The Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan is being developed to help shape the future of towns and villages in the borough. It will set the amount and location of new development up to 2031 and ask for views on specific parcels of land that have been identified for housing, jobs, retailing, schools and other uses.

The consultation runs from 23rd January to 19th March and is in three parts covering:

1. Strategic policies – on the need for and distribution of housing, employment, retail, and education land as well as other land uses.
2. Sites – setting out the approach to selecting sites and the potential sites by settlement for housing, employment, retail and other land uses.
3. Development management policies – used to assess the acceptability of planning applications.

Matthew Wood, Director – Planning & Development, at Lambert Smith Hampton commented: “Whilst it is at an early stage landowners, developers, public bodies with responsibility for service delivery including healthcare and the general public should take the opportunity to comment on this plan. It will guide where development will happen and how planning applications will be decided until 2031.

“Parallel consultation is also being carried out on funding and delivery, including thresholds at which Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) will apply and the land take requirements of that infrastructure where known, in the Council’s Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan.

Further details on the consultation can be found at http://www.welhat.gov.uk/localplan