Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I am writing to comment on the North Hertfordshire District Council's Local Plan 2011 - 2031 (Proposed Submission, October 2016). In particular, I wish to object to the massive proposed development at the Blackhorse Farm site to the north of Baldock. My objections are based primarily on two of the "Tests of Soundness" that Local Plans are required to meet

Several issues need clarifying and many do clearly not satisfy many people's questions.

As a young person i am supportive of more houses being made available , but they should be the right amount in the right places. The North of Baldock site of 2800 houses is clearly not so.
Baldock will either be overwhelmed by this add on development or be ruined by a competing site. The plan strives to cover all angles, by indicating that Baldock can cope with the influx of housing (an 80% increase), yet outlining new roads that bypass Baldock and new infrastructure that will compete and possibly kill the old market town.
The proposed road will be seen for miles around and the impact of it running across a considerable area of natural beauty at a height that will affect light and sound quality for thousands of people. In addition the recent commitments to better air quality will be completely reversed by this road and the number of new cars added to the immediate area.

It appears the ONLY reason this site was selected was for an easy option. Provided by the Herts County Council, it meant NHDC did not have to search to find alternative more appropriate sites, (some of which were previously identified, and for reasons unknown, discarded).

Transport links will just add to an already overcrowded Baldock, acces and parking to the railway station are not addressed. Further traffic on the A1M will lead to it standing still for large parts of the day.

A smaller number of houses on this site (as was originally proposed in the first version of the plan) I could understand. This increase of 80% of the smallest market town in North Herts should not be imposed because it is 'easy' to deal with County Council land. The local plan should have looked more carefully at more appropriate sites when first considered and not just grabbed this site because County offered it.
Poor forward thinking, poor planning, disastrous outcomes inevitable, questionable decision making on this site!