Hatfield: Permission granted for new school and 120 homes

The site – currently two fields – is to the south of South Way, with most of the area allocated for development in the Local Plan, which was adopted last year. Part of the site, to be used for playing fields, PE facilities and planting, remains in the Green Belt.

Council officers had recommended that councillors approve the outline plans, and said it would “only have a minimal impact on the Green Belt”.

However, objections to the proposals were lodged by North Mymms Parish Council and Hatfield Town Council.

Illustrative masterplan for Hatfield South Way development. (Image: Mosaic Urban Design & Masterplanning/Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council)

Their concerns included a lack of protection for nearby Bunchleys Nature Reserve and a lack of pedestrian crossings.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s Development Management Committee also heard objections from David Willis, Chair of Hertfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Group, and from Cllr Paul Zukowskyj (LD, Welham Green and Hatfield South).

Mr Willis questioned the methodology used in wildlife surveys of the site, which is between a wildlife site and Bunchleys Nature Reserve. He raised concerns about great crested newts, skylarks, common toads and kestrels at the site. Officers found the plans would increase biodiversity on the site by more than 20 per cent.

Cllr Zukowskyj said access to the site – which will be from South Way – was “inappropriate and unsuitable”, suggesting it would be too steep.

Site plan for Hatfield South Way development (Image: Mosaic Urban Design & Masterplanning/Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council)

South Way is set to get a new segregated cycleway and footpath as part of the development, and the speed limit along part of the road will be reduced from 60mph to 50mph.

Thirty homes at the site would be ‘affordable’, according to the government definition of the term. Welwyn Hatfield requires new developments of this size to have at least 25 per cent affordable housing.

The developer, Ptarmigan Hatfield Ltd, will be required to pay more than £2.5m in Section 106 contributions towards infrastructure in the area.

Cllr Helena Goldwater (LD, Hatfield South West) questioned the choice of school location: “There’s an awful lot of schools in that end of Hatfield.

“Woods Avenue should be called Schools Avenue really. It’s a shame there’s not more schools in the centre [of town].”

A planning officer said Hertfordshire County Council had approached the developer and asked them to include the two-form entry school in the site. Pupils from the new housing development are expected to make up around eight per cent of the new school’s intake.

Cllr Pankit Shah (Lab, Hatfield Central) said he was “concerned” about the single point of access and Cllr Jean-Paul Bernard Skoczylas (LD, Sherrards), Chair of the Committee, said he was “struggling” with the lack of a fixed position for the school.

But both said their concerns had been allayed by Hertfordshire Highways’ lack of objection to the proposals.

In the end, ten councillors on the Development Management Committee voted to grant planning permission, with Cllr Goldwater abstaining and Cllr Darrell Panter (LD, Panshanger) voting against.