4. Planning for infrastructure
It is vital when planning for our area’s future that full account is taken of the infrastructure needed to deliver sustainable growth and what opportunities there are to help reduce gaps in existing provision. It is also critical to ensure these essential facilities and services are delivered at the right time and in the right place.
What do we mean by ‘infrastructure’?
The term covers a wide range of services and facilities, from those we use every day to others we use more occasionally. It includes things like:
- Public transport – buses, trains and bike hire schemes.
- Footpaths and cycle routes.
- Roads.
- Water (both drinking and waste).
- Internet and telephone connections.
- Energy supplies.
- Sports facilities – both indoor and outdoor.
- Health services – such as GPs and hospitals.
- Green spaces – parks, country parks and more informal areas of open space.
- Community halls.
- Schools.
Whilst we don’t directly provide much of this infrastructure, it is important that when planning for our area we work with the relevant providers to ensure these services and facilities are provided at the right time and in the right place. New infrastructure should be planned so that it brings benefits to existing as well as new residents and employers.
Work done to support our Local Plans highlights significant gaps in infrastructure provision, and in particular the difficulties in planning for services and facilities that cross council boundaries. These challenges are reflected in the informal feedback we have received so far, and will only increase over time.
By working together, we will be in a stronger position to secure funding and deliver the infrastructure that local people and businesses want to see.
The Joint Strategic Plan will need to be supported by a longer term delivery plan setting out what types of infrastructure are needed where, by when, and how they are expected to be paid for. This document will be prepared once it is clearer how much growth the area will need to accommodate and where it will be located.
Some of the challenges we face have been highlighted in the ‘SW Herts today’ section above, but there may be others that you wish to draw our attention to.
Current and proposed key infrastructure
Two important large scale infrastructure projects are already at the planning stage in SW Herts. They provide an indication of the type and scale of infrastructure investment that will be required to support long term sustainable growth.
The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has been identified by Government as one of eight ‘Pathfinder’ Trusts to deliver their plans to build 40 new hospitals across the UK by 2030. The proposals would see Watford General redeveloped, together with significant improvements to the trust’s other sites in St Albans and Hemel Hempstead, – improving the range and quality of services on offer and the way in which they are delivered.
The Hertfordshire Essex rapid transit (HERT) is intended to be a new, sustainable passenger transport network running from Hemel Hempstead and West Watford, joining just south of St Albans in Hertfordshire, to Harlow in Essex and onwards to Stansted Airport. It will carry more people than a car but will be more convenient and reliable than a traditional bus.
Initial public consultation has been carried out to help inform the business case that will be submitted to government. This will explore what benefits the HERT could provide, the different options available and potential costs.
See the YouTube clip below for more information
