Background
Progress at King George’s Vale
As you may be aware, the land immediately to the north of this site was owned by LIH and granted planning permission in 2021 for a residential development of 121 new homes, together with landscaping, open space and enhanced connections linking into the surrounding area.
This development, now known as King George’s Vale, is being delivered by Bellway Homes and is approaching completion.
Before the planning application was submitted, extensive community engagement took place. The consultation process saw strong participation from local residents, with around 470 people attending consultation events and sharing their views on the proposals.
Community infrastructure
Infrastructure delivery at King George’s Vale
As part of King George’s Vale, LIH has provided a range of contributions to support the local community including financial contributions towards:
- Expanding Woodside Primary School, increasing nursery places in Cuffley, supporting special educational needs and enhancing facilities at Waltham Cross Young People’s Centre.
- Funding for safer roads, improved walking and cycling routes and enhancements to public transport in Cuffley, including upgrades to local Public Rights of Way.
- Increasing capacity at Cuffley Community Library, improvements to Cuffley Hall Short Mat Bowls Club, Cuffley & Northaw Youth and Community Centre as well as Hatfield Leisure Centre and Hatfield Swim Centre.
- Contributions to the expansion and refurbishment of Cuffley Medical Practice and contributions to local waste and recycling services.
- The land adjacent to the Bowling Club at King George V (KGV) playing fields has been permanently transferred to Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council for recreational and community use, alongside contributions to improve the KGV facilities, grass pitches, changing rooms and play areas.
- Green space enhancements beyond the site and KGV, including improvements at Northaw Great Wood.
As with the previous development, LIH wants to work with you to understand local priorities and ensure the emerging proposals respond positively to the character and needs of Cuffley.
Planning context
Responding to local housing need
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council faces a significant challenge in meeting its housing needs. The Council’s most recent Housing Delivery Test shows that only around 52% of the homes required were delivered in recent years, highlighting a substantial shortfall in housing supply across the borough. At the same time, recent evidence from the Council (2026) shows a backlog of more than 1,400 households in need of affordable housing, with around 800 additional affordable homes needed each year to meet newly arising demand.
In response to these challenges, the Council is preparing a new Local Plan. Part of this process involves the Council identifying and allocating appropriate land for development and reviewing policy constraints, such Green Belt boundaries.
As part of the emerging Local Plan, the site has been identified as a draft allocation under reference ‘HEL‑44’. This means the Council has identified the site as being suitable in principle for development and, through the Local Plan process, is seeking to support the delivery of homes here, subject to further consultation and technical work. The draft allocation also proposes the removal of the site from the Green Belt to enable housing development.
The emerging proposals seek to help address local housing needs, including the delivery of much-needed affordable homes, while responding to the character of Cuffley.
