Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I wish to challenge the soundness of the Submission Local Plan on grounds of inconsistency with NPPF para 35 on sustainable transport.

I will outline concerns relating to only one development - that proposed for Site HT1, Highover Farm, Hitchin - which will mean that it will have a particularly adverse impact on traffic in Hitchin. Strategic Policy 17 and its explanatory paragraphs make no explicit mention of pedestrian and cycling routes or public transport. Development management policies as they are currently written are insufficiently robust to ensure that the impact of this, and possibly other developments, will be mitigated.

Location relative to key destinations
This development is on high ground. For pedestrians or cyclists, depending on the route chosen, the journey from Hitchin town centre is about 1.5 miles, and involves a climb of some 100 feet. It is just under a mile from Hitchin station. A similar climb to the development is involved. Most significantly, pedestrians and cyclists have no alternative to passing under the rail bridge on the A505 just to the north west of the station. For pedestrians, this involves the negotiation of what can only be described as a chicane, where it is barely possible for two people to pass. For cyclists, the roadway under the bridge is narrow and often very busy - only the very confident or foolhardy would choose to use it at such times.

The impact of the development on the local transport network
As SLP para 4.204 states, the intention is that an access road will be created onto the Stotfold Road. The intention is that the development should not 'turn its back' on Hitchin. If that aspiration is fulfilled, the majority of residents will travel into or through Hitchin on a regular basis. Given the above obstructions to active modes of transport if no extra provision is made to incentivise and facilitate them, future residents are likely to regard a car as essential, and use it on a daily basis. The result will be that pressure on the already congested pinch-point of the Cambridge Road/Stotfold Road roundabout will be increased. For those driving on the A505 from the north east, into Hitchin or beyond to Stevenage or Luton, there will be increased congestion at the Woolgrove Road/Cambridge Road traffic lights, in the vicinity of the station or at the Woolgrove Road/Grove Road/Cadwell Lane/Wilbury Way junction.

Conclusion
In order for the development to be sustainable, policies to prioritise the development of safe and secure walking and cycling routes within, and providing connectivity to, the development are essential. Significantly improved public transport links are also critical. The effectiveness of such policies needs to be assessed against appropriate indicators and targets on a regular basis.

I would therefore like to endorse the Hitchin Town Action Group's (HTAG) submission, section 10A, which addresses the policy omissions and suggests alterations to address these issues. It goes on to suggest an indicator and target by which progress could be measured.

In addition, I strongly support the suggestion made in HTAG submission paras 1.6(ii), that the congested area around the station, including the Cambridge Road under-bridge and potential access to the station from the east, be visited by the Inspector.