North Herts councillors back up to 3,200 Baldock homes, with at least 480 affordable and over £75m from developers. A legal agreement must be signed first.
Up to 3,200 homes, new schools and a community centre on the edge of Baldock have been backed by North Herts Council’s Planning Control Committee, the largest scheme the district has ever considered.
The committee resolved to grant planning permission at its meeting on Thursday 22 October, the council said in a press release the next day. The application was made jointly by the developer Urban & Civic and Hertfordshire County Council.
Permission is not yet formally granted. It still depends on a legal agreement between Urban & Civic, North Herts Council and Hertfordshire County Council, which will lock in the affordable housing, the schools and other on-site infrastructure, and the money for off-site projects including highway and sustainable transport works.
What the scheme includes
According to the council, the plans cover:
- up to 3,200 homes, of which at least 480 will be affordable;
- schools and a new community centre;
- land for businesses;
- open spaces and transport infrastructure;
- improvements to Baldock railway station.
The council says the scheme secures more than £75 million in financial contributions from the developers.
What the council said
Nigel Smith, Director for Place at North Herts Council, said:
“The committee has resolved to grant planning permission for the largest scheme the district has ever considered, which includes 3,200 homes as well as schools, a new community centre, land for businesses to operate, open spaces and transport infrastructure.
“Growing Baldock is a central part of the council’s adopted Local Plan, and this decision is an important milestone towards delivering the scheme. It secures significant mitigation, including more than £75 million in financial contributions from developers, a minimum of 480 affordable homes, substantial open spaces, and improvements to Baldock railway station that will benefit the wider community.”
The 480 affordable homes are a floor, not a cap. Anthony Roche, the council’s chief executive, said the decision obliges the developer to keep the scheme under review so the number can rise:
“North Herts Council will continue working with Urban & Civic, Hertfordshire County Council, the local community and other partners as the scheme progresses to build on this important foundation.
“The decision requires Urban & Civic to keep the scheme under review so we can explore opportunities to increase the number of affordable homes that are delivered. We will continue to push Urban & Civic to deliver the best possible development, for the benefit of current and future residents.”
At least 480 affordable homes out of up to 3,200 works out at 15 per cent of the total.
What it means for you
- Want to read the plans? Search the council’s planning applications portal for reference 25/02571/OP.
- Using Baldock station? The scheme includes improvements to the station, though the council has not yet set out what they will be or when.
- Following the bigger picture? The council is consulting on its new Local Plan until 24 November, with a drop-in at Baldock Community Hub on 2 November: details and dates here. Closer to home, the last 408 homes on the East of Stevenage site were approved in September, and our planning news page tracks applications across the area.
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