RSS East Of England Plan - Broads Authority

East of England Plan 95
requirements will need to be programmed into the water companies’ business plans, informed by the relevant studies,
see paragraph 10.8, which addresses the constraints at Rye Meads sewage treatment works.
POLICY LA4: Watford Key Centre for Development and Change
The strategy for this key centre for development and change on the edge of London should focus on continued
strong economic performance, continuing regeneration and renewal that makes the most of urban capacity,
expansion of higher order services and greater reliance on public transport.
The main elements of this strategy are:
(1) Continued employment growth with restructuring of employment areas and parts of the town centre to meet the
needs of established employment sectors and clusters, including knowledge-based activities and the health
sector;
(2) High quality redevelopment including mixed use schemes with further intensification of land uses where
appropriate, coupled with firm defence of existing green belt boundaries and improvements to open spaces
within the built up area;
(3) Consolidation and strengthening of the town’s role as a regional centre for retail and other higher order services;
(4) Tackling deprivation;
(5) Joint approaches to the provision of affordable housing inside and outside the Borough to meet needs as close
as possible to where they arise; and
(6) Better connectivity and more integrated operational planning with the London public transport network and the
enhancement of the town as an interchange centre linking the strategic rail network to services serving nearby
suburban areas.
13.44 Watford is a transport hub with good access to Heathrow Airport where the M1 and West Coast Main Line rail corridors
converge and connect with strategic transport routes including the M25, A41 and A405/415 and the London transport
network. Being on the edge of London, it is characterised by large commuting flows. It has much in common with the
North West London Boroughs and shares many of the characteristics of the generally prosperous and economically
buoyant Thames Valley to the west of London.
13.45 The scale of housing growth within the Borough boundary required in Policy H1 is less than for most other key centres.
However, the built up area extends beyond Watford’s tight local authority boundaries and the scale of housing and
employment growth in the wider Watford area, including nearby settlements in Three Rivers and Hertsmere Districts that
look to Watford as their main centre, makes the overall quantum of growth on a par with other key centres.
13.46 The Borough has experienced significant regeneration and renewal in recent decades, but challenges remain and Policy
LA4 sets out the main elements of the vision. Interchange facilities at Watford Junction station are to be improved. A
Croxley Rail Link extending the Metropolitan Underground line to Watford Junction will help reduce congestion in the town
and improve interchange possibilities.
13.47 Watford Council will need to work jointly with a range of partners including other Hertfordshire local authorities and public
transport authorities in London if all aspects of the strategy are to be delivered.