Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

Further to the proposed developments in Knebworth as part of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan, we object to each of the proposed developments. All four developments, at site KB1, site KB2, site KB3 and site KB4, will increase the existing housing stock by some 30%. This increase can in no way be accommodated in Knebworth without major new infrastructure and amenities also implemented, for which there are virtually no proposals within any of these developments. The only proposed community facility is within site KB2, being another primary school. This will be adjacent to the A1(M) which clearly is not an acceptable location for a primary school, with the high levels of noise and air pollution.

Knebworth already suffers from a number of issues, being:

- Inadequate doctors' surgery provision

- Very busy railway station and very limited car parking provision. Because NHDC has still not properly addressed the ongoing problem with commuter parking in Knebworth, there are numerous instances where commuters park badly, so as to prevent access by emergency vehicles, as well as causing general nuisance parking. This problem will become rapidly worse with the building of so many more dwellings and make Knebworth streets even more unsafe. In addition, Govia Thameslink Railway is currently reviewing its services and is proposing to potentially cut the fast train services from Knebworth to London in the future.

- Overused and busy roads, with limited/narrow access at two locations under the railway bridges, Station Road and Gun Lane. These two passing points particularly make major proposed developments highly unsafe and practically impossible because of such a lack of access (KB1 and KB2 will rely heavily, if not completely, on these two road access points, in order to build 200 and 184 dwellings respectively). We personally have witnessed a number of incidents where cars have struck pedestrians with wing mirrors and other pedestrians having to duck out of the way because of passing vans and larger vehicles. It will only be a matter of time if there were to be consistent heavy goods vehicle traffic through these points that a serious or fatal road accident will occur. The high street is also consistently congested with traffic and provides limited access.

- Limited leisure facilities. There is also speculation that Knebworth's only public house will be sold for yet more housing.

- Limited choice for secondary school places. Knebworth Primary School already at capacity.

To plan for such a housing stock increase without first properly addressing and eliminating these issues, as well as making adequate provision for new future issues which will be caused by both the building of the proposed developments and the subsequent strain on local amenities by those developments, is unacceptable and unviable.

Specifically, our objections for each site are:

KB1

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Very close to the A1(M). Noise and air pollution.
- Traffic and access problems as stated above.
- Conservation area impact.

KB2

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Very close to the A1(M). Noise and air pollution.
- Traffic and access problems as stated above.
- New additional primary school. Not acceptable location for a primary school as detailed above. Also, divisive for a village to have two separate primary schools; breaks down the community spirit.
- Conservation area impact.

KB3

- Hub of Knebworth. Loss of jobs and support of other village cafe and retail units.
- Vital to have a mixed use development here.
- Unsuitable for residential dwellings because of busy roads, noise and air pollution.
- Opportunity to use the land for Knebworth community, much needed extra facilities for existing Knebworth population could be incorporated here.

KB4

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Loss of identity of Knebworth as village separate to Stevenage.
- Loss of much needed agricultural land.

Overwhelmingly, it is clear that these proposed housing developments have not been properly considered and at no time has a cohesive approach to these proposals been put forward to ensure Knebworth can incorporate such a character-changing plan while still providing day-to-day needs for its residents, as well as retaining its identity as both a community and a village surrounded by green belt land. Therefore, we object to each of the 4 housing proposals.

Further to the proposed developments in Knebworth as part of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan, we object to each of the proposed developments. All four developments, at site KB1, site KB2, site KB3 and site KB4, will increase the existing housing stock by some 30%. This increase can in no way be accommodated in Knebworth without major new infrastructure and amenities also implemented, for which there are virtually no proposals within any of these developments. The only proposed community facility is within site KB2, being another primary school. This will be adjacent to the A1(M) which clearly is not an acceptable location for a primary school, with the high levels of noise and air pollution.

Knebworth already suffers from a number of issues, being:

- Inadequate doctors' surgery provision

- Very busy railway station and very limited car parking provision. Because NHDC has still not properly addressed the ongoing problem with commuter parking in Knebworth, there are numerous instances where commuters park badly, so as to prevent access by emergency vehicles, as well as causing general nuisance parking. This problem will become rapidly worse with the building of so many more dwellings and make Knebworth streets even more unsafe. In addition, Govia Thameslink Railway is currently reviewing its services and is proposing to potentially cut the fast train services from Knebworth to London in the future.

- Overused and busy roads, with limited/narrow access at two locations under the railway bridges, Station Road and Gun Lane. These two passing points particularly make major proposed developments highly unsafe and practically impossible because of such a lack of access (KB1 and KB2 will rely heavily, if not completely, on these two road access points, in order to build 200 and 184 dwellings respectively). We personally have witnessed a number of incidents where cars have struck pedestrians with wing mirrors and other pedestrians having to duck out of the way because of passing vans and larger vehicles. It will only be a matter of time if there were to be consistent heavy goods vehicle traffic through these points that a serious or fatal road accident will occur. The high street is also consistently congested with traffic and provides limited access.

- Limited leisure facilities. There is also speculation that Knebworth's only public house will be sold for yet more housing.

- Limited choice for secondary school places. Knebworth Primary School already at capacity.

To plan for such a housing stock increase without first properly addressing and eliminating these issues, as well as making adequate provision for new future issues which will be caused by both the building of the proposed developments and the subsequent strain on local amenities by those developments, is unacceptable and unviable.

Specifically, our objections for each site are:

KB1

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Very close to the A1(M). Noise and air pollution.
- Traffic and access problems as stated above.
- Conservation area impact.

KB2

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Very close to the A1(M). Noise and air pollution.
- Traffic and access problems as stated above.
- New additional primary school. Not acceptable location for a primary school as detailed above. Also, divisive for a village to have two separate primary schools; breaks down the community spirit.
- Conservation area impact.

KB3

- Hub of Knebworth. Loss of jobs and support of other village cafe and retail units.
- Vital to have a mixed use development here.
- Unsuitable for residential dwellings because of busy roads, noise and air pollution.
- Opportunity to use the land for Knebworth community, much needed extra facilities for existing Knebworth population could be incorporated here.

KB4

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Loss of identity of Knebworth as village separate to Stevenage.
- Loss of much needed agricultural land.

Overwhelmingly, it is clear that these proposed housing developments have not been properly considered and at no time has a cohesive approach to these proposals been put forward to ensure Knebworth can incorporate such a character-changing plan while still providing day-to-day needs for its residents, as well as retaining its identity as both a community and a village surrounded by green belt land. Therefore, we object to each of the 4 housing proposals.

Further to the proposed developments in Knebworth as part of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan, we object to each of the proposed developments. All four developments, at site KB1, site KB2, site KB3 and site KB4, will increase the existing housing stock by some 30%. This increase can in no way be accommodated in Knebworth without major new infrastructure and amenities also implemented, for which there are virtually no proposals within any of these developments. The only proposed community facility is within site KB2, being another primary school. This will be adjacent to the A1(M) which clearly is not an acceptable location for a primary school, with the high levels of noise and air pollution.

Knebworth already suffers from a number of issues, being:

- Inadequate doctors' surgery provision

- Very busy railway station and very limited car parking provision. Because NHDC has still not properly addressed the ongoing problem with commuter parking in Knebworth, there are numerous instances where commuters park badly, so as to prevent access by emergency vehicles, as well as causing general nuisance parking. This problem will become rapidly worse with the building of so many more dwellings and make Knebworth streets even more unsafe. In addition, Govia Thameslink Railway is currently reviewing its services and is proposing to potentially cut the fast train services from Knebworth to London in the future.

- Overused and busy roads, with limited/narrow access at two locations under the railway bridges, Station Road and Gun Lane. These two passing points particularly make major proposed developments highly unsafe and practically impossible because of such a lack of access (KB1 and KB2 will rely heavily, if not completely, on these two road access points, in order to build 200 and 184 dwellings respectively). We personally have witnessed a number of incidents where cars have struck pedestrians with wing mirrors and other pedestrians having to duck out of the way because of passing vans and larger vehicles. It will only be a matter of time if there were to be consistent heavy goods vehicle traffic through these points that a serious or fatal road accident will occur. The high street is also consistently congested with traffic and provides limited access.

- Limited leisure facilities. There is also speculation that Knebworth's only public house will be sold for yet more housing.

- Limited choice for secondary school places. Knebworth Primary School already at capacity.

To plan for such a housing stock increase without first properly addressing and eliminating these issues, as well as making adequate provision for new future issues which will be caused by both the building of the proposed developments and the subsequent strain on local amenities by those developments, is unacceptable and unviable.

Specifically, our objections for each site are:

KB1

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Very close to the A1(M). Noise and air pollution.
- Traffic and access problems as stated above.
- Conservation area impact.

KB2

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Very close to the A1(M). Noise and air pollution.
- Traffic and access problems as stated above.
- New additional primary school. Not acceptable location for a primary school as detailed above. Also, divisive for a village to have two separate primary schools; breaks down the community spirit.
- Conservation area impact.

KB3

- Hub of Knebworth. Loss of jobs and support of other village cafe and retail units.
- Vital to have a mixed use development here.
- Unsuitable for residential dwellings because of busy roads, noise and air pollution.
- Opportunity to use the land for Knebworth community, much needed extra facilities for existing Knebworth population could be incorporated here.

KB4

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Loss of identity of Knebworth as village separate to Stevenage.
- Loss of much needed agricultural land.

Overwhelmingly, it is clear that these proposed housing developments have not been properly considered and at no time has a cohesive approach to these proposals been put forward to ensure Knebworth can incorporate such a character-changing plan while still providing day-to-day needs for its residents, as well as retaining its identity as both a community and a village surrounded by green belt land. Therefore, we object to each of the 4 housing proposals.

Further to the proposed developments in Knebworth as part of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan, we object to each of the proposed developments. All four developments, at site KB1, site KB2, site KB3 and site KB4, will increase the existing housing stock by some 30%. This increase can in no way be accommodated in Knebworth without major new infrastructure and amenities also implemented, for which there are virtually no proposals within any of these developments. The only proposed community facility is within site KB2, being another primary school. This will be adjacent to the A1(M) which clearly is not an acceptable location for a primary school, with the high levels of noise and air pollution.

Knebworth already suffers from a number of issues, being:

- Inadequate doctors' surgery provision

- Very busy railway station and very limited car parking provision. Because NHDC has still not properly addressed the ongoing problem with commuter parking in Knebworth, there are numerous instances where commuters park badly, so as to prevent access by emergency vehicles, as well as causing general nuisance parking. This problem will become rapidly worse with the building of so many more dwellings and make Knebworth streets even more unsafe. In addition, Govia Thameslink Railway is currently reviewing its services and is proposing to potentially cut the fast train services from Knebworth to London in the future.

- Overused and busy roads, with limited/narrow access at two locations under the railway bridges, Station Road and Gun Lane. These two passing points particularly make major proposed developments highly unsafe and practically impossible because of such a lack of access (KB1 and KB2 will rely heavily, if not completely, on these two road access points, in order to build 200 and 184 dwellings respectively). We personally have witnessed a number of incidents where cars have struck pedestrians with wing mirrors and other pedestrians having to duck out of the way because of passing vans and larger vehicles. It will only be a matter of time if there were to be consistent heavy goods vehicle traffic through these points that a serious or fatal road accident will occur. The high street is also consistently congested with traffic and provides limited access.

- Limited leisure facilities. There is also speculation that Knebworth's only public house will be sold for yet more housing.

- Limited choice for secondary school places. Knebworth Primary School already at capacity.

To plan for such a housing stock increase without first properly addressing and eliminating these issues, as well as making adequate provision for new future issues which will be caused by both the building of the proposed developments and the subsequent strain on local amenities by those developments, is unacceptable and unviable.

Specifically, our objections for each site are:

KB1

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Very close to the A1(M). Noise and air pollution.
- Traffic and access problems as stated above.
- Conservation area impact.

KB2

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Very close to the A1(M). Noise and air pollution.
- Traffic and access problems as stated above.
- New additional primary school. Not acceptable location for a primary school as detailed above. Also, divisive for a village to have two separate primary schools; breaks down the community spirit.
- Conservation area impact.

KB3

- Hub of Knebworth. Loss of jobs and support of other village cafe and retail units.
- Vital to have a mixed use development here.
- Unsuitable for residential dwellings because of busy roads, noise and air pollution.
- Opportunity to use the land for Knebworth community, much needed extra facilities for existing Knebworth population could be incorporated here.

KB4

- Green belt land. Helps protect the village to be a discrete entity as well as the importance of green space.
- Loss of identity of Knebworth as village separate to Stevenage.
- Loss of much needed agricultural land.

Overwhelmingly, it is clear that these proposed housing developments have not been properly considered and at no time has a cohesive approach to these proposals been put forward to ensure Knebworth can incorporate such a character-changing plan while still providing day-to-day needs for its residents, as well as retaining its identity as both a community and a village surrounded by green belt land. Therefore, we object to each of the 4 housing proposals.