LCRT 017 St Albans Rural Vision Final Report
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St Albans Rural Vision Final Report | July 2009 Corrections Please note the following corrections to this report: The M10 should read A414 throughout. Page 12, first paragraph: Reference to a station at Frogmore is incorrect. St Albans Rural Vision Final Report | June 2009 Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Rural Vision 5 3. Project context 21 4. Local context and consultation 29 Wheathampstead 31 Redbourn 41 Colney Heath 49 Harpenden 57 St Stephen 67 Sandridge 75 London Colney 81 1. Introduction 1. Introduction Urban Practitioners has been commissioned Role of the Rural Vision Stage 1: Familiarisation Stage 4: Preparation of report by St Albans City and District Council to St Albans City and District Council Feb/March 2009 May 2009 develop a St Albans Rural Vision for the are currently developing their Local • Review of existing information • Analysis of results coming twenty years. A comprehensive Development Framework (LDF). This will programme of engagement and consultation replace the District’s Local Plan, and will • Meeting with members of the SACDC • Identification of a vision statement and was devised for the project, including events help to shape spatial planning in the District Planning key priorities for each settlement covering each of the rural parishes within up to 2026. the District. • Department • Identification of overarching vision As an evidence base document, the Rural with links to City Vision project The project has been developed in close Vision has been prepared for the District • Report production collaboration with the relevant Town and Council to inform the preparation of Stage 2: Scoping of consultation exercise Parish Councils wherever possible, and in Development Plan Documents in the LDF - Feb/March 2009 the context of the St Albans City Vision, particularly the Core Strategy. which has also been developed by Urban • Identification of relevant contacts at Stage 5: Finalisation of the report Practitioners (see below). In compiling St Albans City and District Council will Parish and Town Councils June 2009 the Rural Vision, the views of relevant have a key role in delivering the Vision as the local planning authority and a delivery • Meet with the Parish and Town organisations have also been sought Councils wherever possible, including the Woodland body. For proposals that are not directly Report structure Trust in relation to Heartwood Forest, and within the Council’s control or remit, it • Agree scope and content of the Herts Rural Community Council. will perform the role of an enabling body, consultation events This report sets out an overarching vision helping to identify funding priorities and for the future of the rural parts of the This report provides a review of relevant opportunities for partnership working with • Agree venues district, and includes vision statements, key documentation including the Local Plan, other organisations and service providers in • Publicity of consultation events priorities and next steps for each of the Sustainable Community Strategy, any the District. Parishes. relevant plans and strategies available • Invitation letters sent to stakeholders for each Parish, together with a review The structure of the report is set out as • Community panel recruitment of the results and key findings from the Project programme follows: consultation exercises. Additionally, vision The full project programme runs from Chapter 2 sets out the rural vision and key statements, key priorities and next steps are February 2009 until June 2009, and includes Stage 3: Facilitation of consultation conclusions for each of the Parishes and the identified for each settlement. five key stages: events District; March/April 2009 Chapter 3 sets out the project context, including links to the City Vision, a review • Write-up of workshop feedback of relevant policy and other documentation, and the strategic development context for the rural areas within the district; and 2 St Albans Rural Vision | June 2009 Chapter 4 sets out the local context for Sandridge each parish within the district, and for each Drop-in event Friday 1st May includes details of the local development context and relevant documentation, reviews the consultation exercises which London Colney have been undertaken, and presents the key Drop-in event Tuesday 5th May findings for each area. Additionally, meetings were held with the Consultation programme Woodland Trust on the 1st May, and the Herts Rural Community Council on the Following initial meetings with the Parish 29th May. Findings from a workshop at the Councils to identify key issues and scope Parish Conference on the 23rd April have out the consultation programme, the also been incorporated into this report. following consultation has been carried out: Wheathampstead Drop-in event Friday 3rd April Farmers market Sunday 19th April Redbourn Drop-in event Tuesday 21st April Colney Heath Drop-in event Wednesday 22nd April Harpenden Workshop Monday 27th April Market stall Saturday 2nd May St Stephen Drop-in event Thursday 30th April St Albans Rural Vision | June 2009 3 4 St Albans Rural Vision | June 2009 2. Rural vision St Albans Rural Vision | June 2009 5 Wheathampstead Key findings Vision statement Future priorities Next steps As one of the larger villages in the District, Wheathampstead has the potential to develop Future priorities for the village and parish The District Council should seek to Wheathampstead has a relatively mixed its role as a large and sustainable village include: promote planning policies which protect community and a range of local shops, settlement by supporting local shops and empty shop units from conversion to services and businesses, giving it the businesses, and improving integrated access • Promoting local businesses and filling alternative uses, and where possible to potential to become one of the more to sustainable modes of transportation which empty shop units to encourage local protect the existing local village shops self-contained and sustainable settlements provide access to surrounding towns and St economic development and sustainable and services. Policies to encourage home within the District in the future. Albans city. The local economy will benefit from living patterns; working practice and the support of local Wheathampstead has retained much of promotion as a local tourist and recreational • Improving connectivity to surrounding businesses would strengthen employment in its historic village character and identity, destination, by fostering links with Heartwood towns and villages, particularly in terms the village, reducing the need to travel and particularly in comparison with some of Forest and the surrounding countryside, and by of improved cycle and pedestrian enhancing the local economy. the other towns and villages within the maximising opportunities to promote heritage routes, and improved local public The Council should seek to retain and District, and is located in close proximity interests and its unique village character. transportation provision; protect the Conservation Area and listed to both the strategic rail and road network buildings, and where possible encourage • Retaining the distinctive village identity (Harpenden for the train service to the promotion of local historic and natural and promoting local heritage and London, and the A1(M) / M1 at Welwyn assets. Transportation policies should natural assets; Garden City and Redbourn). Additionally, seek to encourage a modal shift to more Wheathampstead is in close proximity to • Promoting the village as a destination sustainable modes of transportation, the future site of Heartwood Forest, which for visitors to Heartwood Forest and improve existing walking and cycling routes, may help to make it a suitable location for the surrounding countryside; and and promote the delivery of new routes tourists and day trippers in the future. linked to neighbouring towns and villages. • Strengthening local amenities and The Council may wish to encourage a The consultation undertaken in facilities, and ensuring improved access review of the distribution of secondary Wheathampstead indicated that the village to secondary schools places for local school places, improving access for children retains a significant and impressive range of residents. listed buildings within its Conservation Area, within the Parish where possible. but scope exists for further promoting the Issues historical legacy of the village and nearby Devils Dyke. In association with this, the • Herts County Council as the Local village may benefit from promoting itself as Education authority manages local a centre by which Heartwood Forest can school provision. be accessed and visited in the future. • District Council unable to directly influence and adjust local rents and business rates. Redbourn Key findings in the village, along with the future of the Vision statement Future priorities Redbourn High Street follows the line of travellers sites located within the Parish. Redbourn has a unique village identity and Future priorities for the village and parish the Roman Watling Street in the north- The need to protect the Common and protecting the historic fabric of the village, and include: west of the District. As a result, the village Green Belt was also emphasised. Key assets maintaining links to the surrounding natural contains a significant amount of listed identified included the strength of the environment will preserve and enhance this. • Improving local bus links and buildings in and around the High