Welwyn Garden City’s historical significance and unique heritage as a garden city designed for ‘healthy living’ and Mark One New Town should be protected. Proposals for new development should conserve and where appropriate enhance heritage assets and their settings. All development proposals, through their design and detailing, will be required to demonstrate that they have responded to the key characteristics of a Garden City. For all development proposals that require a Sustainable Design Statement or Design and Access Statement, it will be important to demonstrate that the historic environment of Welwyn Garden City is properly understood and considered through a thorough analysis in accordance with Policy SP 9 Place Making and High Quality Design, SP 11 Protection and enhancement of critical environmental assets and SADM 15 Heritage.

For development proposals of between 100 to 499 dwellings applicants will be required to demonstrate how consideration of the historic character and significance of the town has been taken into account at an early stage in the design process through the preparation of masterplans or development briefs.

For sites of 500 dwellings or more the Council will prepare a supplementary planning document, as appropriate, which takes account of the unique heritage of the town and sets out a design framework and detailed guidance within which sites should come forward for development.

For more information please see the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan