THE number of new houses that must be provided in Welwyn Hatfield over the next 20 years has been set at 5,800.

The news emerged this week after the East of England Regional Assembly approved the draft East of England Plan for 2011 to 2031.

Under the plan, the borough had originally been earmarked to provide at least 10,000 homes by 2031.

But that figure has since been reduced to 5,800 following a public consultation.

This means the borough will have to provide an extra 290 homes per year on average over the next 20 years.

However, the final figure could yet be higher as the Government is currently considering how best to ‘repair’ the figures following a successful legal challenge from Hertfordshire County Council last year.