Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I would like to register my concern and disappointment at the proposed local plan for the villages and in particular the village of Knebworth.

The plan is ill-conceived and puts incredible pressure on the local infrastructure in particular the local road and rail networks as well as on the local school. There is no secondary school provision which already requires our children to travel to school, in our case to Hatfield.

The traffic in and around the local area is already excessive and travel via rail more often than not overcrowded, late, cancelled, short formed etc Access to the proposed development on the west side of Knebworth is further complicated by the restricted access to that part of village by the narrow and low rail bridges which will cause major congestion.

I am also concerned about the over development on green belt which protects the area from merging into one huge conurbation of Stevenage and which will lead to flooding which is already a problem in Knebworth near the Royal British Legion and Knebworth Cemetery. Regional devastation caused by flooding has been in the news not over the past few years and is building on flood plains, run off areas and green belt is well understood to be a contributing factor as the climate changes.

Brown field site development is often ignored, such as by Welwyn & Hatfield Council adjacent to WGC rail station, with council's preferring to desecrate the green belt was it is cheaper.

My understanding is that Stephen McPartland MP has also challenged the wisdom of the plan and its impact on the villages and is proposing that NHDC withdraws the plan and pursues the development of a properly designed new town/ garden city on the Letchworth model with proper infrastructure planned into the construction.