How important to Knebworth is Lutyens? Very, I say. The eminent Edwardian architect is behind the 1909 plan for the creation of Knebworth (see the background of the diagram below) – then ‘Knebworth Garden Village’ – planned as history’s second Garden community after ‘Letchworth Garden City’. To Lutyens, Knebworth owes its wide, airy streets – like Stockens Green, St Martin’s Road and Oakfields Avenue – with recessed build lines leaving room to park cars behind green hedges, keeping streets free of parked cars. Lutyens even foresaw – at a time of few cars – that we’d need more local vehicle routes, although none of these were built. Four of his neighbourhoods, however, were built, forming the shape of modern Knebworth, and until infilling began in the 1950s, Knebworth was still very much ‘Knebworth Garden Village’.
Evidence is that you agree on Lutyens’ importance, and value our Garden Village heritage. After many years consulting on design preferences should further Local Plan development take place, The Knebworth Neighbourhood Plan concludes that “Lutyens’ Garden Village concept still has a significant impact on the culture and style of the village” and states as an Objective, “Retain the existing architectural character of the Garden Village, conservation areas and other heritage assets.”
NHDC’s ‘Design Review Panel’ for the KB4 planning application, however, disagrees with you: “We query.. the extent to which Lutyen’s (sic) historic plan for Knebworth should be used as a design driver.. this was only ever implemented in very small parts… Deep plots are proposed which may result in all car parking being located in front gardens.. (whereas) parking could be integrated into courtyards and on-street… Due to the proposed width of the avenue.. there is likely to be a considerable distance across the street from building line to building line. The street will appear wider, suburbanising the character of this place and reducing opportunity for building a sense of community.” What nonsense, I say.
So, who does NHDC listen to?
Henry Lytton Cobbold
@HenryCobboldKH
