Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

We would like to register our intense objection to the proposed Local Plan in Codicote. We accept that some development is inevitable, however the sheer quantity of housing you are proposing in a small village is simply unfeasible.
We are a small village with the majority of inhabitants having lived here for a significant amount of their lives - the surrounding green belt is a major part of the village and peoples lives and the green corridor is fundamental for local wildlife.
In particular we should like to object to the development on the land north of The Close. This land is essential to the local wildlife and is used by a significant proportion of the villagers of Codicote and the surrounding areas for dog walking, exercise and snow activities. The drainage is not sufficient to be used by a further 48 homes as seen by the flooding which occurs on a regular basis. The Close leads into Valley Road (a dead end) and there is an incline which leads to Bury Lane and out on to the B656. In winter months no cars are able to drive out of Valley Road because of this incline so the road is completely gridlocked, and then as the wintery conditions lessen Valley Road is covered in potholes and every year begins to crumble. The proposed extra 48 homes bring a probable increase of maybe 100 cars - this would bring Valley Road into further disrepair during wintery conditions. The alternative for workers is to get their cars out to the high street before the onset of the ice and snow, but the high street is already full of cars, and with the increased development this road and adjoining roads will become overcrowded and dangerous.
We should like to put on record our objections to the following statements which are taken from your NHDC Local Plan Strategic Policies document ;
'There are quite sizeable employment sites in villages such as Codicote which provide rural jobs and should be retained'. In actual fact today modern day farming provides very little employment. If this proposed development goes ahead we will be losing the local Garden Centre with the loss of several jobs, and Codicote is also on the verge of losing an equestrian centre and the small workshops on the same premises. It is very deceptive to portray Codicote as being able to offer lots of traditional employment - there is a school, a handful of local shops, three pubs and a hairdressers and these provide very limited employment for the village.
'The council is committed to protecting the vitality of all centres' - our local shops rely heavily on passing traffic - if these developments are approved then the increased traffic through Codicote will lead to less parking availability and in real terms most people will not wish to try to leave the traffic jam along the B656 to find parking to use our local shops. Codicote school is full to capacity - more spaces would be needed with expansion of the school, and then more secondary school places as the local senior schools are all over subscribed as well. There is no Doctor surgery in Codicote, and the local surgery in Welwyn is already working above capacity and there are no appointments available for many weeks whenever you try. With increased housing where will all these people register?
You talk about 'exceptional circumstances' which allow green belt boundaries to be altered. I would ask you to make crystal clear what these exceptional circumstances are and what is allowing you to desecrate our green countryside. You say that this has been 'considered by the courts' and 'an approach has been recommended' yet this has not been explained. You say that 'releasing green belt sites for housing will also have some negative environmental effects. We will concentrate on reducing and mitigating these impacts through other policies in this plan' but if you are intending to provide sites in an entirely different area altogether this will not mitigate the loss of green belt in Codicote. Our public Rights of Way must simply be protected and wherever possible be enhanced and preserved. I think that it is imperative that any developing needs to have a plan to keep our green corridors and local green spaces.
You state 'developers will be required to help address cumulative impacts that might arise across multiple developments' and 'avoid placing unreasonable additional burdens on the existing community or existing infrastructure' I think it is fundamental that the developers need to put in place a solid plan so that the facilities in Codicote are not overstretched. You also talk about 'affordable housing' but there is no mention of local people having priority - starter homes, care homes etc.
Your plan states 'our transport modelling does not identify a requirement for any specific mitigation measures in codicote' however increased housing in Codicote will add to the already gridlocked B656 between Hitchin and Welwyn. Currently there is a traffic jam from Codicote Village to the Clock roundabout for over 30 minutes every morning, which should be a 5 minute journey. This will only get worse if the proposed developments take place. There is also a plan for a large development on the edge of Knebworth, and the likelihood is that these cars will be driven down Bury Lane and through Codicote onto the B656 to reach Welwyn and the A1 due to traffic congestion which already exists in Stevenage. People living in Codicote must travel in order to reach the following key higher order facilities: A supermarket (the nearest being 5 miles away in Stevenage); A hospital (the nearest being the Lister Hospital approximately 9 miles away in the north of Stevenage); A secondary school (the nearest being Monk's Wood School located 3.6 miles to the south in the north of Welwyn Garden City); Other further or higher education; Comparison shopping (the nearest being in Stevenage around 6 miles away); Employment (the main centres being Hatfield, 8 miles, Stevenage, 6 miles, St Albans, 9 miles and London); Higher order leisure and recreation facilities (nearest cinema 7 miles away in Stevenage and the nearest swimming pool 5.3 miles away in Stevenage); Other personal business (Stevenage, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, St Albans, Luton)

The existing level of bus provision in Codicote is very poor and does not provide a convenient or accessible service for the vast majority of journey types. It would, for example, be very unlikely that the times of buses would allow a person living in Codicote to access work destinations in the main surrounding employment centres. There is no direct bus service between Codicote and the nearest hospital. All of these facilities are beyond walking or cycling distances and it has been shown above that there is very limited opportunity to use public transport to access surrounding urban areas.

We can see no indication that there is a capacity to expand the B656 and on that basis your plan is flawed.

We would appreciate detailed answers to all our questions, and some assurances that the proposed Local Plan will be significantly reduced.