Further Proposed Modifications to the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011- 2031

I am writing to submit my objections the Further Modifications to the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031. I object to the following Further Modifications:

MM213/FM108 - I note the amendment stating that Barkway has been allocated "a greater amount of development". I understand this is a reference to the allocation of Barkway as a "Village for Growth". There is growing concern amongst the local community about the opacity surrounding the decision of the Inspectorate to ignore the submission in late 2020 by NHDC that Barkway should no longer be considered a "village for growth" and that BK3 should be removed from the Local Plan. There has been no public correspondence between the Inspector and NHDC on the Draft Schedule of Further Modifications, only NHDC’s assertion that the Inspector has agreed the Schedule of Further Modifications. The reasons for the Inspector’s decision not to accept NHDC’s request to exclude BK3 from the Local Plan have not been published. As a result the local community have not been given fair opportunity to contribute to nor respond to this decision and have no way of holding decision makers accountable for the decision-making process nor to assess the validity of the factors leading to that decision. This is an outrageous breach of the principles of openness and fairness which are supposed to govern this procedure. This further modification should therefore be removed and BK3 should be taken out of the Local Plan in line with the request from NHDC.

MM219/FM114 - The further modification suggests that the existing school could accommodate the significant increase in pupils likely to result from the development of BK3 and further the allocated school site currently held in reserve by Hertfordshire County Council has now been added to the BK3 site for development. As a parent at to a student at the Barkway site, I can attest that the existing site could not accommodate significant additional students without compromising on the quality and comfort of the pupils. the Barkway site also houses Barkway Preschool whose children may not have been counted within the estimates. Barkway Preschool is a hugely valued asset to the local community, providing low-cost childcare for children between 2 and 4 years old. The preschool is only sustainable due to the low rent space provided to it by the school. An expansion of school pupil numbers into the current pre-school space would push the pre-school out of existence. It is hard to understand why the BK3 site would now include the HCC reserved school site unless the intention is to use this space not for educational purposes, as was intended, but to build more houses than was originally intended for the BK3 site. Finally, the amendment also suggests contributions toward the travel between the Barley and Barkway federated school sites would be a benefit drawn from the development of the BK3 site. In fact, travel between the sites is already provided for by a school bus.

MM217/FM113 - This modification is a table showing new homes for the parish. The table is extremely confusing. At the top, the suggestion is that 140 homes are planned for while the new table suggests 173 homes would be developed for the site. This disparity needs to be corrected or clarified and the figures need to be fully justified.

I am writing to submit my objections the Further Modifications to the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031. I object to the following Further Modifications:

MM213/FM108 - I note the amendment stating that Barkway has been allocated "a greater amount of development". I understand this is a reference to the allocation of Barkway as a "Village for Growth". There is growing concern amongst the local community about the opacity surrounding the decision of the Inspectorate to ignore the submission in late 2020 by NHDC that Barkway should no longer be considered a "village for growth" and that BK3 should be removed from the Local Plan. There has been no public correspondence between the Inspector and NHDC on the Draft Schedule of Further Modifications, only NHDC’s assertion that the Inspector has agreed the Schedule of Further Modifications. The reasons for the Inspector’s decision not to accept NHDC’s request to exclude BK3 from the Local Plan have not been published. As a result the local community have not been given fair opportunity to contribute to nor respond to this decision and have no way of holding decision makers accountable for the decision-making process nor to assess the validity of the factors leading to that decision. This is an outrageous breach of the principles of openness and fairness which are supposed to govern this procedure. This further modification should therefore be removed and BK3 should be taken out of the Local Plan in line with the request from NHDC.

MM219/FM114 - The further modification suggests that the existing school could accommodate the significant increase in pupils likely to result from the development of BK3 and further the allocated school site currently held in reserve by Hertfordshire County Council has now been added to the BK3 site for development. As a parent at to a student at the Barkway site, I can attest that the existing site could not accommodate significant additional students without compromising on the quality and comfort of the pupils. the Barkway site also houses Barkway Preschool whose children may not have been counted within the estimates. Barkway Preschool is a hugely valued asset to the local community, providing low-cost childcare for children between 2 and 4 years old. The preschool is only sustainable due to the low rent space provided to it by the school. An expansion of school pupil numbers into the current pre-school space would push the pre-school out of existence. It is hard to understand why the BK3 site would now include the HCC reserved school site unless the intention is to use this space not for educational purposes, as was intended, but to build more houses than was originally intended for the BK3 site. Finally, the amendment also suggests contributions toward the travel between the Barley and Barkway federated school sites would be a benefit drawn from the development of the BK3 site. In fact, travel between the sites is already provided for by a school bus.

MM217/FM113 - This modification is a table showing new homes for the parish. The table is extremely confusing. At the top, the suggestion is that 140 homes are planned for while the new table suggests 173 homes would be developed for the site. This disparity needs to be corrected or clarified and the figures need to be fully justified.

I am writing to submit my objections the Further Modifications to the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031. I object to the following Further Modifications:

MM213/FM108 - I note the amendment stating that Barkway has been allocated "a greater amount of development". I understand this is a reference to the allocation of Barkway as a "Village for Growth". There is growing concern amongst the local community about the opacity surrounding the decision of the Inspectorate to ignore the submission in late 2020 by NHDC that Barkway should no longer be considered a "village for growth" and that BK3 should be removed from the Local Plan. There has been no public correspondence between the Inspector and NHDC on the Draft Schedule of Further Modifications, only NHDC’s assertion that the Inspector has agreed the Schedule of Further Modifications. The reasons for the Inspector’s decision not to accept NHDC’s request to exclude BK3 from the Local Plan have not been published. As a result the local community have not been given fair opportunity to contribute to nor respond to this decision and have no way of holding decision makers accountable for the decision-making process nor to assess the validity of the factors leading to that decision. This is an outrageous breach of the principles of openness and fairness which are supposed to govern this procedure. This further modification should therefore be removed and BK3 should be taken out of the Local Plan in line with the request from NHDC.

MM219/FM114 - The further modification suggests that the existing school could accommodate the significant increase in pupils likely to result from the development of BK3 and further the allocated school site currently held in reserve by Hertfordshire County Council has now been added to the BK3 site for development. As a parent at to a student at the Barkway site, I can attest that the existing site could not accommodate significant additional students without compromising on the quality and comfort of the pupils. the Barkway site also houses Barkway Preschool whose children may not have been counted within the estimates. Barkway Preschool is a hugely valued asset to the local community, providing low-cost childcare for children between 2 and 4 years old. The preschool is only sustainable due to the low rent space provided to it by the school. An expansion of school pupil numbers into the current pre-school space would push the pre-school out of existence. It is hard to understand why the BK3 site would now include the HCC reserved school site unless the intention is to use this space not for educational purposes, as was intended, but to build more houses than was originally intended for the BK3 site. Finally, the amendment also suggests contributions toward the travel between the Barley and Barkway federated school sites would be a benefit drawn from the development of the BK3 site. In fact, travel between the sites is already provided for by a school bus.

MM217/FM113 - This modification is a table showing new homes for the parish. The table is extremely confusing. At the top, the suggestion is that 140 homes are planned for while the new table suggests 173 homes would be developed for the site. This disparity needs to be corrected or clarified and the figures need to be fully justified.