Latest news

Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan: Early Engagement is available for you to view and submit comments between the following dates:

Start date: Monday 23rd September 2024

End Date: Monday 4th November 2024

The Local Plan is the statutory development plan setting out the principal policies and proposals for land use in the Borough. 

The new Local Plan will set out how Welwyn Hatfield grows and develops over the next 15 years and beyond.  The early engagement is aimed at involving residents, businesses and stakeholders from the beginning of the plan making process to understand shared aspirations and priorities for the Borough.

The Council is seeking views on what matters to you and what you think are the key challenges and opportunities for Welwyn Hatfield.  Respondents will be able to share their thoughts on topics such as the local economy, transport, infrastructure and the environment.    

Your comments together with updated evidence will be considered and used to inform the next stage of the plan preparation process.

Please note the deadline for comments is 11:59pm on Monday 4th November 2024

It is important to be aware that names and comments, once processed, will be made publicly available on the Council’s website. A Local Plan Privacy Notice is available on the Council’s website.

To assist the engagement process, public drop-in events will be held on:

Thursday, 3rd October 2024 from 3pm until 7pm at The Howard Centre, Howardsgate, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6HA  ; and

Friday 11th October 2024 from 3pm until 7pm at the Hatfield Library, 26-32 Town Centre, Hatfield AL10 0LD 

Further supporting evidence documents, including FAQs, are available to view or downloaded on the Council’s website at: www.welhat.gov.uk/ourlocalplan

If you have any queries please contact the Planning Planning Team at Welwyn Hatfield Council on email: localplan@welhat.gov.uk

WHBC's Cabinet agreed last night (3 Sept) a process of early engagement as the first steps towards developing a new Local Plan for Welwyn Hatfield.

The early engagement will commence from Monday 23 September and run to Monday 4 November.

The new Local Plan will set out how Welwyn Hatfield grows and develops over the next 15 years and beyond.  The early engagement is aimed at involving residents, businesses and stakeholders from the beginning of the plan making process to understand shared aspirations and priorities for the Borough.

The Council is seeking views on what matters to you and what you think are the key challenges and opportunities for Welwyn Hatfield.  Respondents will be able to share their thoughts on topics such as the local economy, transport, infrastructure and the environment.    

As part of the early engagement work, a new Local Plan website will go live from 23 September to enable people to share their ideas online.  Two drop-in events will be held at the Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City (3pm to 7pm on Thursday 3 October) and in Hatfield Library (3pm to 7pm on Friday 11 October).  Staff from the Council’s Planning Department will be on hand to discuss people’s ideas and thoughts.  

Councillor Rose Grewal, Executive Member for Planning said: 

“Our new Local Plan will guide the decisions that we make on the future development of Welwyn Hatfield so that the needs and opportunities of local residents and businesses are met.  We want to start the plan making process with a conversation on what matters most to the people who live and work here.  I would encourage as many people as possible, particularly our young people, to share their views online or by visiting one of the drop-in sessions.”

Further information on the new Local Plan website and drop-in sessions will be published on the Council’s website and social media channels over the coming weeks.