Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

KB1 Land at Deards End Lane
Deards End Lane is a busy access point into Knebworth from Stevenage and is used to access the west side of Knebworth without travelling along the B197 through the often congested high street. Deards End Lane is a single track road for most of its length with some passing points and many blind corners make it dangerous to drive and especially for pedestrians. At its junction with the B197 there is a bridge, over the railway. This bridge is weight limited and narrow allowing only single lane traffic. The proposed development on the KB1 site will cause increased traffic on this already congested and dangerous route.
An alternative route through Knebworth to the KB1 site is via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, which is height restricted is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions, and subsequently does not even have road markings down the middle of the road.
Both of the above routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it. Another contributor to this is the A1M motorway running past Knebworth reduces to 2 lanes at junction 7 to the north of Stevenage through to junction 5 to the south of Knebwort/Welwyn. This stretch becomes very congested causing traffic to route through and already congested Knebworth via the B197.

KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane Lane
The KB2 site Can be accessed via multiple routes. One such route is Deards End Lane as detailed above.
There are three other main access routes through Knebworth
1. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, This is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
2. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Gun Lane, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow and is blind to traffic travelling from Stockens Green.
3. Via Wych Elm Lane which reaches Wolmer Green via Bridge Road. This is a single track lane for most of its length with a height restricted bridge which is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions.
All of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

Living in Broom Grove I travel along Gypsy Lane to Park Lane daily and experience high congestion due to Gypsy lane being single track for most of its length with limited passing points.

The KB2 site is prone to surface water run off onto Gypsy lane. This causes the drains to overflow into Orchard Way and Broom Grove. This has occurred twice within the last four years to an extent that houses flooded. The concern is that development of both the KB1 and KB2 sites will cause greater surface water run off and subsequent flooding.

The development of the KB2 site conflict with national Green Belt policy (Section 9 of the NPPF).

KB4 Land East of Knebworth
There are three possible access routes through Knebworth
1. Via Watton Road which has traffic calming measures to improve road safety by restricting road width by the use of two single lane passing places.
2. Via St Martins Road which is a private road.
3. Via Swangleys Lane, the site of Knebworth Primary School, which is also narrow.
All three of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

The development of the KB4 site will risk convergence of Knebworth and Stevenage and put the identity of Knebworth as a village at risk.


The cumulative effect of all four sites (KB1, KB2, KB3 and KB4) would put a great strain on local services and facilities including roads as detailed above, health services and the Knebworth Primary School. The Knebworth Primary School is consistently oversubscribed year on year and with an intake of just 60 children per year, children living in Knebworth are often refused places. The addition of the proposed approximately 660 houses will greatly increase this demand and will be detrimental to both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth. The lack of a local secondary school results in high volumes of applicants to secondary schools in nearby towns Stevenage, Hitchin and Hertford from Knebworth. The proposed development will cause increased competition for secondary school places, which will again be to the detriment of both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth.

KB1 Land at Deards End Lane
Deards End Lane is a busy access point into Knebworth from Stevenage and is used to access the west side of Knebworth without travelling along the B197 through the often congested high street. Deards End Lane is a single track road for most of its length with some passing points and many blind corners make it dangerous to drive and especially for pedestrians. At its junction with the B197 there is a bridge, over the railway. This bridge is weight limited and narrow allowing only single lane traffic. The proposed development on the KB1 site will cause increased traffic on this already congested and dangerous route.
An alternative route through Knebworth to the KB1 site is via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, which is height restricted is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions, and subsequently does not even have road markings down the middle of the road.
Both of the above routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it. Another contributor to this is the A1M motorway running past Knebworth reduces to 2 lanes at junction 7 to the north of Stevenage through to junction 5 to the south of Knebwort/Welwyn. This stretch becomes very congested causing traffic to route through and already congested Knebworth via the B197.

KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane Lane
The KB2 site Can be accessed via multiple routes. One such route is Deards End Lane as detailed above.
There are three other main access routes through Knebworth
1. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, This is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
2. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Gun Lane, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow and is blind to traffic travelling from Stockens Green.
3. Via Wych Elm Lane which reaches Wolmer Green via Bridge Road. This is a single track lane for most of its length with a height restricted bridge which is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions.
All of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

Living in Broom Grove I travel along Gypsy Lane to Park Lane daily and experience high congestion due to Gypsy lane being single track for most of its length with limited passing points.

The KB2 site is prone to surface water run off onto Gypsy lane. This causes the drains to overflow into Orchard Way and Broom Grove. This has occurred twice within the last four years to an extent that houses flooded. The concern is that development of both the KB1 and KB2 sites will cause greater surface water run off and subsequent flooding.

The development of the KB2 site conflict with national Green Belt policy (Section 9 of the NPPF).

KB4 Land East of Knebworth
There are three possible access routes through Knebworth
1. Via Watton Road which has traffic calming measures to improve road safety by restricting road width by the use of two single lane passing places.
2. Via St Martins Road which is a private road.
3. Via Swangleys Lane, the site of Knebworth Primary School, which is also narrow.
All three of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

The development of the KB4 site will risk convergence of Knebworth and Stevenage and put the identity of Knebworth as a village at risk.


The cumulative effect of all four sites (KB1, KB2, KB3 and KB4) would put a great strain on local services and facilities including roads as detailed above, health services and the Knebworth Primary School. The Knebworth Primary School is consistently oversubscribed year on year and with an intake of just 60 children per year, children living in Knebworth are often refused places. The addition of the proposed approximately 660 houses will greatly increase this demand and will be detrimental to both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth. The lack of a local secondary school results in high volumes of applicants to secondary schools in nearby towns Stevenage, Hitchin and Hertford from Knebworth. The proposed development will cause increased competition for secondary school places, which will again be to the detriment of both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth.

KB1 Land at Deards End Lane
Deards End Lane is a busy access point into Knebworth from Stevenage and is used to access the west side of Knebworth without travelling along the B197 through the often congested high street. Deards End Lane is a single track road for most of its length with some passing points and many blind corners make it dangerous to drive and especially for pedestrians. At its junction with the B197 there is a bridge, over the railway. This bridge is weight limited and narrow allowing only single lane traffic. The proposed development on the KB1 site will cause increased traffic on this already congested and dangerous route.
An alternative route through Knebworth to the KB1 site is via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, which is height restricted is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions, and subsequently does not even have road markings down the middle of the road.
Both of the above routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it. Another contributor to this is the A1M motorway running past Knebworth reduces to 2 lanes at junction 7 to the north of Stevenage through to junction 5 to the south of Knebwort/Welwyn. This stretch becomes very congested causing traffic to route through and already congested Knebworth via the B197.

KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane Lane
The KB2 site Can be accessed via multiple routes. One such route is Deards End Lane as detailed above.
There are three other main access routes through Knebworth
1. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, This is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
2. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Gun Lane, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow and is blind to traffic travelling from Stockens Green.
3. Via Wych Elm Lane which reaches Wolmer Green via Bridge Road. This is a single track lane for most of its length with a height restricted bridge which is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions.
All of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

Living in Broom Grove I travel along Gypsy Lane to Park Lane daily and experience high congestion due to Gypsy lane being single track for most of its length with limited passing points.

The KB2 site is prone to surface water run off onto Gypsy lane. This causes the drains to overflow into Orchard Way and Broom Grove. This has occurred twice within the last four years to an extent that houses flooded. The concern is that development of both the KB1 and KB2 sites will cause greater surface water run off and subsequent flooding.

The development of the KB2 site conflict with national Green Belt policy (Section 9 of the NPPF).

KB4 Land East of Knebworth
There are three possible access routes through Knebworth
1. Via Watton Road which has traffic calming measures to improve road safety by restricting road width by the use of two single lane passing places.
2. Via St Martins Road which is a private road.
3. Via Swangleys Lane, the site of Knebworth Primary School, which is also narrow.
All three of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

The development of the KB4 site will risk convergence of Knebworth and Stevenage and put the identity of Knebworth as a village at risk.


The cumulative effect of all four sites (KB1, KB2, KB3 and KB4) would put a great strain on local services and facilities including roads as detailed above, health services and the Knebworth Primary School. The Knebworth Primary School is consistently oversubscribed year on year and with an intake of just 60 children per year, children living in Knebworth are often refused places. The addition of the proposed approximately 660 houses will greatly increase this demand and will be detrimental to both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth. The lack of a local secondary school results in high volumes of applicants to secondary schools in nearby towns Stevenage, Hitchin and Hertford from Knebworth. The proposed development will cause increased competition for secondary school places, which will again be to the detriment of both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth.

KB1 Land at Deards End Lane
Deards End Lane is a busy access point into Knebworth from Stevenage and is used to access the west side of Knebworth without travelling along the B197 through the often congested high street. Deards End Lane is a single track road for most of its length with some passing points and many blind corners make it dangerous to drive and especially for pedestrians. At its junction with the B197 there is a bridge, over the railway. This bridge is weight limited and narrow allowing only single lane traffic. The proposed development on the KB1 site will cause increased traffic on this already congested and dangerous route.
An alternative route through Knebworth to the KB1 site is via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, which is height restricted is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions, and subsequently does not even have road markings down the middle of the road.
Both of the above routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it. Another contributor to this is the A1M motorway running past Knebworth reduces to 2 lanes at junction 7 to the north of Stevenage through to junction 5 to the south of Knebwort/Welwyn. This stretch becomes very congested causing traffic to route through and already congested Knebworth via the B197.

KB2 Land off Gypsy Lane Lane
The KB2 site Can be accessed via multiple routes. One such route is Deards End Lane as detailed above.
There are three other main access routes through Knebworth
1. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Station Road/Station Approach, This is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow.
2. Via the bridge, under the railway, on Gun Lane, which is height restricted and does not have a white line separating traffic travelling in opposite directions as it is too narrow and is blind to traffic travelling from Stockens Green.
3. Via Wych Elm Lane which reaches Wolmer Green via Bridge Road. This is a single track lane for most of its length with a height restricted bridge which is too narrow for traffic to travel in both directions.
All of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

Living in Broom Grove I travel along Gypsy Lane to Park Lane daily and experience high congestion due to Gypsy lane being single track for most of its length with limited passing points.

The KB2 site is prone to surface water run off onto Gypsy lane. This causes the drains to overflow into Orchard Way and Broom Grove. This has occurred twice within the last four years to an extent that houses flooded. The concern is that development of both the KB1 and KB2 sites will cause greater surface water run off and subsequent flooding.

The development of the KB2 site conflict with national Green Belt policy (Section 9 of the NPPF).

KB4 Land East of Knebworth
There are three possible access routes through Knebworth
1. Via Watton Road which has traffic calming measures to improve road safety by restricting road width by the use of two single lane passing places.
2. Via St Martins Road which is a private road.
3. Via Swangleys Lane, the site of Knebworth Primary School, which is also narrow.
All three of these routes terminate at the B197 which suffers from traffic congestion due the weight of traffic using it.

The development of the KB4 site will risk convergence of Knebworth and Stevenage and put the identity of Knebworth as a village at risk.


The cumulative effect of all four sites (KB1, KB2, KB3 and KB4) would put a great strain on local services and facilities including roads as detailed above, health services and the Knebworth Primary School. The Knebworth Primary School is consistently oversubscribed year on year and with an intake of just 60 children per year, children living in Knebworth are often refused places. The addition of the proposed approximately 660 houses will greatly increase this demand and will be detrimental to both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth. The lack of a local secondary school results in high volumes of applicants to secondary schools in nearby towns Stevenage, Hitchin and Hertford from Knebworth. The proposed development will cause increased competition for secondary school places, which will again be to the detriment of both new residents moving into the new houses and current residents of Knebworth.