Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

It is our view KB1 and KB2 should be treated as one development rather than the two currently listed. Positioning of the two sites and the issues relating to the two sites are the same.

We feel the number of dwellings proposed are too high for this location both in terms of their proximity to the A1M (its busiest section between Junction 6 and 7, and the consequent impact on the village, its existing and future residents.

No account appears to have been taken for the number of vehicles each dwelling will have and the effect of this increase in the village.

Knebworth Village is already severely impacted by poor transportation planning, extremely heavy road traffic through the village and the peripheral roads. Access from KB1 to London Road and Stevenage Road will in the main be via Park Lane/Station Road and the railway bridge or via Gun Lane to Gun Road and the railway bridge. The latter is likely to be more commonly used as it would avoid the currently bad traffic jams heading north to south through Knebworth Village in the morning and vice versa in the afternoon/evening. More cars, more traffic, more pollution for the existing and new residents of Knebworth Village.

Knebworth Village is served by a relatively small railway station which also caters for commuters from surrounding villages and, also, Stevenage. I understand commuter usage through Knebworth Railway Station had increased 70% in the last ten years. Access to the Railway Station is through Station Road/Park Lane. KB1 is going to contribute both further infrastructure and transportation problems to this area and for the future residents of KB1.

We also believe that KB1 is an assault on the Green Belt which has clearly contributed to the continuance of local fauna and flora in the area, contributed to defending, albeit on a small scale, the local environment from the impact of the increased traffic and the consequent pollution from the A1M.

The Green Belt has also been a significant barrier to coalescence between Stevenage and Knebworth. The approval of KB1, along with the approval of the Odyssey development off Old Knebworth Lane, would make coalescense with Stevenage inevitable. In addition, coalescence with Woolmer Green becomes a certainty as development planning continues along the B197.

Schooling, health and social amenities will all be impacted by a development of this size. Primary schooling in the village is already stretched by both Knebworth children and children from other villages. Secondary schooling is non-existant and children travel to Stevenage or Welwyn Garden City for their continued education.

An increasing young population will only exacerbate what is already a poorly provided area. This Local Plan does not provide, in any coherent way, for this growth and the negative impact on the Village infrastructure, its residents, environment and local habitat.

While we are not, per se, against the building of new dwellings we believe the numbers proposed are signifcantly higher than the Village needs or can manage. This Local Plan for Knebworth Village in its current form is therefore unacceptable and should be significantly reduced or rejected.

This Local Plan must include a comprehensive review of the existing transportation links and whether it is future-proofed to sustain a development such as KB1. Nothing in this plan suggests it looks beyond the building of a high number of dwellings other than to meet a target and tick a box.

It is our view KB2 and KB1 should be treated as one development rather than the two currently listed. Positioning of the two sites and the issues relating to the two sites are the same.

We feel the number of dwellings proposed are too high for this location both in terms of their proximity to the A1M (its busiest sectiion between Junction 6 and 7, and the consequential impact on the village, its existing and future residents.

No account appears to have been taken for the number of vehicles each dwelling will have and the effect of this increase in the village.

Knebworth Village is already severely impacted by poor transportation planning, extremely heavy road traffic through the village and the peripheral roads. Access from KB2 to London Road and Stevenage Road will in the main be via Stockens Green/Gun Road and the narrow railway bridge or via Gun Lane to Station Road and the narrow railway bridge . The narrow access under the railway bridges which only allow for small cars to pass through both ways at one time will only lead to increased local traffic issues. More cars, more traffic, more pollution for the existing and new residents of Knebworth Village.

Knebworth Village is served by a relatively small railway station which also caters for commuters from surrounding villages and, also Stevenage. I understand commuter usage through Knebworth Railway Station had increased 70% in the last ten years. Access to the Railway Station is through Station Road/Park Lane. KB2 is going to contribute both further infrastructure and transportation problems to this area and for the future residents of KB2.

We also believe that KB2 is an assault on the Green Belt which has clearly contributed to the continuance of local fauna and flora in the area, contributed to defending, albeit on a small scale, the local environment from the impact of the increased traffic and the consequent pollution from the A1M.

The Green Belt has also been a significant barrier to coalescence between Woolmer Green and Knebworth. The approval of KB2 would make coalescense with Woolmer Green inevitable.

Schooling, health and social amenities will all be impacted by a development of this size. Primary schooling in the village is already stretched by both Knebworth children and children from other villages. The proposal provides for a Primary School in KB2, next to the A1M with its inherent noise and air pollution issues. This doesn't make sense.

Secondary schooling is non-existent and children travel to Stevenage or Welwyn Garden City for their continued education.

An increasing young population will only exacerbate what is already a poorly provided area. This Local Plan does not provide, in any coherent way, for this growth and the negative impact on the Village infrastructure, its residents, environment and local habitat.

While we are not, per se, against the building of new dwellings we believe the numbers proposed are significantly higher than the Village needs or can manage. This Local Plan for Knebworth Village in its current form is therefore unacceptable and should be significantly reduced or rejected.

This Local Plan must include a comprehensive review of the existing transportation links and whether it is future-proofed to sustain a development such as KB2. Nothing in this plan suggests it looks beyond the building of a high number of dwellings other than to meet a target and tick a box.

We feel the number of dwellings proposed are too high for this location both in terms of their proximity to the A1M (its busiest sectiion between Junction 6 and 7, and the consequential impact on the village, its existing and future residents.

No account appears to have been taken for the number of vehicles each dwelling will have and the effect of this increase in the village.

Knebworth Village is already severely impacted by poor transportation planning, extremely heavy road traffic through the village and the peripheral roads.

Knebworth Village is served by a relatively small railway station which also caters for commuters from surrounding villages and, also Stevenage. I understand commuter usage through Knebworth Railway Station had increased 70% in the last ten years. Access to the Railway Station is through Station Road/Park Lane. KB4 is going to contribute both further infrastructure and transportation problems to this area and for the future residents of KB4.

We also believe that KB4 is an assault on the Green Belt which has clearly contributed to the continuance of local fauna and flora in the area, contributed to defending, albeit on a small scale, the local environment from the impact of the increased traffic and its consequent pollution through Knebworth Village.

Schooling, health and social amenities will all be impacted by a development of this size. Primary schooling in the village is already stretched by both Knebworth children and children from other villages. Secondary schooling is non-existant and children travel to Stevenage or Welwyn Garden City for their continued education.

An increasing young population will only exacerbate what is already a poorly provided area. This Local Plan does not provide, in any coherent way, for this growth and the negative impact on the Village infrastructure, its residents, environment and local habitat.

While we are not, per se, against the building of new dwellings we believe the numbers proposed are significantly higher than the Village needs or can manage. This Local Plan for Knebworth Village in its current form is therefore unacceptable and should be significantly reduced or rejected.

This Local Plan must include a comprehensive review of the existing transportation links and whether it is future-proofed to sustain a development such as KB4. Nothing in this plan suggests it looks beyond the building of a high number of dwellings other than to meet a target and tick a box.

The Chas Lowe site is poorly located for a residential development.

Pollution, noise and environmental, resulting from the significant traffic using the B197 daily does not make this an ideal residential site.

Access from London Road/Stevenage Road and through the centre of the Village would make this a substantial bottle-neck.

While we recognise the site must be developed we feel it is more suited to a new GP surgery or local retai needs, offering employment opportunities.