Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

The proposals for the development around Knebworth have not taken into account that there are no real plans to expand the infrastructure in and around Knebworth to make this level of development sustainable.
The areas where the infrastructure has not been considered are as follows:
1. Any realistic proposals for employment in the area. The likely result is that if this level of development goes ahead there will not be sufficient employment opportunities in the area immediately round Knebworth and the likely result will be that anyone living in the new development will probably commute to London for employment.
2. Transport. The rail service of which I have been a user since 1974 is unable to cope with the demand generated by Knebworth and the surrounding villages which use Knebworth station.The bus services will not be able to cope with the influx of children who will be forced to go to secondary school in Stevenage or Hitchin.
3. I was a pupil at Knebworth School and have lived in the village all my life. The school is at maximum or near maximum capacity already. It will not be able to cope with this level of expansion and the additional primary school on site KB2 is badly situated for access by other areas of the village.
4. Drainage: my father was chief engineer at Rye Meads Sewage works from its creation in 1953 until he retired from local government in 1974. There is insufficient capacity at Rye Meads to cope with the level of development proposed within the works' catchment area and the cost of expanding capacity and who will finance such capacity is not mentioned at all.
5. Roads: none of the sites are adequately served by the existing road structure. I live in Watton Road which is already clogged with traffic for most of the day. It cannot cope with the level of development which is proposed at KB4 which would have to be channelled onto Watton Road as there is no other road which could take that increase in traffic.
6. Railway: As stated above Knebworth station is extremely crowded at peak times even now. The level of passengers has risen markedly over the last 10 years. The increase of rail travellers as a result of the development will have traffic congestion effects and parking issues in the village which is already choked by cars.