Land use
Big changes ahead for Hertfordshire land?
Land use in Hertfordshire tends to comprise of small and medium sized towns set within a rural landscape with good transport connections. Whilst this combination contributes to a high quality of life, attaining a balance is difficult as the demand for new housing and associated infrastructure grows. This section focuses on these towns which currently account for 13% of land in the county.1
Indicator LU1 - Land used for urban activities
The population of the main towns shown on the map below are those totalling over 7,000 residents. Along with the following tables, this shows how land use has changed from rural to urban activity between April 2005-March 2006. Change is recorded whenever a new development begins but this was the first time transport made a significant difference, contributing to the highest change since 2001; 47.12 hectares (ha). Construction of the Baldock bypass added 27.8 ha, or 11.6%, to Baldock's urban area.
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council 100019606 2006
Only 9.7 ha of residential development was completed this year, mostly at Canada Fields in Cheshunt and Burleigh Park in Stevenage. This was well below the 23.4 ha annual average of the previous ten years and partly refl ects higher densities which reduces the amount of land take. At Waltham Cross, the start of the Park Plaza business development accounted for all of the 8.54 ha of employment urbanisation in the county and was the highest total in the 11 years of this analysis. The change in Royston (5.3 ha) was landscaping and public open space associated with recent housing development.
| Land use change to urban activities by town | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Town | Change 2005-6 (ha) |
% Town Change 2005-6 |
Urban Area 2006 (ha) |
| Baldock | 27.83 | 11.64 | 266.87 |
| Cheshunt | 9.17 | 1.26 | 736.48 |
| Harpenden | 0.34 | 0.04 | 793.86 |
| Hertford | 0.29 | 0.05 | 555.57 |
| Royston | 5.30 | 1.32 | 406.10 |
| Stevenage | 4.19 | 0.18 | 2358.63 |
| Hertfordshire | 47.12 | 0.22 | 21355.25 |
Source: Hertfordshire County Council: Development Commitments
Survey 2006
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Indicator LU2 - Number of households
The 2001 Census estimated there to be 420,650 households in the county in 2001 and the 2003- based household projections issued by the Office for National Statistics suggested there would be around 439,000 in 2006. The projections forecast that if recent trends continue there would be approximately 506,000 households in 2021 - a growth of about 85,000 since 2001. This is equivalent to an annual increase of approximately 1.0%, a faster growth rate than is expected for population, whilst the average size of household is projected to fall from 2.42 in 2001 to 2.25 in 2021.
Increased pressure to provide housing for rising populations and more single person households calls for new land use in future
Indicator LU3 - Residential development on previously developed land
The Government remains committed to maximising the reuse of Previously Developed Land (PDL) to promote urban regeneration and to use land more efficiently to minimise the amount of Greenfield land being developed. The national target requires that by 2008, 60% should be built on PDL and by converting existing buildings. The county has exceeded this target ever since its introduction in 2000.
| Hertfordshire's Residential Development On PDL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | 2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 |
| Broxbourne | 51% | 46% | 80% |
| Dacorum | 94% | 94% | 97% |
| East Hertfordshire | 90% | 78% | 84% |
| Hertsmere | 100% | 100% | 99% |
| North Hertfordshire | 70% | 67% | 48% |
| St Albans | 93% | 99% | 97% |
| Stevenage | 64% | 78% | 48% |
| Three Rivers | 99% | 99% | 100% |
| Watford | 100% | 98% | 100% |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 71% | 80% | 99% |
| Hertfordshire Total | 82% | 78% | 86% |
Source: Hertfordshire County Council Development Commitments
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This indicator is measured as the gross percentage of homes provided each year. In the year ending March 2006 the total for Hertfordshire was 86%, with 6 of its 10 local authorities having built over 97% of new homes on PDL. At the end of March 2006 the percentage of outstanding identified housing commitments yet to be built was 63% on PDL.
Of the 4,416 homes built in Hertfordshire this year;
- 66% of those constructed have 1 or 2 bedrooms
- 28% have 3 or 4 bedrooms
- Only 4% have 5 or more bedrooms
Of the 1 or 2 bedroomed homes built, 85% were flats (57% of total build). In the same 12 month period, the county lost 395 homes to demolition or conversion.
Future land use change
Hertfordshire lies within the East of England Region and its strategic planning is undertaken by the East of England Regional Assembly and the Government. The latest version of the Plan was produced in December 2006 and consultation on it closed on 9 March 2007. The Plan, as it currently stands, will have a significant impact on land use in the county and proposes:
- Providing 83,200 new homes and 77,000 new jobs.
- Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City and Harlow identifi ed for housing and employment growth, coupled with physical, social and economic regeneration for Harlow, Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead.
- Watford being identifi ed as a location for economic growth, regeneration and renewal.
- Large scale strategic greenfield housing and employment development in Hatfi eld, Harlow (including land within East Hertfordshire), Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City.
- Major loss of Green Belt land to accommodate development at strategic growth locations.
- Regional strategic employment sites at Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead with the potential for others to be created within the county (at locations still to be specified).
- Improving strategic transport infrastructure within the A505, A1(M), A602 and East Coast Main Line corridors. A commitment to the Croxley Rail Link to join the Metropolitan Underground Line to main line services at Watford Junction.
In addition, there are separate planning processes in progress to explore whether a Luton expansion could include development within North Hertfordshire and a requirement to release land from the Green Belt. There are also plans to expand both Luton and Stansted airports that are also likely to impact on land use in the county.
Proposals in the East of England Plan will be implemented primarily by Hertfordshire's borough and district councils via the preparation of local planning documents. These are currently being prepared and public consultation will follow over the next few years.
More details on the East of England Plan can be found at www.eera.gov.uk . Also see the district websites for details on their Local Development Frameworks.
1 See www.communities.gov.uk for more data.