Plans have been submitted for more than 150 new homes in Hatfield – as part of the borough council’s regeneration plans.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Link Drive will look like this if plans go ahead. Picture: WHBC.Link Drive will look like this if plans go ahead. Picture: WHBC. (Image: Archant)

One Town Centre, where Pizza Hut and other buildings used to be, is planned to have 71 homes - with 25 per cent set outside for affordable housing.

The three blocks would be staggered in height, ranging from three to six storeys, and have five retail units on the ground floor then the one and two-bedroom flats above.

This would add an additional 1,000 square metres of commercial space for new shops and businesses at 1 and 3-9 Town Centre.

A new public space to complement White Lion Square could also be created if the plans go ahead.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council will use 1 Town Centre as a temporary car park before building new homes and shops on top of it.

While number 1 is used as a car park, the council can move ahead developing the multi-storey car park on the Common - meaning other car parks in Hatfield can be developed for other uses.

Further down the road from the town centre, the Link Drive site could have 80 new homes built in an L-shape.

The building would be surrounded by a green space, parking and the newly built skate park, with 25 per cent of the homes set aside for affordable housing.

Welwyn Hatfield borough councillor Duncan Bell, executive member for resources, said: "We're hearing from town centre businesses how much our work in White Lion Square has helped boost their trade and this next stage will do even more to strengthen the local economy.

"The additional homes will bring new life to Hatfield, and together with the added commercial space, will help attract new shops and businesses."

Adam Wood, head of infrastructure and regeneration at the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "This work forms part of our programme of support to ensure the town is ready to meet the challenges of the future and will benefit local businesses and people for generations to come."

The two sites have benefited from a £4.5m funding boost from the government's housing agency Homes England.

In recognition of the efforts to transform the town, the Sunday Times' listed Hatfield as one of its top 20 'Turnaround Towns' thanks to its impressive employment growth - which has soared 134 per cent since 2009, the highest of all towns featured.

If you would like to comment on either Link Drive or the Town Centre applications please search planning.welhat.gov.uk/Search/Advanced for '6/2019/2378/FULL' or '6/2019/2431/MAJ'.