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Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council

Annual Monitoring Report 2013/14 Covering 1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014

Published February 2015

Colin Haigh Head of Planning Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Council Offices The Campus Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 6AE

Tel: 01707 357532 Email: [email protected]

If you would like to receive this information in a different language or format please call 01707 357000 or email [email protected] 1

Contents

Overall summary 2

Introduction to the AMR 4

Chapter 1: The borough and its people 5

Chapter 2: Preparation of the new Local Plan 10

Chapter 3: The Duty to Cooperate 12

Chapter 4: Community Engagement 14

Chapter 5: Monitoring of current planning policies 16

Chapter 6: Retail, Services and Facilities 19

Chapter 7: Housing 26

Chapter 8: The Economy 38

Chapter 9: The Environment and Sustainability 45

Chapter 10: Infrastructure 50

Chapter 11: SPD Site Monitoring 52

Conclusions 54

Appendix 1: 2013/14 AMR and previous AMR indicator comparison table 55

Appendix 2: Housing trajectory summary table 57

Except where shown throughout the AMR, the source of the data presented is Hertfordshire County Council via their CDP SMART development monitoring system.

The River Mimram at Singlers Marsh in Welwyn, recently restored using funding from the Council and DEFRA

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Overall summary

This is the tenth Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) produced by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, reporting on the development progress in the borough between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014. The key headlines from each chapter of this year’s AMR are:

The borough and its people  The borough’s population is now estimated to be just over 114,000  The new ONS population projections released during the year are much lower than those released last year – the population by 2031 (the end date of the period of the new Local Plan, see below) is now projected to be 135,400  The number of recorded crimes in the borough has fallen to 45.5 per 1,000 residents  The borough’s overall health profile continues to be well above the English average, with life expectancy now at 80.1 years for men and 83.6 years for women.

Preparation of the new Local Plan  Early in 2014 the Council opted to prepare a single Local Plan for the borough, rather than a group of policy documents contained in a Local Development Framework  The Local Plan Consultation Document has since been published to seek the public’s views on potential development sites, other allocations, and broad outlines of development management policies. Feedback from this will be used to produce a final Local Plan for public examination by an in inspector – this should lead to the plan’s adoption in late 2016.

The Duty to Cooperate  The Council continues to cooperate with the Hertfordshire local authorities, other public and advisory bodies and the Local Enterprise Partnership in planning for the borough’s future  During the year this has involved joint evidence work, and regular and ad-hoc meetings.

Community Engagement  One consultation event was held during the year, on the Draft Welwyn Garden City Town Centre North Supplementary Planning Document. Over 100 responses were received, and will be incorporated into the final document, expected to be adopted early in 2015.

Monitoring of current planning policies  Although the borough’s existing District Plan is now 9 years old, the Council’s success rate where its decisions are appealed has improved to 64% of appeals being dismissed  The new national permitted development right allowing larger home extensions appears to have had little impact on residents, with 1 objection from the 49 notified to the Council  The Council has also been notified of proposals to change 10,410m2 of offices to a residential use under another new permitted development right introduced during the year. The impact of this is not yet known but could be much more significant.

Retail, Services and Facilities  There was a very small net loss of retail floorspace during the year, but relatively large 328m2 and 924m2 net increases in leisure and community facility floorspace respectively  The shop vacancy rate in Welwyn Garden City Town Centre remains very low at 4%, and the town centre’s footfall has increased on both of the previous years

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 Whilst the vacancy rate in Hatfield has risen to 11% and footfall has fallen slightly, this is expected to improve once the initial phases of town centre redevelopment are completed.

Housing  During the year 236 (net) new dwellings have been completed, including student housing. This is a large increase on 2012/13, an encouraging sign of recovery in the housing market  In addition, 59 new assisted living older persons' flats (Use Class C2) have been completed. These meet the needs of the borough’s older population themselves, but will also free-up an equivalent number of ‘conventional’ dwellings  Although completions remain below the Council’s target of 378 homes per annum; a number of new sites have been identified through the Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, and government guidance changes now allow the inclusion of land for student housing and older persons’ accommodation in future housing supplies. The borough therefore retains the required 5 year housing land supply, at 5.81 years  A total of 29 affordable dwellings have been brought to the market during the year  Overall housing affordability has improved slightly with lower quartile prices now 8.8 times lower quartile household incomes, although this remains well above the national average and nearly double the figure seen in Welwyn Hatfield as recently as the late 1990s.

The Economy  A significant amount of new employment floorspace was completed during the year – a gain of almost 15,000m2 (net). This is the first year since 2009/10 that employment floorspace has increased, and is considered to be an encouraging sign  The amount of available employment land has reduced accordingly to 21.6 hectares, across 7 allocated sites which are left awaiting development  The number of jobs in the borough has increased significantly to 79,000, equal to 1.07 jobs for every working-age resident which is well above the national average  The rate of Job Seekers Allowance claimants has fallen significantly during the year to 1.7% of the working-age population, whilst educational attainment has improved.

The Environment and Sustainability  There has been no change to the number of heritage assets (such as listed buildings) or areas of biodiversity importance (such as wildlife sites) within the borough during the year  Where assessed, there has also been no change in the condition of these assets  The amount of urban open land in the borough has decreased by 4,400m2, although this was largely the result of a decision allowed on appeal after the Council’s refusal  Stanborough Park and the Kings George V Playing Fields have retained their green flag awards, and Hatfield Lawn Cemetery has been given the award for the first time.

Infrastructure  There has not been any major new infrastructure completed in the borough during the year  During the year the Council received £385,000 in ‘Section 106’ funds secured from new development, which is committed to sports and leisure facility improvements.

Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Site Monitoring  There has been progress during the year on one of the borough’s three sites with SPDs – Broadwater Road West in Welwyn Garden City. The housing development on the Taylor Wimpey part of the site was completed during the year, with significant progress on plans for the Spenhill and Pall Mall parts of the site.

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Introduction to the AMR

What is the AMR? This is the tenth Annual Monitoring Report produced by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, and covers the period between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014 (the ‘monitoring year’).

The AMR serves a number of purposes:  To act as a record of the amount of development which has taken place in the borough during the year and of how the borough’s population and places are performing;  To assess how that development meets the Council’s targets across a number of indicators, and compares to the progress made in previous years;  To set out projections and expectations for future development in the borough, and act as a feedback mechanism for policies and approaches which may need to change;  To set out the Council’s progress against its ‘Local Development Scheme’, a high-level project plan for the production of new planning documents and policies.

Chapters and contents The main contents of the AMR are set out across the following 11 chapters. Most contain a number of specific indicators (see below) and are themed by topic:  Chapter 1 is contextual, setting out key information about the borough and its people;  Chapters 2-4 cover the Council’s ‘plan-making’ duties, and how it engages with the public and cooperates with other public authorities and stakeholders;  Chapter 5 examines the effectiveness of current District Plan policies;  Chapters 6-10 cover the amount and quality of new development built in the borough;  Chapter 11 deals with specific areas of the borough covered by Supplementary Planning Documents, including the Broadwater Road West site in Welwyn Garden City.

Indicators Under previous planning regulations, the AMR was required to report against a number of National Core Output Indicators. In addition to this, the Council had a set of its own contextual indicators and local indicators. The new national Planning Practice Guidance sets out various pieces of information which local planning authorities should report annually, but is otherwise not prescriptive on what an AMR should contain. The opportunity has therefore been taken to review the indicators used in the AMR from this year onwards, in line with those proposed in the Council’s 2012 Emerging Core Strategy. Indicators are now numbered by the chapter they feature in – for example, Chapter 5 Monitoring of current planning policies includes indicators PP1 and PP2.

Most of the subject of the previous indicators is still monitored, but in some cases indicators have been combined or split out into several. There are also a number of new indicators. A table setting out how the new and old indicators compare is included as Appendix 1. The previous number of each indicator is shown against the new ones throughout the report for ease of comparison.

Some policies in the 2005 District Plan and 2008 Broadwater Road West Supplementary Planning Document include specific targets. The relevant indicators for each of these policies therefore measure progress against those targets. However, the majority of ‘saved’ policies from the 2005 District Plan do not have a formal objective with a measurable target, and so it is not possible to state whether or not an objective is being met. Against the relevant indicators for these, an assessment has been made as to whether or not the broad aim of the policy is being met. Future Local Plan policies are likely to have clearer targets to measure against.

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Chapter 1 The borough and its people

This chapter... Introduces the borough and its context, and contains four indicators covering the borough’s population and socio-economic state.

Geography 1.1 Welwyn Hatfield is located centrally within Hertfordshire, and covers an area of approximately 130 square kilometres (12,954 hectares). It is bordered by Hertsmere to the south, St Albans to the west, North Hertfordshire to the north, and East Herts and Broxbourne to the east. The borough also has a short border with the London Borough of Enfield to the south. Around 79% of the borough is made up of Metropolitan Green Belt, protected from development. This is one of the highest proportions of green belt land in the country, reflecting the borough’s relatively large amount of countryside in such close proximity to London.

1.2 Welwyn Garden City is the largest town in the borough, with a population of 46,600 at the 2011 Census – around 42% of the borough’s total population. The other main town is Hatfield, only slightly smaller with a population of 37,200 at the 2011 Census – around 34% of the borough’s population. Both towns have a wide range of retail and services serving both the towns themselves and the wider local area, as well as large regionally-significant employment areas with a particular prevalence of large businesses and national headquarters. Hatfield is also home to the two main campuses of the University of Hertfordshire, giving the town a notable student population.

1.3 The borough also contains a number of other settlements. The villages of Brookmans Park, Cuffley, Digswell, Oaklands & Mardley Heath, Welham Green, Welwyn and Woolmer Green are excluded from the green belt; as is Little Heath, a northern extension of the town of Potters Bar in Hertsmere. Most of these contain a good provision of retail and services, whilst Cuffley and Welham Green also have their own employment areas. A further 13 small villages and hamlets still remain in the green belt, as do areas of more sporadic and ribbon development, particularly along the old Great North Road (A1000).

1.4 The nature of Welwyn Hatfield’s location on radial routes out of London means that it is highly accessible by rail and road. The East Coast Main Line has stations at Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City and Welwyn North (in Digswell), with services south into London and north towards Stevenage, Peterborough and Cambridge. Cuffley, in the east of the borough, is served by trains south into London and north towards Hertford. The A1(M) also passes north-south through the borough, connecting London to Peterborough, the East Midlands and beyond. The A1(M) further connects with the M25 just south of the borough boundary, providing orbital links around London.

1.5 The borough’s physical geography is defined by a number of watercourses, predominantly running across the borough from north-west to south-east. The River Lea and River Mimram are the most notable rivers, running towards the Thames in East London. The Lea runs in a shallow valley between Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City, and the Mimram runs in

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a somewhat deeper valley through Welwyn and between Welwyn Garden City and Digswell. With the exception of Welwyn, most settlements in the borough sit atop higher ground. The Cuffley Brook and its tributaries form another relatively deep valley between Cuffley and Broxbourne borough to the east, and meet the Lea in North East Enfield. The Mimmshall Brook and River Colne drain the south west corner of the borough and run in a very different direction, south west through Watford and to Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey.

Figure 1: Map of Welwyn Hatfield borough

Population 1.6 At the time of the 2011 Census, Welwyn Hatfield had a population of 110,500 people. This was a significant increase (13.3%) of some 13,000 people since the 2001 Census – the largest increase in Hertfordshire, and well above the 7.9% national average increase.

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Indicator BP1: Borough population Not previously a formal indicator

1.7 As a full census of the population is only undertaken every 10 years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces annual mid-year population estimates. The mid-2013 population estimate for Welwyn Hatfield was 114,061, an increase of 2,015 people from the mid-2012 estimate. By comparison, the increase from the 2011 Census to the mid-2012 estimate was only 1,319 people. The population increase in surrounding local authorities and in Hertfordshire as a whole is shown below – it can be seen that Welwyn Hatfield’s estimated growth has been the highest, with a particularly large component of international migration.

Mid-2012 Natural Internal International Mid-2013 % Local Authority Other Estimate Change Migration Migration Estimate change Broxbourne 94,497 494 -105 88 11 94,958 +0.49% East Herts 139,458 463 823 325 -3 141,076 +1.16% Stevenage 84,798 519 90 54 13 85,474 +0.80% North Herts 128,428 358 682 -147 -3 129,318 +0.69% St Albans 141,899 807 543 -163 8 143,094 +0.84% Hertsmere 100,710 380 257 -78 2 101,271 +0.56% Hertfordshire 1,129,096 5,095 4,748 1,685 82 1,140,708 +1.03% LB Barnet 363,956 2,915 -1,732 3,912 37 369,088 +1.41% LB Enfield 317,287 2,969 -1,676 1,933 30 320,524 +1.02% Welwyn Hatfield 112,046 458 188 1,344 25 114,061 +1.80% Source – ONS 2013 Annual Mid-year Population Estimates

1.8 Estimated levels of international migration are primarily derived from the ONS International Passenger Survey carried out at international airports, railway stations and sea ports. Another useful proxy indicator of international migration is the number of National Insurance registrations to overseas nationals made during the year. It can be seen below that just over 1,500 new overseas National Insurance registrations were made during 2013/14, a similar level to the previous year (although the data does not reveal how many people have since left). The balance of international migrants must therefore be people who are not registering for National Insurance. This could include the children of international migrants and dependent relatives who are not working, as well as full time students at the University of Hertfordshire and Royal Veterinary College. The population estimates will be monitored carefully in coming years to establish whether there is any clear cause or trend for this.

Monitoring year April 2012 to March 2013 April 2013 to March 2014 Overseas National Insurance Registrations 1,567 1,564 Source – Department for Work & Pensions Stat-Xplore Service

1.9 During the past monitoring year, ‘origin-destination’ statistics from the 2011 Census have also been released. Whilst now several years older than the latest population estimates, these reveal that at the time of the census the five main origins of borough residents who lived in another country a year previously were India (252 people), China (227 people), Nigeria (182 people), Poland (122 people) and Ireland (101 people).

1.10 The ONS also produces projections of future population. During the year, new projections based on the 2012 mid-year population estimates were produced (Figure 2). These replace the interim 2011 projections, which were produced after the 2011 Census showed a lower

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than estimated population (red line) and projected a steep upward projection (orange line) to maintain the previous 2010-based projections. The 2012-based projections are more closely based on the census, with a much lower projected population by 2031 (the end date of the Council’s current plan period) of 135,400. It is important to note that all of these projections are purely based on past trends (rather than being ‘forecasts’), and take no account of emerging policy or development aims that have yet to have an impact.

160,000 Actual Population (ONS Census) 150,000 Former ONS Mid Year Population Estimates (now revised) ONS 2008 Based Projections 140,000 ONS 2010 Based Projections 130,000 ONS Interim 2011 Based Projections ONS 2012 Based Projections 120,000

110,000

100,000

90,000

1991 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 Figure 2: Projections of the borough’s future population Source – ONS http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Sub-national+Population+Projections

Health and social well-being

Indicator BP2: Number of deprived LSOAs Previously a contextual indicator

1.11 ‘Deprivation’ is generally measured using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), at Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) level. LSOAs are small areas with populations of around 1,500 people, such that there are generally 4-5 LSOAs in each of the borough’s wards. The 2010 IMD was made up of 7 topics – income, employment, health, education, skills and training, barriers to housing, and living environment and crime. These are combined to produce an overall score and rank for each LSOA in England, with 1 being the least deprived and 32,482 being the most deprived.

1.12 In 2010, the borough had one deprived LSOA (in the 20% most deprived in England). The LSOA covers Hatfield town centre, and the area to its north west. The IMD will be updated in 2015, and so the 2014/15 AMR may be able to contain updated deprivation data.

Most deprived 20% in England Number of LSOAs 1 (within Hatfield Central Ward) Source – DCLG https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2010

Indicator BP3: Number of recorded offences Previously a contextual indicator

1.13 The number of recorded offences in Welwyn Hatfield has increased marginally, with 5,186 crimes in 2013/14. However, because the population of the borough has increased at a greater rate, the number of crimes per 1,000 population has decreased by 1.6% to 45.47.

Year 2012/13 2013/14 Recorded offences in Welwyn Hatfield per 1,000 population 46.22 45.47

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Indicator BP4: Borough health profile Includes previous contextual indicator ‘life expectancy’

1.14 Life expectancy in Welwyn Hatfield is good. The figures for 2013/14 (25. and 26. below) are around a year longer than the national average for males (79.2 years), and around six months longer than the national average for females (83.1 years). The borough’s average life expectancy for females remains the same as in 2012/13, but the average male life expectancy has increased by around six months since 2012/13, when it was 79.5 years.

Figure 3: 2014 Borough Health Profile. Source – APHO/Department of Health © Crown Copyright 2014. For more information and notes on the indicators visit www.healthprofiles.info

1.15 The profile above shows that the borough’s health is generally better than the English average. There are no indicators on which the borough scores significantly worse than average, and in 2013/14 the borough has scored significantly better than average on 20 of the 32 indicators, compared to 13 of 32 in 2012/13. However, the number of hospital stays for self-harm and levels of adult obesity have risen over the year. Based on the profile, the improvement of adult health and lifestyle in the borough should remain priorities, as should meeting the needs of the increasing older population.

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Chapter 2 Preparation of the new Local Plan

This chapter... Summarises the progress of the borough’s emerging Local Plan, and the changes made since the 2012/13 Annual Monitoring Report.

Current planning policies for Welwyn Hatfield 2.1 Decisions on planning applications are taken in accordance with adopted planning policies, unless material considerations dictate otherwise. The main development plan for the borough remains the 2005 Welwyn Hatfield District Plan. Although work is ongoing to replace this document with a new Local Plan (see 2.5, below), most of the District Plan’s policies have been ‘saved’ and remain in force.

2.2 Separate plans govern development of waste and minerals across the whole of Hertfordshire, produced by Hertfordshire County Council. Following the adoption of a Core Strategy document for waste in November 2012, a Waste Site Allocations document was produced to deal with specific sites for waste management. This was examined by the Planning Inspectorate during the monitoring year, and has since been adopted. The Hertfordshire Minerals Local Plan was adopted in March 2007.

2.3 The Council also produces a number of supplementary plans and guidance, which expand on policies in the District Plan or cover specific areas of the borough. During the year, the Council published and consulted on the Welwyn Garden City Town Centre North Draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which sets out the vision for the future of Welwyn Garden City town centre and specific development proposals for the key site at Town Centre North. The document will be amended following consultation, and is expected to be adopted in early 2015. More detail on the SPD can be found on page 23.

2.4 Other adopted supplementary plans and guidance include:  Welwyn Garden City Guide to Shopfront and Advertisement Design  Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) SPD  Planning Obligations SPD  Highview (Hatfield) Site SPD  Broadwater Road West (Welwyn Garden City) Site SPD  Boroughwide Supplementary Design Guidance  Boroughwide Parking Standards

Future Planning Policies for Welwyn Hatfield 2.5 The Council is currently preparing a replacement for the 2005 District Plan. This was previously to have been a ‘Local Development Framework’ – a group of documents including a Core Strategy of key policies, a Site Allocations document with policies for specific sites, and a Development Management Policies document with more detailed policies for considering planning applications. In early 2014 the Council opted to instead prepare a single Local Plan containing all of these policies in one document, similar in style to the existing 2005 District Plan. This will carry forward and incorporate the content of the draft Emerging Core Strategy which was prepared and consulted on by the Council in 2012.

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2.6 In June 2014 the Council published a revised Local Development Scheme, setting out broad timescales for the production of the new Local Plan. In accordance with this, public consultation on development sites and the broad approach of development management policies has now commenced. A final Local Plan will then be published for public consultation prior to a public examination – this is likely to lead to its adoption in late 2016.

2.7 The preparation of the Local Plan is being informed by a number of pieces of technical evidence. Around 25 have already been produced over the last few years; and cover a diverse range of topics such as retail need, flood risk and sports facility provision. These informed the proposals in the 2012 Core Strategy, and can be found on the Council’s website. A number of new and updated evidence studies have subsequently been developed and/or published during the last year. These cover more central aspects of the Local Plan, for which an up-to-date knowledge of the evidence is particularly important:

2.9 The Economy Study was completed by Atkins in July 2014, and sets out job growth scenarios for the Local Plan and the resulting need for future employment floorspace.

2.10 The Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) was completed by Turleys in September 2014. It sets out scenarios for the future housing need within the borough, based on a housing market area which also includes parts of neighbouring authorities. The study incorporates population projections from Edge Analytics, as well as the findings of the Economy Study, in establishing the borough’s objectively assessed housing need.

2.11 The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) is produced by the Council, and assesses the suitability and availability of potential housing sites within the borough. It is set out across three sections, all subject to periodic review. Phase 1 (updated October 2014) covers the borough’s urban housing capacity, Phase 2 (updated December 2014) covers potential housing sites within the green belt, and Phase 3 (updated October 2014) examines the potential for windfall (i.e. development which comes forward unexpectedly) across both urban and green belt sites.

2.12 The most recent Landscape Capacity and Sensitivity Study was completed in October 2014, following an earlier study in 2012. The studies conclude on the capacity of green belt and safeguarded land to accommodate change, based on assessments of the sensitivity and value of the landscape. The 2012 study looked at all sites promoted to the Council for development at that time – the 2014 study includes all sites promoted since 2012.

2.13 The Green Belt Review has two phases. The Phase 1 Green Belt Review was completed by SKM in December 2013, and considers the role and function of large parcels of the green belt at a strategic level across the whole of Welwyn Hatfield, St Albans and Dacorum. The Phase 2 Green Belt Review was completed by the Council in October 2014, and considers the role and function of much smaller green belt parcels at a local level.

2.14 The Transport Study for the borough was carried out by AECOM and published in January 2015. It sets out the borough’s existing transport capacity, how the performance of the borough’s transport networks would be affected by potential new development, and the extent of mitigation required to make those impacts acceptable.

2.15 Work on the Council’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan, was also undertaken during the year. This sets out the borough’s infrastructure needs based on development which could potentially come forward, and is part of the current Local Plan consultation.

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Chapter 3 The Duty to Cooperate

This chapter... Sets out how the Council is working with neighbouring authorities and statutory bodies on joint strategic issues.

The Duty to Cooperate 3.1 The ‘duty to cooperate’ was introduced via the 2011 Localism Act, and as its title suggests placed a formal duty upon planning authorities and other public bodies to cooperate. Public bodies and authorities have clearly always aimed to cooperate, but following the abolition of the previous system of regional plans (for Welwyn Hatfield, the East of England Plan), it is now the main means by which authorities are required to do so. Paragraph 156 of the NPPF identifies the following as strategic issues requiring cooperation:

 The need for and provision of homes and jobs in an area;  The provision of retail, leisure and other commercial development;  The provision of infrastructure for transport, telecommunications, waste management, water supply and waste water treatment, flood risk management, and the provision of minerals and energy;  The provision of infrastructure for health, security, community wellbeing and culture;  Climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the conservation and enhancement of the natural and historic environment.

3.2 A full list of duty to cooperate bodies is set out in Part 2 of the Local Plan Regulations 2012, and Welwyn Hatfield’s main duty to cooperate bodies are listed below. However, the nature of the duty means that it would never possible to produce an exhaustive list.

Hertfordshire Planning Authorities Other Planning Authorities Other Public Authorities Broxbourne Borough Council London Borough of Barnet Civil Aviation Authority Dacorum Borough Council London Borough of Enfield Environment Agency East Herts District Council Greater London Authority English Heritage Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire County Council (As (Minerals and Waste Planning) Advisory Bodies education and highways authority) Hertsmere Borough Council East and North Hertfordshire Highways Agency North Hertfordshire District Council Clincial Commissioning Group Homes and Communities Agency St Albans City and District Council Herts Local Nature Partnership Natural England Stevenage Borough Council NHS Commissioning Board Office of the Rail Regulator Three Rivers District Council Transport for London Watford Borough Council

3.3 Although not a prescribed body under the duty to cooperate, the Council is also required to ‘have regard to’ the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in drawing up its policies and plans. The LEP has an increasingly important role in bidding for and prioritising infrastructure investment, and close working with the LEP is therefore crucial.

3.4 The Council is further required to consult a number of other bodies and agencies on planning applications in the borough – examples include the borough’s parish councils, and

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bodies such as Network Rail and Sport England. Whilst not part of the duty to cooperate, engaging with these bodies is clearly an important component in delivering high quality development in the borough.

Joint work with other authorities 3.4 The Council has undertaken a number of joint pieces of work with neighbouring authorities, where there are clear strategic and cross-boundary issues which require collaborative involvement. These are listed in full on the Evidence Base section of the Council’s website, and key examples already completed include:

 Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield’s Urban Transport Plans  Water Cycle Study  Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Investment Strategy  Hertfordshire Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Technical Study  Hertfordshire Strategic Employment Sites Study  Strategic Highlights Green Infrastructure Plan for Hertfordshire and Essex  Greater Essex Demographic Forecasting  Community Infrastructure Levy Stage 1 Economic Viability Assessment

3.5 The 2013 Strategic Green Belt Review, undertaken by the Council in conjunction with Dacorum Borough Council and St Albans City and District Council, was completed during the monitoring year. This document has an important role in assessing how broad parcels of green belt land in between the three authorities’ settlements perform against green belt purposes. Had such work been undertaken independently by each authority, potential strategic cross-boundaries issues would have been more challenging to address.

3.6 Over the monitoring year, a number of duty to cooperate meetings with neighbouring authorities have been held to discuss the Council’s emerging Local Plan and the strategic cross-boundary issues for which it needs to account.

3.7 Ongoing joint working between the Council and neighbouring authorities is further facilitated through a number of strategic county-wide groups which meet on a regular basis. These include:

 Hertfordshire Infrastructure Planning Partnership (HIPP)  Hertfordshire Planning Group (HPG), which has sub-groups covering Development Plans, Landscape and Development Management  Hertfordshire District Information Liaison Group  Hertfordshire Economic Development Officers Group  Local Enterprise Partnership  Building Futures Group

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Chapter 4 Community Engagement

This chapter... Sets out how the Council is engaging with the public on planning issues, and involving the public in the preparation of new policies and plans.

4.1 Every person who lives or works in Welwyn Hatfield has the potential to be affected by the planning decisions the Council makes. It is therefore important that anyone who wants to is genuinely able to comment and involve themselves with the Council’s plan-making, and also that the borough’s population is as well represented in this as possible.

4.2 The Welwyn Hatfield Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) is the means by which the Council aims to ensure that this takes place – that the borough’s diversity is recognised, and the potential needs of all aspects of the community are considered. A revised SCI was adopted following consultation in December 2013, in order to ensure the Council is engaging with the community on planning issues in the best way that it can. The SCI identifies young people, ethnic minorities, the borough’s rural community and those living in more deprived areas of the borough as being under-represented or ‘hard to reach’. It sets out ways in which the Council will aim to consult in a broader way, for example by holding consultation events in places that people routinely visit (such as shopping centres) and at a variety of times of day, and by making proposals as easy to understand as possible.

4.3 Following consultation on the Emerging Core Strategy and Land for Housing Outside Urban Areas in 2012/13 and prior to consultation on the borough’s emerging Local Plan (expected to commence in 2015), 2013/14 was a comparatively quiet year for public consultation on new policies and plans. Only one main policy document has been consulted upon.

Consultation on the Draft Welwyn Garden City Town Centre North Supplementary Planning Document (27 January 2014 – 10 March 2014) 4.4 For consultation with hard-to-reach groups the consultation was published on the Wuzzup teen website to try to engage the borough’s younger population; and the consultation event was held within the Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City to try to engage members of the public in places they might normally visit. The event was held on a Saturday, with the exhibition boards then placed on display in a shop unit to maximise take-up. The nature of the consultation – being on a single site and affecting a relatively specific part of the borough – meant that the Council’s engagement was otherwise more targeted, particularly at the town’s business community who were also involved in the SPD’s preparation. Copies of the document were also hand-delivered to businesses surrounding the SPD site.

4.5 The age of those survey respondents who provided their age was predominantly older – only 2 respondents were under 25, the largest group being those aged 65-79 with 21 respondents. As Figure 4 highlights, those respondents who provided their gender were primarily male – 42 male respondents against 19 females. The respondents also did not properly reflect the ethnic diversity of the borough – the largest group being White British (51 respondents), with all of the remainder being White Irish or White (Other). The wards with the highest proportion of respondents (Figure 5) are among the borough’s least ethnically diverse, which does partly account for this. 14

4.6 Figure 5 below shows where 30.00% respondents to the consultation lived. 25.00% Handside ward, where the SPD site is 20.00% located, perhaps unsurprisingly had 15.00% the highest proportion of respondents. 10.00% The site is however very close to 5.00% Sherrards and Peartree Wards – whilst

0.00%

the response rate in Sherrards was

also high, it was not in Peartree.

Male Male Male Male Male Male Male Male

Female Female Female Female Female Female Female Peartree is one of the borough’s most Female deprived wards, which again highlights <15 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-79 80> a continuing need to engage better Figure 4: Percentage of Town Centre North with hard-to-reach groups. This SPD respondents by age and gender analysis is slightly complicated by the fact that the questions on location and age are not mandatory and a number of respondents did not complete them. Encouraging more respondents to answer these questions in future would make it easier to ascertain exactly which groups are hard to reach.

40.00% 35.00% 30.00% 25.00% % of population (2011 Census) % of respondents 20.00% 15.00% 10.00% 5.00%

0.00%

…

Hatfield East Hatfield

Welwyn East Welwyn

WGC Haldens WGC

Hatfield West Hatfield

Welwyn West Welwyn

WGC Peartree WGC

Hatfield South Hatfield

WGC Handside WGC

Welham Green Welham

WGC Sherrards WGC

WGC Howlands WGC

WGC Hollybush WGC

Hatfield Central Hatfield

Hatfield Villages Hatfield

Outsideborough

WGC Panshanger WGC

BrookmansPark and NorthawandCuffley Figure 5: Percentage of Town Centre North SPD respondents by ward of residence

4.7 Figures on the means by which respondents heard about the consultation show that the largest means was a local newspaper (31% of respondents), followed by the Council website (15%). Engagement through more social means (whether word-of-mouth or social media) was much lower, particularly compared to the Emerging Core Strategy consultation in 2012/13. This is likely to be a reflection of the nature of the consultation rather than its effectiveness – the Emerging Core Strategy consultation, given its accompanying consultation on Land for Housing Outside Urban Areas, was much more controversial and therefore more likely to be a topic of conversation.

4.8 In total, 83% of survey respondents felt that they consultation was helpful. This is slightly higher than the 79% helpful response rate from the 2012/13 consultations, and is considered to demonstrate that those who did respond to the survey felt it gave them a suitable means to provide their feedback. Some comments for future improvement were received though – particularly referring to the perceived authenticity of the consultation, the extent to which it was publicised, and there only being one consultation event. These comments will be considered as the Council plans future consultations.

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Chapter 5 Monitoring of current planning policies

This chapter... Contains two indicators on the use and effectiveness of ‘saved’ policies in the 2005 District Plan, including where the Council’s decisions are appealed. It also examines the impact of the various newly-introduced permitted development rights.

Current planning policy effectiveness 5.1 Local authorities are required to assess the effectiveness of their planning policies, and identify those which are no longer fit for purpose in their current form. This is essential in ensuring that local planning policies continue to meet the needs of the borough, but also to help ensure that the planning decisions the Council makes are rigorous and can be trusted.

Indicator PP1: District Plan policies used in refusals Not previously a formal indicator

5.2 One way in which policy effectiveness can be assessed is to examine how often each is used in determining planning applications. Whilst this is considered a useful indicator, some policies in the 2005 District Plan do relate to very specific uses (such as amusement centres and car boot sales), or very specific sites (such as Panshanger Aerodrome and Brookmans Park Transmitting Station). These are unlikely to be used often, but that does not necessarily mean that the policies are not working as intended and caution therefore needs to be taken when determining policy effectiveness on their frequency of usage alone.

5.3 Previous AMRs set out the frequency of use of policies for both approvals and refusals. Planning application decision notices are no longer required to give detailed reasons for approval (although a full assessment of policy compliance is still made by the case officer and set out in their officer report). The AMR therefore now only monitors the policies listed in reasons for refusal. Other policies may have been considered in the officer’s assessment of policy compliance, but only those listed on the decision notice are counted.

2012/13 2011/12 Rank Policy Description % use Rank % use Rank % use

1 D1 Quality and design 64.7% 1 78.5% 1 73.0%

2 D2 Character and context 62.9% 2 64.0% 2 58.1%

3 GBSP2 Towns and specified settlements 34.9% 3 43.4% 3 31.6%

4 RA3 Extensions to dwellings in the green belt 13.8% 4 19.7% 4 19.7%

5 RA10 Landscape regions and character areas 6.9% 10 3.9% 6 5.6%

6 SD1 Sustainable development 5.2% 6 6.9% 11 3.3%

7 M14 Parking standards for new development 4.7% 7 9.2% 5 7.9%

8 D8 Landscaping 3.9% 9 7.0% 9 3.7%

9 R17 Trees, woodlands and hedgerows 3.4% 8 8.3% 13 2.3%

10 R19 Noise and vibration pollution 2.6% 5 11.0% 7 4.7%

5.4 Design policies D1 and D2 continue to be the most frequently used, featuring in 150 and 146 of the 232 decision notices for refusal in 2013/14. Other policies which remain in frequent use include GBSP2 and RA3 which relate to development in the green belt – given the nature of the borough these are a key tool in resisting inappropriate schemes.

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5.5 The percentage of refusals referring to the most popular policies is slightly lower than in previous years. This is partly a reflection of a relatively large number of refusals for certificates of lawfulness during the past year, as these can only refer to national legislation rather than local policy. The NPPF has also been used more prevalently to supplement District Plan policies in reasons for refusal over the past year. This helps to demonstrate that District Plan policies conform to the NPPF, and as the District Plan becomes older the use of the NPPF in this way may become more desirable. All of the 10 most used District Plan policies in 2012/13 remain in the 10 most used in 2013/14, so there are nevertheless not considered to be any immediate issues with policies becoming too out-of-date to use.

Indicator PP2: Appeal decisions allowed Not previously a formal indicator

5.6 The extent to which inspectors of appealed applications agree with the Council’s District Plan policies – and the way in which they are applied – is another indicator of their effectiveness. During the monitoring year 73 of the Council’s decisions were appealed, an increase on the 61 appeals in 2012/13.

2013/14 2012/2013 Decision Number of Number of Percentage Percentage Decisions Decisions Allowed 22 30.1% 18 29.5% Dismissed 47 64.4% 38 62.3% Other (Split Decisions or Withdrawn) 4 5.5% 5 8.2% Total 73 100% 61 100%

5.7 It can be seen that, despite the increased quantity of appeals, the Council’s appeal success rate (percentage of appeals dismissed) has improved. However, because of the increased number of appeals overall the actual number of appeals allowed has also risen. The five most common policies referred to by inspectors in allowed appeals are shown below, as a potential basis to identify areas for improvement.

Rank Policy Description Percentage 1 D1 Quality of Design 65.2% 2 D2 Character and Context 60.9% 3 GBSP2 Towns and Specific Settlements 30.4% 4 RA3 Extensions to Dwellings in the Green Belt 17.4% 5 RA4 Replacement of Dwellings in the Green Belt 8.7%

5.8 Given that policies D1 and D2 relate to design which can often be subjective and a matter of professional judgement, it is generally expected that these policies are most frequently addressed in allowed appeals. Indeed, these policies are also frequently addressed and agreed with where appeals are dismissed. However, in some cases inspectors have raised examples of similar developments elsewhere in close proximity as a basis for allowing an appeal. The tendency of inspectors to do this may therefore need to be borne in mind where finely-balanced decisions on design grounds are being made by the Council.

5.9 The 3rd, 4th and 5th ranking policies all essentially relate to development in the green belt. This reflects a slightly revised approach to green belt development seen to be being taken by inspectors, who are placing greater emphasis on the actual harm caused to the green belt by proposals within it, rather than the principle of development itself. There have

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therefore been several cases where the Council has rightly identified that development is inappropriate in the green belt, but an inspector has still allowed a proposal on the basis that the harm would not be significant enough to warrant refusal.

Changes to permitted development rights 5.10 Permitted development rights are set down in legislation by national government, and grant a blanket planning permission across the whole of England for certain types of development. They were originally intended to remove the need for local authorities to deal with minor non-contentious schemes such as small household extensions, or changes of use between very similar uses. However, over the last couple of years the government has extended permitted development rights to cover a much wider range of development, in an attempt to boost the economy. Several of the new rights allow development which is potentially much larger in scale and impact, and often contrary to adopted District Plan policies. The two most notable permitted development changes have been the new rights for larger domestic extensions, and for changes of use from office to residential.

Larger home Did not Objection Objection Invalid or No extension comply with received but received Total withdrawn objection notifications regulations granted and refused

No of applications 7 1 40 1 0 49 % of applications 14% 2% 82% 2% N/A 100%

5.11 The right allowing larger home extensions (up to 6m long for semi-detached and terraced houses and 8m long for detached houses, double what was previously allowed) was introduced on a temporary basis on 30 May 2013. It involves a ‘light touch’ consultation exercise, by which the Council consults the neighbours to a scheme and development can proceed if no objections are received. Where objections are received, the Council will consider the proposal as if it was a normal planning application. Over the 10 months to 31 March 2014 49 schemes were notified to the Council, considered to be a significant up- take. 7 were withdrawn or invalid for a variety of reasons, whilst only 1 scheme received an objection and was subject to full consideration by a planning officer (1 further scheme was objected to, but then withdrawn). These figures suggest that the new permitted development right has actually had a minimal impact on neighbour’s perceived amenity.

Did not Planning Planning Office to residential Invalid or comply with permission not permission Total notifications withdrawn regulations required required No of applications 1 2 12 2 17 % of applications 6.8% 11.8% 70.6% 11.8% 100%

5.12 The temporary right allowing changes from an office to a residential use was also introduced on 30 May 2013. It involves a slightly more detailed ‘prior notification’ procedure, by which the Council can consider flood risk, contamination, and transport/parking impacts. In the 10 months to 31 March 2014 17 schemes were notified to the Council, again considered to be a significant up-take. In most cases planning permission was not required, although 2 schemes did not comply with the regulations and 2 had impacts meaning that a full application for planning permission was required. The schemes not requiring permission have resulted in 133 new homes being added to the borough’s housing supply, but the loss of 10,410m2 of employment floorspace. Whilst the addition to the housing supply is of benefit, this scale of loss of employment floorspace is of concern (see para 8.4).

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Chapter 6 Retail, Services and Facilities

This chapter... Sets out six indicators covering the health of the borough’s centres; including the amount of new retail, service and facility floorspace built during the year and progress on town centre redevelopment.

Indicator RF1: Changes in retail floorspace Includes previous Core Indicator BD4 and Local Indicators 25 and 26

6.1 This indicator covers changes in the amount of floorspace during the monitoring year in each of the five retail use classes – A1 (Shops), A2 (Financial and Professional Services), A3 (Restaurants and Cafes), A4 (Drinking Establishments) and A5 (Hot Food Takeaways). The figures below only include development which required planning permission – for example, some changes of use between the retail use classes (such as A2 to A1) do not.

Welwyn Garden City Town Centre A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 Total

Floorspace gain (m2) 0 0 0 0 0 0m2 Floorspace loss (m2) 0 0 0 0 0 0m2 Net change in floorspace (m2) 0 0 0 0 0 0m2

Hatfield Town Centre A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 Total

Floorspace gain (m2) 93 0 0 0 0 93m2 Floorspace loss (m2) 0 0 0 0 0 0m2 Net change in floorspace (m2) 93 0 0 0 0 93m2

Welwyn Hatfield Total A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 Total

Floorspace gain (m2) 595 100 567 24 0 1,286m2 Floorspace loss (m2) -744 -94 -80 -439 0 -1,357m2 Net change in floorspace (m2) -149 6 487 -415 0 -71m2

6.2 There has been very little change in retail floorspace over the year within the borough’s two town centres, with a single small gain of a new 93m2 A1 retail unit in Hatfield Town Centre. At a borough level there has been more change, with gains and losses broadly cancelling each other out. In 2012/13 by comparison there were gains of 478m2 and losses of 967m2 across all use retail use classes, giving a larger net loss of 489m2. The key components of the change of the floorspace changes for 2013/14 were:

 A 473m2 A1 ‘gain’ for caravan sales in Welham Green, although this is as a result of a certificate of lawfulness being granted for development which had already taken place;  The loss of 462m2 of an existing A1 shop as a result of a change of use to a D1 veterinary surgery at Oldings Corner Retail Park in Hatfield;  The change of use of a 284m2 sui-generis amusement centre in The Galleria in Hatfield to an A3 restaurant;  The demolition and loss of an A4 public house on St Albans Road West, Hatfield (258m2).

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Indicator RF2: Proportion of vacant retail frontage Previous Local Indicators 27 and 28

6.3 The following vacancy statistics are from the Council’s Retail Frontage Survey. This has previously been undertaken in October, but from 2014 onwards will be undertaken in April, to reflect the position at the end of the monitoring year. For consistency with the retail hierarchy set out within the 2012 Emerging Core Strategy, the retail frontage survey’s results for Old Hatfield and Harpsfield Broadway have now been included in the AMR.

Vacancy Rate Change Town/Village Retail Centre 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2013-2014 Town Centres (% of vacant frontage by length) Welwyn Garden City Town Centre 8% 2% 3% 4% 4% ↔ Hatfield Town Centre 11% 11% 11% 9% 11% Large Neighbourhood Centres (% of vacant frontage by number of units) Welwyn Garden City Haldens 0% 0% 6% 0% 0% ↔ Welwyn Garden City Moors Walk (Panshanger) 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Welwyn Garden City Woodhall 8% 13% 4% 4% 4% ↔ Hatfield High View (South Hatfield) 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Hatfield Parkhouse Court 19% 19% 13% 19% 19% ↔ Hatfield Old Hatfield 10% 14% 17% 17% 17% ↔ Small Neighbourhood Centres (% of vacant frontage by number of units) Welwyn Garden City Shoplands 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Welwyn Garden City Peartree 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Welwyn Garden City Handside 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Welwyn Garden City Hollybush 0% 0% 14% 0% 0% ↔ Welwyn Garden City Hall Grove 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Hatfield Manor Parade 11% 22% 33% 0% 13% Hatfield Birchwood 0% 20% 20% 0% 0% ↔ Hatfield Crawford Road 0% 11% 11% 11% 25% Hatfield St Albans Road East 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Hatfield The Common 10% 10% 10% 0% 10% Hatfield Roe Green 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Hatfield Harpsfield Broadway 0% 0% 13% 0% 0% ↔ Large Village Centres (% of vacant frontage by number of units) Brookmans Park Village Centre 5% 5% 3% 0% 2% Cuffley Village Centre 3% 8% 6% 6% 5% Welham Green Village Centre 6% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Welwyn Village Centre 5% 3% 3% 3% 0% Small Village Centres (% of vacant frontage by number of units) Digswell Village Centre 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Oaklands & Mardley Heath Village Centre 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔ Woolmer Green Village Centre 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% ↔

6.4 Partly as a result of there only having been 7 months between the 2013 and 2014 retail frontage surveys, there have been relatively few changes in the levels of vacancy across the 27 centres. There have been increases in the vacancy rates at three small 20

neighbourhood centres in Hatfield – whilst the percentage increases appear significant, the small size of these centres mean that the actual number of vacant units remains small. One unit in Brookmans Park has become vacant giving rise to the increase there, whilst vacancy has decreased in Cuffley and Welwyn now has no vacant units at all.

6.5 There has also been a small increase in vacancy in Hatfield town centre. Because the town centre redevelopment programme has been delayed, the Council acknowledges that it is challenging to make many units viable. It has introduced measures to tackle vacancy in the short to medium term, including a more flexible approach to planning applications for changes of use. Whilst the increase in vacancy is a concern, the town centre’s vacancy rate remains lower than the national average shop vacancy rate of 13.9% (Local Data Company, December 2013). The number of vacant units in Old Hatfield and Parkhouse Court in Hatfield is also high. Plans have been approved for the redevelopment of the heart of Old Hatfield which should make it more accessible and attractive to both businesses and prospective customers. Proposals also exist for new commercial space at Parkhouse Court, which again may make the remaining vacant units more attractive to tenants.

Indicator RF3: Evening economy premises Not a previous AMR indicator

6.6 As the future of conventional retail becomes less and less certain, the evening economy of retail centres is an increasingly important component of their viability. Welwyn Garden City town centre has the largest concentration of evening economy premises in the borough, with smaller concentrations in Hatfield town centre and some of the borough’s larger village and neighbourhood centres. The Galleria in Hatfield also has a significant cluster. The annual change in evening economy premises (A3 restaurant, A4 public house and D2 assembly and leisure units with evening opening hours) for these centres is shown below.

Number of premises 2014 Number of Change Centre A3 A4 D2 Total premises 2013 2013-2014 Welwyn Garden City Town Centre 9 3 2 14 15 The Galleria, Hatfield 10 0 1 11 10 Welwyn Village Centre 4 4 0 8 8 ↔ Hatfield Town Centre 5 3 0 8 8 ↔ Old Hatfield Neighbourhood Centre 3 2 0 5 5 ↔ Brookmans Park Village Centre 3 1 0 4 4 ↔ Parkhouse Court Neighbourhood Centre 4 0 0 4 4 ↔ Cuffley Village Centre 3 0 0 3 3 ↔

6.7 The number of evening economy premises across centres with a cluster of premises has remained the same between 2013 and 2014. The increase at The Galleria was as a result of the opening of a new restaurant in place of a former amusement centre, which had been vacant. The loss in Welwyn Garden City town centre was as a result of the closure of a restaurant, which at the time of the 2014 retail frontage survey was vacant.

Indicator RF4: Town centre footfall Previously Local Indicators 17 and 18

6.8 The footfall of the borough’s two town centres is a good indicator of their health – with more people walking through them, more money is likely to be spent in town centre businesses. The 2014 footfall surveys were undertaken between 10:00 and 17:00 on 28/29 March, a Friday and Saturday as in previous years. The counts are shown on Figure 6 overleaf.

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Hatfield Town Centre

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council LA100019547 2015 Welwyn Garden City Town Centre Key

Pedestrians per week:

2,500

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

60,000

First floor survey points are shown with a blue circle

Figure 6: Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City town centre footfall 22

Average weekly footfall Change Change Town Centre (Counts taken in March) 2013-2014 2012-2014 2012 2013 2014 Welwyn All count points 20,760 17,750 22,900 +29.0% +10.3% Garden City Excluding Howard Centre 16,020 13,100 18,100 +38.2% +13.0% All count points 10,840 8,640 10,160 +17.6% -6.3% Hatfield Excluding Asda 8,000 6,350 7,710 +21.4% -3.6%

6.9 In Welwyn Garden City weekly average footfall is relatively high – the highest count within the town centre being 58,730 people outside Carphone Warehouse in the Howard Centre, with a low of 5,440 at the rear entrance to John Lewis on Parkway. Footfall in Hatfield is lower, with the highest count at the entrance to Asda (46,870 people) and a low of just 1,340 people at the east end of the town centre. Given that the Howard Centre and Asda have a slight distorting effect on the wider town centres of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield respectively, average footfall figures above are shown with and without them above.

6.10 Town centre footfall has increased significantly between 2013 and 2014, particularly so in Welwyn Garden City outside of the Howard Centre. However, poor weather affected the March 2013 counts and comparison with the March 2012 figures is considered to be a better indicator of the actual trend in footfall. Again, the increase in Welwyn Garden City outside the Howard Centre stands out as the largest. Hatfield Town Centre by contrast has seen a decrease in footfall over the two year period, although with the ongoing town centre redevelopment works this is not unexpected and footfall should increase in the future.

Welwyn Garden City Town Centre Update Welwyn Garden City town centre is the main shopping and service centre for the borough. The council and the Welwyn Garden City Town Centre Partnership have a shared vision for the town centre, the main objective of which is to maintain its commercial, social and environmental success and to help meet future retail needs. To help deliver this vision, the 2005 District Plan identified a 1.3ha site at Town Centre North for future retail development. Now that the need for this site has been established and it is able to come forward, a draft Supplementary Planning Document has been prepared to shape its development, and was published for public consultation between January and March 2014 (see p14-15). 123 responses were received, and following consideration of these the final Figure 7: Consultation event in the Howard SPD is due to be completed by December 2014. Centre for the Town Centre North SPD

More broadly, the Welwyn Garden City Town Centre Partnership was officially launched in October 2012 and provides a platform for people and businesses to articulate their views. The Partnership is a not-for-profit company and has an executive board formed of major stakeholders and local businesses. To assist the delivery of the objectives set out by the board, three working groups have been created:  Community Safety  Public Realm  Marketing, Promotions and Communications

More information about the work of the Town Centre Partnership and its current business plan can be found on the Partnership’s website: www.welwyngarden.co.uk 23

Hatfield Town Centre Regeneration Update The council and its development partners have been focusing on the delivery of the first phase of development in the town centre. Phase 1 includes three new buildings; one building at 88 Town Centre (the former Bill Salmon Centre) comprising of five retail units and fifteen flats; and two buildings at the White Lion Square end of The Arcade (each providing a retail unit on the ground floor and two flats above). Development also includes the upgrading of the public realm along the old St. Albans Road which runs between the two sites, which was partly completed during the monitoring year.

Figure 8: New paving, trees and street furniture and ‘cafe culture’ in Hatfield Town Centre.

The Hatfield Town Team, which was developed as a result of the successful ‘Portas Pilot’ bid, is a partnership between key stakeholders representing private, public and voluntary sector organisations. Its role is to promote the vitality and viability of the town centre and has set the following objectives:  To strengthen retail competitiveness and increase footfall in the town centre  To promote the safety and improve the attractiveness and accessibility of the town centre  To promote the Hatfield Town Centre brand and improve the town centre’s reputation  To work together in the promotion and marketing of the town centre, its businesses and markets  To engage and communicate with the community  To identify funding opportunities

To help assist in the delivery of these objectives, the Town Team have set up three working groups:  Arts and Culture  Environment and Community Safety  Marketing, Communications and Business Support

More information about the Hatfield Town Team can be taken from the Hatfield Town Centre website: www.hatfieldtown.co.uk

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Indicator RF5: Changes in leisure floorspace Part of previous Local Indicator 23

6.11 There has been an overall 328m2 net gain of leisure floorspace in Use Class D2 over the monitoring year. This is largely comprised of an extension to the University of Hertfordshire’s sports village in Hatfield, as well as small extensions to the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City and a riding centre in Newgate Street. The small loss of D2 floorspace was a result of minor demolition at a golf course in Essendon. A net gain of leisure floorspace meets the targets in policies CLT1 and CLT13 of the existing District Plan.

Changes in leisure floorspace across Welwyn Hatfield Use Class D2 Floorspace gain 454m2 Floorspace loss 126m2 Net change in floorspace 328m2

Indicator RF6: Changes in community facility floorspace Part of previous Local Indicator 23

6.12 There has been a relatively large 924m2 net gain of floorspace for community facilities over the monitoring year. This again meets the targets in policies CLT1 and CLT13 of the existing District Plan, and is considered to be an encouraging outcome. The key components of the change in community floorspace were:

 Two small extensions to existing schools, one in Welwyn and one in Woolmer Green;  The erection of a small children’s nursery in Woolmer Green, as well as the change of use of 565m2 of offices in Welwyn Garden City town centre to a nursery;  Small extensions to two existing health surgeries in Hatfield;  The creation of a new 432m2 veterinary surgery within a shop at Oldings Corner Retail Park in Hatfield (see RF1);  The change of use of an office building on the edge of Hatfield Town Centre to a church centre, including B1a office space, an A3 cafe and 739m2 of D2 floorspace for the church itself. This allowed the demolition of the church’s existing building in South Hatfield to allow for housing redevelopment;  The demolition of Birchwood Methodist Church to allow for housing redevelopment, and the construction of a new smaller church;  The demolition of the Bill Salmon Centre in Hatfield town centre, to allow for housing redevelopment as part of the wider redevelopment works in the town centre.

Changes in community facility floorspace across Welwyn Hatfield Use Class D1 Floorspace gain 2,291m2 Floorspace loss 1,367m2 Net change in floorspace 924m2

6.13 A 1,600m2 new building for Southfield School was also completed during the year, on part of the former Howe Dell School site in Hatfield. This was intended to be a temporary solution for the school (although the building is of a permanent construction) for five years to allow the construction of Hertfordshire County Council’s waste incinerator at New Barnfield in Welham Green which is adjacent to the existing site of the school. Although the incinerator has been refused by the Secretary of State, this decision is being challenged by the applicants and at the time of writing it is not known whether the school will remain on its new site. This new floorspace has therefore not been included within the figures above.

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Chapter 7 Housing

This chapter... Sets out the borough’s progress with housing over the year across ten indicators, including new housing; affordable housing and housing affordability; Gypsy and Traveller accommodation; and the borough’s future housing land supply.

New Homes

Indicator HO1: New dwellings and Includes previous Core Indicators H1, progress against housing target H2a, H2b and H3 and Local Indicator 19

7.1 Planning appropriately for new homes and aiming to ensure that the housing needs of the local population are met are some of the Council’s most important duties. Like all other planning authorities, the Council must do this by establishing a housing target which it then needs to meet. Two targets are currently relevant to Welwyn Hatfield, set out below.

7.2 Housing Target A is the target from the borough’s current District Plan (adopted in 2005) of 280 new dwellings per year. This was originally set out in the Hertfordshire Structure Plan and covered the period 1991 to 2011, but as this period has now ended the target has been rolled forward to the period 2001 to 2021 – the former East of England Plan period. This resulted in an overall target of 5,600 dwellings between 2001 and 2021.

7.3 Housing Target B is the target in the 2012 Emerging Core Strategy of 6,800 dwellings between 2011 and 2029 – 378 new dwellings per year. This target was consulted upon in 2012 but is not adopted. However, it is based on the most up-to-date assessment of the borough’s ability to meet an identified housing need. It is therefore the basis on which progress against the housing target has been measured (see 7.7), and for assessment of the borough’s future housing land supply in Indicator HO5.

7.4 The recently published SHMA (see 2.11) sets out a higher housing need than Target A – up to 625 dwellings per year. However, this is not automatically a new target (see Planning Practice Guidance) because it has not yet been established whether environmental and policy constraints – such as the protection of the green belt – will allow this need to be met. The ongoing Local Plan consultation is part of the process of determining this, following which a new target can be proposed and which the 2014/15 AMR is likely to report against.

Net completions Net completions in plan Annual build Still to build Housing Target 2013/14 period rate in plan period A – 280 per annum 5,421 (Since 01/04/2001) 417 per annum 179 236 B – 378 per annum 677 (Since 01/04/2011) 225 per annum 6,123

7.5 During the monitoring year, 236 net new housing units have been completed – this includes 211 C3 dwellings, and 2 C4 HMOs (houses in multiple occupation). C1 student accommodation is also now required to be included in local authorities’ housing supplies, 26

following publication of new Planning Practice Guidance. This states that C1 housing should be included ‘based on the amount of accommodation it releases in the housing market’. Given the prevalence of student housing within Hatfield, the council has reviewed data from the conversion of large numbers of dwellings to HMOs for student use and used it as a benchmark to estimate the number of homes that may return to the general housing market as a result of an expected increased supply of purpose built student accommodation. The average number of bedrooms in each HMO that has received planning permission is 4.5 bedrooms, which the Council has rounded to a more cautious 5:1 ratio between new student bedrooms and ‘dwelling equivalents’ in Figure 9: New private C1 student accommodation the housing supply. The balance of 23 completed during the monitoring year at 46 The Common new C1 dwelling equivalents completed in Hatfield. As student numbers at the University of Hertfordshire have fallen slightly, these will further free-up during the monitoring year is therefore the ‘conventional’ C3 dwellings in the market. result of 116 new C1 bedrooms.

7.6 The breakdown of housing completions by year since 2001 is shown below, and in Figure 10. The effect of the 2008 to 2013 economic downturn on completions can clearly be seen, as well as the fall in the number of dwellings on allocated sites from the 2005 District Plan. The bulk of sites now being completed have either been identified in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, or have come forward as windfall. The proportion of completions on previously developed land remains high, demonstrating the Council’s commitment to the reuse of urban land for housing wherever possible.

On On other On previously On other Gross Net Year Losses allocated sites developed land land Comps. Comps. sites (gross) (gross) (gross) (gross) 2001/02 95 13 82 37 (45%) 45 (55%) 94 (99%) 1 (1%) 2002/03 504 26 478 347 (73%) 131 (27%) 274 (54%) 230 (46%) 2003/04 825 13 812 764 (94%) 48 (6%) 585 (71%) 240 (29%) 2004/05 682 40 642 593 (92%) 49 (8%) 544 (80%) 138 (20%) 2005/06 737 28 709 552 (78%) 157 (22%) 725 (98%) 12 (2%) 2006/07 708 24 684 589 (86%) 95 (14%) 706 (100%) 2 (0%) 2007/08 768 21 747 513 (69%) 234 (31%) 766 (100%) 2 (0%) 2008/09 348 21 327 89 (27%) 238 (73%) 347 (100%) 1 (0%) 2009/10 83 24 59 0 59 (100%) 83 (100%) 0 2010/11 216 12 204 105 (51%) 99 (49%) 190 (88%) 26 (12%) 2011/12 309 16 293 229 (78%) 64 (22%) 300 (97%) 9 (3%) 2012/13 168 20 148 53 (35%) 95 (65%) 158 (94%) 10 (6%) 2013/14 277 41 236 4 (2%) 232 (98%) 263 (95%) 14 (5%) Total 5,719 299 5,420 3,874 (71%) 1,546 (29%) 5,034 (88%) 685 (12%)

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900

800 Non-PDL 700 Non-PDL PDL PDL 600 Windfall/SHLAA 600 Windfall/SHLAA 500 AllocatedAllocated

400

300

of net new dwellings new net of

200 200 100 100

Number 0

Number of net new dwellingsnew net of Number

0

% PDL % % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL %

% PDL % PDL % % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL % PDL %

% Allocated % % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated %

% Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % Allocated % 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Year and type of delivery Year and type of delivery Figure 10: New dwelling completions in Welwyn Hatfield by year, broken down by the proportion of completions on sites which were allocated, and the proportion on previously developed land (PDL)

7.7 Although the number of completions during the monitoring year remains well below the levels achieved in the early-to-mid 2000s, the increase from 2013/14 is considered to be encouraging. This is particularly the case as completions in Hertfordshire as a whole in the year were the lowest ever recorded. The future projections in Indicator HO5 show that the borough retains a strong supply of housing sites, and Housing Target A of 5,600 dwellings between 2001 and 2021 is therefore very likely to be met during the 2014/15 monitoring year. Monitoring the current rate of completions against it is considered to be an increasingly false means of analysis, particularly with the inclusion of accommodation for older people in Use Class C2 from this year onwards (explored in Indicator HO2).

7.8 The locations of all new dwellings built in the monitoring year are shown below, against the total built between 2001/02 and 2012/13. As in previous years the majority of completions have been in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, although the proportion in Hatfield, which has seen the largest growth since 2001, was lower than Welwyn Garden City in the monitoring year. A significant number of completions in Cuffley have also increased the overall total number of completions in the village since 2001 by nearly 50%.

Settlement Net Comps. % of Net Comps. % of Net Comps. % of 2001 - 2013 total 2013/14 total 2001 - 2014 total Brookmans Park 23 0.4% 1 0.4% 23 0.4% Cuffley 39 0.8% 20 8.5% 59 1.1% Digswell 17 0.3% 1 0.4% 18 0.3% Hatfield 2,785 53.7% 99 42.0% 2,884 53.2% Little Heath 29 0.6% 0 N/A 29 0.5% Oaklands & Mardley Heath 48 0.9% -2 -0.8% 46 0.8% Welham Green 31 0.6% -2 -0.8% 29 0.5% Welwyn 191 3.7% 4 1.7% 195 3.6% Welwyn Garden City 1,820 35.1% 118 50.0% 1,938 35.7% Woolmer Green 30 0.6% 0 N/A 30 0.6% Green Belt 172 3.3% -3 -1.3% 169 3.1% Total 5,185 100% 236 100% 5,421 100%

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Figure 11: New homes completed during the monitoring year: Top – Penn Way in Welwyn Garden City, within the Broadwater Road West SPD site Bottom – Site of the former Cat and Fiddle public house on Roe Green Lane/St Albans Road West, Hatfield

7.9 The breakdown in size of the 254 1 Bedroom Flat gross new C3 and C4 dwellings 1 Bedroom Studio completed in the year is shown to 1 Bedroom Bungalow the right. Over half (142) were 2 Bedroom Flat flats, with the largest number 2 Bedroom House being two bedroom flats. This differs somewhat from 2012/13, 3 Bedroom Flat where the largest proportion of 3 Bedroom House completions was three bedroom 3 Bedroom Bungalow houses. This is mainly the result of the large number of flats 4 Bedroom House completed in 2013/14 at Figure 12: Gross C2/C3 completions in 2013/14, broken Broadwater Road West. down by size and type

Indicator HO2: New specialist needs housing Not a previous AMR indicator

7.10 In common with student housing, the new national Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) enables planning authorities to incorporate housing for older people in their housing supplies. However, for older people’s housing the PPG is less clear on a means of assessment and merely states that ‘local planning authorities should count housing provided for older people...against their housing supply’. The Council has elected to take a similarly evidenced approach as for student housing, and has assessed the amount of

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accommodation that a care home is likely to release in the housing market. This has been done by taking the percentage of borough residents aged 85 and over in the 2011 Census who live on their own and who – if moving into a care home – would release a housing unit in the market. That figure is 75.7%, and has been rounded and translated into a 4:3 ratio between new care home bedrooms and ‘dwelling equivalents’ in the housing supply. For assisted living schemes, more akin to ‘conventional’ housing in that they provide much more self-contained and independent living units (often with more than one bedroom), a 1:1 ratio between assisted living flats and ‘dwelling equivalents’ will be used.

7.11 During the monitoring year, one site with 59 assisted living flats was completed in Welwyn Garden City. As set out above a 1:1 ratio applies, and would mean the release of 59 dwellings in the market. In addition to the 236 completions in Use Classes C1, C3 and C4 set out in Indicator HO1, the net overall addition the borough’s housing supply in 2013/14 was therefore 295 units.

7.12 A significant amount of C2 older people’s accommodation was completed between 2001/02 and 2012/13 – 298 net new bedrooms (all in care homes), which at the 4:3 ratio in 7.9 would release 224 dwellings. These have not previously contributed to meeting the borough’s housing needs in reported completions totals. If they were now included retrospectively, total net new homes since 2001 would equal 5,704 units. This would mean that that Housing Target A in 7.2 has been exceeded by 104. For Target B (since 2011), 115 net new bedrooms have been completed. These together equal 87 dwelling equivalents, which in addition to the 59 C2 dwelling equivalents completed in the 2013/14 monitoring year means that total net new homes since 2011 total 823. These will also contribute towards a separate C2 bedrooms target to be set out within the new Local Plan.

7.13 There are also other forms of specialist needs housing in Use Class C2 beyond older people’s housing, such as children’s homes or homes which provide adult disability care. Residents of these types of accommodation are very unlikely to ‘free-up’ conventional C3 dwellings as they move into them because they would not generally have been living independently before, and they are therefore not included in the housing supply. These other types of C2 accommodation nevertheless remain an important component of the borough’s housing provision, but there were no completions in the monitoring year.

Indicator HO3: HMO monitoring Formerly HMOs SPD Chapter

7.14 Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are properties with shared communal facilities, but which are occupied by people who are unrelated to one other. Depending on their size they either fall in Use Class C4 (up to 6 bedrooms), or are sui generis (7 or more bedrooms). They are particularly popular with students, and given the location of the University of Hertfordshire are a particularly sensitive issue within Hatfield. In January 2012 the Hatfield Article 4 Direction came into use, removing permitted development rights and meaning that conventional C3 dwellings in Hatfield now need planning permission to change to Use Class C4 (the change to a large sui generis HMO has always needed permission). The HMO Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was also introduced in February 2013, and sets out policies relating to HMOs to aid in determining planning applications.

7.15 During the monitoring year 18 applications for HMOs have been determined – 11 full planning applications, and 7 applications for certificates of lawfulness to legalise HMO conversions which had already been made without planning permission. Combined, this is

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one more than 17 applications in 2012/13. However, the types of applications are significantly different – all 17 of the applications in 2012/13 were planning applications, with no applications for a certificate of lawfulness for an existing use. The change is largely the result of four years now having passed since Use Class C4 was created – four years being the necessary period for an uninterrupted unauthorised use to become lawful.

2012/13 2013/14

Application type Change of use

Totals Totals

Refused Refused

Approved Approved

Withdrawn Withdrawn

C3 > C4 2 7 3 12 3 3 2 8 Full planning (proposed) C3 > sui generis 1 3 1 5 2 1 0 3 C3 > C4 0 0 0 0 4 3 0 7 Certificate of lawfulness (existing) C3 > sui generis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 3 10 4 17 9 7 2 18

7.16 The proportion of applications being approved has also changed significantly, from 3 in 2012/13 (18%) to 9 in 2013/14 (50%). This is partly the result of the certificate of lawfulness applications. For the planning applications it may suggest that HMOs are beginning to become more thinly spread around Hatfield, as all approvals have met the requirement in Policy HMO1 of the SPD relating to the over-concentration of HMOs within small areas.

7.17 The SPD’s policies continue to be well used in decision notices, and at appeal. Two refused applications were appealed in 2012/13, and successfully defended by the Council. A further two have been appealed in 2013/14, and again both were successfully defended. The inspector for one of the appeals particularly cited the appropriateness of the SPD’s policies in their decision (available online), noting that the SPD ‘demonstrates how it has evolved from analyses of need and the levels of concentration above which tangible impacts tend to occur. Whilst [the SPD] should not be applied slavishly, it provides a valid benchmark from which to judge cases on their individual merits.’ Policy HMO1, and Policy HMO2 on parking, are singled out in particular.

Indicator HO4: New dwelling density Previously Local Indicator 30

Gross completions Total development Average <30dph 30-50dph >50dph (Without conversions) area density No % No % No % 226 7.01 hectares 32.2dph 21 9.3% 68 30.1% 137 60.6%

7.18 The density of new development is calculated by dividing the number of gross completions during the monitoring year, by the total development area of all sites with completions. This gives an average density for the monitoring year of 32.2 dwellings per hectare (dph), lower than the 2012/13 figure of 36.6dph. However, the 2013/14 average is skewed downwards by a small number of very low density sites – the five least dense contributed just five dwellings across 2.5 hectares. Indeed, the proportion of completions above 50dph is nearly three times higher than in 2012/13 (when it was 23%), primarily because of the large number of flats completed on the Broadwater Road West SPD site in Welwyn Garden City. The density breakdown compared with previous years is shown in Figure 13 overleaf.

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2001/02 20% 63% 17% 2002/03 7% 70% 22% 2003/04 8% 79% 13% 2004/05 5% 54% 41% 2005/06 5% 36% 60% 2006/07 3% 37% 61% 2007/08 5% 21% 74% 2008/09 20% 16% 64% 2009/10 31% 20% 49% 2010/11 18% 29% 54% 2011/12 9% 60% 32% 2012/13 26% 51% 23% 2013/14 9% 30% 61%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% % of gross dwelling completions in year (excluding conversions) <30 dwellings per hectare 30 - 50 dwellings per hectare >50 dwellings per hectare Figure 13: New dwelling density in Welwyn Hatfield, by year

Future Housing Land Supply

Indicator HO5: Future housing trajectory Previously Core and five year housing land supply Indicators H2c and H2d

7.19 Paragraphs 7.2 - 7.4 and 7.7 set out that the most suitable housing target for the AMR to use at the present time is the 378 per annum target from the 2012 Emerging Core Strategy (Housing Target B). Given that with C2 completions taken into account (see 7.12) the rolled-forward 2005 District Plan target (Housing Target A) through to 2021 has already been met, it is no longer considered appropriate to report the borough’s future housing trajectory against it. The future housing trajectory and five year housing supply therefore only use Target B.

7.20 Revised evidence of the Council’s ability to meet its target comes from the Urban (Phase 1) and Windfall (Phase 3) Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments undertaken during the past year. These reflect the best knowledge available on the likely future delivery of housing in the borough as of 25 July 2014. All sites included in the housing trajectory have been assessed against the deliverability and developability criteria in the NPPF (footnotes 11/12 within it). Detailed information on individual sites is set out in the relevant SHLAA document. The Council has also undertaken extensive work on a revised Green Belt (Phase 2) SHLAA during the monitoring year. However, because consultation on the new Local Plan is ongoing, no new green belt sites have been included in the trajectory and the green belt site assumptions are therefore the same as in 2012/13.

7.21 Figure 12 shows the current housing supply position in relation to the Emerging Core Strategy target (the solid blue line across the centre of the chart). Different types of site run in ‘waves’ throughout the plan period – sites with extant planning permissions will largely be delivered by 2019, the large residual urban sites from the 2005 District Plan will be built out between 2016 and 2020, with green belt sites expected to be delivered from 2019 onwards. Urban SHLAA sites are projected to be delivered steadily throughout the period, with a windfall allowance based on the Phase 3 SHLAA from 2017/18 onwards (by its nature as ‘unexpected’, no windfall has been projected within the first three years from now).

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800 Windfall Green Belt Site 700 Urban SHLAA Site (Large) Urban SHLAA Site (Small) Residual Allocated Site 600 Extant Planning Permission (Large) Extant Planning Permission (Small) Completions 500 Annual housing target Revised annual target (after completions) 400

300

200

100

0

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29 Figure 14: Projected housing trajectory by site type by year, against the 2012 Emerging Core Strategy target

7.22 The revised Phase 1 and Phase 3 SHLAA documents have both identified the potential to deliver additional dwellings to those projected in 2012/13. A number of new windfall sites have also been granted permission and added to the trajectory, which along with the inclusion of student and older person’s accommodation (Use Class C1 and C2) have significantly boosted it. This has the effect that the Emerging Core Strategy’s 6,800 dwelling target to 2029 could now be met by 2027/28, meaning that fewer green belt sites would be needed. Whilst this highlights successful work in identifying and bringing forward additional sites, it is acknowledged (see 7.7) that the borough’s objectively assessed housing need is higher than the Emerging Core Strategy target. The current Local Plan consultation to establish a new housing target is therefore crucial.

7.23 Based on the future housing trajectory, local authorities are required to publish the total number of dwellings they expect to be able to deliver within five years. Former national guidance stated that the five year housing land supply should start the year after the current year – for consistency Welwyn Hatfield has decided to keep this approach. For this AMR the current year is 2014/15, and so the five year period is 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2020.

7.24 The NPPF requires that either a 5% or 20% buffer is added to the five year supply to allow for choice and competition in the market, depending on whether or not local authorities have ‘a record of persistent under-delivery’. Whilst the number of homes delivered in Welwyn Hatfield has been below target in several recent years, this is largely the result of economic circumstances and is consistent with the delivery record of most other authorities. As the Council has met its only adopted housing target (Target A) within the monitoring year, 7 years ahead of schedule, it is not considered that there has been persistent under- delivery. The recently-completed SHMA reaches a similar conclusion in assessing the borough’s future housing need, and a 5% buffer has been applied. It should also be noted

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that despite the trajectory in Figure 14 forecasting that some green belt sites could be developed by 2019/20 (i.e. within the five year period), this is on the assumption that the Local Plan would remove them from the green belt. In advance of this taking place, these sites cannot yet be (and have not yet been) included in the five year supply.

a Total housing target 2011 to 2029 6,800 b Annual housing target (a/18 years in plan period) 378 c Completions 2011/12 to 2013/14 (Including C2 allowance, see 7.12) 823 d Projected completions in current year 2014/15 (In Appendix 2) 375 e Remaining housing requirement (a – c – d) 5,602 f Annual build rate required (e/14 years left in plan period) 400 g Annual build rate required with NPPF 5% buffer adjustment (f x 1.05) 420 h Resultant five year supply housing land requirement (g x 5) 2,100 i Projected supply of sites (In Appendix 2) 2,375 j Windfall assumption for years 4 and 5 (38 per annum from Phase 3 SHLAA, x 2) 76 k Non-implementation assumption for dwellings with permission (489 x 0.024)* 12 l Actual projected five year supply (i + j – k) 2,439 m Number of years supply (l/g) 5.81 years *This reflects the average 2.4% non-implementation rate for dwellings permitted over the period 2001-2014

7.25 As at 25 July 2014 the borough had a 5 year land supply of 2,439 dwellings, 16% more than the 2,100 required based on a target of 378 per annum as set out above. This is enough housing land for 5.81 years, 10 months longer than the 5 year requirement.

Homes for all 7.26 The Council has a duty not only to aim to ensure that there are enough homes in the borough for those who need them, but that those homes are the right kinds of homes. The provision of affordable homes, and the provision of pitches for the local Gypsy and Traveller community, are particularly important components of this.

Indicator HO6: House prices Previously a contextual indicator

7.27 Figure 15 shows extracts from the Land Registry’s transaction database; the most recent data currently available is April to June 2014. Average house prices in Welwyn Hatfield have seen a gradual increase throughout the economic downturn, with some significant fluctuations (notably January – March 2012). The rate of house price increase has not been as fast in recent years as in the mid-2000s, although the trend line on the chart may suggest the beginnings of an accelerated increase. The volumes of sales show much greater fluctuation, but remain well below their peak in the mid-2000s. As predicted the steady increase in house prices has been affecting the number of sales in the borough, although the more recent spike in sales could in fact be driving up prices. As the UK’s economy begins to grow again, this will be an important trend to follow over future AMRs.

Average price by house type, Jan-Mar 2014 Overall Overall average price average price Semi- Flat/ Detached Terraced Jan-Mar 2014 Jan-Mar 2013 detached Maisonette Welwyn Hatfield £566,300 £344,000 £252,400 £183,800 £306,800 £344,315 Hertfordshire £622,600 £360,400 £280,200 £197,500 £340,200 £346,574 East of England £355,100 £228,800 £199,600 £163,000 £246,300 £222,996 England £348,100 £214,600 £213,900 £259,800 £245,500 £197,100

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7.28 The figures show that – as a snapshot – the borough’s average house price was much lower in January to March 2014 than in January to March 2013. At a borough level though the actual number of homes sold in each three month period is low enough to lead to significant fluctuations, as seen in the chart below. This overall trend line on the chart demonstrates that this drop in house prices is not representative of the overall trend, and is therefore not considered significant. The figures in the table do however continue to show that although Welwyn Hatfield’s house prices are lower than the Hertfordshire average, they are still significantly above the East of England and England averages.

£400,000 800

£350,000 700

£300,000 600

£250,000 500

£200,000 400

£150,000 300

Average Price Average Number of Sales of Number £100,000 200

£50,000 100 Average Price Number of Sales

£- 0

Mar 2009 Mar 2010 Mar 2011 Mar 2012 Mar 2013 Mar 2014 Mar

Mar 1997 Mar 1999 Mar Mar 1995 Mar 1996 Mar 1998 Mar 2000 Mar 2001 Mar 2002 Mar 2003 Mar 2004 Mar 2005 Mar 2006 Mar 2007 Mar 2008 Mar

Sept 2008 Sept Sept 2012 Sept

Sept 1995 Sept 1996 Sept 1997 Sept 1998 Sept 1999 Sept 2000 Sept 2001 Sept 2002 Sept 2003 Sept 2004 Sept 2005 Sept 2006 Sept 2007 Sept 2009 Sept 2010 Sept 2011 Sept

Sept 2013 Sept

------

- -

------

------

-

Jul Jul

Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan

Jul

Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul

Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Figure 15: Average house prices and sales volumes (with trend lines dotted) in Welwyn Hatfield since 1995 Data source: HM Land Registry, published by Hertfordshire County Council’s Local Information Service – http://www.hertsdirect.org/yrccouncil/hcc/env/factsfigs/socio/hprices

Indicator HO7: Housing affordability Previously a contextual indicator

7.29 Given the much higher than average house prices in Welwyn Hatfield, the affordability of housing in the borough is a major concern. Figure 16 overleaf sets out the ratio of lower quartile house prices to lower quartile household earnings in the borough against the Hertfordshire average and the English average. The AMR formerly presented the data against the East of England average as well, but affordability data at regional level is no longer available. Affordability is however now shown against the Outer London average, given the borough’s close housing market relationship with Barnet and Enfield in particular.

7.30 Affordability in the borough has increased slightly over the past year, the second year in a row where this has been the case. The lower quartile house price in Welwyn Hatfield is now 8.8 times the lower quartile household income. This means that housing is slightly more affordable than in the rest of Hertfordshire (9.4 times lower quartile household income) as well as in Outer London (9.8 times lower quartile household income). This is somewhat encouraging in terms of ensuring the provision of homes for all in the borough, but must be viewed in the context of English national affordability (6.5 times lower quartile household income and itself already considered very high) and the fact that just 15 years ago in 1998, the lower quartile house price in the borough was only 4.8 times lower quartile income.

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12.00

10.00

8.00

6.00

4.00

2.00

England Outer London Hertfordshire Welwyn Hatfield 0.00 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 England 3.57 3.68 3.91 4.08 4.45 5.23 6.28 6.82 7.15 7.25 6.97 6.28 6.69 6.57 6.58 6.45 Outer London 9.13 9.19 9.43 9.77 10.17 8.55 9.37 9.52 9.79 9.79 Hertfordshire 4.79 4.97 5.72 6.09 7.10 8.39 9.08 9.37 9.43 10.00 10.04 9.02 9.25 9.63 9.50 9.37 Welwyn Hatfield 4.75 5.08 5.62 6.08 6.47 8.03 8.65 8.80 9.72 8.75 9.89 8.50 8.53 10.01 9.09 8.80

Figure 16: Housing affordability in Welwyn Hatfield – ratio of lower quartile house prices to household income Data source: CLG local level live tables on the housing market and housing prices – https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-housing-market-and-house-prices

Indicator HO8: New affordable housing completions Previously Core Indicator H5

7.31 The provision of affordable housing in the borough is a key response to the pressures of housing affordability outlined in Indicator HO7. Affordable housing can either be provided by the Council’s Community Housing Trust or a number of registered social landlords operating locally, and new affordable housing can either be the result of the direct construction of new properties or the purchase of open market properties for use as affordable housing.

Year Total housing completions (gross) Affordable completions (gross) % Affordable 2001/02 95 40 42.1% 2002/03 504 180 35.7% 2003/04 825 240 29.1% 2004/05 682 178 26.1% 2005/06 737 99 13.4% 2006/07 708 307 43.4% 2007/08 768 265 34.5% 2008/09 348 185 53.2% 2009/10 83 2 2.4% 2010/11 216 62 28.7% 2011/12 309 79 25.6% 2012/13 167 27 16.2% 2013/14 277 29 10.5% Total 5,719 1,693 29.6%

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7.32 29 affordable homes have been added to the borough’s stock during the monitoring year:  12 at the site of the former Cat and Fiddle public house in Hatfield (see Figure 11)  9 on the former Three Valleys Water reservoir site in Hatfield  6 units purchased on the open market by the Council for use as affordable housing  2 units purchased by the Council as part of a mortgage rescue scheme

7.33 The tenure breakdown of these new affordable homes is shown below. They bring gross affordable completions since 2001 to 1,693, 29.6% of the total. Whilst the proportion of affordable completions within 2013/14 was somewhat lower at 10.5%, this reflects the exceptional delivery of affordable housing in the borough in the mid-2000s. The Council’s Affordable Housing Programme aims to boost numbers of new affordable homes, with more open market purchases and by constructing affordable homes on Council land.

New affordable Of which for rent, at Of which for rent, at Of which for shared homes ‘social’ levels ‘affordable’ levels ownership 29 0 26 3

Indicator HO9: New Gypsy/Traveller sites Previously Core Indicator H4 and Local Indicator 36a

7.34 There have not been any new Gypsy and Traveller pitches completed in the borough during the year. There have also not been any planning applications for new Gypsy and Traveller pitches, and no appeal decisions on Gypsy and Traveller pitch applications. There therefore remain 57 authorised permanent pitches for 95 caravans throughout the borough – 39 pitches at the public Holwell Caravan Site near Essendon, with the remaining 18 across three private sites (one near to Mill Green/Welwyn Garden City, one in Oaklands & Mardley Heath and one in Welham Green).

7.35 The Council published its Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Needs Assessment Report in 2012. This identified a need for 25 additional Gypsy and Traveller pitches in the period from 2011 to 2016, with no need for new Travelling Showpeople’s accommodation. Only 3 of the borough’s 57 permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches have been completed since 2011 (all at Foxes Lane, Welham Green), with a further 2 pitches for 4 caravans allowed on a temporary basis until 2016. There therefore remains an unmet need for new Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in the borough in the short term. The nature of Gypsy and Traveller pitches – in generally being located in the green belt – highlights the importance of planning for these communities through the Local Plan, and several potential new sites are contained in the current Local Plan consultation.

Indicator HO10: Unauthorised Gypsy/Traveller encampments Previously Local Indicator 37

7.36 The Council works with a range of service providers to monitor cases where Gypsy and Traveller encampments are established without planning permission, and also generally without the permission of the landowner. There were 8 unauthorised encampments during the year, 1 less than in 2012/13. The average length of stay has reduced significantly, from 18 days to 5 days. Five of the unauthorised encampments were known to be the same family, who are now registered on Hertfordshire County Council’s waiting list for a pitch.

Number of unauthorised encampments Range of length of stay Average length of stay 8 Between 1 and 15 days 5 days

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Chapter 8 The Economy

This chapter... Sets out nine indicators on the state of the borough’s economy, covering changes in the amount of floorspace and land in employment uses, and contextual information on the numbers of companies and jobs in the borough.

Employment land and floorspace

Indicator EC1: Changes in employment floorspace Formerly Core Indicator BD1

8.1 This indicator monitors the changes in ‘employment’ floorspace – Use Classes B1a (Office), B1b (Research & Development), B1c (Light Industry), B2 (General Industry) and B8 (Storage and Distribution). It also monitors floorspace in a mixture of the above uses (shown as B Mix below), and sui generis uses which are closest to one of the uses above.

Use Class B1a B1b B1c B2 B8 B Mix SG Total Floorspace gain (m2) 3,268 0 0 1,372 23,886 0 0 28,526m2 Floorspace loss (m2) -5,430 0 -473 -5,352 -2,643 0 0 -13,898m2 Net change in floorspace (m2) -2,162 0 -473 -3,980 21,243 0 0 14,628m2

8.2 During the monitoring year there has been a significant net gain in employment floorspace throughout the borough, and encouragingly 2013/14 is the first year since 2009/10 that employment floorspace has increased. Major components of this change are:  A gain of nearly 22,000m2 following the completion of a new B8 regional distribution centre on one of the remaining sites within Hatfield Business Park (pictured below);  Completion of a 2,900m2 B1a extension to existing premises in Hatfield Business Park;  The change of use of almost 3,000m2 of B2 floorspace in Hatfield Business Park to a mixed B2 and B8 use to incorporate storage and distribution;  The loss of a 1,300m2 B1a office building on the edge of Hatfield Town Centre as part of a change of use to a church and community facility (see p25);  Smaller losses of B1a offices as a result of changes of use to a nursery in Welwyn Garden City Town Centre (550m2) and to residential in Hatfield Town Centre (500m2);  The loss of a 900m2 B8 unit in Cuffley as a result of its change of use to residential;  Demolition of 3,000m2 B1a, 2,600m2 B2 and 2,800m2 B8 floorspace (8,400m2 in total) at the former Mount Pleasant Depot in Hatfield as part of its redevelopment for housing.

Figure 17: PCL Transport’s new regional distribution centre in Hatfield 38

Indicator EC2: New employment floorspace on PDL Formerly Core Indicator BD2

8.3 All 28,886m2 of the new employment floorspace completed within the monitoring year was on previously developed land (PDL).

Indicator EC3: Loss of employment

land to non-employment uses Formerly Local Indicators 24 and 35

8.4 During the monitoring year, 8 sites changed from an employment use to a non-employment use, resulting in the loss of 3.29 hectares of employment land. This is a relatively significant loss, although the vast majority (2.87 hectares) was as a result of the demolition of the former Mount Pleasant Depot, which the 2005 District Plan has always allocated for housing. Three of the sites also remain in uses which still have an employment function (an A1 shop, D1 children’s nursery and sui generis taxi office). The actual employment loss is therefore not considered to be unduly adverse. However, the trend in conversions to a residential use will need to be carefully monitored, given the permitted development rights to convert offices to residential without planning permission introduced during the year which are expected to lead to much greater losses of employment land.

8.5 Losses of employment land in rural areas have previously been a particular concern, given the need to support the rural economy. Two of the sites above were in a rural area, accounting for a relatively negligible 0.06 hectare loss of rural employment land.

Indicator EC4: Employment land availability Formerly Core Indicator BD3

8.6 The borough has two sources of available employment land – sites allocated for employment in SPDs or the 2005 District Plan and which are under construction or remain vacant, and sites elsewhere with planning permission but which are under construction or awaiting the start of construction.

Use Class B1a B1b B1c B2 B8 B Mix SG Total District Plan allocations (ha) 0 0 0 0 0 16.43 0 16.43ha Other permissions (ha) 0.47 0.29 0.15 1.61 1.86 0 0.83 5.21ha Total (ha) 0.47 0.29 0.15 1.61 1.86 16.43 0.83 21.64ha

8.7 The total available employment land of 21.64 hectares is a 16.5% reduction from the 25.91 hectares available in 2012/13. This is largely the result of the completion of the PCL distribution centre in Hatfield Business Park, which covers 6.95 hectares. There have however been a number of additions to the borough’s supply of employment land as a result of new planning permissions being granted, largely within existing employment areas. This is encouraging and may suggest a slight recovery in demand for employment floorspace following the recession.

8.8 The remaining seven available employment sites from the 2005 District Plan are shown in Figure 18. Four of the sites are clustered close to one another within Hatfield Business Park, two are within Welwyn Garden City Industrial Area, and one is located within the Burrowfield Employment Area in Welwyn Garden City.

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© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council LA100019547 2015

Figure 18: Employment sites which remain available; allocated in an SPD or the 2005 District Plan: Left: Shire Park (top) and Broadwater Road SPD site (bottom) around Welwyn Garden City Industrial Area Top right: Mater Dei site within the Burrowfield Employment Area, Welwyn Garden City Bottom right: Four sites around Gypsy Moth Avenue in Hatfield Business Park

Businesses, Jobs and Skills

Indicator EC5: Number of enterprises Not a previous AMR indicator

Welwyn Hatfield National change Type of count 2012 2013 Change 2012-2013 2012-2013 Number of enterprises 4,030 4,045 15 (+0.37%) 19,190 (+0.92%) Number of ‘local units’ 4,840 4,840 0 (+0.00%) 15,475 (+0.61%) Data source: Inter-Departmental Business Register via NOMIS https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157231/report.aspx

8.9 The number of enterprises in an area can be broken down in two ways: the actual number of enterprises with registered premises within an area, and the number of ‘local units’ – individual business premises of registered enterprises within an area. Tesco for example would only appear once in the number of enterprises, but would appear several times in the number of local units to account for its Welwyn Garden City headquarters, Hatfield superstore and its three express format supermarkets. It can be seen that the number of local units in the borough have remained static between 2012 and 2013, and the number of registered enterprises has increased slightly. However, both are somewhat below the national level of change.

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Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Update The Hertfordshire LEP is a business-led organisation, with public sector support, which aims to make Hertfordshire the ideal environment for businesses to flourish. In March 2014 the LEP published the county’s first Strategic Economic Plan to help to do this. The Strategic Economic Plan set out the LEP’s three main ‘offers’:  To accelerate the delivery of new housing and better identify, deliver and develop new infrastructure projects to support economic growth;  To develop a new model for the regeneration of new towns (including Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield), based around proactive delivery and links to housing growth;  To deliver high value economic growth linked to the county’s science-based assets.

In response to the Strategic Economic Plan, the government has since awarded the LEP a £200m Growth Deal. This will fund a number of schemes, intended to deliver 16,000 new homes and 13,000 new jobs throughout the county by 2021.

The Council will now work with the LEP to seek to match the borough’s new Local Plan and other plans and policies with the aims and ambition of the Strategic Economic Plan, and Figure 19: The LEP’s A1(M) Growth Area, deliver real economic benefits for Welwyn Hatfield. which includes Welwyn Hatfield

Indicator EC6: Jobs and job density Previously a contextual indicator

Change % Highest figure Area Jobs figure 2011 2012 2011-2012 change since 2000

Welwyn Jobs total 75,000 79,000 +4,000 +5.3% Current figure Hatfield Job density 1.02 1.07 +0.05 +4.9% 1.09 (2008/2009) Jobs total 593,000 605,000 +12,000 +2.0% Current figure Hertfordshire Job density 0.82 0.84 +0.02 +2.4% 0.88 (2001) Jobs total 5,028,000 5,229,000 +201,000 +4.0% Current figure London Job density 0.89 0.92 +0.03 +3.4% 0.95 (2000) Jobs total 31,743,000 31,957,000 +214,000 +0.7% Current figure Great Britain Job density 0.78 0.78 No change N/A 0.80 (2003-2005) Data source: Inter-Departmental Business Register via NOMIS – https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp

8.10 ONS figures on the number of jobs in an area take around two years to be published – the most up to date jobs total is therefore from 2012. Although in 2012 the economy was only beginning to emerge from recession, total jobs in the borough increased significantly to 79,000. This exceeded the pre-recession jobs totals of 2008 and 2009, and in common with regional and national figures is the highest number of jobs since 2000. Job density (the ratio of total jobs to the working age population aged 16-64) has also increased significantly to 1.07, meaning that the borough continues to have more jobs than it has working age residents. This is a significantly higher ratio than not only the national and county averages but is higher than the London average as well, and highlights the continued attractiveness of the borough as a place to locate a business.

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Indicator EC7: Average earnings Previously a contextual indicator

£775.00 Welwyn Hatfield £725.00 Broxbourne £675.00 East Herts £625.00 North Herts

£575.00 Stevenage St Albans £525.00 Hertsmere £475.00 Barnet £425.00 Enfield £375.00 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Figure 20: Average weekly earnings per resident employee for Welwyn Hatfield and surrounding authorities. Data source: ONS annual survey of hours and earnings via NOMIS – http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp

8.11 Figure 20 above shows that the average earnings of Welwyn Hatfield residents in 2013 had increased to £563.90 per week, slightly exceeding the previous peak earnings in 2010. The borough’s average weekly earnings are now £46.10 above the national average, and £46.40 below the Hertfordshire average (although this is skewed significantly upwards by the very high average earnings in St Albans). These differences in earnings remain broadly the same as in 2012. The surrounding local authorities with the most similar earnings profile to Welwyn Hatfield are immediately to the south – Enfield, and Hertsmere.

8.12 The earnings of all people employed within the borough was £500.60 per week in 2013. This is a significant reduction from £550.80 per week in 2012, although the 2012 figure had itself been a significant increase on the 2011 figure.

Indicator EC8: Unemployment levels Previously a contextual indicator

8.13 The level of unemployment in an area is one of the most closely-followed indicators of economic health, and can be measured in several ways. The most literal measure of unemployment comes from the ONS annual population survey (via NOMIS). This indicates the percentage of people of working age who are not currently in employment, except where they are economically inactive (for example because they look after family at home or have retired). By this measure the current (2013/14 average) unemployment rate in Welwyn Hatfield is 5.8%. This is a slight increase on the 2012/13 figure of 5.2%, but remains well below the national average for 2013/14 of 7.2%.

8.14 Rates of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants are another means of monitoring unemployment. JSA is intended to address the financial hardship of unemployment, but not every unemployed person is eligible to claim – for example, the income of an unemployed person’s spouse may put their household’s income above the required threshold. Many unemployed people may also choose not to claim JSA for a variety of reasons. JSA claimant rates are therefore a better indicator of the actual deprivation caused by unemployment. As JSA figures indicate the actual number of claimants, they are also more reliable than overall unemployment figures which are estimates based on a sample.

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6%6

5%5

4%4

3%3

2%2

1%1

0%0

April 2004 April 2005 April 2006 April 2007 April 2008 April 2009 April 2010 April 2011 April 2012 April 2013 April

August 2010 August August 2004 August 2005 August 2006 August 2007 August 2008 August 2009 August 2011 August 2012 August 2013 August

December 2012 December December 2004 December 2005 December 2006 December 2007 December 2008 December 2009 December 2010 December 2011 December 2013 December Figure 21: Percentage of working age residents claiming JSA for Welwyn Hatfield and surrounding authorities. Data source: ONS annual survey of hours and earnings via NOMIS – http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp

8.15 The rate of JSA claimants within Welwyn Hatfield was 1.7% in March 2014. This is a Welwyn North significant drop from 2.4% in March 2013, (0.8%) and back within the 1.1%-1.7% range that rates were within until late 2008, when they Welwyn South (0.9%) nearly doubled within six months. These Sherrards changes are in common with surrounding (1.5%) Haldens (2.1%) authorities, as well as the county and Handside Panshanger (1.8%) national averages. The surrounding local (1.3%) Peartree (3.7%) authorities with the most similar historic Hatfield North Howlands (1.7%) rates of JSA claimants to Welwyn Hatfield (1.6%) are North Hertfordshire and Hertsmere – Hollybush (2.45) Hatfield East Welwyn Hatfield also very closely follows (2.2%) the Hertfordshire average.

8.16 Figure 22 to the right shows the rate of JSA claimants by ward. Peartree has the highest Welham proportion of claimants at 3.7%, a reduction Green Brookmans (1.1%) Park & Little from 4.2% in 2013. Hatfield Central’s Heath (0.5%) traditionally high claimant rate has reduced, Northaw and Hatfield South (1.7%) Cuffley (0.7%) and is now similar to Hollybush. The Hatfield Central (2.4%) number of wards in the lowest claimant bracket has risen from 2 to 6 since 2013 – Hatfield West (1.1%) the lowest rate of claimants is now 0.5% in Figure 22: Percentage of working age residents Brookmans Park and Little Heath. claiming JSA in March 2014 by ward (pre-2008 boundaries). Data source: NOMIS, as above. 43

8.17 A further means to assess unemployment is the number of ‘NEETs’ in an area – the proportion of young people aged 16-18 who are Not in Employment, Education or Training. This can be another useful indicator, with high numbers of NEETs potentially having social as well as economic consequences. Figures on NEETs are only available at education authority level – the relevant figure is therefore the figure for Hertfordshire, with 4.1% of 16- 24 year olds having NEET status in 2013 (Data source: ONS via www.gov.uk). This compares favourably with the 5.2% national average. If the number of NEETs in Hertfordshire were split proportionately (based on population) between the 10 districts, there would be around 155 16-24 year olds with NEET status in Welwyn Hatfield.

Indicator EC8: Educational attainment and skills Previously a contextual indicator

Location of school 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 Welwyn Hatfield 77% 82% 86% 87% Hertfordshire 80% 84% 85% 84% East of England 74% 78% 81% 80% England 75% 80% 82% 82% Data source: Department for Education – https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-gcses-key-stage-4

8.18 GCSE performance at schools in Welwyn Hatfield has continued to improve in recent years, and continues to be higher than the regional and national average. Welwyn Hatfield is now 3% above the Hertfordshire average, where GCSE performance has dropped slightly since 2011/12.

Welwyn Hatfield Welwyn Hertfordshire East Great Qualification level (numbers) Hatfield (%) (%) (%) Britain (%) No qualifications # # 7.0% 8.4% 9.3% NVQ1 equivalent and above 67,500 90.0% 88.6% 85.8% 84.4% NVQ2 equivalent and above 58,500 77.9% 78.4% 72.7% 72.5% NVQ3 equivalent and above 46,800 62.4% 61.4% 53.6% 55.8% NVQ4 equivalent and above 28,100 37.4% 41.7% 33.2% 35.2% Other qualifications # # 4.4% 5.8% 6.3% Data source: 2013 ONS annual population survey via NOMIS – http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp

8.19 According to the ONS population survey, the proportion of working age residents with qualifications at NVQ level 4 and above (degrees or degree equivalents) in Welwyn Hatfield is slightly higher than regional and national averages, although it is lower than the county average of 41.7%. The 37.4% proportion is however a significant increase from 2012, where the percentage of working age residents with qualifications at NVQ level 4 was only 31.5%. The percentage of residents with no qualifications is not available for 2013 due the sample size being too small. As it was possible for ONS to estimate a figure in 2012, and the estimated percentage of residents with qualifications at NVQ level 1 or above has increased significantly from 83.2% in 2012 to 90.0% in 2013, this appears to indicate a drop in the proportion of residents with no qualification.

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Chapter 9 Environment and Sustainability

This chapter... Contains indicators covering the borough’s environment and the sustainability of new development; across a range of topics including the historic environment, wildlife, open space and green belt, renewable energy and transport.

Historic environment

Indicator EN1: Changes to the Previously a contextual indicator, and historic built environment now incorporates Local Indicator 8

2012/13 2013/14 Type Comment No of sites Area No of sites Area Listed Buildings 427^ n/a 427 n/a No change Of which Grade I 7 n/a 7 n/a No change Of which Grade II* 25 n/a 25 n/a No change Of which Grade II 395^ n/a 395 n/a No change Conservation Areas 8 374ha 8 374ha No change Areas of Archaeological Significance 73 1,071ha 73 1,071ha No change Scheduled Ancient Monuments 4 n/a 4 n/a No change Registered Historic Parks/Gardens 5 972ha 5 972ha No change Listed Buildings at Risk 1 n/a 1 n/a No change ^The number of listed buildings reported in the 2012/13 and previous AMRs was 423, but excluded 4 Grade II listed posts and markers on the borough boundary (which are jointly located in neighbouring authorities).

Data sources: National Heritage List for England, English Heritage – http://list.english-heritage.org.uk Heritage at Risk Register, English Heritage – http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/heritage-at-risk/ Hertfordshire Historic Environment Record via Heritage Gateway – http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk

9.1 There have been no changes to the number or area of designated heritage assets in the borough during the monitoring year. One listed building – the Grade II* listed Paine Bridge at Brocket Hall in Lemsford – remains at risk as a result of progressive stonework decay.

Natural environment

Indicator EN2: Changes in areas Formerly Core Indicator E2 of biodiversity importance

9.2 As can be seen in the table overleaf, there have not been any changes in the number or area of Wildlife Sites, Local Nature Reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest or Special Areas of Conservation within the borough during the monitoring year.

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2012/13 2013/14 Type Comment No of sites Area No of sites Area Wildlife Sites 191 1,654ha 191 1,654ha No change Local Nature Reserves 9 350ha 9 350ha No change Sites of Special Scientific Interest 5 328ha 5 328ha No change Special Areas of Conservation 1 6ha 1 6ha No change Data sources: DEFRA/Natural England MAGIC Mapping service – http://magic.defra.gov.uk; and Herts Biological Record Centre via Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.

Indicator EN3: Condition of SSSIs Previously a contextual indicator

9.3 None of the borough’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) have had their condition assessed by Natural England during the monitoring year (Natural England report available online). Accordingly, the most up-to-date information of the conditions of sites remains the same as that presented in the 2012/13 AMR.

Open space and green belt

Indicator EN4: New development in the green belt Incorporates Local Indicator 29

9.4 The amount of designated green belt land in the borough remains the same as in 2012/13, although the Council is currently consulting on potential green belt development sites as part of the Local Plan process. Development is restricted in the green belt, but it is not necessarily precluded where judged to be appropriate in accordance with the District Plan and the NPPF, and limited green belt development can for example help in supporting the borough’s rural economy. However, excessive development in the green belt would clearly be detrimental to it and undermine its purposes.

Type of development in Gross Demolitions/ Net % of all completions the green belt completions changes of use completions in green belt Residential development 9 dwellings 11 dwellings -2 dwellings N/A Commercial development 999m2 919m2 80m2 1.1%

9.5 During the monitoring year there has been a net loss of 2 dwellings in the green belt. However, this included the loss of 7 disused prefabricated bungalows in Essendon, which in common with many residential green belt schemes is part of a development to replace them with new, larger dwellings. Green belt residential completions in 2014/15 are therefore likely to be much higher. Without the 7 demolitions in Essendon the net number of new dwellings completed would have been 5, the same number as in 2012/13.

9.6 There has been a small gain in commercial floorspace in the green belt. This is primarily the result of several schemes for new horse stables, offset by small losses from a variety of commercial uses including offices and restaurant space.

Indicator EN5: Amount of urban open land Formerly Local Indicators 21 and 22

9.7 The borough currently has around 242 hectares of designated urban open land (UOL). This land is protected by Policy OS1 of the 2005 District Plan, which broadly restricts development within UOL unless the development in question would enhance it.

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9.8 During the monitoring year, planning applications have been granted on two areas of UOL. The first is for the construction of the new Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Welwyn Garden City (above right in Figure 23), and will result in the loss of 1,125m2 of UOL100 (0.13ha). As this is part of the comprehensive redevelopment of the hospital site which will provide new healthcare UOL to facilities and a significant amount of new housing be lost within the urban area, this loss is not considered unduly adverse. The other is a larger loss of 4,275m2 (0.48ha) of UOL80, to the rear of Watchmead in Welwyn Garden City Industrial Area (below right in Figure 21). This is as a result of a scheme to erect new B2/B8 industrial units UOL to entirely on UOL, which was allowed on appeal by be lost an inspector. The loss of UOL was a key reason for the scheme’s original refusal by the Council, and this decision is therefore disappointing. It has also necessitated a wider review of the role and function of the significant area of UOL in this part of Welwyn Garden City Industrial Area as part of the Council’s current Local Plan consultation.

9.9 A small amount of new open space has been completed as part of the development of Figure 23: Areas of urban open land to be lost at the QEII Hospital (above) and in Broadwater Road West in Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn Garden City Industrial Area (below). comprising 1,000m2 of new landscaping, sports courts and a play area. This is not yet formally designated as UOL, and its status is being considered as part of the preparation of the new Local Plan.

9.10 There were no planning applications granted during the year which would result in the loss of playing fields.

Indicator EN6: Open space with a Green Flag Award Formerly Local Indicator 31

9.11 The Green Flag Award Scheme is run by the Department for Communities and Local Government, and recognises and rewards the best green spaces in the country. The 52 hectare Stanborough Park and the 16 hectare King George V Playing Fields in Welwyn Garden City have both long held the award, and retained it in 2014. This year the award has also been given for the first time to the 4.5 hectare Hatfield Lawn Cemetery; in recognition of the quality of the site, its good facilities, and standard of management. These three sites bring the total amount of open space in the borough with a green flag award to 72.5 hectares. Figure 24: Stanborough Park, Welwyn Garden City 47

Sustainability of new development

Indicator EN7: Renewable energy generation Formerly Core Indicator E3

9.12 The number of schemes for renewable energy being permitted or completed is an important indicator, given the broad need to reduce carbon emissions. Most small-scale schemes for renewable energy generation (such as solar photovoltaic or thermal panels on houses) do not require planning permission. It is therefore only possible to monitor the larger-scale or standalone schemes which do, as well as renewable energy provision in new development.

Onshore Solar Anaerobic Solar thermal Other wind photovoltaic digestion Total No Capacity No Capacity No Capacity No Capacity No Capacity Renewables 1.044 0 N/A 8 0.044MW 1 Unknown 1 1.000MW 1 Unknown permitted MW Renewables 0.018 0 N/A 6 0.018MW 1 Unknown 0 N/A 1 Unknown completed MW

9.13 During the monitoring year, 0.018MW of renewable energy capacity was completed. Whilst a very small amount in the context of the borough’s overall energy needs, the 8 known completions have enabled the respective buildings and sites with which they are associated to be more self-sufficient. Examples include the completion of a solar water heating system at Queensway Health Centre in Hatfield, and solar panels installed as part of new housing developments at the former Cat and Fiddle pub and 46 The Common, also in Hatfield.

9.14 The amount of renewable energy capacity permitted in the year has increased significantly from 2012/13 (when it was 0.054MW). This is largely the result of permission being granted for a 1.0MW anaerobic digestion plant close to the borough’s southern border with Enfield. The majority of the remaining new permitted capacity is for the erection of solar photovoltaic panels at industrial premises in Welwyn Garden City and Woolmer Green.

Indicator EN8: Planning applications granted contrary to Environment Agency advice Formerly Core Indicator E1

9.15 The Environment Agency (EA) issues advice on planning applications which raise potential issues relating to flood risk, water quality and contamination. During the monitoring year the EA objected to four planning applications in the borough – two because the schemes could worsen surface water flood risk, and two because unsatisfactory flood risk assessments were submitted. In all four cases, the EA was satisfied with amendments made to the applications by the applicants, and therefore none were granted contrary to EA advice.

Indicator EN9: New development complying with parking standards Formerly Local Indicators 32 and 33

9.16 The figures opposite show the compliance of all residential development completed in the monitoring year against the Council’s Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Guidance, adopted in 2004, for both residential and non-residential development. The figures do not include sites on the former Hatfield Aerodrome as they are subject to different standards (from the 1999 masterplan for the site), and applications concerning permitted development where compliance with the standards cannot be considered.

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2013/14 residential sites completed* Number compliant with standards % compliant** 30 22 73.3% *Only those sites where sufficient information was provided to make an assessment **Based on car parking only (cycles not taken into account)

9.17 Of all the residential sites completed in the year where information was available, 73.3% complied with the standards (i.e. the number of spaces across the site were less than or equal to the maximums set out in the Supplementary Planning Guidance). This is broadly similar to the 76% compliance recorded in 2012/13, and meant that 26.7% of sites provided too much parking space against the standards. The compliance rate remains relatively high, reducing the extent to which residents of new development are car-dependent. However, the current use of the standards as maximums means that a development providing far too little parking would still be classed as compliant. Given this, and the realities of present-day car ownership within Hertfordshire, the Council has recently reviewed its approach to parking standards and will report this in detail in the 2014/15 AMR.

2013/14 non-residential Number compliant Use Class % compliant** sites completed* with standards A (Retail etc) 4 2 50.0% B (Employment etc) 10 2 20.0% C (Residential institutions etc) 2 0 None D (Leisure, community etc) 10 7 70.0% Total 26 11 42.3% *Only those sites where sufficient information was provided to make an assessment **Based on cars only (cycles not taken into account)

9.18 The overall compliance of non-residential schemes with the parking standards is, at 42.3%, much lower than for residential development. It is also much lower than the 72% compliance in 2012/13. The figures for Class A and B were particularly low, although much of this apparent non-compliance is despite schemes having been assessed and permission being granted on the basis that the impact of the proposed parking provision was judged to be acceptable. Again, the Council’s reviewed approach to parking standards aims to make them more effective and useful in the future.

Indicator EN10: Development accessibility by public transport Formerly Local Indicator 34

New homes within 30 minutes by public 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 transport of key facilities GP surgery 100% 98% 100% 99% 100% Hospital 100% 91% 88% 87% 98% Primary school 98% 99% 100% 100% 100% Secondary school 95% 99% 99% 99% 100% Employment area 100% 93% 99% 99% 99% Major retail centre 100% 98% 99% 98% 100% Data source: Herts County Council using TRACC journey time modelling software

9.19 The proportion of new homes (i.e. excluding changes of use and replacement dwellings) within 30 minutes by public transport of key facilities has always been high. Within the monitoring year the proportion has been particularly high, the result of large amounts of development in sustainable locations within the borough’s two towns. This is clearly a sustainable outcome and should continue to be a priority in the future.

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Chapter 10 Infrastructure

This chapter... Is a new chapter for the 2013/14 AMR, covering the borough’s current and future infrastructure needs. It includes an indicator on the amount of S106 funding held and collected during the year.

10.1 Ensuring that new and existing development has sufficient infrastructure to support it is a key responsibility of the Council, in making Welwyn Hatfield a pleasant and convenient place to live and work. To do this the Council works closely with other public authorities such as Hertfordshire County Council in respect of education and the Environment Agency in respect of flood risk, as well as private sector service providers such as rail and bus operators and utility companies. Chapter 2, Preparation of the new Local Plan, sets out a number of evidence studies by which the need for infrastructure within the borough has been (and will continue to be) established.

10.2 There has not been any notable new infrastructure completed in the borough during the monitoring year. Several future infrastructure plans have however evolved:  The operator of the new Greater Thameslink franchise, which operates all of the borough’s rail franchises, was announced in May 2014. By 2018 trains into London will continue beyond London Kings Cross, and through Central London directly into South London and Surrey (see Figure 25). This will significantly improve the borough’s connectivity to London;  As part of the new Greater Thameslink franchise it has also been confirmed that train services from the borough to Moorgate, in the City of London, will operate throughout the weekend and evening. These currently only operate during the day on weekdays, meaning that connectivity between the borough and London will be further improved; Figure 25: The proposed Thameslink route network, showing the new services from Welwyn Garden City  Construction of the new buildings, car and Hatfield running directly through Central London. park and bus interchange that form part Image source: Thameslink of the Hatfield Station Redevelopment commenced during the year, with Note – not all stations and routes shown completion expected by early 2015;

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10.3 Work on the necessary new highway, utilities, educational and green infrastructure capacity required to support the development of the sites set out in the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments (see 2.10) has now been published. The new Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) which forms part of the current Local Plan consultation sets out the borough’s future infrastructure need based on the type and amount of development which would come forward if the Council had to meet the full objectively assessed housing need figure for the borough (see 7.4). At the time of publication in February 2015 this is subject to public consultation alongside the Local Plan Consultation Document. The new IDP builds upon the previous draft IDP produced for consultation in late 2012, and the final IDP will be produced alongside the final Local Plan in due course.

10.4 Progress with the necessarily infrastructure will be set out in future AMR’s, once the analysis of the current Local Plan public consultation has established which sites will be taken forward for development in the future.

Indicator IN1: S106 funds collected and held Not previously an AMR indicator

10.4 Section 106 legal agreements are a key mechanism by which infrastructure, for which the need occurs as a direct result of development, can be funded. It is also a means by which funding for other projects can be secured (such as offsite affordable housing); as well a means to secure other non-financial measures (such as requiring a developer to provide affordable housing within a development site).

10.5 S106 agreements are secured in accordance with the Council’s adopted Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Guidance. Many also fall under Hertfordshire County Council’s Planning Obligations Toolkit, which covers contributions for county-provided services such as education and highways. Contributions under the County toolkit are collected separately. The Council has recently invested in its S106 monitoring, to better allow it to track the way in which S106 funds are invested. In future AMRs, indicator IN1 will therefore be much more comprehensive.

10.6 During the year, the Council received and spent S106 funding as follows:  £356,000 was received from the developer of new housing at Sir Frederic Osborn School in Welwyn Garden City, to fund outdoor sports provision;  £29,000 was received from the developer of new housing at the former Mount Pleasant Depot in Hatfield, to fund improvements to Birchwood Sports and Leisure Centre. This money has subsequently been spent;  £21,000, collected in previous years from the developer of the former Sir John Newsom School in Welwyn Garden City, was spent on open space.

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Chapter 11 SPD Site Monitoring

This chapter... Monitors the progress and implementation of the three sites in the borough which are currently the subject of emerging or adopted Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs).

11.1 Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) set out additional detail to District Plan (and in the future, Local Plan) policies in certain topics or areas. They are used in the determination of planning applications, and assist both the Council in articulating its development aspirations and developers in preparing their proposals.

11.2 Three sites in the borough currently have SPDs to help guide their development:  The Broadwater Road West SPD was adopted in December 2008. It sets out the Council’s vision and a masterplan to help to shape the mixed-use redevelopment of this key site, immediately east of Welwyn Garden City Town Centre across the East Coast Main Line.  The High View SPD was adopted in April 2011. It sets out policies for the redevelopment of the High View District Centre in South Hatfield, to also include a residential element.  The draft Welwyn Garden City Town Centre North SPD was published for consultation in January 2014. It currently proposes a mixed-use, retail led development for the north end of the town centre (see p23), and is expected to be amended and adopted in early 2015.

11.3 Because of the condition of the property market after its SPD was adopted, the Council has not yet identified a development partner for High View. Now that the market has improved, the Council has appointed a consultant to review the scheme. Development at Welwyn Garden City Town Centre North is subject to the progress and adoption of its respective SPD. Broadwater Road West is therefore the only SPD site with development underway.

Broadwater Road West SPD 11.4 The 16ha Broadwater Road West site is comprised of three individual land ownerships – the bulk (10.4ha) is owned by Spenhill, 3.2ha is owned by Taylor Wimpey and 2.4ha is owned by Pall Mall. Taylor Wimpey submitted a planning application for 209 dwellings and the conversion of a listed building to a community use on the part of the site within their ownership in 2010. This application was granted. In 2011 Spenhill submitted an application for their part of the site, including residential units and a large superstore. This application was refused, although a separate application for the part-replacement of the pedestrian footbridge across the railway into Welwyn Garden City town centre was approved.

11.5 During the monitoring year, the residential component of the Taylor Wimpey development was completed. Spenhill has consulted the public on their emerging plans (available online) for a residential-led scheme, with accompanying employment floorspace and a much smaller amount of retail floorspace than proposed previously. Proposals for the Pall Mall site have also been discussed with the Council, with further detail expected in due course.

11.6 The Broadwater Road West SPD includes targets against a number of AMR indicators, as well as several standalone site-specific targets in order to monitor the achievement of the

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SPD’s vision and objectives. Progress against these is shown below (note that the indicators referred to are those in the current AMR, which are numbered differently to those used at the time the SPD was adopted – see Appendix 1 for further details):

Indicator SPD site-wide Achieved to date Performance o target AMR N Title All must be met within RF2 New leisure floorspace 9,000sqm None remaining phases New community use 4,000sqm (Not yet Remainder must be RF3 8,000sqm floorspace complete) met in other phases Remainder must be HO1 New dwellings 900 209 met in other phases

HO4 New dwelling density 75dph 77dph Meeting target

315 (35% of 31 (15% of Below target (As in HO8 New affordable housing total) completions) 2012/13, no change) New employment 19,000sqm All must be met within EC1 None floorspace Use Class B1 remaining phases Loss of employment None of that EC3 N/A Not yet applicable land to other uses allocated Listed buildings EN1 0 0 Meeting target demolished 0.8ha per 1.16ha per 1,000 EN5 Amount of urban space Above target 1,000 people people Renewable energy 10% EN7 10.11% renewable Meeting target generation renewable Permissions contrary to EA EN8 0 0 Meeting target advice Compliance with EN9 100% 100% Meeting target parking standards Dwellings at Code for Below target (As in n/a 100% 0% Sustainable Homes Level 4 2012/13, no change) Number of trees planted on n/a Net increase Approximately 100 Meeting target site Number of Sustainable No target, but good n/a No target 1 Urban Drainage features performance Number of Secured by No target, but good n/a No target 1 Design certifications performance 0 (Previously some No target, but other n/a Number of jobs on site No target construction jobs) phases should deliver Number of bus None (S106 Awaiting n/a 1 improvement schemes funding received) implementation

11.7 Delivery against the SPD has so far been broadly in line with its targets. The affordable housing and sustainability of the dwellings in the Taylor Wimpey scheme were below target, but this was balanced against the scheme’s viability and the wider package of Section 106 funding at the time it was approved. This included £75,000 for off-site road improvements, £230,000 to fund improved weekend bus services and bus stops along Broadwater Road, nearly £300,000 to fund education, youth and library facilities, and the provision of open space within the site. These further contribute towards the SPD’s site-wide S106 targets.

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Conclusions

The 2013/14 monitoring year has largely been one of preparation, and laying foundations for the future development needs of the borough.

Following the decision at the beginning for 2014 that the Council would move away from the Local Development Framework approach of having a suite of core policy documents; work on a single Local Plan has advanced quickly during the year. The revised evidence required to support the new Local Plan has been completed; including key pieces of evidence examining the borough’s future housing need, housing land availability, and economic prospects. The Council has now published the Local Plan Consultation Document, and hopes to adopt a Local Plan during 2016.

Work has also progressed on plans for the future of retail in the borough, in the form of the Welwyn Garden City Town Centre North Supplementary Planning Document. This proposes a new mixed- use, retail led development in the heart of the town centre, intended to ensure that the town centre remains attractive in the future. The document was published for consultation in early 2014, and following a largely positive response is expected to be adopted in early 2015.

The amount of new development completed in the borough during the year remains relatively modest following the recent economic recession, and in common with the previous monitoring years was much lower than the amount of development completed in the middle of the 2000s. Affordable housing completions remain notably low as a proportion of overall housing completions for example, although the Council’s Affordable Housing Programme is seeking to rectify this. More encouragingly, the number of housing completions in 2013/14 across all tenures was significantly more than in 2012/13. This is despite the number of completions across Hertfordshire as a whole being the lowest ever recorded. The 2013/14 monitoring year was also the first since 2009/10 with a net increase in employment floorspace, which is considered to be particularly encouraging.

A significant uplift in rates of construction is expected during the coming years, and with additional sites identified during the year the borough has been able to retain the required five year housing land supply. The Economy Study completed during the year has similarly helped the Council to understand the borough’s future need for employment land, which the Local Plan will plan for.

It is therefore considered that whilst the amount of development achieved during the year was below the levels achieved in the past, it remains a good achievement given recent economic circumstances. It is hoped that the preparatory work undertaken during the year for the Local Plan and other documents will further place the borough in a strong position for the future.

Figure 26: New housing under construction on the former Three Valleys Water site in Hatfield, one of a number of large sites where housing will be delivered over the coming years. 54

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