Welwyn North
| Station Name | Welwyn North |
| Station Code | WLW |
| Station Owner | Govia Thameslink Railway (Great Northern) |
| Developable Area | 79.13ha |
| Development Capacity | 3,957 homes (at 50dph) |
| Local Planning Authority | Welwyn Hatfield |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Required | 2,244 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Delivered | 1,488 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Score | 66% |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Consequence | Presumption |
| Green Belt | London |
| Green Belt Area | 79.13ha ( 100% of the potential development area) |
| Network Rail Region | East of England |
| Network Rail Sub-Region | Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire |
| Passengers, 2020 - 2021 | 89,414 |
| Passengers, 2019 - 2020 | 567,614 |
| UK Station Passenger Rank (Use) | 998 |
Development Potential
England's busiest station (apart from those serving airports) had 4,170,558 passenger movements in the period 2019-2020. The station with the least was 68. Welwyn North station had 567,614 passengers enter or exit it during this period. That's roughly 1,559 people per day.
For a station with this number of passengers passing through it each year a density of 50 homes per hectare is reasonable, based on its proximity to major population centres and existing infrastructure.
Welwyn North is located within the East of England railway region. The potential area for development around the station (excluding existing buildings, national parks, flood zones, public green space, protected habitats, areas of outstanding natural beauty, world heritage sites and surface water) is approximately 79.13ha.
Assuming an appropriate (but not prevailing) development density of 50 dwellings per hectare, this area has a development capacity of around 3,957 homes.
The station sits within Welwyn Hatfield planning authority, which in 2021 achieved a Housing Delivery Test Score of 66%, having delivered 1,488 homes from a target of 2,244. As a result of this score, the authority is subject to a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development', according to the NPPF.
The total capacity of all Welwyn Hatfield's stations is 17,313 homes. That's 772% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
Taking green belt into account, the capacity of Welwyn Hatfield's stations is 601 homes without building on protected land. That's 27% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
