Please complete this questionnaire and send it to Broadstone Neighbourhood Forum

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1 BROADSTONE NEIGHBOURHOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN PLAN REGULATION 14 CONSULTATION questionnaire Please complete this questionnaire and send it to Broadstone Neighbourhood Forum

2 Contents 1 Introduction 2 Plan Policies a. GREEN SPACE b. HOUSING c. TRANSPORT d. ECONOMY e. SUSTAINABILITY 3 Plan Proposal a. THE BROADWAY 1 Introduction Broadstone Neighbourhood Plan has been produced by Broadstone Neighbourhood Forum. The Forum includes local residents and businesses and was created in 2013 with the aim of promoting or improving the social, economic and environmental well-being of Broadstone. The Plan provides local people with the opportunity to have their say about how their neighbourhood should change in the future. The Plan will set out their collective aspirations in terms of housing, shopping and services, community facilities, employment and open spaces. The Plan will refer to the objectives and concerns of existing residents and will be a living document, reflecting a changing community over time. Neighbourhood planning, the Government says, gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area. planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/neighbourhood-planning Neighbourhood Plans must have regard to national planning policies and must be in general conformity with local strategic policies. Plans are typically produced by local people, with some professional assistance, as in this case.

3 The Plan will be submitted to the Borough of Poole before an Independent Examination. The Plan will then be put before the local community for approval via a referendum. With a majority in favour the Plan will be adopted and become a material consideration in future planning matters in the area. It will be used by the Borough of Poole when deciding on planning applications and other environmental schemes or improvements, and will become part of the formal development plan for the Borough. All comments received through this consultation will be carefully considered and, where possible, the Draft Plan will be amended. This document contains Draft Policies and Proposals. This is your chance to help shape the future of Broadstone. Ward boundary for Broadstone BROADSTONE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

4 2 Plan Policies All the Plan Policies below relate to Broadstone Ward and are based on the following assumptions: Any future developments will generally be contained within the existing developed areas of Broadstone, and open green spaces are likely to remain undeveloped. Extensive changes in land use are unlikely given that most of the ward is currently owner-occupied housing. The area with the greatest likelihood of change is the mixed-use centre of the village. There are no strategic infrastructure proposals likely to come forward within the next five years that will directly affect Broadstone. Competition for public sector funds is likely to remain tough. Where referred to, the Core Strategy is Poole Core Strategy Adopted The Plan Policies are designed to cover the issues important to Broadstone and those not already dealt with by the Core Strategy. a. GREEN SPACE Broadstone has long been one of Poole s greenest neighbourhoods. The ward includes extensive heathland, Delph Woods, The Recreation Ground and Pocket Park, as well as lots of smaller green spaces and countless street trees. The open green spaces offer opportunities for both public and private recreation. Broadstone Golf Course, adjacent to The Castleman Trailway, is considered to rank in the top 100 in the world. The Policies below relate to Green Space, mostly that which is publicly accessible. Heathland Broadstone was built on heathland and what remains is highly-valued in landscape, amenity and ecology terms. The Great Heath Project by Dorset Wildlife Trust includes areas within Broadstone. These areas are already well-protected by European or national legislation.

5 This plan supports Core Strategy Policy PCS28. PLAN POLICY 1: Where relevant, development must help maintain and enhance the current provision of open space and appropriate facilities to meet recreational needs and deflect pressure from the heathland habitats. Public Green Spaces Broadstone Recreation Ground, Pocket Park and Springdale Play area are the principal public green spaces for recreation. Broadstone Recreation Ground has Fields in Trust protection. The Forum wishes to encourage partnership working involving local organisations and groups in establishing green space and woodland management teams. This could include a local orienteering club, Broadstone Football Club or many others. A recent (2015) example is the Crossways Wood partnership between the residents of Moor Road and Lower Golf Links Road, Broadstone Scout Group, the Borough of Poole and the Woodland Trust. Activities in Broadstone s Green Spaces should cater for all ages. Those that include the widest age range are most welcome. PLAN POLICY 2: Where relevant, development must protect and assist with the management of Broadstone s green infrastructure by supporting partnerships between community groups, the Council and other organisations. Private Green Spaces Most of Broadstone consists of private dwellings with their own gardens. These are essential to the character and quality of the place, and the green space within gardens are important for recreation, amenity (see below), landscape, wildlife, drainage and micro-climate reasons. PLAN POLICY 3: Developments must be designed to minimise impact on green amenity space, green wildlife corridors and natural drainage features. Development of back gardens will be acceptable only where the existing amenities of neighbours, and the integrity of any green corridor, are preserved. Hard paving of front gardens for vehicle parking should be resisted if less than 25% of the area is left green. Private Amenity Space Private outdoor amenity space is important to the quality of residential accommodation. The more bed spaces in a property the greater its private external amenity space should be. A 4 bedroom/8 person dwelling will require a larger garden, for instance, than a 1 bedroom dwelling designed for 2 people. In most town or village centres the density of development (the number of bedspaces per hectare) will generally increase, as access-to-facilities is balanced

6 against space-per-person. In Broadstone this is evident in flats over shops, terraced houses and blocks of apartments. In these most accessible locations smaller private external amenity spaces can be acceptable, so long as a minimum area is maintained and the space is usable and attractive. PLAN POLICY 4: Houses should have a minimum external amenity space equivalent to 60% of the gross internal floorspace of the dwelling. 1 & 2 bedspace apartments should have a minimum of 5sqm of private external space with an additional 1sqmper additional bedspace. Houses built within 200m (5 minutes walk) of Central Broadstone may be acceptable with less than 60% if they represent Good Development in other respects. Allotments Allotments are important for recreation and food production as well as in forming an important part of Broadstone s network of open spaces. Broadstone s allotments enjoy statutory protection. In order to manage the waiting list subdivision should be considered. PLAN POLICY 5: Broadstone s allotments should be retained, and demand managed through the subdivision of plots and a reduction in multiple holdings. GREEN SPACE Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 1? YES NO Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 2? YES NO Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 3? YES NO Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 4? YES NO Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 5? YES NO Please add any comments on GREEN SPACE below?

7 b. HOUSING Broadstone has a number of distinct residential areas. Earlier developed areas include the larger houses around Golf Links Road, the smaller houses along York Road, and detached and semi-detached houses on the main routes of Clarendon Road, Higher and Lower Blandford Road, and Dunyeats Road. The quality of the schools within Broadstone attracts young families into the area and 17% of the population is under the age of 15. Over 60% of residents are of working age and 21% are of pensionable age. Life expectancy for men and women is higher than in all other parts of Poole whilst unemployment is below the Borough average. Broadstone caters for its ageing population with some sheltered accommodation and three large residential care homes, as well as numerous bungalows, most built in the 1960s and 1970s. Broadstone must make its contribution to the need for additional dwellings within the Borough. However, given the limited opportunities for growth, the absolute numbers that might be added are small relative to other parts of the Borough and this is recognised in the Core Strategy. Broadstone currently lacks smaller housing units that would suit young families or older couples. Recent developments have raised fears that the neighbourhood could become dominated by care homes and sheltered accommodation. The key objective must be for sustainable or balanced communities. In terms of housing this requires a mix of dwelling sizes, tenures (owned, rented) and affordability. PLAN POLICY 6: Where acceptable in design and character terms, developments will be encouraged where 1, 2 and 3 bedroom dwellings are created. New residential development is limited to a zone extending north-west to southeast through the centre of the village as this area is not covered by the restrictions on new housing within 400 metre of the heaths imposed by Natural England. With no significant sites available development will be either on under-developed areas or where outdated properties are removed in favour of new buildings.

8 Development on such sites should be permitted subject to existing planning guidance. However, in order to ensure more dwellings are built of the type required for a balanced community, developers of age-restricted housing, elderly-care homes or elderly-sheltered housing should produce a viability report explaining why other forms of housing cannot be delivered on the site. PLAN POLICY 7: Development aimed exclusively at older age groups must be justified by comparison against other types of housing. Within Central Broadstone higher density development will be acceptable, subject to certain controls and standards. 3 or 4 storeys of accommodation may be acceptable in some streets but buildings taller than this will not be permitted. Compact mews-style developments would be welcome, particularly in the central area. PLAN POLICY 8: Higher density development will be acceptable where the proposal: 1. Is supported by a detailed Design & Access Statement 2. Is within 200m of Central Broadstone 3. Is designed to good internal* and external** space standards 4. Is well-designed in itself? 5. Has at least one vehicle parking space per unit plus 20% visitor parking on site * Technical housing standards: nationally described space standard DCLG March 2015 ** see GREEN SPACE above Extensions and alterations are the most frequent developments affecting houses (including bungalows) within Broadstone. Most extensions are carried out carefully with significant regard for the amenity of neighbours (e.g. avoiding overlooking or overshadowing) and the overall effect on the streetscene. One of the most popular recent forms of development has been to add a first floor to a single-storey bungalow, often to enable a family to comfortably occupy the dwelling. Over years the effect of extensions on dwellings along a single street can result in a noticeable change in character. The most sensitive streets in Broadstone are within the Conservation Areas and development here is most tightly controlled. Elsewhere, incremental changes to an area, from one character to another, is likely to simply represent the evolution of the local community, in terms of changing tastes, family sizes, live-work lifestyles and space requirements. This is to be welcomed, rather than resisted, as it demonstrates a living and dynamic neighbourhood full of aspirational and entrepreneurial spirits. PLAN POLICY 9: Extensions and alterations to dwellings will be acceptable where they protect the existing amenities of neighbours.

9 HOUSING Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 6? YES NO Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 7? YES NO Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 8? YES NO Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 9? YES NO Please add any comments on HOUSING below? c. TRANSPORT Broadstone (sadly) no longer has a railway station but has a good bus service and direct road connections to Poole and further afield. The Castleman Trailway, on the route of the former railway line, is a leisure walking and cycling link that passes through the village centre whilst a network of lesser footpaths and bridleways criss-cross the ward. There are few on-road cycle lanes. Through vehicle traffic is largely directed to Gravel Hill on the eastern fringe of the ward. Broadstone Way effectively bypasses Darby s Corner and The Broadway. Most vehicle traffic within the ward is local, commuter, schools-focussed or deliveries. Car ownership is above the national average but pressure for on-street

10 parking is largely avoided as most dwellings have sufficient spaces on-plot. The village centre has prominent car parking in The Broadway as well as two surface car parks for shoppers. The centre is frequently busy Monday to Saturday daytime, both in terms of pedestrians and vehicles. The shopping area is poor from a pedestrian perspective including narrow pavements, difficult crossings, little seating, fast-moving traffic, and a poorly-maintained, unattractive and outdated public realm. For transport in Broadstone to improve in the near future it will be necessary to find a better balance between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Walking promotes social and community cohesion, lowers energy use, reduces traffic queues, makes streets safer and has immediate health benefits. A better balance will mean: further discouraging through traffic; lowering vehicle speeds in the central area and on minor residential roads; promoting walking through better surfacing, easier crossings, improved lighting and more seating; promoting cycling, by adding more cycle hoops, signage and designated cycle lanes. PLAN POLICY 10: Where relevant, development must support improvements to the pedestrian, cycle and public transport infrastructure. TRANSPORT Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 10? YES NO Please add any comments on TRANSPORT below? Transport issues are also covered in the Plan Proposals for The Broadway below.

11 d. ECONOMY Broadstone is a largely residential suburb but there is also an important economic dimension to the neighbourhood. This is predominantly found in the central area, but there is also a growing number of home-based businesses. Central Broadstone has numerous shops, some offices and workshops, some community and public buildings, and a number of cafes, restaurants and pubs. Vacancy rates are low generally for commercial space, suggesting a relatively buoyant local economy. The shops comprise independent retailers as well as national chain stores. In common with many similar areas, there are a high number of important service businesses including estate agents, banks, solicitors and accountants, many of which support other local businesses, as well as residents. Respondents in a recent survey regarding central Broadstone said they wanted to feel Welcome, Respected and Safe, and for shops to offer Choice, Value and Satisfaction. Broadstone has a limited evening economy with few restaurants and only two public houses. The Broadway has little evening activity despite its prominence and potential for passing trade. The limited evening offer may be for a combination of reasons including unavailability of suitable premises, poor public spaces/public realm, limited catchment population within walking distance, and few younger people locally. For Broadstone s central area to become stronger economically there are a number of issues to address. These include: Creating more, and better quality, space for small businesses Continued focus on independent retailers Resisting additional service businesses in shop units Investment in shop fronts and signage

12 Encouraging the clustering of restaurants and bars to promote the evening economy Improved public realm in terms of quality and connectivity Support for Broadstone Chamber of Trade and Commerce Intelligent management of existing car parking capacity PLAN POLICY 11: Within the Central Area, and where feasible, development should include additional floorspace for small businesses and improvements to the public realm. PLAN POLICY 12: Within the Central Area, development should not lead to a net loss of employment floorspace. The Neighbourhood Forum will work closely with the Borough of Poole to create a new strategy for car parking within the central area. This could include altering the pricing structure (but not the total costs to the community/income to the Council overall) and would consider accessibility, ease of use, short-term users, commuter parking, evening activity, residents permits, etc. ECONOMY Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 11? YES NO Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 12? YES NO Please add any comments on the ECONOMY below?

13 e. SUSTAINABILITY Energy is used in Broadstone in its buildings and on its roads. As few new buildings will be constructed in the next few years the main priority will be to upgrade existing buildings to make them more energy efficient. This will generally be carried out by private owner-occupiers, who will access public grants as and when they are available. There is no flood risk in Broadstone, although the emergence of springs and increased surface runoff does present a problem, especially during periods of prolonged or intense rainfall. PLAN POLICY 13: New or extended buildings will be welcomed where they employ: ground or air source heating systems solar panels for electricity generation and/or water heating geographical orientation and design to benefit from greater solar insolation porous hard surfacing to allow for ground water infiltration Transportation is the other main source of energy use. Plan Policy 10 above should be referred to in this respect. SUSTAINABILITY Do you agree with PLAN POLICY 13? YES NO Please add any comments on SUSTAINABILITY below?

14 3 Plan Proposal a. THE BROADWAY The Broadway is a straight street at the very centre of the village. It is a key local route, linking Broadstone with Canford Heath and Fleetsbridge, and is lined with shops and other businesses. Although developed over 100 years ago there are few buildings of merit remaining, the majority being post-war and unremarkable. It is a broad space (approximately 25m wide) allowing both a wide carriageway and a service road with parking (referred to as The Toast Rack ). The Broadway is managed by the Borough of Poole while the Chamber of Trade has a keen interest in how it functions and can be improved. People visit The Broadway to shop, relax, to work, meet neighbours, gather, celebrate and commemorate. When local people visit they hope to feel proud of the place, to feel comfortable and at home, and to feel welcome, respected and safe. Some Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats are suggested below: STRENGTHS Loyal customers Independent businesses Bus links Car parking OPPORTUNITIES Invest in public realm Slow traffic speeds An intelligent parking strategy Improved signage and approaches WEAKNESSES Dominated by traffic Lacking spaces to sit or dwell Unattractive buildings Poor quality public realm THREATS Customers do not return Fear of change Internet shopping Complacency This Plan offers an opportunity for the local community to set out its aspirations for The Broadway for the future. The Broadway has a special prominence in the Plan given its importance to everyone in Broadstone and the scope for positive improvement. The overall aspiration is for a street that is: 1. A Place to visit, as much as a road to travel along 2. Accessible to all, Safe, and Clear and Easy to use 3. Generous, Robust, Sustainable, Inclusive and Beautiful Set out below are a number of options for changing The Broadway. Each: is focussed primarily on the space between the existing buildings assumes the existing broad range of uses within buildings aims to achieve a better balance between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians,

15 with the latter being most valued aims for slow but steady through traffic aims to increase footfall, by making the place more of a destination in itself aims to continue to welcome convenience shoppers aims to provide more space for pavement cafes and markets aims to retain as much vehicle parking as possible retains existing cross-pavement accessways (all of which are on the west side) All change options are based on national standards and on the most recent guidance, and include: a carriageway wide enough for buses but narrow enough to encourage pedestrians to cross cycle lanes each side loading bays on both sides standard width parking bays planting where possible, but allowing for sight lines frequent traffic calming features to slow speeds crossings without lights, to reduce queuing Each option would require a safety audit and full technical review before moving forward. Funding for all the change options would need to be identified at a later stage. Each option could, if required, be implemented in stages. Each option includes on-street car parking. On-street car parking can be both positive and negative (4). Positive effects include: adding activity; being able to cater to different groups at different times of the day. Negative effects include: limiting opportunities for pedestrians to cross; visual dominance. In town centres and other locations where speeds are low, echelon and right angled parking may be the best solution, since it is more efficient and creates a stronger statement that the area is for place activities as well as for movement (4). example example example

16 Do Nothing Option This option leaves The Broadway unchanged. Costa Coffee Ho Choys Methodist Church The existing Broadway Library 46% public realm for pedestrians (and 54% for vehicles) 48 parking spaces One offline (in a bay) and One online (in the carriageway) bus stop No designated loading bays Two pelican crossings Two pedestrian refuges Mollys Budgens

17 Option A This option includes parking spaces on both sides of the road and a deflection of the carriageway to act as traffic calming. The pedestrian crossing points are evenly spaced and the broad pavement on the eastern (sunniest) side allows for a long line of trees. Vehicle speeds would be reduced by the narrowed carriageway, frequent changes in surface materials, and by drivers manoeuvring in and out of parking spaces. The carriageway and pavements are separated in the traditional manner. Option A 59% public realm for pedestrians (up 13%) 38 parking spaces (down 10) Two online bus stops Three designated loading bays (up 3) Five pedestrian crossing points (up 1)

18 Option B This option includes parallel parking spaces on both sides of the road and pedestrian crossing points at key locations. The broad pavement on the eastern side allows for a long line of trees. Vehicle speeds would be reduced by the narrowed carriageway, deflections at the southern and northern ends, changes in surface materials, and by drivers manoeuvring in and out of parking spaces. The carriageway and pavements are separated in the traditional manner. Option B 59% public realm for pedestrians (up 13%) 34 parking spaces (down 14) Two offline bus stops Three designated loading bays (up 3) Four pedestrian crossing points

19 Option C This option includes right-angle parking spaces on both sides of the road focussed on the zone between York Road and Grange Road. Within this section of the street the carriageway and parking would have a similar surface material to pedestrian areas. This would provide a strong visual message that this area is the focus of the village, that pedestrians have priority, and that vehicles should move slowly and cautiously through the zone. If Grange Road/York Road was used as a temporary bypass, this zone could occasionally be closed to traffic and used for markets, events or gatherings, such as a Christmas Festival. Option C 58% public realm for pedestrians (up 12%) 58 parking spaces (up 10) Two offline bus stops Three designated loading bays (up 3) Four pedestrian crossing points

20 THE BROADWAY Do you support the Do Nothing Option? YES NO Do you suport Option A? YES NO Do you support Option B? YES NO Do you support Option C? YES NO Please add any comments on THE BROADWAY below? Other opportunities identified within The Broadway include: More dwellings above and behind commercial units (to add more life and help safety) Better shopfronts (for a more attractive streetscene) Visitor accommodation (for family or business visitors, and to add life and help safety) An arts/community/youth/daycare facility (making community life more prominent) References: 1. Poole Core Strategy Borough of Poole London Housing Design Guide Interim Edition Quality Places Eastleigh Borough Council Manual for Streets 2 CIHT 2010 Your name: Your address: Age group: or older Thank you for completing this questionnaire. We look forward to reading your comments. Broadstone Neighbourhood Forum - June 2015