Policy information sourced from the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan

SP 19 South east of Welwyn Garden City - SDS2

Birchall Garden Suburb

Land at Birchall Garden Suburb is allocated for development in both the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan (SDS2) and the East Herts District Plan (EWEL1), to accommodate approximately 1,950 new homes over the plan period, of which 600 will be in Welwyn Hatfield Borough and 1,350 in East Herts District.

East Herts District Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council will continue to work together to ensure that the new suburb is delivered in a comprehensive manner across the local authority boundaries. Mechanisms will need to be established to ensure the effective delivery of infrastructure required to support the development.

A joint masterplan setting out the quantum and distribution of land uses, key views to protect heritage assets, access, sustainable design and layout principles will be prepared by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and East Herts District Council, working with the landowner and other key stakeholders. The Masterplan, which will be informed by the Strategy Diagram shown in Figure 12 below, will inform the Supplementary Planning Document which will provide further guidance on site specific matters. The SPD will provide additional detail with regard to design and layout principles (including any design code), the approach to character areas and site density, treatment of ecological and heritage assets, the approach to remediation, access and sustainable transport measures, the location of Gypsy and Traveller provision, phasing and delivery of infrastructure, mineral extraction and built development. Any application for development should be preceded by, and be consistent with, the Masterplan.

The site will be planned comprehensively to create a new sustainable community incorporating Garden City principles. Land adjacent to the existing edge of Welwyn Garden City will be formal in layout reflecting the character of the Garden City and Garden City principles. Further from the town, lower density development of a more semi-rural character that responds to the locale and landscape will be more appropriate.

The developer must demonstrate the extent of any mineral that may be present and the potential for prior extraction in an environmentally acceptable way has been fully considered. As a minimum, an assessment of the depth and quality of mineral, together with an appraisal of the consequential viability for prior extraction without prejudicing the delivery of housing within the plan period should be provided.

The developer will submit a detailed remediation strategy designed to secure a permanently safe environment for the human population and local wildlife. Following remediation, the developer will submit sufficient information to demonstrate that the site is not capable of being determined as contaminated land under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

In accordance with the relevant Local/District Plan policies the site will provide:

  • A wide mix of housing types, sizes and tenures, including affordable housing; housing for older people; and serviced plots of land to contribute towards meeting evidenced demand for self-build and custom housebuilding;
  • Gypsy and Traveller provision (4 pitches for East Herts’ and 11 pitches for Welwyn Hatfield’s needs) to contribute towards the needs of both authorities;
  • A neighbourhood centre in the East Herts part of the development and a small neighbourhood centre in the Welwyn Hatfield part of the development, each in an accessible location and of a size and scale to meet the day-to-day retail needs of new residents;
  • An employment area in a visible and accessible location in accordance with an up-to-date assessment of need; this area would incorporate the Holdings in Welwyn Hatfield, together with land off Birchall Lane (currently allocated as a Waste Site (ref. AS008) in the Hertfordshire Waste Site Allocations Document) subject to there being no adverse impact on neighbouring residential amenity;
  • Community facilities, including healthcare (in the East Herts part of the development) and leisure facilities;
  • Education facilities, including land for a two form entry primary school with Early Years Provision in Welwyn Hatfield. Also land for an all-through school in East Herts to include a primary school of up to three forms of entry with Early Years Provision and a secondary school of up to eight forms of entry. All schools should provide for the dual use of facilities for community purposes;
  • Sustainable transport measures that prioritise and encourage walking, cycling and the use of new and existing passenger transport networks. A sustainable transport strategy should support the application, which will set out the location of new routes and improved connections and will detail what measures will be in place to encourage patronage of passenger transport services from the outset of occupation;
  • Suitable access arrangements and any necessary wider strategic and local highway mitigation measures, including addressing impacts on the A414 in Hertford, the B195 and the A1(M).
  • Formal and informal open spaces for leisure and recreation, including play areas, sports fields, allotments and community orchards. Spaces will contribute to wider ecological networks including a strategic green infrastructure corridor from St Albans through to Hertford. As such, spaces should:
    • be accessible to both new and existing communities;
    • provide north-south and east-west connections, providing upgraded routes for walkers and cyclists, including the Lea Valley Path and Cole Green Way;
    • provide safe routes for wildlife, protecting and enhancing wildlife assets;
    • balance the needs of recreation and nature, providing animal infrastructure and undisturbed areas
  • The conservation and, where appropriate, enhancement of heritage assets and their settings, including Panshanger Registered Park and Garden, Hatfield House, Hatfield Registered Park and Garden, Birchall Farm and Holwell Hyde Farmhouse. Through careful masterplanning and appropriate mitigation measures, having regard to the findings of the Heritage Impact Assessment, a buffer of open land will be required adjacent to Panshanger Park, Birchall Farm and Holwell Hyde Farmhouse.
  • In order to complement the wider green corridor and ecological network objectives, the site, will protect and enhance areas of ecological importance through a landscape-led green infrastructure strategy. This strategy will create a network of linked habitats across the site which will provide links to green infrastructure outside the site, facilitate the migration and movement of species, create buffers alongside existing ecological features, provide for recreational access in a way that protects sensitive habitats, and contributes to achieving net gains to biodiversity across the site. A multifunctional green corridor with a width of about 100m or greater will be provided to link Holwell Park Wood with The Commons Local Nature Reserve. An appropriate land management strategy will also be required;
  • A landscaped green infrastructure buffer adjacent to the A414 and Burnside will be required to provide visual screening, and to ensure that homes and other land uses are not adversely affected by the impacts of noise and air pollution. The buffer will comprise appropriate design features to provide noise and air quality mitigation, flood attenuation, the creation of new habitats and public rights of way. This buffer will also provide visual screening of development from the A414 and mitigate the harm to heritage assets. Appropriate evidence will be required to inform the design of this buffer;
  • Necessary utilities, including integrated communications infrastructure to facilitate home-working; and
  • Sustainable drainage and provision for flood mitigation.

In order to ensure that the site is planned and delivered comprehensively, any application for development on part of the site will be assessed against its contribution to the masterplan, and will not prejudice the implementation of the site as a whole.

For more information please see the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan