WELCOME 64% OF LOCAL PEOPLE think new homes are needed 66% OF LOCAL PEOPLE think new affordable homes are needed 47% 27% 22% 20% 17% 16% Greenery/Open space Easy access to London Shopping Good transport connections Community feeling Good schools 41% 39% 37% 31% 22% Medical facility Primary school Convenience store Secondary school Welcome to our public exhibition to display the latest iteration of the Masterplan for a sustainable extension to Welwyn Garden City, known as Birchall Garden Suburb. In November 2015 Tarmac held a Community Planning Weekend which was attended by approximately 240 residents who provided their feedback through 20 workshop sessions, presentations, individual discussions and comment forms. The most frequent comments can be seen as part of this exhibition and we have taken them into account in the updated Masterplan. We would welcome any further feedback on the proposals, and members of the project team are on hand to answer any questions you may have.
COMMUNITY PLANNING Over 240 local people attended our Community Planning Weekend in November 2015, and gave feedback to the team. Their feedback has, and will continue to, inform the scheme as it moves forward. We have characterised the feedback we have received into three categories; Transport and Movement, Design and Layout, and Landscape and Open ace. Transport and Movement Provide pedestrian and cycle routes within and around the site; Improve the public transport network with the provision of services around the site and to wider destinations such as Welwyn Garden City and the train station; Design-in car parking from the outset; and Ensure that surrounding residential streets are not used as rat runs. Design and Layout Ensure that facilities are conveniently located to provide a focus for the community; Incorporate existing buildings at Birchall Farm as a community facility; Provide a proportion of smaller 1-2 bed homes for young people and downsizers; Include self-build plots; and Tree-lined streets with verges. Landscape and open space Access along Cole Green Lane and Birchall Lane should be designated as an entrance to Welwyn Garden City; Green routes should be designed as part of a wider green infrastructure; Provide landscape buffer along the western edge of the site; and Address the A414 with a landscape edge.
GARDEN CITY PRINCIPLES Birchall Garden Suburb has been designed using Garden City principles. This responds to the feedback we received from residents, that Birchall Garden Suburb should reflect the best of Welwyn Garden City. This includes tree-lined streets, integrated car-parking and generous community spaces. According to the Town and Country Planning Association, Garden Cities should: Have integrated, accessible lowcarbon transport systems; Have a strong vision, leadership and community engagement; Provide long-term stewardship of community assets; Deliver homes that are genuinely affordable for everyone; Provide a varied local jobs offer within easy commuting distance; Have well-designed homes with gardens in healthy communities; Offer a development that enhances the natural environment; Provide walkable cultural, recreational and shopping facilities; and Deliver land value capture for the benefit of the community. Birchall Garden Suburb will deliver on these requirements, to provide a sustainable extension to Welwyn Garden City.
BIRCHALL LANE ILLUSTRATIVE MASTERPLAN WELWYN GARDEN CITY Moneyhole Lane Park BLACK FAN ROAD 2 1 New local centres 2 Sites for new primary schools 3 Site for a new secondary school 4 Playing fields 5 Public open space 6 Proposed gypsy and travellers site 7 Employment Area Play areas N COLE GREEN LANE 1 3 PANSHANGER LANE A414 Eco-Aggregates 7 Holwell Hyde Fishing Lake 4 5 The Commons Nature Reserve 6 A414 1 2 Burnside A414
SUSTAINABILITY As an extension to Welwyn Garden City, Birchall Garden Suburb will be a highly sustainable development. Furthermore, Birchall Garden Suburb will provide all of the infrastructure required for a sustainable community, reducing the need to travel. This includes: Primary schools Site for a secondary school Medical facilities Employment Accessible, open green space A network of footpaths and cycleways Integrated car parking Reliable bus services. In addition, there will be a mixture of housing types, including affordable housing and retirement living, as well as family homes. This will contribute to a healthy and vibrant community, in line with the TCPA s Garden City principles.
TRANSPORT AND MOVEMENT Birchall Garden Suburb will be well-serviced with existing and new footpaths and cycleways which criss-cross the site and link it to Welwyn Garden City and surrounding villages and towns. The extended green network, which includes circular walks, will be ideal for dog-walkers, ramblers and wildlife. The development of Birchall Garden Suburb will also offer the opportunity to improve local public transport connections. A reliable and frequent bus service will be provided for new and existing residents, providing quick and easy access to Welwyn Garden City and the train station. As part of the development, the local road network and junctions will also be improved. This will ensure that surrounding residential streets, including Holwell Hyde Lane, are not used for access to the site. Ample parking provision will be integrated into the design from the outset avoiding the need to park on verges. This was an important consideration for residents at the Community Planning Weekend.
DESIGN AND LAYOUT Birchall Garden Suburb has been designed with Garden City principles in mind. As such, well over 50% of the site will be designated as open space with new homes, jobs and central community facilities in series of small communities all located around the edge of a large informal parkland. Following the Community Planning Weekend, the designs have been updated to: Incorporate wider green buffers between the most recent extensions to Welwyn Garden City and the proposed new homes Include more green routes Treat tree lined streets with grass verges as a non-negotiable part of the proposals Feedback also suggested ensuring a proportion of 1-2 bed homes for young people and older people looking to downsize, as well as areas for self build homes.
LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE Birchall Garden Suburb will feature more than half the site as open green space, accessible to the public. The new community is designed around a large, central informal parkland area. The informal parkland or common will be ideal for walkers and will encourage wildlife. Furthermore, the parkland will be part of a network of green routes linking surrounding countryside areas such as Panshanger Park. Feedback told us to: Separate development from the A414; Retain Holwell Hyde Lake as a community asset; Increase buffer areas between existing homes and new houses; Create a network of green routes; and Provide extra space for wildlife around Commonswood. All of these desires have been incorporated in the latest masterplan. In addition, as part of the minerals extraction process Tarmac will only extract the upper layers of sand and gravel under Birchall Farm. This will satisfy both National and County Mineral Planning Policy and leave a foundation suitable for building on, setting the new homes lower in the landscape.
HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY Hertfordshire has a long history of human habitation, and as such it might be expected to find evidence of this across the County. We have undertaken a full heritage and archaeology survey, including site investigations. This has been carried out in full consultation with Hertfordshire County Council Archaeological Office and will help us to understand where caution is required. We are aware of some existing finds in the area, which includes Neolithic flint, burnt mound material and excavation. These finds have been, and continue to be, considered as part of this application. All of the findings, and those within 2km of the site, will be considered as part of the application.
KEY Tewin 021 C:\Users\Kevin Argent\Desktop\2407_SC_2_Working Plan - 011015.dwg MINERALS BOUNDARY: MINERAL APPLICATION SITE 75 BOUNDARY: OTHER LAND IN THE CONTROL OF THE APPLICANT 74 STIRLING WAY dbur Hertingfor BOUNDARY: PROPOSED LIMIT OF MINERAL EXTRACTION 73 72 BOUNDARY: PROPOSED MINERAL EXTRACTION PHASE 71 69 68 y 025 EXISTING CONTOURS 77 ANCIENT WOODLAND OTHER WOODLAND Track WAY EXISTING VEGETATION BASED ON SURVEY SYLV AN M OO EXISTING TREES & HEDGES W AL WOODLAND (RECENTLY PLANTED) 66 RS 68 K Hertingfordbury 023 69 73 72 71 70 WGC069 EXISTING PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY BRIDLEWAY NCN61 EXISTING NATIONAL CYCLE NETWORK ROUTE EXISTING WATERCOURSE/ DRAIN TELECOMS ALLOTMENT GARDENS W elw AN yn Gar den SY LV PROW DIVERSION OPTIONS Cit y (W GC ) 06 BIRCHALL WOOD NDALE Drawn by AS & Checked by JM Panshanger House PANSHANGER LANE 2 SYLVA PROPOSED OVERBURDEN STORE 78 AY W PROPOSED TOPSOIL STORE Nursery Gardens k ac Tr EXISTING PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY FOOATH HIGH GROVE Notes Hertingfordbury 023 ROLLS WOOD Drawing based on Topographic Survey ref: Birc Garden Suburb Survey dated 29.05.2014, OS d and aerial photography. Cit y (W GC )0 69 75 W Track elw yn Ga rd en 1 Drawing Revision 75 Rev Date 4 78 BLACKTHORN WOOD Description Drawing Status 73 72 DRAFT 75 CO LE COLE GREEN LANE BOL GR EE N LA NE 80 79 78 77 Location BIRCHALL FARM Project LANE HOLWELL HYDE 73 77 Drawing Title 100m 150m 200m 250m 85 84 83 ay approach will reduce the vehicle movements associated with the construction phase and is planned to be complete within five years. BIRCHALL LANE 70 This map is based upon Ordnance Survey Material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction Infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO. Licence No: AR 189685. A proportion of the extracted minerals could be directly used to build the infrastructure, homes and community facilities of BGS, whilst the minerals could also contribute to local markets for construction materials. This WORKING PLAN 4 W Cattery 01 Gre As minerals are a non renewable resource Government policy encourages the safeguarding of minerals to ensure that they are not needlessly sterilised by built development. This approach has been followed through in the adopted policies of Hertfordshire County Council as mineral planning authority, which encourages extraction of minerals prior to any development taking place that would otherwise sterilise the mineral resource. ry ole en 72 bu -C LANE rd 61 HALL gfo ute rtin Ro PROPOSED MINERAL EXTRACTION BIRC He N NC 74 83 50m 80 79 E ck THISTLE GROV Tra David Jarvis Associates 2015 0 14 A4 We will also, as part of any planning permission, be required to operate in accordance with planning conditions governing minerals extraction, including for example restrictions on vehicle movements, operational hours, noise/dust management and access points. Tarmac has a huge amount of experience in operating mineral extraction sites and will use this experience to ensure that the Management Plan goes as far as possible to mitigate the effects of minerals extraction. Scale 1:2500 Drawing No. Sheet Size A1 Date OCT 2015 2407/WP/1 Rev