Pressure on St Albans Green Belt relaxed (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Pressure on St Albans Green Belt relaxed

9:00am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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TOUGH housing targets which threatened the Green Belt in and around St Albans have been relaxed after a public consultation.

Although St Albans could have been forced to accomodate as many as 11,000 homes by 2031, the East of England Regional Assembly has dropped the figure to 7,000, choosing the least demanding of four options.

The Hertfordshire figure has dropped from more than 80,000 to 71,300, while the targets in two neighbouring boroughs, Welwyn Hatfield and Dacorum, have dropped from 13,000 and 10,000 respectively, to 5,800 and 6,100.

The timeframe on the targets, which originally demanded 7,200 homes in St Albans by 2021, has also been extended.

District council planners believe the St Albans district can accomodate 7,000 homes without major Green Belt disruption, but were worried the neighbouring targets threatened substantial development of the Smallford and Redbourn areas.

John Reynolds, chairman of the East of England Regional Assembly, said: " The Government’s call for a massive programme of house-building in the region is unrealistic and we have firmly rejected it.

"Having listened to our residents and considered all the evidence it is clear that a more balanced level of housing and jobs growth which also respects the environment is needed. We believe the draft plan can deliver this.

  "We do need growth over the next 20 years, which is why the draft plan puts in place a framework that promotes sustainable development; addresses housing shortages; supports the growth of the economy and enables all areas to share in prosperity. "