PLANNING COMMENT FOR APPLICATION REF:  5/2025/1875

Clive Worland

86 Osprey Drive, St Albans AL40LU

I am supportive of the application in general terms, especially the landscaping elements, but I have several reservations:
1.	The construction of a proposed footpath from the western part of the residential development through to Osprey Drive, emerging between nos.86 & 98 Osprey Drive, involves destruction of the existing TPO trees and hedgerow. This access should be removed from the planning consent, as there are other accesses to the north and south where there are existing gaps in the TPO tree line/hedgerow.
2.	The road access proposals mirror those at the Oaklands Grange development, where there is no link into the pre-existing, under-used roundabout (at the bottom of Barnfield Road) and there is a secondary “emergency” access road. Herts CC's Highways Design Guide transport standards require two access roads for a site of 350 homes and a closed “emergency” access road does not meet this requirement. The main access road at the north of the subject site MUST be made to connect into the roundabout at House Lane/Sandpit Lane for safety and ease of traffic flow, especially if buses are to use this access, and given that this site is much larger than Oaklands Grange.
3.	While the modelling undertaken shows that the traffic-lighted junction with Sandpit Lane and Beechwood Avenue will not be much more used than it is already, this does not take into account that this junction is already beyond capacity at peak times, with long queues in all directions. That junction should be widened as part of this consent, given the development will inevitably lead to greater use of that junction.
4.	The footpath connection from the proposed play area into the central play and open area in Oaklands Grange would be much enhanced by the Council extending the footpath westward, around the Verulam school playing fields, through into Oakwood Drive, as was promised and not delivered under the Oaklands Grange planning consent.