Tonight’s important special meeting to vote on the Local Plan housing figures will be available to watch at 7:30PM on the Council website here:
https://democracy.welhat.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=186&MId=1431
Scroll down to “View the webcast”
Local Plan – Urgent Action Required
As reported in the last news bulletin Welwyn Hatfield’s Local Plan for housing is to be considered again by the Government Inspector (see below for a reminder). The council have made considerable changes to the Plan which should concern us all. Your Committee urges you to email all Councillors immediately (list of email addresses below) as they meet to finalise the Plan on Thursday (27th January). We suggest you use this form of words:
I am a member of the Welwyn Garden City Society. I understand from the Society that the Council will meet on Thursday 27th January to discuss the revised Local Plan.
I share the Society’s opinion that the revised Plan is against the interests of our town. I know we share a common interest in protecting the unique and special character of WGC. So I trust you will be using your position to encourage all those attending the meeting this week to reject the Plan as it stands.
I note that the number of dwellings proposed has been reduced, and that these reductions come from locations largely in the southern villages – particularly in Brookman’s Park, Little Heath and Northaw. Proposed developments in WGC are unaffected. This means no reduction in housing numbers along Broadwater Road or Bridge Road East. Once again we see our town under threat, disproportionately, from further high rise development. I am sure you would not wish your party to be responsible for supporting a Local Plan which will lead to this outcome.
Apparently the rationale for this is that the Green Belt must be protected. This is disingenuous coming from a Council which has allowed a huge warehouse to be built on Green Belt land beside Cole Green Lane. One wonders why parochial interests in the southern villages are supported, while protecting the internationally famous and admired Welwyn Garden City is not.
The new Plan reduces the number of dwellings planned and removes sites in the southern villages which the Inspector has previously identified as ripe for development. Going against the Inspector’s wishes in this way could result in the Inspector throwing out the Plan. If this were to happen, WGC would be left wide open to speculative and inappropriate development which no DMC meeting could prevent.
Please think carefully about the consequences of this Plan. I am looking to you and your colleagues to protect the environment of our very special town on this important issue.
Please send this today. We need as much support as we can get!
