Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Object

Representation ID: 2044

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Support for Vision:
- taken on board Preferred Options response

Object:
No vision statement directly relates to SP10, and particularly the role in this policy in promoting healthy communities by ensuring the adequate provision of infrastructure to facilitate cycling and walking

Object

Representation ID: 5912

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Support for Strategic Objectives:
- taken on board Preferred Options response.

Object:
Strategic Objective ECON7 is comparatively weakly support by Strategic Policies SP6 c, d and g - then further limited to larger developments in T1dii.

- Arguable whether the reduction of water consumption mentioned in ENV5 is a realistic aspiration in the context of increasing population.

Support

Representation ID: 5915

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Support for SP1:
- proactive approach
- policy needs to be more specific: extent to which local circumstance is reflected in the proposed policies.

Object

Representation ID: 5917

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Support for SP2:
- proactive approach
- policy needs to be more specific: extent to which local circumstance is reflected in the proposed policies.

Object

Representation ID: 5919

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Support and object:
-no evidence in detail of SLP of need to invest in Hitchin's main employment area
-access to Hitchin's main industrial/employment area at Wilbury Way was identified in the previous Local Plan - issue not been addressed in the last 20 years and not mentioned in the SLP
-Hertfordshire County Councillors have commissioned and funded transport study 'Hitchin Industrial Estate Relief Road': should be taken into consideration at the Hearing once it has been published
-no reference to the need to encourage the supply of small economic units for business start-ups and co-operatives.

Object

Representation ID: 5920

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Objection SP4:
-fails to take into account rapidly changing nature of retail growth
-figures used in evidence base(Retail Study Update 2016) not well founded
-not convinced NLP report provides justification for increase in retail provision so much greater than the expected increase in housing since last set of calculations.
-figure closer to28,000sqm of floorspace might better reflect likely growth in population,though still does not take into account increase in online retail since earlier study.
-flexible approach to retail development targets to be made clear and linked specifically to regular reviews and modifications of town centre strategies with clearly defined timescales

Object

Representation ID: 5924

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Support SP5:
-regretfully accepted that some readjustment of Green Belt is unavoidable if housing requirements to be met.
-broadly support analytical approach used

Object SP5:
-urgent steps should be taken to identify sites for one or more substantial new settlements through DtC with neighbouring authorities-to avoid future erosion of Green Belt
-Proposals Map:land west of the A1(M)at Stevenage-no exceptional circumstances demonstrated,no reasonable prospect of being required for housing development until well after currency of proposed Local Plan-release premature,should be deferred.

-no cross reference with Section8 Housing Strategy

HT1,HT2,HT3,HT5 andHT6:crucial importance of mitigation measures - Green Belt

Object

Representation ID: 5925

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Support: parts d, f and g of SP8

Object SP8:
-urgent steps should be taken to identify sites for one or more substantial new settlements through Duty to Cooperate with neighbouring authorities.
-Proposals Map:land west of the A1(M)at Stevenage-no exceptional circumstances demonstrated,no reasonable prospect of being required for housing development until well after the currency of the proposed Local Plan-release is premature and should be deferred.
-no cross reference with Section6 Countryside and Green Belt.
-housing targets not sound: figures in SP8a and SP8c - 14,950 should be clear in policy.

Object

Representation ID: 5927

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Objection SP17:
-Green Belt:concern over loss.If well planned in accordance with Local Plan polciies could be integrated and provide the long-term boundary between the urban area and the Green Belt.
-crucial importance of mitigation measures concerning the reduction in the separation between Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City-coalescence
-support inclusion as a Strategic site with requirement for site masterplan-early involvement with local people needed
-welcome inclusion of neighbourhood retail facilities and primary school
-agree principal access should be from Stotfold Road, but need comprehensive transport studies
-effect on views
-policy should be included to retain and re-use historic buildings

Support

Representation ID: 5928

Received: 24/11/2016

Respondent: Hitchin Town Action Group (HTAG)

Support HT3:
- Green Belt releases: concern over loss but accept that if well planned and developed in accordance with the policies set out elsewhere in the Local Plan could be integrated into the town and provide the long-term boundary between the urban area and the Green Belt.
- support mitigation measures indicated - amenity and safeguarding views from nearby countryside which extends westwards towards the Northern Chilterns AONB
- ensure traffic impacts are taken into account
- protect integrity of the boundary and long distance views.