NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL Local Plan 2011 - 2031 Preferred options Consultation Paper December 2014 www.north-herts.gov.uk “Making North Hertfordshire a vibrant place to live, work and prosper” North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 Contents Contents ................................................................................................................ 2 Preface .................................................................................................................. 4 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 5 2. Vision and Objectives ......................................................................................... 7 Policy SD1: Presumption in favour of sustainable development ............................. 8 3. Economy & Town Centres ................................................................................ 10 Policy ETC1: Provision and distribution of employment land ................................ 10 Policy ETC2: Promoting the knowledge economy ................................................ 12 Policy ETC3: Appropriate uses in employment areas .......................................... 13 Policy ETC4: Employment development outside employment areas .................... 15 Policy ETC5: Tourism .......................................................................................... 16 Policy ETC6: Town and Local Centres ................................................................. 17 Policy ETC7: Additional retail floorspace ............................................................. 19 Policy ETC8: New retail, leisure and other town centre development ................... 21 Policy ETC9: Primary and secondary shopping frontages .................................... 22 Policy ETC10: Local centres ................................................................................ 24 Policy ETC11: Scattered local shops, services and facilities in towns and villages ............................................................................................................................ 25 4. Countryside and Green Belt ............................................................................. 27 Policy CGB1: Green Belt ..................................................................................... 27 Policy CGB2: Rural Areas Beyond the Green Belt ............................................... 27 Policy CGB3: Exception sites in the rural area ..................................................... 28 Policy CGB4: Rural Workers’ Dwellings ............................................................... 29 Policy CGB5: Existing Rural buildings .................................................................. 30 5. Transport .......................................................................................................... 32 Policy T1: Sustainable transport .......................................................................... 32 Policy T2: Parking ................................................................................................ 33 6. Housing and development strategy .................................................................. 35 Policy HDS1: Housing targets 2011-2031 ............................................................ 35 Policy HDS2: Settlement hierarchy ...................................................................... 37 Policy HDS3: Affordable housing ......................................................................... 40 Policy HDS4: Density ........................................................................................... 41 Policy HDS5: Relatives' and dependants’ accommodation .................................. 42 Policy HDS6: Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople ............................. 43 7. Design .............................................................................................................. 45 Policy D1: Design and Sustainability .................................................................... 45 Policy D2: House Extensions and Replacement Dwellings .................................. 47 Policy D3: Protecting living conditions .................................................................. 48 Policy D4: Air quality ............................................................................................ 49 8. Healthy Communities ....................................................................................... 52 Policy HC1: Healthy communities ........................................................................ 52 Policy HC2: Green space ..................................................................................... 53 9. Natural Environment......................................................................................... 56 Policy NE1: Landscape and Environmental Protection ........................................ 56 Policy NE2: Green Infrastructure ......................................................................... 57 Policy NE3: Biodiversity ....................................................................................... 58 Policy NE4: Renewable energy development ...................................................... 59 Policy NE5: Delivering sustainable water supply. ................................................. 60 Policy NE6: Reducing flood risk ........................................................................... 61 Policy NE7: Water quality and environment ......................................................... 63 Policy NE8: Water Framework Directive and wastewater infrastructure ............... 64 Policy NE9: Contaminated land ........................................................................... 65 2 Preferred Options Consultation paper 10. Historic Environment ..................................................................................... 67 Policy HE1: Heritage Strategy .............................................................................. 67 11. Infrastructure & Delivery ............................................................................... 71 Policy ID1: Infrastructure requirements and developer contributions .................... 74 Policy ID2: Masterplans ....................................................................................... 76 12. Communities ................................................................................................. 78 Chapter 12 Part I: Development for North Hertfordshire’s own needs .................. 79 Ashwell............................................................................................................. 80 Baldock ............................................................................................................ 82 Barkway ........................................................................................................... 85 Barley ............................................................................................................... 86 Bygrave ............................................................................................................ 87 Caldecote ......................................................................................................... 88 Clothall ............................................................................................................. 89 Codicote ........................................................................................................... 90 Graveley ........................................................................................................... 92 Great Ashby & North East of Stevenage .......................................................... 93 Hexton.............................................................................................................. 95 Hinxworth ......................................................................................................... 96 Hitchin .............................................................................................................. 97 Holwell ........................................................................................................... 103 Ickleford ......................................................................................................... 104 Kelshall .......................................................................................................... 105 Kimpton .......................................................................................................... 106 King’s Walden ................................................................................................ 107 Knebworth ...................................................................................................... 108 Langley .......................................................................................................... 110 Letchworth Garden City .................................................................................. 111 Lilley ............................................................................................................... 115 Newnham ....................................................................................................... 116 Nuthampstead ................................................................................................ 117 Offley ............................................................................................................. 118 Pirton ............................................................................................................