A public consultation is set to launch for a new Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan - less than a year after the current Local Plan was agreed.

At a meeting on Tuesday (September 3), Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s cabinet agreed to take the first steps towards an entirely new plan for the borough.

Work on the existing Local Plan began in 2012, before it was finally adopted in October last year after gaining approval from the national Planning Inspector.

Welwyn Hatfield's current plan included a commitment from the council to begin a review of it no later than October 2024.

The change is required because the current plan proposed to build 13,400 homes between 2016 and 2036 – less than the identified housing need of 15,200 homes.

The previous need for 15,200 homes would have meant building an average of 760 homes per year. Under new mandatory housing targets recently proposed by the government, Welwyn Hatfield would be expected to build 834 homes per year.

Welwyn Hatfield has built significantly fewer homes in recent years than suggested by either figure – 442 were built in 2022/23 and 258 in 2021/22.

Consultations with residents and businesses will run from Monday, September 23 until Monday, November 4, with the hope of setting out how the borough develops over the next 15 years and beyond.

Two drop-in events will be held at the Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City from 3pm to 7pm on Thursday, October 3, and in Hatfield Library from 3pm to 7pm on Friday, October 11.

Councillor Rose Grewal, executive member for planning said: "Our new Local Plan will guide the decisions that we make on the future development of Welwyn Hatfield so that the needs and opportunities of local residents and businesses are met.

"We want to start the plan making process with a conversation on what matters most to the people who live and work here. I would encourage as many people as possible, particularly our young people, to share their views online or by visiting one of the drop-in sessions."

Further information on the new Local Plan website and drop-in sessions will be published on the Council’s website and social media channels over the coming weeks.