The Welwyn Garden City Society is calling on residents to take urgent action following the release of the draft Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Local Plan. The Society believes that the proposed changes to the town centre — in particular the redesignation of Campus West and Oaklands sites from cultural to residential use — represent a premature and concerning shift that risks weakening the town’s cultural heart.

The public consultation is open until 26 March 2026, and resident engagement is critical. Once a Local Plan is adopted, opportunities for meaningful change become extremely limited. The Society has been contacted by many concerned residents who feel the Campus site proposals appear less like part of a coherent long-term vision, and more like incremental erosion of key civic assets.

The Campus site proposals can be found on https://welwynhatfieldlocalplan.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/v3/current-and-proposed-site-allocations-in-tier-1-settlements?step=step1 (the proposals are on the last pages (starting at page no. 185 of the downloadable report)

Suggested issues to be considered by residents in their submissions for the Campus sites include:

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Campus West site WGCB & Campus Oaklands Site WGCA

Welwyn Garden City was founded by Ebenezer Howard on the holistic principle of a place to “Work, Rest, and Play.” The concern is that the current draft plan risks tipping that balance too far toward residential density at the expense of cultural, educational and economic vitality. Housing is important — but it must be integrated into a thoughtful, town-wide strategy.

Welwyn Garden City is a world-renowned example of thoughtful planning. Development is supported, but it must respect the principles that made this town an international planning icon in the first place. Welwyn Garden City’s future should be as thoughtfully planned as its past.

To make the Campus site proposals acceptable, the draft plan would benefit from collaborative refinement in the following areas:

1. A Unified Master Plan for the Town Centre
   At present, the proposals appear site-specific rather than strategic. Without an overarching Master Plan, relocations of the Library and Oaklands Campus risk seeming arbitrary, rather than visionary. A comprehensive, resident-informed framework would ensure that any redevelopment enhances — rather than fragments — the town centre’s character and function.
2. Securing the Future of Cultural & Educational Hubs
   There is currently no confirmed relocation site for existing facilities, no assurance that replacement spaces will be of a consulted size or quality, and no clarity on delivery timescales. Early, transparent consultation is essential to guarantee that any new facilities genuinely maintain the “Work, Rest, and Play” balance that defines Welwyn Garden City. Also the remaining part of Campus West will be left isolated, with a likely detrimental impact on it’s future.
3. Economic Resilience & Student Integration
   Oaklands students and Campus West staff contribute significantly to local footfall and town-centre vibrancy. The Society recommends an economic impact assessment to ensure redevelopment does not inadvertently reduce employment, retail vitality, or weekday activity levels.
4. Infrastructure & Logistical Feasibility
   The current proposals raise serious practical questions. As residents we know that the social infrastructure is already stretched to capacity e.g. GP surgeries, schools etc. There are also many logistical issues that need to be agreed before any re-designation to redidential e.g. all Campus West deliveries presently pass through the library site; re-routing will be physically constrained. Partial demolition of interconnected structures will be complex and costly. The Council needs to publish workable plans demonstrating how functionality and safety will be maintained throughout any transition.
5. Heritage & Green Assets
   Campus West sits within a Conservation Area that includes the iconic White Bridge, the Ayot Greenway, the Campus and the defining tree barrier that shapes the town’s identity. Any redevelopment must demonstrably protect — and ideally enhance — these assets. Welwyn Garden City is internationally recognised for its planned design; its heritage cannot be treated as incidental to be sold off to the most lucrative short-term use.
6. Commitment to Local Reinvestment
   To build public confidence, a formal commitment that all proceeds from any land sales on these (and other) community sites within Welwyn Garden City are reinvested directly back into the town’s own infrastructure and community facilities. Without this clarity, residents are being asked to give up civic assets without understanding the tangible local benefit.
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