Our technical consultants, AECOM, have advised us that we should assess all the potential development sites (SHLAAs) identified by Hart, plus others that we are aware of. As there are some 15 SHLAA sites, and we are advised to cover possible brownfield areas, this amounts to some 20 sites. This will take from May to August to complete.
Members of the NPSG are surprised by this. In the original (failed) Local Plan, Hart assessed all the SHLAAs and dismissed all except 4: 2 at the Garden Centre and 2 at Hop Garden Road. Assessment work done by a company called Adams Hendry was made available to us, showing how the selection was done. However, in late 2016 the updated SHLAA document was published, showing all the old SHLAAs back on the list. No reason was given, and we have been unable to find out why this happened, its significance, or whether the old Adams Hendry assessment was still valid.
Rob Leeson, one of Hook’s District Councillors, has set up a meeting with Katie Bailey (Corporate Strategy and Policy Development Manager at Hart) on 22 May to find out more.