Development
Development changes in Hertfordshire
Achieving a balance between environmental, social and economic issues continues to be difficult as demand for development grows. Yet despite the need for development, Hertfordshire is feeling the effects of the economic recession with the number of homes being built at a 20 year low.
Indicator LU1 - Land Used for Urban Activities
This indicator focuses on towns whose population exceeds 7,000 residents, which currently accounts for 13% of land in the county.
Within Hertfordshire, land has been increasingly developed in order to meet the needs of the people; since 1995, 410 hectares has been added to those urban areas. Approximately 64% of this land has been developed for housing, around 9% for employment, 20% for leisure and community and 7% for transport. The previous regional targets for growth no longer exist, however because of the needs of the local people it is likely the urban area will continue to expand.
The map and the table show how land use has changed from rural to urban activity between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010. This year the addition to the urban area of Hertfordshire was 0.07%; the area equates to about 14 hectares.
Source: HCC Development Commitments Survey 2010
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council 100019606 2010
The main areas this affects is 2.32 ha for employment and 12 ha for community and leisure. There were only two developments in this period both around the fringe of Waltham Cross:
- Construction of the White Water Canoe Centre for the 2012 Olympics: 12 ha
- Erection of print works building at Park Plaza: 2.32 ha
| Town | Change 2009-10(ha) | % Town Change 2009-10 | Urban Area 2010(ha) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham Cross | 14.32 | 6.20% | 245.19 |
| Hertfordshire | 14.32 | 0.07% | 21,419.17 |
Source: HCC Development Commitments Survey disclaimer
Over the past couple of years a significant proportion (86%) of development built on the fringe of the urban area has been for leisure and community facilities, with a much lesser amount for residential, a reverse of the trend over the previous 13 year period.
NI 154 - Net Additional Homes
The effects of the economic recession are clearly demonstrated in the decline in net additional homes completed in Hertfordshire in the year to 31 March 2010. The total number of net completions recorded in the year was the lowest for 20 years, a reduction of 23% on the previous monitoring year and 36% less than the most recent peak in 2007.
Hertfordshire Annual Dwelling Completions 1991 - 2010
Source: HCC Development Commitments Survey
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Size and type of dwellings
The size and type of dwellings completed since 1 April 2009 continues the trend of previous years, towards smaller homes, predominantly flats. Of the new dwellings constructed, 71% were flats, a 4% increase on the previous year, whilst houses accounted for just 29% of the total. In 2002 and 2003 half of the new dwellings were family homes with 3 or more bedrooms; today this number has fallen to less than a quarter, with over three quarters with 1 or 2 bedrooms. Recent changes to Government guidance have removed the requirement that new development should exceed 30 dwellings per hectare, this may contribute to a change in the mix of dwellings developed in future.
Hertfordshire Annual Dwelling Completions 1991 - 2010
Source: HCC Development Commitments Survey
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| Type | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House 1-2 bed | 17% | 11% | 13% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 7% | 9% | 7 |
| House 3+ bed | 47% | 47% | 42% | 40% | 32% | 29% | 26% | 24% | 22 |
| Flat 1-2 bed | 34% | 40% | 43% | 48% | 57% | 61% | 66% | 65% | 70 |
| Flat 3+ beds | 2% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1 |
Source: HCC Development Commitments Survey 2010
Indicator LU3 - Residential Development on Previously Developed Land
Efficient use of land is a key priority when deciding the location of development, therefore the Government remains committed to maximising the reuse of Previously Developed Land (PDL). The national target required authorities to build 60% of homes on PDL by 2008. The following table shows how Hertfordshire has exceeded this target.
The past 20 years has seen a considerable rise in gross percentage of homes built on PDL. This year, 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010, housing built on PDL has continued to remain high, with 93% built on PDL. This was the same as the previous year, however it was a rise of 30% from 1991/92 and 19% from 2001/02. All of the Hertfordshire authorities exceeded the 60% target set in 2008 and 4 authorities built 100% homes on PDL.
| District | Average per annum/period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-2001 | 2001-2007 | 2007-2008 | 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | |
| Broxbourne | 45% | 60% | 93% | 83% | 88% |
| Dacorum | 75% | 96% | 97% | 96% | 94% |
| East Herts | 47% | 87% | 96% | 87% | 81% |
| Hertsmere | 84% | 98% | 100% | 95% | 100% |
| North Herts | 62% | 53% | 66% | 74% | 82% |
| St Albans | 88% | 97% | 94% | 98% | 99% |
| Stevenage | 37% | 50% | 46% | 100% | 100% |
| Three Rivers | 97% | 97% | 99% | 99% | 96% |
| Watford | 88% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 85% | 82% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| County | 68% | 81% | 87% | 93% | 93% |
Source: Hertfordshire County Council Environment Department Development Commitments Survey 2008
Changes to the definition of PDL mean that garden land will no longer be included; therefore we anticipate the percentage of homes built on PDL in Hertfordshire will decrease by approximately 12% next year.
Renewable Technologies
The number of planning applications containing green technologies has been recorded since April 2007. These technologies include solar (both thermal and photovoltaic), wind turbines, CHP (combined heat and power), green roofs and rainwater harvesting.
Last year from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010, 106 applications containing green technologies received a decision; and 7.5% of these were refused. A breakdown of the different technologies and the numbers are detailed in the following table.
| Type of technology | Number of Decisions | Number of Approvals |
|---|---|---|
| Solar panels | 73 | 63 |
| Wind turbines | 7 | 3 |
| CHP | 11 | 11 |
| Other | 15 | 12 |
| Total | 106 | 89 |
Source: HCC Development Commitments Survey
The approval rate for green technologies varies; 100% of applications for CHP were approved, and 86% of solar panels, but only 42% of the applications for wind turbines.
Below is a map showing the location of the approved green technologies.
Source: HCC Development Commitments Survey 2010
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council 100019606 2010
During this period there were no new applications for wind farms. The application for a wind farm at Bennington, which had been refused, has gone to appeal and been dismissed.
Not all renewable energy technologies require planning permission. For more information please visit: www.planningportal.gov.uk
Building Futures
Hertfordshire Building Futures is an evolving web-based guide designed to help built environment professionals and the general public to create sustainable, liveable and resilient developments in Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire Building Futures provides practical and user friendly guidance for all development types and scales; checklists that can be applied when designing new schemes; and a range of case studies illustrating best practice. The guide is also regularly updated to reflect innovation and new best practice.
The biannual Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards recognise and celebrate schemes in Hertfordshire that employ the principles and solutions set out in the guide.
The Award categories are:
- Most Sustainable Construction
- Design Excellence
- Outstanding Commitment to Adapt to a Changing Climate