Speak Up Hertfordshire!

What is EERA asking for my views on

There are four scenarios and associated questions that Hertfordshire people have to choose from, dictating both the numbers of and distribution of housing growth.

Housing Growth Scenarios

Section 3 of the consultation document sets out the four scenarios for housing growth in the region EERA is seeking your views on. It then goes on to ask three questions about whether the four scenarios are the right ones, your comments on them and which, if any of them you prefer.

These can be summarised as follows:

Scenario 1 – 521,000 homes in the Region in the period 2011-2031 (26,000 per year) including 75,500 in Hertfordshire (3,800 per year).

This scenario rolls forward the scale and distribution of growth in line with the current East of England Plan to 2021. It implies the need for an additional 508,000 new jobs.

Scenario 2 – 602,000 homes in the Region in the period 2011-2031 (30,000 per year), including 75,500 in Hertfordshire (3,800 per year)

This scenario uses scenario one as a base and then includes provision for additional 80,000 homes at locations in the Region considered to be suitable for very major development (20,000+ homes). These locations are Cambridge, Norwich, Chelmsford, Ipswich, Colchester, Bury St Edmunds, Huntingdon/Alconbury, Central Bedfordshire, the Braintree area, and south of the A120/west of Braintree.

No potential locations are identified for locations of 20,000+ homes in Hertfordshire in this scenario. The indicative figure for homes to be built in Herts under this scenario is the same as scenario 1.

Scenario 3 – 602,000 homes in the Region in the period 2011-2031 (30,000 per year, including 106,900 in Hertfordshire (5,300 per year)

This scenario again uses scenario one as a base, but adds on an additional 80,000 homes to certain parts of the region where EERA’s view of future economic growth would suggest there are not enough homes to house workers to support that growth.

This directs additional housing growth particularly to Hertfordshire, south Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Scenario 4 – 673,000 homes in the Region in the period 2011-2031 (33,500 per year), including 95,000 in Hertfordshire (4,800 per year)

This scenario reflects the latest Government projections of the amount of households that might form in the Region over the period to 2021 and how they might be distributed.

This scenario tends to focus growth on Hertfordshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Regional and sub-area profiles

In Section 4 of the consultation document EERA sets out its views on the comparative impacts for the region as a whole of the four scenarios on matters such as climate change, the economy and employment, affordable housing, rural areas, regeneration, landtake, flood risk, transport implications, air quality, waste, water resources and quality, biodiversity, the historic environment, landscape character.

You might also want to consider EERA’s analysis of the more local impact of the four growth scenarios, which are contained in a series of “sub-area profiles”. Hertfordshire is covered by the following two sub-areas:

• London Arc East
• London Arc West

Question 4 within section 4 of the document, and Question 7 within Section 6 of the document asks for your views on whether EERA’s analysis of the regional and sub-area profiles are accurate. You can also use the information in them to inform how you might wish to respond to Questions 1-3 (see above).

The vision, objectives and policies of the current approved East of England Plan

Section 5 of the consultation documents sets out the existing vision and objectives of the East of England Plan, and lists a range of existing policies which EERA believes may need to change as part of the Review. Questions 5 and 6 ask for your views on whether you think the vision and objectives need to change and whether EERA’s proposals for policy changes are about right.

Integrated Sustainability Appraisal

As EERA prepares a revision to the East of England Plan it is required to prepare a sustainability appraisal of its proposals. This is a mechanism through which the proposals in the Plan are assessed in terms of their environmental, social and economic impact, and compares these against reasonable alternatives. An appraisal document is published alongside this consultation and Question 8 in section 6 asks for your comments on it.