Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

The proposed submission by NHDC adding hundreds of new homes on the edges of our village is disappointing, unjustified, ineffective and not consistent with national policy. It unjustifiably uses swathes of Greenbelt land and will put an enormous strain on public services. The B197, the main road through the village is already extremely busy and there is often a build up of traffic in both directions as it tries to pass through the high street. Such an increase in housing would add to this and cause gridlocks to occur more frequently. The information about secondary schools attended by Knebworth children is incorrect. They tend to be placed in schools in Stevenage, Hitchin and Hatfield ( not Welwyn). Most of them travel by public transport or school buses so they create the minimum amount of traffic congestion at the moment.
Not enough attention has been paid to the infrastructure required for such a radical increase in the size of the village. The proposed housing to the east of the village would be very difficult to access with causing constant traffic jams and the parking problems would certainly get worse.