Linden Homes. Proposals for new homes and a community country park on land at Shrivenham Park Golf Course Welcome

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1 Welcome Welcome to Linden Homes public exhibition to display its proposals for a range of new homes together with a community country park on land fronting Faringdon Road, Shrivenham. Today s exhibition has been arranged to provide you with an opportunity to review and provide feedback on the draft proposals for this site ahead of the preparation and submission of a planning application. We hope you will find this event informative and helpful. Before you leave today, please take the time to complete one of the comment forms available, as local feedback is greatly valued. Thank you for your interest and for taking the time to attend today s event. Linden Homes looks forward to receiving your comments. At the exhibition today: About Linden Homes Thames Valley Site background the overall masterplan Scheme Proposals Scheme Proposals the country park Highways, access and parking Drainage Investing in local communities: a case study Community benefits Next steps and timescales A selection of Linden Homes developments

2 About Linden Homes Thames Valley Linden Homes is the country s fifth largest house builder. We are the house building division of Galliford Try, one of the UK s leading construction companies. Linden Homes Thames Valley is based at Milton Park, Abingdon and is one of 11 regional offices that operate right across England, from Cornwall to Northumberland. With a reputation for bespoke and creative developments in prime locations, Linden Homes prides itself on its high quality design. We were named Best Large Housebuilder 2013 at the Housebuilder Awards and Housebuilder of the Year at the Ideal Homes Blue Ribbon Awards 2013 and Engaging with local communities is key to the work that we do. We understand that if we are to deliver houses that not only meet the aspirations of those who seek to live in them but also enhance the existing neighbourhood, then we need to talk to and engage with local people. By seeking out local knowledge, and listening to local opinion, we are able to build a fuller picture and identify the wider benefits that development can bring to the existing community. Linden Homes is proud to be part of the Considerate Constructor s Scheme, and works hard with local communities throughout the construction process of its developments. House Builder of the Year 2013 & 2014 House Builder of the Year A selection of Linden Homes developments

3 Site background Linden Homes was approached by the landowners of Shrivenham Park Golf Club in early The decision behind the approach to Linden Homes stemmed from financial difficulties experienced by the golf club over the past number of years. Following this approach, Linden began work on preparing the proposals which you see before you today. Development context The Government requires that the Districts in Oxfordshire are able to objectively assess the need for housing across the County. In March 2014 the Oxfordshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) was published and this indicated that the objectively assessed need for housing across the Vale of White Horse District is 1,028 dwellings per annum or 20,560 dwellings over the new plan period ( ). In response to these findings, the Vale of White Horse District Council (VoWHDC) has embarked on the production of a new Local Plan to cover the period In February 2013 the Vale of White Horse District Council published an initial draft of the new Local Plan for public consultation, which set out the proposed distribution of housing across the District, whilst identifying a number of specific sites which could possibly be allocated for housing development. In accordance with Government Planning Policies, the Vale s new draft Local Plan has allocated houses to 21 locations across the District, including around 600 homes to Shrivenham. Shrivenham is one of the District s larger villages and it is, therefore, a sustainable location for future housing development. The plan-making process is ongoing and choices still need to be made about which sites around the village are the most suitable to accommodate the required new homes. It is important that new developments provide sufficient infrastructure and provide good access to village facilities and schools. Aerial image showing site location Linden believes that the site being presented to you today offers the opportunity to accommodate some of the additional growth envisaged for Shrivenham. Importantly, this site can provide good access to facilities in both Watchfield and Shrivenham, and it will provide a large area of land for recreational uses with unrestricted public access. The scheme will also focus new housing in a location which is sustainable in the context of Shrivenham and will help to deliver a new primary school as part of the neighbouring residential development proposal.

4 The overall masterplan Linden Homes is currently working on proposals that will form a full planning application, which will seek to establish both the principle and details of the planned development. The current proposals for the land fronting Faringdon Road include: Circa. 135 new homes, including one, two, three, four and five bedroom homes 40 per cent of the homes to be identified as affordable for local people The creation of a new 16 hectare country park, including extensive planting, wildlife habitats, footpath links and areas for public recreation The key features of the site and opportunities for its development are summarised below, alongside plans illustrating how the proposals have evolved to date. Key features and opportunities for the site 1. Existing mature trees make ideal setting for strong but informally arranged pockets of open space. 2. Development set back from Faringdon Road will allow the established landscape setting to continue to mature and be the dominant feature. 3. Streets designed to thread between the existing trees and spaces creating a softer experience when moving through the scheme. 4. Country park setting to the north creates a visually pleasing outlook and backdrop to the development. 5. Simple urban blocks sized to maximise outward looking development and maximise on-plot parking structure for detached and semidetached dwellings. Constraints and opportunities plan 6. Opportunity to retain the higher grade of tree specimens and utilise them within the public realm to provide the development with an instantly mature setting. 7. Tertiary streets off the primary streets will reduce the amount of hard surfacing within the development, slow traffic speeds and allow for greater front garden depths in places. 8. Strong desire line through the development to the village centre to the south and the country park to the north to be supported by strong pedestrian links through pleasant open spaces. 9. Retain the public right of way through the site and ensure it is well overlooked and safe. Block and open space structure

5 Scheme proposals At the current time, Linden is proposing to build circa. 135 new homes along the site s frontage on Faringdon Road, which would include a range of detached, semi-detached and terraced homes. The housing masterplan shown below is indicative and the final proposals for the homes may well change depending on the feedback received during Linden s consultation. Nevertheless, a number of important principles will guide the design of the scheme layout and the new homes themselves. Layout, open space and landscaping In terms of the layout, Linden will look to incorporate areas of open space to break up the built form and provide an attractive setting for the new homes. The landscape strategy would include extensive planting of new trees and shrubs, as well as the retention of existing trees and hedges. In addition, a significant proportion of open space is proposed for the southern edge of the development with Faringdon Road, providing a green buffer to the housing and mitigating any visual impact on this area in conjunction with maintained landscaping at this edge. Design and construction Linden Homes is a bespoke housebuilder and does not use standard house types like some other developers. Each site is approached individually from a design perspective, taking into account its context and the character of the local area. While the final design of the homes is yet to be determined, the proposed development will maintain character themes from the local area and use an appropriate palette of materials. Linden is committed to building homes which achieve a high level of sustainable design and construction standards. It is proposed that all homes in this development would meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4, thus achieving a 44 per cent level of efficiency or greater. Illustrative housing masterplan

6 Scheme proposals The country park Linden s proposals include a new country park situated to the north of the planned housing development. At 16 hectares (39.5 acres), this would provide a significant amenity space for the enjoyment of new and existing residents. While the features to be included in the country park are yet to be finalised and may be shaped by the feedback received at today s exhibition, initial proposals include: Extensive planting and the retention of existing vegetation from the former golf course The preservation and creation of valuable habitat areas Native buffer planting to improve screening of the Sewerage Works and development off Northford Close New paths to create links with adjacent residential areas and maintain existing public footpath routes Seating areas with timber benches More details about the features of the country park are included in the annotations below. Landscape masterplan showing proposed country park

7 Highways, access and parking Vehicular access to the new homes would be taken from Faringdon Road and would be designed to ensure a sufficient visibility splay is maintained, as the plan below demonstrates. Within the development, a primary street is proposed to link the access point with homes on the northern boundary and a secondary street would extend from this into the northwest corner. Homes would also be accessed through private drives and shared surface areas, with the latter designed to encourage slow vehicle speeds and ensure the safe passage of both pedestrians and cars. All internal access roads would be built with high quality and appropriate materials which are in keeping with the development s context. Importantly, existing public rights of way would be maintained and new footpath links would be created to connect the development with both the country park and residential development to the north, as well as pedestrian links into Shrivenham village centre to the south. The pedestrian links will aid permeability through the site and encourage new residents to walk from the development. In addition, the site is well located within close proximity to bus stops for local services to Faringdon & Oxford to the north and Swindon to the south. Movement plan A full Transport Assessment will be submitted as part of the application and this will be scrutinised by Oxfordshire County Council as the highways authority. While the conclusions of this Assessment are yet to be published, Linden considers that traffic movements from this development could be sufficiently accommodated by the local road network. The total number of parking spaces provided within the development is yet to be determined, but this will comply with VoWHDC s standards. Private parking for residents will be provided through a mixture of on-plot driveways, garages and parking courts. A sufficient number of visitor spaces will also be provided. Buses plan Indicative access plan

8 Drainage Drainage is an important consideration when developing any site and Linden Homes will take all the necessary steps to ensure that both foul and surface water can be adequately managed. Whilst full details of Linden s drainage strategy, including a Flood Risk Assessment, will be submitted with the application, more details relating to drainage are outlined below. Flood risk The Environment Agency has confirmed that the development would be located entirely within the lowest risk category Flood Zone 1. This is land which is not within an area subject to either flooding or extreme flooding events and is assessed as having a less than 1 in 1000 (<0.1%) annual probability of flooding from a river or stream. The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) prepared by Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire & Vale of White Horse District Councils has also confirmed that the development is not at risk from all other potential sources of flooding. Foul water Linden Homes is currently proposing that all foul flows generated from the development will discharge directly into the existing Thames Water foul sewerage works north east of the site, bypassing the foul network within Shrivenham and reducing the burden on the existing piped network. Consultation with Thames Water is currently ongoing to confirm this approach. Surface water The proposed surface water drainage strategy offers a sustainable, safe and robust system which will afford complete flood risk protection to residents within the new site and to existing properties and land within Shrivenham. This is achieved by ensuring that the peak rate and volume of surface water run-off from the site post development will be no greater than the existing greenfield run-off rate for the site. Importantly, all drainage systems will be designed to safely manage the exceptional 1 in 100 year rainfall event, plus an extra allowance of 30% for the predicted increase in peak rainfall up to 2115 due to climate change. The surface water run-off from all impermeable areas within the development including that from roofs, parking areas and the site access roads will be discharged directly to the ground via infiltration. Infiltration is a component of a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS), which enables storm water to be dealt with at source within the site boundary rather than discharging into offsite sewers or watercourses. Plan showing the proposed SuDS SuDS features to be utilised within the development will include Permeable Block Paving within the roads and parking areas, and below ground Cellular Soakaways within private rear gardens. Run-off from roofs will either discharge to the crate soakaways or into the stone sub-base of the permeable block paving. Run-off from the road and parking areas will infiltrate through the voids in the block pavers and soakaway into the underlying soils.

9 Investing in local communities: A case study For many, the visible sign of Linden Homes investment in their local community will be the new homes that we build. We are proud of the quality of our product but we also know that our investment stretches far beyond bricks and mortar. Our houses provide homes for families, work for local businesses and opportunities for new apprentices. We undertook a case study of one of our schemes in Devon, the findings of which are presented to the right. Some of the local businesses working with us at Ogwell Brook Western Counties Roofing (6 miles from our site) Pollington Decorators (24 miles from our site) Mackenzie Glass (18 miles from our site) AJ Wilson rendering (48 miles from our site) Robert McDonald Brickwork (7 miles from our site) Europlas Windows (3 miles from our site) Lucas Carpenters (18 miles from our site) Burgess Cleaning (4 miles from our site) O Leary Wall and Floor Tiling (30 miles from our site) Trimseal (11 miles from our site) Barkwell Plumbing and Heating ( 51 miles from our site) Barkwells (51 miles from our site) Clarkson and Evans (129 miles from our site) The team of contractors Case Study: Ogwell Brook, Devon Our 100 th apprentice in the South West National Apprenticeship Programme During 2013 Linden Homes launched a national apprenticeship scheme with First 4 Skills (a national training provider). Our aim To have 500 apprentices within the next three years The importance of apprenticeships Apprenticeships are key to developing skills vital to UK house building Without a skilled workforce, house building will struggle to deliver the new homes we need Achievements to date 100 apprentices recruited as part of our pilot programme in the south west 186 new homes are currently being built 25% (or 46 units) are affordable and are being made available through a local housing association to people on the local council s waiting list 95% of all homes for sale have been bought by local people living within 15 miles of the development A direct investment of 19.4 million into the local community Up to 280 jobs generated (research by the Home Builders Federation concludes that every home built delivers 1.5 full time jobs on site and in the supply chain) 73 jobs have been created on the first two phases of this three-phase scheme, two-thirds of which are with firms based less than 30 miles away A further 13 architects, surveyors and engineers are retained on the project, in addition to our team of four locally-based Linden Homes staff Local businesses have undertaken the majority of the work on site 90% of our contractors are based in Devon and Cornwall Three-quarters of our suppliers are also based in the south west Working with local firms, we have been able to train 11 young apprentices Our experience at Ogwell Brook is replicated on the majority of schemes across our entire national development network. When we say that we work with communities, we mean it.

10 Community benefits The development of Linden Homes scheme would deliver a number of benefits to the local community, including: The delivery of much needed affordable housing for local people at a time when evidence shows that a greater number of years olds remain living at home. A direct investment of some 18 million into the local economy. The provision of significant community open space in the form of a new country park of 16 hectares. Pedestrian links to neighbouring residential developments, ensuring permeability with the local area and easy access to the country park for existing residents. A New Homes Bonus payment over six years of up 1,097,000 to the Vale of White Horse District Council and 274,000 to Oxfordshire County Council (based on 135 homes). Opportunities for local people seeking apprenticeships in the building industry. The creation of up to 325 new jobs during the construction phase (direct and supply chain). These would be primarily with our local contractors, as our case study (see separate board) shows. A Section 106 package of contributions to education, highways, health and wider infrastructure will be secured as part of the development.

11 Next steps and timescales Thank you for taking the time to attend today s exhibition about Linden Homes proposals for land fronting Faringdon Road. We do hope that you found the event helpful and we would be grateful if you could take the time to complete one of the comment forms available. Timescales August September Review of consultation feedback Further liaison with VoWHDC planning and housing officers Pre-submission public consultation Following the exhibition, Linden Homes will review the feedback received, taking into account comments where possible. Linden Homes will hold a further consultation event in early September, prior to the submission of the planning application. There will also be an opportunity for you to provide comments to the Council during the statutory consultation period that will be held following the formal submission of the plans. Thank you If you have any questions or would like to discuss the proposals at any point, please contact: Freephone information line: Or visit: shrivenham October - December January Submission of planning application Ongoing local engagement Statutory public consultation period Ongoing discussions with VoWHDC and Oxfordshire County Council officers Likely decision to be reached on the application A selection of Linden Homes developments

12 Landscape masterplan showing proposed country park Website: