Development Choices

The growth population of could be housed in a combination of:

Partial Town Growth Zones (TGZ’s) - urbanisation solely in the existing fabric of the towns within the 1km radius pedshed of the rail stations at:

• Stevenage 

• Hitchin 

• Letchworth Garden City 

• Baldock 

• Knebworth

• Watton at Stone

Full Town Growth Zones (TGZ’s) – as above but including Green Belt land within the pedshed of the rail stations at:

• Baldock

• Arlesey

• Knebworth

• Watton at Stone

New Green Quarters - new neighbourhoods around new stations added to existing towns - Possible sites are:

• Two in Stevenage;

• one serving Lister Hospital, the other at Bragbury End at the south eastern extremity of the town

New Green Towns - new village clusters located around new railway stations – Possible locations are: 

• Arlesley Town

• Ickleford

• Woolmer Green

Four possible scenarios have been tested. Each scenario analyses an alternative means of accommodating the increased population: 

Scenario 1: No Green Belt Development. Development only in Town Growth Zones around existing rail stations, but not on Green Belt even where it falls inside a TGZ pedshed

Scenario 2: As Scenario 1 but also developing green belt land within the existing station pedsheds

Scenario 3: New Towns. As Scenario 1 plus construction of 2 New Green Towns around new rail stations at Ickleworth and Woolmer Green

Scenario 4: Enlarging Existing Towns. As Scenario 2, plus growth within New Green Quarters around new stations on the edges of Stevenage.

Two housing densities are examined for each scenario:

• Average – a mix of densities between 30 and 80 dwellings per hectare

• Medium – a mix of densities between 30 and 120 dwellings per hectare

NOTE: These densities apply to the built areas of pedsheds. As each pedshed has approximately 35% open green areas (parks, etc.) the overall densities are much lower.