Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

The settlement hierarchy as proposed is supported and is an appropriate method of determining the associated policy

1. The proposed development would be a serious encroachment into the existing Green Belt located on the eastern side of Luton. Such extension in addition to being into the Green Belt is into an area of considerable landscape character and its urbanisation would be detrimental to the attractive area lying between the villages of Great Offley, Kings Walden and Luton.

2. The proposed development is an uncoordinated extension of Luton out into open countryside with a lack of defensible boundaries, such that the Local Authority would be under pressure to allow further expansion into open countryside and the Green Belt at times into the future. Such pressure might lead to additional development to the north and east of Mangrove Green with pressure to expand further into the historic area of Putteridge Bury Park.

3. The existing villages of Mangrove Green and Cockernhoe would be completely dominated and absorbed into the overall development area and would lose their rural character.

4. Access to the site is poor. Whilst there are roadways leading to the west, these are only of sufficient quality to absorb further residential traffic once they cross over the boundary into Luton Borough. Whilst this might adequately serve traffic leading to the centre of Luton or via Crawley Green Road to the M1 motorway, the road layout is poorly served for residential occupants wishing to travel to the north and east.

5. The tendency will be for traffic wishing to travel in the direction of Hitchin on the A505 to either travel through residential streets over a distance of 1¾ miles before joining the A505 at Stopsley, or alternatively to take to the local lanes by means of Chalk Hill, Brick Kiln Lane and Stony Lane to access Lilley Bottom some 11/2 miles to the east. The three aforementioned lanes are essentially single track roadways and are quite incapable of absorbing traffic from a development of some 2,103 dwellings, and on the earlier planning application of Bloor Homes under Planning Reference 13/02000/1 there appears to be little in the way of proposed improvement to those roadways.

6. Each of the three roadways lead down onto the Lilley Bottom Road, which runs from the village of Lilley through to Whitwell. Lilley Bottom is essentially a single track road for much of its length with passing places. It is already a well used rat run and is not capable of absorbing traffic from such a sizeable development.

7. It is almost inevitable that those wishing to travel to Hitchin, Stevenage and Welwyn will use Lilley Bottom in spite of any signage to attempt to direct traffic away to the residential areas of Luton. This is because it is a shorter distance and avoids the congestion within Luton.

8. Much of the traffic will eventually find its way onto the A505 dual carriageway and head in an easterly direction to Hitchin. It is well known that during peak times there are significant delays and queues on the western side of Hitchin due to a lack of any bypass arrangements to the town. A development of this size would therefore only exacerbate the situation and is another reason why development should not be considered at this location.

9. The current planning application in respect of Site EL1 makes provision for a primary school, but there is no provision for secondary education. This will inevitably place a strain upon the resources of North Hertfordshire rather than Luton, to which the development is aligned. Existing transport for school children in the rural areas of North Hertfordshire relies upon mini buses, but with the extent of development proposed and the number of children involved, this would be quite unsuitable for Wandon Park. The direct routes from Wandon Park via Chalk Hill, Brick Kiln Lane and Stony Lane are not capable of accommodating full size buses, which will mean that children face a lengthened journey by having to travel into Luton before returning to North Hertfordshire. This is not the mark of a sustainable development.

10. The present planning application makes no provision for a medical centre or library facilities. Access to existing medical and library facilities within North Hertfordshire are poor.

11. The emergency services will struggle to gain access because of the poor nature of Chalk Hill, Brick Kiln Lane and Stony Lane, and inevitably such access will need to be via Luton, which will substantially increase response times.

12. Paragraph 12.2.5.1 of the Preferred Options Consultation Paper made it clear that the Wandon Park site is only included as "an allowance to meet the specific needs arising from Luton rather than North Hertfordshire". As demonstrated by the above, expansion to the east of Luton due to its relatively isolated location, Green Belt status and landscape character, make a site to the east of Luton unsuitable. Luton should undertake a comprehensive study of its own needs, and consideration should be given to the "Bushwood" site which has earlier been proposed within submissions to the Joint Core Strategy prepared by Luton Borough together with South Bedfordshire District Council (now Central Bedfordshire).

13. The Bushwood site lies immediately to the south-west of Luton and adjoins the western side of the M1 motorway.

14. It provides for up to 5,500 houses together with a higher degree of local facilities than that proposed at Wandon Park. The Bushwood master plan provides for:

i) Community stadium, hotel and conference centre
ii) Dedicated public transport route
iii) Lower and middle school
iv) Neighbourhood centre
v) Retirement village
vi) Supermarket
vii) Academy school
viii) Sport village - multi indoor facilities and swimming pool
ix) A new site for Luton Town Rugby Club
x) Employment
xi) Open space to include parks, children's play, sports facilities, ecological landscape, and allotments
xii) Park and ride
xiii) Landscape and habitat creation
xiv) High density housing
xv) Retained woodland/area of landscape value
xvi) Connection to the Luton/Dunstable bus way

15. The site is also closer to the centre of Luton than Wandon Park and also is within 4 miles of Dunstable with its associated facilities.

16. The Bushwood site provides more defensible boundaries for further expansion than that of Wandon Park and does provide a long term solution for Luton's expansion over not only the next decade but beyond. It provides a more sensible location for that development than Wandon Park can achieve.

17. North Hertfordshire has made provision within the December 2014 consultation document for needed expansion of housing within its own district. As demonstrated above, provision of additional housing for the purposes of Luton cannot be sustainably provided by an eastern expansion of Luton and such expansion should be to a more appropriate site such as Bushwood, which will be able to provide space for any needed expansion of Luton to include the necessary support services.

1. The proposed development would be a serious encroachment into the existing Green Belt located on the eastern side of Luton. Such extension in addition to being into the Green Belt is into an area of considerable landscape character and its urbanisation would be detrimental to the attractive area lying between the villages of Great Offley, Kings Walden and Luton.

2. The proposed development is an uncoordinated extension of Luton out into open countryside with a lack of defensible boundaries, such that the Local Authority would be under pressure to allow further expansion into open countryside and the Green Belt at times into the future. Such pressure might lead to additional development to the north and east of Mangrove Green with pressure to expand further into the historic area of Putteridge Bury Park.

3. The existing villages of Mangrove Green and Cockernhoe would be completely dominated and absorbed into the overall development area and would lose their rural character.

4. Access to the site is poor. Whilst there are roadways leading to the west, these are only of sufficient quality to absorb further residential traffic once they cross over the boundary into Luton Borough. Whilst this might adequately serve traffic leading to the centre of Luton or via Crawley Green Road to the M1 motorway, the road layout is poorly served for residential occupants wishing to travel to the north and east.

5. The tendency will be for traffic wishing to travel in the direction of Hitchin on the A505 to either travel through residential streets over a distance of 1¾ miles before joining the A505 at Stopsley, or alternatively to take to the local lanes by means of Chalk Hill, Brick Kiln Lane and Stony Lane to access Lilley Bottom some 11/2 miles to the east. The three aforementioned lanes are essentially single track roadways and are quite incapable of absorbing traffic from a development of some 2,103 dwellings, and on the earlier planning application of Bloor Homes under Planning Reference 13/02000/1 there appears to be little in the way of proposed improvement to those roadways.

6. Each of the three roadways lead down onto the Lilley Bottom Road, which runs from the village of Lilley through to Whitwell. Lilley Bottom is essentially a single track road for much of its length with passing places. It is already a well used rat run and is not capable of absorbing traffic from such a sizeable development.

7. It is almost inevitable that those wishing to travel to Hitchin, Stevenage and Welwyn will use Lilley Bottom in spite of any signage to attempt to direct traffic away to the residential areas of Luton. This is because it is a shorter distance and avoids the congestion within Luton.

8. Much of the traffic will eventually find its way onto the A505 dual carriageway and head in an easterly direction to Hitchin. It is well known that during peak times there are significant delays and queues on the western side of Hitchin due to a lack of any bypass arrangements to the town. A development of this size would therefore only exacerbate the situation and is another reason why development should not be considered at this location.

9. The current planning application in respect of Site EL1 makes provision for a primary school, but there is no provision for secondary education. This will inevitably place a strain upon the resources of North Hertfordshire rather than Luton, to which the development is aligned. Existing transport for school children in the rural areas of North Hertfordshire relies upon mini buses, but with the extent of development proposed and the number of children involved, this would be quite unsuitable for Wandon Park. The direct routes from Wandon Park via Chalk Hill, Brick Kiln Lane and Stony Lane are not capable of accommodating full size buses, which will mean that children face a lengthened journey by having to travel into Luton before returning to North Hertfordshire. This is not the mark of a sustainable development.

As landowner of KW1 support for the allocation and its availability is confirmed.
The site is screened from surrounding green belt and is well positioned within the village so as not to represent an unacceptable encroachment into countryside. Breachwood Green is a substantial village with a range of services and facilities including transport links such as a regular bus service. The scale of the allocation is in keeping with the settlement. Other land is controlled in the immediate locality which can be made available as a replacement for allotments. The site is both sustainable and deliverable.

As landowner of HT6 support for the allocation and its availability is confirmed. The site makes a logical extension to the town of Hitchin which is identified as a major town due to the opportunity to maximum use of existing facilities, social networks and infrastructure, and maximise opportunities to deliver new infrastructure.

A housebuilder has been engaged to develop the technical aspects of the site to ensure early delivery to meet the housing needs of the plan period.