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Hertfordshire & North Middlesex Area of the Ramblers' Association |
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Local development frameworks The Local Development Framework process replaces Councils Local Plans. It is intended to improve on the Local Plans by consulting widely to enable local people to give their views and have their say as to the shape of development in the area live in over the coming years. All Hertfordshire Councils are involved in this process. The process covers all aspects of Local Governments. Our interest is where houses allocated to each Council under the East of England Plan will be affecting the footpaths/rights of way network and to contribute to ensuring the best outcome for the local community and walkers. The Process The following General pages about LDFs from the Planning Portal provide information about the process:
East of England Plan Known as the Regional Spatial Strategy which is of most concern require Councils to facilitate the building of an enormous number of houses in their administrative areas. The numbers of houses approved for each Council is as follows:
Councils have to determine just where all these houses will go and their progress as at September 2008 and their contact details are provided below. Inevitably, some building will have to be on Green Belt and greenfield open countryside. Hertfordshire Councils Progress and Contact Details If you phone them, ask for Planning Policy dealing with Local Development Frameworks, they are very helpful! Click on their name to visit their website. Broxbourne 01992 785559 Informal consultations are going out for the Core Strategy document in September and the Site Specific document in October. Dacorum 01442 228000 Core Strategy Issues and Options starting next April. Site Allocation Document starting November. Carrying out Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments(SHLAA) - looking at brown and green field land, and Strategic Housing Market Assessments (SHMA) East Herts Tel. 01279 655261 Aiming to have the Issues and Options Stage started by late this year/early next year. Aiming for mid to end 2009 to complete. Hertsmere 020 8207 7583 The Core Strategy is being submitted to the Secretary of State in November and at the same time there will be public consultation on the document which if any procedure has not been properly followed or there needs to be changes on the technical as opposed to the aspirational aspects, these changes will be written in at the same time and the Secretary of State will then make their recommendation whether or not to confirm it. The Site Allocations document is to be put out for public consultation at the end of the year. North Herts 01462 474847 The Core Strategy has been delayed until January next year when it goes out to consultation. A water , sewage, and transport study are being carried out in partnership with Stevenage because of the hugh development proposed west of Stevenage in North Herts. The only difference seems to be there is no Planning Gain coming to North Herts, only Stevenage 's town centre. See Stevenage below for details St Albans 01727 866100 A project planning process is due to be approved at committee later this year, October. Stevenage 01438 242242 The Core Strategy has been delayed until next year whilst the planners carry out a water strategy and a transport strategy for houses proposed for west of Stevenage. Persimmon Homes, the developers have slowed down their activities because of the downturn in the economy. They are required to come up with a proposal for improvements to Stevenage Town Centre as a part of a Planning Gain to come from the House Building It is intended the town centre development will be paid for by Persimmon Homes. There is also the issue of the land needed for the houses being sold to the developer. Land prices are high when grain prices are high, so increased costs for the developer to buy the land may become an issue. Only then will the Core Strategies of both North Herts DC and Stevenage Borough (SNAP) be able to continue. Three Rivers 01923 776611 Consultations for the Core Strategy go out in October. Final submission stage not yet known. Watford 01923 226400 Core Strategy with preferred principles due October. Final submission sometime 2009 Welwyn Hatfield 01707 357000 Core Strategy Issues and Options Stage goes out to public consultation in January or thereabouts. Other dates not yet known. Volunteers Because the LDF process is local by nature, the RA requires volunteers to be able to feed in comments during the consultation process Currently we have volunteers through existing footpaths secretaries dealing with the following Councils. St Albans, Hertsmere, Stevenage and N Herts and Three Rivers. Other footpath secretaries may be receiving planning consultation documents when released as they do for planning applications. So, other Councils may not yet be covered by representative of the RA. Guidance in Responding to the Consultation Process The Open Spaces Society have provided guidance so that footpaths are But it is necessary to get your views in now before the Frameworks are completed and during the consultation process, as to how the footpaths shall be configured through the development. For example, if nothing is stated at this consultation stage, the paths may just end up as little more than alleyways through a housing estate. There is opportunity to present alternative suggestions such as the following:
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