Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

As a local resident I am writing to express my objection to the proposed development of up to 638 new houses on green belt land around Knebworth.

I feel this is a totally unwarranted development proposal, with no consideration given to major points as detailed below:

*This is green belt land and should not be built on. It creates a natural break between Knebworth and the surrounding villages and towns. To build on this land will forever erode this space and deprive the local community of unspoilt countryside which is vital for promoting healthy living and recreation.

*The A1(M) is on the boundary of two sites. Imagine the detrimental effects of air quality on the residents of the proposed development. Being located next to a motorway will encourage developers to build not detached and semi-detached houses suitable for families, but flats instead. This would in no way suit the character of the village or surrounding properties.

*The infrastructure serving the sites is totally unsuitable. The fields are subject to flooding and the increase in hardstandings will only exacerbate this, moving the water into adjacent areas. SUDS is not a solution as it only works where water can naturally drain away.

*There is no access to two of the sites without passing under one of three narrow railway bridges, one of which does not even have a footway. The other two have a single narrow footway. Pedestrians already have to walk in the road to pass each other and cars regularly wait in turn to pass under the bridges. The situation is already unsuitable and unsafe; adding a potential 800 (400 houses x 2 cars) additional vehicles and 1200 (average 3 persons/property) pedestrians into this equation will cause gridlock and undoubtedly more accidents. The bridges cannot be widened.

*Knebworth is a commuter village. There is already a well-documented problem with commuter parking around the village and Knebworth station is very small. Residents of the Wadnell Way development, which is on the fringes of Knebworth, do not walk to the station, they drive. The proposed developments are a similar distance from the station as that at Wadnell Way, therefore all the train commuters would attempt to park around the village. There are no more parking spaces in our current situation. Under current financial constraints what steps could the council take to overcome this?

*Road commuting. The bulk of current Knebworth residents do not work in Knebworth, so residents of this new development would almost certainly not work in Knebworth. This would mean 1200 additional vehicles taking to the roads in rush hour. All roads leading to the main road, London Road, are narrow and congested with commuter parking. Additionally, Knebworth High Street is a known congestion bottleneck. The additional traffic could not hope to get to the major roads safely, efficiently or quickly. None of the existing roads have the capacity to be widened.

*Schools. Knebworth School is already at capacity, so a new school would be needed if additional families are to move to Knebworth. We need not only a primary school but a new secondary school, as current options are limited to secondary schools out of the area, which currently already adds to the traffic leaving Knebworth. Without additional schooling at all levels this development is totally unviable.

*Current housing trends do not suit the character of the village with regard to density and style. I am a Quantity Surveyor and work on local new commercial and industrial developments on a daily basis. If the density of housing that is currently built in Stevenage is proposed in Knebworth, this will not be in keeping with the nature of the village and will be undesirable.

*The recreational and community facilities in Knebworth are already limited. We have one small supermarket, one Indian restaurant and one public house. Adding 638 additional houses on the fringes of the village will form an isolated housing estate that will not enhance the village and will overwhelm the existing facilities.