Examination of the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan Council’s Statement for the Stage 7 Hearing on Tuesday 10 th March 2020 SP19: Birchall Garden Suburb Matter 1 – Historic Heritage and Urban Design 1 Matter 1 – Historic Heritage and Urban Design Heritage Assets There are a number of historic heritage assets, close to the site, some of which are of national significance. In preparing Local Plans the NPPF requires Local Planning Authorities to recognize that heritage assets are an irreplaceable resource that should be conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 also requires them to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the setting of listed buildings. Question 1: Other than the Montages produced by David Jarvis Associates on behalf of Tarmac (EX37), is there any other evidence (such as a Heritage Impact Assessment) that has been considered the sensitivity of development to the nearby Heritage Assets within Welwyn/Hatfield? Council Response: a. Yes, in addition to the photomontages produced by David Jarvis Associates on behalf of Tarmac (EX37), there is also the Panshanger Park and Environs Heritage Impact Assessment (July 2016) (Welwyn Hatfield ref: HIS3) produced by Beacon Planning on behalf of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and East Herts District Council. b. The Memorandum of Understanding (September 2017) (EX15) between Historic England (HE) and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (WHBC) provides a summary of engagement between Historic England and WHBC, including the process of identifying a requirement for, and commissioning an independent study defining the significance of Panshanger Park and its environs and assessing the sensitivity of the surrounding area for development. This work was undertaken in consultation with Historic England. The work considered the sensitivity of development to the nearby heritage assets, including Panshanger Park, Hatfield House and a number of other listed buildings that may be impacted by the proposed development at Birchall Garden Suburb as well as other proposed allocations in the vicinity. c. The photomontages submitted by the Site Promoter, were undertaken in line with recommendations set out in the Heritage Impact Assessment, to assist the assessment of the impact of the proposed development to nearby heritage assets (EX37). d. Further work has been completed by Tarmac more recently to examine any potential impacts that may be associated with increasing the noise bund and building heights in proximity to the Burnside site. A revised plan showing cross sections of the landscape bunding (Drawing reference: 2284-4-4-1) has been seen by the Council and it is understood will be submitted by the Site Promoters as part of their hearing statement. This takes account of a 14m building height immediately north of Burnside and 10m high bund alongside Burnside and demonstrates the screening effect of the landscaping. 2 Question 2: To what extent has the proposal had regard to the available heritage evidence? Paragraph e) of the Council’s response to the Matter 7 at the first hearing says that the notional plan is to be modified to provide an enhanced green buffer adjacent to the A414. Council Response: e. The Council considers that full regard has been given to the evidence described in the Council’s response to Question 1 (EX31 and HIS3) and a number of proposed modifications to the draft Local Plan have been proposed to reflect the evidence and ongoing engagement with Historic England. f. The proposed modifications, informed by detailed engagement with Historic England are evidenced by the Memorandum of Understanding (September 2017 – EX15) and the Statement of Common Ground (November 2017 - EX30). g. The Statement of Common Ground (September 2017 – EX30) summaries the agreement reached with Historic England, sets out the proposed modifications, and concludes that both Historic England and WHBC are content, that any potential impacts are capable of successful mitigation, to be informed by the detailed master- planning of the site. Furthermore, it was agreed with Historic England that the impact of development on the setting of Hatfield House and Hatfield House Registered Park and Garden, could be, in part, mitigated by stepping back development from the southern boundary of the development and A414 and providing an enhanced green buffer. Historic England were content with the proposed modification and that the precise details would be addressed through the master-planning stage. h. The updated notional layout for the site (attached at Appendix A to this statement) includes provision for a 60m buffer along the A414, as required to mitigate any impact associated with environmental matters (discussed in the Council’s Matter 2 Hearing Statement), along with a 5m landscape bund and a range of design requirements such as structural planting of native species. i. The Council considers that a combination of mitigation measures, incorporating a 60m buffer, ensuring that development is integrated into the landscape, the provision of open space and protection of existing woodland within the site and a traditional layout incorporating tree lined roads, would be sufficient to mitigate any potential impacts on heritage assets and recent evidence from the Site Promoter supports this conclusion. The updated evidence also considers the impact of increasing the landscape bund to 10m, along with increasing buildings heights to 14m in the vicinity of the Burnside site, and demonstrates that these measures would not lead to any undue further impact on heritage assets. j. The Council continues to work positively with Historic England, as committed through the Statement of Common Ground, and anticipate that this work will be ongoing through-out the master-planning stage of the process. k. The revised strategy diagram for the site also differentiates between the built envelope of the primary and secondary schools and their playing fields. The built envelope has been located to the south of the primary and secondary school site close to the B195. Configuring the site in this way with the playing fields to the north helps to provide a stronger heritage buffer to Panshanger Registered Park and 3 Garden and to conserve the setting of the Registered Park and Garden and conserve the setting of Birchall Farm through protecting the openness of the surrounding landscape. It is also acknowledged that careful design of the school buildings and boundary treatment will be needed to help protect the setting of these heritage assets. Question 3: How wide is this enlarged buffer to be? Council Response: l. The Council considers that a buffer of 60m wide in accordance with a range of evidence, including those relating to environmental matters, as described in more detail in the Council’s Hearing Statement for Matter 2 would be appropriate. This width is sufficient to accommodate structural landscaping along the northern side of the A414, which would include a 5m landscape bund, new and enhanced hedging alongside the road and a belt of woodland planting. Development in this part of the site could still be visible from Hatfield House and it’s Historic Park, from the Essendon heritage assets, as well as from Holwell Court and in the wider views of these heritage assets. Question 4: In this context would the development be harmful to the settings of these heritage assets? Question 5: If not, why not? Council Response: m. As discussed in the Council’s response to Questions 1, 2 and 3, the Council is content that any potential impacts to Hatfield House Park and Garden can be adequately mitigated. This was the agreed position with Historic England as set out in the Statement of Common Ground (September 2017 – EX30), which led to a proposed modification being put forward. This modification has since been included in the Adopted East Herts Local Plan. The modified policy is attached as Appendix B to this statement with the modifications to paragraph 3 and bullet points 10 and 11 being particularly relevant to this issue. n. As set out in the previous joint statement to Matter 7 The Panshanger Park and Environs Heritage Impact Assessment (HIS/3) concluded that the development of Birchall Garden Suburb is considered to have a limited potential effect on the heritage significance of Holwell Court. o. The mitigation measures proposed to protect the heritage assets of Panshanger Park, Birchall Farm and Hatfield House Historic Park and Garden will address any harm to heritage assets in Essendon. 4 Question 6: Would any harm be substantial and if not what weight should be given to it? Council Response: p. As discussed in the Council’s responses to the proceeding answers, the Council is content the proposed mitigation is sufficient and that any harm would certainly not be substantial. Given that an agreed position has already been reached with Historic England, who have confirmed their acceptance of the proposed modification to the policy being sufficient, the Council do not consider that any weight should be given to any claim that the development would lead to substantial harm. Question 7: Has the impact of development on the setting of these heritage assets been given adequate consideration? Council Response: q. Yes. As has been described in the Council’s responses to the proceeding questions, the Council has worked positively with Historic England on an ongoing basis and have signed a Statement of Common Ground agreeing to proposed modifications to the policy. This work was informed by evidence commissioned in consultation with Historic England. On this basis, the matter has been given adequate consideration that is proportional and consistent with national policy. 5 Garden City Principles The original Garden City was founded on a set of principles that sought to establish a settlement that minimised its impact on the surrounding Countryside. Question 8: Would the proposed new edge to Welwyn Garden City maintain the principles of urban containment, upon which the Garden City was founded, to the same extent as the current boundary? Council’s Response: r.