A town designed for healthy living
October 2021 saw the launch of our new magazine, pictured here.
Members of the Society receive a full colour glossy magazine twice a year. This publication is packed with news and features relating to Welwyn Garden City, with a particular emphasis on topical planning issues. The current magazine carries the theme of public art, and contains lots of gorgeous photos sent in by our talented members. The forthcoming issue, appearing in April 2022, takes trees as its theme.
Operation Ben made the WHT front page!
https://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/campaigners-fight-broadwater-road-plans-8300216
Time to stand up and be counted! Saturday was just the start. Join the main event – the BioPark Planning Meeting on Thursday 9 September 2021 from 6.30pm at Campus West
Convene on Campus Roundabout (between Centenary Woodland Garden and road). We are still awaiting arrangements from the Council (!) but we do know that they are ONLY allowing two public speakers on a major project. Let your Local Councillor know what you think of this interpretation of democracy. The auditorium doors will allegedly only open at 7:15pm(!). Those needing priority access are advised to email democracy@welhat.gov.uk
A comparison of the BioPark Developer ‘fluffy’ image with harsh reality is below – click to enlarge
Dear Concerned Resident of the Garden City
As a local Civic society, the Welwyn Garden City Society are very concerned about what is planned in the Broadwater Road area and, in particular, the THREE Planning applications that have been proposed 1. BioPark ironically called Broadwater ‘Gardens’ 2. South Site 3. North Site (Wheat Quarter)
Many people share our concern please register your comments to the THREE applications. The Bio Park (replacing former Roche Building) will be the first of these to be heard at the planning meeting DMC (Development Management Committee) NOW POSTPONED UNTIL 9 SEPTEMBER 2021.
Bio-Park/ Broadwater ‘Gardens’ (Replacing Roche Building) – where around 900 people are proposed to be crammed in
South Site – Red Hatching Shows Proposed Changes which are higher and bulkier than previously Approved (click image for bigger view)
Comments are still being accepted (timeline ASAP) so please object to these applications – every objection counts!
1. Bio-Park: https://planning.welhat.gov.uk/Planning/Display/6/2020/3420/MAJ
2. Former Shredded Wheat Factory South: https://planning.welhat.gov.uk/Planning/Display/6/2021/0671/MAJ
3. Former Shredded Wheat Factory North site (Wheat Quarter) if not done yet! https://planning.welhat.gov.uk/Planning/Display/6/2021/0181/MAJ
Suggested text is at the end of this link: http://welwynhatfield.co.uk/wgc_society/?p=2648
It is important that the Council be made aware of the strong opposition that exists to all of the Broadwater Road proposals, as represented by the Planning applications.
You can also:
– Lobby your DMC Planning Councillors and all Local Councillors (email lists on recent post)
– Lobby your MP Grant Shapps via email on: grant@grantshapps.com
– Join our mailing list or even better, join the Society via our website or email: wgcsociety@live.com
– Speak to friends and neighbours
– Come along to the Planning Meeting scheduled for 12 August 2021 from 6:30pm to welcome the Councillors – email us on wgcsociety@live.com for details.
– Follow up on social media
Please Action Now! Don’t Complain After the Event!
Below is a list of all Welwyn Hatfield Councillors e-mails. Cut and paste into your address box when letting your Councillors what you think.
Note:
Planning DMC (Development Management Committee) Councillors + Leader:
jonathan.boulton@welhat.gov.uk; siobhan.elam@welhat.gov.uk ; barbara.fitzsimon@welhat.gov.uk ; caron.juggins@welhat.gov.uk; nick.pace@welhat.gov.uk ; jayne.ranshaw@welhat.gov.uk ; drew.richardson@welhat.gov.uk ; pankit.shah@welhat.gov.uk ; jean-paul.skoczylas@welhat.gov.uk ; teresa.travell@welhat.gov.uk; ; roger.trigg@welhat.gov.uk; stan.tunstall@welhat.gov.uk ; jill.weston@welhat.gov.uk; tony.kingsbury@welhat.gov.uk ;
Welwyn Garden City Councillors (not on DMC Planning):
margaret.birleson@welhat.gov.uk ;lynn.chesterman@welhat.gov.uk ;anthony.dennis@welhat.gov.uk ;alastair.hellyer@welhat.gov.uk ;max.holloway@welhat.gov.uk ;tamsin.jackson-mynott@welhat.gov.uk ; samuel.kasumu@welhat.gov.uk ;steve.mcnamara@welhat.gov.uk ;frank.marsh@welhat.gov.uk ;lucy.musk@welhat.gov.uk ;russ.platt@welhat.gov.uk ;jane.quinton@welhat.gov.uk ;ayesha.rohale@welhat.gov.uk ;fiona.thomson@welhat.gov.uk ;flavia.wachuku@welhat.gov.uk
Other Councillors:
duncan.bell@welhat.gov.uk; james.bond@welhat.gov.uk; stephen.boulton@welhat.gov.uk ; lenny.brandon@welhat.gov.uk ; julie.cragg@welhat.gov.uk; gail.ganney@welhat.gov.uk; glyn.hayes@welhat.gov.uk ; peter.hebden@welhat.gov.uk ; james.lake@welhat.gov.uk; rebecca.lass@welhat.gov.uk ; steven.markiewicz@welhat.gov.uk; george.michaelides@welhat.gov.uk ; helen.quenet@welhat.gov.uk ; bernard.sarson@welhat.gov.uk ; paul.smith@welhat.gov.uk ; craig.stanbury@welhat.gov.uk ; kieran.thorpe@welhat.gov.uk; sunny.thusu@welhat.gov.uk ; paul.zukowskyj@welhat.gov.uk
One-Page Summary Issued to DMC Councillors
It was disturbing to read the Council Planning recommendation report for this proposed over-redevelopment of a prominent site. It dismissively notes that ‘much of the surrounding commercial development is of a lower height’. This is the most important factor see street scene below:
Bridge Road East: low-rise street scene
The report then clutches for unrepresentative high building comparisons:
• Norton Building – a predominantly 4-storey industrial heritage building that set back from the road.
• Shredded Wheat site: some considerable distance away and a different setting.
The proposed building is huge and unsympathetic to the site:
Existing
Proposed
If it is approved it will have a domino-effect of encouraging a high building ghetto being spread across the Garden City.
Please reject this gross over-development of a prominent site.
END
The DMC meeting for this application is scheduled for Thursday 17 June 2021 https://democracy.welhat.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=156&MId=1274
Link to Economist article: ‘The fight to preserve a pioneering planned town- the NIMBYs are right this time’. [You have to sign up but it is then free to read a number of articles]
https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/04/17/the-fight-to-preserve-a-pioneering-planned-town
Recent BBC News Piece on Elections 2021: Can Welwyn Garden City balance original vision with new housing? with a quote from the Society:
http://Elections 2021: Can Welwyn Garden City balance original vision with new housing?
The implications of the proposed changes on the Broadwater sites are (deliberately?) very hard to identify. Annotated key images of the South Site showing the lost green spaces and new building block infills are below.
Comments on the North site have been good, but alone they are not enough. Please register your comments on the South site together with the Bio Park and the North Site on the Council planning portal: https://www.welhat.gov.uk/eia.
Suggested text for objections is on an earlier post: http://welwynhatfield.co.uk/wgc_society/?p=2648
Every comment counts on all three sites. Mailing Councillors will also help. You can also ask them why the impact of the changes is so hard to identify. ?
Residents may have noticed the large new warehouses being constructed along Cole Green Lane, next to the new Welcome to Welwyn Garden City sign. This development is on land within the green belt, it appears it was granted planning permission by WHBC. A short video has appeared on YouTube talking about this controversial development, you can watch it below or via this link: https://tinyurl.com/greenbeltwgc The entry and egress points in the Garden City have always been carefully managed, to protect them from inappropriate development. This appears to be changing.
This annotation shows the impact of the proposed density increases on the North site:
The changes to the building heights are annotated on this plan:
Source documents: North Site Planning Application DAS (Design Access Statement)
There is a previous post on how to object with weblinks and suggested text. Wake up Welwyn Garden: Enough is Enough.
Why is the information on the impact of the proposed changes so hard to find? Why did the Council not insist that change information was more clearly conveyed?
