Hertfordshire guide to growth-2021 how should the County grow? - drAft - Gascoyne Cecil Estates
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Hertfordshire guide to growth–2021 how should the County grow? DRAFT
The Hertfordshire Charrette of 2008 was an initiative hosted by the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire. The principal consultants were: Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company led the Charrette, prepared the designs and wrote this guide. www.dpz.com The Division of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Hertfordshire provided the Geographic Information Systems research. www.herts.ac.uk/environment The Building Research Establishment carried out the Green- Print environmental assessment. www.bre.co.uk 2
contents the guide to growth
INTRODUCTION We are pleased to present this Guide to Growth, which records the Hertfordshire Char-
Process 4 rette process. The Charrette provided a rare chance for a diverse group of residents and
professionals to convene to discuss challenges the region will face in future years. The
Current Planning Policy 6
exercise, which was held between the 24th of June and the first of July 2008 was led by
Vision Statement 7 urban planner Andres Duany and offered the Hertfordshire residents and profession-
The Urban Village Model 8 als the opportunity to work directly with a design team developing sustainable growth
strategies. The Charrette was funded by a combination of local and national sponsors
ScenarioS FOR THE GROWTH OF THE County 11 including the County Council, the University, local landowners and a number of organi-
BRE Assessment Criteria 12 sations and companies based in Hertfordshire.
Scenario 1: Continuing Existing Trends 14
The guide focuses on six general ‘Scenarios’ by which the County might grow in the
Scenario 2: Brownfield and Greyfield Sites 16 years until 2021, as the growth allocations proposed by the Government Office of the
Scenario 3: Transport-Oriented Development 18 East of England come to pass. Each Scenario includes clarifying illustrations and a criti-
Scenario 4: Settlement Extensions 20 cal analysis, along with an environmental assessment, or ‘GreenPrint,’ undertaken by
Scenario 5: Satellite (Garden) Villages 22 the Building Research Establishment. The design team also provided analysis of typical
Scenario 6: Stand-Alone Garden City 24 urban models, including a critique of the design of the New Town of Stevenage, and
case studies, including village and hamlet extensions.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDIES 27 We think we would all agree that to continue the development approach of the past
Housing Density 28 30-40 years is not the optimal vision for the future. We are therefore happy to have
Housing Patterns 29 provided this forum, and hope that this Guide will become a valuable resource to plan-
Greyfield Housing 30 ners, Councillors, and residents interested in the growth of the County. We welcome
Greyfield Urban Village 31 any comments you may have, and hope you will continue the productive discussions
undertaken at the Charrette.
Greyfield Town Centre 32
Transport-Oriented Development 34
Village Extension 36
Hamlet Extension 37
Town Extension 38
Satellite Village 39
Garden Village 40
Garden City 42
Marquess of Salisbury Professor Tim Wilson
INDEX OF TERMS 48 Chancellor, University of Hertfordshire Vice-Chancellor, University of Hertfordshire
RESIDENTS’ FEEDBACK 51
3
Process
The Hertfordshire Charrette The Charrette design team studied the various Public participation was a critical element of
ways which the County could accommodate the the entire exercise. The design team worked
provided a wide range of parties
number of dwellings mandated. Discussing with directly with numerous County officials and
the opportunity to participate in the general public both the historic and current members of the general public, all of whom
the development of this report. development patterns, the designers developed were asked to provide their opinions. Organisa-
Unique in its regional focus and six strategies or Scenarios, including tions, companies and groups represented
included Hertfordshire County Council; the
private/public funding struc-
• Continuing existing development trends Hertfordshire District Councils; the Hertford-
ture, the exercise offered the • Developing available brownfield and shire Parish Councils; the Hertfordshire Town
general public the opportunity to greyfield sites Councils; the Hertfordshire Society/Campaign
work with design professionals to • Densifying existing town and neighbour- to Protect Rural England; Groundwork Hertford-
hood centres shire; the East of England Development Agency;
determine the most socially sus-
• Extending current settlements at the edges the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce; Hert-
tainable and environmentally- • Building numerous small, satellite fordshire Prosperity; Herts & Middlesex Wildlife
sensitive means for the County Garden Villages Trust; Friends of the Earth; the Welwyn Garden
to grow, whilst maintaining its • Building a stand-alone New Town or Heritage Trust; and other local companies,
Garden City residents’ associations, environmental activists’
current character and landscape.
groups, and heritage societies.
After selecting these six development approach-
The design team’s work addressed the propos- es as those most characteristic or promising
als put forward by the East of England Plan, for Hertfordshire, the design team worked to
or Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), which was illustrate all six and analyse their strengths and
produced in May 2008 by the Government weaknesses. In addition, the team generated
Office of the East of England. This document, specific case studies, to provide more specific
which is the first Regional Spatial Strategy to information on design and implementation. All
be completed within the UK, mandates a plan- of the design proposals aimed to establish a
ning and development approach for the years high standard for new development, featuring
through 2021. Whilst the document focuses mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly urban villages,
on a great range of regional political and eco- with well-connected transport systems and
nomic concerns, a primary focus is the provi- thoroughfare networks.
sion of housing. The report anticipates the
All the Scenarios and case studies were in turn The Hertfordshire Charrette was held at the Ma-
new housing which the region will require, cLaurin building on the University’s De Havilland
and then proposes the numbers of dwellings examined by a team of consultants from the Build- campus. Formal meetings and design sessions
to be constructed within each County. Specifi- ing Research Establishment, who assessed them were attended by the design team (top left);
cally, the plan allocates 83,200 new dwellings for sustainability and environmental performance. local Councillors, planners and other leaders (top
centre and bottom left); University of Hertford-
to Hertfordshire, although it does not provide The specific strengths and weaknesses of each shire geography students and Building Research
a site-specific plan for their distribution. Scenario are discussed at length within this report. Establishment staff (top right).
4
Eight special interest groups con-
vened to discuss specific aspects of
the County’s growth. They included:
• L ocal planners, who discussed planning prac-
tice at the District and County levels and policy
at the national level
• Environmental professionals and activists,
who discussed the merits of an environmental
strategy
• Councillors, who discussed the general region
and the current political climate
• Local transportation engineers and the
traffic authority, who discussed the transporta-
tion network, as well as means of calming
traffic and alleviating congestion
• Business leaders and representatives from the
Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the economy
and means of encouraging retail and business
activity
• Local property owners and developers working
in the region, who discussed current develop-
ment practice and their plans for upcoming
years
• Social and community advocates, who dis-
cussed needs and means of providing resources
• Local and national design professionals who
discussed specific design strategies
5
Current Planning Policy 83K
27K
The Charrette team’s work was ca- The Plan also identifies Stevenage, Watford, The large and small circles above are
Hemel Hempstead, and Welwyn Garden City/ the areas which would be occupied
talysed by the East of England plan, respectively by 83,200 and 27,476
Hatfield as ‘Key Centres for Development and
which offers specific proposals for new dwellings, assuming a density
Change’, with each town receiving a specific of 15 dwellings/hectare, which is the
population growth, economic de- development strategy. current average density of develop-
velopment, transportation, infra- ment in the County.
structure, mineral extraction and The 83,200 dwellings allocated to Hertfordshire
general development strategy. The will have a significant impact on the Counties’
plan, which is available in full from character and landscape. It is most likely that
they will be located on a variety of sites. Whilst
the Government Office of the East
Government policy focuses on brownfield devel-
of England (www.goeast.gov.uk), is opment and urban regeneration strategies, the
intended to provide a comprehen- East of England Plan also states that many of the
sive means of managing growth to new dwellings will inevitably be located on cur-
the year 2021. rent Green Belt land. Accordingly, the Charrette
design team’s proposals focus on development
The East of England Plan provides population of all types of sites, including the regeneration
growth estimates and housing development of urban centres, the extension of current towns
requirements to the region as a whole, as well as and villages, and the development of new vil-
the specific counties. According to the Plan, Nor- lages or towns on green belt land.
folk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire
and Hertfordshire, are mandated to expand by
508,000 dwellings, whilst Hertfordshire as a sin-
gle County is mandated to accommodate 83,200
dwellings. Of these 83,200 dwellings, approxi-
mately 26,000 had already been built as of April
2008, whilst an additional 29,500 had already
been permitted, though not yet constructed.
Accordingly, approximately 27,000 dwellings have
yet to be sited. In addition, approximately 20,000 Total new dwellings required to be built between 2001 and 2021 83,200
dwellings are separately allocated for Luton and Dwellings already built as of April 2008 26,163
Harlow New Towns. These are not addressed by Dwellings yet to be built as of April 2008 57,037
this Guide. Dwellings in the “planning pipeline” as of 2008 29,561
Dwellings yet to be sited 27,476
The table on the right summarises the housing
provisions, proposed by the East of England Additional homes separately allocated to Luton & Harlow 20,000
Plan; some figures are approximations.
6
vision STATEMENT Minimum Dwelling Provision, 2001 to 2021
District To Build Already Built
(2001-2021) (2001-2006)
The following is extracted ver- To realise the economic potential of the Broxbourne 5,600 1,950
batim from the East of England region and its people by: Dacorum 12,000 1,860
Plan. The document is available • facilitating the development needed
to support the region’s business sec- East Hertfordshire 12,000 2,140
in full at www.goeast.gov.uk tors and clusters, improving skills and Hertsmere 5,000 1,080
widening opportunities in line with the
Regional Economic Strategy; North Herts 6,200 1,900
By 2021 the East of England will be realising its • providing for job growth broadly match- St Albans 7,200 1,830
economic potential and providing a high quality ing increases in housing provision and
of life for its people, including by meeting their improving the alignment between the Stevenage 16,000 1,570
housing needs in sustainable inclusive communi- locations of workplaces and homes; Three Rivers 4,000 1,010
ties. At the same time it will reduce its impact on • maintaining and strengthening the East
climate change and the environment, including of England’s inter-regional connections Watford 5,200 1,410
through savings in energy and water use and by by improving access to economic op- Welwyn Hatfield 10,000 2,730
strengthening its stock of environmental assets. portunities in London; and
The specific objectives are: • ensuring adequate and sustainable Hertfordshire 83,200 17,480
transport infrastructure.
To reduce the region’s impact on, and expo-
sure to, the effects of climate change by: To improve the quality of life for the To improve and conserve the region’s envi-
• locating development so as to reduce people of the region by: ronment by:
travel needs; • ensuring new development fulfills the • ensuring the protection and enhance-
• effecting a major shift in travel away from principles of sustainable communi- ment of the region’s environmental assets,
car use towards public transport, walking and ties, providing a well designed living including the built and historic environment,
cycling; environment adequately supported by landscape and water;
• maximising energy efficiency of development social and green infrastructure; • re-using previously developed land and
and promoting the use of renewable • promoting social cohesion by improv- seeking environmental as well as develop-
energy; and ing access to work, services and other ment gains from the use of previously
• reducing the risk of adverse impact of flood- facilities, especially for those who are undeveloped land;
ing on people, property and wildlife habitats. disadvantaged; • promoting and, where appropriate, sup-
The above diagram depicts Hertfordshire • maintaining cultural diversity while ad- porting and enhancing biodiversity through
County, with currently urbanised areas To address housing shortages in the dressing the distinctive needs of each the protection of habitats and species and
noted in purple. Open space is noted in
green, with the darkest greens signifying region by: part of the region; creating new habitats through development;
specifically protected space. • securing a step change in the delivery of • promoting the regeneration and re- • providing a thorough network of accessible
additional housing throughout the region, newal of existing disadvantaged areas; multi-functional greenspace; and
particularly the key centres for development and • reducing the demand for and use of water
and change; and • increasing community involvement in and other natural resources and reducing
• giving priority to the provision of affordable the implementation of the strategy at waste, whilst increasing the sustainable
housing to meet identified needs. the local level. management of waste.
7
the urban village model the urban village vs.
the suburban model
All the proposals generated by These patterns can be seen to prioritise three aims: been inadvertently sidelined in the post-war The Urban Village has the following at-
the design team are intended the free and rapid flow of traffic, the provision of years. Although Urban Villages can be easily tributes:
high quantities of parking and the segregation of identified within Hertfordshire – in places like • It is important to recognise that particular
to offer an alternative to the
building clusters by their purpose. The result is that St Albans, Hertford and Standon – this sort care is required with certain special cases
continuation of the generally traffic and the consequential pavement become of outcome is not typically envisioned in the such as hospitals or universities. Otherwise
unsatisfactory growth patterns the central, unavoidable focuses of public life. planning process, placing architects and de- there are a number of important comparisons
which have been delivered by velopers in a peculiar position of being unable between the Urban Village and the suburban
the post-war planning process The design team’s proposals instead return to the to emulate the County’s most admired, and model.
within Hertfordshire. traditional pattern of pedestrian and transport- indeed environmentally sustainable, historic • The Urban Village is a comprehensive
oriented Urban Villages – an approach which has patterns. planning increment: when clustered with
others, it becomes a town; when stand-
ing free in the landscape, it becomes
a village. The Urban Village varies in
population and density to accommodate
local conditions.
The ‘Typical’ The Urban The diagram to the left depicts two models of • The Urban Village is limited in area
Post-war Model Village Model growth, the post-war suburban pattern, which is so that a majority of the population is
currently common within the County and the ‘Ur- within a pedestrian shed of a 5-minute
ban Village’ pattern, which has numerous historic
Office buildings walking distance of its centre (500 M).
precedents in Britain.
Business Park The basic needs of daily life are ideally
Terrace housing available within this area. This centre
The suburban model (depicted on the left side),
High Street shops features cul-de-sacs and collector roads which provides the location for a bus stop or
rarely connect to the greater network. Shopping rail station, convenience stores, work
centres and office parks exist as isolated entities, places, community events, and leisure
with separate access to the main roads and no activities.
Shopping Centre direct connections to the nearby residential areas. • The streets are laid out in a network, so
Landscaping is not continuous throughout the de- that there are alternate routes to most
velopment, with trees primarily serving as buffers.
Houses destinations. This disperses traffic, per-
This approach to development isolates the housing
and can lead to an unwarranted dependence on mitting most streets to be smaller and
the car. The Urban Village model (depicted on slower and as a result, able to support
the right side) accommodates a similar number of parking, trees, sidewalks, and buildings
Housing estate residential and commercial units. Housing is ac- without buffers or setbacks. They are
commodated on a network, which offers residents equitable for both vehicles and pedestri-
alternative routes to most destinations. Retail and ans.
School offices are allocated within a high street. This • The streets and other public spaces are
School approach to development not only lessens depen- spatially defined by building frontages
dency on cars; it can foster a sense of community
along the pavements in a disciplined
and local identity.
8
manner, uninterrupted by car parks. • V ehicular traffic controls the scale and and work places, age and economic • T he young, below the legal driving age,
• The buildings are diverse in function, form of public space, with streets being classes are integrated encouraging the are dependent on adults for their social
but compatible in size and in disposi- wide and dedicated primarily to the car. bonds of resilient community. needs. They are bused to schools, to
tion on their plots. This allows for a Car parks are a dominant feature. • By providing suitable civic buildings which they cannot walk, and isolated at
harmonious mixture of houses (large • Buildings are often highly articulated, ro- and spaces, democratic initiatives are home until their working parents arrive.
and small), terrace houses, small tated on their plots, and greatly set back encouraged and the balanced evolution The alternative is to relegate one parent
apartment buildings, shops, restau- from streets. They are thereby unable to of society is facilitated. to a career as the child’s chauffeur. The
rants, and offices. create spatial definition or sense of place. detached house with garden is a good
• Community buildings (schools, com- Civic buildings do not normally receive Post-war models have several place for childhood only if it is structured
munity halls, theaters, churches, clubs) distinguished sites. negative consequences: as part of an Urban Village, within which
are often placed on squares or at the • Open space is often provided in the form • Each car not only generates more roads, a child can walk or bicycle to school, to
termination of street vistas. By being of “buffers”, “pedestrian ways”, “berms”, but also requires a paved parking place at play, to shops, and to friends’ houses.
built at important locations, these and other ill-defined residual spaces. the house, another at the work place, and • The elderly, who lose their self-sufficiency
buildings serve as landmarks. yet another at the shopping centre. By once they lose their drivers’ licences are
• Open space is provided in the form of The urban village has several the construction of an excessive horizon- still able to walk and can continue to live
specialised squares, playgrounds, and positive consequences: tal infrastructure, the natural landscape is independently within an Urban Village.
parks and Green Belts. • By bringing many daily activities into destroyed. People do not need to be consigned to
walking distance, everyone (especially • By consigning the bulk of the available specialised retirement communities where
Post-war models have quite the elderly and the young) gains inde- public budget to pay for horizontal their daily needs are met at great cost.
different physical attributes: pendence of movement. infrastructure, the vertical human
• The development is disciplined by • By reducing the number and length of infrastructure of schools, post offices, fire The current planning process tends to
isolated “zones”, which are dedicated to automobile trips, traffic congestion is stations, meeting halls, cultural buildings, monitor only traffic flow, parking counts,
single uses such as “shopping centres”, minimized, the expenses of road con- and affordable housing is starved. the segregation of building use, and the
“business parks”, and “housing estates”. struction are limited, and air pollution is safeguard of open space. New planning
These are inaccessible to each except reduced. The groups who suffer particularly policy should encourage the Urban Village,
by car. Housing is segregated into large • By providing streets and squares of from the post-war models include: which is the authentic human habitat in all
clusters containing units of similar cost, comfortable scale and with defined spatial • The middle class, who are forced into its complexity.
hindering socioeconomic diversity. quality, neighbors, walking, may come to multiple automobile ownership. The
• Size is limited only by the range of the know each other and to watch over their average yearly cost of car ownership is
car which can depend on cachment collective security. over £4,000. The possibility of owning
areas for shopping, often exceeding 20 • By providing appropriate housing concen- one less car is the single most important
miles. trations at easy walking distances from subsidy that can be provided towards
• There is a high proportion of culs-de-sac transport stops, public transport becomes attaining housing. The investment of
and looping streets within each zone. an economically viable alternative to car personal time in the activity of commut-
Through traffic is possible only by means trips. The emissions resulting from driving ing is mandatory. A person who drives
of a few “collector” streets, which conse- are reduced. one hour a day spends the equivalent of
quently become easily congested. • By providing a full range of housing types a month each year in the car.
9
six growth Scenarios
The strengths and weaknesses of each
Scenario are analysed in the following
sections.
1 2 3 4 5 6
CONTINUING BROWNFIELD & Transport-Oriented SETTLEMENT SATELLITE STAND-ALONE
EXISTING TRENDS GREYFIELD SITES DEVELOPMENT EXTENSIONS (GARDEN) VILLAGES GARDEN CITY
Growth continues at its Some of the housing is Some of the housing is Some of the housing is Some of the housing The majority of the
existing rate and pat- placed on large previ- placed along transpor- attached to the edges is assigned to new housing is assigned
tern, with the housing ously developed or tation nodes. of existing settlements villages in proximity to to a new Garden City
primarily on smaller underutilised sites. on Green Belt land. existing settlements. on the existing rail
sites wherever found. This Scenario proposes the network.
This Scenario advocates development of housing within This Scenario proposes the This Scenario envisions the de-
This Scenario advocates the the development of both indus- walking distance to existing rail distribution of new housing velopment of new settlements This Scenario proposes the
status quo, proposing that the trial brownfield sites, and bus stations. This will re- on the boundaries of existing of a small scale, some of which development of one major
County continue with its current and commercial car parking quire the radical intensification settlements of all sizes, includ- would provide an opportunity new settlement to accom-
approach, developing plots of sites, or ‘greyfields.’ of existing areas. ing towns, villages and hamlets. for farming and agriculture. modate most of the new
all kinds as opportunity arises. housing, along with the jobs,
infrastructure and amenities to
support them.
11BRE assessment criteria
Each of the six strategies was This established technique
found to have certain positive and 1 CONTINUING EXISTING TRENDS rates the sustainability of the
negative consequences. These Growth continues at its existing rate and pattern, with the hous- proposed Scenarios, making it
were formulated as “Scenarios” to ing primarily on smaller sites wherever found. possible to take a more objective
help organise the public discus- view of the potential approaches
sions that are to take place at the
Borough and District Councils
2 BROWNFIELD & GREYFIELD SITES to development in Hertfordshire.
Some of the housing is placed on previously developed sites.
over the coming years.
When examining the Scenarios, the BRE team
Within this report, the Scenarios are accompa- 3 Transport-Oriented DEVELOPMENT did not consider factors that would be the
same in each case, instead concentrating on
nied by two types of assessment. One is subjec- Some of the housing is placed along transportation nodes. variables that differ, many of which related to
tive, listing the relative merits of each approach
matters of scale or location. Likewise, the fac-
as they emerged in the Charrette discussions.
The second is the result of a more objective 4 SETTLEMENT EXTENSIONS tors that remain constant for all the Scenarios
were considered to be ‘Givens.’ The full list
analytical method called the GreenPrint, which Some of the housing is attached to the edges of existing settle- of these factors is published in a companion
has been developed by the Building Research ments on Green Belt land. document to this one along with further infor-
Establishment to gauge sustainability.
mation on BRE’s GreenPrint methodology.
5 SATELLITE (GARDEN) VILLAGES None of these Scenarios can entirely accom-
Some of the housing is assigned to new villages in proximity to modate the necessary allocation aside from
existing settlements. Scenario 6 (the Garden City), and so these
Scenarios must be considered in combination.
6 STAND-ALONE GARDEN CITY
The majority of the housing is assigned to a new Garden City on
the existing rail network.
12ScenarioS
BRE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA: “Does the Scenario...” 1 2 3 4 5 6
a. accommodate sustainable drainage schemes to manage a rainfall event? 1 2 1 2 3 3
Climate Development should take all cost effective options to ensure it is appropriately adapted to present and
b. enable efficient passive solar design? 1 2 1 2 3 3
projected climate change impacts, such as flooding and increased temperatures.
c. offer sufficient scale to allow a viable community heating system? 0 3 3 2 3 3
d. reduce the ‘heat island’ effect of existing urban centres? 0 1 3 1 0 0
e. ensure significant cost efficient technology, energy and installations? 1 2 2 2 3 3
3 10 10 9 12 12
Development should reduce the use of resources both in construction and operation. Assesses the current a. remediate contaminated land? 1 2 1 1 0 0
Resources b. reuse land (brownfield and greyfield)? 1 3 3 0 0 0
status of the land and its reuse and how waste is managed when the construction site is in operation.
c. introduce sustainable and integrated waste management and treatment schemes? 0 1 1 1 2 3
d. allow for the use of locally recycled building materials? 1 2 3 1 1 1
3 8 8 3 3 4
a. locate growth in a walkable neighbourhood? 1 1 3 3 3 3
Transport Development should depend on the availability of transport options, walking and cycling, and public
b. allow movement along desire lines? 1 1 2 2 3 3
transport (bus and train).
c. enable safe, weatherproof and secure cycle storage convenient to key locations? 1 2 3 2 3 3
d. enable safe pedestrian and cycling routes that mitigate intermodal conflicts? 0 1 2 2 3 3
e. provide sufficient demand for a bus stop within 500m from dwellings? 1 2 3 3 3 3
f. provide demand for a railway station situated 15 minutes (non-car journey) from dwellings? 1 1 3 0 0 3
g. offer sufficient scale to improve public transport provision to the area? 0 1 2 2 3 3
h. humanise vehicle movement? 0 2 2 2 3 3
5 11 20 16 21 24
a. support green infrastructure such as substantial green corridors? 0 2 1 2 3 3
Ecology Development should ensure that biodiversity of a site is protected and enhanced wherever possible, and that
b. provide designated space for food growing (allotments or community gardens)? 1 1 1 2 3 3
links are established to surrounding ecological sites where they exist.
c. provide a new area managed for biodiversity value? 0 1 1 1 3 3
1 4 3 5 9 9
Development that increases in population should be accompanied by a corresponding increase in employ- a. provide sufficient critical mass for new shops and basic services? 0 1 3 3 2 3
Business b. provide new space for business? 0 1 2 2 2 3
ment opportunities in a variety of business sectors. Dwelling without employment opportunities results in
c. provide a varied scale of commercial and industrial properties? 0 1 2 1 2 3
travel patterns which burden the transport infrastructure. d. support existing community scale retail and services? 2 3 3 3 0 0
e. provide the scale for a viable home working hub? 0 0 2 2 3 3
f. allow for the creation of local jobs in the construction phase? 1 1 2 1 3 3
3 7 14 12 12 15
a. provide a significant number of affordable houses? 1 2 3 2 3 3
Community Development should offer more than good quality dwellings. Residents should have community facilities
b. provide sufficient scale for provision of additional community facilities? 0 1 2 2 3 3
that allow social gathering and communication opportunities across economic and ethnic groups.
c. protect existing community facilities? 1 1 2 3 0 0
d. protect the social character of the existing communities? 3 2 1 1 3 3
e. provide community management of communal facilities and infrastructures? 0 1 2 2 3 3
5 7 10 10 12 12
a. enhance legibility and orientation within existing settlements? 0 2 3 1 0 0
Placemaking Much of what makes a settlement where people want to live and work in is related to how individuals
b. provide access to age appropriate space for children and teenagers? 1 1 2 2 3 3
perceive the environment around them. Good development provides a positive sense of the location itself
c. provide access to public open space at the required distance? 1 1 2 2 3 3
which is linked to the landscape in which it sits, its history and legibility and how the public spaces are d. integrate neighbourhoods with existing ones? 1 2 3 1 0 0
designed. e. enhance the existing public realm? 1 3 3 1 0 0
4 9 13 7 6 6
Development should improve the performance of individual buildings through of technology and by a. ensure significant installations of non-energy related sustainable technologies? 0 1 2 2 2 3
Buildings b. allow existing buildings to be brought back into use? 2 2 3 0 0 0
incorporating existing structures. This protects the existing character or heritage and retains the embodied
c. allow the existing building stock in the area be made more sustainable? 1 2 3 0 0 0
energy and materials.
3 5 8 2 2 3
Average score % 23% 53% 71% 55% 63% 69%
Ranking 6th 5th 1st 4th 3rd 2ndScenario 1
CONTINUING EXISTING TRENDS
In recent years, much of Hertford- Hertfordshire cannot accommodate the number
shire’s growth has been piecemeal, of houses required by the East of England Plan
if it continues with business as usual. Indeed,
occurring without a greater master-
to do so will require active resistance, as well
planning strategy. In most cases, as official Council initiated legal challenges.
growth occurs on opportunity Such tactics can delay the construction of
sites identified by local authorities housing but can not eliminate it. Ultimately,
or “found” by private developers. the difference between the housing allocation
Such sites are random, and may or for 2021 and the anticipated number of houses
built at the current rate of construction is only
may not be well-located relative to
about 23,000 dwellings out of a total of 83,000.
existing urban villages and trans- It is safe to say Hertfordshire, one way or the
portation patterns. Such sites may other, will continue to grow.
be large or small, within developed
areas or on the outskirts of settle- Delivering the housing at the slower rate of
ments. Much of this kind of devel- the existing trend might better maintain Hert-
fordshire’s traditions, as newcomers arriving in
opment has not been considered
small groups are more likely to absorb the local
aesthetically or environmentally ethos than large groups might be. However,
advantageous for the County. it is also notable that continuing the current
Growth continues at its existing rate and pattern, with new housing placed on sites wherever found. rate of construction will prolong the current
housing shortage, preserving the current high
prices and thus hampering the prospects of
companies that need a diverse workforce.
advantages DISADVANTAGES REQUIRED DWELLINGS Indeed, scarce and expensive housing would
prevent the young from remaining or moving
• Incremental development • Housing capacity less than required 2001 Population 1,033,977
into Hertfordshire and ultimately lead to an
• Maintains current social structure • Piecemeal development 2008 Population 1,072,800 inbalanced, aging population.
• More expensive housing 2021 Population Projection 1,177,800
• Uncoordinated infrastructure 2001 - 2021 Population Growth 143,823 The most acute negative consequence of sim-
• Relatively inefficient process Dwellings at existing trends ply following the existing trends is that growth
• Seldom at optimum locations (@ 2.4 persons per dwelling) 59,926 would continue to be located opportunistically,
Dwellings required by the RSS 83,200 seldom at optimal locations, with the result that
ifference in dwelling requirements
D effective planning for concurrency would be
RSS/Trends 2001-2021 23,274 virtually impossible. The most elemental level
of regional planning would be scarce.
14GREENPRINT ASSESSMENT: Scenario 1 Reso
a te urce
Clim s
This Scenario performs poorest overall of the six as-
sessed in this exercise. It is strongest in the buildings
category because it has some potential to bring empty
s
Tran
ding
buildings back into use and to improve the efficiency of 20%
25%
spor
Buil
existing ones. However, it achieves the lowest scores in
t
33%
all other categories.
21%
On average this Scenario offers the least development
11%
capacity, with many sites occurring in fairly random
33%
locations. It is the one which makes the least difference
Com
y
17%
og
to a settlement, either positive or negative. So whilst 27%
mun
Ecol
it could be viewed as protecting the status quo, that
it y
means there is little chance for improvement where the
current situations are sub-optimal.
It is “pot luck” as to which facilities already exist around Plac s
ema ines
any new development, and it is unlikely that it will pro-
kin g Bus
vide size enough for a financial contribution sufficient to
build new ones (made under a section 106 agreement).
Category Score Rank
It is possible that existing inefficient buildings will be
replaced under this Scenario, but it is not likely that Climate 20% 6th
developments will be sizable enough to improve street Resources 25% 6th
environments or public transport, or offer economies of
scale for utilities or renewable technologies. It is unlikely Transport 21% 6th
that these developments will offer uses other than
dwellings. Ecology 11% 6th
Best case: The plot brought forward has one or more
Business 17% 6th
existing buildings which are reused for housing. This
Community 33% 6th
makes efficient use of resources and maintains the local
vernacular and heritage. The site is located close to a Placemaking 27% 6th
settlement centre, and thus within easy reach of public
transport links and facilities, reducing car dependence
Buildings 33% 3rd
and the need for parking space. The public realm is im-
proved as the site is brought back into use, and nuisance Average 23%
At best, current development practice in Hertfordshire involves
private sector developers identifying and purchasing an underut- issues are addressed by the reuse of the site. The dwell-
lised site, demolishing the existing buildings and replacing them ings have high energy and water efficiency standards,
with denser housing types. The images above depict a mediocre and ecological needs are integrated into the buildings.
Overall ranking 6th
site before and with excellent new redevelopment after.
15Scenario 2
Brownfield and greyfield sites
Brownfield sites are developed Brownfield and greyfield sites have the great
industrial areas that are no ecological advantage of reusing committed urban
land and resources, as well as existing infrastruc-
longer in use. The best-known
ture. Developing such sites, however difficult,
example of such a site conserves Green Belt area. The only disadvantage
in Hertfordshire is the Hatfield of brownfield and greyfield sites is that they are
Aerodrome, now home to the not always optimally located for public transport.
University of Hertfordshire’s De
Havilland campus. The redevelopment of brownfields may require
demolition as well as soil remediation, thus
adding to delay and expense. Unfortunately,
Greyfield sites are large open car in Hertfordshire there are very few remaining
parks, in use as a support area brownfield sites available, as the recent genera-
for an existing development, tion of development has consumed most of them,
such as a shopping centre or a and those which remain should be retained for
business park. In many cases, commercial purposes that lead to job creation.
these sites can be redeveloped,
Greyfield sites (of which there are many) are not
with car parking placed in a normally considered for redevelopment as the
multi-storey car park. owner/operators believe current uses require the
Some of the housing allocation is placed on previously developed sites, within the boundaries of
existing settlements. surface car parks. Activating them for develop-
ment may involve the outright and unrequested
grants for density as well as certain subsidies
for the building of multi-storey car parks. The
advantages disadvantages identification of greyfield sites would be at the
initiative of the District Planning Councils.
• Conserves Green Belt • Too few sites available
• Reuses land resources • Incurs additional cleanup costs
• Reuses existing infrastructure • Seldomly uses optimum locations
• Remediates of contaminated land • Removes industrial & commercial space
16GREENPRINT ASSESSMENT: Scenario 2 a te
Reso
urce
Clim s
This Scenario is the fifth best performing of the six 67%
67%
analysed, although it scores significantly better than
the worst (Scenario 1). Its best performance is in the
s
Tran
ding
resources and buildings categories, largely as it brings
spor
Buil
fallow urban land and buildings back into use and
56%
t
improves their energy and water efficiency. It also
46%
performs well in the placemaking category because it
provides the opportunity to improve the street scene
and appearance of existing settlements. Whilst the
44%
size of developments in this Scenario is not as large as
47%
Com
y
in some others, there is an opportunity for a degree of
og
mun
Ecol
mixed use. 39%
it y
60%
This is the Scenario most likely to offer opportunities
to clean up contaminated sites, and when existing
buildings and infrastructure are replaced, they can Plac s
ema ines
provide recycled building materials for new develop- kin g Bus
ments.
Housing on brownfield sites is likely to support exist- Category Score Rank
ing facilities and may be of sufficient scale to support
Climate 67% jt 3rd
new ones. Developments in this Scenario are also
likely to be large enough to perform well in terms of Resources 67% jt 1st
climate change and carbon efficiency, but they are not
likely to be large enough to support the provision of Transport 46% 5th
new public transport.
Ecology 44% 4th
Best case: The brownfield site is close to existing cen-
Business 39% 5th
tres or public transport connections. The development
Community 47% 5th
reuses materials from the previous buildings. Mixed-
use development provides employment opportunities, Placemaking 60% 2nd
and there is proximity to additional employment sites.
Contaminated sites are cleaned, and old buildings are
Buildings 56% 2nd
made more efficient.
Average 53%
Although there are few brownfield sites available in Hertfordshire,
there are numerous ‘greyfield’ sites featuring underutilised surface
car parks. The images above depict a supermarket, before and after Overall ranking 5th
redevelopment with new apartment buildings and multi-story car
parks “lined” with offices or flats.
17Scenario 3
Transport-Oriented DEVELOPMENT
Transport-Oriented Develop- stations which could become hubs for larger
ments are located within walk- settlements, and urban sites which currently in-
clude large car parks or other underutilised land
ing distance of rail stations or
offering the opportunity for development.
bus stops. Catering to both those
who work in the vicinity and Because these sites offer the ideal location
those who commute, T.O.D. can for housing, they may justify the demolition of
lessen the general dependence existing underutilised structures, even if it will
on cars. add to the expense of development. Indeed,
when developed in a balanced, pedestrian-
Whilst opportunities for this sort of develop- oriented and mixed-use pattern, these sites can
ment exist in Hertfordshire, there are not become both destinations in themselves and
enough suitable sites remaining to accom- feeders to London, ultimately allowing a more
modate all of the housing allocation. efficient use of the rail network as a whole.
Although the majority of railway stations in One design challenge with these sites is that they
Hertfordshire have already been developed, must accommodate the parking for the on-site
some stations offer the opportunity for ad- program as well as for commuters who have
ditional residential, commercial and retail driven to the station.
development. Amongst these are rural railway
Some of the housing allocation is placed around railway stations and bus stops.
advantages disadvantages
• Improves commercial performance • Too few sites available
• Conserves Green Belt • Requires compulsory purchase
• Reuses resources • Requires demolition
• Reuses existing infrastructure
• At existing nodes
• Improves commercial sense of place
18GREENPRINT ASSESSMENT: Scenario 3 a te
Reso
urce
Clim s
This Scenario performs best overall in the analysis 67% 67%
because it provides an opportunity to address problems
in existing settlements and improve the quality of life in
s
Tran
ding
and around the New Town centres, whilst also providing
89%
spor
Buil
83%
new dwellings. Development in central and accessible
t
locations provides the opportunity to strengthen existing
employment opportunities. The scale of the develop-
ment enables construction efficiencies. Some existing
buildings and building materials can be reused in new
33%
developments.
Com
y
67%
og
mun
Ecol
This Scenario’s worst performance is likely to be in the
it y
ecology category because there is unlikely to be much
opportunity to provide green infrastructure, and in city
centre locations may not provide additional space for 78%
8
managing rainwater and growing food. Plac 7 % s
ema ines
kin g Bus
The central location and proximity to existing public
transport facilities helps reduce car dependence, and
its size provides more critical mass for public transport Category Score Rank
improvements. Redevelopment in the New Town centres
can improve pedestrian and cycle routes and generally Climate 67% jt 3rd
improve connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods. The Resources 67% jt 1st
scale of the development offers a better opportunity for
well-integrated affordable housing. Transport 83% 3rd
Best case: The intensification provides small-scale em- Ecology 33% 5th
ployment opportunities, and integration of uses creates
a “place” in its own right. Noise is carefully managed
Business 78% 2nd
through design standards. Residents using the public
Community 67% 3rd
transport are encouraged to walk through the develop-
ment, adding to its economic sustainability. The new Placemaking 87% 1st
development is linked to existing economic and social
Hertfordshire could accommodate significant transport-oriented networks. Connectivity and resource efficiency through-
development on sites adjacent to railway stations. The illustrations Buildings 89% 1st
above depict the Stevenage entertainment complex, as it exists cur- out the town centre are improved.
rently, and after redevelopment including the construction of new Average 71%
parking structures, as well as flats and shops structured around walk-
able streets, squares and public gardens.
Overall ranking 1st
19Scenario 4
SETTLEMENT EXTENSIONS
Settlement Extensions are large Resort to settlement extensions should take place
and small sites developed at the after available infill sites (brownfields, greyfields
and T.O.D.s) have been developed. However, it
edges of existing settlements, most
should be clear that some settlement extensions
likely attached to suburban hous- will be necessary as the housing allocation can-
ing estates, office parks or shop- not be wholly absorbed with infill sites.
ping centres. All of these types of
sites would benefit from re-balanc- Note that the designation of “Green Belt” does
ing to mixed-use with the addition not necessarily guarantee that the land is not
legally available for development. (See the map
of shops, employment, and housing
on pages 6, which shows only the green areas
diversity as required. The optimal that are legally preserved in perpetuity.)
sites should be of an increment and
located so that one full neighbour- Another disadvantage of extensions is that the
hood, or urban village, may be existing roadway system is unlikely to provide
provided or completed. efficient access. One marked advantage for vil-
lages and hamlets is that additional housing may
Extensions, by definition will take place in open provide the population to support “third places”
land or Green Belts. They thus have the disad- as well as shops, churches, and civic institutions.
Some of the housing allocation is attached to the edges of existing settlements.
vantage of blocking the “vested” open space
views of immediately adjacent residents, and of
increasing the walking distance of all residents to
the open space.
advantages disadvantages
• Equitable distribution of growth • Not integrated with transportation
• Sustains community facilities • Could block existing greenfield views
• Blocks access to Green Belt
• Impacts all communities
20GREENPRINT ASSESSMENT: Scenario 4 Reso
a te urce
Clim s
In this Scenario, extensions would be built onto the edges
of many of the existing settlements. They would be in the
form of either a complete new urban village or an exten-
s
Tran
ding
sion of an existing condition that results in the creation 27% 25%
spor
Buil
of a complete one. This Scenario is in the middle scoring
t
segment, performing fourth best. It scores slightly better
25%
0%
than re-using brownfield and greyfield sites (Scenario 2)
because it improves existing neighbourhoods. However,
developments under this Scenario would extend into
33%
40%
the Green Belt, therefore there is little potential to re-use
Com
y og
buildings or land, or remediate contaminated land. 22%
mun
Ecol
33%
it y
Each existing settlement would benefit from a gain of
critical mass, though it may not be of a large enough
scale to create benefits relating to placemaking and
generation of renewable energy. Plac s
ema ines
kin g Bus
Developing at the edges provides little opportunity to
deal with issues that occur within the core of existing
settlements, and extensions may inherit conditions Category Score Rank
already present at the edges. The opportunity to improve Climate 60% 5th
existing public transport is unlikely, even as extensions to
existing bus routes will need to be provided. Indeed, the Resources 25% jt 4th
peripheral location of the new developments suggests
they would be more car based. Transport 67% 4th
Ecology 56% 3rd
Best case: The extension is sensitively added to the ex-
isting settlement. A careful audit enables the new devel- Business 67% jt 3rd
opment to add the facilities needed to create a complete,
walkable neighbourhood. The existing area is respected, Community 67% jt 3rd
leading to a feel of a single “place.” This is best achieved
by single ownership and comprehensive planning. Placemaking 47% 3rd
Permeability and connectivity are enhanced, enabling
walking and cycling routes. Public transport is enhanced Buildings 22% jt 5th
as the number of residents increases. Dwellings formerly
The images above illustrate a Settlement Extension designed to adjacent to green fields, but now bordered by the new Average 55%
complete an existing housing estate in a manner compatible with the development, retain easy routes to green space. The
scale and precedents of the adjacent development. Such a settlement
should be designed to ‘re-balance’ the existing area with buildings of greater the increment of a settlement extension the more Overall ranking 4th
complementary size and cost. prospect to improve the sustainability, especially if it can
rebalance a business area.
21Scenario 5
SATELLITE (GARDEN) VILLAGES
A satellite village is a settlement be accessible by walking, bicycling or very short
which is dependent on an ap- car trips. Together, the satellite village and the
existing edge settlement should be large enough
proximate town or village but does
to be equipped with infrastructure relatively
not infringe on the vested views of efficiently, and to provide for a minimum of the
Green Belt land. Ideally, these vil- daily needs of the residents of both.
lages should be located along prin-
cipal roads that may be serviced by If the satellite village is designed as a garden
a network of buses. village, it may increase the economic productivity
of the agriculture to more than compensate for
Each satellite village should be of sufficient size the loss of farm land.
to support a range of residents as well as shops,
offices, and the other amenities they require. The disadvantage of this type is that the addition-
al distance created by the green wedge extends
The buffer separating a satellite village from the run of utilities and transportation. Also, like
an existing settlement is sometimes referred to any edge settlement, including the settlement
as the “green wedge,” an area of open space extension (Scenario 4), it is too small to achieve
retained for the purpose of physically distinguish- a balance of jobs and housing. Creating a balance
ing settlements from one another, whilst allowing and having jobs and public transport is key to the
them to be close enough for non-motorised ultimate performance of the option.
Some of the housing allocation is assigned to new villages independent of existing settlements.
transport between the two. To this end, 500-
1000 meters is ideal.
If local soil is of sufficient quality, satellite vil-
lages can be designed as “garden villages” which
advantages disadvantages encourage locally sourced farming. Satellite
villages are alternatives to settlement extensions
• Minimal impact to neighbours • Extends utilities network
(Scenario 4), reducing the visual impact from the
• Rational provision of infrastructure • Poor jobs / housing balance
existing edge while remaining close enough to
• Can enhance small scale agriculture • Tends to generate excess traffic
22GREENPRINT ASSESSMENT: Scenario 5 Reso
a te urce
Clim s
80%
This Scenario performs third best of those assessed,
largely because building completely new develop-
ments enables design and construction techniques
s
Tran
ding
which meet current priorities. Good design would 25%
spor
Buil
create a sense of place and identity, however these
t
villages would not provide the scale opportunities of
22%
25%
stand-alone garden cities (Scenario 6) nor the occa-
sion to bring buildings or brownfields back into use.
33%
Existing towns and villages would be unchanged,
Com
y
80%
og
but issues in existing settlements would not be
mun
Ecol
addressed, and existing community facilities would 40%
it y
not be supported. The new villages would not be self-
sufficient, but would be large enough to have their 67%
own facilities and bus links to nearby settlements,
therefore being less car-dependent. Plac s
ema ines
kin g Bus
Satellite villages would be located on greenfield sites,
usually providing space to grow food and enabling
continuous green infrastructure. Rainwater and grey Category Score Rank
water could be captured and used. Villages of this
size present opportunities to incorporate designs Climate 80% jt 1st
and technologies which reduce or eliminate carbon Resources 25% jt 4th
production and allow for community management
of infrastructure, similar to the garden cities of Transport 25% 2nd
Letchworth and Welwyn. The scale would also allow
the integration of a significant number of affordable Ecology 33% jt 1st
homes.
Business 67% 3rd
Best case: The new village has good public transport
Community 80% jt 1st
connecting directly to a major transport hub in a
neighbouring settlement. The village uses locally Placemaking 40% jt 4th
produced, locally managed, renewable energy. Water
is sustainably managed. Residents grow some of their
Buildings 22% jt 5th
own food. The village has community facilities.
The Satellite Villages proposed in Scenario 5 offer an alternative to
Settlement Extensions (compare with page 21), which can occasion- Average 63%
ally block access--both visual and walkable--to the Green Belt.
Overall ranking 3rd
23Scenario 6
STAND-ALONE GARDEN CITY
A stand-alone garden city is the There is a long history of New Towns in Hertford-
only type of Scenario which could shire. The County is home to the first and best-
known garden cities in the world, Letchworth and
accommodate the entirety of the
Welwyn, as well as several of the most important
housing allocation and the neces- New Towns from the postwar period. Whilst
sary amenities. The development the garden cities have been judged successful,
would require a large, well- the New Towns are not necessarily considered
drained, relatively uninhabited to be so, and have damaged the reputation of
area of Green Belt, with the poten- New Towns as desirable Scenarios for growth.
Nevertheless a new town on a revised model,
tial for, or a pre-existing, railway
incorporating all that has been learned, should
station. be considered as it would have many positive
consequences.
There is at least one such site available in
the County. While a New Town could not be
realistically designed and constructed by the
2021 deadline of the current allocation, it
could still provide the best ultimate solution
for the continual allocations that will follow the
present one. Indeed, a New Town of 100,000-
The majority of the housing allocation is assigned to one new Garden City on the existing rail network. 140,000 dwellings could absorb the growth of
Hertfordshire well into the mid-century.
advantages disadvantages
• Minimal impact to neighbours • Diminishing of greenfield
• Rational provision of infrastructure • Complex planning process
• High traffic capture
• Economies of scale
• Excellent jobs & housing balance
• Decreased trip generation
• Rational provision of facilities
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