Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Now that NHDC has decided that it does not intend to develop an equitable Local Plan across North Herts and that Baldock will take a disproportionate number of the new housing which will result in the town being doubled in size, there are a number of questions and considerations that arise with such a large increase which need to be carefully considered and answered before the development commences.

Firstly and most importantly the proposed road network for Baldock is weak and undefined and will be totally inadequate for the number of new houses proposed. The bottle-neck problems today are well known particularly at the Whitehorse Road / Royston Road crossroads and also on the A1 south around Stevenage. A new road connecting the A507 London Road to the A505 Baldock bypass including a new bridge across the railway and some tinkering around the station area will not provide the road infrastructure that will be required from three thousand new homes and as a consequence in excess of four thousand additional vehicles.

Has anyone associated with the Local Plan considered where these new homeowners might work and how will they travel to their work and what the impact will be on roads in and around Baldock. It is most likely that people will work either south or west of Baldock given the limited employment opportunities to the east or north. There are no provisions in the Local Plan to address these requirements, which render it unsatisfactory and ineffective as it stands. These needs must be addressed as a matter of priority if this Local Plan is seriously to be pursued.

The proposed development of 2,800 new homes to the north of Baldock is effectively the development of a 'new town' adjacent to the oldest market town in North Herts and therefore, the planning must be considerably more robust and effective than has been identified in the Local Plan. Areas of weakness relate to road infrastructure, water and sewerage provision, employment provision, infrastructure and its funding, greenspaces and landscaping of the 'new town'.

Furthermore what provisions have been made for the retention of the community based culture that currently exists in Baldock?............the answer....... none whatsoever.

My request is for the Local Plan to be withdrawn in order that all or at least some of these issues are adequately addressed.

See attachment

Now that NHDC has decided that it does not intend to develop an equitable Local Plan across North Herts and that Baldock will take a disproportionate number of the new housing which will result in the town being doubled in size, there are a number of questions and considerations that arise with such a large increase which need to be carefully considered and answered before the development commences.

Firstly and most importantly the proposed road network for Baldock is weak and undefined and will be totally inadequate for the number of new houses proposed. The bottle-neck problems today are well known particularly at the Whitehorse Road / Royston Road crossroads and also on the A1 south around Stevenage. A new road connecting the A507 London Road to the A505 Baldock bypass including a new bridge across the railway and some tinkering around the station area will not provide the road infrastructure that will be required from three thousand new homes and as a consequence in excess of four thousand additional vehicles.

Has anyone associated with the Local Plan considered where these new homeowners might work and how will they travel to their work and what the impact will be on roads in and around Baldock. It is most likely that people will work either south or west of Baldock given the limited employment opportunities to the east or north. There are no provisions in the Local Plan to address these requirements, which render it unsatisfactory and ineffective as it stands. These needs must be addressed as a matter of priority if this Local Plan is seriously to be pursued.

The proposed development of 2,800 new homes to the north of Baldock is effectively the development of a 'new town' adjacent to the oldest market town in North Herts and therefore, the planning must be considerably more robust and effective than has been identified in the Local Plan. Areas of weakness relate to road infrastructure, water and sewerage provision, employment provision, infrastructure and its funding, greenspaces and landscaping of the 'new town'.

Furthermore what provisions have been made for the retention of the community based culture that currently exists in Baldock?............the answer....... none whatsoever.

My request is for the Local Plan to be withdrawn in order that all or at least some of these issues are adequately addressed.