Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Traffic:
This village and in particular site CD 5 does not represent an appropriate strategy for delivering 140 new houses - access would either need to come from Heath Lane, St Albans Rd or Dark Lane. The traffic survey described in the draft local plan Section 13.81 makes no reference of the current issue of school drop-offs / pick-ups at Codicote Primary School via St Albans Rd & Heath Lane no reference to the lorries which use the village as a thoroughfare to Codicote Quarry (2000 annually 40 per day - HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE 27 MARCH www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/mm/15520863/15744637/devconctteitem120130327.doc) The impact of the two combining at peak times, combined with the required 147 new primary pupils (IDP Sec 6.76 states that a pupil yield of 42 per 100 new dwellings in Hertfordshire) the primary school may increase twice daily car movements by 160 (80 twice daily) ( IDP Sec 5.18 - walking counts for 43% of school journeys - bike accounts for 3% leaving 54% in cars). There is no doubt that this will create significant traffic issues at peak times on St Albans Rd - potentially with parents removing children from cars whilst 30 + tonne lorries negotiate a single track road with two lanes of parked cars - a recipe for infant injury or fatality - the local plan makes no mention of this. The addition of 140 houses and therefore c. 250 (Rural Villages cars per household =1.77 source: Department of Transport National Travel Survey) additional cars to the south of the village. Combined with the remainder of the new houses the total positive addition of cars to the village would be 557 - a significant number to the already crowded roads in the village - particular consideration should be taken of the impact around the centre of the village where residents park along the B656 to access shops and businesses and no public off-road parking exists. In addition most residential properties located on the High Street (B656) lack off-road parking. Parked traffic along the B656 already creates congestion and difficulties for through-traffic as well as pedestrians, the young and the infirm, increasing the number of parked cars to access businesses (which are proposed to be promoted, protected and enhanced under section 4.37 of the Local Plan, without providing any form of public parking would in no-doubt present a danger on the high-way to both cars and pedestrians - the plan makes no mention of this when discussing enhancing local centres.
Schooling
The North Hertfordshire Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) section 6.47 states that "Very Limited" Schooling exists with "Additional School Places Required" - the IDP also sets out that a new 2fe School would require c.£7.64m + cost of land (IDP section 6.62) - however fails to set out a sound approach to receiving appropriate funding - only providing a general view of how funding is gained in the public sector. In addition the Local Plan states that CD5 "Land Broadly to the east of the current alignment of the footpath is to be reserved for the expansion of the existing school" this plot suffers from poor access (see traffic above).
Healthcare:
Codicote has no primary health care facilities - this is not mentioned in the Local Plan. A significant provider of primary health care for Codicote Residents is Bridge Cottage Surgery in Welwyn Village - it is recognised that this health centre is already over-capacity - this is due in part to the current (2014+) building of 196 new homes and 14 apartments in Wilshere Park with no increase in capacity to the surgery. The Local Plan does not consider or mention capacity increase. This is in addition to the 67 houses proposed in the Welwyn-Hatfield Draft Local Plan 2016 - which mentions that capacity will be increased by constraining catchment (which might mean no-service for Codicote patients). Additionally the IDP Section 7.20 notes that Knebworth Medical Practice is already over-subscribed by 5000 patients - which will be compounded by c.1400 new patients in Knebworth (2.3 patients per household 2011 Census).
Transport:
For each resident in Hertfordshire 0.36 commuting journeys are made per week day (Hertfordshire Country Travel Survey (HCTS) section 4.7.2 - of those 30.5% commute to Greater London (HCTS Sec 4.7.4) with 61.4% (HCTS Table 4.35) of those commuting by train- aligned with an average of 2.3 people per household (2011 Census: Population and household estimates for the United Kingdom, March 2011 Section 1) it is expected that 315 new houses in Codicote would result in c.48 new London train journeys and 24 commuters. Two stations can be identified as being within the catchment of Codicote - Knebworth and Welwyn North - current proposals by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR 2018 Timetable Consultation) to remove all direct, fast and semi-fast services from Knebworth to London by 2018 could result in an increase due to new houses in Codicote and Knebworth alone of c.75 passengers at Welwyn North - the current 250 parking spaces are already oversubscribed - potentially pushing more to commuting by car. Additionally placing a significant number of railway commuters in a village without a walkable railway station and relatively infrequent public transport will result in un-necessary 'feeder' cars to railway stations, congestion both in Codicote and Welwyn North and a negative environmental impact which counteracts the sustainability agenda.

Sustainability:
The inclusion of 557 cars (see calc above) to a relatively rural village with only basic amenities (small shops pubs and a pharmacy), no primary health-care, no secondary education and very limited employment opportunities - combined with infrequent bus services will result in a net increase in car traffic on the county's road network - placing these houses in a location with better accessibility could significantly improve the environmental impact.

Greenbelt
Planning applications within Codicote have recently been objected to in-park due to greenbelt - for example - response to planning application 12/02481/1CM (Hertfordshire County Council - Development Control Committee 27 March 2013 Minutes) states that a major conclusion for not allowing importation and processing of concrete at the Codicote Quarry Site (420m from proposed site CD5) - "1) It is considered that the proposed use constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt and that, for the reasons set out above, the application is not supported by the necessary " very special circumstances " for allowing a relaxation of the normal Green Belt policy against which such development should be judged. It is difficult to understand how a Local Plan accounts for "Very Special Circumstances".