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

I refer to Policy PR1 - Development of Castlefield, Preston.

I have lived in Preston since 1975, and I have been acutely aware of the District Council’s wish to see this site developed. With the ever demanding need for housing in North Hertfordshire, the scale of this demand has reached a ’numbers game’ based upon varying projections.

However, the consideration of impact upon the character and amenity of the existing community has not been considered sensitively, following wide consultation. The current proposal for this site to accommodate approx. 21 houses became adopted against considerable local opposition, for very good reasons that many residents feel have been ignored. I wish to object to the proposed development density of this site, and seek the Council to consult upon a Strategic Masterplan 'to support a co-ordinated and integrated approach to place- making and design’. (Ref Policy SP9)

When the site was absorbed within the village development boundary, despite considerable opposition, I recall the Parish Council reluctantly acquiesced in the hope that a smaller number of houses with a mix of smaller house sizes would be built for local families. It did not anticipate the impact of a far larger scheme, as currently proposed.

There are considerable drainage problems and other environmental matters to overcome but the critical issues that arise are due to the limited physical restrictions of access via narrow and twisty lanes, and the growing pressure upon the local character and the wider rural landscape due to a large and rapid growth in population. Preston is an attractive, rural village - not an inner city, urban area.

Policy SP9 is clear:
“The Council considers good design to be a key aspect of sustainable development. We will…support new development where it is well designed and located and responds positively to its local context;"

The current proposals by a prospective developer (Osprey Homes) were outlined by their MD at the last Parish Council meeting and he stated that the main reason their proposal was chosen by NHDC was because "it offered the greatest development area”. This flies in the face of the adopted Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan policies and while it does attempt to sympathetically address some design issues it fails to do so in many areas. However, 21, let alone 23 additional homes and families represents considerable growth and it will have a considerable detrimental impact upon the existing community and residential amenity for many residents.

I therefore object to the adoption in the Local Plan of a specific residential density for this site, until the Council consult upon a Strategic Masterplan 'to support a co-ordinated and integrated approach to place- making and design’. (Ref Policy SP9) There is a sensible period of time for this policy to be followed, as Preston has absorbed considerable growth in the last 10 years, and many, many lives are affected, representing a considerable proportion of this community.