Land Use
The Master Plan shows the development of 5,000
homes together with employment generating uses, shops, leisure, social and
community facilities, open space and landscaping together with the provision
of infrastructure, highways and public transport facilities.
After allowing for the restoration of an area of brownfield
land, the total area of greenfield land used for built development amounts
to 163 hectares, a loss of some 16.3 hectares per annum over the 10 years
of the project. To put this in context, the total area of greenfield land
used for development in Hertfordshire during the year 1999/2000 was some
60 hectares.
Siting
The development will be concentrated on the plateau
adjacent to the urban edge of Stevenage and the A1(M) with new woodland,
planting and earth modelling used to help screen new building from the
wider area.
Design Quality
Three new urban villages, two with local centres,
and with a mixed use centre will be created, each characterised by a high
quality attractive design modelled on traditional Hertfordshire settlements.
Mixed Use
Each of the new villages will incorporate its own primary school, community
facilities and employment opportunities within easy walking distance of
the new homes with a new secondary school and additional employment areas
being located close to the main mixed use centre. In total, the new neighbourhood
will support approximately 3,500 jobs.
Density
The new homes will be built at an average density of 36 dwellings per
hectare (14.5 per acre), with the majority taking the form of flats, terraced
and semi-detached houses.
Mix
The development will comprise a mix of housing types and sizes, including
affordable homes, to create a balanced community and to reflect Hertfordshire’s
housing mix and needs.
Reduced Resource Consumption
and Pollution
A range of measures are proposed to cut down the consumption of non-renewable
resources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, including:
- The electricity to all new buildings will be
connected to Unit Electricity or similar “green energy” provider
to match usage with electricity produced from renewable energy projects
(primarily wind and water)
- At least 75% of timber will be sourced from sustainably
managed forests or through recycling
- All homes will incorporate water and energy saving
devices and high standards of insulation.
Reduced Car Use
A network of footpaths, cycleways and a fast and frequent bus service
will provide direct and attractive links throughout the new neighbourhood
and to Stevenage’s town centre, employment areas and mainline railway
station.
The measures proposed, coupled with land use design,
are estimated to achieve a reduction of over 30% in peak hour car journeys
against the Hertfordshire average, with over 80% of total travel movements
being contained within the site or the Stevenage area.
Open Space
An extensive network of Greenways, sports pitches, play areas and allotments
will be interspersed within the new neighbourhood with a new 32 hectare
Country Park located along its western flank.
Biodiversity
The development will be designed and managed to achieve no net loss of
biodiversity through measures such as new woodland, hedgerow and other
planting. Together with the creation of an extensive network of green
links, this will provide new wildlife habitats and corridors on land generally
of little ecological value.
Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles
A range of measures will be introduced to encourage residents to lead
more sustainable lifestyles, including:
- The funding of the cost of local public transport
use for all new residents for the first 6 months of occupation
- All homes will be equipped
with high speed telecommunication cabling linked to a local fibre optic
network to enable people to work from home
- An innovative management structure which will give
“credits” against management charges to residents who participate
in the management and support of their own community.
Access
All vehicular accesses into the neighbourhood will be from Stevenage,
with improvement works being carried out to the existing road network
to mitigate the effects of additional traffic. There will be no direct
vehicular connection to either the A1(M) or the B656.
Neighbourhood Web Site
A Neighbourhood Web site will carry details of local events, public transport
services and a range of environmental information and services, including
recycling initiatives and car-sharing clubs.
Economic Development
The availability of a mix of new housing will increase the attractiveness
of Stevenage to companies looking to set up in this area. It is also estimated
that the development will result in an increased expenditure in the local
economy of over £30m per annum, thereby helping to maintain and
enhance the viability and vitality of the town centre and local services.
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