Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

In response to the proposed Local Plan we believe it to be unsound.

The hundreds of new houses cannot be justified in our already stretched village. There is evidence of increased strain on the school (increased pupil applications), even with expansion, the school remains landlocked and would demand the need for a service road for the school and surrounding area of Heath Lane & St Albans Road; Quality of living must surely be questioned:traffic/noise/polution, to name a few. The area of Heath Lane and adjoining school roads in particular would become saturated and create even further congestion at peak times. What of protecting the footpaths and boundaries? We can only see that expanding in this way will encroach on our natural green areas & heritage that, as a village, we locally appreciate.

We believe there has been no positive investment to the infrastructure from the already small pockets of new homes built in Codicote. With increasing population and fluctuation in the proposed housing numbers, NHDC plans cannot be viewed effective or indeed consistent.

It would be a sensible and openeyed view to commit to creating a new Garden City, surely the ever increasing demand in housing warrants this along with supporting services.

Ultimately, expanding in our already stretched village will serve only to change the dynamic of the area & lose its identity as a village.