TWO WATERS DRAFT MASTERPLAN GUIDANCE Dacorum Borough Council June 2017 2 3 00 | Contents 00 | Contents 3 01 | Introduction 5 02 | Supporting Research 15 03 | Constraints & Opportunities 29 04 | Vision & Objectives 35 05 | Overarching Guidance 39 06 | Development Sites Guidance 51 07 | Next Steps 67 Figure 1 : Two Waters Study Area Town Centre The Plough Roundabout Blackbirds Moor Plough Gardens Station Rd Heath Corner Park Hall London Rd Bulbourne Bulbourne Moor Meadow Hemel Hempstead London Rd railway station Two Waters Rd London Rd Durrants Hill Rd Apsley Retail Park A41 Key London Rd Study Area Boundary Town Centre Apsley railway station Aerial Image Source: Google Maps 2017 5 01 | Introduction 1.1 Introduction 6 1.5 The Study Area 8 1.2 Background & Role 6 1.6 Regional & Local Context 10 1.3 The Process 7 1.7 Planning Context 12 1.4 Planning Status 7 1.8 Consultation 13 6 Two Waters Masterplan Guidance | Dacorum Borough Council 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Background & Role Dacorum Borough Council (DBC) has commissioned DBCrecognisesthatthereisasignificantamountof The Masterplan Guidance will help to generate consultants BDP to build on the Two Waters under-used land within the Two Waters area. This investmenttoimproveinfrastructureandsupport Strategic Framework (November 2015) and prepare a creates opportunities to provide much needed new development in the area. To achieve this the MasterplanGuidancedocumentfortheTwoWaters homes, create employment, enhance community Masterplan Guidance includes: area. services and improve the environment through • An exciting and bold Vision to guide regeneration sustainable development. The opportunities The MasterplanGuidancewillshapefuture andensuretheneedsofexistingandfuture arefocusedaroundimprovingpublictransport development in Two Waters and play an important communities are met. andpromotingamixofhousingledmixed-use role in ensuring that development in the area is • AnaspirationalsetofObjectivestoaddressissues development, which promote public transport planned and designed in the best possible way and capitalise on opportunities. andsustainabletransportnetworkstoeasetraffic to deliver an attractive, sustainable and balanced • Overarching Guidance to shape strategic congestion, high quality urban design principles, environment,fitforthefuture.TheMasterplan development across the whole study area and excellentgreeninfrastructureandastrongsenseof Guidancealsoinformsemergingplanningpolicy ensure separate Development Sites work together character and community. includingthecontentofDacorum’snewLocal as a whole. Plan. It is envisioned that the Masterplan Guidance The Two Waters Masterplan Guidance seeks to • Development Site Guidance, setting out Key willbeinitiallyadoptedbytheDBC’sCouncilasa managegrowthandprovideaflexibleholisticstrategy Proposals, Design Guidance and Development planning statement and will then be adopted as a toguidedevelopmentoftheTwoWatersareaasa RequirementsforeachoftheDevelopmentSites. Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) supporting wholeandofindividualDevelopmentSites.Theaim thenewDacorumLocalPlan. istocreateaplacethatreflectslocalaspirationsand securesbenefitsforthewidercommunity. The Masterplan Guidance is underpinned by a robust evidence base comprising: an urban design, transport and movement, and viability analysis; a capacity study totestfeasibleamountsofdevelopmentanddesign principles;andaviabilityandtransportappraisalof the capacity study. DBC hasalsoundertakensignificantpublic consultation including public exhibitions and workshops, online consultation and meetings with keystakeholdersandlandowners,allofwhich haveinformedthedevelopmentoftheMasterplan Guidance. Two Waters Masterplan Guidance | Dacorum Borough Council 7 1.3 The Process 1.4 Planning Status The Masterplan Guidance was developed through an Theprocessallowedthefeasibilityofdifferentforms The Masterplan Guidance has been prepared iterativedesignprocesswheredesignswererefined ofdevelopmenttobetestedandtoinformtheVision, in accordance with the National Planning Policy in response to constraints and opportunities, adopted andObjectivesandtoproducearobustMasterplan Framework(NPPF)(March,2012)andDBC’s and emerging planning policy, urban design analysis, Guidance.Earlyiterationsofthemasterplantesting emergingandadoptedLocalPlans.Inparticularthe transport analysis, viability analysis, meetings with included higher development capacities and these MasterplanGuidancebuildsonDBC’sSavedLocal key stakeholders, steering group meetings, meetings wereconsideredtorepresentinappropriateformsof Plan(April,2004)Policy10OptimisingtheUseof withHertfordshireCountyCouncil,andpublicand development due to: UrbanLand. stakeholder consultation workshops and exhibitions. • Negative impacts on views and townscape due to The Masterplan Guidance has been prepared through This iterative process ensured the Masterplan buildingheightsanddominanceoftallerbuildings. aprocessofextensivepublicconsultationandis Guidancewasinformedbyanunderstandingofthe • Poor relationships between existing and proposed consistent with adopted and emerging planning existing social, physical and economic constraints buildings due to increased density. policy. It should be given material consideration in the and opportunities and that both the overarching • Negative impacts on the local highways network determinationofplanningapplicationswithintheTwo guidance and development sites guidance promotes due to increased vehicle movements. Watersstudyareaboundary,asidentifiedinFigure2. realistic and deliverable development. • Negative impacts on viability due to the The Masterplan Guidance has also considered and The Masterplan Guidance builds on previous studies requirementforundergroundcarparking. isbroadlyconsistentwiththeaimsandobjectives undertakenwithinoradjacenttothestudyarea, • Views expressed through public consultation and oftheLocalPlans.TheMasterplanGuidanceforms including: steering group meetings. partoftheevidencebasefortheforthcomingLocal • The Two Waters Strategic Framework (2015) PlanReviewanticipatedfor2019.Itisenvisioned • Hemel Hempstead Town Centre Masterplan 2011- Key stakeholders were consulted through one to one that the document will be initially adopted by Council 2021 (2013) meetingsandincludedHertfordshireCountyCouncil, asaplanningstatement.Followingadoptionofthe • Hemel Hempstead Station Gateway Feasibility Network Rail, Boxmoor Trust, key landowners LocalPlan,theMasterplanGuidancewillthenbe Study (2011) and developers who have expressed an interest adoptedasaSPD.BeforeadoptionasaSPD,itwill • Two Waters Open Space Feasibility Study (2011) indevelopingoneormoreoftheDevelopment be important to review the supporting evidence base • Hemel Hempstead Urban Transport Plan (2009) Sites.Inaddition,tworoundsofpublicconsultation and ensure the guidance is based on up-to-date • EmergingHertfordshireGrowthandTransportPlan wereundertakenthatinformedthedevelopment and robust background research. The Two Waters (unpublished) oftheMasterplanGuidance.Theconsultation Masterplan Guidance supersedes the Two Waters processfindingsaresummarisedinsection1.8of Strategic Framework (2015). this doucment and the Consultation Statements supporting the Masterplan Guidance. 8 Two Waters Masterplan Guidance | Dacorum Borough Council 1.5 The Study Area The Two Waters study area is located to the south dominationhasinpartresultedfromrelativelylimited ofHemelHempsteadtowncentreandissituated localpublictransportlinksandthedistancefrom betweenthetrainstationsofHemelHempsteadand Hemel Hempstead town centre and key destinations Apsley.TheTwoWatersareaasidentifiedinFigure2 such as the Maylands Business Park. covers approximately 124 hectares. The study area is The MasterplanGuidanceidentifiesfourkey bound by the railway mainline between Euston and the DevelopmentSites(Figure2)asthefocusofnew Midlands in the south; Hemel Hempstead Station in the development within Two Waters. These sites have west; the River Bulbourne and Heath Park to the north beenidentifiedtakingintoaccounttheStrategic west;LawnLaneandBelswainsLanetotheeast;and Framework, land ownership, physical boundaries, Apsley Station to the south east. known development aspirations, and key gateways to There isavariedmixoflandusesthroughoutthe Two Waters and Hemel Hempstead town centre. study area, including: residential, light industrial, retail, Although fourkeydevelopmentsitesareidentified, officeandcommunityuses,togetherwithasignificant it is likely that many more smaller sites will come Formal planting amountofopengreenspaceandwaterways.Thismix forwardinthearea.TheMasterplanGuidancewill providesarangeoffacilitiesincloseproximitytoone apply to all developments within the study area. another and encourages sustainable development by reducing the need to travel. Thecharactervariessignificantlyacrossthestudy areafromlargerbuildingsandhigherconcentrations ofactivitynearthePloughRoundaboutsignallingthe edgeofHemelHempsteadtowncentretothesemi- ruralhighqualitygreenspaceofthemoorsandAspley localcentrewithitsparadeofshopsandretailpark. The moors, Grand Union Canal and the River Bulbourneprovidevaluableopportunitiesforrecreation and biodiversity, whilst industrial land, large retail units andsignificanttransportinfrastructuredetractfromthe area’scharacterandrestrictmovement. Theareasuffersfromacongestedhighwaynetwork and a vehicle dominated environment. This vehicle Apsley Marina London Road Two Waters Masterplan Guidance | Dacorum Borough Council 9 Figure 2 : Two Waters Study Area & Development Sites Boundary