WELWYN Hatfield was the third biggest growing area in the UK in the past decade, new figures have revealed.

A report published by the Office for National Statistics show the borough was towards the top of the list between mid 2001 and mid 2009.

Only Westminster and Tower Hamlets saw bigger population rises.

The report comes hot on the heels of a story in the Welwyn Hatfield Times last month, where the ONS predicted the number of people living in Welwyn Hatfield would swell by more than 16 per cent by 2018.

The borough’s population was recorded in 2008 as 112,000.

MP and housing minister Grant Shapps this week told the Welwyn Hatfield Times a bigger population could not be at the expense of vital services and infrastructure being lost.

He said: “These official numbers demonstrate residents were right to be worried about the previous government allowing vital services at our QE2 Hospital to close.

“Local people will accept a bigger population only in return for keeping important services like a proper hospital and regenerated town centres come to life.

He added: “That’s why this Government will be linking all future housing growth to directly increased income to our area in order to benefit existing residents first and foremost.”