Developers Lovell Partnerships will deliver 146 new homes, ranging from one bed flats to three bed houses. This will include 25% affordable housing, the majority of which will be for people on the council’s housing register.
A new doctor’s surgery will improve local healthcare services and a £50,000 community grant from Lovell Partnerships will support a range of organisations, such as the local scout group. This is in addition to the agreed Section 106 contributions to local primary and secondary schools, a youth centre, the library and indoor and outdoor sports facilities.
Lovell Partnerships will build 19 commercial units for current tenants and new businesses, as well as improve connections to the Jim McDonald Centre.
A new green space and play park is at the heart of the scheme, which also includes a variety of new planting and landscaping to encourage people to visit and enjoy the area.
Flats will have one designated parking space, with the houses allocated 1.5 spaces each. An additional 80 visitor spaces will be created and the area will be added to the council’s parking services work programme to ensure any impact to surrounding roads is mitigated.
The existing bus route will be maintained and improvements will be made to encourage walking and cycling.
Councillor Duncan Bell, Executive Member for Resources at Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, said: “This scheme will completely change the face of south Hatfield, transforming the neighbourhood centre at the heart of the community into a much more attractive and pleasant place to spend time.
“The homes will bring a new vibrancy and that increased footfall together with the commercial units will help bolster trade to existing businesses and attract new ones to the area.
“The community have been vital in shaping these plans and I would like to thank everyone who helped us get to this point by sharing their views.”
Stuart Gibbons, regional managing director at Lovell Partnerships, London said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Welwyn Hatfield Brough Council to deliver much needed homes for the residents of Hatfield and look forward to working together on this exciting development.”
Work will begin later this year in phases to ensure businesses can continue to trade as the work is carried out.
