'Concern' for Hertfordshire housing growth (From Watford Observer)

'Concern' for Hertfordshire housing growth

2:20pm Thursday 26th November 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)

CONCERNS have been raised about the scale of housing growth proposed for the county.

Hertfordshire County Council said this week it was “very concerned” about an East of England Regional Assembly consultation report which recommends that between 75,000 and 107,000 new homes are built between 2011 and 2031.

Between 5,000 and 5,080 homes are set to be built in Watford, while Dacorum has been earmarked for 6,080-12,300, Hertsmere 5,200 and 9,000 and between 4,000 and 9,000 in Three Rivers.

Councillor Derrick Ashley, executive member for planning, said a “balance” was needed between new homes and infrastructure.

He said: "There's a balance to be struck between providing the homes we need in Hertfordshire, including more affordable homes, and ensuring that we do this in a manner which creates communities that Hertfordshire can be proud of and have all the support they need, at the minimum environmental cost.

“We are strongly of the view that our best chance of achieving that balance is to support only the lower of the growth levels being considered. These figures in themselves would be extremely challenging and would require very major development on greenfield land.

"We know we've got an existing shortfall in our infrastructure in Hertfordshire - from our roads and utilities through to our schools and adult care - all of which would cost in excess of £2.5 billion to resolve. The costs of catering for the lower end of the housing growth figures would almost certainly be another £2.5 billion by 2031. In the current economic climate it is a major concern that Hertfordshire would get all these additional homes but the infrastructure and services required to support them will just not be there.”

Public consultation for the plan ended on Tuesday, and a draft East of England Plan to 2031 will be published in March next year.

Next summer, independent planning inspectors will conduct an “examination” of the plan before a further public consultation is held, taking the Government's own recommendations into consideration.

The Government will then publish the final plan in 2011.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)