Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I would like to object to the plans to build houses in Codicote on the Heath Lane site and the various other sites planned for Codicote. I am more concerned about Heath Lane plans as this is close to where we live. It worries our family about the amount of traffic we are already encountering in St Albans Road regarding cars and huge numbers of lorries going to the quarry.

Due to the quarry traffic with huge numbers of lorries travelling down St Albans road I have contracted a dust allergy, the extra traffic of 375 cars, which most families have at least 2 cars per family making it at least another 750 cars travelling in our rural village will be a nightmare not only to the environment but to the already dangerous village roads. Where we live on St Albans Road, I have witnessed so many near misses (some collisions) with lorries and large vans, I can't begin to imagine the detrimental affect of at least 750 more cars on these village roads. I did take photos of a lorry and white van colliding, I would have to search through hundreds of photos if required. NHDC have completely ignored the quarry traffic in their section on Codicote in the Local Plan. The roads in question Heath lane, St Albans Road and the High Street are already dangerous roads, for driving and our children to walk along and cross.

I am also concerned about the fact that the land is in fact green belt, which I believe allows open spaces to not be built upon. There is so much wildlife that comes into our garden from the fields planned for development. We have rabbits, birds (woodpeckers/robins and huge numbers of other wild species) owls, bats, mice, hedgehogs, foxes, muntjac deer....all have been seen in our garden or in the field behind which is planned for development. What happens when the proposed company Ashill come to dig out all the land for foundations, killing so much wildlife in the process. Also we have 2 dogs, as a family we have always enjoyed using the various footpaths down Dark Lane, St Albans road, Heath Lane and along the fields to walk our dogs in our lovely rural village. That will all disappear to a mass of houses, no longer rural, it will be like living in a town.

A town without correct amenities to support the number of houses planned for the village. The suggestion for Heath Lane is 140 houses, the property development website in actual fact says 200 houses, link attached. This is in the addition of 73 new Houses on Cowards Lane, 48 House in The Close and 54 House in The Garden Centre areas. That's 375 houses if all developers stick within the suggested numbers, which will most likely be increased.

http://www.ashillgroup.co.uk/developments/codicote-heath-lane/index.htm

We currently have a village school which we chose not to send our children to, as the class sizes were over 36 at the time and unacceptable. We have no doctors surgery in Codicote, so use Welwyn Village Surgery which is already over capacity and so difficult to actually see a doctor.

The list is endless as to why our already large village cannot expand any further, what about water supplies, our water pressure is already pretty terrible, we have had many drainage issues, our power supply is a worry, we are experiencing more power cuts and broadband speeds are already busy, even though we are on fibre optic/BT Infinity. I have complained about all these issues to our suppliers in the past.

It will be so sad to see this lovely rural village be taken over by houses and reduce the rural open space feel of our current village. Please choose a better area to build the number of houses required by the government.

I would like to object to the plans to build houses in Codicote on the Heath Lane site and the various other sites planned for Codicote. I am more concerned about Heath Lane plans as this is close to where we live. It worries our family about the amount of traffic we are already encountering in St Albans Road regarding cars and huge numbers of lorries going to the quarry.

Due to the quarry traffic with huge numbers of lorries travelling down St Albans road I have contracted a dust allergy, the extra traffic of 375 cars, which most families have at least 2 cars per family making it at least another 750 cars travelling in our rural village will be a nightmare not only to the environment but to the already dangerous village roads. Where we live on St Albans Road, I have witnessed so many near misses (some collisions) with lorries and large vans, I can't begin to imagine the detrimental affect of at least 750 more cars on these village roads. I did take photos of a lorry and white van colliding, I would have to search through hundreds of photos if required. NHDC have completely ignored the quarry traffic in their section on Codicote in the Local Plan. The roads in question Heath lane, St Albans Road and the High Street are already dangerous roads, for driving and our children to walk along and cross.

I am also concerned about the fact that the land is in fact green belt, which I believe allows open spaces to not be built upon. There is so much wildlife that comes into our garden from the fields planned for development. We have rabbits, birds (woodpeckers/robins and huge numbers of other wild species) owls, bats, mice, hedgehogs, foxes, muntjac deer....all have been seen in our garden or in the field behind which is planned for development. What happens when the proposed company Ashill come to dig out all the land for foundations, killing so much wildlife in the process. Also we have 2 dogs, as a family we have always enjoyed using the various footpaths down Dark Lane, St Albans road, Heath Lane and along the fields to walk our dogs in our lovely rural village. That will all disappear to a mass of houses, no longer rural, it will be like living in a town.

A town without correct amenities to support the number of houses planned for the village. The suggestion for Heath Lane is 140 houses, the property development website in actual fact says 200 houses, link attached. This is in the addition of 73 new Houses on Cowards Lane, 48 House in The Close and 54 House in The Garden Centre areas. That's 375 houses if all developers stick within the suggested numbers, which will most likely be increased.

http://www.ashillgroup.co.uk/developments/codicote-heath-lane/index.htm

We currently have a village school which we chose not to send our children to, as the class sizes were over 36 at the time and unacceptable. We have no doctors surgery in Codicote, so use Welwyn Village Surgery which is already over capacity and so difficult to actually see a doctor.

The list is endless as to why our already large village cannot expand any further, what about water supplies, our water pressure is already pretty terrible, we have had many drainage issues, our power supply is a worry, we are experiencing more power cuts and broadband speeds are already busy, even though we are on fibre optic/BT Infinity. I have complained about all these issues to our suppliers in the past.

It will be so sad to see this lovely rural village be taken over by houses and reduce the rural open space feel of our current village. Please choose a better area to build the number of houses required by the government.