Chiswell Green-Greenbelt destruction that affects all...

Although I am a Forge End resident I do not object to the development in principle, however there are serious infrastructure issues that would need to be addressed before it should properly considered.

We cannot get away from the fact that there is a major requirement for more houses in Hertfordshire as the population increases and London and the SE continues to be successful and prosperous. What St Albans and the surrounding areas needs desperately is for its long term planning strategy to be updated (the current version dates back to 1994). This plan should set out long, medium and short term growth plans for the St Albans area with a masterplan identifying how it intends to accommodate the growth including all of the necessary additional infrastructure requirements.

We also need to get smarter in terms of how we are utilise our transport infrastructure, looking to move away from a car-led society to one that is better served by public transport, bicycles and single person vehicles. Options to reduce the demand on the city's roads should be considered such as a Park and Ride scheme and pedestrianisation of the centre as Cambridge has successfully delivered.

We should not necessarily write this development off but look to work with the Council to ensure that it meets the long term needs of the village (not just pull up the drawbridge and say "sorry we're full!". One option that was previously considered was a 'retirement village', an option that would have considerably less impact on our existing infrastructure (particularly if a new doctors surgery was built) and could help meet the needs for an ageing population.