The Welwyn and Hatfield Times, Wed 12th June 1998

Overspill Homes idea approved

Green Belt land will be used foe housing, but only if nowhere else can be found. That was the decision made by county councillors at Hertford last week after heated four and a half-hour debate. A proposal for 10,000 new homes to be built on protected land west of the A1 (M) at Stevenage was given the go-ahead as a back-up scheme if other methods fail. The county needs to build 65,000 new homes by 2011, according to Government figures, but room for 21,260 still needs to be found. District councils say they can only create around 10,000 dwellings inside their towns.

Members of all political parties on Herts County Council's environment committee agreed the homes should be located by regeneration if possible. This means using derelict land, turning houses into flats, and allowing some development on the fringes of towns and villages. Council has until 2004 to find alternative sites. But hey fear this will not be adequate and voted the Green Belt site as the best one for any overspill.

Conservative councillor for Knebworth Bob Ellis, stormed: "We are not suggesting we don't want is west of Stevenage - we don't want it anywhere. There were 4,590 letters of objection to this proposal. How many people have to object before this committee will respond to what they say"? Stevenage councillor Reg Smith said: "We have to deal with reality. Building to the west of Stevenage will not start until 20045 and only if and when it becomes clear that the housing can't be found otherwise".

The proposals will now go to the full council on July 16, then through a formal consultation exercise from August to October before going on to a public inquiry in Spring 1997. Developers will be queuing up for land, say objectors Conservationists believe the decision to allow building on Green Belt land will send a message to developers. Hertfordshire Conservation Society has reacted angrily to the decision to allow overspill development for 10,000 new homes at Stevenage and 1,000 at Hemel Hempstead. Secretary Jenny Purchon said: "This is a devastating and unjustified blow to Green Belt policy. It will give the go ahead to applications to build all over the county. The decision creates an impossible situation for the residents of the two affected areas. Developers will be queuing up to take options on their land. Planning blight will descend on them, their homes will be impossible to sell and developers will be queuing up to buy the land".

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