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Hertfordshire takes the lead on quality new homes for residents

By Luke Fisher,

Communications Lead, Hertfordshire Growth Board

The new government has announced plans for growth that could see the reintroduction of mandatory housebuilding targets and a kickstart to stalled housing schemes. With Hertfordshire’s population expected to rise by 38,550 by 2043, new quality, affordable homes are needed and the Hertfordshire Growth Board (HGB) plan to tackle this with county-wide green developments.

From Harlow & Gilston Garden Town in the east to Hemel Garden Communities in the west, Hertfordshire is aiming to deliver 100,000 homes over the next decade and beyond.

Key housing development sites

• Harlow & Gilston Garden Town – 10,000 new homes across seven villages with 13,000 additional homes across the border in Essex, plus a new Princess Alexandra Hospital and commercial sites.

• Hemel Garden Communities – 11,000 new homes, new local centres and health and lifestyle services.

• Baldock – 3,000 new homes, two new primary schools and a secondary school, plus a new community centre and commercial spaces.

• Coopers Green, Hatfield – 2,000 new homes with commercial spaces.

• Brookfield Garden Village – 1,250 new homes

Who’s signed up?

But with reports nationwide of poor builds and inferior developments, the government’s draft National Planning Policy Framework proposes to achieve higher quality through national design coding and local design codes, as well as upgrades to building regulations .HGB is already making waves with its Development Quality Charter to ensure that developments in the county are high quality and sustainable.

Launched earlier this year, the Development Quality Charter aims to achieve a new benchmark for high quality and sustainable development in Hertfordshire.

This is because the built environment is responsible for about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, so one of the best things we can do is improve the construction, heating, cooling, and powering of our homes and other buildings.

It is hoped that councils, council-owned development companies, housing associations, developers, landowners, and others will voluntarily sign the Charter and commit to achieving the pledges.

A pledge for positive properties

The Charter’s expectation includes a series of pledges for organisations to uphold from master planning and compliance with national design models, to long-term environmental management and exceeding minimum sustainability standards.

The Charter quotes national government policy on planning framework and design codes, which states: “Beauty is not a cost to be negotiated away: it is the benchmark that all new developments should meet, to turn a collection of buildings into a place, anywhere into somewhere and nowhere into home.” This refers to planning and architectural design as well as construction and materials, but it’s residents and communities that are at the heart of these codes of practice.

Our survey says…

The Growth Board surveyed over 4,300 residents in 2023 as part of its vision and mission engagement, when asked of their support of quality and affordable housing for all, a massive 81% responded in favour of the delivery of high quality, affordable and specialist homes, to support the county’s socio-economic prosperity.

In a 2023 survey by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), 55% thought older homes were better quality than new-builds, compared to 21% who thought new-builds were better. Almost a third (32%) described new-build housing as “poor quality”.

It also found 33% of respondents had a “low level of trust” of housebuilders building new homes to a high standard.

About 94% of new-build homeowners reported at least one defect once their property was complete, according to a 2021 poll by trade body the Home Builders Federation (HBF).

But what’s in it for me?

Councils, developers and others who sign the Charter will be formally recognised on the Growth Board and Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Development Board (HIDB) website.

Achieving the charter’s pledges will be treated as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.

Once they are signed up, councils and developers can refer to the Charter and use the Charter Mark as part of their corporate promotional material. Developments that comply with the Charter will be automatically put forward for the Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards. There will be a distinct award for schemes that comply with the Charter.

Eleven organisations are already signed up to the Charter with Tarmac receiving recognition for its £4 million of social impact at its Hertfordshire sites, benefiting residents and communities.

Cllr Jeremy Newmark, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council and Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board said: “Hertfordshire is already on the front-foot in delivering high-quality sustainable homes, with policies in place to work with developers in achieving better quality design builds. We encourage all developers to sign up to the Development Quality Charter to support this. The refreshed focus on planning reform to build the quality homes that residents need is welcome, and we stand ready to work with central government to play our part in plans to power up Britain through the new national mission to ensure people’s housing and infrastructure needs are met.”

How to sign up

Sign up is simple. Organisations can visit the Hertfordshire Growth Board website to complete and sign a short form. The application will be review and you will be contacted on the status shortly after. hertfordshiregrowthboard.com/hertfordshire-development-quality-charter/

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