Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

1. There is no strategy meaning this plan is unlikely to be effective. This plan is not a co-ordinated development and there are no overall infrastructure delivery plans. This will likely result in the piecemeal development of Knebworth with no single developer responsible for delivering the necessary infrastructure to support these plans (e.g., roads, schools, drainage, doctors). A co-ordinated plan is required to deliver a plan for the village as a whole and not four independent sections.
2. This plan identifies four local housing allocations within Knebworth for an estimated 598 new homes and further 65 homes have already been built or granted planning permission. This is a 31% increase in the size of Knebworth. 150 homes being built at Woolmer Green and also ~70 on the Oddessy site have not been taken into account in these numbers. Overall this is huge number of house for one area, and are not justified when the Stevenage west land is reserved and not being developed in this plan (3,100 homes). Why does this plan not propose developing this area? This could considerably reduce the scale of development of the villages surrounding Stevenage in NH.
3. The plan does include a new primary school but the proposals are not specific and need to be more detailed about what will actually be provided. Knebworth does not currently have a secondary school, with children having to travel to Stevenage, Hitchin or further for secondary schooling. The plan does not explain how it will actually support increased secondary education requirement needs associated with an increase in population. One solution would be to include a new secondary school in the plan specifically rather than vague non-committal statements (e.g., KB4 / Up to 4ha of land for education purposes subject to up-to-date assessments of need).
4. The green belt surrounding Knebworth makes a significant contribution to protecting the space between the village and the surrounding villages and Stevenage. Removing it will likely mean there is a considerable danger of coalescence, destroying the identity of Knebworth.
5. Already the B197 is a very busy road and traffic often queues right back from Stevenage to Knebworth in rush hour, taking up to 30 mins to drive. I live on Watton Road in Knebworth and this road is also solid in rush hour. The plan does not include infrastructure development plans in an around Knebworth to address managing the increased burden of traffic associated with increased housing.
6. This plan has no considerations for the local economy with no proposals that support job creation in the village. At the moment Chas Low, the builder's merchants, on the KB3 site has a positive impact on the local economy - once this relocates this will be lost. The KB3 site should include retail/office premises - currently it is all housing.
7. Three proposed areas for development (KB2, KB3 and KB4) have long-standing drainage issues which the plan does not address in detail. The 31% increase in the size of Knebworth will also place a huge burden on Rye Meads Sewage Treatment works. The capacity of Rye Meads Sewage Treatment works will need to be increased - the current plan only supports part of the development, not all.
8. '13.200 A planning application has recently been submitted for a new library, doctors surgery and pharmacy on the site of the current library within the identified village centre' These are not new services, it is to replace the current ones. The plan is misleading here. Furthermore, these services are already stretched and the plan does not take into account the expansion of these services needed to support a 31% population increase.
9. The plan will have a negative impact on the surrounding countryside and damages two conservations areas in the Knebworth.

1. The green belt surrounding Knebworth makes a significant contribution to protecting the space between the village and the surrounding villages and Stevenage. Removing it will likely mean there is a considerable danger of coalescence, destroying the identity of Knebworth. Developing KB1 will remove the green-belt buffer on the west of the Knebworth.
2. KB1 is next to the A1(M) - not only will people living in houses built here suffer from noise pollution, this section of the A1(M) is the most congested and polluted part of this motorway.
3. Access to KB1 is an issue. Deards End Land is a narrow road with a narrow railway bridge unsuitable for heavy traffic. The plan needs to include new, wider, access routes to KB1.
4. KB1 includes a conservation area. This will be damaged if this area is developed according to the current plan. Furthermore, there will likely be a negative impact on wildlife and Knebworth woods site of special scientific interest. The plan needs to include safeguards to preserve these areas.

1. The green belt surrounding Knebworth makes a significant contribution to protecting the space between the village and the surrounding villages and Stevenage. Removing it will likely mean there is a considerable danger of coalescence, destroying the identity of Knebworth. Developing KB2 will remove the green-belt buffer between Gypsy Lane and the A1(M).
2. KB2 is next to the A1(M) - not only will people living in houses built here suffer from noise pollution, this section of the A1(M) is the most congested and polluted part of this motorway. This is also the site for the proposed primary school, given the level of pollution here a different site may have to be considered.
3. Access to KB2 is an issue. Gun Lane railway bridge is a narrow bridge unsuitable for additional traffic. The plan needs to include new, wider, access routes to KB1.
4. KB2 includes a conservation area. This will be damaged if this area is developed according to the current plan. The plan needs to include safeguards to preserve this area.
5. KB2 has long-standing drainage issues, resulting in surface water flooding from the A1(M), which the current plan does not address in detail.

1. This plan has no considerations for the local economy with no proposals that support job creation in the village. At the moment Chas Low, the builder's merchants, on the KB3 site has a positive impact on the local economy - once this relocates this will be lost. The KB3 site should include retail/office premises - currently it is all housing.
2. KB3 has long-standing drainage issues, resulting in localised flooding, which the current plan does not address in detail.

1. KB4 added to the plan last year (this version). There was no consultation with residents which it not in line with housing policy. KB4 should not have has been added at this late stage, particularly as it's a key area of land that separates Stevenage and Knebworth.
2. The green belt surrounding Knebworth makes a significant contribution to protecting the space between the village and the surrounding villages and Stevenage. Removing it will likely mean there is a considerable danger of coalescence, destroying the identity of Knebworth. Developing KB4 will remove the green-belt buffer between Knebworth and Stevenage, meaning there is danger of coalescence. 'Structural landscaping and planting to provide and / or reinforce Green Belt boundary to east' is not sufficient to prevent coalescence.
3. Access to KB4 is an issue. Both Watton Road and Swangley's lane are narrow roads and there is insufficient capacity to support traffic to and from 200 houses here. Swangley's lane is very wiggly and it can be difficult for two cars to pass in places and there are blind spots. Watton Road is already a commuter cut through - during rush hour the traffic is usually backed up to the edge of the village. This would become unbearable for the residents of Watton Road if traffic use on this road increased. The plan needs to include new, wider, access routes to KB4.
4. KB4 has long-standing drainage issues, resulting in surface water flooding problems, which the current plan does not address in detail.
5. Developing KB4 will also mean the loss of productive agricultural land.