Final Masterplan agreed for Marshmoor site to deliver new local homes and jobs

The SPD marks a major step forward in delivering a new employment-led development with associated housing, potentially attracting hundreds of high-skilled jobs to the area.

The Marshmoor site, located between the A1000 Great North Road and the railway line, is allocated for approximately 40,500 square metres of commercial space and around 100 homes for employees working on the site.  The local landowner, Gascoyne Cecil Estates, is promoting the site as the ‘Hatfield Innovation Campus’, aiming to attract business investment and support local employment growth.

The Masterplan will guide the type and quality of development at the site and the detailed requirements expected at the planning application stage.  It sets out a clear vision for a high-quality environment for employment that is integrated with the Welham Green area and supports the delivery of a sustainable and desirable place to live.

The Masterplan sets out an overarching vision that includes a focus on promoting biodiversity, connectivity and high quality design.  It identifies constraints and opportunities and highlights areas requiring further detailed work (e.g. traffic modelling, access arrangements, and ecological surveys).

The Masterplan also explores high-level development scenarios including different layouts for employment and residential uses across the site and potential access arrangements into the site.  Five access options are considered for the northern and southern areas of the site, along with parking configurations based on potential user needs which will be assessed for their viability at the planning application stage.

The document has been drafted through extensive collaboration with the landowner, consultants, council officers, and a liaison group that included Councillors from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and North Mymms Parish Council.

A public consultation was held in February and March 2025, including engagement with local residents and a community drop-in event.  Feedback focused on issues such as connectivity to the village centre and railway station, heritage impacts, and access arrangements – particularly for the southern entrance via Dixons Hill Road.

The SPD highlights the need for significant improvements to the Marshmoor Lane and Dixons Hill Road junction.  A realigned junction is proposed, moving access away from the railway bridge to improve visibility and introduce a controlled pedestrian crossing.  This access would primarily serve the residential element of the Masterplan, helping to reduce peak-hour traffic pressures.  While a revised junction layout is included in the SPD, final arrangements will be informed by further technical work, site-specific proposals, and ongoing consultation with the Highway Authority and the local community.

As the largest employment allocation in the borough’s Local Plan, Marshmoor represents a key opportunity to deliver high-quality jobs in a sustainable location.  Once adopted, the SPD will become a key consideration in the determination of planning applications, ensuring future proposals align with the Council’s ambitions for infrastructure-led economic growth.

Councillor Rose Grewal, Executive Member Planning said: 

“Planning for future homes in the right places and enabling an economy that delivers for everyone are two priorities for the Council.  So I am pleased that the SDP for this key development in our Local Plan has been adopted helping deliver new high-skilled jobs in innovative industries.  Amendments have been made to the SPD following comments and feedback from local residents.  We will continue to consult further with the local community on Marshmoor, so I would encourage all interested parties to read the SPD as part of the engagement process, so we can help deliver the homes, jobs and local improvements.”

Further information is available at https://www.welhat.gov.uk/planning-policy-guidance/masterplans-1 and from Gascoyne Cecil Estates at http://www.gascoynececil.com/literature-2/.