Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I am writing to express my concern as to the proposed building of 663 houses in Knebworth.

Knebworth is a village surrounded by Green Belt land, and country lanes and narrow bridges. This land acts as a buffer and prevents the village becoming one long sprawl with Stevenage to the north and Woolmer Green to the south. Where this land is arable land then it should be retained for the growing of food.

Knebworth is already bursting at the seams re-utilities, doctors' surgery, school and use of railway . A huge issue is the traffic coming through the village on the B197 and when the local A1M is blocked .... a regular occurrence. The narrow lanes surrounding the village and the proposed building sites are constantly used as rat-runs to beat the traffic problem. It is well known that commuter parking is a huge problem with people driving in from Stevenage and the villages wanting to park before using the train station. NHDC know of the problems with parking and through traffic but have not been able to find a solution .

Site KB2 is not suitable for housing, let alone a new school. The site is very close to the A1M with its pollution , and also the land regularly floods into the nearby estate with water flowing off the motorway.

I hope that those making decisions about the proposed new houses first come to Knebworth and see for themselves just how inappropriate the plans are.

I am writing to express my concern as to the proposed building of 663 houses in Knebworth.

Knebworth is a village surrounded by Green Belt land, and country lanes and narrow bridges. This land acts as a buffer and prevents the village becoming one long sprawl with Stevenage to the north and Woolmer Green to the south. Where this land is arable land then it should be retained for the growing of food.

Knebworth is already bursting at the seams re-utilities, doctors' surgery, school and use of railway . A huge issue is the traffic coming through the village on the B197 and when the local A1M is blocked .... a regular occurrence. The narrow lanes surrounding the village and the proposed building sites are constantly used as rat-runs to beat the traffic problem. It is well known that commuter parking is a huge problem with people driving in from Stevenage and the villages wanting to park before using the train station. NHDC know of the problems with parking and through traffic but have not been able to find a solution .

Site KB2 is not suitable for housing, let alone a new school. The site is very close to the A1M with its pollution , and also the land regularly floods into the nearby estate with water flowing off the motorway.

I hope that those making decisions about the proposed new houses first come to Knebworth and see for themselves just how inappropriate the plans are.