Land at Marshmoor, Welham Green (Weg4a & Weg4b)
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Land at Marshmoor, Welham Green (WeG4a & WeG4b) Proposals for a mixed-use urban extension on behalf of Gascoyne Cecil Estates March 2015 Executive Summary The New Local Plan Land at Marshmoor, This land has previously been Welham Green identified by the Council in its Welwyn Hatfield Borough Strategic Housing Land Availability Council are preparing a new Welham Green is a sustainable Assessment (SHLAA) as a potential Local Plan, which will set out location for development, option for development to meet a strategy for providing for benefitting from a railway station, future housing needs, and it has the Borough’s development existing employment areas also previously been promoted needs over the next 16 years. and local shopping facilities. by Gascoyne Cecil Estates as a location for a business park. Emerging evidence suggests that The land at Marshmoor, on the there is a substantial need for eastern edge of Welham Green, is There are no technical constraints new housing in the Borough and unattractive in appearance and which would preclude a mixed in surrounding areas, which will under-used, but has great potential use business park and residential require development to take place to accommodate a sustainable development taking place at on greenfield and Green Belt land. form of development which Marshmoor. The proposed level would build on the presence of development can be delivered There is also a high level of of the railway station to form with an improved roundabout demand in the region for facilities a new high quality business on the A1000 and the use of an for research and development in park and also make a valuable existing access further north on sectors such as bio tech, which contribution towards meeting the the same road. Development can need to be located with good Borough’s need for new housing. also be designed to positively connections to the strategic manage surface and ground water. transport networks and existing The new business park has the academic and commercial facilities. potential to provide valuable jobs The proposals provide an to enhance the Borough’s future opportunity to enhance The Council have considered prosperity, and build on success in biodiversity within the site through Gascoyne Cecil Estate’s proposals research and development, such the creation of new habitats and for a mixed use urban extension as by providing valuable space the retention and management to Welham Green as being ‘finely to allow the Royal Veterinary of existing trees and hedgerows. balanced’. We set out within this College to grow. This would foster document and accompanying new companies, whilst limiting representations a response to the loss of existing academic the Council’s concerns relating to and technical expertise. issues such as landscape impact, need and deliverability. We believe Gascoyne Cecil Estates also see that the site should be categorised this as an opportunity to provide as ‘more favourable’, and included an enhanced landscape buffer within the new Local Plan. to Hatfield Park, which lies to the east, through significant additional landscape planting. ii Land at Marshmoor, Welham Green (WeG4b) Concept Masterplan Land at Marshmoor, iii Welham Green (WeG4b) All maps and plans based upon or reproduced from Ordnance Survey unless otherwise noted. © Crown copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Licence number 100039935. All photos: © JB Planning Associates unless otherwise noted. iv Land at Marshmoor, Welham Green (WeG4b) Contents Document Purpose 1 Overview 1 • Planning Policy Context This document sets out proposals for an urban extension on the 2 Context 3 eastern side of Welham Green, • Welham Green at Marshmoor. The residential development proposed would 3 The Site and Proposals 5 help to meet the need for housing • Land at Marshmoor in the Borough over the period of • The Proposals the new Local Plan. The new high quality business park would help 4 Access and Movement 7 to provide new jobs and diversify the local economy. These proposals 5 Local Infrastructure are intended to help inform the Implications 9 Council’s preparation of their new • Utilities Local Plan, which must identify • Noise suitable development sites such as this, to meet future housing 6 Surface Water and employment needs. They are Management 11 presented on behalf of Gascoyne Cecil Estates and the other owners 7 Ecology 15 of the land at Marshmoor. 8 Landscape 17 9 Concept Masterplan 19 10 Business Park 21 11 Residential Development 23 12 Gascoyne Cecil Estates 25 Land at Marshmoor, v Welham Green (WeG4b) Key Stages to Local Plan 2014 Q1 Q2 Complete and review technical work Q3 Q4 Reg. 13/18 consultation 2015 Q1 Review responses to consultation Q2 Complete Proposed Submission Document Q3 Q4 Reg. 19 Proposed Submission consultation 2016 Q1 Review responses to consultation Q2 Submission of Local Plan Q3 Examination in Public Q4 Inspector’s Report / Adoption Source: The Welwyn Hatfield Local Development Scheme, June 2014 vi Land at Marshmoor, Welham Green (WeG4b) 1 Overview Planning Policy Context The new Local Plan will also The Council must now identify be required to meet the need sites such as this to meet future Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council for housing, and whilst the development needs in its new are in the process of reviewing Council’s evidence indicates that Local Plan. New development their 2005 Local Plan. The this is substantial, we believe it is often most appropriate in Government requires all local to be even higher than has so urban extensions to sustainable authorities to prepare up to date far been estimated. In addition, settlements such as Welham Local Plans to identify the need there is a substantial need for Green because these locations for new development, and direct new employment premises to tend to have the least impact how it should be distributed over serve expanding areas of the on sensitive environments, the next 15–20 years. This need, economy, such as research- and the best access to public for housing and jobs, arises both based businesses. The proposals transport and local services. locally and through migration, for Marshmoor are intended to particularly from London. It help meet both of these needs. requires the Council to plan for a step-change in development Given the lack of capacity for over the coming years, and further development in the to positively embrace new Borough’s existing built-up opportunities where they arise. areas, it is now inevitable that some new development will It is necessary for the new Local need to be located on green field Plan to make provision for the and Green Belt land, if long- continuing growth of the economy, term housing needs are to be to attract and retain skilled jobs met. Meanwhile, many existing within the Borough. Gascoyne employment sites are of a poor Cecil Estates believe that there is quality, and their redevelopment an opportunity to provide new is not viable; new sites such as high quality accommodation to this are therefore required. meet a demand for research and development businesses. This Government policy in the National would be intended to meet the Planning Policy Framework places needs of start-up companies great weight on the importance and also demand arising from of meeting these needs, and established institutions such as this can form the necessary The land at Marshmoor is in a the Royal Veterinary College and exceptional circumstances required sustainable location, very close to Welham Green railway station University of Hertfordshire, both to revise Green Belt boundaries. of which are based nearby. Land at Marshmoor, 1 Welham Green (WeG4b) Local shops in Welham Green 2 Context Welham Green Welham Green is a village close to the southern edge of Hatfield, and the route of the old Great North Road. It is famous for being the site of the first hot air balloon landing in England, by Vincenzo Lunardi in 1784, a fact which is commemorated by a stone at Balloon Corner, in the village. The village has grown in recent years following the opening of the railway station in 1986. The village also has a range of shops, including a Post Office, butcher, baker, local stores, chemist, take- aways, pubs and services such Welham Green benefits from as hairdressers and dry cleaners. a good bus service The presence of these local shops and facilities imply that local residents can and do shop locally for convenience goods and services, reducing their need to travel by car. The village accommodates a major employment area, at Traveller’s Lane, on the western side of the railway line. This area benefits from excellent access to junction 2 of the A1(M) as well as its proximity to Welham Green railway station, which is located on the East Coast Main Line. This location has typically attracted storage and distribution Vincenzo Lunardi, who made the businesses uses, such as Tesco. first hot air balloon landing in England at Welham Green in 1784 Land at Marshmoor, 3 Welham Green (WeG4b) 4 Land at Marshmoor, Welham Green (WeG4b) 3 The Site and the Proposals Land at Marshmoor To the north of this is an area The Proposals which is currently partly in The land at Marshmoor is located horticultural use, as green Gascoyne Cecil Estates are seeking on the eastern side of Welham houses, and for the storage an allocation for a mixed use Green, adjacent to the East and sale of caravans. This land development on this land. They Coast Main Line, which runs extends to the A1000 to the east, propose a new high quality along its western boundary. It is and has the benefit of existing business park with around 25,000 bounded to the north and east access points to the road. m2 (around 270,000 ft2) of floor by the A1000, with Hatfield Park space.