The Community Voice forum is currently being used to communicate with residents regarding the new Master Plan for the expansion of Bishop's Stortford. Approximately 100 concerned residents attended the a meeting in July at which EHDC's consultants, Roger Evans Associates, were left in no doubt about the strength of feeling on this issue in the town. See the official preliminary summary of the meeting here. A more detailed document was presented at the follow-up meeting on 28th October and a "Neighbourhood Test Concept" proposed - i.e. a plan of possible development for the ASRs.
Roger Evans' Document, presented to the Community Voice Meeting 28/10/04:
Background
This flyer has been produced for the Bishop's Stortford Community
Voice event on 28 October 2004. It is a summary of the interim
results of the Bishop's Stortford Masterplanning Study, commissioned
by East Herts Council in its efforts to respond to current and
emerging national and regional planning policy. Those policies
foresee a significant need for both housing and employment in
the South-East. The area north of Bishop's Stortford has been
identified in regional policy as a site for development to meet
those needs. The aim of the Bishop's Stortford Masterplanning
Study is to determine the best way to develop the area if development
were to occur.
The main output of the Masterplanning Study is, in essence, a
'test concept' for a new neighbourhood. As part of a larger testing
process, the concept will be the subject of an assessment against
a range of indicators to judge its sustainability by a parallel
project, the East Hertfordshire Sustainability Appraisal.
The Neighbourhoods
The test concept starts with the town as a whole and how it might
grow. That approach led to the idea of two neighbourhoods that
are each linked primarily to the town centre.
The western area is seen as forming part of a wider neighbourhood
along with the residential areas south of Hadharn Road. The new
area north of the Hadham Road would include a combination of offices
and mixed-use or live-work development located toward the A120
with residential areas to the east A small local centre would
be located at a crossing point of main routes, supporting a convenience
store and perhaps a community facility.
The larger eastern neighbourhood would include a more extensive
local centre with a range of facilities such as shops, offices,
community centre, a primary school and possibly a doctor's surgery.
Extending out from the centre would be mixed-use or live-work
development giving way to primarily residential areas. Foxdell's
Farm is identified as a possible site for a community facility
or some other special use. An area for playing fields is located
to the north.
The area to the north-east is identified as a possible site for
a secondary school as well as small office-workshop units.
A significant percentage of the residential area would be for
affordable housing to address current needs within Bishop's Stortford.
Such housing would be distributed throughout the neigbhourhoods
and should be indistinguishable from other housing
The Landscape
The two neighbourhood approach maintains the Green Belt as a green
wedge extending in toward the town centre. The Green Belt boundary
remains unchanged. Key landscape features within the area are
retained and buffered. Key wildlife habitats are retained. New
woodland planting is included along the A120 as buffer and wildlife
corridor. The existing drainage pattern is retained and enhanced
to hold water on the site through the use of swales, French drains,
open channels and retention basins. Routes to the countryside
are retained and reinforced.
Movement
The overall movement strategy seeks to keep as many trips as possible
short and local by providing a range of services and facilities
centrally within the neighbourhoods. Access to the wider highway
network would be by the A120, either direct from the north-east
comer or via the Hadham Road or Rye Street The main routes from
the neigbhourhoods to the town centre would favour pedestrians
and cyclists. To accommodate vehicle trips to the centre but minimise
their number, the test concept promotes the idea of both a shared
or 'community' taxi-minibus service and conventional bus services.
The route pattern allows for the private car but other modes should
be given priority.
Character
The arrangement of the neighbourhoods, landscape and streets is
intended to create a place that makes the most of the character
of the land. Because there are areas of distinct character from
west to east within the landscape, the test concept seeks to reinforce
those differences rather than erasing them and starting from scratch.
Main routes incorporate landscape features into the public realm
and follow historic paths. Key features such as Hoggate's Wood
are highlighted and framed as landmarks. In common with the best
parts of Bishop's Stortford, the structure of main routes and
side streets helps to create an environment that is both distinctive
and easy to find your way around.
Next Steps
One of the main purposes of this flyer is to prompt comments on
the concept so that the views of the community might be taken
into account in formulating a final version. Please fill out the
attendant questionnaire and send it or a separate sheet of comments
to, Alison Fox, Community Planning Manager, East Herts Council,
Wallfileds, Pegs Lane, Hertford, SGI 3 8EQ. Over the course of
the next month the concept will be assessed against the sustainability
indicators. Revisions to the concept will be made taking into
account the results of the assessment and any comments received.
Toward the end of the year a full report on the study will be
published and submitted in due course for adoption as council
policy for planning purposes in the event the land goes forward
development.
Please click on the plan below to see an enlarged version
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