Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I strongly object to the new proposed plan.

I have written to you twice in the past 3 years without a reply or even the courtesy of an acknowledgement.
My main point is that the Government, in the form of the 'Homes and Community Agency' ( a government quango) issued a report in 2013, stating that there was enough brownfield sites/land available for 3 million new homes in Britain, enough to fulfill the housing needs for the next 12 years. Why have you ignored this ?

I moved here (Codicote) 9 years ago and, since then, the standard of living has seriously deteriorated due to a huge increase in population in the County, accompanied by government austerity and social infrastructure cuts.

[...] We all know that the NHS is collapsing. Our local hospital, the QE11 in Welwyn Garden City is being pulled down for replacement with new housing on the promise of a new 'super hospital' in Hatfield : this promise has now been renaged upon. We have no doctors surgery in Codicote but have to go the one in Welwyn . 82% of Doctors surgeries report an unmanageable/overwhelming demand. What a disgrace. When I asked Welwyn surgery how they were going to cope with the huge increase in houses in Welwyn ( mainly on the 'Frith' - the old Glaxo/Smith/ Kline site)' I was told 'they didn't even have time to think about it: let alone do anything about it'.

[...]Codicote Primary has 37 pupils in its Reception class ( the size of a broom cupboard ). All local schools are at least 3 times over subscribed. Its a nightmare for young parents[...].

Policing has ceased in Codicote (apart from policemen hiding in bushes at the entrance to the village with speed guns on income generation duties) and theft, vandalism, rubbish, diesel theft and spills and dog fouling prevail.

Codicote high street forms the 3rd lane of the A1M as it reduces to 2 lanes from 3 from Hitchin to Welwyn causing traffic gridlock in rush hour which now begins in the evening at 3:30pm.

No new building should be sanctioned until we have:

1. A new extra Primary School in Codicote.

2. A large Secondary School in Codicote.

3. A doctors surgery in Codicote.

4 . A dental surgery in Codicte.

5. A Codicote bypass road, like at Watton-at-Stone.

6. The 3rd lane of the A1M is built between Hitchin and Welwyn ( not some dangerous hard shoulder running).

7. A new 'Super Hospital' is up & running locally.

Until the above is achieved and up and running, there should be no house building in Codicote. When it is accomplished only small housing should be built on the only brown field site available [...]