be crossing the village each morning, in both directions, with young children. I would be naïve to assume that parents would automatically chose the primary school nearest to them, or on their side of the village
* Finally, regarding a new primary school, it will create a 'divide' in the village. One school will be 'better' than the other, and therefore a social dividend will emerge. This would not be healthy for the community feel of Knebworth.
Secondary:
In the Plan (13.192) it states that much of the traffic in the mornings is caused by secondary school pupils going to school in the car. This is simply not true. Virtually ALL secondary school pupils use the trains (to Hitchin and Hatfield) and the school provided buses (to Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Hertford, Ware), and public buses. Therefore, the idea that possible secondary school provision could ease the traffic volume is simply inaccurate.
13.193 mentions an 'all-through' school. It uses the term 'possibly' and 'provides the opportunity to look at alternative approaches' .This is certainly nothing definitive. It does not seem likely that a secondary school would be built; in fact, there is not actually a shortage of secondary school places in Stevenage and so there would be no reason to provide a secondary school.

I enclose my comments on the North Herts Plan (for Knebworth )-Paragraphs (13.183-13.202 of the local plan).

I object to the plans for Knebworth as outlined in the Local plan for reasons of Soundness.

The Green Belt policy serves 5 purposes
* to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
* to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another;
* to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
* to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and
* to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land

These plans recommendation do neither of the above.

A local planning authority should regard the construction of new buildings as inappropriate in Green Belt. Exceptions to this are:
* buildings for agriculture and forestry;
* provision of appropriate facilities for outdoor sport, outdoor recreation and for cemeteries, as long as it preserves the openness of the Green Belt and does not conflict with the purposes of including land within it;
* the extension or alteration of a building provided that it does not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original building;
* the replacement of a building, provided the new building is in the same use and not materially larger than the one it replaces;
* limited infilling in villages, and limited affordable housing for local community needs under policies set out in the Local Plan; or
* limited infilling or the partial or complete redevelopment of previously developed sites (brownfield land), whether redundant or in continuing use (excluding temporary buildings), which would not have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt and the purpose of including land within it than the existing development.

And falls foul of the above exceptions

I also include General and Site(KB1-4) related observations and comments .

General: Knebworth is a natural conurbation existing between hills to the west, north and south East. All traffic radiates through the centre of Knebworth either down the north south conduit (B197) or the east west conduit via Watton road/Station road. At peak times 7-9 am, 4-6.30 pm these roads are very busy and congested leading to tailbacks on all roads. There is not enough provision or evidence of provision for infrastructure to cope with the increase in traffic caused by 600 new homes and not sure how any improvement can be achieved. It will be grid lock.
General :The plan talks about an inadequate car parking management policy in the high street. Car parking is allowed in the High street to make ease of access to shops but also to actually slow the traffic down. We don't want traffic hurtling through the village.
General: There is no provision in the plans for the increased rail usage and therefore additional parking capability required in Knebworth. Currently all roads local to the Station are rammed with commuter cars.This will only increase with the additional 600 homes in , the 150 in Woolmer Green and the 3100 west of Stevenage. Currently a lot of Stevenage people drive to the village in the morning so that they don't have to pay car parking at Stevenage station.
General: Knebworth is a large village. The proposed development will turn Knebworth into a small town but without the facilities of a small town. The village will lose its openness and valuable agricultural land will be lost.
General: The doctors surgery struggles to cope with local demand. It currently can take 2 weeks just to get regular appointment. This will be exasperated by the increase in the number of people. The latest planning application from the Surgery has been rejected by North Herts.
General: The proposed schooling provision has not been syndicated or agreed by County. The figures don't lie, 600 homes means 600 kids which means 20 classes of 30 ( Year 1-13) which means you need more than 1 form entry for the new primary school.
General: It is not clear how the through school site on KB4 is going to operate. Will it be in addition to the existing provision or replace the existing provision. What traffic increase has been taken into consideration in the infrastructure to cope with this new school or the traffic flow that will result. Particularly increased flow from Stevenage as a result.
General: Current educational policy states that there is a nearest to school policy when assessing prioritisation. It will be ironic that Bragbury end will be closer to the new through school on KB4 than the west of Knebworth , thus precluding those children from the west of Knebworth from places at this school.
General: There is no provision for additional local employment in the plan
General: There is no provision for additional sporting facilities in the plan.
General: There is no evidence of land being set aside within these development locations for leisure usage.
General: There are no hard facts on the amount of low cost housing that will be set aside.
General: There is no mitigation in the plan for the number of houses being built at nearby Woolmer Green(150) or the those being built West of Stevenage (3100).
General: There has been no consultation with the the village with regard to educational provision. Did the residents ask for an 'all through' school. What process had been followed to get that conclusion and where is the transparency to that process.
General: The plan cannot be sustained without major investment in infrastructure. I cannot see any evidence in the wider county budget for this.
General: What benefits does this plan bring to Knebworth-that has never been articulated. Where are the local needs reflected in the plan.
General: No Resource planning has been given to the additional levels of Policing and other essential services that these developments will bring. Will this plan plus others in adjoining towns and villages take this beyond was has currently be budgeted for of forecasted for.
General: What studies and modelling has been used to predict increase in road/rail usage and where is the transparency to those artefacts.
General: This plan removes huge swathes of green belt to the west and east of Knebworth. What other options have been considered and where is the transparency to that process.

KB3:The Chas Lowe site is a valuable employer in the village (in fact the largest employer).This employment is not being replaced.
KB3:This has badged as a Retail only site. This is ridiculous ..at very least it should be mixed. Thus providing residents with additional shop or even a location for the surgery. The unit on the east side of the high street is currently a small yard between 2 commercial units and the plan is showing residential development-this is ludicrous. Where are these new residents supposed to park a car ?

KB4:The due diligence on this site has not been undertaken. This option game late to the table and has not been given the same level of scrutiny as the other sites and equally not the same level of scrutiny by the community.
KB4: the proximity of the development to Stevenage increases coalescence between and urban area and a small village. This must be avoided at all costs as Knebworth will lose its identity.
KB4:Any development here will reduces the open landscape currently enjoyed by the village community
KB4: Any infrastructure that causes traffic to ingress/egress through Oakfields road/avenue into KB4 and out into Watton road will turn a quiet residential area into a rat run and a dangerous road for all users.
KB4:The land here is constantly farmed, with multiple crops rotations per year-This will be a valuable asset lost. A wide variety of birds use this area as nesting site- both local and migrational.
KB4:Swangles lane is a nightmare at school times, with one lane traffic movement only at peak times. The additional homes in this area will increase this issue.
KB4:Watton Road is regularly flooded both at the junction with the railway bridge near Bragbury end and halfway down Watton Road close to the junction with old lane. There have been many accidents along this road , with many cars ending up in adjacent fields. This development will increase this issue as run off will be exasperated.
KB4:This Is NO footpath provision along the busy Watton road beyond Bell close.
KB4: Damage to the look and feel of the Picton built houses and road vista in Oakfields Avenue/Road .
KB4:Any entrance to site KB4 from the junction of Oakfields ave/road will mean compulsory purchase of land from properties adjacent to that site. It would not be possible to get traffic in and out without doing so.
KB4:I have seen no evidence that suggest that County have agreed to the Schooling proposals.

KB2:Building up close to the A1(M) would seem unwise considering the noise and population from the road. Putting a school here contravenes planning law of not building a school within 150 metres of a major road (A1M). Better off developing existing school site.
KB2:I have seen no evidence that suggest that County have agreed to the Schooling proposals.
KB2:The green belt buffer will be removed by this development thus removing the open nature of this part of Knebworth.
KB2:Orchard Way suffers from flash flooding. This will be exasperated by this new development as water will have even less ways of dispersing.


KB1:The design of the Bridge @ Gypsy Lane and the narrowness of approach to it from both ends will become a major bottleneck because of the extra traffic that needs to go through it. Extra infrastructure needs to be factored into the cost of developing the bridge further to support this site.
KB1:Deards End lane in parts is suitable for single file traffic only. This road will have to be upgraded to support the extra traffic...and will have to involve compulsory purchase of land.
KB1:The closeness of this development close to the A1M raises issues on whether the pollution and noise generated by the A1M would be tolerable. Tests would have to be undertaken to understand emission levels.
KB1:This development will affect the look and feel of the conservation area in Deards end.

Design: Knebworth retains its rural garden village feel because many of the houses have boundaries formed of natural hedges rather than wooden fences .It would seem prudent that if this awful development went ahead that this design feature was enshrined in local covenants within the new development.
Design: Knebworth also benefits from its association with Lutyens , which is reflected in both local housing, the church and the golf club. It would be beneficial for those design concepts to be reflected in any new development.

See attachment

Ref: Local Plan 2011 - 2013 Paragraphs 13.183 - 13.202
I would have liked to have filled in in your application form online but I had real trouble actually typing in the boxes. Most of the text was cut in half or the boxes disappeared when I tried to type. So please accept this email as my application.
According to the CPRE newsletter, Spring 2016, page 1, "Hertfordshire is currently the worst affected county in terms of potential loss of Green Belt to development. Over 41,000 new homes. The size of Watford."
In August 2013, the planning application for 3.600 new homes, west of Stevenage, was withdrawn as not required and in the wake of BREXIT, immigration is to be reduced. If either or both of these states are true do we still need so many new homes? Is this Local Plan already out of date?
I wish to draw your attention to the proposed housing development for the village of Knebworth. The Local Plan acknowledges the fact that Knebworth is a village describing it as a Category A village because of its size, employment availability and facilities. 663 new homes will increase the size of Knebworth by 31%. As I understand it, this is the largest percentage increase planned for any other town or village in Hertfordshire. It will change the character of the village completely. This increase will impact on the existing services and infrastructure that are already struggling to cope. This proposed development does not take into account the approved plans for 80 new homes on the northern border of the Knebworth parish, adjacent to Stevenage.
There is no strategy included in the Local Plan to make the planners and construction teams for all the site to work together for the bettering of infrastructure and transport opportunities.
I suggest that the NHDC planning department ensures that all empty properties are occupied before allowing the proposed development to take place eg. House in Gun Road, Knebworth that has never been occupied in over 20 years. (see attached photos)
The infrastructure for Knebworth is already woefully inadequate. Twice recently there has been bad flooding forcing people to leave their homes. There are pinch points in Watton Road (access to KB4), the high street (B197), three narrow rail bridges with height or weight restrictions and blind bends (access to KB2 & KB3) which all cause congestion and road rage. The station, doctors' surgery and the primary school are also struggling to cope.

TRANSPORT
GOVIA, the local rail operatives are reviewing the possibility of reducing the rail service at Knebworth. With increased housing both within Knebworth and surrounding villages e.g. Codicote, Woolmer Green, even more pressure will be put on the station and its environs.
The railway station in Knebworth has inadequate parking facilities but still draws commuters from surrounding towns and villages, as they park on the streets near the station, thus avoiding parking fees. However the problems have never been resolved and residents regularly have to put up with commuter aggression and dreadful parking across their driveways so that they can't use their own vehicles. This leads to residents parking their own cars on the road to stop the inconsiderate parking from the commuters, thus increasing congestion and road rage.
To compound the daily misery of Knebworth commuters, GOVIA, the current franchise holders of the London to Edinburgh line, is reviewing the timetable with the view of reducing the number of trains that will stop at Knebworth and stopping the fast trains altogether This mitigates one of the reasons for increasing housing in Knebworth.
The residents of Knebworth experience daily congestion on the B197, especially but not only at peak times, making tail backs from Knebworth to Stevenage and from Knebworth to the Clock roundabout at Welwyn.
The A1M motorway was originally built as a bypass to Knebworth and other communities. The stretch of motorway from J6 -7 is the worst along the whole of the A1M for accidents and congestion, due to two lane carriageways. This means that, as soon as there is a problem on the motorway (high volume, accidents etc.), the B197, through Knebworth becomes the bypass for the A1M. With increased housing this only become worse.
FLOODING
The field identified for the KB2 housing project is a designated surface water run off for the A1M motorway. Recently this water has been so deep that it went up the thighs of one person in waders (see attached photos) and has flooded homes in Orchard Way and Broom Grove, so there has been an inquiry into this problem. The new houses will exacerbate this problem.
In addition, the Rye Meads Sewage Plant, which acts for Knebworth is already at full capacity. So where will it all go?
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Although affordable housing would be an ideal dream, it has not proved to be a reality in Knebworth. Developers always state that affordable homes are not viable. In addition the affordable home provision was reduced in the Housing and Planning Act 2016.
GREEN BELT
As stated at the beginning of this letter Hertfordshire is currently the worst affected county in terms of potential loss of Green Belt. Green Belt was instigated to prevent the coalescence of communities. As such, Green Belt land should only be removed in exceptional circumstances. This proposed housing does not constitute 'exceptional circumstances'. (http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/policy/achieving-sustainable-development/delivering-sustainable-development/9-protecting-green-belt-land/)

CONSERVATION
There are two main conservation areas within Knebworth. These are already suffering as rat runs with the aim of trying to avoid Knebworth's congestion as well as suffering from commuter parking.
One of the three bridges is a scheduled ancient monument (KB1). This bridge is already taking a regular hammering from all kinds of traffic that use it as a cut through or following satnavs. Lorries have been see to be reversing back off this bridge onto the B197 as they can't negotiate the tight bends or are over the weight limit.
COALESCENCE
The sites highlighted for new homes, especially KB2 and KB4 will cause coalescence between Stevenage, Knebworth, Woolmer Green and Welwyn making the B197 a built up ribbon development corridor.
Green Belt land was originally designed to prevent communities from coalescing. The railway line that delineates the border between Knebworth and Stevenage has already been breached as planning has been granted for 80 new homes on the Knebworth side of the track.

KB1 and KB2
As stated under FLOODING this land is a collection point for surface run off water from fields and the A1M motorway. (see attached photos)
All new residential traffic will have to join the already heavy traffic using the conservation area of Stockens Green, culminating in trying to cross the railway by using the bridge to Gun Road. This bridge is narrow making traffic drive in the middle, and a blind spot to traffic coming from KB2, as there is a right angled bend into the bridge. Added to this, during winter months, drivers also have to contend with driving into low blinding winter sun. The bridge is only 14 feet high which will cause problems for construction traffic. (see attached photos)
Traffic could also use the bridge at Deards End Lane, which has a blind bend at both ends and is a scheduled ancient monument or the bridge in Station Road. The latter bridge has been hit so many times by lorries that there are now very large fluorescent signs warning lorry drivers about how low it is.
Due to the design of all three bridges, traffic is forced to use the middle of the road, making for single lane traffic, when either crossing the Deards End Lane bridge or going through the Gun Road and Station Road bridges.
KB3
This site is, at the moment, the site of Knebworth's principle employer. Soon this builders' yard will be closed, making jobs redundant, and will be replace with 14 new homes. This is prime commercial land that is being changed to housing. One of the major statements within the NHDC proposal was the maintenance and expansion of local businesses. Not only is there a loss of a commercial site in the centre of the village there are already issues with bottle necking traffic. Also surface water drainage is a problem on the high street.
In addition to losing these jobs, the doctors' surgery is to be amalgamated with the library on the library site. The library is to be downgraded to Tier 3, which means it will be run by volunteers only. A pharmacy is to be included. As we have two pharmacies on the High Street now, with a third proposed in the surgery, it is quite likely that at least one, if not both of the street pharmacies will close. So along with paid library staff, pharmacy employees may also lose their jobs. CPRE states that no evidence has been put forward to show that new employment opportunities have been established in the village to match the amount of proposed housing. We are losing employment opportunities and facilities at a time when they should not only be kept, but increased and developed if the new housing goes ahead.
KB4
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) principle states "the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside should be recognised while supporting thriving communities". This has clearly not been considered during the construction of the NHDC Local Plan. It also says planning should ensure the protection of the countryside and agricultural land.
CPRE Newsletter Spring 2015 states, " Planning Authorities' duty is to give weight to the protection of the best and most versatile agricultural land". This is prime agricultural land. Planning permission was withdrawn in 2016, by the Secretary of State, for a solar farm, due to the high quality agricultural land and the outstanding beauty of the area.
During drop off / pick up times it is dangerous for carers and the children outside the local primary school, due to carers parking on bends in narrow Swangley's Lane. This has been highlighted by a local resident at a Parish Council meeting as an accident waiting to happen. Increased residential traffic, and prior to that, builders' traffic will only exacerbate the problem and the danger.
KB4 will bring coalescence between Stevenage and Knebworth at the Broadwater side of Stevenage and also, potentially, with Woolmer Green, where addition housing is planned by Welwyn Hatfield District Council but not accounted for by NHDC under the proposed housing for Knebworth.
To sum up, I appreciate that more housing is needed but the proposed developments appear to be a knee jerk reaction and not carefully thought through, not just for the existing residents but for the people who will move into Knebworth as a result of the increased housing available. Knebworth is a sought after village enjoyed by many, but this will be killed if the proposed housing goes ahead on such a grand scale.
In August 2013, planning approval was withdrawn for 3.600 new homes on land west of Stevenage, as the need was not there anymore.
When land is built on, it's lost to agriculture for ever. If we, as a nation, should need to feed ourselves without importation (eg. during a war) we will not have enough agricultural land available.

Many thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts, comments and concerns.

The following supports my objection to the details contained in paragraphs 13.183 to 13.202 of the Proposed Submission Local Plan.

Legal Compliance
It is obviously difficult for the layman to comment on legal compliance but there have been significant shortcomings in the communication of the proposed plan. No formal communication has been delivered to me personally. I was notified of the proposals by a neighbour. Also the original proposal which was open for consultation did not include site KB4. At best it is extremely poor communication but it may be construed that this section of the plan was not properly open to public consultation.

Sound
Positively Prepared
Sites over 500 homes, with the exception of Knebworth, have been classified as a Strategic Housing Site. Whilst there a 4 separate sites in Knebworth they are close together and in the context of a village they should be considered collectively. This may be a function of the late addition of KB4 taking the number of houses from 463 to 663 (including built and planned)

Justified
Again it is difficult for the layman to comment but there are a number of inconsistencies with the proposal and policies defined in the plan.

There is no description of the "exceptional circumstance" that are required for the removal of the Green Belt particularly for the KB4 site. I am informed that a recent Council review of the Green Belt put a high value on this site. This site is particularly useful in preventing Knebworth and Stevenage from coalescing. As well as being Green Belt KB4 is valuable agricultural land and is under cultivation.

Effective
There seems to be confusion between the definite provision of a primary school in KB2 and the possible provision of All-through secondary school in KB4. Again it looks as if the addition of KB4 has not been fully considered.

Transport provision in Knebworth is already under resourced. The recently proposed changes in the rail timetable combined with a 33% increase in population would mean that Knebworth could not operate effectively as a commuter village. Similarly, the road network, specifically the town centre, is congested already. An additional 663 homes plus the proposed new surgery / library complex in St Martin's Lane will exacerbate the situation even further particularly as section 13.195 basically states that it is a known problem but nothing is going to be done about it.

Consistent with National Policy
I'm not sure whether Section 2 is National Policy but it is certainly inconsistent with the proposals in paragraphs 13.183 to 13.202 of Section 4. Section 2 states that the majority of development will take place in towns and "some growth allowing our villages to thrive". Adding 663 homes (a 33% increase and by far the largest number allocated to any village) to Knebworth and as well breaking the policies set out, will irrevocably change the nature of the village.

Legal Compliance
Given that my objections in this section relate to the consultation process itself nothing can be done to make it legally compliant (if it was illegal in the first place).

Sound
The plan relates to the next 15 years when it only needs to relate to the next 5 years. Given this and current uncertainty in the demand given international events a shorter horizon would appear to be more appropriate.

The area West of Stevenage has been reviewed a number of times but is now being 'reserved' for future use. The use of this site would fulfil a number of the policies better that the proposal particularly in reference to Knebworth and KB4 in particular.

3.ii Soundness

Positively prepared

The Preferred Options document was open to public consultation between Dec 2014 and Jan 2015. Site KB4 (the land to the East of Knebworth) was not included in that document. This is, therefore, the first time that local residents and the school have had the opportunity of seeing, and commenting on, the planned KB4 development

The North Herts Local Plan is for an increase of 598 new homes in Knebworth plus a further 65 homes which have already been granted planning permission. This is a 31% increase in the size of the village. For development of more than 500 houses (what NHDC call a 'Strategic Housing Site') they require a Strategic Policy. Whilst none of the individual proposed sites around the outskirts of Knebworth meet this threshold, collectively they do.

Additional development is proposed in the Local Plans of adjacent district councils of Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield (at Woolmer Green). All of the proposed sites will impact on the infrastructure of the village. I have outlined, in section 4 below, some of the infrastructure requirements that directly affect the school which appear have been overlooked.
The failure to have an integrated Strategic Policy for Knebworth is clear evidence that the Plan has not been positively prepared.

Effective

1. Infrastructure

Schools

Additional primary school place provision is an obvious requirement should the proposed development proceed. This has been acknowledged in the Plan
Section 13.191 says, site KB2 will provide an additional primary school in the West of Knebworth. This was a reasonable approach in the preferred options document of 2014/15, when KB4 was not included in the development proposals, However, now that KB4 is in the final version of the Local Plan, this does not make sense.

It is my considered opinion that Primary schooling in Knebworth is not best delivered from 2 separate sites, so far apart. It is unlikely that from an effectiveness and efficiency aspect, 2 separate primary schools, requiring separate management and administration teams, could be justified.
Also, if you have 2 sites with the separation proposed, if you can imagine a parent with a child in each site, which is a likelihood, dropping children off at their respective schools at the same time. Difficult without a fast car!
This would do little encourage parents to walk with their children to school. This would not be sustainable and do little to ease the traffic and parking problems.

So the additional school should be as close as possible to the existing site.

In the current Local Plan, land adjacent to the existing school site, KB4, is now proposed for development. Surely, if the developments proceed, it would be better if the additional primary school were adjacent to the existing school. This would appear to be possible, but has not been considered.

In addition, there is no additional provision for school spaces for the 150 houses proposed for Woolmer Green. The current school site at Woolmer Green has no space for additional classrooms and is at capacity. The location of their proposed housing development is North of Woolmer Green and South of Knebworth, but within walking distance of the current school and would, I believe fall into our catchment area.

Roads and Footways

Traffic and parking are significant problems in the vicinity of the school, particularly when parents are dropping off and picking up children from school. This adds to the delays in the High Street and joining roads and creates hazardous situations for pedestrians crossing at the road junctions.
Swangleys Lane often becomes impassable for wider vehicles, due to parents parking their cars.
Swangleys Lane is not wide enough to cope with the traffic that would result from the new development
There are no footways on Old Lane, Swangleys Lane or St Martins Road for much of their length.
There are no safe drop off or pick up points adjacent to the school. Perhaps the local Plan could provide this facility ?

One of the main pedestrian routes, for parents and children on the west side of the railway to get to the school, is by the Station Road bridge footway. The footway is approximately 1 metre wide over the 52 metre length of the underbridge. This is insufficient for 2 people to pass without 1 person stepping in to the road.
The current situation for pedestrians is unsafe.

This is not an exhaustive list. In the event that development proceeds in accordance with the Local Plan, all of the the infrastructure needs should be addressed

Safeguarding and KB4

Safeguarding the children attending Knebworth school is our highest priority.
Governors, staff and parents have expressed concerns previously about new developments overlooking the school playing fields. This is currently a particularly sensitive issue. The school has no control of who lives in these developments and whether they have been assessed through the Disclosure and Debarring Service.
KB4 would appear to overlook the School Playing Fields. If the development of KB4 proceeds the school would want assurance that the design of the buildings will prevent or significantly reduce the incidence of oversight of the School Playing Fields.

It is not legally compliant as the KB4 site has only recently been included so I have had insufficient time to consider it along with a lack of involvement. In addition there is no evidence of a Knebworth Strategic Plan given there are nearly 600 homes planned. Any development over 500 homes should come with a clear infrastructure plan and this is currently lacking. So it appears that NHDC is avoiding it's own criteria.
It is not sound for a number of reasons - Swangleys Lane is not wide enough, cannot cope with existing traffic let alone a significant increase and poses a danger given it's bends etc. KB4 is planned on Grade 3 land currently in agricultural use so it is not the poorest quality land available. The use of Green Belt land runs contrary to National Planning Policy and represents encroachment of our countryside unnecessarily. The infrastructure within the village is struggling to cope with existing housing stock with bottlenecks in roads and a congested high street. The addition of homes at the KB4 site will only make this situation worse. I understand that the B197 is recommended as a diversion if the A1 is closed which when it is causes significant congestion. Houses at the KB4 site will create additional congestion particularly at the school and end of Swangleys Lane.
The KB4 site is 'raised land' and will be seen from the other side of the village creating an increased sprawl of housing and a detrimental impact on the general skyline. In additional I have real concerns over the capacity of existing drains to cope with the additional run off due to hard landscaping and houses.

The choice of site at KB4 is a poor one for the reasons I have given and needs to be stopped with a review of more suitable sites. The local infrastructure will not be able to cope and I can see nothing in the local plan that addresses this issue

It is not legally compliant as the KB4 site has only recently been included so I have had insufficient time to consider it along with a lack of involvement. In addition there is no evidence of a Knebworth Strategic Plan given there are nearly 600 homes planned. Any development over 500 homes should come with a clear infrastructure plan and this is currently lacking. So it appears that NHDC is avoiding it's own criteria.
It is not sound for a number of reasons - Swangleys Lane is not wide enough, cannot cope with existing traffic let alone a significant increase and poses a danger given it's bends etc. KB4 is planned on Grade 3 land currently in agricultural use so it is not the poorest quality land available. The use of Green Belt land runs contrary to National Planning Policy and represents encroachment of our countryside unnecessarily. The infrastructure within the village is struggling to cope with existing housing stock with bottlenecks in roads and a congested high street. The addition of homes at the KB4 site will only make this situation worse. I understand that the B197 is recommended as a diversion if the A1 is closed which when it is causes significant congestion. Houses at the KB4 site will create additional congestion particularly at the school and end of Swangleys Lane.
The KB4 site is 'raised land' and will be seen from the other side of the village creating an increased sprawl of housing and a detrimental impact on the general skyline. In additional I have real concerns over the capacity of existing drains to cope with the additional run off due to hard landscaping and houses.

The choice of site at KB4 is a poor one for the reasons I have given and needs to be stopped with a review of more suitable sites. The local infrastructure will not be able to cope and I can see nothing in the local plan that addresses this issue

A formal and properly researched infrastructure plan for the village with investment in the roads, car parking and station facilities
Housing Development to be focused on existing brownfield sites 1st to minimise the use of Green Belt and/or good quality agricultural land
Traffic calming scheme for Swangleys Lane and a major review of possible access routes to the proposed KB4 site.

Legal Compliant

During the public consultancy between December 2014 and January, KB4 was not included in this document. So the first time, it is going through this process, is now. KB4 is the largest single site and has the most impact, especially being very close to Stevenage.

I have attached a letter from our local MP, backing up this point and brought into question the legality as it contrary to NHDC's declared process which is set out in the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) Regulations 2012.

Further information below this document

Is the Plan Positively Prepared?

Knebworth village (already the largest village in Hertfordshire) has 4496 residents in ca 2002 dwellings. The Local Plan is proposing a further 663 houses across four sites. From what I have learnt, any other development of more than 500 houses in a single site, would have to have a Strategic Policy drawn up. Whilst none of the individual sites around the outskirts of Knebworth exceeds this number, the aggregate amount of proposed residences is 663, which represents over 31% increase to our village.

Knebworth has to be considered as one site as all of the proposed sites. As all the sites will have a significate impact on the infrastructure, transportation and highway. The B197 is the main access route and passes North-South through Knebworth High Street, which is already severely congested (Numerous delays on a daily basis). All the sites would feed into the B197 and without any Strategic Policy for Knebworth is clear evidence that the Plan has not been positively prepared.

Is the Plan Justified?

Green Belt

The Local Plan requires the release of Green Belt land. One of the crucial reasons for Green Belt is prevent "coalescence." If the proposed local plan is allowed, in particular KB4 there would be almost continuous housing between Knebworth and Stevenage. Green belt is needed to maintain and specially keep the identity of the village for Knebworth.

The neighbouring authority to the immediate North is Stevenage Borough Council who, in their June 2015 Local Plan housing consultation, concluded that the land showing in the NHDC Plan as KB1 and KB4 make: - 'a significant contribution to Green Belt purposes.'

From my understanding the proposed development of KB4 would breach three of the criteria defined in paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework, namely:

* to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
* to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another; and
* To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment.

The Local Plan correctly refers to Knebworth as a Category A village, whereas the supporting documentation refers to it as a 'town', which it is not.

The development on Green belt land would run contrary to:
o National Planning Policy; and
o the value the Council has placed on this land in its own Green Belt review, undertaken less than six months ago (July 2016).
What is more concerning is that other areas of the existing Green belt, which are shown as simply making 'a moderate contribution to Green Belt purposes' are NOT being considered for residential development.
From my understanding, one of the test of "soundness" is that the Local Plan should be 'based on effective joint working on cross-border strategic priorities'. There seems to be a large discrepancy between the two authorities on whether this land is appropriate for building.
Previously Developed Land

KB4 is working agricultural land and has never been previously developed. It should, therefore, not be a priority for development.

Value of the land

The land in KB4 is classified as Grade 3, this being 'good to moderate'. From my understanding, it is therefore should be kept as such. It is not the poorest quality of land and, is in constant agricultural use. Surely removing farmland from around the South East will have a huge effect on local produce and the environmental impact.

So to conclude regarding the Green belt - KB4 is

* 'a significant contribution to Green Belt purposes.'
* Currently preventing "coalescence"
* Is classed as "good to moderate" in agricultural terms

Visual Impact
Living in the village we are lucky to enjoy the countryside, large areas of the KB4 is undulating, if the development goes ahead, it would completely change the characteristics of the village. The outlook and views would be dominated with houses.

Alternative Sites
The issues relating to the land to the West of Stevenage (section 4.104 of the Local Plan refers) should be resolved as soon as possible. This land can provide 3100 house and you will be able to ensure that there are services for all to benefit from. Rather than expanding villages that can't cope with the add houses.

Is the Plan Effective?

Infrastructure

Transport:
In the previous consultation in 2014 it was mentioned the railway line poses huge challenges regarding transport / traffic through the village. These challenges have not been addressed in this plan; in fact, the Plan says (13.195) that there are no mitigation requirements regarding transport. In fact, the Highways Agency has raised this issue previously. The two railway bridges at either end of the village are dangerous due to the current volume of traffic, narrow roads, corners and very narrow pavements. An increase in volume of traffic and pedestrians will make this increasingly dangerous. There have already been many near misses. These two routes are used extensively by small children going to and from school, in the morning rush hour. An increase of 31% of this scale can only add to the problems. This matter has not been addressed and surely makes the not effective.
London Road - (B197) is also a known pinch point; it current takes over 35 minutes to reach junction 6 of the A1 in rush hour, which is only 2 miles away. Increased traffic will only exacerbate this). Any issues on the A1M, it is a prime cut through. If the proposed housing were to be put in place. Any closures on the A1M would result in possibility of gridlock. No real back up for emergency vehicles. Which was actually the case a year ago.
Oakfields Road currently has not through exit. The road bends round into Oakfields avenue. Any access point to the proposed housing at KB4 would completely effect pedestrian right of way to the recreation park or the bridal path. Oakfields Road, which is off B197 is not wide enough to cope with the traffic that would result from the new development. The road would also attract commuter parking, which over the last months, has started encroach part of the road during the working week.
During peak times, a number of roads are used to avoid the traffic, in particular: Old Lane, St Martin's Road, Swangleys Lane, Pondcroft and Gun Lane. These are very narrow and built up, it is already very dangerous for pedestrians, and the increase of 31% would only make it worse.
Swangleys Lane is another alternative route to access the B 197. This is a very narrow country lane with no footpath after the JMI School. Parking is already an issue on the road and severely restricts the flow of traffic along the road, particularly at start and end of the school day. The road mouth onto the B 197 is within 20 metres of a pedestrian crossing and there is already congestion at this junction.

Watton Road is a country lane, with no provision for pedestrians or cyclists for much of its length and quite unsuitable for the volume and nature of the traffic. Watton Road would be one possible access route to the B 197 from KB4.

Public Transport

Knebworth is a commuter village the Train station is extremely busy, it is already overcrowded and peak services have seen a 70% increase over the last ten years.

There is very little employment in the village and any new development would attract the commuter. Yet Govia Thameslink are under consultation to reduce the frequency of trains to/from the local station. Regardless of that, due to where the Station is based, the station is very popular and accessible to residents of Stevenage, this then increases car on the road and parking on local roads. The proposed housings would only increase this further you will need to have permit parking as there is in inadequate commuter parking.

Parking
It has been mentioned the removal of parking onside of the road through the High Street. This has clearly not be thought though:-
* Loss of business to the local shops
* Speed of vehicles - even a vehicle travelling at 30 mph can serious injure someone
* Loss of village centre
Although the road is busy during peak times, it reduces the speed naturally therefore making it safer for children to walk to school. During the day, the cars on either side, prevent traffic and Lorries speeding unnecessary through the village. The parking helps our local shops attract customers from a far, if you were to take parking away from one side, it will be the death of Knebworth villages high street, which is needed for all and in particular by many elderly residents.

Health Services

The doctor's surgery in Knebworth is currently located on Station road. They are in the process of looking for new premises. They have applied for planning permission but it would only improve the current service, which currently takes over 3 weeks to get an appointment. Even if this were successful, the new premises would not be adequate to cope with a 31% increase in the population of the village.

Dentist - there are two surgeries, only one which takes NHS patients, but that one has no capacity for new patients.

Drainage issues:
Drainage issues have been raised time and time again. There will be a major capacity issue at Rye Meads Sewage Treatment Works and this has not been addressed. Surface water is already a problem; this will be exacerbated with increased population and households.
Development in neighbouring village
Planned housing development of 150 houses in Woolmer Green, which lies on the B197 to the South of Knebworth, will only increase the levels of traffic flowing through Knebworth High Street and routes to A1M.

Is the Plan Consistent with National Policy?

I have attached a letter from Stephen McPartland. He states that there are significant failings in the way the Local Plan has been prepared. It very much has the feeling of a rush job and a numbers games, rather than a proper housing plan.

Duty to Co-Operate

The sites on Odyssey, north of Knebworth, has been granted planning permission for approx. 70-100 homes. This number of houses should surely be taken out of Knebworth's allocation and not just taken as a windfall.
As mentioned previously, Stevenage - West, has already been reserved for 3,100 homes. This would be a far better position to provide facilities and services, as the current plan for Knebworth has no support for current and new residents. As I understand that this is on hold is due to secondary school allocation. If a secondary school was built on that site, this would surely resolve this matter and stop adding on housing to over stretch villages.

Danger of Knebworth blending into Stevenage.
Loss of productive agricultural land and impact on open landscape.
Severe impact on local roads particularly Watton Road, Swangley's Lane and St Martins Road.
Huge problems with drainage.

I wish to the following points to be considered by the Inspector into the proposals submitted by North Herts District Council
Site KB4 : Land East of Knebworth 9ID278)

Greenbelt
The green belt (site KB4) is in use as good productive agriculture land and as we desperately need to retain this land for our food chain. Swangleys Farm is a working farm, which brings employment to the Village

The land also is essential to check unrestricted sprawl between neighborhoods

The land is also very high and undulating and any housing would be an intrusive blot on the landscape., and will dominate the skyline if allowed.

Highways
Swangleys Lane is a very narrow Lane with poor site lines for traffic .It is already used extensively by local traffic and large farm machinery/heavy lorry's .The local school is also served by the Lane and with no footpaths and parking most of the day the lane is congested with parked cars .At school picking up and dropping off times the Lane is nearly impassable.

Swangleys Lane just could not cope with any additional traffic. This goes for Old lane and St Martins Road, which is privately maintained. The proposed Doctors surgery planned in St Martins Road would make the existing congestion worse.

In addition the B197 is also extremely busy with existing traffic particularly in mornings and early afternoon. On many occasions in the late afternoon traffic is bumper to bumper from the junction with Station Road and past Tesco's Broadwater Retail Park, London Road.

So it would be very difficult to see how it could cope with additional traffic from a proposed additional 200 dwelling plus any that are proposed for land in neighboring Woolmer Green (Welwyn Hatfield District Council),and other sites in Knebworth.

A strategic plan
There needs to be an integrated approach to all the proposals including those in adjoining Local Authorities to ensure that adequate provision is made before any development.
To include

* How the extra traffic will cope with the already overloaded roads.
* The provision of schools the one proposed does not appear to meet even the developments proposed in Knebworth.
* The existing and proposed replacement Doctors Surgery does just meet the needs of the existing population so there will need to be provision for a Local Health Centre.
* The provision of community facilities i.e. Village Hall both in Knebworth and Woolmer Green are totally booked .

Employment and car parking
With the development of the Builders Merchant in Knebworth High Street there will a loss of many local jobs with the prospect of no further employment opportunities. This will mean even more people commuting to London, which will create even greater pressures on the Govia Thameslink, which is already proposing to reduce the existing service. The car parking is already a major problem in the area so with out provision for additional car parking the situation will get even worse.