Pirton Neighbourhood Development Plan 2011 - 2031

The Pirton Neighbourhood Development Plan 2011-2031 has been submitted to North Hertfordshire District Council for Regulation 16 Consultation which is active from 9th February 2017 to 23rd March 2017.

The Neighbourhood Development Plan is a community-led document which aims to guide future growth and conservation in the Parish of Pirton.

The village of Pirton is situated 35 miles north of London. The B655 between Hitchin and Barton-le-Clay is the nearest main road however the nearest junction is 2 miles. The main strategic routes are A600/A505/A602 to access these it is via the B656 or Apsley End Road/Shillington Road also for A600.

There are three main approaches to Pirton, these are from Holwell, Hexton Road and Shillington.
The A1(M) is to the east of the village and the M1 to the west. Both major routes can only be accessed by a combination of the identified routes above and a network of local roads.

The closest railway station is Hitchin which is approximately 4 miles from Pirton, a good service operates to Cambridge and London Kings Cross/Moorgate.

Pirton village is surrounded by countryside and a number of other villages including Shillington, Holwell and Ickleford. There is a network of footpaths and bridleways, such as Hambridge Way, Icknield Way Trail that links Pirton to the surrounding villages and also to Hitchin but again this is via rural open countryside.
Within Pirton itself the roads through the village are quite narrow. Due to the lack of verges there is limited opportunity to provide continuous footways in the village. Often there is only a footpath one side of the road resulting in pedestrians having to cross back and forth to walk on a footway.
There are a high number of cul-de-sacs in Pirton, and within these developments there is a network of green footpaths which provide pedestrian access away from the main village roads but also helps to provide connectivity within the village.

There is existing bus infrastructure in Pirton however there is opportunity for improvements. At present route 89 services Pirton and provides connections to Hitchin, Shillington, Lower Stondon and Henlow Camp. Additionally there is a service operating Monday-Friday that offers a journey to Hitchin Station/Bancroft and return to Pirton. This would be considered as operating during commuter peak hours.

The objectives and policies detailed within the Transport and Connectivity section of the Pirton Neighbourhood Development Plan need to demonstrate how they align with the County Council's adopted Local Transport Plan and its emerging Transport Vision which will ultimately inform the next Local Transport Plan. In addition other relevant documents included the Speed Management Strategy, Active Travel Strategy and the Bus Strategy.
The development and encouragement of sustainable modes and improved accessibility is a supported aspiration by Hertfordshire County Council. An opportunity to develop a multi-modal approach towards sustainable transport is something that must be explored to ensure that these principals and identified infrastructure and behaviour can be secured as part of a planning application being submitted and determined. Emerging developments will be assessed against the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other applicable policies at the time
The Highway Authority is statutory consultee to planning applications submitted to North Herts District Council. These are assessed and considered in the context of the current legislation. Both local and National policies are considered in relation to sustainable transport and for developers to recognise the clear business case for ensuring their development sites support their share of the required infrastructure and service improvements, and are accessible by all transport modes. Any new design/any associated off-site highway infrastructure will have to undergo appropriate scrutiny that promotes highway safety.

The Pirton Neighbourhood Development Plan 2011-2031 has been submitted to North Hertfordshire District Council for Regulation 16 Consultation which is active from 9th February 2017 to 23rd March 2017.

The Neighbourhood Development Plan is a community-led document which aims to guide future growth and conservation in the Parish of Pirton.

The village of Pirton is situated 35 miles north of London. The B655 between Hitchin and Barton-le-Clay is the nearest main road however the nearest junction is 2 miles. The main strategic routes are A600/A505/A602 to access these it is via the B656 or Apsley End Road/Shillington Road also for A600.

There are three main approaches to Pirton, these are from Holwell, Hexton Road and Shillington.
The A1(M) is to the east of the village and the M1 to the west. Both major routes can only be accessed by a combination of the identified routes above and a network of local roads.

The closest railway station is Hitchin which is approximately 4 miles from Pirton, a good service operates to Cambridge and London Kings Cross/Moorgate.

Pirton village is surrounded by countryside and a number of other villages including Shillington, Holwell and Ickleford. There is a network of footpaths and bridleways, such as Hambridge Way, Icknield Way Trail that links Pirton to the surrounding villages and also to Hitchin but again this is via rural open countryside.
Within Pirton itself the roads through the village are quite narrow. Due to the lack of verges there is limited opportunity to provide continuous footways in the village. Often there is only a footpath one side of the road resulting in pedestrians having to cross back and forth to walk on a footway.
There are a high number of cul-de-sacs in Pirton, and within these developments there is a network of green footpaths which provide pedestrian access away from the main village roads but also helps to provide connectivity within the village.

There is existing bus infrastructure in Pirton however there is opportunity for improvements. At present route 89 services Pirton and provides connections to Hitchin, Shillington, Lower Stondon and Henlow Camp. Additionally there is a service operating Monday-Friday that offers a journey to Hitchin Station/Bancroft and return to Pirton. This would be considered as operating during commuter peak hours.

The objectives and policies detailed within the Transport and Connectivity section of the Pirton Neighbourhood Development Plan need to demonstrate how they align with the County Council's adopted Local Transport Plan and its emerging Transport Vision which will ultimately inform the next Local Transport Plan. In addition other relevant documents included the Speed Management Strategy, Active Travel Strategy and the Bus Strategy.
The development and encouragement of sustainable modes and improved accessibility is a supported aspiration by Hertfordshire County Council. An opportunity to develop a multi-modal approach towards sustainable transport is something that must be explored to ensure that these principals and identified infrastructure and behaviour can be secured as part of a planning application being submitted and determined. Emerging developments will be assessed against the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other applicable policies at the time
The Highway Authority is statutory consultee to planning applications submitted to North Herts District Council. These are assessed and considered in the context of the current legislation. Both local and National policies are considered in relation to sustainable transport and for developers to recognise the clear business case for ensuring their development sites support their share of the required infrastructure and service improvements, and are accessible by all transport modes. Any new design/any associated off-site highway infrastructure will have to undergo appropriate scrutiny that promotes highway safety.