Cork Road Allotment Community Cabin Design and Access Statement

Transcription

1 Cork Road Allotment Community Cabin Design and Access Statement Purpose of Development As part of continuous improvement of Cork Road Allotments during 2012 a survey of the members was undertaken by Tom Fyson of LESS ( ) who identified that one of the highest priorities of the members was to have a community building, with 56% of the respondents rating it as one of their highest priorities. The cabin is intended to have several functions however the primary function is to provide shelter for the many members without sheds or greenhouses, particularly our more elderly and disabled members who are more vulnerable to Lancasters unpredictable weather. Additionally it is intended that the cabin will serve as a meeting space for training and learning activities, including a seed swapping and plant service. This will also allow further collaboration and team building between allotment plot holders, many of whom have nowhere to gather and discuss allotment related issues. The allotment association and its members have several expensive community tools, which are vulnerable to theft therefore the cabin will allow a secure storage place due to the steel shutters and a sturdy deadlocked oak door. In the longer terms the allotment association would like to increase interaction with the local community, sharing its members extensive knowledge of sustainability, and increasing access to the local community through event days. The cabin is intended in this respect to be an important administration and learning area that could conceivably be opened to the local community with supervised access, (insurance issues allowing). This would also enhance the allotment associations image, further increasing interest in both allotmenteering and community activities. Location Land Use The location of the cabin is on a currently un allocated allotment plot which was vacated in April 2015 and subsequently identified by the allotment committee as a potential area for community resources due to the position of the plot in the north west corner of the allotment immediately adjacent to the main site entrance. Further technical and environmental considerations for the siting of the community cabin are identified below: Technical Requirements Land Availability Cork Road Allotments land holding is divided into 90 plots, with 123 tenants (due to half plots) taking near 100% of the site with a waiting list of 43. To acquire a plot for community use would require waiting until a plot is vacated or asking a member to vacate their plot (a particularly sensitive subject as some members have been working their plots of land at Cork Road for over 50 years). The north west plot became available in April 2015 and has not been re tenanted due to the potential for the plot to become a community resource. Access covered in the access section below. In the future if the cabin is to be used as an administration and learning area for community events, it is important to have the cabin near to the main entrance. Page 1 of 5

2 Land Gradient Cork road allotments is a sloping site. The flattest area of land is the northern boundary of the site. The siting of a cabin requires a level surface, therefore a flat area of land is required otherwise significant excavations would need to be undertaken. The current position of the cabin is deemed to be the more suitable in terms of slope gradient on the site. Flood Risk Cork road allotments is a sloping site with the Burrow Beck at the southern boundary of the site. The allotment has reportedly had drainage issues in the past, as some areas of the allotment get heavily waterlogged/flooded. The location of the cabin in the north west corner is the least susceptible area to flooding. Security The cabin is fitted with steel shutters for security on all of the windows. The cabin with contain valuable community tools and therefore security is important. The location of the cabin adjacent to the access point will allow greater visibility of any unauthorised personnel. Service Should it be deemed necessary in the future for services such as mains water of electricity it would be preferable to have the community cabin located close to the site access point and existing services to minimise cost and disruption of connection. Environmental Requirements Visual Impact and Landscape The introduction of a community cabin will result in some level of visual impact, however careful consideration of of the placement of the cabin with regard to limiting the number of neighbours affected has been considered. The location in the north west corner close to the border of Exeter Avenue has a limited impact on neighbouring residents. Discussions have been undertaken with the residents most affected (Victor Kay and Peter Lund) regarding screening the cabin and any windows overlooking the boundaries have been frosted or covered by metal panels. Ecology The allotment association actively engages in improving ecology and diversity of species on the allotment. For this reason it is felt that locating the cabin on the eastern boundary is not suitable to the the presence of mature trees including oak trees. The location of the cabin of the southern boundary would also be unsuitable in ecology terms to to the presence of Burrow Beck. Where the cabin has been located in the north west corner, there is currently a species poor hedgerow demarking the boundary with Exeter Avenue and Coulston Road. Due to the location next to the main access point there are many people accessing the site in this area, therefore disturbance levels for ecology is high in this area. It is intended as part of the landscaping work to improve the ecology in this area. Land Use Amount The cabin is square meters and the total area of the site is square meters. Therefore the cabin will take less than 0.1% of the land area available on site. If necessary the allotment members are able to create a roof garden on the cabin allowing the area to be used for cultivation. Page 2 of 5

3 Overall Cabin Size Dimensions as shown on elevation drawings. The cabin size was determined based on the fact that it is suitable for use by the 123 tenants of the site allowing it to be fully utilised for its envisioned uses. The actual cabin was donated by a 3rd party and it meets with the association's aims of recycle and reuse. Materials used in the cabin have been recycled, reused or donated where possible. Landscaping The front of the cabin will be trellised and covered with a mixture of flowering climbers and year round foliage. Should it be deemed necessary to have additional landscaping between the boundaries with Exeter Avenue and Coulston Road bamboo screening can be installed upto a height the Council deem appropriate. If necessary the allotment members are able to create a roof garden on the cabin. Appearance The cabin has been painted green to be in keeping with the character and appearance of the allotment environment. Layout The layout and position of the cabin was determined with reference to the technical and environmental constraints detailed above. The cabin is located in the area which is considered to be least constrained by technical considerations such as slope gradient/access/security etc and the area which will result in the least visual impact to the fewest neighbouring residents. Access There is a single access point to the allotments from Exeter Avenue. The cabin has been situated in the plot immediately adjacent to the site access as this location is the most practical for delivery of cabin heavy construction materials. If the cabin were to be repositioned in the middle of the site vehicles would not be able to access the community plot area as the allotment is only serviced by narrow stone paths which are not suitable for heavy vehicles (such as trucks and cranes required for a portacabin siting) and most normal vehicles due to the incline, and any continuous vehicle access to the middle of the site could possibly damage either adjacent land or services/drainage. The location of the cabin, immediately adjacent to the gate is a preferable location for members as they have to pass the cabin to reach their plots. For some elderly and disabled members this is very important as they are unable to walk down the slope of off the main path areas which have uneven surfaces and become very slippery when wet. Many of our members have severe health problems and by the time they reach the allotments need to rest and recover in order to complete the journey to their plot. For those with plots further down the slope they will often need to recover before leaving the site. Page 3 of 5

4 Photos of Cabin Page 4 of 5

5 Map of Location RG 28 Mar 2016 v1.0 Page 5 of 5