Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I strongly object to the outline North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 especially the sites EL1, EL2 and EL3 which affect the areas of Cockernhoe, Mangrove Green, Tea Green, Copthorne, Rochford Drive, Putteridgebury, Wandon End, Wigmore and Brick Kiln Lane for the following reasons:

The 'New Neighbourhood Planning Infrastructure Bill 2016' states that it supports the Government's ambition to deliver one million new homes, whilst protecting those areas that are valued most, including the Green Belt. The areas mentioned above are Green Belt and the application does not meet the 'Very Special Circumstances' required to build on it as stated in paragraph 80 and 83 of the National Planning Framework and also the House of Commons briefing note on Green Belt. The Green Belt boundaries should not be amended in response to individual planning applications (The National Planning Policy Framework, paragraph 83).

There are 205 dwellings in Cockernhoe, Mangrove Green and Tea Green currently. An additional 2100 dwellings will be an increase of 1124%. This development is completely out of proportion to all other developments in the district - these villages and communities will cease to exist.

Of these additional dwellings 150 are for North Herts, the remaining 1950 are to meet Luton's supposed unmet needs, a number which has not been qualified when challenged.

There is no planned improvement to the already stretched roads/infrastructure:

a) Crawley Green Road and Eaton Green Road are backing up over 750 metres at their junctions with Airport Way during rush hour (morning and evening), without the addition of a further 5000+ vehicles. The roads through the airport are often gridlocked and with the growth of passengers at Luton Airport that we have witnessed year-on-year, currently 12.75 million (2015) with a projected increase per year to 22 million by 2030 this is set to worsen. Stockingstone Road and the A505 suffer equally.

b) The traffic survey carried out in 2015 was not done to industry standards i.e., for one month and also the results of the survey showed a negligible or nil effect on local congestion when the results and thus the underpinning of the proposal were based on a road that does not exist, has not been proposed and that the council has declared there is no money to develop.

c) In the shorter term the projected airport development/business park/light industry will attract a further 7000 employees (ref. LBC). The roads cannot cope with this increase in vehicles.

d) The two country lanes with insufficient passing places which lead out of the site into North Herts are already being used as dangerous rat-runs. This will increase as residents seek to access the M1 via Lilley Bottom and Lilley as well as to seek access to Hitchin and Stevenage through Offley.

The paths and woodlands are used by villagers and people from neighbouring Luton as a leisure area for walking, running, cycling, dog-walking and horse riding. These areas will be destroyed despite the national push to encourage people to keep fit.

In the presentation of the local plan Councillor Levitt stated that 'the development plays a key role in supporting the growth of our economy planning for the right type and number of homes, in the right place to create sustainable communities'. How can a development only linking North Herts by two single track lanes be considered as a 'sustainable community'?

There is sufficient brown field land in Luton to accommodate 'Luton's unmet need' at the same housing density as this proposed development.

This area is teeming with wildlife (deer, owls, birds of prey, bats, etc.) all of which will be displaced. Wildlife corridors are no substitute.

I strongly object to the outline North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 especially the sites EL1, EL2 and EL3 which affect the areas of Cockernhoe, Mangrove Green, Tea Green, Copthorne, Rochford Drive, Putteridgebury, Wandon End, Wigmore and Brick Kiln Lane for the following reasons:

The 'New Neighbourhood Planning Infrastructure Bill 2016' states that it supports the Government's ambition to deliver one million new homes, whilst protecting those areas that are valued most, including the Green Belt. The areas mentioned above are Green Belt and the application does not meet the 'Very Special Circumstances' required to build on it as stated in paragraph 80 and 83 of the National Planning Framework and also the House of Commons briefing note on Green Belt. The Green Belt boundaries should not be amended in response to individual planning applications (The National Planning Policy Framework, paragraph 83).

There are 205 dwellings in Cockernhoe, Mangrove Green and Tea Green currently. An additional 2100 dwellings will be an increase of 1124%. This development is completely out of proportion to all other developments in the district - these villages and communities will cease to exist.

Of these additional dwellings 150 are for North Herts, the remaining 1950 are to meet Luton's supposed unmet needs, a number which has not been qualified when challenged.

There is no planned improvement to the already stretched roads/infrastructure:

a) Crawley Green Road and Eaton Green Road are backing up over 750 metres at their junctions with Airport Way during rush hour (morning and evening), without the addition of a further 5000+ vehicles. The roads through the airport are often gridlocked and with the growth of passengers at Luton Airport that we have witnessed year-on-year, currently 12.75 million (2015) with a projected increase per year to 22 million by 2030 this is set to worsen. Stockingstone Road and the A505 suffer equally.

b) The traffic survey carried out in 2015 was not done to industry standards i.e., for one month and also the results of the survey showed a negligible or nil effect on local congestion when the results and thus the underpinning of the proposal were based on a road that does not exist, has not been proposed and that the council has declared there is no money to develop.

c) In the shorter term the projected airport development/business park/light industry will attract a further 7000 employees (ref. LBC). The roads cannot cope with this increase in vehicles.

d) The two country lanes with insufficient passing places which lead out of the site into North Herts are already being used as dangerous rat-runs. This will increase as residents seek to access the M1 via Lilley Bottom and Lilley as well as to seek access to Hitchin and Stevenage through Offley.

The paths and woodlands are used by villagers and people from neighbouring Luton as a leisure area for walking, running, cycling, dog-walking and horse riding. These areas will be destroyed despite the national push to encourage people to keep fit.

In the presentation of the local plan Councillor Levitt stated that 'the development plays a key role in supporting the growth of our economy planning for the right type and number of homes, in the right place to create sustainable communities'. How can a development only linking North Herts by two single track lanes be considered as a 'sustainable community'?

There is sufficient brown field land in Luton to accommodate 'Luton's unmet need' at the same housing density as this proposed development.

This area is teeming with wildlife (deer, owls, birds of prey, bats, etc.) all of which will be displaced. Wildlife corridors are no substitute.