Posted on

Referendum announced

The referendum on the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan will be held on Thursday 6th May 2021.

Residents of Hertford Bengeo Ward, who are on the electoral register, can vote on whether they want East Herts District Council to use the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan to help decide planning applications for the Plan Area.

It will be a simple ‘Yes/No’ vote.

A majority vote is required to enable the Neighbourhood Plan to be adopted and to be used to help determine the outcome of planning applications over the life of the Plan (up to 2033). A map of the Neighbourhood Plan Area is on page 7 of the Plan. Since October 2019, around 20 Neighbourhood Plan responses to planning applications have been submitted to East Herts District Council.

If residents vote in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan, the policies in the adopted Plan will be given equal weight to those of the East Herts District Plan in determining the outcome of planning applications in the Plan Area.

Posted on

Further Tree Heritage Nursery plans

Photo of tree nursery
Tree Heritage nursery in North Road

A further planning application has been submitted for the Tree Heritage Nursery site south of Waterford.

This is the third application in less than 12 months.

The first application in April last year was for 3 three-bed bungalows at the front of the site 3 four-bed traditional boarded barn style dwellinghouses set behind. The properties would have featured designated off-street car-parking. This application was refused and is now the subject of an appeal to The Planning Inspectorate.

The second application was submitted in October and was for 2 three-bed bungalows at the front of the site and 3 three-bed bungalows behind, similarly all with off-street parking.  The application was granted planning permission in December.

The new application retains the 2 three-bed bungalows at the front of the site, whilst the three properties behind have been redesigned to include 4-bed properties with first floor accommodation within the roof, with a chalet dwelling design.

We have submitted a response to the new plans, highlighting the significant and unwelcome impact on the openness of the Green Belt, particularly when viewed from Waterford Marsh.

Read our full response here

Posted on

The Two Brewers

Photo of public houseA planning application has been submitted to convert The Two Brewers public house in Port Vale in to two residential properties.

The pub is included on a list of community facilities in Appendix E of the Neighbourhood Plan. The appendix is linked to Neighbourhood Plan Policy HBC1: Enhanced Community Facilities. Criterion I of this Policy says: “Existing community facilities, as listed in Appendix E, should be retained and protected. Loss of facilities will only be acceptable where alternative provision is of a scale and standard equivalent to, or superior to, the existing facilities”.

We have submitted a planning response to the District Council setting out our view on this planning proposal.

Read our full response here

Posted on

Reponse to North Road planning application

We have submitted a planning response to East Herts District Council in response to a planning application to alter access to land at 190/192 North Road.

The land falls within the boundary of the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan. The Examiner’s report on the Plan was published on the 11 December 2020. Subject to final approval from East Herts District Council, the Plan will be put forward for public referendum, scheduled for the 6 May.

It’s noted that the proposed access alteration would require the regrettable removal of trees, close to the junction with North Road. It’s understood that the Scots Pine, on the access land, is dead so may need to be removed, regardless of the outcome of this application. Additional tree removal, associated with this planning application, would have a negative visual impact on the tree-line along that section of North Road and could set an unfortunate precedent for further tree removal in this Green Belt location.

Criterion III in Neighbourhood Plan Policy HBN3: Nature Conservation says: ‘where development results in the unavoidable loss of trees, replacement of trees, in suitable locations, will be encouraged’.

Posted on

Response to 11 Port Hill plans

Photo of 11 Port Hill, Hertford

A planning application has been submitted for 11 Port Hill.

The proposal is described as: “Removal of detached garage. Proposed single storey side extension. New 1.8 metre high boundary wall with timber gate. New 1 metre – 2 metre high wall to replace fence. Widening of vehicle crossover and creation of one additional off street car parking space.“

We have submitted a response to the consultation for this application. We have no particular concerns about the proposals, other than the loss of trees. The electric car charging point is welcomed.

Read our full response here

Posted on

Proposals for 13 Port Hill

A planning application has been submitted for a site behind 13 Port Vale.

The proposal is described as: “Demolition of existing structures; change of use to residential (C3); erection of two one bedroom dwellings and one three bedroom dwelling; and creation of 4 parking spaces“.

Photo of access to Austin's funeralcare depot behind 13 Port Vale

We have a number of concerns about this planning application, which are detailed in our response to the District Council. These include a lack of detail in the application documents, siting of bins, parking and site layout.

Red our full response here

Posted on

Response to Hertford Theatre proposals

We have issued a response to ambitious plans to redevelop Hertford Theatre.

Although the majority of the Hertford Theatre site falls within Hertford Castle Ward, a section of the  west elevation is within Hertford Bengeo Ward and thus within the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area  Plan boundary.

Overall, we welcome the proposals – our only comments being on the affordability of community facilities and provision of cycle parking. We also recommend improvement of the playground facilities in the Castle Grounds.

Read our full response here

Posted on

Response to Sacombe Road planning variance

We have submitted a response to an application to vary the approved plan for the construction of 8 homes in Sacombe Road.

The proposal is: “Variation of conditions 2 (approved plans), 9 (Landscaping), 10 (Fencing and hedges) and 12 (external materials) of planning permission: 3/18/0572/FUL (Construction of 8 sustainable homes on land previously used as storage depot and associated vehicle / machinery workshops) – Provision of gables, bay windows and timber framed porches. Internal layouts amended.”

The response of the Bengeo Area Neighbourhood Plan is:

  1. The land above is within the Bengeo Neighbourhood Plan Area. The draft Plan is currently at the  Examination stage. 
  2. On the 6 October 2020, a response to application 3/20/1809/NMA was submitted to  East Herts District Council by the Neighbourhood Plan Chair. 
  3. The applicant’s request for a variation to Conditions 2, 9,10 and 12 of planning permission  3/18/0572/FUL is noted and we await the planning department’s decision. 
Posted on

Response to Revised Tree Nursery Plans

Photo of tree nursery
Tree Heritage nursery in North Road

Revised plans for the tree nursery in North Road were recently submitted to East Herts District Council.

It is noted that this application has revised the volume of dwellings down from 6 to 5, and that they are now all single storey. It’s also noted that the cumulative volume, and the gross external floor area, is marginally less than that of the existing commercial buildings, though two of the proposed buildings would be closer to  North Road than the existing buildings.

Despite the reduced ridge height of the proposed dwellings to the rear of the site, the negative impact on the  openness of the Green Belt, particularly when viewed from Waterford Marsh, remains a significant concern.

The Neighbourhood Plan supports the appropriate development of Brownfield land over encroachment on the Green Belt. Residential development on this site, particularly given its proximity to Waterford Marsh,  described in Hertfordshire County Council’s ‘Local Character Assessment’ as ‘one of the best examples of wetlands in Central Hertfordshire’, would set an unwelcome precedent of such encroachment.