Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I am writing to register my objection to the full proposed local plan for Codicote. I understand that it is necessary to build new housing and inevitable that some new housing will be built in Codicote, however I believe the total amount of housing proposed is far too high for a small village as we do not have the facilities that will be required for a growing village.

Codicote is a small village with the majority of inhabitants having lived in the village for a significant period of their lives. I myself have lived in the village for 30 years, I was married in the local Church, had my two boys in the village and they were both Christened in the local Church. They attended the local primary school and the local Beavers and Cub Scouts. They played safely in the surrounding green belt. The green corridor is fundamental for local wildlife.

My particular objection is 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 hamlets for exercise, dog walking and snow activities.

The drainage in this area is very poor and we often see flooding in this area. The Close leads onto Valley Road which is a dead end at The Paddocks. Valley Road itself has a steep incline out on to Bury Lane. During the winter months this road is rarely accessible due to ice and snow on the sheer incline of the road. A number of vehicles are moved up in to the village along the main road but there is never enough space to park so that you can get to work on a bad weather day. Valley Road is prone to potholes and every year worsens. The proposed additional 48 homes will bring an increase of maybe 100 cars. The road conditions can not cope with the additional traffic let alone the additional time residents would have to factor in to their journey just to get out of the village!.

I would like to put on record my objections to the following statements which are taken from your NHDC Local Plan Strategic Policies document;

"There are quite sizable employment sites in villages such as Codicote which provide rural jobs and should be retained"

The truth of the matter is that there is very little local employment opportunities in Codicote and if the full proposal goes ahead the village will lose the local Garden Centre with the loss of several jobs, Codicote is also on the verge of losing an equestrian centre and the small workshops on the same site. Your statement is a very deceptive portrayal of the employment opportunities within Codicote.

"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 the High Street will lead to less parking availability, in real terms people will not find a parking space therefore will not use the local shops. The traffic will just pass through!

It goes without saying that the local primary school will need to be extended to accommodate new families, this will lead to a two form year for each year. The knock on effect of this will mean the more places will be needed in the local secondary schools which are already over subscribed.

There is no Doctors surgery within Codicote and with the Welwyn Surgery trying to support current patients, which they struggle to do and certainly do not meet current patients expectations, with increased housing where will these new residents register?

You talk about "exceptional circumstances" which allow green belt boundaries to be altered. I would be grateful if you could please make crystal clear what is meant by this statement. You say that this has been "considered by the court" 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 be protected and wherever possible be enhanced and preserved. I think that it is imperative that any development 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, nor a mention about starter homes, care homes etc.

Your plan states "our transport modeling 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 it takes me on average 30 to 40 minutes to leave Bury lane on to the High Street and get through the village out to the Clock roundabout. this will only be worsened if the proposed development takes place. I am also aware that there are plans for a large development on the edge of Knebworth and also in Welwyn village itself.

People living in Codicote must travel in order to reach the following key facilities, hospital ( 9 miles) a supermarket (5 miles) secondary school (3.6) miles Higher order recreation facilities are also a distance away such as the cinema (7 miles)

Finally 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 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.

I can see no indication that there is a capacity to expand the B656 and on that basis your plan is flawed.
I would appreciate detailed answers to my concerns and questions and some assurances that the proposed plan will be significantly reduced.