1500 new homes for Ware

What do you think about the quality and pace of housing development in Ware?
jbond
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by jbond »

I think "it depends". My understanding is that green belt boundaries can only be amended by the council via a District Plan or by a Site Allocations Development Plan Document. So without a formal decision by the council to extend the boundaries, they HAVE to reject development planning applications on green belt land. Some, but not all, of the strategic sites in the DP are in Green belt. In particular, the whole of the Ware N&E development requires release of Green Belt.

Having said that, Mark Prisk said "It’s worth remembering that until a plan is adopted, speculative development cannot be rejected with confidence by the Council. If the plan were to be called in by the Minister this would leave every site vulnerable to a speculative planning application, including in Walkern, Ware and Gilston. So there is a real risk from such a step.". I *think* Walkern and most of Gilston are beyond the green belt but I need to check that.
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Steve
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by Steve »

jbond wrote:I think "it depends". My understanding is that green belt boundaries can only be amended by the council via a District Plan or by a Site Allocations Development Plan Document. So without a formal decision by the council to extend the boundaries, they HAVE to reject development planning applications on green belt land. Some, but not all, of the strategic sites in the DP are in Green belt. In particular, the whole of the Ware N&E development requires release of Green Belt.

Having said that, Mark Prisk said "It’s worth remembering that until a plan is adopted, speculative development cannot be rejected with confidence by the Council. If the plan were to be called in by the Minister this would leave every site vulnerable to a speculative planning application, including in Walkern, Ware and Gilston. So there is a real risk from such a step.". I *think* Walkern and most of Gilston are beyond the green belt but I need to check that.
What do you mean by "beyond the green belt"?
jbond
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by jbond »

Steve wrote:What do you mean by "beyond the green belt"?
It's the term as used by EHDC in the DP eg "Chapter 4 Green Belt and Rural Area Beyond the Green Belt" The London Green Belt boundary comes to an end across parts of East Herts. So while Ware is surrounded by green belt, there's a N-S boundary half way between Ware and Wareside, so most of Wareside Parish, Wareside, Widford, Hunsdon are all outside the green belt.

TBH, if by some miracle EHDC councillors refuse to adopt the district plan or the plan gets called in, all hell will break loose! They've spent 10 years getting to this point and there's a LOT of money at stake. There will be a major effort to produce something that can be adopted as fast as possible. And given that Gilston is a flag ship, new build, garden city, the Secretary of State is likely to force the issue through. Maybe N Harlow gets rubber stamped along with brown field development, but the rest of the green belt release gets re-examined. Or something.

And yet, we all know the infrastructure (especially traffic and water) is creaking at the seams right now. Adding another 50k houses within 15 miles of Hertford will bring the area to it's knees. Even just 500 in Gilston, 100 in Ware, 950 in Hertford will grid lock the A414.

And then. All this is happening with Brexit as the backdrop.

Hey ho.
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Steve
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by Steve »

jbond wrote:
Steve wrote:What do you mean by "beyond the green belt"?
It's the term as used by EHDC in the DP eg "Chapter 4 Green Belt and Rural Area Beyond the Green Belt" The London Green Belt boundary comes to an end across parts of East Herts. So while Ware is surrounded by green belt, there's a N-S boundary half way between Ware and Wareside, so most of Wareside Parish, Wareside, Widford, Hunsdon are all outside the green belt.

TBH, if by some miracle EHDC councillors refuse to adopt the district plan or the plan gets called in, all hell will break loose! They've spent 10 years getting to this point and there's a LOT of money at stake. There will be a major effort to produce something that can be adopted as fast as possible. And given that Gilston is a flag ship, new build, garden city, the Secretary of State is likely to force the issue through. Maybe N Harlow gets rubber stamped along with brown field development, but the rest of the green belt release gets re-examined. Or something.

And yet, we all know the infrastructure (especially traffic and water) is creaking at the seams right now. Adding another 50k houses within 15 miles of Hertford will bring the area to it's knees. Even just 500 in Gilston, 100 in Ware, 950 in Hertford will grid lock the A414.

And then. All this is happening with Brexit as the backdrop.

Hey ho.
Thanks for the clarification
jbond
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Location: Ware

Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by jbond »

Last call. EHDC Vote on Adoption of the District Plan

On Tuesday evening, EHDC will vote on adoption of the District Plan including the proposed Ware N&E development. We need a big crowd to remind councillors of the depth of feeling from their constituents about the plan.

18:30 for 19:00 Tuesday 11 Sept, EHDC Offices, Wallfields, Pegs Lane, Hertford, SG13 8EQ

There is limited room inside the hall and in the overflow room so you may not get in, but it's still worth turning up to join the crowd outside. The meetings will be webcast.
https://eastherts.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Agenda
http://democracy.eastherts.gov.uk/ieLis ... d=3380&J=1
http://democracy.eastherts.gov.uk/ieLis ... d=3461&J=1
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Andy B
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by Andy B »

So JB what happened?
jbond
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by jbond »

Hah! Long story. Explained here. https://www.eastherts.gov.uk/statement-district-plan

MP for Stevenage, Stephen McPartland, managed to get the Sec Of State for Housing (James Brokenshire) to put a hold on the District plan at 14:30 on the day of the vote. That doesn't mean the District plan is dead at all, at all. But it does mean EHDC can't do anything while James Brokenshire considers it. This was all mainly about release of Green Belt in Gresley Park, East of Stevenage.

It may be weeks or it may be months while the plan is on hold, but I kind of doubt much will change. However, there's a bit of a precedent at stake. Preservation of the Green Belt is National Government and Tory party policy. If Brokenshire let's the District Plan go through unchanged he's saying that Exceptional Circumstances are sufficient to over-ride that policy. If he forces changes he has to justify why the Government Inspector his department appointed has not done her job correctly.
jbond
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by jbond »

And also, the maps for the proposed Neighbourhood Plans (NP) for Ware and Stanstead Abbots/St Margarets were approved. The Ware area is for the current town boundary, excluding those parts that are in the District Plan development. The Ware NP Committee is Cllr. Alex Curtis (Chairman), Cllr. Mark Pope, Cllr. Stephen Reed from Ware Town Council. They've invited a small number of reps from other organisations. It's not known yet when the kick off meeting will take place.

The equivalent of the NP for Ware N&E beyond the current Ware Town boundary is a Masterplan. Regardless of the hold on the district plan, EHDC are beginning the process of engaging with stakeholders and the public over development of the Masterplan.
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Steve
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by Steve »

jbond wrote:The Ware NP Committee is Cllr. Alex Curtis (Chairman), Cllr. Mark Pope, Cllr. Stephen Reed from Ware Town Council. They've invited a small number of reps from other organisations. It's not known yet when the kick off meeting will take place.
So much for neighbourhood planning being "community led"

FWIW I wonder if the NP should be a new thread, rather than mixing it in with the District Plan/Green Belt.
jbond
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Re: 1500 new homes for Ware

Post by jbond »

I've got a feeling the NP forum will be put off until the District Plan is re-activated. Apparently developing the Masterplan for Ware N&E is also on hold.

You're right about another thread. I'd be interested in discussing an NP for Ware and what it might mean.
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