Who Are WHAG?

The West Hitchin Action Group was formed in September 2007 by concerned Hitchin residents in response to draft Land Development Framework policies issued by North Herts District Council which included the possibility of a swathe of houses being built on greenbelt land to the west of Hitchin.

WHAG helped coordinate awareness and opposition to the NHDC Core Strategy which was in public consultation at the time. This resulted in hundreds of written representations that opposed various key planning-related aspects of the Core Strategy document.

Our campaign continued in September 2009 when we orchestrated thousands of site-specific objections when NHDC subsequently released their draft list of Land Allocation Sites for public consultation.

November that same year saw us working with the NHDC in objecting to a 10,000 dwelling planning proposal submitted to the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA). Thankfully, that assembly has since been disbanded and regional targets abolished by the current Government (early 2011).

Since 2009, WHAG has attended workshops and meetings with North Herts District Council planning department to ensure they are aware of our continued stance against unnecessary development of green belt. With the political change in 2011 seeing power transfer back to district councils to set their own housing growth targets, WHAG awaits NHDC's verdict for our area.

Our most recent challenge occurred in September 2011, when WHAG supported a local residents group bid to acquire a plot of land to the west of Hitchin that would be pivotal to developers wishing to build on a swathe of land west of our town. Although unsuccessful in their bid, this residents group - all WHAG members - came very close to securing the land for future generations and it was only time that beat us in raising sufficient funds.

And finally, be assured that should further pressure on our green belt arise, WHAG will be at the forefront of the battle to save our beloved town's character and rural future.