Rural Areas

Introduction

15.1 The rural areas in this district are as important to the quality of life of its residents as the urban areas. 60% of the land in Welwyn Hatfield is rural, providing support for both economic and community life and sustaining many of the district's identified wildlife habitats. The rural area also provides an important informal source of recreation for all the district's residents.

15.2 The Rural White Paper published in November 2000 gives a comprehensive view of the Government's policy agenda for the rural areas. The overall vision includes the following aims:

• improving rural services to tackle rural deprivation and exclusion;

• making better use of the planning system to provide more affordable homes in rural settlements;

• reduce reliance on the car and the overall need to travel, with improvements in public transport and other modes of travel;

• reform of the Common Agricultural programme to allow farmers to adapt to a competitive world market while following practises which conserve and enhance the landscape and wildlife;

• encouraging farm diversification;

• conserving and enhancing the countryside, including protecting diversity and character;

• restoring and maintaining biodiversity;

• increasing access for everyone to enjoy the countryside.

The policies and objectives in this chapter reflect the overall vision of the White Paper.

15.3 All of the district's rural areas are designated as Green Belt. Whilst this has been very helpful in restricting the spread of urban areas it also places restraints on development in rural areas. The changing nature of agriculture and the world economy means that alternative ways of making a living are needed to retain a viable and sustainable rural economy.

Strategy and Objectives

15.4 The objectives of the Plan for the district's rural areas are:

1. to preserve the openness and distinctiveness of place of rural areas by maintaining the Green Belt;

2. to safeguard the distinctiveness of the district's variety of landscapes;

3. to protect wildlife, trees and hedgerows and encourage biodiversity;

4. to encourage a thriving rural village life and retain a social mix of people, by enabling villages to offer employment, shops and services, community facilities and a mix of housing, including affordable homes;

5. to encourage good quality design which reflects the character of rural areas;

6. to maintain a sustainable rural economy, protecting the best quality land for agriculture, whilst encouraging diversification which is appropriate;

7. to improve rural passenger transport services, in order to make rural areas more accessible and enable a reduction in car traffic and congestion;

8. to promote leisure uses which are appropriate to the countryside;

9. to restrict development which introduces noise and visual intrusion into the rural areas.

Policies

Development in the Green Belt

15.5 The whole of the district's rural area lies within the Green Belt. Government guidance in PPG2 and Policy 5 in the Structure Plan confirm the general presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt except in very special circumstances. It will be for the applicant to justify why permission should be granted. However there are some forms of development which are acceptable in the Green Belt and these are dealt with in the following policies.

Development Within Settlements in the Green Belt

15.6 Settlements within the Green Belt are subject to general presumption against inappropriate development. Paragraph 4.13 defines two categories of Green Belt settlements. The first of these categories of settlement are Essendon, Northaw, Newgate Street and Lemsford which have a number of facilities with a degree of self sufficiency. The Council considers these settlements have local needs that may justify exceptional development. In accordance with Policies 5 and 6 of the Structure Plan the following policy will apply in these settlements.

Extensions to Dwellings in the Green Belt

15.7 The Council is concerned about the impact created by extensions to existing dwellings on the openness of the Green Belt.

15.8 The extension of a dwelling may be an appropriate development in the Green Belt provided that it would not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original dwelling. The impact of the development on the character of the area, which may vary between different parts of the Green Belt, will also be a significant factor. As a general principle no extension will be approved that would either by itself or taken together with outstanding permissions and previous extensions to the property, make the property more prominent or visually obtrusive.

15.9 This policy will also cover those outbuildings of a size and scale that require planning permission (e.g. stables, kennels, garages etc.), because the curtilages of dwellings have an important role in maintaining the openness of the Green Belt.

Replacement of Dwellings in the Green Belt

15.10 The overriding presumption is against inappropriate development within the Green Belt. There are however certain circumstances where the Council considers that it is acceptable to allow the replacement of an existing dwelling. For example, the dwelling may be structurally unsound or incapable of habitation.

15.11 In order to safeguard the Green Belt, any replacement dwelling should have no greater impact on the surrounding area than the original. The attractiveness of the rural landscape and local distinctiveness of the area can be harmed by inappropriate urban or suburban design. Therefore, any replacement dwelling should reflect its rural setting in terms of scale, design, materials and location.

15.12 Where the original dwelling has already been extended permitted development rights will normally be removed and any subsequent proposals for extensions to the replacement dwelling will be considered against Policy RA3.

Major Developed Sites in the Green Belt

15.13 PPG2 defines major developed sites in the Green Belt, whose buildings and uses predate the Green Belt designation and which require special policies to limit their future development. There are five such major developed sites within the district, all of which are large research or educational establishments. They are:

The Frythe, Welwyn;

New Barnfield Resources Centre, Hatfield;

Queenswood School, Brookmans Park;

The Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms;

Monks Walk and Tewin Water School, Welwyn Garden City.

The boundaries of these sites are shown on Inset Maps 4 to 8. The Royal Veterinary College is also dealt with under policy RA7 because of the special circumstances relating to its development.

15.14 Where the existing uses on these sites are successful there is pressure to expand, alter or intensify development. If, at some future point, the facilities on any of these sites are no longer required there will be pressure for redevelopment. All such sites remain subject to restrictive Green Belt development control policies. However, the Council recognises that limited infilling may be acceptable at the sites, which are in continuing use, in order to retain jobs, but without prejudicing the Green Belt further. Alternatively the complete or partial redevelopment of major developed sites may offer opportunities to improve the environment of the area, without adding to their impact on the openness of the Green Belt.

15.15 However, due to the scale of the Major Developed Sites, it is important that any infilling or redevelopment does not occur in an unplanned, incremental way over time, which, taken cumulatively, could have a harmful effect on the Green Belt. Therefore, the Council requires any development to be dealt with comprehensively and brought forward in the context of a master planning brief for each site. The briefs should cover the essential details of planning policy, a Green Travel Plan (if required in accordance with Policy M3) and car parking management scheme, the operational requirements for the site, the principles to guide development, the proposed future layout of the site, any phasing of development, future planning controls and detailed landscaping proposals reflecting landscape character and dealing with rights of way improvement. The briefs will serve as supplementary planning guidance for development control purposes. Therefore, they must be the subject of public consultation, approved by the Council and kept up to date.

The Royal Veterinary College

15.16 A Major Developed Site has been defined at the Hawkshead Campus of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in recognition of the scale of development which currently exists on the site. It is recognised that the RVC is an important higher education institution. It is one of only six veterinary colleges in the country and has an international reputation as a centre of excellence for education. There is an increasing demand for vets in this country, which is reflected in the growing student numbers of the RVC. In addition, as a result of the increasingly sophisticated clinical needs of the profession, together with the changing responsibilities of the profession in terms of food safety, hygiene and animal diseases, there is a need to provide more sophisticated and comprehensive teaching, research and related facilities for the College.

15.17 Whilst the RVC is located within the Green Belt, where new development would usually be considered inappropriate, it is recognised that the RVC does have a claim to having exceptional circumstances which will be taken into consideration when assessing development proposals. The present campus was established many years ago and is now the only location for the College's essential rural operations. As a veterinary college, it is necessary that it is situated in a location with immediate access to farmland and suitable accommodation for all types of animals. In addition, as a higher education institution, the provisions of Annex C of PPG 2 should be taken into consideration; as the majority of the RVC's landholdings are within the Green Belt, and there is no reasonable alternative site outside the Green Belt, some reflection of this situation must be made in considering proposals for new development.

15.18 The Council will therefore consider carefully any proposals for further development by the RVC, especially in terms of their impact on the appearance and amenity of the Green Belt and the traffic and travel implications of development. Wherever possible, new development should be within the currently defined Major Developed Site boundary. Proposals for development outside this boundary will need to demonstrate that they meet the test for very special circumstances as set out in PPG2. The Council would expect new development to contribute to the enhancement of the visual amenity of the Green Belt.

15.19 However, due to the scale of the site, it is important that any development does not occur in an unplanned, incremental way over time, which, taken cumulatively, could have a harmful effect on the Green Belt. Therefore, the Council requires any development proposals to be dealt with comprehensively and brought forward in the context of a master planning brief for the site. The brief should cover the essential details of planning policy, a Green Travel Plan, when required under Policy M3 and car parking management scheme, the operational requirements for the site, the principles to guide development, the proposed future layout of the site, any phasing of development, future planning controls, a landscaping framework reflecting landscape character and any rights of way improvements. The brief will serve as planning guidance for development control purposes. Therefore, it must be the subject of public consultation, approved by the Council and kept up to date.

Brookmans Park Transmitting Station

15.20 The Brookmans Park Transmitting Station lies within the Green Belt. It is recognised however, that because of the advantages of concentrating telecommunications development at the existing site where technical infrastructure is already in situ, very special circumstances may exist which justify further telecommunications development at this site.

15.21 In view of the station's location within the Green Belt, the Council has sought to strictly control such development and to see appropriate landscaping introduced to screen the technical installations from view. In 1995, the Council therefore adopted, in conjunction with the BBC, a master plan covering the future expansion of telecommunications development at the site. This master plan also included a landscaping scheme to screen the site. This was the subject of public consultation and has been adopted as supplementary planning guidance. It now forms the basis for determining planning applications for further telecommunications development at the Brookmans Park Transmitting Station, supplemented by Policy R21.

15.22 In recent years there has been an increased demand for telecommunications development on the site, in terms of the number of operators wanting to use the site, the scale of overall development and the size of the individual component parts. The supplementary planning guidance for the site, in the form of the master plan, must be accorded due weight in determining planning applications, but the guidance needs to be updated in the light of recent development. Given that the site is located in the Green Belt it is also necessary to achieve a balance between the use of the site for telecommunications, incorporating latest government guidance, and the visual impact of such development on the Green Belt. In the light of continuing changes in telecommunications technology, it is proposed to review and update the masterplan.

Cemeteries

15.23 There may be a need for provision for additional burial space in the district within the Plan period. The existing cemeteries in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield are nearly full and there is no land identified within the towns and specified settlements for either extensions to existing cemeteries or new ones. Cemeteries are considered an appropriate Green Belt use and the Council will therefore consider the provision of new cemeteries in the Green Belt where they preserve its openness. The visual impact of any ancillary buildings and memorial stones on the surrounding landscape needs to be carefully considered. Cemeteries should be well located in relation to the road network and public transport facilities. Other types of burial site such as for woodland and green burials may also be acceptable.

Landscape

15.24 The character of the landscape in the district is especially valuable for the people who live there and reflects the historical and ongoing changes in the use of the land influenced by land ownership. Therefore, it is important that the character and the quality of the landscape are preserved.

15.25 To achieve this the 1993 District Plan and the 1998 Alterations identified Landscape Conservation Areas to protect areas of higher landscape quality. However, the Structure Plan approved in 1998 proposes a new policy approach in line with the Landscape Strategy for Hertfordshire. This defines six broad Landscape Regions in the county as a framework for more detailed policies in local plans to protect distinctive landscape features and habitats. Welwyn Hatfield is located within two regions, the Central River Valley and the South Herts Plateau. A landscape character assessment of the district has been undertaken and landscape character areas defined as part of Volume 2 of the Landscape Strategy for Hertfordshire. The boundaries of the Landscape Character Areas are shown on the Proposals Map. The assessment of the character areas took as its starting point the six Hertfordshire Landscape Regions and introduced a finer grained analysis of the character of the rural areas. This analysis was based on physical influences such as topography, geology and soil type, vegetation and wildlife, as well as historical and cultural influences relating to land cover and land use. This analysis was then refined following stakeholder and community consultation. The methodology is set out in detail in the Hertfordshire Landscape Strategy Volume 2. The full landscape character assessment will be published as the Welwyn Hatfield Landscape Character Assessment. Proposals for development within the rural areas should be designed to conserve, maintain or enhance the local landscape character, as appropriate.

Watling Chase Community Forest

15.26 Watling Chase Community Forest is one of 12 Community Forests being established in the country. Initiated by the Countryside Agency and the Forestry Commission, the aim of the project is to achieve major environmental improvements around towns and cities through the creation of a mosaic of wooded landscapes, leisure enterprises, areas for nature and public open spaces. The Watling Chase Community Forest is located in the south of Hertfordshire and covers an area of 72 square miles. It extends over the southwest part of Welwyn Hatfield covering approximately 9% of the district, including the Hatfield Aerodrome site. The Forest Plan was approved by government in March 1995. This was reviewed after 5 years, as the Forest Plan Review 2001, together with additions to the Forest Plan Landscape Assessment which was approved in February 2001. The more recent Landscape Character Appraisal contained in Volume 2 of the Landscape Strategy for Hertfordshire updates the Landscape Assessment for the Community Forest. These documents should be considered together and provide a full explanation of the Community Forest proposals. The main aims of Watling Chase Community Forest are:

• To increase tree planting to 30% cover for non urban areas;

• To produce a supply of home grown timber;

• To offer an alternative to agricultural use of land;

• To contribute to rural employment;

• To create attractive sites for people to enjoy;

• To enhance the natural beauty of the countryside;

• To create wildlife habitats;

• To reduce atmospheric pollution by absorbing pollutant gases.

15.27 PPG2 states that a Forest Plan may be a material consideration in preparing development plans and deciding planning applications and that any development within community forests in the Green Belt should be subject to normal Green Belt controls on development. The Council supports this advice and where relevant will take account of the Forest Plan in considering development proposals within its boundaries.

Village Appraisals and Design Statements

15.28 The involvement of local people in the way their village may or could change to retain or encourage a more thriving village life is crucial. A number of local community based environmental initiatives are well established such as Parish Maps, Village Appraisals and Village Design Statements. Village Appraisals are a comprehensive way of assessing what is important in village life to local people and provide a framework for the future. They cover all aspects of the village and are produced by the local community.

15.29 On the other hand, Village Design Statements can be approved as supplementary planning documents, provided they are produced using an appropriate methodology. They describe the visual, architectural and historical character of a village and show how the most important aspects of this character can be protected, enhanced and reflected in any new development that may occur. They are advisory documents, produced by the local community not the local planning authority and can help to influence how new development fits into a village. The Rural White Paper has re-emphasised this approach by encouraging villages to produce village plans, the design and land use aspects of which can be adopted as supplementary planning documents.

15.30 The Council will encourage local communities to produce Village Design Statements and village plans where they are prepared using an appropriate methodology and are subject to public consultation. Where appropriate the Council may adopt such statements and plans as supplementary planning documents.

Village Shops and Services

Protection of Village Facilities

15.31 The retention in rural areas of facilities such as shops, post offices, public houses, village halls, churches, and doctors' surgeries is of vital importance to local communities and to the aims of sustainable development. Without facilities it is difficult to prevent villages becoming dormitories for the main urban areas in the district.

15.32 Small villages in particular often have few or no facilities and have suffered from pressures for change of use from convenience retail uses to either specialist retailing uses, or non-retail uses, such as services, hot food outlets and in some cases, to residential use. In addition, high residential property prices combined with changes in the brewing industry have led to pressure to convert village pubs to residential use.

15.33 It is essential that villages provide a range of local facilities and that the remaining shops are not allowed to change to non-retail uses that can be provided elsewhere and which encourage travel. The Council will seek to retain the remaining retail function of these rural villages. The change of use of individual shops, not located in a parade, to non-retail use, will only be permitted where suitable alternative shopping facilities are available in the immediate locality.

Mixed Uses in Villages

15.34 In addition to protecting existing village facilities of settlements in the Green Belt, as defined in paragraph 4.13 of the Green Belt and Settlement Pattern chapter, the Council will encourage the provision of new local facilities. The dual use of buildings for sustainable community provision will therefore be supported, as this can improve the vitality of villages. Examples of mixed uses in villages include the provision of a sub-post office and/or shop in a local pub, the provision of a shop at a local school and the use of a local pub as a community meeting place.

15.35 In some instances, the loss of residential accommodation may be outweighed by the need for a local facility and the benefits that such a use would bring, in terms of reducing the need to travel and improving the vitality of the village. In such cases, applicants will be required to demonstrate that a thorough search for an alternative location had proved unsuccessful, that there was a proven need for the facility in the area and that the benefit of the provision of the facility would outweigh the loss of residential accommodation.

Rural Exceptions Sites

15.36 PPG3 Annex B sets out guidelines for rural exceptions sites. It states that local planning authorities can include policies for rural exceptions sites where there is a demand for affordable housing. The Housing Needs Survey identified a requirement for a large number of affordable housing units which may not be met within the excluded settlements. As 79% of the district is covered by the Green Belt, the Council considers that a Rural Exceptions Policy should be included in the Plan where it can be justified for any site within and adjoining any Green Belt settlement. Each proposal for such a site will be assessed on its merits, including whether there is an identified local need (from an up-to-date housing needs survey) and on its ability to meet local needs where the benefits pass not only to the initial occupants but to the subsequent occupants as well. The site must also comply with other policies in the Plan and in particular the Green Belt policies. By local, the Council means village or parish level. The Council will not accept proposals for general market housing or mixed tenure site developments in the Green Belt being developed to cross-subsidise affordable housing on exceptions sites.

Agricultural Land

15.37 There are continuing changes in agriculture, especially with the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union and the effect of globalisation of the economy. There will be a shift away from paying direct subsidies for growing certain crops towards the idea of producing food in a more environmentally sensitive way.

15.38 Whatever these changes, there will be a need to retain the best quality agricultural land and soils for current and future generations. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has classified agricultural land into five grades. The best and most versatile land is made up of grades 1, 2, and 3a. This land offers the best opportunity for food production or forestry and should be safeguarded for the future. DEFRA requires to see all applications which would result in the loss of more than 20 hectares of the highest grade of agricultural land, or where it is likely that loss of less than 20 hectares would lead to further cumulative losses of greater than 20 hectares. If new uses or development are proposed they should be directed towards the lowest grade.

Rural Employment and Diversification

15.39 The Council's main approach to employment in the district is set out in the Employment section. Rural employment is part of the overall economic activity of the district. The changes in agriculture have meant that farmers have looked to diversify into other activities. These may include arts and crafts, hobby farming, general light industrial use, tele-working, furniture making, computers, woodland management and farm based leisure activities, including rural tourism. Diversification will be supported but will be judged in terms of its sustainability, its contribution to the local economy, and its impact on the rural area. The use has also to be appropriate development in terms of Green Belt policy. Proposals for diversification, which would harm the overall viability of the unit will be resisted.

Re-use of Rural Buildings

15.40 Diversification may involve the re-use of existing rural buildings. PPS7 on 'Sustainable Development in Rural Areas' supports the re-use of appropriately located and suitably constructed existing buildings in the countryside where this would meet sustainable development objectives. Re-use for economic development purposes will usually be preferable, but residential conversions may be more appropriate in some locations and for some types of building. There are many acceptable types of business activity, including tourism, but the main concern is that the proposal should not result in over-intensification of the site, which would not be sustainable in a rural area, due to its impact on travel, traffic generation, and the character of the countryside. Rural buildings may also be of importance for biodiversity, for example old barns are often used by bats. Re-use should be sympathetic to these and other protected species, and help to meet the targets and priorities set out in the local Biodiversity Action Plan.

15.41 The re-use of buildings should not require substantial alterations to enable a new use, for example, building walls to an open-sided barn. Some existing buildings are unsuitable for retention because their siting, design and building materials have an adverse effect on the visual amenity of the area. Re-use of such buildings will not usually be acceptable.

15.42 There are concerns about buildings constructed under agricultural permitted development rights being converted to a new use without having ever been used for agriculture. In this case the Council would require evidence that the building was used for agriculture for a reasonable time and why it is no longer required.

15.43 Some rural buildings are of historical interest in that they are listed or form part of a group or historic farmyard or are within a registered Historic Park or Garden. These are dealt with in the Resources section of the Plan.

New Agricultural Buildings

15.44 Part of the attractiveness of the rural landscape is the way that buildings can enhance it. Development needs to respect its setting and the local context in terms of scale, design, materials and location and should contribute to a sense of local identity. The use of village design statements and the classification of landscape character will be helpful. Some agricultural buildings do not require planning permission; those that do are defined in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. There is a requirement on farm units of five hectares or more that the farmer or other developer must apply to the local planning authority for a determination as to whether their prior approval is needed for certain details. There are also stricter limitations on permitted development on small agricultural units of less than five hectares but greater than 0.4 hectares in area.

Temporary Agricultural Accommodation

15.45 PPS7 advises that although normally agricultural workers should live in nearby towns or villages, there may be situations where the work concerned may require a full time worker to live on site. Although the Council has no wish to restrict genuine new agricultural or forestry businesses, the objectives of the Green Belt would be compromised by a proliferation of dwellings in rural areas. Therefore, applicants must be able to demonstrate that the enterprise is viable and requires an on-site worker before a permanent dwelling will be considered.

15.46 Temporary dwellings will therefore be strictly controlled and applications will be investigated to establish recent land uses and whether, for example, any dwellings have recently been sold separately from the farm holding, indicating evidence of lack of agricultural need. Temporary permission for accommodation will not be granted where a permanent dwelling would not be permitted.

Permanent Agricultural Dwellings

15.47 All applications for permanent agricultural dwellings will be carefully considered to avoid abuse of the planning system. The Council accepts that some small extensions to existing buildings may be necessary and that changes in agriculture or forestry may result in a demand for replacement or new residential buildings.

15.48 Proposals for permanent accommodation must demonstrate a continuing functional requirement following a temporary permission. In addition the enterprise needs to be financially viable and should provide evidence of this. There should be no need for a large house in the Green Belt and the size of the dwelling should be consistent with the need to house a worker and his or her immediate family. The requirements of occupancy will be implemented through the use of planning conditions or Section 106 agreements. Where the requirement for agricultural occupancy is no longer needed, before granting planning permission the Council will need to be satisfied that the accommodation cannot contribute towards an identified need for local affordable housing.

Leisure and Tourism in the Countryside

15.49 The use of the countryside for leisure is important to many people's quality of life in the district. Leisure activities and tourism can also provide another form of diversification from agriculture. There has to be a balance between the use of the countryside for recreation and protecting its character and environmental assets, which can include landscape, tranquillity and ecology. Leisure activities range from traditional country pursuits such as fishing, hunting, shooting and walking to banger racing, motor cycling, water sports, golf, paint ball games, mountain biking and horse riding. Tourism may also become more important in the rural areas following diversification. In addition the location and development of leisure and tourism uses in rural areas must be considered in terms of their sustainability and opportunities need to be available within and near settlements. New leisure uses should also show how they relate to the needs of the local community.

Golf Courses

15.50 Golf is a popular sport and this district has been seen as particularly suitable for golf course development. Although courses can be seen as an acceptable use in the Green Belt they can substantially change the rural landscape and bring with them pressure for ancillary development. The need for land contouring should be minimised and on-site material should be used. The importation of materials will not be permitted, except for specialist materials which may need to be imported for the construction of bunkers, greens and water features. Golf courses are best located in the urban fringes where there are public transport links rather than in isolated countryside. The environmental effects of courses must also be considered especially in terms of their effect on natural habitats and their requirement for substantial amounts of water. The need for water consumption should be minimised, and as far as possible measures should be identified to store water on site during winter in order to provide for irrigation in the summer. Small pitch and putt courses and driving ranges are best located in the urban area. New 18-hole golf courses will require an Environmental Impact Assessment under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999. The EIA should include the following information; a landscape survey and appraisal of the site, a wildlife habitat appraisal, and a preliminary archaeological assessment, details of existing Public Rights of Way, and a balance sheet of gains and losses resulting from the development of the golf course. Within the Watling Chase Community Forest area a substantial area of new tree planting should be included as part of the design of any new course.

Noisy Recreational Activities

15.51 Noisy sports such as motor sports, clay pigeon shooting and paintball games are increasingly popular in the countryside and there is a particular demand for motor cycle scrambling. The siting of such uses is very sensitive because of the environmental problems they can create, including damage to the landscape, natural habitats and noise problems. They also need to be well located in relation to public transport routes and should be sited where the background noise level is already high. The impact of such development also needs to be minimised by appropriate screening and landscaping.

Riding and Livery Stables

15.52 Riding is an important leisure activity in the district and there is continuing demand for development of stabling facilities. Riding and livery stables can have a detrimental impact on the countryside, in terms of the number and scale of buildings they introduce, creation of maneges, frequent over-grazing of pastures and the fragmentation of land holdings that can occur. There may also be potential adverse impacts on nearby sites of wildlife importance. New buildings should therefore be small scale. They should also be located so as to minimise the potential for conflict on the roads between cars and horse riders, wherever possible having direct links into the bridleway network.

Access to the Countryside

15.53 The Council wishes to promote informal leisure for everyone in the countryside while restricting traffic growth. This is important for people's health and quality of life. Footpaths, bridleways and cycleways provide a healthy alternative to the car. There can be conflicts between users and landowners, with a disregard by users of the countryside code and obstructions by some landowners. The County Council is now primarily responsible for maintenance of public rights of way. The County Council has produced a Good Practice Guide for Rights of Way which gives guidance of standards required which developers should adhere to. The District Council wishes to promote a positive approach to maintaining rights of way and supports the County Council in conjunction with the Countryside Management Service in its aim to define, waymark, maintain and improve the public rights of way network.

15.54 Although the Council is not directly responsible for the rights of way network it can control the design of development in relation to rights of way. The setting of an existing footpath usually adds to the enjoyment of the users and this can be badly affected by unsympathetic development. The Council will resist development that adversely affects the setting and amenity of existing definitive rights of way and where appropriate will seek improvements through planning conditions and S106 agreements in order to compensate for the increased use of public rights of way resulting from new development.

Horse Riding and Bridleways

15.55 Horse ownership levels are significant and the popularity of riding as a leisure activity is increasing. Where riders use ordinary roads there is potential conflict with motor vehicles. Narrow lanes with limited visibility and little room for manoeuvre can be hazardous and inexperienced riders are particularly vulnerable. The Council therefore supports the improvement and extension of the bridleway network. Proposals for farm diversification or the use of land and buildings to provide new riding or livery stables should not add to potential conflict on the roads. Instead they can provide an opportunity to create further links in the network of bridleways. A London Orbital Bridle Route (the 'H25') is being created and will cross the southern boundary of the district. This is not an entirely new route but is being made up by linking existing bridleways. It will provide a regional link for the local network, which the Council supports.

Greenways

15.56 Dual or multiple use of cycleways for horse riding can help to increase the network of safe routes open to riders. However, dual use of cycleways can create conflict between users and requires different surface treatments. In addition, legally horse riders may not use cycleways. However, there are off-road routes where dual use is workable and the Council would support the expansion of this network of routes. One particular initiative is the 'Greenways' initiative, being developed by the Countryside Agency, the aim of which is to create a network of largely car-free off road routes for shared use by walkers, bikers and riders. One of the aims of the Watling Chase Community Forest is to improve access into the area of the forest and a pilot 'Greenways' scheme is taking place there in Hertsmere borough. There may be opportunities to extend the scheme into that part of the forest within Welwyn Hatfield District subject to resources.

Sustainable Transport in Rural Areas

15.57 Rural areas have specific traffic management problems and other movement issues but they have traditionally not received the priority given to transport in urban areas. This deficiency is being addressed in the Sustainable Transport in Rural Areas Project (STRAP). STRAP is a research and development project by Hertfordshire County Council and the Countryside Agency, which covers the rural area bounded by Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, St. Albans and Harpenden. The boundary of the STRAP area is shown on the map in Appendix 8.

15.58 The long term aims of the project put forward in STRAP's Rural Transport Strategy are to:

• Reduce commuter traffic passing through the area by better management of the road networks;

• To improve access for people without cars to travel to, and within the village area and to outside locations;

• To investigate the opportunities for land use planning and service provision, through the better location of developments and associated facilities, to reduce the need to travel;

• To seek to secure a personal commitment from individual residents to reduce their car travel.

15.59 The Hertfordshire Rural Transport Partnership consists of the Countryside Agency, Hertfordshire County Council Passenger Transport Unit and the Community Development Agency for Hertfordshire. Its main aims are enhancing rural transport services to secure a long term improvement in access to services and facilities for rural people, and to develop transport choices with a range of accessible passenger and sustainable community based transport and sustainable alternatives to the use of the car. The Council will work with the County Council and the Countryside Agency in support of STRAP and the Hertfordshire Rural Transport Partnership in order to gain understanding of and introduce improvements to rural transport in the district.

Rural Roads

15.60 The narrow winding nature of rural roads is a major contribution to the character and quality of the countryside. There may be conflicts however between different users, for example agricultural vehicles and commuter traffic, and problems with the volume of traffic on these roads. There are complementary methods of dealing with these problems. The County Council's initiative to implement a programme for the introduction of 30mph speed limits for all settlements with 10 or more properties along a rural route should give relief from noise and vibration and greater safety for local people. In planning terms the Council intends to restrict new development and the expansion of existing development which would have an adverse impact on rural traffic and would require road improvements which would substantially alter the character of the rural roads.