Issue - meetings
22/00956/OP Land South Of, Stevenage Road, Little Wymondley, Hertfordshire
Meeting: 13/08/2026 - Planning Control Committee (Item 42)
42 22/00956/OP LAND SOUTH OF, STEVENAGE ROAD, LITTLE WYMONDLEY, HERTFORDSHIRE 
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REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER
Outline planning application for the development of up to 300 dwellings (all matters reserved except for access) (amended plans 23 October 2025).
Additional documents:
Decision:
RESOLVED: That application 22/00956/OP be GRANTED planning permission subject to:
A) The completion of a satisfactory legal agreement and the applicant agreeing to extend the statutory period in order to complete the agreement if required; and
B) Providing delegated powers to the Development and Conservation Manager to (i) resolve outstanding matters including financial contributions and (ii) update conditions and informatives with minor amendments as required; and
C) The conditions as set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager.
Minutes:
Audio recording – 05 minutes 23 seconds
N.B. Councillor Caroline McDonnell declared an interest on the item and moved to the public speaking gallery.
The Principal Planning Officer (Major Sites) provided a verbal update on matters relating to Application 22/00956/OP and advised that:
· The Agent to the Applicant had sent an email detailing the triggers for delivery of highway works, and this was available to view on the Council website.
· Officers would wait for the Highways Authority to respond on the above.
· The word ‘Knebworth’ in paragraph 6 in the written update published with the supplementary documents to the agenda should have been removed.
The Principal Planning Officer (Major Sites) then presented the report in respect of application 22/00956/OP accompanied by a visual presentation consisting of plans and photographs.
The following Members asked questions:
· Councillor Jon Clayden
· Councillor Tom Tyson
In response to questions, the Principal Planning Officer (Major Sites) advised that:
· The Applicant had addressed flooding and drainage matters onsite and the Local Lead Flood Authority (LLFA) had withdrawn their objection and recommended further conditions.
· There were 480 homes in the Wymondley Parish.
The Chair invited the first Public Objector, Mr Peter Bailey to speak against the application. Mr Bailey thanked the Chair for the opportunity and provided the Committee with a verbal presentation, and highlighted the following:
· Hitchin had received little rainfall in the last 6 weeks, and the additional dwellings would have a serious impact on Hitchin and the surrounding area.
· There had been no mention of drought conditions in the report.
· Measures to address air pollution and dust generated by the development would be minimal.
· Roads through Hitchin and Stevenage would be grid locked from the vehicles that new residents on this development would bring.
· There was concern on the heat that the extra dwellings would generate as this would compound with the construction of the nearby solar farm.
· New dwellings would add to carbon contributions.
There were no points of clarification from Members.
The Chair thanked Mr Bailey for their presentation and invited the second Public Objector, Ms Hayley Ward to speak against the application. Ms Ward thanked the Chair for the opportunity and provided the Committee with a verbal presentation, and highlighted the following:
· The Planning Inspector, as part of the Local Plan examination, had recognised several traffic and flooding related issues with the site.
· The site was less sustainable than surrounding strategic sites and should not be considered until they had been developed as per Policy SP2 of the Local Plan.
· Nitrous oxide monitoring in 2017-19 showed that legal EU limits were repeatedly exceeded next to the site, which highlighted air quality issues and conflicted with the Local Plan.
· Air quality monitoring took place during the COVID-19 lockdown, and since then, there had been the addition of other developments and the proposed Luton Airport expansion, which would require mitigations.
· The land was compressible and potentially unstable.
· The Environment Agency questioned the contamination investigations undertaken as housing foundations could create pathways for ground water ... view the full minutes text for item 42