The North Herts Local Plan 2011-2031 was adopted on Tuesday 8 November 2022 and replaces the saved policies of the District Plan Second Review with Alterations.
Policy SP9 of the new Local Plan requires masterplans to be produced for:
- the six proposed Strategic Housing Sites in the Plan - these are the largest sites for 500 or more homes at Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin as well as on the edges of Stevenage and Luton
- other significant developments (normally defined as sites that will deliver 100 or more homes)
Masterplanning principles
To support Policy SP9, the Council’s Cabinet approved a set of masterplanning principles in March 2021. These set out a ten-stage process for masterplans to follow.
This includes consultation with the public and key organisations such as parish councils. It also says what the Council will do to manage the production of masterplans for new development in the District. The masterplanning principles are available to download below.
How a masterplan is agreed
There are two main ways in which the Council will allow masterplans to be produced and agreed.
The first is before a planning application for the relevant site(s) has been submitted to or decided by the Council. Masterplans that are being produced in this way will have their own page in this area of the website once they reach the consultation stage that provides important information.
The second way is as part of the planning application for a new development. More information on masterplans that are being produced in this way can be found by looking at the relevant planning application on our website. A list of relevant applications and application reference numbers can be found here.
More information on the approval process is available to download below.
The Council has also set up a special Project Board that will help to guide these masterplans through the process, made up of senior officers and elected Councillors from each political group. The Project Board’s terms of reference are available to download below.