The site has a key role to play in meeting Dacorum’s existing and future housing needs and was identified for development within Dacorum’s adopted Development Plan in 2013. The Site delivers the largest single contribution to meeting future housing needs within the Borough and is of vital importance to delivering the supply of homes that Dacorum Borough requires.
The site’s delivery forms a key part of the Council’s adopted spatial strategy in providing a range and choice of market and affordable housing to address the Borough’s needs. Currently the supply of homes in Dacorum is falling substantially short of projected needs, making it all the more important that this site is delivered at the earliest opportunity.
The allocation of the site, ‘LA3: West Hemel Hempstead’, in the Site Allocations DPD (2017), sets out a vision for a new neighbourhood comprising: new market, affordable and elderly person homes alongside a primary school, medical facility, local centre including provision for shops and community use, a travellers’ site for 7 pitches and attractive open space.
A Hybrid (Outline Planning Application with part Detailed) Planning Application delivering all these components was granted permission in December 2021. The Hybrid Permission grants Detailed/Full Planning Permission for 350no. dwellings with associated access and open space. This part of the development will commence later this year.
The remaining balance of the overall development was granted Outline Planning Permission. This included 750no. dwellings; and the other uses outlined above in line with the policy allocation.
The Outline Permission has established the scale and range of uses is accepted. ‘Reserved Matters’ approval now needs to be obtained for the detailed design of the layout, appearance, scale and landscaping of this part of the development. This will detail all those elements listed above apart from the primary school, the serviced land which will be transferred to Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) to deliver. It is this aspect of the proposals which we are seeking feedback on.
The planning permission is subject to a condition requiring adherence to a number of parameter plans. The parameter plans include information on: movement strategy, land-use, green infrastructure, hydrology and building heights.
These were used to inform the Council’s assessment of the application that the scale and nature of development was acceptable.
Going forwards the parameter plans have an important role to play at this reserved matters stage in setting the framework and placemaking components to guide the detailed design of the part of the development which has outline permission.
Key constraints and opportunities that will influence the design.
Before we start designing the details of a new scheme, we complete an assessment of the site and the surrounding area, recording features which we need to take into account, whether they fix the way our development will be designed or give us a real opportunity to make the most of a particular feature. All of these relevant considerations are identified below.
To deliver the remaining allocation of 750 new high-quality homes, including 40% affordable housing;
The Concept Plan illustrates the emerging vision for the proposed West Hemel development. The following principles highlight some of the key qualities of the proposed development to help create an innovative and welcoming place, whilst delivering 1,100 new homes for Hemel Hempstead.
The public highway will be of a hierarchical nature commencing with shared use carriageways, followed by carriageways with independent footways and or shared cycleway footways, depending on the intended capacity and use required. The new highway network will also consist of single and multiple dwelling private driveways with immediate access to the new public highway.
The movement and access strategy is underpinned by a new primary access road connecting with Long Chaulden and The Avenue. This primary access road will facilitate a new bus route via the Long Chaulden access creating a loop to The Avenue together with an additional north to south link that will provide a bus stop adjacent to the local centre which includes the development’s primary school. Further bus stops will be provided along this route to ensure the bus service is within walking distance of all facilities and new dwellings.
The proposed highway network includes cycleway and footway provision, both adjoining the vehicular carriageway and independent throughout the site, ensuring the proposals are designed to be as pedestrian and cycle friendly as possible. The pedestrian and cycle connectivity provides ease of access to the developments facilities, such as the play areas, open space, local and community centre, public transport nodes and primary school. These also connect to the wider local highway and footpath network shown.
A detailed Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and Surface Water Drainage Strategy was prepared in support of the outline planning application. This was approved by the Lead Local Flood Authority as part of the planning process.
A detailed Sustainable Urban Drainage Scheme (SuDs) will form the surface water management strategy for the site. This will take the form of permeable paving to assist the control of surface water runoff at source. These will be connected to traditional pipe networks that discharge to a series of attenuation ponds. The SuDs for Phase 1 will continue to utilise the existing, improved attenuation pond adjacent to Long Chaulden Road which in turn discharges to the existing Thames Water Utilities public surface water sewer within Long Chaulden Road at a rate no greater than that which already occurs.
The remainder of the development will utilise a similar surface water management strategy to Phase 1, with the exception that the surface water runoff will discharge directly into the ground via infiltration techniques to assist in recharging the underlying ground water aquifer.
The use of this form of SuDs not only allows the surface water runoff to be regulated to reduce the potential for down-stream flooding, but also ensures water quality is maintained in terms of potential pollution control.
The Foul Water Strategy for the development has been prepared to ensure that the sewerage network will be adopted by a Water Authority. A temporary connection will be made to the public sewer within Long Chaulden Road for Phase 1, until the proposed permanent pumping station to the southwest corner of the site is constructed and a new rising main provided to connect to the Thames Water Utilities public sewer to the east. Thames Water have confirmed there is capacity at the Berkhamsted Wastewater Treatment Works and any reinforcement, if required, to the local sewerage network would be accommodated.
The concept for the landscape design is to support the successful integration of the new development into the existing landscape framework, providing a network of pleasant and multi-functional green spaces for the future residents, and ensuring its cohesive connection with Phase One.
This integration will be realised through the retention of large swathes of the existing landscape framework and enhancing it through the provision of soft landscape proposals. The design will take into consideration the functions the future resident would use the outside space for, such as relaxation, recreation, socialising, growing food and access to the wider development/landscape.
Our Design for Land West of Hemel Hempstead
The layout has been informed by the parameters established at the outline planning stage and the site specific features identified and highlighted on the previous exhibition boards.
We are proposing a mix of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 bedroom homes including 40% affordable homes, comprising the following:
TOTAL 750
The majority of dwellings will be 2 storeys or 2.5 storeys in height with some 3 storey apartments located along the Primary Street or framing key spaces.
All of our homes will be fully compliant with the latest Building Regulations, which represent a 31% carbon reduction on those previously, with all of our homes meeting EPC A or B rating. Homes will be well insulated, with additional measures such as Solar Panels, WasteWater Heat Recovery units, energy efficient appliances and low-energy light bulbs incorporated to meet these Regulations.
Alongside the above improvements, all homes will also be provided with an Electric Vehicle Charging Point and additional charging points will be available in communal areas.
Following an in-depth analysis of the site and its surrounding context, and identifying the development parameters, a series of character areas have been developed. These respond to both the established design principles as well as those set out at Outline Planning.
Six key character areas have been identified across the site:
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask a member of the project team.
We would appreciate receipt of your comments no later than Monday 22nd July
DOWNLOAD THE EXHIBITION HERE Please Note: This file is 26.8MB
Following consideration of comments received reserved matters applications will be finalised for submission in September 2024 which is anticipated to be approved in early 2025.
