Watford Borough Council Part 2 Local Plan- Development Management Policies Options Proposed 1st Consultation Version Sustainability Appraisal Report November 2013

Appendix 2- Watford Borough Council Core Strategy SA Extract of Baseline Information (updated in May 2013)

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Contents

1. Air Quality 1 1.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 1 1.2. Baseline Information 1 1.3. Trends 4 1.4. Data Gaps/Limitations 4 2. Biodiversity 5 2.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 5 2.2. Baseline Information 5 Natural Areas 5 Designated Areas 7 Woodland Cover 9 2.3. Trends 9 2.4. Data Gaps/Limitations 9 3. Climatic Factors 11 3.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 11 3.2. Baseline Information 11 3.3. Trends 12 3.4. Data Gaps/Uncertainties 13 4. Cultural Heritage 14 4.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 14 4.2. Baseline Information 14 4.3. Trends 16 4.4. Data Gaps/Limitations 16 5. 5 Human Health - Public Health 17 5.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 17 5.2. Baseline Information 17 5.3. Trends 18 6. Human Health - Noise 19 6.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 19 6.2. Baseline Information 19 6.3. Trends 19 7. Landscape 20 7.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 20 7.2. Baseline Information 20 7.3. Trends 23 7.4. Data Gaps/Limitations 23 8. Material Assets 24 8.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 24 8.2. Baseline Information 24 8.3. Trends 25 8.4. Gaps/Limitations 25 8.5. Trends 26 8.6. Data Gaps/Limitations 26 9. Population 27 9.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 27 i

9.2. Baseline Information 27 9.3. Trends 28 10. Soil 29 10.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 29 10.2. Baseline Information 29 10.3. Trends 30 10.4. Data Gaps/Uncertainties 30 11. Water 31 11.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 31 11.2. Baseline Information 31 11.3. Trends 33 11.4. Data Gaps/Uncertainties 33 12. Social Factors - Housing 34 12.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 34 12.2. Baseline Information 34 12.3. Trends 35 13. Social Factors - Crime 36 13.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 36 13.2. Baseline Information 36 13.3. Trends 36 14. Social factors - Accessibility 36 14.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 36 14.2. Baseline Information 37 14.3. Trends 37 15. Social Factors - Social Deprivation 37 15.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 37 15.2. Baseline Information 37 15.3. Trends 38 16. Social Factors - Recreation, Sport and Leisure 38 16.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 38 16.2. Baseline Information 38 16.3. Trends 38 17. Social Factors - Disability Allowance 39 17.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 39 17.2. Baseline Information 39 17.3. Trends 39 18. Social Factors - Healthcare 39 18.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 39 18.2. Baseline Information 39 18.3. Trends 40 19. Social Factors - Education 40 19.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 40 19.2. Baseline Information 40 19.3. Trends 41 20. Economic Factors - Economic Activity 42 ii

20.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 42 20.2. Baseline Information 42 21. Economic Factors - Employment 44 21.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 44 21.2. Baseline Information 44 21.3. Trends 45 22. Economic Factors - Economic Footprint 46 22.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 46 22.2. Baseline Information 46 22.3. Trends 47 23. Economic Factors - Enterprise and Innovation 47 23.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes 47 23.2. Baseline Information 48 23.3. Trends 48

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1. Air Quality

1.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes European level EU Directive 1996/62/EC on Ambient Air Quality sets the framework for dealing with local air pollution by introducing new air quality standards for previously unregulated pollutants. In addition, the 6th EU Environment Action Programme highlights strategic priorities of the Commission’s environmental policy, amongst others human health - an issue closed related to air pollution. At a national level, the UK Air Quality Strategy defines a number of air quality objectives for several pollutants, whilst PPS 23 ‘Planning and Pollution Control’ stresses the importance of the proximity principle in siting new developments and thereby separating incompatible land uses.

1.2. Baseline Information The monitoring of air quality is important in ensuring that levels of identified pollutants remain below national standards and targets. Local authorities are required to review and assess the concentrations of seven pollutants for national health-based objectives. These are: Carbon monoxide (CO); Nitrogen oxides (NOX); Benzene; 1,3-butadiene Lead; Particulate matter (PM10); and Sulphur dioxide (SO2).

These pollutants are monitored because they can damage human health and the environment. For the purpose of this report, data on pollutant levels, and the number of days where air pollution was considered as moderate or high has been collected. This data has been compared to regional data and national targets. Table 1 shows relevant UK air quality standards and objectives1, derived from the 2007 UK Air Quality Strategy. These also include limit values set out by EU Daughter Directives on Air Quality. Table 1 - Selected AQ standards and objectives UK Air Quality Objectives for protection of human health, July 2007 Pollutant Air Quality Objective To be achieved by Concentration Measured as Benzene All authorities 16.25 µg m-3 Running annual mean 31 December 2003 England and Wales Only 5.00 µg m-3 Annual mean 31 December 2010 1,3-Butadiene 2.25 µg m-3 Running annual mean 31 December 2003 Carbon Monoxide England, Wales and N. 10.0 mg m-3 Maximum daily running 8- 31 December Ireland hour mean 2003 Lead 0.5 mg m-3 Annual mean 31 December 2004 0.25 mg m-3 Annual mean 31 December 2008 Nitrogen Dioxide 200 µg m-3 not to be 1-hour mean 31 December exceeded more than 18 2005 times a year 40 µg m-3 Annual mean 31 December

1 http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/standards.php#std 1

UK Air Quality Objectives for protection of human health, July 2007 Pollutant Air Quality Objective To be achieved by Concentration Measured as 2005 Particles (PM10) (gravimetric) All authorities 50 µg m-3, not to be 24-hour mean 31 December exceeded more than 35 2004 times a year 40 µg m-3 Annual mean 31 December 2004 Sulphur dioxide 350 µg m-3, not to be 1-hour mean 31 December exceeded more than 24 2004 times a year 125 µg m-3, not to be 24-hour mean 31 December exceeded more than 3 2004 times a year 266 µg m-3, not to be 15-minute mean 31 December exceeded more than 35 2005 times a year Ozone 100 µg m-3 not to be 8-hour mean 31 December exceeded more than 10 2005 times a year

Table 2 shows estimated and predicted pollutant levels2 in Watford Borough Council, St Albans City Council, Dacorum Borough Council, and Three Rivers District Council. The data was derived by calculating the average of the predictions for all sites in the Local Authority area. Data was not available for SO2 and CO levels in 2005 and 2010, and 1, 3-butadeine in 2010. The data below displays a general trend of decreasing pollutant levels between 2001 and 2010. Table 2 – Air Pollutant levels Pollutant Watford Borough Council

2001 2005 2010 NOX 65.04 53.51 40.97 NO2 34.20 29.90 24.89 PM10 21.74 20.92 19.01 SO2 3.6 - - Benzene 0.72 0.63 0.47 CO 0.42 - - 1, 3-butadeine 0.31 0.25 - Units: NOX (ugm-3 as NO2 annual mean); NO2 (ugm-3 annual mean); PM10 (ugm-3 grav. annual mean); SO2 (ugm-3 annual mean); Benzene (ugm-3 annual mean); CO (mgm-3 annual mean); 1, 3- butadeine (1, 3-butadiene 2001 ugm-3 annual mean) For comparison, Table 3 displays estimated pollutant level data for the East of England3. The data was derived by calculating the average of the predictions for all sites in the East of England. No data was available for benzene or 1, 3-butadeine. It can be seen that, for NOx in particular, Watford has below-average air quality for the region although the trend is equally towards improvement. However measurements at the Watford Town Hall area suggests NOx at 38 units, NO2 at 20 and PM10 at 17- suggesting better air quality in some pockets of the Borough.

2 Air Quality Archive: http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/laqm/laqm.php 3 Air Quality Archive: http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/data_and_statistics.php?action=exceedence_pre_step&go=Go 2

Table 3 - East of England region estimated air pollution East of England air pollution Pollutant 2001 2005

NOX 60.87 40.58

NO2 28.93 23.95

PM10 21.33 21 SO2 8.1 6.48 Benzene - - CO 0.4 0.24 1, 3-butadeine - - (Units as for table above) .A common presentation of air quality trends looks at the number of days in a year that a particular AQ standard or objective was exceeded. Table 4 shows this data for the years 2001 to 2006 for three pollutants, showing positive trends for particulates but a persistent problem regarding rural ozone. Table 4: Air Pollutants – Number of days government objectives exceeded - Hertfordshire4

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Statistic Rural Ozone 28 16 42 28 28 33 Air Quality Strategy exceedence days Urban Particulates 7 11 8 2 2 6.6 Air Quality Strategy exceedence days Roadside Particulates 10 9 14 5 6 15.5 Air Quality Strategy exceedence days

Data published for nitrogen dioxide levels (see Table 5) shows that the eventual target concentration (referring to the annual mean of 40 µg m-3) was exceeded in 2000 – 2003 but was complied with by the 2005 deadline and has continued to remain below this target. Table 5: Air Pollutants – Annual Means for Nitrogen Dioxide in HertfordshireError! Bookmark not defined. 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Statistic Urban Nitrogen Dioxide 32 30 29 28 n/a 23 23 Annual mean (ugm3) Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide 40 46 42 41.5 n/a 38 29.5 Annual mean (ugm3)

Air pollution trends can also be presented in aggregated terms whereby the number of days of ‘moderate’ or ‘higher’ pollution are compared for different areas /time periods. Table 6 sets out the number of days of moderate or higher air pollution for Watford for the years 2001 to 2005, showing no clear trends but a clear spike for all pollutants in 2003. Table 6: Days per year of moderate or higher levels of air pollution Indicator Watford District Number of days per year when 2005 2 air pollution is moderate or 2004 4 higher for PM10 2003 10 2002 2 2001 5 Number of days per year when 2005 38 air pollution is moderate or 2004 38 higher for Nitrogen Dioxide 2003 42 (NO2) 2002 23 2001 24 For rural sites, number of days 2005 21 per year when air pollution is 2004 34 moderate or higher for Ozone 2003 52 2002 12 2001 11 Note that in 2013, changes to the banding (limits) and PM concentration measurement have been announced. This section will be updated in the subsequent stages of Local Plan 2 SA.

4 Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Air Pollution Monitoring Network 2006 – Quality of Life in Hertfordshire – Air Quality: http://enquire.hertscc.gov.uk/qol/2006/airquality06.cfm 3

Watford completed its third round of air quality assessment in 2007 and concluded that detailed assessment did not need to be carried out for any of the prescribed pollutants. However the conclusion reached for Nitrogen Dioxide needed interpretation. The monitoring data, in particular the nitrogen dioxide diffusion tube data, suggested that there were three areas where a Detailed Assessment should be carried out. These were: - St Albans Road, an area encompassing a number of properties along on St Albans Rd and Wellington Road, Watford - Vicarage Road, an area encompassing a number of properties along Vicarage Road, St Albans - Aldenham Road, an area encompassing the Railway Arms Public House, Aldenham Road, Watford - Chalk Hill, an area encompassing no.12 Chalk Hill, Watford - Horseshoe Lane, an area encompassing a number of properties in the vicinity of the junction between St Albans Road and Horseshoe Lane, Watford - Meriden, an area encompassing a number of properties on Ravenscroft, The Gossamers and Eastlea Avenue, Meriden5 As all of these locations fell within existing Air Quality Management Areas (as of May 2013), for which further assessment of air quality were already underway. There was no requirement to proceed to a Detailed Assessment of nitrogen dioxide in these three areas, and this approach was ratified by DEFRA in December 2007.

1.3. Trends In general, pollutant levels are better than the national targets. Trends in the future baseline will be dependent on whether traffic volumes increase as a result of new development within the Borough as well as how effective new vehicle technologies are at reducing emissions.

1.4. Data Gaps/Limitations None.

5 DEFRA (2009) "AQMAs Declared by Watford Borough Council", Accessed http://watford.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s3483/Appendix%20Di%20map%20of%20watford.pdf 4

2. Biodiversity

2.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes Numerous international agreements deal with the continuing loss of biodiversity and set out approaches how to slow and eventually stop it. The Ramsar, Bonn and Bern Conventions aim to protect wetlands, migratory species, wildlife and natural habitats respectively whereas the more recent Convention on Biological Diversity, the Millennium Development Goals and the World Summit on Sustainable Development stress the wider importance of biodiversity and its conservation. On European level, the Birds & Habitats Directive and the EU Biodiversity Strategy make more specific provisions which are than cascaded down into national legislation. The Bern Convention and the Birds and Habitats Directive are implemented in the UK via the Wildlife and Countryside Act, whereas the national Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) sets out more detailed commitments for species and habitat protection and enhancement. The Biodiversity Strategy for England aims to embed biodiversity conservation in all main sectors of public policy, while the England Forestry Strategy fosters the sustainable management and expansion of woodland areas. These are supplemented by a number of planning policy statements/guidance notes, such as PPG 2 ‘Green Belts’, PPS 9 ‘Biodiversity and Geological Conservation’ and MPG 6 ‘Aggregates Provision’ which make specific provisions for biodiversity conservation in the planning system. More locally, the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan aims to contribute to the UK BAP by setting out actions for conservation of certain species and habitats.

2.2. Baseline Information

Natural Areas

Figure 1: Natural Areas in South West Hertfordshire (source: MAGIC) The entire area of Watford falls within the English Nature natural area “London Basin” (number 66), as illustrated in Figure 1. Natural areas are bio-geographic zones which reflect the geological foundation, the natural systems and processes, and the wildlife within the area. They follow very similar

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boundaries to the landscape character areas, although natural areas are often divided into more than one character area. The natural areas provide the context in which plans such as the LDF can look to secure, strengthen and enhance the biodiversity and natural features which characterise Watford’s part of the natural environment.

The English Nature summary for the London Basin starts as follows6: “The London Basin is a large, trough-like basin which was formed around 50 million years ago, and is filled with mostly sands and clay sediments. About one-third of the area is covered by London and the wildlife of the Natural Area is characterised by islands of semi-natural habitats. These habitats include large areas of woodland, with extensive stands of mature beech woods, significant areas of lowland mixed deciduous woodland and numerous large wood pastures and parklands. There are also notable areas of heathland in the Natural Area.”

A study by Hertfordshire County Environmental Information Service7 defined this further and stated Watford forms part of “The Central River Valleys” (region 5) and “The South Hertfordshire Plateau” (region 6).

Watford contains a range of sites designated for their biodiversity value. These are illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 3 and discussed in more detail below.

Figure 2: Green Spaces and Designated Areas in Watford (source: Watford BC)

6English Nature (1997) "London Basin Natural Area", available at http://www.english- nature.org.uk/science/natural/profiles/naProfile66.pdf 7Watford BC (2003) “Watford District Plan 2000”, available at http://www.Watford.gov.uk/ccm/content/planning- and-development/Watford-District-Plan-2000-599.en?page=2 6

Designated Areas

Figure 3: Designated Areas in South West Hertfordshire (source: MAGIC). As a largely urban Borough, Watford contains no international, European or national designations (Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). However, two SSSI sites are situated adjacent to Watford Borough’s boundaries in Three Rivers District. These are Whippendell Wood (managed by Watford BC) and Croxley Common Moor. The former is designated for its ancient woodland habitat and the latter for its rare grassland types which have been significantly reduced in Britain through drainage and agricultural change. English Nature maintains statistics on the condition of all SSSIs in the country, and they have a Public Service Agreement target to have 95% of the SSSI area in “favourable” or “unfavourable recovering” condition by 2010. The two SSSIs adjacent to Watford are in favourable or unfavourable but recovering condition (Table 7). In comparison, only 66.29% of the area covered by SSSIs in Hertfordshire falls into these categories and this is above the England average of 63%.

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Table 7: Condition of SSSIs in/near Watford (English Nature, 2008)8 SSSI name Condition Unit No. Size of unit (ha) Authority Last assessment date Croxley Common Unfavourable 1 39.64 Three 12 September 2006 Moor recovering Rivers Whippendell Wood Favourable 1 65.49 23 March 2005 2 1.19 3 September 1998

There are no National Nature Reserves (NNR) in Watford itself; however, NNR Ruislip Woods is situated just outside Hertfordshire. It is designated for its woodland, open water and lowland grassland habitats. The following sites have been identified for nature conservation by Watford Borough Council and the locations of these sites have been taken into account, in the assessment of the LDF: The Lairage Land has Local Nature Reserve and County Wildlife Site status; Harebreaks Wood has Local Nature Reserve, County Wildlife Site and Ancient Woodland status; Land within Cassiobury Park has Local Nature Reserve and County Wildlife Site status and is also an Invertebrate Site; Albans Wood is part of the Ancient Woodland Inventory and has Local Nature Reserve and County Wildlife Site status; Garston Park is a County Wildlife Site and Protected Species Area; Oxhey Park has County Wildlife Site status. Natural England /English Nature reports on the condition of all SSSIs were reviewed to find the reasons behind certain SSSI areas falling in the ‘part destroyed/ destroyed’ category (see Table 8). These should be taken into account in the LDF plan making process to avoid activities that may contribute to the degeneration of SSSIs in future. Table 8: Reasons for adverse conditions of SSSIs in England (source: English Nature) Reason for adverse condition % of unit Reason for adverse condition % of unit area area not not meeting meeting PSA PSA target target Overgrazing 34.38% Inappropriate CSS/ESA 1.02% prescription Moor burning 26.42% Fire – other 0.95% Drainage 8.98% Siltation 0.84% Sea fisheries 6.93% Water abstraction 0.79% Air pollution 6.73% Inappropriate water levels 0.76% Forestry and woodland 6.45% Inappropriate dredging 0.67% management Inappropriate scrub control 6.10% Inappropriate cutting/mowing 0.63% Undergrazing 5.89% Inappropriate pest control 0.52% Other - specify in comments 5.88% Pesticide/herbicide use 0.29% Coastal squeeze 5.71% Peat extraction 0.26% Inappropriate ditch management 5.10% Game management - pheasant 0.22% rearing Water pollution - agriculture/run off 3.21% Vehicles – other 0.21% Inappropriate weed control 2.55% Military 0.20% Water pollution - discharge 2.44% Game management – other 0.20% Public access/disturbance 1.49% Earth science feature obstructed 0.18% Inappropriate coastal 1.47% Vehicles – illicit 0.18% management Agriculture - other 1.44% Planning permission - other 0.16% mineral and waste Deer grazing/browsing 1.41% Earth science feature removed 0.11% Fertiliser use 1.34% Planning permission – general 0.10% Inappropriate stock-feeding 1.04% There is no specific Biodiversity Action Plan for Watford. However, on a county level "A 50 Year Vision for the Wildlife and Natural Habitats of Hertfordshire"9 was drawn up as a response to the UK

8 English Nature (2008) http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/sssi/search.cfm 9 Hertfordshire Environmental Forum and Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (1998) "A 50 Year Vision for the Wildlife and Natural Habitats of Hertfordshire", available at http://www.ukbap.org.uk/lbap.aspx?id=374 8

Biodiversity Action Plan. It evaluates the status of habitats and species in the county and thereby identifies key habitats, species of national and local significance and High Biodiversity Areas. Species for which action plans have been prepared include, amongst others, great crested newt, bittern, stone curlew, song thrush, freshwater white-clawed crayfish, water vole, otter, dormouse, cornflower and a number of local species. Priority habitats for which action plans have been prepared include, amongst others, ancient and/or species-rich hedgerows, chalk rivers, fens, reed beds and a variety of lowland habitats. These Biodiversity Action Plans should be taken into account by Watford Borough Council when deciding on issues which could impact on biodiversity directly or indirectly. Hertfordshire’s Quality of Life Report 2006 Report10 reports a number on indicator species which could potentially be used for monitoring: Water voles (declining, reflecting the national trend); Bats (dominated by the Natterer bat and Dauberton’s bat; in steady decline since 2001); Grey heron (reflecting wetlands; 121 nests, regional decline and national increase); Skylark (reflecting farmland; 1994 to 2005 numbers declined by 18% in England and 20% in Eastern region. Hertfordshire numbers increased by 1% 2002-03); Song thrush (reflecting woodland and mixed farmland; increasing against regional decline and national increase); and, House sparrow (reflecting urban environment; declining in line with regional trend, no obvious national trend).

Woodland Cover Quantified figures for woodland cover were not available for Watford. Parts of the Borough are covered by Watling Chase Community Forest which is located on the Eastern Fringe of the Borough and aims to combine the sustainable production of timber with wildlife conservation and environmental enhancements. The county of Hertfordshire itself has a total area of woodland of 15,503 ha covering 9.5% of the county. This is slightly above the UK average of 7.7% but well below the overall woodland coverage in continental Europe of 30%.

2.3. Trends The condition of SSSIs adjacent to Watford is above English Nature’s PSA target with both SSSIs being in favourable or unfavourable but recovering condition. However, the draft East of England Plan (now revoked) proposed to build 79,600 new houses in Hertfordshire (4,600 in Watford) by 202111. If similar levels of development progress in the absence of the East of England Plan it is possible that these development pressures could adversely affect biodiversity in the absence of strategic guidance on dealing with sites with biodiversity value.

2.4. Data Gaps/Limitations Lack of data at local authority level.

10 Hertfordshire Environmental Forum (2006) "Quality of Life Report 2006 - Wildlife", available at http://enquire.hertscc.gov.uk/qol/2006/wildlife06.cfm 11 East of England Regional Assembly (2004) "draft East of England Plan", available at http://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=452 9

Error! Reference source not found. shows woodland coverage in Hertfordshire by forest type (source: Forestry Commission12).

Figure 4 – Hertfordshire woodland coverage

12 Forestry Commission (2002) "National Inventory of Woodland and Tress - County Report Hertfordshire", available at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/hertfordshire.pdf/$FILE/hertfordshire.pdf 10

3. Climatic Factors

3.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol provide the international framework for tackling climate change. In addition, the UN Millennium Declaration and Millennium Development Goals, and the EU Sixth Environment Action Programme stress its importance whereas the EU Bio Fuels Directive and the EU Directive to promote Electricity from Renewable Energy set out specific measures to mitigate climate change. On a national scale, ‘Climate Change: The UK Programme’ and its review propose to cut UK’s carbon dioxide emissions by some 60% by about 2050. This is supplemented by the white papers on energy and transport which highlight the importance of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and sustainable transport. In a planning context PPS 22 ‘Renewable Energy’ states regional and local planning documents shall contain policies to promote renewable energy. Planning and Climate Change (Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1) indicates how spatial planning should contribute to reducing emissions and stabilising climate change (mitigation) and take into account the unavoidable consequences (adaptation). At a more local level the Hertfordshire Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Study identifies opportunities for district heating (and CHP) and wind, and areas of constraint (areas not capable of delivering community or large-scale renewable or low carbon energy resources). In addition, Watford recently published a draft Carbon Management Strategy which sets out proposals how to reduce carbon emissions.

3.2. Baseline Information Climate change is an issue that is at the forefront of both political and public thinking at present. Over the last century, the UK has seen an increase in the number of storms, and extreme weather spells (for example heat waves). Climate change is partially caused by the production of greenhouse gases, which heat the Earth and cause temperatures to rise. The burning of fossil fuels is a major contributor to greenhouse gas production. Rising temperatures could cause ice caps to melt and sea levels to rise. If climate change is not slowed down there is an increased risk of flooding, storms, drought, introduction of foreign pests, and insurance blight13. For the purpose of this report, data on carbon dioxide emissions (Table 9) and improvements in domestic energy efficiency (Table 10) was collected. It can be seen that carbon dioxide emissions per capita for Watford are below the regional and national average. Moreover, domestic energy efficiency has improved by 27.1% between 1/4/96 and 31/3/06. . Table 9: Local and Regional CO2 Emissions Estimates for 2005-201014 Watford Total East of UK Total England Industry and Commercial 2005 221 16605.14 237505.01 2010 228.7 14697.47 201415.79 Domestic 2005 202.12 13832.06 14565.96 2010 189.15 13117.09 15831.54 Road Transport 2005 108.62 14203.3 133670.05 2010 97.17 13266.83 124515.14 Land Use Change 2005 .19 530.44 3590.41 2010 .15 505.54 4409.22 Total 2005 533.24 45537.32 529551.09 2010 516.46 41942.89 474469.53 Population in Thousands 2005 79.3 5551.1 60234.9 2010 86 5831.8 62262.5 Per capita CO2 (in tonnes) 2005 6.7 8.2 8.8

13 Harman, J, Gawith, M. and Colley, M. 2005. Progress on assessing climate impacts through the UK Climate Impacts Programme, Weather, 60 (9), 258-262. 14 AEA (2012) "Local and Regional CO2 Emissions Estimates for 2005-2010", available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-emissions-estimates

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Watford Total East of UK Total England 2010 6.0 7.2 7.6 Domestic per capita CO2 (in 2005 2.4 2.5 2.5 tonnes) 2010 2.4 2.3 2.8 Table 10: Percentage improvement in domestic energy efficiency (1/4/96-31/3/2006) 15

Local Authority Improvement in energy efficiency (%) Watford Borough Council 27.1 St Albans City Council 22.8 Dacorum Borough Council 21.3 Three Rivers District Council 20.7

Watford’s energy efficiency improved by 27.1% between 1/4/96 and 31/3/06; this is one of the highest achieving improvements compared to neighbouring authorities. Carbon Dioxide emissions have reduced for all Local estimates of CO2 emissions (tonnes CO2) - domestic emissions per capita for Watford in 2007 was 2.4 tonnes compared to 2.4 in 2005, while total emissions per capita was 6.5 tonnes in the same time period (No change from 2005). The chart in Figure 5 shows the upward trend in average temperatures for Hertfordshire in comparison with central England.

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Annual mean temperature (°C)

8 Central England Temperature (Met Office)

7.5 Hertfordshire temperature (Royston Weather Station)

7 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Year Figure 5: Annual Mean Temperature – Central England and Hertfordshire: 1970 to 200516 Other key area to consider whilst discussing the cause and adaptation to climate change is the risk of flooding in the urban and rural areas. Reference must be made to section 1.39 for the baseline on flood risk.

3.3. Trends It can be seen that domestic energy efficiency improved and that this had a positive effect on domestic CO2 emissions. However this is offset in Watford by rising emissions from transport. . Addressing the cause and effects of climate change is a central element to development at any level. Whilst with the support of other plans and policy guidance such as PPS25, and PPS1 some progress can be achieved in addressing climate change effects like flooding and promoting resource efficiency, only short term positive effects are likely in the absence of a strategic policy defining roles of public, residential and commercial developments in dealing with climate change.

15 DEFRA: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/publicsector/localauth/heca95/index.htm#Data. Update expected in 2013 16 http://enquire.hertscc.gov.uk/qol/2006/climatechange06.cfm 12

3.4. Data Gaps/Uncertainties Carbon emissions per local authority are estimates only and do not include aviation, offshore and shipping.

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4. Cultural Heritage

4.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The European Spatial Development Perspective aims for balanced and sustainable development in the European Union. As part of that the conservation and management of natural resources and the cultural heritage is set out as one of three fundamental goals. In the UK, ‘The Historic Environment: A force for our future’ states the intention of the government to protect the historic environment and recognises its major contribution to the rural economy, whereas PPG 15 ‘Planning and the Historic Environment’ and PPG ‘Archaeology and Planning’ set out specific guidance on how the planning system can foster the conservation of historic environmental and cultural heritage.

4.2. Baseline Information English Heritage’s Heritage Counts 2009 report contains data on Listed Buildings, scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs), Parks and Gardens and Buildings at Risk at a regional, county and authority level. Data for 2009 is presented in Table 11 below. Table 11: Heritage Designations Local Authority Scheduled Listed Buildings Parks and Conservation Monuments Grade I/II*/II Gardens Areas Dacorum 32 12/57/831 3 25 St Albans 18 9/35/772 2 18 Three Rivers 3 3/14/334 3 22 Watford 0 2/3/87 1 9

None of England’s historic battlefields or World Heritage Sites is located in Hertfordshire, however two National Trust Properties can be found in the county: Ashridge Estate (near Hemel Hempstead) and Shaw's Corner (near Wheathamstead). Development pressures and changes in agricultural policy are the two major challenges for the East of England’s historic environment according to English Heritage’s Heritage Counts. For South West Hertfordshire, being part of the London Arc in immediate proximity to Greater London, the planned housing growth and infrastructure developments could potentially have adverse impacts on the local historical heritage and the proposed change needs to be carefully managed (English Nature17). Watford has a number of old and important buildings and structures whose presence, character and setting are essential parts of its heritage18 (see Figure 6). Therefore, the council defined 50 different historic environment character zones which aim to ensure consistency of new buildings with their surroundings. In addition, the following historic assets can be found in Watford: 91 listed buildings (mainly grade II and II*); Numerous locally listed buildings (of local interest but do not merit statutory listing); Two buildings at risk19: Little Cassiobury and former stable block, Hempstead Road and Frogmore House, High Street (north-east side), Watford;

17 English Heritage (2004) "Heritage Counts 2004 - The State of England's Historic Environment", available at http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/heritagecounts/ 18 Watford BC (2003) “Watford District Plan 2000”.

19 English Heritage (2005) “Buildings At Risk Search”, available at http://www.english- heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1426 14

Figure 6: Registered parks and gardens and scheduled monuments in South West Hertfordshire (source: MAGIC) Seven Conservation Areas; and, One registered park: Cassiobury Park (287 ha) jointly with Three Rivers. Moreover, Watford contains two green zones (defined as residential neighbourhoods which are targeted to become a safer, cleaner and more attractive place to live) and considers introducing another green zone and home zones (20 mph zones). It should be noted that Hertfordshire County Council has undertaken extensive work with regards to local archaeological assets20. Its Hertfordshire Historic Environment Record brings together (HER) information regarding Hertfordshire’s historic environment in a computerised form. It contains information on historic buildings, archaeological remains, historic sites and military remains. It is anticipated that this information will be used to assess in more detail how archaeological assets could be affected by the proposed planning policies.

20 See http://www.hertsdirect.org/libsleisure/heritage1/archaeology/sitesandmon 15

4.3. Trends No trend information exists for cultural heritage.

4.4. Data Gaps/Limitations None identified.

Figure 7: Historic Landscape Classification in South West Hertfordshire.

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5 Human Health - Public Health

4.5. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The planning process can significantly affect and be affected by the health of the population of the area. An unhealthy population may place increasing demands on the requirement for services and resources (such as doctor’s surgeries) whilst the provision of the infrastructure to support healthy lifestyles can be encouraged by the provision of public open space or leisure facilities. Objectives regarding human health are embodied at the highest tiers of plan making, indeed the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (2001) include, ‘Address threats to public health’, amongst its headline objectives. At a national level this is tackled through a number of documents, including PPG17 ‘Planning for Open Space, Sport, and Recreation’, which recognises the health and wellbeing value of recreational and open spaces, and PPG13 ‘Transport’, which aims to encourage walking and cycling. However, the primary document relating to human health at this level is the Government Health White Paper – ‘Choosing Health: making Healthier Choices Easier’. This document contains a number of priorities which should be taken into account by the LDF and SA/SEA, in particular those relating to ‘increasing exercise’. Some of the general aims of the Hertfordshire Structure Plan (1991-2011) are to improve quality of life, and to encourage walking/cycling. These aims fit with the Health White Paper priorities, and as part of the Structure Plan, should be disseminated down into Borough and District planning documents. Watford’s Community Sustainabililty Strategy 2026 seeks to contribute to the wellbeing of Dacorum’s residents by reducing fear of crime and actual crime and aims to improve healthcare provision. Crime, and fear of crime, is seen as an issue within the Borough and therefore should be addressed where possible in the LDF.21

4.6. Baseline Information Hertfordshire is in general a very healthy county. In the 2001 Census questions were asked for the first time about general state of health and the provision of unpaid care. Of Hertfordshire’s population 6.6% have health reported as not good, compared to 7.6% in the Eastern Region and 9.0% in England. Table 12 indicates the percentage of resident population in each group that classify themselves as being in either very good, good health, fair health, bad health or very bad health. This data is recorded for England and Wales, East of England, and Watford. Table 12: Key Figures for Health22 England and East of Watford Wales England

General health: Very Good Health 47.2% 47.2% 50.1% General health: Good Health 34.2% 35.2% 34.8% General health: Fair Health 13.1% 12.9% 11% Bad health 4.2% 3.6% 3.2%

Very bad health 1.2% 10% 0.9%

In Watford, 81.4% of the population, when asked to describe their health, classified themselves as being in very good or good health23. However, the area has a higher than average number of working

21 Watford’s Community Sustainabililty Strategy 2026, available at: ww3.watford.gov.uk/egenda/akswatford/images/att3109.pdf 22 ONS "Neighbourhood Statistics", available at http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/AreaProfile2.do?tab=3

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days that were lost due to sickness. The ODPM Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPI) statistics indicate that the area has a figure that is 5.7% higher than the regional average, recording a figure of 14.9%.24. Table 13 shows the number of infant deaths (up to one year) per 1000 live births for Watford, the South East and England between 2002 and 2010, based on three year periods. The trends are not very clear, during two of the three year periods show, Watford has a higher average infant mortality rate than both the regional and national averages. Table 13: Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births)25 Jan 2002 – Dec Jan 2005 – Dec Jan 2008 – Dec 2004 2007 2010 Watford 5.4 3.3 4.8 East of England 4.3 4.1 4.0 England 5.2 4.9 4.4

The infant mortality rate in Watford shows more variation year to year than the regional rate and is generally significantly higher. . Over the last 10 years, all cause mortality rates have fallen. The early death rate from heart disease and stroke has fallen and is similar to the England average, in addition the estimated level of obesity is better than the England average. Watford Health Profile – 201226

- The general health of people in Watford is slightly better than the England average. However, there is less physical activity among children at school and adults than the England average. Violent crime, new cases of tuberculosis and hip fractures in people over 65 have improved compared with the 2009 profile. These are no longer significantly worse that the England average.

- There are inequalities with Watford. For example, men from the least deprived areas of Watford can expect to live nearly 6 years longer than those from the most deprived areas. for women the difference is more than 5 years. - Over the past ten years, the rates of death from all causes and early deaths from heart disease and stroke have improved and are similar to the England average. Early deaths from cancer are also close to the England trend. - Breast feeding initiation and teenage pregnancy remain better than the England average. The proportion of Reception year children classified as obese and tooth decay in children are similar to the average. - Health priorities include: reducing smoking prevalence, obesity and alcohol misuse, increasing the proportion of physically active adults and children, addressing health issues specific to the South Asian community, falls prevention and tackling health inequalities.

4.7. Trends Watford is a relatively healthy town, However, there are some areas of concern and some examples of health inequalities between different groups of people in Watford. A notable trend within this area with regard to health indicators are that the proportion of people that describe themselves as being in good health is around 72.5%, thus approximately just under 30% of each of the area’s population have classified themselves as suffering from a below average level of health. It is not possible to predict the health trend in the district, if would be maintained or would deteriorate. However no evidence exists that with the continuation of current plans and policies, an enhancement in healthy lifestyle is likely.

23National Statistics - http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=6275298&c=watford&d=1 3&e=6&g=6435379&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1369839225456&enc=1 24 ODPM BVPI - http://www.bvpi.gov.uk/pages/KeyFacts_BVPI.asp?map=2&aid=232 25http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?adminCompAndTimeId=26922% 3A238&a=7&b=6275298&c=watford&d=13&r=1&e=6&f=26921&o=296&g=6435379&i=1001x1003x1004x1005&l =1700&m=0&s=1369842139706&enc=1 26 Source: APHO and Department of Health. © Crown Copyright 2012’ 18

5. Human Health - Noise

5.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes There are a number of EU Directives in place which control noise from transport sources, for example from vehicles and outdoor machinery. EU Directive 2002/49/EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise – the Environmental Noise Directive – is the latest piece of European legislation relevant to this topic. Its aim is to define a common approach across the European Union to avoid, prevent or reduce the harmful effects of environmental noise from road, rail and air traffic and industry. First round noise maps for agglomerations (towns and cities), major roads and major railways have been completed and further work on developing actions plans to reduce noise for these areas where necessary needs to be completed by mid-2008. In a national context, PPG 24 ‘Noise’ sets out how the planning system can be used to minimise the adverse impacts of noise and PPG 13 ‘Transport’ aims to reduce the need for travel, possibly leading to a reduction of noise from transport.

5.2. Baseline Information Watford St Albans Three Rivers Dacorum County Average 2008/09 11.5 4.3 8.3 4.1 6.1 2009/10 12.2 5 7.5 4.2 6.1

The numbers of noise complaints for the local authorities in Hertfordshire in 2008/09 and 2009/10 are shown in Figure 727.

Figure 7: Noise Complaints per 1,000 Population

Figure 8 illustrates the main categories of complaint made to Hertfordshire local councils in 2008/9, with domestic noise being the largest category by far. The overall number of noise complaints received by councils in Hertfordshire rose in 2008/09, although the number of complaints about aircraft noise fell (Herts QofL 2009). Figure 8: Source of Noise Complaints

5.3. Trends The number of noise complaints has increased.

27 Source: Hertfordshire councils November 2009 & 2010

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6. Landscape

6.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The protection and enhancement of the countryside is often dealt with in conjunction with biodiversity issues, such as in the biodiversity strategy for England ‘Working with the Grain of Nature’, or agricultural issues, such as farming subsidies. In addition, the new Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) created a new statutory right of access to open county and registered common land and provides the context for many accessibility issues in Britain. More locally, the Chilterns AONB strategy sets the framework for protecting and enhancing the Chilterns – an area of outstanding natural beauty lying partly in SW Hertfordshire.

6.2. Baseline Information

1. Tranquillity/Light Pollution Satellite data shows that light pollution is rapidly increasing and tranquillity is rapidly decreasing in both the London Arc area and the East of England. This resulted in only 5% of truly ‘dark skies’ being left28; most of them in deep rural areas further away from Greater London (see Error! Reference source not found.9). However, in Hertfordshire light pollution increased by a modest 5% compared with a 21% increase for the overall region. Over an even longer period (between 1960s and 1990s) ‘tranquil areas’ and ‘tranquil areas with some intrusion’, as based on the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s mapping exercise29, have been decreasing substantially mainly due to new housing and infrastructure developments.

Figure 11 provides more detailed tranquillity mapping for the county of Hertfordshire. For the purpose of this mapping exercise ‘tranquil areas’ were defined as: Places which are sufficiently far away from the visual or noise intrusion of development or traffic to be considered unspoilt by urban influences’’. These places were identified through specific criteria, such as certain distances away roads, towns, airports and power stations.

28 Campaign to Protect Rural England (2003) "Night Blight! Report", available at http://www.cpre.org.uk/publications/landscape/light-pollution.htm 29 Campaign to Protect Rural England (2005) "Mapping Tranquillity - Defining and assessing a valuable resource", available at http://www.cpre.org.uk/publications/landscape/tranquillity.htm 20

Figure 11: Tranquillity Map of Hertfordshire – 2007 (CPRE, 2007)30

30 Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (2007) http://www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/landscape/tranquillity/national-and-regional-tranquillity-maps/county- tranquillity-map-hertfordshire

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2. Landscape Character

Figure 12: Landscape Character Areas in South West Hertfordshire (source: MAGIC). Watford falls into two landscape character areas, “Northern Thames Basin” and “Thames Valley”, whereby the former covers Watford Borough almost entirely (see Figure 1). This landscape character area is sub divided into four sub-character areas with Watford falling into the ‘Central River Valleys’ and the ’South Hertfordshire Plateau’. These are characterised by the Countryside Agency as follows31: “A diverse landscape with a series of broad valleys containing the major rivers […] and extensive areas of broadleaved woodlands being the principal features of the area. Hertfordshire’s large towns, the M25 and M1 motorways, railway line and prominent electricity pylons are also a major influence on character.” Watford, being a town in close proximity to London, experienced as most areas in the London Arc, some changes inconsistent to landscape character32 . In addition, the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) “Chilterns”, which consists of gently rolling hills covered with beech woodland and chalk downland providing habitat to wild flowers and red kites, can be found in close proximity to the borough. According to the Countryside Agency it is characterised as follows33:

31 Countryside Agency (2000) "Character Northern Thames Basin", available at http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Images/JCA111_tcm2-21204.pdf 32 Levett-Therivel and LUC (2004) "East of England Plan - SA Report", available at http://www.go- east.gov.uk/goeast/publications/ 33 Countryside Agency (2000) "Landscape Character Areas in the South East and London ", available at http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/CC/SEL/index.asp 22

“Chilterns consists mainly of chalk hills, small fields and dense network of ancient hedges, often on steep ground. The agricultural landscape is often dominated by hedges, trees and small woodlands. Scattered villages and farmsteads can be found; some of medieval origin, displaying consistent use of traditional building materials including flint, brick, and clay tiles. A network of ancient green lanes and tracks covers the area including the Ridgeway which links numerous archaeological sites and settlements.”

The Countryside Quality Counts assessment34 for the Chilterns LCA (1999-2003) is summarised as: “The changes are mixed, and while development continues to erode the character of the area locally, changes in the farmed and wooded landscape seem to have maintained the overall character.” Hertfordshire County Council has conducted in-depth work local landscape character assessments35 which have defined Hertfordshire Landscape Regions based on Natural England Countryside Joint Character Areas and locally refined. It is anticipated that this information will be used to assess in more detail how local landscape character could be affected by the proposed planning policies.

6.3. Trends Loss of tranquillity and light pollution are likely to increase further due to development pressures. Inconsistent changes to landscape character are likely to continue due to development pressures e.g. the aim to build a significant number of new houses in the sub-region.

6.4. Data Gaps/Limitations Tranquillity data not available at local authority level.

34 http://countryside-quality-counts.org.uk/jca/ 35 See http://www.landscapecharacter.org.uk/results/basicinfo_new.php?user_id=132 23

7. Material Assets

7.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The World Summit Johannesburg in 2002 and the 6th EU Environment Action Programme highlighted the need for greater resource efficiency as an essential component of sustainability. Numerous pieces of European legislation deal with waste issues; two key Directives are the Landfill Directive and the Waste Framework Directive. The former aims to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill whereas the latter highlights the importance of the waste hierarchy and sets the framework for national waste management licensing. The UK Waste Strategy sets out measures to make waste management in the UK more sustainable, such as decoupling waste from economic growth and promoting the composting of organic waste. PPS 22 ‘Renewable Energy’ sets out the Government's planning policies for renewable energy. It details eight key principles regional planning bodies and local planning authorities should adhere to in their approach to planning for renewable energy. On a regional level, ‘A Shared Vision, the Regional Economic Strategy for the East of England’ stresses the need to improve resource efficiency, whereas the Hertfordshire Waste Plan, Hertfordshire Waste Strategy and the Hertfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework set out issues how to address waste issues locally. Watford’s Energy Strategy aims to improve energy efficiency in the borough.

7.2. Baseline Information

3. Waste Waste production and disposal is a growing problem. In almost every country production of waste increases at least as fast as its gross national product36. Disposal of this waste is becoming increasingly difficult, with diminishing numbers of suitable sites for landfill disposal37. Legislation to reduce waste production, and to increase re-use, and recycling has been introduced38. Stringent targets, particularly for biodegradable waste, have been set by the European Union. The Member States must reduce the amount of biodegradable sent to landfill to 75% of 1995 levels by 2006, 50% of 1995 levels by 2009, and 35% of 1995 by 201638. If these targets are not met, heavy fines will be imposed on the UK38. In Watford waste generated per head decreased between 2007/08 and 2009/10 (Table 14). This reverses the trend that saw the amount of waste per head increase steadily from 2001/2 to 2006/7 (based on data from the now obsolete Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPI))39.

Table 14: Household waste per head (Source: DEFRA (November 2010), Municipal Waste Statistics - Local Authority data.)

Local Authority Waste per Head (kg) Waste per Head Waste per Head (kg) 2007/08 (kg) 2008/09 2009/10 Dacorum Borough Council 422 409 398

Three Rivers District Council 418 404 396 Watford Borough Council 401 395 385 Hertfordshire County Council 493 470

In 2009/10, the level of household waste recycled or composted in Hertfordshire was 46.4%, up from 44% the previous year, progressing towards the county’s average recycling target of 50% by 2012/13. The breakdown by local authority is provided in Table 15.

36 Cooper, J. 2001. Waste: striving for a more sustainable future, Local Environment, 6 (2), 109-111. 37 Cheeseman, K. and Phillips, P. 2001, The Northamptonshire Resource Efficiency Project: the exit strategy, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 32, 203-226. 38 Williams, P. 2005. Waste Treatment and Disposal, Second edition, John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Chichester, 380pp. 39 DEFRA (2010) "Municipal Waste Statistics - Local Authority data", available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/.../mwb200910a.xls 24

Table 15: Percentage of waste re-used, recycled or composted (Source: DEFRA, Municipal Waste Statistics - Local Authority data 2009 & 2010)

Local Authority Household waste, re-used, recycled Household waste, re-used, recycled or composted (%) 2008/09 or composted (%) 2009/10 Dacorum Borough Council 47.8 47.3 Three Rivers District Council 49.4 49.5 Watford Borough Council 40.5 39.7 Hertfordshire County Council 44 46.4

Source: Hertfordshire County Council's Waste Management Unit

7.3. Trends In general, the percentage of household waste composted and recycled is increasing, and the amount of waste collected per head is increasing. In Hertfordshire, the amount of household waste being disposed of to landfill is decreasing, and the amount of waste used to recover energy is decreasing.

7.4. Gaps/Limitations None.

4. Land Use As already mentioned, there are conflicting pressures on land use in Hertfordshire. This is particularly true for housing and associated infrastructure which has to be balanced with the protection of the natural environment40. To achieve both the more efficient use of previously developed land (PDL or brownfield sites) and the reduction of development pressures on undeveloped (greenfield sites) and greenbelt land, the government set a target that 60% of all new developments should be built on brownfield sites. A measure of the more efficient of use material assets in the form of land is therefore the local authority best value performance indicator BV 106 which states the percentage of new homes constructed on previously developed land (see Figure 14).

Figure 14: Residential Development on Previously Developed Land (Herts QofL 2009)

40 HEF (2004) “Quality of Life Report 2004”, available at http://www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs/pdfstore/qol4.pdf 25

The figures illustrate that a much higher proportion of new developments in South West Hertfordshire was built on previously developed land compared with the regional average of 57% for 1999-200241. However, previously developed land is a finite resource and might not be as readily available in the future, thus leading to greater pressure to build on greenfield sites. Detailed information about the amount of potentially contaminated land in the four authorities concerned was not available for this sustainability appraisal. A measure of achieving higher land efficiency is increasing housing density. However, to sustain quality of life this has to be combined with good design. Unfortunately, density figures of previous housing developments have not been available to inform this report. The same holds true for local aggregates and mineral resources. Extracting primary resources can cause a variety of impacts which could potentially be avoided by using secondary or recycled materials. Information of the current usage of these materials would therefore be advantageous for this assessment.

7.5. Trends The percentage of household waste composted and recycled is increasing, and the amount of waste collected per head is also now decreasing. The East of England Plan (now revoked) proposed to build 79,600 new houses in Hertfordshire (4,600 in Watford) by 202142. Although the aim is to build the majority of these houses on previously developed land, a significant proportion might be built on undeveloped land. The associated land take could lead to a variety of economic, social and environmental impacts. Although PPS 3 and other Planning policies may advocate uptake of PDL, unless a preferential selection of PDL is explicitly stated for any development in the district, conservation of top soil may not be a practice by default.

7.6. Data Gaps/Limitations Information regarding land contamination, mineral and aggregate use/reserves was not available for this study.

41 ONS (2003) "Regional Quality of Life Counts", available at http://www.sustainable- development.gov.uk/documents/publications/rqolc2003.pdf 42 East of England Regional Assembly (2004) "draft East of England Plan", available at http://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=452 26

8. Population

8.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes Population primarily relates to demographics, about which there are very few specific plans, policies or strategies. However, many other types of plans and policies will have secondary impacts on the population, e.g. housing strategy policies on accommodation for the elderly. Therefore, when taking into account effects on the SA/SEA topic of ‘population’, cross reference should be made to plans covered within plans and policies relating to housing, education, social deprivation, crime (safety), recreation, leisure and sports. Objectives relating specifically to demographics (not attempting to alter them, but rather to adapt to changes in future demographics), may be found in documents focusing on sustainable development. An example can be seen in the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (2001), which includes an objective specifically on ‘dealing with the economic and social implications of an ageing society’.

8.2. Baseline Information The population of England as a whole is growing. This is due to people living longer, and the relocation of people into England from other parts of the UK, Europe and beyond. Table16 below shows growth rates in Watford, St Albans, Dacorum and Three Rivers. Table 16: Population Growth rates (source: Census 2011) 2011 2001 1991 1981 Comparison of Census Census Census Census 2001 Population Population and 2011 Census

Hertfordshire 1116100 1033977 975,829 950,760 8% Watford 90,301 79,729 74,566 73,927 13% St Albans 140,664 128,982 126,202 124,317 9% Dacorum 144,847 137,807 132,240 128,565 5% Three Rivers 87,317 82,843 78,457 77,755 5%

Table 16 below shows the estimates of resident population from the 2011 census. This estimate for Watford suggests a rise in population of 13% since the 2001 census.

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Table 17: Population Growth by age group and gender (source: Census 2011, Census 2001, Census 199143). Total Male Female 0-14 15-29 30-44 45-59 60-74 75-89 90+

Watford 90,301 44,828 45,473 17,464 19,066 22,469 16,155 9,739 4,842 566 201144 49.6% 50.4% 19.3% 21.1% 24.9% 17.9% 6.4% 5.3% 0.6% 2001 79,726 49.20% 50.80% 19.40% 20.80% 25.60% 16.90% 10.90% 5.80% 0.60% 1991 74,566 49.10% 50.90% 19.10% 25.00% 22.00% 15.80% 11.60% 6.10% 0.40% St Albans 140,664 69,040 71,624 28,304 22,145 32,409 28,120 18,959 9,625 1,102 2011 49.1% 50.9% 20.1% 15.8% 23% 20% 13.3% 5.9% 0.8% 2001 129,005 49.20% 50.80% 19.40% 16.70% 24.80% 19.60% 12.60% 6.30% 0.60% 1991 126,202 49.10% 50.90% 18.30% 20.90% 23.10% 18.30% 13.00% 6.00% 0.40% Dacorum 144,847 71,307 73,540 26,988 25,305 30,944 30,356 19,684 10,465 1,108 2011 49.2% 50.8% 18.6% 17.5% 21.4% 21% 13.6% 7.3% 0.8% 2001 137,799 49.20% 50.80% 19.70% 17.00% 24.30% 19.50% 12.50% 6.50% 0.50% 1991 132,240 49.10% 50.90% 19.30% 21.60% 23.20% 16.80% 13.30% 5.40% 0.40% Three Rivers 87,317 42,371 44,946 16,355 14,372 18,269 18,301 12,461 6,592 787 2011 48.5% 51.5% 18.8% 16.5% 20.9% 21% 14.5% 7.5% 0.9% 2001 82,848 48.40% 51.60% 19.40% 16.10% 22.90% 20.30% 13.20% 7.30% 0.40% 1991 78,457 48.70% 51.30% 18.10% 19.80% 21.90% 18.30% 14.60% 6.90% 0.20%

The population of Watford has been estimated at 90,301 by the 2011 Census45. Data shows that the largest proportion of people in this area are aged between 30 and 34, with 22,469 out of 90,301 falling in to this age group. It also has the highest proportion of people relative to the population of the area aged 15 to 29 in the four areas within this study. There has been a population growth of nearly 13.3% in this area in the space of 10 years from the 2001 to 2011 census. The 13.3% increase is the highest proportional increase out of the four local authorities. Watford’s population is comprised of 72.1% white people, which represents 64,946 people according to the 2011 census data. The remaining 27.9% population are described as being mixed, Asian, black, Chinese/other. Watford has a relatively large Asian population (17.9% of the population) according to the 2011 census data. This proportion is significantly larger than the other three study areas have recorded and is approximately four times the proportion of 4.6% recorded for Dacorum.

8.3. Trends All of the areas have shown a population growth between the census of 1991 and 2011 according to statistics. The majority of the population in each of the areas are concentrated between the ages of 25 and 39. The majority of the population in each of the four areas are white people; however the Asian population has shown the fastest and greatest rate of growth since the 1991 census in all sets of data.

432001 & 1991 census data from NHS website - http://www.nhsinherts.nhs.uk/hp/Hertfordshire_age2.htm 44 ONS “Neighbourhood Statistics” http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/ 45ONS “Neighbourhood Statistics” http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=6275298&c=watford&d=13 &e=62&g=6435379&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1369989205258&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2477

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9. Soil

9.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes Besides the higher profile environmental issues, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and desertification, impacts on soil seem often to have a lower priority. This is despite the fact that soil is the foundation of the environment, landscape, wildlife and food production. Nevertheless, on European level the EU 6th Environment Action Programme highlights soil protection as one of main priorities for the future, whereas MPG 6 ‘Aggregates Provision’ advises mineral planning authorities how to balance best social, economic and environmental issues related to mineral and aggregates extraction which can impact on soil. The Soil Action Plan for England has a vision to ensure that England’s soils will be protected and managed to optimise the varied functions that soils perform for society.

9.2. Baseline Information

Figure 15: Agricultural Land Classification for South West Hertfordshire (source: MAGIC).

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South West Hertfordshire’s soils are mainly classified as grade 3 agricultural land, with some grade 2 soils (see Figure 15). A significant proportion is covered by urban areas; a fact it has in common with many areas in the London Arc. Dacorum and St. Albans contain mostly slightly acid loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage, whereas Three Rivers is characterised by more freely draining, slightly acidy sand soils. Watford, being a borough, is contains mainly built up areas46. Major impacts on soil are soil loss, contamination or compaction which can stem from a variety of sources, such as47: Erosion; New developments (e.g. housing and accompanying infrastructure); Nutrient loss and diffuse pollution from agriculture; Climate change; Air pollution and run-off from roads; and, Quarrying. Unfortunately, more detailed data about local soil properties was not available to inform this assessment.

9.3. Trends No trend information is available relating to soils. In terms of future trends, the plans for significant levels of new housing development in the sub-region could adversely affect soils in the area.

9.4. Data Gaps/Uncertainties More detailed information about local soil properties was not available for this study.

46 Levett-Therivel and LUC (2004) "Sustainability Appraisal of the East of England Plan", available at http://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=120&id=SXE12B-A77F5420 47 Environment Agency (2004) “The State of Soils in England and Wales”, available at http://www.environment- agency.gov.uk/subjects/landquality/776051/775200/775473/?lang=_e 30

10. Water

10.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes On an international level, the Millennium Development goals highlight the need to tackle issues, such as climate change, conserving biodiversity and protecting water resources. In Europe, the Water Framework Directive requires Member States to achieve ‘good ecological status’ of inland water bodies by 2015, whilst the EU Nitrates Directive addresses diffuse pollution from agriculture. In England, PPS 23 ‘Pollution Control’ and PPS 25 ‘Development and Flood Risk’ set out how the planning system can help to reduce pollution of water courses and flood risk. A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment has been undertaken to identify area that are at risk from flooding and A Water Cycle Scoping Study is being undertaken to inform the preparation of the LDF and provide evidence to support any polices that relate to water resources, supply and sewerage, wastewater treatment, flood risk, water quality and the wider water environment.

10.2. Baseline Information Water is an essential natural resource. It is important that water resources are protected so that the risk of harm to the environment and to human health can be reduced as far as possible. Nitrate and phosphate levels, in particular, need to be monitored closely due to the risk of eutrophication and loss of biodiversity. For the purpose of this report, data on the chemical and biological quality of rivers, and the percentage of rivers with high phosphate or nitrate concentrations have been collected. In addition, the number of planning permissions objected to and refused due to flood risk has been collected. The data has been compared against regional data.

5. Water Quality In general, chemical water quality between 1995 and 2006 has improved, and biological water quality has declined (Tables 18 and 19). There appears to be no obvious trend regarding phosphate and nitrate concentrations (Tables 20 and 21). Table 18 Chemical Water Quality48 Local 1995 2000 2006 Authority / %Good %Fair %Poor %Bad %G %F %P %B %G %F %P %B Region Watford 52 48 - - 85 15 - - 52 48 - - St Albans 54 46 - - 78 22 - - 93 - 7 - Dacorum 18 74 8 - 28 69 3 - 14 45 42 0 Three 24 70 - - 60 40 - - 5 71 24 - Rivers East of 39.7 47.3 12.8 0.2 45.8 46.9 6.9 0.4 42.4 47.3 10.1 0.2 England

Table 19: Biological Water Quality48 Local 1995 2000 2006 Authority / %G %F %P %B %G %F %P %B %G %F %P %B Region Watford 34 66 - - 82 7 12 - 52 7 33 9 St Albans 55 45 - - 65 35 - - 43 57 - - Dacorum 76 24 - - 57 17 22 4 15 39 46 - Three 90 10 - - 76 12 9 4 36 19 37 8 Rivers East of 71.0 27.9 0.9 0.2 80.9 18.1 0.9 0.1 77.4 20.8 1.7 0.1 England

48 DEFRA e-Digest: http://www2.defra.gov.uk/db/rq/gorlist.asp 31

Table 20: Phosphate Levels48 Local Authority / Region 1995 2000 2006 % High % High % High Watford 100 100 100 St Albans 32.2 59 71 Dacorum 72 72 67 Three Rivers 100 100 93 East of England 82.6 85.4 81.0 Table 21: Nitrate Levels48 Local Authority / Region 1995 2000 2006 % High % High % High Watford 51.7 51.7 51.7 St Albans 56.6 32.2 43 Dacorum 16.1 15.1 8.2 Three Rivers 19.9 19.9 41.9 East of England 94.0 92.8 93.7

The chemical water quality in Watford improved between 1995 and 2000, but declined between 2000 and 2006. Despite this decline, the percentage of rivers considered as having good chemical quality has remained higher than the average for the East of England48. The biological water quality in Watford improved between 1995 and 2000, but declined between 2000 and 2006. The percentage of rivers considered as having good biological quality was lower than the average for the East on England in 1995 and 2006, and slightly higher in 2000. Additionally, the percentage of rivers being considered as having poor or bad water quality has increased48. Phosphate concentrations in Watford have remained very high between 1995 and 2006, with 100% of rivers considered to have high phosphate concentration. This level is higher than the East of England average of 82.6% in 1995, 85.4% in 2000, and 81% in 200648. Nitrate concentrations in Watford remained below the average level for the East of England between 1995 and 2004. Levels decreased between 1995 and 2000, and increased between 2000 and 2006. A general decline, however, can be observed between 1995 and 200648. After 2006 the monitoring of water quality changed to conform with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. Under this new classification the status of the main rivers in Watford area are as follows: River Bulborne: overall status is moderate (ecological status is moderate, chemical status is good); River Gade: overall status is bad (ecological status is moderate, chemical status is fail). More recent information from the Hertfordshire Quality of Life Report 2009 identifies that Veolia Water Three Valleys (VWTV) domestic customers without meters maintained 2008‟s water usage at an average of 175 litres per person per day in 2009. Water usage by customers with meters fell back to 2007 levels from 153 litres in 2008 to 142 litres per person per day in 2009 (Herts QofL 2009). In terms of water quantity, the Water Cycle Scoping Study (2010)49 found that in the future growth scenarios water availability will be manageable, however the sewage infrastructure capacity will be severely constrained and that there is a risk that the Sewage treatment works outfalls serving Watford may pollute the quality of water downstream.

49 Dacorum Borough Council, St Albans City and District Council, Three Rivers District Council, Watford Borough Council, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Water Cycle Study Scoping Study (Hyder, April 2010) 32

6. Flood Risk

Figure 16: Water courses and associated flood risk in Watford (source: Watford BC). Figure 16 illustrates water courses and associated flood risk, whereas Table 22 below displays the number of planning permissions objected to and refused on flood risk grounds between 04/2007 and 07/200850. It can be seen that in general more planning permissions were objected than refused. This may be due to the fact that mitigation measures were introduced to reduce the flood risk50. In general, the flood risk in the area does not appear to be high due to the low number of objections by the Environment Agency. Table22: Planning permissions objected to and refused50. Local Authority / Region Planning permissions objected to by Planning permissions refused in line Environment Agency on flood risk with Environment Agency advice grounds (04/2007 – 03/2008) (04/2007 – 03/2008) Watford 4 0 St Albans 8 1 Dacorum 19 0 Three Rivers 11 3

10.3. Trends Chemical water quality between 1995 and 2006 has remained unchanged, but biological water quality has declined. There has been a general decline in nitrate concentrations, but there appears to be no obvious trend in phosphates.

10.4. Data Gaps/Uncertainties None.

50 Environment Agency – High Level Target 12: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/571633/952531/?version=1&lang=_e 33

11. Social Factors - Housing

11.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes A home is one of the most basic needs. New housing of the right type and in the right location can help facilitate social inclusion. Ensuring that there is provision to meet the variety of needs within the community and a choice of house types, size and affordability within sites can foster a sense of place. The European Spatial Development Perspective (1999) establish a number of common objectives and concepts adopted by EU member states that set the high level framework for national (and hence regional/local spatial plans). Economic and social cohesion are one of the main goals, and housing plays an important role in the achievement of that goal. The main national guidance relating to the provision of new housing on a regional basis is PPS3 ‘Housing’. This guidance emphasises the importance of mixed use developments, ensuring integration of industrial, commercial, and residential property through spatial and transport plans, in order to minimise dependency on road transport. This land use integration will also go some way toward achieving the social deprivation and accessibility objectives within the plan. At a regional level, the Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future – Communities Plan (2003), informs the conversion of RPGs into RSSs incorporating increased targets for brown field development and affordable housing. These aims were incorporated into the East of England Plan. However in July 2010, the Coalition Government revoked Regional Spatial Strategies, including the East of England Plan. At the same time, local planning authorities were made responsible for establishing the right level of housing provision in their area and identifying a 15 year supply of housing land.

Watford’s SPG 1 Affordable Housing sets out specific guidance how to deliver the affordable housing policies of the ceasing District Plan.

11.2. Baseline Information Additional housing is needed in the region. Access to housing is an acute problem in parts the area and many council homes are in need of significant repair. Government household projections based on the 2001 Census suggest that housing demand will be around 17% higher than was estimated by the 1996 Based Household Projections, although at the Regional level they are broadly in line with recent build rates. 26% of Watford’s housing was unfit and classified as non-decent for habitation at the beginning of 2003/4. This figure is only marginally less than the regional average. A similar percentage of Watford’s housing stock is owner occupied and with 26.1% of outright owners living in their properties, this puts the area 4.57% below the East of England average. In 2005, the average house prices in Watford range from £165,700 for a flat to £415,300 for a detached house; with flats being more expensive and detached house being less expensive than the county average. The dwelling stock for all the Hertfordshire local authorities is shown in Figure 17.

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Figure 17: Hertfordshire Dwelling Stock The price of housing compared to earnings is an issue for the area (Figure 18) with the ratios having increased steadily from 2000 through to 2008, although levels did fall back in 200951. 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004R 2005R 2006R 2007R 2008R 2009R Hertfordshire 5.99 6.40 7.63 8.39 9.07 9.47 9.39 10.00 10.08 9.02 Broxbourne 5.71 6.32 8.60 8.93 10.81 10.29 10.33 10.03 9.16 9.52 Dacorum 6.05 6.45 7.38 8.57 9.15 9.02 9.10 9.52 9.71 8.72 East Hertfordshire 6.48 6.79 7.80 8.87 9.70 9.62 10.58 10.48 11.36 9.28 Hertsmere 6.83 7.64 8.97 11.98 10.42 12.77 12.10 13.10 12.72 10.56 North Hertfordshire 5.60 5.61 6.99 8.35 8.56 8.30 9.10 9.27 9.50 8.92 St. Albans 8.05 8.33 9.60 10.44 11.38 12.11 11.90 13.40 12.90 11.55 Stevenage 4.70 5.13 6.53 7.13 7.66 8.14 7.38 7.67 7.61 6.87 Three Rivers 6.98 6.97 7.69 7.71 8.29 7.92 8.16 9.43 9.77 8.34 Watford 5.79 6.41 7.62 7.89 9.27 9.37 8.99 11.72 10.77 8.70 Welwyn Hatfield 5.75 6.33 6.95 8.03 8.65 8.80 9.72 8.75 9.89 8.50 Figure 18: Ratio of lower quartile house price to lower quartile earnings by district51

Figures for affordable dwellings completed as a percentage of all new housing completions are shown in Table 23. In Watford there was a downward trend in the proportion of affordable housing completions between 2003/4 and 2004/5. Table 23: Affordable housing completions (Source Audit Commission Local Area Profiles, 2010) Local Authority Affordable dwellings completed as a percentage of all new housing completions 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 Dacorum 34.62 14.38 11.9 St Albans 17.18 33.44 55.7 Three Rivers 42 37.76 22 Watford 21.3 36.43 33.64

11.3. Trends House prices compared to earnings continue to rise. Provision of affordable housing decreased between 2003/4 and 2004/5.

51 http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/ 35

12. Social Factors - Crime

12.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes Crime is to some extent covered intrinsically in plans and policies that aim to increase social cohesion. Hence plans and policies tackling social inclusion and accessibility will all be relevant. A good example of this can be seen in the Regional Social Strategy: A Strategy to Achieve a Fair and Inclusive Society in the East of England. Its strategic objectives include ‘to develop social networks, community assets and promote community cohesion’, which when tackled would alleviate some of the root causes of crime.

This is seen again at a higher level in the European Spatial Development Perspective (1999) which calls for economic and social cohesion. Objectives and aims relating more directly to crime should be present in community strategies at the district and borough level.

12.2. Baseline Information Crime continued to fall in the county in 2008/09 and Hertfordshire ended the year at its lowest level since 2002 making the county one of the safest in England. The number of crimes reduced by over 5% – equating to more than 4,000 fewer victims. Home burglary is a concern however; having been at its lowest level in 2006/07 it has increased in the past year.

Domestic burglaries per 1000 households: 2006/7: 8.39 2005/2006: 9.4 Violent offences per 1000 population: 2006/7: 15.58 2005/6: 14.03 Theft of a vehicle per 1000 population: 2006/7: 2.26 2005/6: 2.62 Sexual offences per 1000 population: 2006/7: 0.87 2005/6: 0.70

12.3. Trends In general crime levels continue to fall although certain types of crime have not shown this positive trend.

13. Social factors - Accessibility

13.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes Basic facilities are an important part of our communities. They provide essential services such as food and medical provisions. They also contribute to the sense of place in communities and provide a focal point for community interactions. They also provide employment, often for locally based people. Limiting access and availability to these services can make people feel socially excluded and reduce interactions in the community. The European Spatial Development Perspective (1999) establish a number of common objectives and concepts adopted by EU member states that set the high level framework for national (and hence regional/local spatial plans). Economic and social cohesion are one of the main goals, and accessibility (to services and employment) plays an important role in the achievement of that goal. The emphasis on accessibility is continued at this high level by the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. The strategy refers to accessibility directly through ‘improving transport systems and land use management’, and indirectly through ‘dealing with the economic and social implications of an ageing society’ (the latter in terms of easy access to amenities including hospitals, in which public transport and mixed use planning plays a major role). PPG13 ‘Transport’, aims to encourage public transport use, walking and cycling, through managing the pattern of urban growth (and other travel generating development). This will need to be addressed directly within the LDF and should contribute towards the European goals of increasing accessibility to amenities and services for all social and age groups. The East of England Plan (consultation draft) is the overarching regional document relevant to accessibility. It provides the statutory framework for local development plans over the next 20 years, and includes objectives on improving access to employment and services and delivering more integrated patterns of land use. The Regional Social Strategy (2007) develops upon these aims in six strategic objectives which include: promoting access to work and improving access to services, especially for disadvantaged people. The Hertfordshire LTP2 includes objectives on developing transport systems that provide access to employment, shopping, education, leisure and health facilities for all (including those without a car

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and those with impaired mobility). The LDF should take account of these transport objectives, and attempt to provide complimentary land use planning objectives to lie alongside them, e.g. mixed use planning, siting developments next to existing public transport facilities.

13.2. Baseline Information Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan (2006/7) highlights that:

Hertfordshire has more than 1900 miles of public right of ways, providing access to services, facilities and recreational walks and cycle paths; The number of people killed and seriously injured in road accidents, and children killed and seriously injured have reduced by 25% (2000-2003), and the number of slight casualties by 13%. The County Council has seen a trend of declining bus use in recent years, which it is seeking to reverse through the Bus, Rail and ‘Intalink’ Strategies.

BVPI indicators provide the following information on a regional level only: The percentage of principle roads in the region, in need of repair stood at 8.7% in 2003/4, slightly lower than the English average of 9.8%; Local buses in the region see less patronage than other regions, at just over 14 million passenger journeys per year compared to an average per region in England of over 23.5 million (in 2003/4); The percentage total length of footpaths and other rights of way which are easy to use in the region stood at 79.3%, significantly higher than the England average of 68.9%; and, The proportion of pedestrian crossings with disabled facilities within the region is similar to the English average, at 84.9% and 82.4% respectively. One indicator for accessibility can be measured using the ODPM BVPI indicator for 2003/4 of ‘% of local authority buildings suitable for and accessible by disabled people’. The percentage that has been recorded for Watford is 62.26%, giving it a value that is 15.1% above the regional average.

13.3. Trends Watford has an above average proportion of local authority buildings that are classified as suitable for and accessible by disabled people.

14. Social Factors - Social Deprivation

14.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The European Spatial Development Perspective (1999) establish a number of common objectives and concepts adopted by EU member states that set the high level framework for national (and hence regional/local spatial plans). Economic and social cohesion are one of the main goals, and as such, place tackling pockets of social deprivation high on the agenda. The main national guidance relevant to social deprivation is: PPG3 ‘Housing’, which emphasises the importance of mixed use developments, and ensuring integration of industrial, commercial, and residential property through spatial and transport plans. This, alongside PPG13 ‘Transport’, aims to improve access to amenities, services, and employment opportunities for all social and age groups. England’s Rural Strategy (2004) includes as one of its three key policies: ‘Social Justice for All – tackling social exclusion wherever it occurs and providing fair access to services and opportunities for all rural people’. Despite its relatively small spatial scale, Watford’s LDF will need to take into account rural issues.

14.2. Baseline Information The geographical spread of deprivation across Hertfordshire can be gauged by using the Government’s Indices of Deprivation 2004 (ID2004). These rely on Census and administrative data from 2001 for the Census’s lower-layer Super Output Areas (SOAs). There are 32,482 of these in England (as of 2010), as opposed to the 8,414 wards used for the Indices of Deprivation 2000. In Hertfordshire there were estimated to be 82,559 people in the income deprived category. This represents around 8% of residents. For employment deprivation the number is 31,841. Hertfordshire has over 15% of the total numbers of income deprived in the region and over 14% of the employment

37

deprived. As Hertfordshire has around 19% of the region’s residents, it can be concluded that these forms of deprivation are somewhat less prevalent in Hertfordshire than in the region as a whole52. Watford ranks 197th out of the 354 local authority areas in England on the 2010 Index of Multiple Deprivation rankings (A rank of 1 being the most deprived). This compares to a ranking of 223 in the equivalent 2004 report. The percentage of economically active people from ethnic minorities in Watford is recorded at 13.6%, which is considerably higher than the regional average that stands at 5.2%. 10.4% of Watford’s Disabled population are economically active. This puts the area just below the regional average.

14.3. Trends Levels of deprivation in Watford have remained constant between 2000 and 2004 when compared to other local authorities in England. However, it remains more deprived than its neighbouring authorities.

15. Social Factors - Recreation, Sport and Leisure

15.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The way in which green spaces are treated within land-use development documents are vital to an areas recreation, leisure and sports capacity. National guidance exists in the form of PPG17 ‘Planning for Open Space, Sport, and Recreation’. This guidance acknowledges that the recreational quality of opens spaces can be eroded by insensitive development, and therefore local authorities should weigh up any benefits being offered to the community against the loss of open space that will occur (and the benefits that it too provides to the local community). In general, all plans and policies that relate to the improving of human health through exercise are relevant to this section. This strong link between recreation/sport and health is illustrated within the Health White Paper (2004), Choosing Health: making Healthier Choices Easier, with one of its priorities being ‘increasing exercise’. At a more regional level, the Hertfordshire Sustainability Guide (2003) aims to ‘promote healthier lifestyles’ alongside, ‘protecting, providing, and improving open spaces’. Watford recently published a draft Green Spaces Strategy which aims to secure the sufficient provision of green spaces in the area.

15.2. Baseline Information In Watford, the figure per 1000 of the population for the number or visits to or usage of museums was only 153 according to the data presented by the ODPM BVPI. This is well below the figures recorded for St Albans and both the regional and English averages. According to the Hertfordshire Community Directory53, there are 11 Leisure and Sports centres in Watford.

Figure 19: Areas Deficient of Public Open Space in Watford (source: Watford BC). In addition, a considerable part of Watford lacks access to public open space as shown in Figure 21. However, the council is working on these issues and has compiled a open and green spaces database.

15.3. Trends No trend data available.

52 Hertfordshire Local Economy Assessment (2004) 53 http://www.hertsdirect.org/comdirectory/comvol/sport2y/spcent3y/ 38

16. 16 Social Factors - Disability Allowance

16.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The Disability Discrimination Act came into force in October 2004. The relevant quotes from the 175- page Code of Practice are: 2.2 (p7): “The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person by refusing to provide any service which it provides to members of the public.”; and, 4.7 (p39): “From 1st October 1999 a service provider has to take reasonable steps to change a practice which makes it unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of its services.”. This will have consequences for many types of commercial and industrial developments, and land-use development plans will need to take into account these requirements at their most basic level.

16.2. Baseline Information The Disability Living Allowance is paid to people under 65, who are disabled, and need help with personal care and/or getting around. In August 2009, 2,880 people in Watford received this benefit54. Attendance Allowance is paid to people aged 65 or over who are disabled, either physically or mentally, and who need supervision or assistance with personal care over a prolonged period of time. In August 2003, 1,530 people in Watford received this allowance, which represented 15% of all those people aged 65 and over living in the area; this compared with 14% in England and Wales. In March 2009, 2,520 people in Watford between the ages of 16 and 65 claimed Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disability Allowance because they had been unable to work for at least 28 consecutive weeks because of illness or disability.

16.3. Trends The number of people receiving disability allowance increased steadily between 2002 and 2009. Trend information was not obtained for the other factors.

17. Social Factors - Healthcare

17.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes Health is a universal basic human need. High levels of public health lead to fitter, happier and healthier people. Health services are nationally high on citizens’ list of political priorities. Other benefits include employment provision and contribution to the local economy, training and research opportunities, reduced burden on social services and public finances. Addressing the effects to public health, and, dealing with the social and economic implications of an ageing society, are both key objectives of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (2001), and will both have implications on future healthcare provision.

17.2. Baseline Information In terms of life expectancy, Watford underperforms in comparison with regional figures and trends and also when compared with other boroughs in Hertfordshire. Table 24 shows life expectancy trends in Watford compared with those for the region. Life Expectancy in Watford is slightly below the East of England average.

54 www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk 39

2000/02 2002/04 2003/05 2006/08 2007/09 Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females Watford 76.3 79.9 76.7 80.8 77.0 80.7 77.5 81.4 78.1 81.7 East of 77.0 81.4 77.6 81.6 78.0 81.8 78.9 82.7 79.3 83.0 England Table 24: Life expectancy (source: Health Profiles of Hertfordshire55) In Watford, 9% of the resident population provided unpaid care compared to 10% in England and Wales. Of the people providing unpaid care, 18% gave 50 hours or more per week; this compared with 21% in England and Wales56.

17.3. Trends Watford’s life expectancy is below the level recorded for East of England.

18. Social Factors - Education

18.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The European Spatial Development Perspective (1999) establish a number of common objectives and concepts adopted by EU member states that set the high level framework for national (and hence regional/local spatial plans). Economic and social cohesion are one of the main goals, and education plays an important role in the achievement of that goal. At a regional level, the Regional Social Strategy (2007), includes strategic objectives covering: improving life chances of children from disadvantaged families, and improving the life chances of adults through learning and skills development. These objectives can be tackled through the LDF by increasing accessibility not only to employment opportunities but also to education facilities.

18.2. Baseline Information The proportion of people of working age qualified to GCSE A level equivalent or higher in the East of England was 47.6% in 2003, this was below the UK average of 50 per cent. The East of England had the lowest percentage of higher education students who were studying in their own area, 41% in 2002/03. In Hertfordshire the proportion of pupils achieving at least level 4 at Key Stage 2 (KS2) (the anticipated level of attainment for pupils aged 11 in their final year at primary school) changed from 75% in 1999 to 78% in 2004 for Mathematics and from 78% to 83% in respect of English. There are approximately 45,893 students in Hertfordshire, 19,061 of which are economically active. The percentage of people aged 16-74 that have no qualifications in Watford is 23.7% compared with a regional average of 27.9%. Six per cent of the resident population of Watford were school pupils or full-time students aged 16-74 years at the time of the 2001 census (compared with 5.1% in England and Wales). In the academic year 2005/06, 61.4% of pupils in Hertfordshire achieved 5 or more GCSEs graded A* to C. The average in England was 54.2%. Table 25 below provides an overview of the qualifications held by the working age population of Watford (with Hertfordshire and East of England data for comparison).

Table 25: Qualifications of working age population (males 16-64, females 16-59) - 2005 Watford Watford (%) Hertfordshire (%) East of England (numbers) (%) NVQ4 and above 16,000 30.8 32.0 24.8 NVQ3 and above 25,800 49.7 51.7 42.4 NVQ2 and above 33,900 65.2 68.8 62.6 NVQ1 and above 39,100 75.3 83.0 78.9

55 Health Profiles of Hertfordshire - http://www.nhsinherts.nhs.uk/ha/publications/ahr2001/Profile%20Report%202001%20(C1).pdf 56 National statistics - http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/AreaProfile2.do?tab=3 40

Other 6,400 12.4 7.4 7.8 qualifications No qualifications 6,400 12.4 9.6 13.2 NVQ4 and above – HND, Degree, High Degree level NVQ3 and above – 2 or more A Levels, advanced GNVQ, NVQ3 NVQ2 and above – 5 or more GCSEs at grades A to C, intermediate GNVQ, NVQ2 NVQ1 and above – Fewer than 5 GCSEs at grades A to C, foundation GNVQ, NVQ1 Other qualifications – includes foreign qualifications and some professional qualifications No qualifications – no formal qualifications held.

The proportion of all 18-24 year olds in full time education or employment in 20023/2004 in Watford, according to data found at the Hertfordshire Observatory is 95.2%. The percentage of 15 year olds that attend schools maintained by local authorities and that are accomplishing at 5 or more GCSEs and achieving grades between A*-C in Watford was 59.1% in 2000/1, compared to a regional average of 50.7% and an English average of 45.3%. This translates to a number of approximately 875 pupils out of a possible 1480.

18.3. Trends Education Demand

The area of Hertfordshire experienced a falling demand for primary school places for the period 2000– 2007 this was similar to that of the national trend. The situation however has now changed, demand for primary schools has increased and is predicted to increase further57. It was forecast that the demand for reception places will increase by 8% within Hertfordshire from 2009 to 2012. This growth in demand will not be consistent within the county, local areas will be susceptible to rapid and unpredictable changes. In addition to this pressure, there is also the requirement to support and raise educational standards.

57 Hertfordshire County Council (2009) "Meeting the rising demand for school places", accessed at http://www.hertsdirect.org/docs/pdf/m/risingdemand 41

19. Economic Factors - Economic Activity

19.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The UK Government’s approach to sustainable development recognises that a better quality of life for all includes economic growth and employment as well as more widely available goods and services. This requires the creation of stable and competitive economy. Over the past three decades, UK output and inflation has been highly volatile. Economic instability has significant costs, making it difficult for individuals and firms to plan and invest, with damaging effects on long-term economic growth. It involves social costs that often fall heavily on people on lower incomes. The sensible response to this kind of economic uncertainty and turbulence is an emphasis on resilience - that is, on enabling the economy to cope with a range of possible shocks and changes. Economic resilience entails maintaining portfolios of diverse options and solutions rather than aiming for a single optimum, and maintaining the capacity of smaller and simpler subsystems to perform basic tasks if larger and more complex systems fail.

Relevant national guidance exists through a number of Planning Policy Guidance Notes. PPS4 ‘Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth’ provides guidance on the provision in planning for economic development alongside respect for the environment. This document also promotes a ‘town centre first’ sequential approach to development with the aim of creating thriving town centres that provide a range of facilities for local people. It also discusses enhancement of the quality of life and the environment in rural areas.

Tourism has been and increasingly will be an important component of the local economy. PPG21 related to tourism outlines the economic significance of tourism along with its potential environmental impacts. The combination of these two factors makes it an important consideration for any land-use plans.

The importance of economic growth as a key pillar within sustainable development is illustrated at the regional level by the Sustainable Development Framework for the East of England (2001). One of the Frameworks key objectives is for the achievement of growth in a balanced way.

A Shared Vision: The Regional Economic Strategy of the East of England (2004), expresses a vision of creating a leading economy, through objectives pertaining to improved skills base, innovation and entrepreneurship, efficient resource use, and tackling social exclusion. This is the key regional document relating to the economic activity. At a more local level, the Economic Development Strategy for Hertfordshire (2000-2005) sets out economic priorities up to 2005, including developing skills and promoting social inclusion. This Strategy embodies a large part of the Counties Employment Strategy and Workforce Development Plan. Hertfordshire’s important rural economy is addressed through ‘Rural Hertfordshire – and agenda for action 2001’ (2005).

At a county level the Hertfordshire Economic Development Strategy (2009) outlines how the county will build on its strengths and opportunities, and meet the challenges it faces. The five key economic objectives are: creating a vibrant, low carbon economy; stimulating enterprise, innovation and inward investment; developing a well-skilled workforce; providing quality locations and infrastructure; and creating vibrant towns and vibrant communities.

19.2. Baseline Information In Hertfordshire estimated GVA shrunk by 2.9%, a slightly better performance than that of the East of England, where the drop was 3.7% and substantially better than that of the UK, where the decrease was 4.9%. The clearest indication of the recession in Hertfordshire has been the rise in the number of people claiming benefits (see Table 26). In September 2010 the county’s claimant percentage was 3.5%. This represents a 0.4% decrease on a year previously.

Date Watford Watford % East % Great Britain % Sep 2008 873 1.6 1.8 2.4 Dec 2008 1079 1.9 2.3 2.9 Mar 2009 1655 2.9 3.2 3.8

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Jun 2009 1752 3.1 3.2 3.9 Sep 2009 1783 3.2 3.2 3.9 Dec 2009 1734 3.1 3.2 3.9 Mar 2010 1803 3.2 3.3 4.0 Jun 2010 1700 3.0 2.9 3.6 Sep 2010 1742 3.1 2.9 3.5 Dec 2010 1603 2.8 2.8 3.5 Mar 2011 1728 3.1 3.0 3.8

Table 26 – Shows the amount of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) 58 https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/2038431801/subreports/jsa_time_series/report.aspx

Employment rates in the region remain high. The region however needs to do better in its progress towards National Learning Targets. In addition a significantly lower proportion of employees in the Region receive job-related training than the UK average. As in the rest of the country, women are also receiving less job-related training than men. Table 27 below shows the percentages of economic activity in the areas under examination, Watford, St Albans, Dacorum and Three Rivers.

Table 27: Economic Activity59. % males (16-64) Watford St Albans Dacorum Three Rivers Economically Active 78.5% 78.2% 77.1% 77.9% Economically Inactive 13.3% 14.5% 16.2% 15.2% Students (economically 8.1% 7.2% 6.6% 6.9% active or inactive) % females (16-59) Watford St Dacorum Three Albans Rivers Economically Active 67.9% 65.7% 66.3% 65.4% Economically Inactive 24.3% 26.7% 27.1% 27.2% Students (economically 7.9% 7.6% 6.6% 7.4% active or inactive)

Table 28 shows the percentage of long term unemployment in the areas identified above. Table 118: Long term unemployment. % males (16-74) Watford St Albans Dacorum Three Rivers Long Term 1.6% 1.1% 1.5% 1.3% Unemployed

% females (16-74) Watford St Dacorum Three Albans Rivers Long Term 1.4% 0.9% 1.3% 1.1% Unemployed

Table 29 shows income support claimants in Hertfordshire and then Watford, St Albans, Dacorum and Three Rivers.

58 59ONS "Neigbourhood Statistics" http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/, 43

Table 29: Income Support Claimants. Total % Pensioners Disabled Lone Other (MIG) Parents Hertfordshire 44,550 100 21,510 10,525 10,430 2,085 Watford 3,820 8.6 940 940 920 225 St Albans 4,265 9.6 2,020 1,150 895 200 Dacorum 5,765 13 2,795 1,385 1,340 245 Three Rivers 3,215 7.2 1,635 665 770 145

Hertfordshire’s economy underperformed during the 2000s and the current recession has seen it slow down further60.

20. Economic Factors - Employment

20.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes The majority of the plans and programmes mentioned above under ‘Economic Activity and Foot- Printing’, are relevant to, and promote, local employment. A number of the more relevant pieces of national and regional guidance are described below: PPS6 ‘Town Centres and Retail Developments’, focuses on the regeneration of town centres; promoting their viability and vitality through improving their environment, transport and safety. Viable town centres will provide employment opportunities, and improved transport should stimulate increased employment opportunities for all sectors of society. The tourism sector could potentially provide a significant amount of local employment. PPG21 related to tourism outlines the economic significance of tourism along with its potential environmental impacts. The combination of these two factors makes it an important consideration for any land-use plans. The Economic Development Strategy for Hertfordshire (2006-2011) sets out economic priorities up to 2011, including developing skills and promoting social inclusion. This Strategy embodies a large part of the Counties Employment Strategy and Workforce Development Plan.

20.2. Baseline Information Between 2007 and 2010 the equivalent of 1.2% of the working age population was added to the Hertfordshire claimant count, doubling the proportion from 1.2% to 2.4% (in the UK the equivalent addition was higher – 1.5%). As of October 2010, Watford had 3% of the population claiming job seekers allowance, this slightly fell from 2009 which was at 3.1% of the population. Tables 30 and 31 provide data on employment for Watford . Table 30 – Young people in education or employment Indicator Watford Percentage of young people 2003/04 95.2 aged 16 to 24 years old in full 2002/03 96.6 time education or employment

60 Hertfordshire Economic Development Strategy 2009-2021 (Hertfordshire Works, 2010) 44

Table 312 – Working age employment Indicator Watford Percentage of the Oct 2009-Sep 2010 76.8 working age population Jul 2009-Jun 2010 75.9 who are in employment Apr 2009-Mar 2010 75.1 Jan 2009-Dec 2009 77.1 Oct 2008-Sep 2009 75.0 Jul 2008-Jun 2009 73.4 Apr 2008-Mar 2009 75.1 Jan 2008-Dec 2008 75.9 Oct 2007-Sep 2008 75.6 Jul 2007-Jun 2008 76.3 Apr 2007-Mar 2008 76.5 Jan 2007-Dec 2007 76.9 Oct 2006-Sep 2007 76.8 Apr 2006-Mar 2007 81.9 Jan 2006-Dec 2006 82.6 Oct 2005-Sept 2006 84.9 Jul 2007 – Jun 2006 87.8 Apr 2005 – Mar 2006 81.6 Source: http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/2038431801/subreports/ea_time_series/report.aspx

20.3. Trends There is no clear trend in unemployment figures for Watford; the effects of the recession are noticeable from 2007 onwards in Watford with signs of recovery towards the end of 2010.

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21. Economic Factors - Economic Footprint

21.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes See relevant section under ’Economic Activity’.

21.2. Baseline Information Hertfordshire accounts for 21% of Gross Value Added (GVA) growth in the East of England, and just over 2% of UK GVA. Over the period 2003-2009, GVA growth in the county is expected to average 3% pa, faster than the average for the East of England (2¾% pa) and UK (2½% pa). As in the rest of the UK, growth over this period is expected to be fuelled by services, with growth in manufacturing only averaging 1¼% pa, which is slower than the growth expected in manufacturing in the East of England (3% pa) and UK (2¾% pa) as a whole. Employment growth in the county is expected to be driven by financial & business services, at 2¼% pa over 2003-2009, which is faster than the growth expected in the East of England (1¾% pa) and UK (1½% pa) over the same period. The Governments Index of Deprivation (2010) gives information on the numbers considered income deprived and employment deprived. The actual numbers of people in the income deprived and employment deprived61 categories, on which these indices are based, are reported as the ‘Income Scale’ and the ‘Employment Scale’. (using mid 2001 estimates). An analysis of the results for the four areas was included in the Hertfordshire Local Economy Assessment (2004): Watford accounts for around 12% of GVA in Hertfordshire. Over 2003-2009, GVA in the district is expected to grow marginally slower than the county, with growth of 3% pa compared with just over 3% pa. Manufacturing output accounts for a higher proportion of output in the district than in the county as a whole. Watford has a higher proportion of employment in distribution, hotels & catering than the county average, and the sector accounts for almost 30% of employment in the district. According to the Income Scale, Watford had 7,624 people affected by income deprivation. This represented 9.5% of the resident population. According to the Employment Scale, Watford had 3,006 employment deprived people. This represented 5.8% of the population of working age. On both proportional counts Watford ranks third among the ten districts. Figure19 below classifies the areas in Watford according to the Index of Multiple deprivation. Those in the First regional quartile of this index are more deprived and are defined as more deprived than areas ranking in sequential quartiles.

61 A person is defined as employment deprived if they want to work but are excluded from the labour market through unemployment, sickness or disability. 46

Figure 19: Index of multiple deprivation in Watford62

21.3. Trends Watford contributes 11% towards Hertfordshire’s GVA.

22. Economic Factors - Enterprise and Innovation

22.1. Relationship with other Plans and Programmes See relevant section under ‘Economic Activity’.

62 Moderngov (2010), accessed at http://watford.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s3483/Appendix%20Di%20map%20of%20watford.pdf 47

22.2. Baseline Information The number of VAT registered businesses in Hertfordshire increased every year between 1996 and 2008.

Businesses in Watford accounted for over 7.3% of all businesses in the county in 2003, in 2008 this figure was 7.1%. In 2002, the majority of business units were micro (1-10 employees) and over a third of business units were in banking, finance and insurance.

Watford St Albans Dacorum Three Rivers Hertfordshire 2006 3010 6115 5720 3575 42410 2007 3070 6220 5870 3670 43190 2008 3175 6440 6115 3757 44635

22.3. Trends There has been no clear trend in the number of VAT registered business in the areas. Some have experienced a positive growth in numbers and the data for others leaves us with ambiguous conclusions, in which the overall result was a fall, however in a three year span, this is not hugely indicative.

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7. References AEA (2012) "Local and Regional CO2 Emissions Estimates for 2005-2010", available at https://www.gov.uk /government/publications/local-authority-emissions-estimates DEFRA (2009) "AQMAs Declared by Watford Borough Council", Accessed http://watford.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s3483/Appendix%20Di%20map%20of%20watford.pdf

ONS "Neighbourhood Statistics", available at http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/AreaProfile2.do?tab=3

ONS "Neighbourhood Statistics", available at http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=6275298&c= watford&d=13&e=6&g=6435379&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1369839225456&enc=1

ONS "Neighbourhood Statistics", available at http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?adminCompAndTimeI d=26922%3A238&a=7&b=6275298&c=watford&d=13&r=1&e=6&f=26921&o=296&g=6435379&i=1 001x1003x1004x1005&l=1700&m=0&s=1369842139706&enc=1 Hertfordshire councils November 2009 & 2010 DEFRA (2010) "Municipal Waste Statistics - Local Authority data", available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/.../mwb200910a.xls

ONS “Neighbourhood Statistics” http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/ ONS “Neighbourhood Statistics” http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=6275298&c= watford&d=13&e=62&g=6435379&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1369989205258&enc=1 &dsFamilyId=2477 Hertfordshire County Council (2009) "Meeting the rising demand for school places", accessed at http://www.hertsdirect.org/docs/pdf/m/risingdemand

ONS "Neigbourhood Statistics" http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/ Moderngov (2010), accessed at http://watford.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s3483/Appendix%20Di%20map%20of%20watford.pdf Air Quality Archive, available at http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/laqm/laqm.php APIS, available as http://www.apis.ac.uk/overview/regulations/overview_UK_NAQS.htm Borough of Dacorum (1999) "Dacorum Borough Nature Conservation Strategy", available at http://www.ukbap.org.uk/lbap.aspx?ID=371 Campaign to Protect Rural England (2003) "Night Blight! Report", available at http://www.cpre.org.uk/publications/landscape/light-pollution.htm Campaign to Protect Rural England (2005) "Mapping Tranquillity - Defining and assessing a valuable resource", available at http://www.cpre.org.uk/publications/landscape/tranquillity.htm Cheeseman, K. and Phillips, P. (2001), "The Northamptonshire Resource Efficiency Project: the exit strategy", Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 32, 203-226. Cooper, J. (2001) "Waste: striving for a more sustainable future, Local Environment", 6 (2), 109-111. Countryside Agency (2000) "Character Northern Thames Basin", available at http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Images/JCA111_tcm2-21204.pdf Countryside Agency (2000) "Landscape Character Areas in the South East and London ", available at http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/CC/SEL/index.asp Dacorum DC "Sport Centres", available at http://www.dacorum.gov.uk/about/sportscentres.aspx DEFRA (2005) "Home Energy Conservation Atc 1995", available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/energy/heca95/pdf/heca-data2004.pdf EA (2005) "High Level Target 12: Development & Flood Risk 2003/04", available at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/571633/952531/?version=1&lang=_e East of England Regional Assembly (2004) "draft East of England Plan", available at http://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=452 49

English Heritage (2004) "Heritage Counts 2004 - The State of England's Historic Environment", available at http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/heritagecounts/ English Heritage (2005) “Buildings At Risk Search”, available at http://www.english- heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1426 English Nature (1997) "Chilterns Natural Area", available at http://www.english- nature.org.uk/science/natural/profiles/naProfile65.pdf English Nature (1997) "London Basin Natural Area", available at http://www.english- nature.org.uk/science/natural/profiles/naProfile66.pdf English Nature (2005) “Local Nature Reserves”, available at http://www.english- nature.org.uk/special/lnr/lnr_search.asp Environment Agency (2004) “The State of Soils in England and Wales”, available at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/landquality/776051/775200/775473/?lang=_e EU (2001) "Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment", available http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eia/full-legal-text/0142_en.pdf Forestry Commission (2002) "National Inventory of Woodland and Tress - County Report Hertfordshire", available at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/hertfordshire.pdf/$FILE/hertfordshire.pdf Harman, J, Gawith, M. and Colley, M. (2005) "Progress on assessing climate impacts through the UK Climate Impacts Programme", Weather, 60 (9), 258-262. Hertfordshire County Council "Sport and Leisure Centres", available at http://www.hertsdirect.org/comdirectory/comvol/sport2y/spcent3y/ Hertfordshire Environmental Forum (2004) "Quality of Life Report 2004", available at http://www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs/pdfstore/qol4.pdf Hertfordshire Environmental Forum and Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (1998) "A 50 Year Vision for the Wildlife and Natural Habitats of Hertfordshire", available at http://www.ukbap.org.uk/lbap.aspx?id=374 Hertfordshire Prosperity Local Economy Assessment (2004) http://enquire.hertscc.gov.uk/lea/lea3fina.pdf Herts Link (2004) "Quality of Life Indicators", available at http://www.hertslink.org/portal/Observatory/Data%20by%20Subject/Life%20in%20the%20community/ Quality%20of%20Life/Quality%20of%20Life%20Indicators Hertslink "Infant Mortality", available at http://www.hertslink.org/portal/Observatory/Data%20by%20Subject/Life%20in%20the%20community/ Quality%20of%20Life/Quality%20of%20Life%20Indicators/QoL11%20Infant%20Mortality.xls Levett-Therivel and LUC (2004) "East of England Plan - SA Report", available at http://www.go- east.gov.uk/goeast/publications/ Levett-Therivel and LUC (2004) "Sustainability Appraisal of the East of England Plan", available at http://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=120&id=SXE12B-A77F5420 National Statistics - http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/AreaProfile2.do?tab=3 Netcen (2003) "Local and Regional Estimates of Carbon Emissions 2003 (excludes aviation, offshore, shipping)", available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/globatmos/galocalghg.htm NHS "Hertfordshire Age Profile", available at http://www.nhsinherts.nhs.uk/hp/Hertfordshire_age2.htm ODPM "Local Authorities' Best Value Performance Indicator", available at http://www.bvpi.gov.uk/pages/index.asp ODPM (2005) "Sustainability Appraisal of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Documents", available at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/ ODPM BVPI - http://www.bvpi.gov.uk/pages/KeyFacts_BVPI.asp?map=2&aid=232 ONS "Neighborhood Statistics", available at http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/AreaProfile2.do?tab=3 ONS (2003) "Regional Quality of Life Counts", available at http://www.sustainable- development.gov.uk/documents/publications/rqolc2003.pdf ONS “Census 2001”. Regional Quality of Life Counts, available at http://www.sustainable- development.gov.uk/documents/publications/rqolc2003.pdf Three Rivers DC "Leisure and Culture", available at http://www.threerivers.gov.uk/Default.aspx/Web/LeisureandCulture Watford BC (2003) “Watford District Plan 2000”, available at http://www.Watford.gov.uk/ccm/content/planning-and-development/Watford-District-Plan-2000- 599.en?page=2

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Williams, P. (2005). "Waste Treatment and Disposal", Second edition, John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Chichester, 380pp.

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