Review of the Proposed Milton Keynes Strategic Development Areas in light of the Panel Report into the draft South East Plan. Final Report.

Transcription

1 Aylesbury Vale District Council, Bedfordshire County Council, Buckinghamshire County Council, Mid-Bedfordshire District Council, Milton Keynes Council and Milton Keynes Partnership Review of the Proposed Milton Keynes Strategic Development Areas in light of the Panel Report into the draft South East Plan Final Report April

2 CONTENTS NON-TECHNICAL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... I 1. INTRODUCTION POLICY BACKGROUND THE SOUTH EAST PLAN PANEL REPORT THE SOUTH WEST SDA THE SOUTH EAST SDA LAND USE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS SOUTH WEST SDA DISTRIBUTION OF DEVELOPMENT SOUTH EAST SDA DISTRIBUTION OF DEVELOPMENT NEXT STEPS Appendices Appendix 1 Key Land Use Budget Parameters Appendix 2 Capacity of the South East SDA April 2008

3 Non-Technical Executive Summary Introduction 1. This report has been jointly commissioned by Aylesbury Vale District Council, Bedfordshire County Council, Buckinghamshire County Council, Mid-Bedfordshire District Council, Milton Keynes Council and Milton Keynes Partnership. 2. It provides advice on the land-use implications of the proposed Strategic Development Areas (SDA s) to the South West and South East of Milton Keynes as identified in the Panel report following the Examination in Public into the draft South East Plan which was published in August The are in the general locations proposed for the expansion of the city as set out in the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy (June 2006) but they vary in terms of scale/number of homes. The Panel recommends that there should be: 5,390 homes in the South West SDA, which lies wholly within Aylesbury Vale District; and, 10,400 homes in the South East SDA (4,800 in Milton Keynes and 5,600 in Mid Bedfordshire District). 4. The assessment has maintained a strategic focus and has provided advice on the overall land budget for each of the SDA s at three density scenarios (30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare). It has taken into account the principles of relevant national, regional and local planning policy (including the Panel Report) and adopted a consistent approach to both SDA s in terms of spatial planning principles and standards. It has also sought to minimise the impact of development on the surrounding landscape. 5. This work has been desk-based and has considered relevant work completed or commissioned since the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy and the South East Plan Panel Report. 6. In the sections on the distribution of development in the South West and South East SDA s the report mentions the fact that more detailed information will be provided in the next stage of masterplanning work. To clarify, we expect that this next stage of work would be best produced as a Development Framework document in a manner similar to that prepared for the Eastern and Western Expansion Areas. This document could then form the basis for future Area Action Plans/ SPD s. April 2008 i

4 Policy Background 7. The report provides a summary of the evolution of relevant planning policy since the production of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy by referring to the core policy documents that have an influence on the principle development in the SDA s. 8. It summarises the key conclusions of the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy on which this Study has been based. It also outlines the three main reasons for differences between the principles set out in the Growth Strategy and the conclusions of the SDA report. These include: The Panel s decision to reduce the total number of dwellings to be provided in the two SDA s from that identified in the Growth Strategy. This could be due to the fact that the Panel considered growth to 2026, whereas the Growth Strategy looked to 2031; The increase in the scale of the South East SDA and the commensurate reduction in the capacity of the South West SDA from that proposed in the Growth Strategy; and Changes in assumptions and local planning policy that have emerged over the interim period that have impacted upon the land use budget calculations. 9. The Study further discusses the emerging planning policy frameworks that the local planning authorities are preparing. These will guide the future policy basis for the implementation of the growth proposals in the existing Expansion Areas and in the SDA s. The South East Plan Panel Report 10. This outlines the Panel s proposed changes to the draft South East Plan and highlights their implications for the proposed South West and South East SDA s. 11. In reaching their conclusions on the direction of growth for Milton Keynes, the Panel took into account a range of evidence, this included the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy and evidence from the detailed debate at the Examination in Public. The Panel s analysis identified several key attributes and requirements in relation to the South West and South East SDA s. The key factors are identified below: Proximity to railway stations; on lines likely to be upgraded namely the existing Aspley Guise station and proposed new station at Newton Longville; Provision of green infrastructure, particularly in the form of linear parks, tree lined roads and integral open spaces; April 2008 ii

5 Provision of appropriate landscape buffers in order to enable existing nearby settlements to retain their integrity; Retention/enhancement of areas of biodiversity; and Provision of appropriate levels of local employment opportunities. The South West SDA 12. The South West SDA covers a broad area of land between Bletchley and Newton Longville. It lies to the immediate south of Snellshall West and west of Far Bletchley. Figure 1 below illustrates its general location in relation to the surrounding settlements. 13. Although the Panel did not define the boundary of the SDA, they stressed the importance of integration into the urban framework of the city. To the south, the Panel noted the importance of landscape buffers around existing settlements, such as Newton Longville. Figure 1: General Area of South West SDA Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) 14. The report describes the character and key landscape features of the South West SDA. It provides details of land use, landscape features, land ownership, surrounding settlements, transport corridors and major developments. April 2008 iii

6 Milton Keynes Council The South East SDA 15. The South East SDA, is located to the east of the Milton Keynes City boundary and south east of the Milton Keynes urban area. 16. As with the South West SDA the Panel did not define the boundary of the SDA, but they stressed the importance of integration into the urban framework of the city and the provision of landscape buffers to prevent coalescence with Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise and Wavendon. 17. Figure 2 below illustrates the broad geographical location of the proposed south east SDA. Figure 2: General Area of South East SDA GVA Grimley, Promap, On this basis, the north of the SDA would be broadly bounded by the A421 (although the consultant notes that one of the Strategic Reserve Areas lies north of the A421), Wavendon Golf Course and the current Strategic Reserve Areas identified in the Milton Keynes Local Plan. The southern boundary of the SDA would be defined by the Bedford to Bletchley railway line, which is currently in-use and forms part of the East West Rail proposals. The eastern boundary follows a line parallel with the M1 motorway. The western boundary is defined by the Milton Keynes City boundary. April 2008 iv

7 19. Further details are provided in the report on the character and key landscape features. These include land use, landscape features, land ownership, surrounding settlements, transport corridors and major developments. Land Use Budget Assumptions 20. This section of the report sets out the key assumptions which have informed the land budgets for each of the main land uses that will comprise the proposed SDA s. This should be read in conjunction with the Key Land Use Budget Parameters Table provided at Appendix 1. For the purposes of this strategic exercise, the land use totals have been rounded to the nearest hectare. 21. The land budget covers the following core land uses: Residential; Employment; Retail/ commercial uses (High Street); Schools; Community/ Health facilities; Sports/ Leisure facilities; Specialist sports provision; Formal Open Space; Informal Open Space; and Infrastructure including provision for green infrastructure i.e. structural landscaping and landscape buffers. South West SDA Distribution of Development 22. The proposed spatial distribution of development within the South West SDA has been guided by the following principles: Integrating development with the urban framework of the City; Maintaining the integrity of the existing settlement of Newton Longville; Identifying long term defensible boundaries for development; April 2008 v

8 Encouraging the use of public transport through maximising development in close proximity to public transport nodes and routes, particularly the proposed railway station and bus rapid transit route; Providing a Park and Ride facility to serve the A421 corridor; Extending the Loughton Brook Linear Park to serve the development and maintaining the Weasels Lane/Sustrans Route as a green corridor ; Maintaining key landscape features, including important field boundaries; Locating a central hub of retail, community, health and leisure uses to serve residents of the SDA; and, Providing a strategic employment area with good transport connections. 23. The section provides guidance on transportation matters; distribution of development at three density scenarios of 30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare, delivery and phasing and the key risks. 24. In summary, the analysis has revealed several options for the distribution of development in the South West SDA. Development could be accommodated to the north of the disused railway line, provided a density of residential development at an average of 50 dwellings per hectare was achieved throughout the SDA and the land use budget was trimmed or the assumed boundaries were changed. 25. This would provide defensible boundaries to the SDA and would retain the integrity of Newton Longville through retaining a significant green wedge to the south of the railway line. This high average density of development would, however, be unrealistic to achieve and would represent an entirely different mix and character of development to that seen elsewhere in Milton Keynes. 26. Furthermore, it would not maximise the potential use of the new railway station as part of the development and would be less likely to relieve the traffic impact on Newton Longville through the provision of a link road with Bletchley Road to the east. It would also leave uncertainty as to the future use of the land to the south of the railway line and result in an average density of residential development within the SDA which would not achieve a sympathetic relationship with the surrounding development or rural area. For these reasons this approach is not recommended here. 27. The study demonstrates that the incorporation of land to the south of the railway line within the eastern quadrant of the SDA would provide sufficient land to enable the delivery of residential April 2008 vi

9 development at an average of 40 dwellings per hectare. However, depending on the location of the new station this again may not maximise development around this important public transport node and would place pressure for development in an important green buffer around Newton Longville. Equally it would provide little flexibility if more detailed investigations revealed that some of the land was unsuitable for development and it would also raise uncertainties as to the future use of the southern quadrant. 28. The analysis shows that development of the northern half of the southern quadrant as an alternative to the eastern quadrant would also enable the delivery of the 40 dwellings per hectare average. However, including parts of the southern and eastern quadrant would enable the delivery of residential development at an average of 30 dwellings per hectare. 29. The latter approach would maximise development within walking distance of the new railway station consistent with PPG13 and would contain a green buffer which would encircle the SDA extending from Loughton Brook in the north, past Thrift Wood and Salden Wood, before connecting with the southern fringes of Newton Longville and Far Bletchley. In the form of a linear park, this asset could provide an exceptional recreational and ecological resource which if held in public ownership, by a body such as the Parks Trust, could provide in perpetuity a long-term natural defensible boundary as recommended by the South East Plan Panel. 30. It is noted that this approach is consistent with the broad principles adopted in the Growth Strategy for Milton Keynes, albeit that the linear park was shown to the south of Newton Longville having regard to the greater scale of development that was proposed in the South West SDA at that time. 31. The report therefore recommends that a linear park around the edge of the SDA is taken forward. It is recognised, however, that it will be possible through the detailed masterplanning of the SDA to assess the potential of other options, including varying the quantum and distribution of uses, and increasing the density in order to provide scope for other uses or a reduced land area. Additional work may reveal the potential for dual use of the green buffer as a recreational resource which may further reduce the overall land budget required. 32. There is a need for a comprehensive approach to the development of the whole of the South West SDA. This enables the development to incorporate the principles of a Whole City approach. This is essential to ensure that development is planned and undertaken in a comprehensive manner by the Local Planning Authorities. Within this there will need to be consideration of the potential for future joint working. April 2008 vii

10 South East SDA Distribution of Development 33. The proposed spatial distribution of development within the South East SDA has been guided by the development of the following principles: Need for integration with the urban fabric of the City; Maximising the use of public transport through locating development in close proximity to public transport nodes and routes, particularly in the vicinity of the existing railway stations at Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise; Need to optimise use of existing infrastructure and proposed infrastructure schemes highlighted in the Milton Keynes Long Term Growth Strategy; Need to achieve social diversity in the development and critical mass to help fund infrastructure; Maintaining the integrity of the existing settlements of Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise and Wavendon; Providing a Park and Ride facility to serve both the SDA and the Eastern Expansion Area, in close proximity to the A421 corridor; Extending the Eastern Expansion Area Linear Park to provide a green corridor for the development as identified in the Milton Keynes Long Term Growth Strategy; Identification of long term defensible boundaries for development, including the continuation of existing strategic open space areas, where appropriate, between the existing villages and in relation to the Milton Keynes urban area; and The location of strategic employment areas and a retail/service centre based on locations identified in the Milton Keynes Long Term Growth Strategy. 34. The section provides guidance on implications for transportation matters, distribution of development at the agreed 3 density scenarios of 30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) (as well as densities of 35 and 45 dph), delivery and phasing and the key risks. 35. The analysis indicates, albeit at a broad level, that the South East SDA can not accommodate 10,400 dwellings as proposed by the Panel Report at 30 dwellings per ha. It could, however, accommodate both the 40 and 50 dph scenarios. However, in the Consultant s judgement, the 50 dph scenario is probably unrealistic, based on average density assumptions made in the Western and Eastern Expansion Areas and assuming that a significant level of strategic open space will be provided in the proposed SDA. April 2008 viii

11 36. Whilst there is sufficient land overall within the SDA at 40 and 50dph scenarios to accommodate the required 10,400 dwellings, the analysis shows that there is not sufficient land within Mid Bedfordshire District to accommodate the 5,600 dwellings identified in the South East Plan Panel Report unless the density is over 50 dph. Given the challenge inherent in delivering development at this density we suggest that the two Local planning Authorities review this finding as a matter of priority and provide appropriate guidance in the masterplanning brief with a view to addressing and resolving this issue. 37. It is recommended that land use budget assumptions for the South East SDA should be based on a 40/45 dph density level. This will allow for a development that reflects the existing character of Milton Keynes, whilst permitting higher density development nearer to public transport and retail/service nodes to promote sustainable development. At this density there would be sufficient land available to protect the setting and distinctiveness of existing settlements, whilst catering for appropriate community/educational needs of the citizens of the proposed SDA. The future masterplanning exercise will need to confirm this high level analysis and should advise on the specific location of key land uses and ancillary facilities. 38. In terms of delivery it is proposed that development should commence with the bringing forward of the Strategic Reserves (in the north and the west) and follow a broadly southerly direction. Phase 2 should focus on development of the new local centre and adjoining land, together with land to the north of Woburn Sands within walking distance of the railway station. 39. The extent to which the land east of Salford Road is developed will depend upon the ultimate density of development. In this location the land nearest to the proposed local centre and employment site should be developed first. 40. In terms of risks, a key issue for the South East SDA is the delivery of strategic infrastructure prior to development taking place, notably improvements to the A421 and Junction 13 of the M1. Significant upgrades to public transport, including rail and the provision of a new park and ride facility, should also be a priority. 41. There appears to be emerging concern with regard to the location/ nature of the proposed local centre. It is understood that this reflects issues with its relationship with the existing centres at Kingston and Woburn Sands. It is proposed that this local centre will be complementary to, and should not compete with, these larger centres. These issues will need to be reviewed as part of the forthcoming masterplanning process in collaboration with the local planning authorities. April 2008 ix

12 42. There is a need for a comprehensive approach to the development of the whole of the South East SDA. This could include joint or separate DPD s/ SPD s for the Milton Keynes Council and Mid-Bedfordshire District Council areas. This is essential to ensure that development is planned and undertaken in a comprehensive manner by the local planning authorities based on a set of common assumptions and standards. Within this there will need to be consideration of the potential for future joint working. Next Steps 43. The next steps in relation to the two SDA s focus on the need to test the various assumptions that have been made in this study as part of work to take forward the local development frameworks for these areas. It is recommended that this work should include the following: Transport Assessments - It will be necessary to undertake a detailed study of the transportation impacts of the SDA and the potential measures by which to alleviate those impacts, including assessment of highway improvements, public transport accessibility levels and routes, and walking/cycling networks. This will help inform the nature and layout of the SDA and ability to deliver the quantum of development required; Technical Assessments - It will be necessary to undertake a number of technical studies of key constraints that may affect the SDA s to include a critical appraisal of all landscape assessments undertaken prior to and since publication of the Growth Strategy. Strategic Flood Risk Assessment is also recommended as a key piece of work to inform early masterplanning activity. Within the South East, this will need to incorporate a detailed assessment of the quantum of development that can be delivered in Mid-Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes respectively taking account of the view that the 5,600 dwellings proposed in Mid-Bedfordshire are not deliverable within the land identified for the SDA in the district once all constraints and land use budget requirements are met; Masterplanning - it will be important to undertake a spatial masterplanning exercise to assess the options for the distribution of the land uses/budgets to be informed by the transport and technical studies/assessments and to consider the need for further refinement of the boundaries to both of the proposed SDA s. We would expect that this more detailed information would be best produced as a Development Framework document in a similar manner to those prepared for the Eastern and Western Expansion Areas; Infrastructure Requirements and Delivery - it will be necessary to undertake a study to assess the likely infrastructure required to support the two SDA s, (including green April 2008 x

13 infrastructure), and the mechanism through which these will be delivered, including adoption of common standards by the respective local authorities and the appropriateness of use of a tariff mechanism to deliver infrastructure funding from new housing, in the light of the emerging Community Infrastructure Levy proposals; and Planning Framework - Consideration should be given to reviewing and, if necessary, revising the Local Development Schemes for the respective local authorities in order to identify the most appropriate Development Plan Documents (or SPD s) to deliver the planning framework for the SDA s. This will require close strategic collaboration between the respective local authorities at officer and member level in order to establish and agree an appropriate way forward to deliver development within the SDA s in a consistent and sustainable manner as recommended by the South East Plan Panel Report. April 2008 xi

14 1. Introduction 1.1 This introductory section outlines the: Purpose of the report; Project brief; Approach; and, Report structure. Purpose of the Report 1.2 This report has been commissioned by Aylesbury Vale District Council, Bedfordshire County Council, Buckinghamshire County Council, Mid-Bedfordshire District Council, Milton Keynes Council and Milton Keynes Partnership to provide advice on the land-use implications of the proposed Strategic Development Areas (SDA s) to the South West and South East of Milton Keynes as identified in the report of the Panel following the Examination in Public into the draft South East Plan which was published in August The Panel Report (Paragraphs 4.41 to 4.42) defines the SDAs as: a) The broad locations for regionally or sub-regionally significant longer term development (post 2016); b) Either new locations or the expansion of existing settlements; and c) Having a threshold of 4-5,000 dwellings. 1.4 The are in the general locations proposed for the expansion of the city as set out in the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy (June 2006) but they vary in terms of scale/number of homes. The Panel recommends that there should be: a) 5,390 homes in the South West SDA, which lies wholly within Aylesbury Vale District; and, b) 10,400 homes in the South East SDA (4,800 in Milton Keynes and 5,600 in Mid Bedfordshire District). April

15 1.5 Milton Keynes Council and its partner local authorities are reserving their position on the Panels recommendations pending publication of the Proposed Changes to the Plan, due in early To assist in informing their views on the Proposed Changes and those of interested third parties the five local authorities most affected and the Milton Keynes Partnership have jointly commissioned this strategic assessment of the land use implications of the Panel s recommendations relating to the proposed SDA s. Project Brief 1.7 The project brief identified a number of core aims and objectives, and these are summarised below: The assessment should maintain a strategic focus and seek to identify the following: a) In terms of an overall land budget, how the recommended number of homes can be accommodated in each SDA; b) Provide illustrative land budgets for three density scenarios; and c) Clarify the assumptions regarding population structure and thresholds/standards for new facilities that underpin land budget options. The assessment is to: a) Take into account the principles of relevant national, regional and local planning policy (including the Panel Report); b) Adopt a consistent approach to both SDA s in terms of spatial planning principles and standards; c) Seek to minimise the impact of development on the surrounding landscape; and d) Consider relevant work completed or commissioned since the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy and the South East Plan Panel Report. 1.8 It must be noted that this work has been desk-based, has not included detailed site appraisal and has been based on a planning principles approach. The work has therefore not taken into account detailed appraisals of landscape, transport modelling, flooding, utility supplies or April

16 other constraints. It has used as a basis, and has built upon, the following sources of information: Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, 2004; Milton Keynes Growth Strategy, June 2006; Representations to the South East Plan Examination in Public from all the Local Authority partners and other contributors, January 2007; The South East Plan Examination in Public Inspectors Report, August 2007; and Current Development Plan Documents of the Local Authority Partners and relevant national, regional and local planning policy documents. Approach 1.9 Our approach to the work has aligned with the requirements of the study brief. We have undertaken the following key stages of work: Review of core documents 1.10 This was an extensive exercise that included a review of all relevant national (planning policy statements), regional (draft South East Plan), sub-regional (Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy) and local planning policy documents (local authorities local plans, draft core strategies/dpd s and supplementary planning documents etc), plus the representations to the draft South East Plan and the Milton Keynes Core Strategy. It also included consideration of core documents produced since the completion of the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy This process has been invaluable to ensure that we developed a proper understanding of all the issues that have been raised by the various parties before, during and after the Examination in Public that shaped the factors leading to the bringing forward of the SDA s In addition, this process included an assessment of best practice which has emerged from other developments both within Milton Keynes and elsewhere in terms of application of spatial planning principles, standards/guidelines and the interpretation of relevant land-use policy. April

17 Preparation of land budget 1.13 From the review of core documents, a detailed table (provided at Appendix 1) was drawn up which identified potential land use budget parameters that could be adopted in the SDA s. This table reviewed relevant standards and assumptions taken from extant and emerging national, regional, sub-regional and local planning policy documents From this review, a summary paper was produced which outlined a series of recommendations on appropriate assumptions/standards to apply in the two SDAs. After discussion and some amendment, the assumptions/standards to be applied in developing the land budget for each SDA was agreed with the client group (see Section 6 of the report). It is upon these parameters/standards that Sections 7 and 8 of this report have been based The Brief requires that the consultant should prepare three illustrative land budget scenarios for each of the SDAs. It was agreed that these would be based on average net housing densities of 30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare (net) respectively. These represent densities ranging from the national minimum target in PPS3 (30 dwellings per hectare) to the best practice target from the Urban Design Compendium 2 (50 dwellings per hectare). It was felt that these three density scenarios would enable a view to be taken on the land take required to accommodate the proposed development at low, medium and high density scenarios and their implications. Each of these scenarios is appraised in Sections 7 and To inform this appraisal, transportation statements have been produced by the three highway authorities, namely Milton Keynes Council, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils. Whilst a detailed analysis of transportation issues is not required by the Brief, the comments provide a helpful context, underpinning the importance of a whole city approach and the need to get the phasing of development properly linked to the delivery of strategic infrastructure In Sections 7 and 8 the report mentions the fact that more detailed information will be provided in the next stage of masterplanning work. To clarify we expect that this next stage of work would be best produced as a Development Framework document in a similar manner to that prepared for the Eastern and Western Expansion Areas. April

18 Report Structure 1.18 The remainder of this report is structured as follows: Section 2 Background provides a summary of the evolution of relevant planning policy since the production of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy. It also touches on the other strategic planning documents published that address the subject of the expansion areas/sda s; Section 3 South East Plan Panel Report outlines the relevant recommendations on policy and their implications for the two SDA s; Sections 4 and 5 describe the character and key landscape features of the South West and South East SDA s; Section 6 explains the assumptions adopted in the land use budget; Sections 7 and 8 identify proposed land use budgets for both the South West and the South East SDA s adopting the 3 agreed density scenarios and identifying areas for future more detailed work; and Section 9 provides advice on the next steps from the analysis including key topics that will need further evaluation as more detailed master plans/ development frameworks are worked up The following section looks at relevant planning policy influences on this study. April

19 2. Policy Background 2.1 This section provides a summary of the progression in relevant planning policy since the publication of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Study and the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy. 2.2 This Sub-Regional Strategy was the first strategic policy document to identify the requirement for sustainable urban extensions to help deliver the planned growth of Milton Keynes. This section also summarises the key conclusions from the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy which informed the implementation of the Sub-Regional Plan. Milton Keynes and South Midlands Study (2002) 2.3 The evolution of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy came about through the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Study, which was published in The study evaluated four options for distributing growth throughout the sub region. 2.4 Following on from the Study, Growth Area Assessments were developed for each of the growth points identified, to provide a recommended broad pattern, timing and phasing of development; to determine how much growth is capable of being accommodated in the urban areas and to provide guidance on how these areas could be developed in the most sustainable way. Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy (2004) 2.5 The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, published in 2004, is a coordinated review of policy for the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-region, which impacts on three regions, namely the East Midlands and East of England as well as the South East region. 2.6 The Sub-Regional Strategy underwent a long period of stakeholder and public consultation in order to ascertain the scale and scope for growth within the sub-region and to promote the need for a cross regional strategy. April

20 2.7 The Sub-Regional Strategy sets out parameters against which the growth of Milton Keynes should be measured. These fall within the wider context of the Government s Sustainable Communities Plan (2003) that seeks to accommodate the economic success of London and the wider South East and ensure that the competitiveness of the region is sustained. 2.8 In this context, paragraph 3 of the Sub-Regional Strategy states: The Sustainable Communities Plan makes clear that where new or expanded communities are needed, these should be sustainable, well-designed, high quality and attractive places where people will choose to live and work. 2.9 At paragraph 9, the purposes of the strategy are defined: To provide strategic guidance on the scale, location and timing of development and associated employment, transport and other infrastructure to 2021 and the necessary delivery mechanisms; and To provide a longer-term perspective for the sub-region to 2031 in the form of uncommitted planning assumptions subject to later review In the case of Milton Keynes, this guidance is further amplified at paragraph 15: The city Will embrace its growth potential to mature as a major regional centre, particularly through the substantial development of its central area, supported by a significantly enhanced public transport system to facilitate and support growth in major development areas The Sub-Regional Strategy outlines the spatial framework for Milton Keynes up to 2021 indicating the level of growth sought and elements needed to support this growth. It goes on to say that the principles of the Sub-Regional Strategy should continue to guide development beyond The document identifies broad directions of growth that would need to be considered further. These are to the west, south and east of Milton Keynes Milton Keynes, as one of the identified growth points within the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Region has the objective of maturing as a major regional centre, particularly through the substantial development of the central area known as Central Milton Keynes (CMK). This growth will be supported by an enhanced public transport system. April

21 2.14 In terms of new housing provision, the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy identified a total growth of 44,900 homes within Milton Keynes to Growth in the level of employment is expected to follow a ratio of 1:1, with 44,900 additional jobs expected within Milton Keynes to In the longer term, from , the MKSRS proposes an additional 23,700 new homes within Milton Keynes, making a total of 68,600 new homes to In terms of predicted job growth between 2021 and 2031, the strategy makes no reference as to the aspirational amount of growth for the area, although it is reasonable to expect that this would be in the ratio of at least 1: The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy referred to a requirement for a strategic, long term plan to be prepared for Milton Keynes. This resulted in the commissioning of the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy that GVA prepared on behalf of the Milton Keynes Partnership in 2006 (see overleaf). Milton Keynes Local Plan (2005) 2.17 The Milton Keynes Local Plan was adopted by Milton Keynes Council in December 2005 and covers the period up to It will be replaced by the emerging LDF. It identifies specific policies on the location of both residential and employment land to manage the growth of Milton Keynes It specifically allocates Expansion Areas for development up to 2011 to the west, east and two to the north of the City. The majority of these also have additional development potential beyond 2011 up to It also identifies five Strategic Reserve Areas to assist in accommodating future growth. These are identified in the adopted Milton Keynes Local Plan, as follows: North of A421, East of Fen Farm (EA4) 21 hectares; Glebe Farm, south of A421, Wavendon (SR2) 56 hectares; Eagle Farm, south of A421, Wavendon (SR3) 21 hectares; Church Farm, east of Wavendon Gate and Old Farm Park, Wavendon (SR4) 20 hectares; and April

22 Tickford Fields Farm and land adjoining, North Crawley Road, Newport Pagnell (SR5) 25 hectares The first four strategic reserve areas have been included in the South East SDA and are the first areas of search. Subject to detailed planning considerations it is expected that these sites will come forward as the first phase of development post All of these sites will be subject to the Milton Keynes tariff agreement. Milton Keynes Growth Strategy (2006) 2.21 The Growth Strategy was required to guide the growth of Milton Keynes and to identify (in light of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy) the directions for this expansion This identified the need to provide a platform for a step change in the quality of facilities and investment in the City. It also reflected a continuing programme of selective intensification and renaissance supported by upgrading of the public transport system The report defines the study area, taking the lead from the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, which depicts directions of growth to the west, south and east of the city. Given this strategic policy guidance, the options for growth focussed on these areas It goes on to set out the planning policy framework underlining the role of the Growth Strategy in informing the Principal Authorities on the distribution of housing growth up to 2026, in the context of their submissions to the Government on the emerging South East Plan A Spatial Vision for Milton Keynes in 2031 is presented in the Strategy. This draws on the requirements of the Sub-Regional Strategy and the Milton Keynes Community Strategy and identifies Strategic Objectives, Core Sustainability Principles and Strategic Growth Policies It pictures an ambitious future, balancing the needs and aspirations of today s communities, with the changes in lifestyles necessary to ensure a more sustainable future for the city in the long term. A range of factors is identified that will influence the potential to achieve the vision, including the imperatives of gaining long term political support; securing significant private sector investment, supported by complementary public sector funding and interventions; and the need to put in place effective delivery mechanisms to ensure the early provision of strategic infrastructure is in step with growth. The Strategy also identifies Strategic Objectives, Core Sustainability Principles and Strategic Growth Policies. April

23 2.27 The proposed scale and phasing of growth in Milton Keynes up to 2031 is set out in the report, that is replicated in the following table: Table 2.1: Scale and Phasing of Milton Keynes Growth per 5 year Period split by reference to development on urban and peripheral sites Subject Total: Milton Keynes 7,900 15,000 11,000 11,000 11,500 12,200 68,600 Annual Average Rate of Housing Provision Housing provided within the existing urban area (including previously developed and allocated sites) Peripheral (greenfield) housing growth Source: Milton Keynes Council/Consultant (MK Growth Strategy 2006) 1,580 3,000 2,200 2,200 2,300 2,440 2,290 1,000 1,100 1,500 3,000 4,000 4,500 15,100 6,900 13,900 9,500 8,000 7,500 7,700 53, The report goes on to explain the role and scale of urban regeneration necessary in the urban areas of change to accommodate approximately 13,000 dwellings and related neighbourhood facilities. Similarly, the locations of the two proposed urban extensions were defined, namely: The area south-east of Milton Keynes broadly defined by land in close proximity to Wavendon, Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise; and The area south-west of Milton Keynes broadly defined by land surrounding the village of Newton Longville These urban extensions proposed in the Growth Strategy have broadly formed the basis of the South East and South West Strategic Development Areas (SDA s) identified in the South East Plan Panel Report but with a different number of dwellings (to that applied in the Growth Strategy) 15,790 divided between the South East SDA (10,400) and the South West (5,390) as compared with 21,500 in the Growth Strategy (South West two areas totalling 14,300 dwellings and 7,200 dwellings in the South East) The Growth Strategy identifies that the sustainable urban extensions should be carefully programmed so as to complement, and not undermine, the contribution of development and regeneration within the urban area That said it is proposed that a large proportion of housing up to 2021 will be delivered on greenfield sites, with an increasing proportion of urban housing being brought forward post 2021 up to Throughout the plan period, however, peripheral and urban development April

24 will have to be implemented in tandem, supported by the provision of appropriate strategic infrastructure, to ensure complementary growth The Growth Strategy was used as the basis of Milton Keynes Partnerships evidence to the Examination in Public of the South East Plan There are three main differences in this SDA report from the Growth Strategy, these are picked up throughout the report but in summary include: The Panels decision to reduce the total number of dwellings to be provided in the two SDA s from 21,500 as identified in the Growth Strategy to 15,790 in the South East Plan Panel Report. This could be due to the fact that the Growth Strategy considered levels of growth up to 2031, whereas the South East Plan target on which this SDA Study is based only considers levels of growth to 2026; The increase in capacity of the South East SDA from 7,200 dwellings (Growth Strategy but not including the Strategic Reserve Areas which would provide an approximate total capacity of 9,700 dwellings) to 10,400 dwellings (South East Plan Panel Report), and a reduction in the capacity of the South West SDA from 14,300 dwellings (Growth Strategy) to 5,390 dwellings (South East Plan Panel Report); and Changes in assumptions and local planning policy that have emerged over the interim period that have impacted upon the land budget calculations. Emerging Planning Policy Frameworks for Local Planning Authorities 2.34 All three of the relevant local planning authorities are working towards the production of their Core Strategies and Local Development Frameworks. These will provide the policy basis for the implementation of the growth proposed both in the existing Expansion Areas and in the SDA s The timetable for production of these policy documents is identified below: April

25 Table 2.2 Local Development Framework Progress Local Planning Authority Milton Keynes Council Progress with Development Plan Documents The Milton Keynes Local Plan was adopted in December 2005 and will be valid until December The planning authority will consider which Local Plan policies need to be saved during Milton Keynes Council adopted the Statement of Community Involvement in April Work on the Core Strategy and Key Diagram DPD began in Recently the Council published its Preferred Options document for consultation during the course of the Autumn We understand that the Core Strategy has been held up due to emerging new regulations. As a result the date for submission to the Secretary of State has been scheduled for September or October 2008, but this is still to be confirmed. The Examination in Public has tentatively been scheduled for April 2009 with adoption during Mid Bedfordshire District Council As a result the Allocations DPD will also be held up with Issues and Options expected around October/ November The Council's current saved policies are saved until the end of November The second review of the LDS was brought into effect on 1 st June The Combined Core Strategy and Development Control Policies DPD went out to consultation in August Presently the Council are preparing for Submission to the Secretary of State, scheduled for August 2008, with examination by the end of the year. Following successful completion of this adoption will take place around September Work on the Site Allocations DPD is within the early stages of preparation. Consultation on the Preferred Options is not expected until the end of 2008, while adoption of the DPD is intended to happen around September Following the Adoption of Site Allocations DPD the Mid Bedfordshire District Council LDF will be complete. Aylesbury Vale District Council Commencement of the Core Strategy started in March 2005 alongside this work began on the Allocated Sites DPD for Aylesbury. Both went out to consultation in July Adoption of both DPD s is anticipated in August The Core Strategy intends to contain a commitment to joint working on the South West SDA, and this may be developed in a separate DPD. The decision on which direction to take will be made in light of the further development of the South East Plan. Commencement on the Rural Areas Allocated Sites DPD is scheduled for November 2008 with submission and adoption scheduled for September 2010 and September 2011 respectively. Commencement on the General Policies DPD is not scheduled until the end of 2009, submission and completion anticipated September 2011 and October 2012 respectively. Following the Adoption of General Policies DPD the Aylesbury Vale District Council LDF will be complete. April

26 Towards a Regional Plan 2.36 The South-East Plan Panel Report has drawn upon the above documents and has identified Milton Keynes as one of four potential growth centres in the South East, within the period 2001 to The following section outlines the relevant policies identified in the South East Plan Panel Report and their implications in light of the proposed South West and South East Strategic Development Areas in Milton Keynes. It must be noted that the South East Plan Panel report has been informed by evidence submitted by Local Planning Authorities and others including English Partnerships during the consultation periods in 2006 and The LDF Core Strategies have been emerging in parallel with this process and are ongoing. The South East Plan Panel Report offered some suggestions as to how joint working might proceed in the future (depending on the arrangements pursued by the Local Authorities). April

27 3. The South East Plan Panel Report Background 3.1 The South East Regional Assembly submitted the draft South East Plan (SEP) to Government on the 31 st March Extensive consultation had underpinned the preparation of the draft SEP, including stakeholder events in and two phases of public consultation in early 2005 and autumn In addition, most of the content of the draft SEP in respect of the Milton Keynes Aylesbury Vale (MKAV) sub-region came directly from the adopted Milton Keynes South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy (MKSM), with the exception of the housing figures rolled forward to Following the submission of the draft SEP to the Government, a statutory period of consultation was undertaken through to June The Secretary of State also appointed an Independent Panel of Planning Inspectors to examine the draft SEP. An Examination-in- Public (EiP) was held from November 2006 through to the end of March The Panel held three sessions of the EiP into the MKAV sub-region in relation to Strategy and Implementation, Milton Keynes, and Aylesbury Town and Aylesbury Vale. It is noted that the Panel that considered these sessions contained a very detailed level of debate as to where and how the future expansion of the city would be best located. These sessions were supplemented by a number of non-participative statements. 3.3 The Report of the Panel was published in August This considered in depth the locational direction for the longer term growth of Milton Keynes and the phasing and apportionment of the housing provision by district for the two SDA s within the south east and south west. This chapter goes on to explain in more detail the Panel s conclusions in respect of the sub-region and, more specifically, the scale and nature of growth of the two SDA s. Sub-Regional Comments 3.4 The Panel in its Report made a number of recommendations in relation to the strategy and growth of the sub-region as a whole, including the following of relevance to this study: The Panel considered the Oxford-Cambridge Arc deserved a stronger mention in the strategy for the sub-region, in particular it envisaged Milton Keynes becoming a location for knowledge-based businesses and a networking hub; April

28 East-West Rail is identified as a regional priority which is an integral part of the Regional Transport Strategy, its significance to the growth of the sub-region was also noted; Improving connectivity between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes was identified as being a key challenge for the sub-region; The draft SEP approach of seeking a ratio of one new job for each new dwelling was endorsed by the Panel; The Panel noted that additional employment land would be provided in future urban extensions and recommended this be referenced in the SEP; and The Panel recommended a slight amendment to the phasing of Milton Keynes housing, noting that the latter half of the plan (beyond 2016) was largely dependent upon the SDA s. Key Factors affecting the SDA s 3.5 In reaching its conclusions on the direction of growth for Milton Keynes, the Panel took into account a number of documents, including the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy to 2031 produced by the Milton Keynes Partnership, and the very detailed level of debate at the EiP. Having regard to the various alternatives put forward by participants at the EiP, the Panel carefully considered the options against criteria identified by the Regional Assembly. Their analysis identified several key attributes and requirements in relation to the South West and South East SDA s which led the Panel to recommend their inclusion in the SEP. Those key factors are set out below: Proximity to railway stations; namely the existing Aspley Guise station and proposed new station at Newton Longville; Provision of green infrastructure, particularly in the form of linear parks, tree lined roads and integral open spaces. The Panel noted the extension of the Loughton Brook Linear Park (Tattenhoe valley) to serve the South West SDA was logical and supported using existing valleys; Provision of appropriate landscape buffers in order to enable existing nearby settlements to retain their integrity; Retention/enhancement of areas of biodiversity importance in the South East SDA and the retention of the quality field boundaries in the South West SDA; Provision of appropriate levels of local employment opportunities; and April

29 Support for the regeneration of the existing centre of Bletchley from the South West SDA, although this was not considered a significant factor. 3.6 The Panel concluded on the form of the SDAs by stating (paragraph ): The proposed extension areas will need to be masterplanned with careful integration of the existing settlements, using landscape buffers, integration of their open space network into the existing green infrastructure within Milton Keynes, and the provision of clear defensible boundaries. 3.7 In relation to clear defensible boundaries, the Panel also noted (paragraph ): In our view land held by the Milton Keynes Parks Trust in perpetuity would receive far more protection than under Green Belt or strategic gap policies, with management being provided to ensure positive uses of land. Scale and Phasing of SDA s 3.8 Having regard to its analysis of the SDA s and the scale of housing growth needed within the sub-region, the Panel recommended the amount of residential development to be accommodated within each of the two SDA s. This is set out below in Table 3.1 with the Panel s illustrative phasing on their assumption that both SDA s are brought forward together. Table 3.1: Illustrative Phasing of Housing in the SDAs (Panel Report p.386) SDA Total Dwellings South West 2,450 2,940 5,390 South East 600 4,800 5,000 10, It will be noted that the scale of development within the two SDA s differs from that previously proposed within the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy and this in part is the rationale behind this further study of the capacity of the SDA s. Accordingly, the scale of growth identified by the Panel has driven the overall land use budgets used for this study. The following sections of this report go on to describe the two SDA s and identify other key features that will impact on the distribution of the growth The following section specifically describes the character and key landscape features of the South West SDA. April

30 4. The South West SDA Characteristics Location 4.1 The South West SDA covers a broad area of land between Bletchley and Newton Longville. It lies to the immediate south of Snellshall West and west of Far Bletchley. Figure 4.1 below illustrates its general location in relation to the surrounding settlements. The area is approximately 8km/5 miles from Central Milton Keynes. Figure 4.1: General Area of South West SDA Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) 4.2 Although the Panel did not define the boundary of the SDA, they stressed the importance of integration into the urban framework of the city. For this reason, the existing A421/B4034 road and the housing off Wincanton Hill and Chepstow Drive in Far Bletchley have been assumed to represent a logical boundary to the north. To the south, the Panel noted the importance of landscape buffers around existing settlements, such as Newton Longville, and April

31 therefore this boundary is less definitive. The absence of any clear boundaries at this stage makes it not possible to define the extent of the area. Land Uses 4.3 The land is predominantly used for agriculture (arable and pastoral) and contains isolated dwellings and other rural buildings and activities. There are existing rights of way across the land, including a dedicated byway from the B4034 (Weasels Lane). In addition, a disused railway line divides the area. The land to the immediate south of Far Bletchley includes a Works Depot and further to the east is the Bletchley Landfill site within the former Newton Longville Brickworks. Landscape Features 4.4 Having regard to the Aylesbury Vale Landscape Character Assessment (prepared for the District and County Council), the undulating topography of the South West SDA is a series of ridges and shallow valleys aligned roughly north-east to south-west. The ridges, particularly the byway, provide vantage points for local and distant views. The key characteristics of this area are the large, open, heavy clay soil, agricultural fields enclosed with well preserved thorn hedgerows. Hedgerow trees are also important visual elements in the landscape and a minor watercourse runs to the south of the disused railway line. In addition, to the west are pockets of woodland of varying sizes. Man-made features, including electricity pylons and the suburban fringe of Bletchley and Newton Longville, are also noticeable features. Land Ownership 4.5 An area of the land to the north of the disused railway line has been referred to as Salden Chase and is understood to be optioned by a consortium of national and local developers. Representations have also been made to the local authorities on behalf of David Wilson Estates in relation to land north and south of the railway line. Context Surrounding Settlements 4.6 The principal adjoining settlement is Bletchley. Bletchley falls within the urban area of Milton Keynes and is designated as a District Centre within the adopted Local Plan. Bletchley has April

32 good bus and rail links. However, its centre has declined in recent years and the Council is involved with partners in a number of regeneration initiatives in the Bletchley area. 4.7 To the south lies the rural village of Newton Longville within Aylesbury Vale District. The village retains some of its traditional village character and has a number of amenities; including a church, primary school and several shops and services. The ward population at the 2001 Census was 2, The land to the north of the SDA, on the opposite side of the dualled A421, contains the recent commercial development within Snelshall West with the mixed use development of Tattenhoe Park beyond, an allocation from the adopted Milton Keynes Local Plan. Transport Corridors 4.9 The primary vehicular route within the area is the dualled A421 (Standing Way). This feeds into the grid street pattern of Milton Keynes and connects with Buckingham to the west. The need for improvements to the A421 was acknowledged in the Draft South East Plan, although the nature of those improvements is to be determined. The B4034 is also an important local route and connects the A421 to the centre of Bletchley. The SDA is also bisected by Whaddon Road which is a local road connecting the A421 at the Bottledump Roundabout with Newton Longville to the south In terms of public transport routes, there are existing bus services which connect Newton Longville with Bletchley, Milton Keynes and Buckingham. The development of the SDA will clearly require significant improvements to services, particularly connecting with Central Milton Keynes. This could include an extension to the bus rapid transit route to the Centre via Westcroft District Centre and Shenley Wood The existing railway line running through the SDA is disused, although this is planned to form part of the East/West Rail Link being promoted by the East West Rail Consortium. Whilst this project is primarily aimed at improving connections between the Growth Areas of Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge through the introduction of passenger and freight rail services, less frequent local services connecting intervening stations are proposed to be provided. The Consortium has also indicated that this may include a new station to serve the South West SDA at Newton Longville. Train service options are under consideration and the business and operating case has yet to be finalised. April

33 4.12 In terms of walking and cycling, the Weasels Lane is an important route through the area connecting Far Bletchley with the open countryside to the west. This route is also part of the Sustrans National Cycle Network (Route 51). Major Developments 4.13 Tattenhoe Park is a 56 hectare (136 acres) site to the north of the SDA and was allocated in the Milton Keynes Local Plan for residential development. This is the last part of the New Town Designated Area to be developed to the west of the city. The site has capacity for approximately 1,300 dwellings, plus local shops/services, open space and a primary school. The proposals include a bus-only link across the Loughton Brook into the existing Snelshall West warehouse/distribution park to the south. When completed this link will allow the east/west public transport spine route to be extended to serve the SDA. Detailed planning permission for the first phase of this development was granted in December 2006 and infrastructure works began in The following section describes the character and key features of the South East SDA. April

34 Milton Keynes Council 5. The South East SDA Characteristics Location 5.1 The south east SDA is located to the east of the Milton Keynes City boundary and south east of the Milton Keynes urban area. The site is situated directly north of Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise. 5.2 Figure 5.1 below illustrates the broad geographical location of the proposed south east SDA. Although the Panel did not define the boundary of the SDA, they stressed the importance of integration into the urban framework of the city. Figure 5.1 The South East SDA GVA Grimley, Promap On this basis the north of the SDA would be broadly bounded by the A421 (although we note that one of the Strategic Reserve Areas lies north of the A421), Wavendon Golf Course and April

35 the current Strategic Reserve Areas identified in the Milton Keynes Local Plan. The southern boundary of the SDA would be defined by the Bedford to Bletchley railway line, which is currently in-use and is part of the East West Rail proposals. The eastern boundary follows a line parallel with the M1 motorway. The western boundary is defined by the Milton Keynes city boundary. Size 5.4 The South East SDA as identified in Figure 5.1 consists of approximately 788 hectares (1,947 acres) of land, and is broadly a triangular shape. 5.5 This is significantly higher than the 385 hectares identified within the Growth Strategy for the then called South East Growth Area; the reasons for this are identified below: 5.6 The Growth Strategy proposal Did not include land to the north east of Aspley Guise located to the north of the Bedford and Bletchley railway line; Did not include any of the four Strategic Reserve Areas (approx. 2,500 dwellings capacity) which have since been incorporated into the total area of the SDA; Identified a larger area of linear park extension than proposed in the current SDA; Identified a larger extent of existing development close to Wavendon and north of Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise that was excluded from the total area and only included 56.5ha of constrained land whereas Milton Keynes Council have identified some 108 ha of existing uses that should be excluded from the net area of developable land within their share of the South East SDA. This includes existing urban development at Woburn Sands; Wavendon village; golf courses; garden centres etc; Made no land budget allowance for infrastructure including road and landscape buffers (circa 182 to 242ha dependant on density scenario) whereas the current work has done this; and Did not include the significant level of provision for sports/ leisure facilities which the current work has done and which has resulted in a different land budget area for these land uses. This reflects changes in assumptions and local planning policy guidance that have emerged over the interim period. 5.7 The SDA can be conveniently divided into five discrete parcels of land as follows: April

36 North of Lower End Road; East of Salford Road; South of Lower End Road; West of the A5130; and Adjacent to the A5130 and A421 junction. 5.8 These are identified on the following plan: Figure 5.2 The South East SDA, Sub-Areas GVA Grimley, Promap 2008 April

37 Land Uses 5.9 The land is predominantly used for agriculture and includes isolated dwellings and other rural farm buildings and uses. The land is intensively farmed and sparsely settled. There are two large garden centres on the edge of Woburn Sands Frosts and Wyevale (with a combined area of around 10 hectares) which attract visitors from a wide area. Landscape Features 5.10 The Bedford and Bletchley railway line delineates a marked change in topography and landscape character. To the north the topography of the South East SDA is generally flat or very gently undulating, varying by only 10 metres or so across the whole site. There are a few marked differences as follows: Wavendon is situated on a low ridge; and To the south of the SDA between Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise there is an area of gently undulating arable land which extends north to a low ridgeline which bisects the Woburn Sands to Cranfield Road. This area is particularly visible from the railway and from some viewpoints from both settlements. In visual terms it benefits from a reasonable network of hedgerows and mature hedgerow trees and would seem to have suffered less from agricultural intensification than elsewhere To the south of the railway line (outside of the proposed SDA boundaries) the landscape is quite different; the topography is more complex, a greensand ridge rises sharply to 150 metres and, the rectilinear field pattern is replaced with a complex and more intimate mosaic of woodlands and small fields. Within this area, the historic villages of Aspley Guise, Husborne Crawley and Woburn Sands are located (the core of each has Conservation Area status) Key features are the M1 and the A421 to the east and the Bedford to Bletchley railway that provide the containment for the site. The M1 has a strong urbanising effect on the area by virtue of the road noise and light from the J13 intersection. The area is bordered to the south by the strong and historic landscape feature of the railway line With the exception of the area around Wavendon House and the golf course the landscape is largely characterised by the absence of hedgerow trees and woodlands or any other landscape feature in this denuded arable landscape. The hedgerows in existence are in a poor condition. As noted above there are areas of attractive parkland landscape, particularly April

38 around Wavendon House (a listed building) and the golf course. This area provides existing treed areas (many with TPO s), and in so doing protects the setting of the House, golf course and the landscape in this location With the exception of the Mid Bedfordshire District Council Land Use Study, all other land use studies undertaken in recent years have recognised that there are no overriding landscape constraints to development in the South East SDA. The Mid-Beds Study was used as the basis for the Council s proposals for a countryside gap /greenbelt to be created in this location. This was rejected at the South East Plan Panel Report in favour of an approach adopting a buffer of open space to help avoid coalescence and to protect the distinctiveness of the key villages in this location The villages of Aspley Guise and Husborne Crawley are flanked by mature trees and Wavendon is located to the west of the SDA. Woburn Sands is just outside the South East SDA. It is generally recognised that the rural settings and character of these four villages should be respected to ensure that their attractiveness and distinctiveness remains. Land Ownership 5.16 We are aware of a number of national and local developers who own/ have options over this land. These include the following: The South East Milton Keynes consortium is promoting land in Mid Bedfordshire; Gallagher is promoting three of the Strategic Reserve Areas; and Church Farm was promoted by Connolly Homes at the Milton Keynes Local Plan Inquiry In addition, there are known to be other landowner interests that include, but not exclusively, information submitted recently by Kirkby and Diamond. Context Surrounding Settlements 5.18 The village of Wavendon is located outside of the Milton Keynes City area and is home to around 630 people 1. As an ancient village, Wavendon retains a distinct character The town of Woburn Sands located to the south of the SDA has a total population of 3, MKC Population Bulletin, 2006/7 April

39 5.20 The village of Aspley Guise located on the southern edge of the SDA is a village in Mid- Bedfordshire. It is just over the county border and near to Woburn Sands. The village has a total population around 2,120 people 3. Transport Corridors 5.21 London Midland currently operates rail services on the Bedford to Bletchley line. There are proposals under the banner East West Rail to provide services on this line in three sections, as follows: The eastern section from Ipswich/Norwich to Cambridge; The central section from Cambridge to Bedford; and The western section from Bedford to Oxford/ Swindon At present, it is only the Bedford to Bletchley section of the proposed Bedford to Oxford/ Swindon line that is currently operational The primary transportation corridor in the context of the south east SDA is the M1 motorway. Access onto the M1 motorway from the South East SDA can be achieved via junctions 13 or 14, although junction 13 lies in closer proximity to the area Other primary transport corridors include the A5 trunk road running north to south through the city from the Midlands to London. The A421 is the main east to west route through the city, from the M40 to the A1. Major Developments 5.25 In recent years there has been demand for, and development of, distribution/industrial premises on land in close proximity to J13 of the M1. Whilst there is still a considerable amount of land in the development pipeline it is likely that local planners in Mid Bedfordshire could resist some proposals on capacity and sustainability grounds. There are significant plans for the provision of employment opportunities in the South East SDA including a Strategic Employment Location which will incorporate a mixture of B class uses Within the northern part of the SDA (and specifically north of the Wavendon Golf Course) are four of the five Strategic Reserve Areas that came forward through the Milton Keynes Local 2 MKC and Mid Beds District Statistics and Baseline Estimates, 2007/8 Yearbook 3 Mid Beds District Statistics and Baseline Estimates, 2007/8 Yearbook April

40 Plan. There are currently two outline planning applications under consideration by Milton Keynes Partnership for development of three of these Strategic Reserve Areas The first outline application 07/00934/MKPCO is for a residential development of up to 1,600 new dwellings and associated mixed use facilities. The total development area is approximately hectares (153 acres). The second outline application 07/00936/MKPCO is again for a residential development of approximately 840 new dwellings and associated mixed use facilities on a site of hectares (136 acres) The Eastern Expansion Area is located to the north of the SDA. In this location part of the A421 has been dualled and a new roundabout completed; the latter has been designed to allow the City Street in the Eastern Expansion Area to continue south into the SDA. This is a major fix in the planning of the SDA The NAMPAK development by Wimpey on a brownfield site close to the railway station in Woburn Sands will lead to the development of 330 homes. This represents a significant increase (30%) to the housing stock of the town The next section identifies the assumptions adopted in the land use budget April

41 6. Land Use Budget Assumptions 6.1 This section of the report sets out the key assumptions which have informed the land budgets for each of the main land uses that will comprise the proposed SDA s. This should be read in conjunction with the Key Land Use Budget Parameters Table attached at Appendix 1. For the purposes of this strategic exercise, the land use totals have been rounded to the nearest hectare. Residential 6.2 The quantum of residential development to be provided within the two SDA s for the purposes of this exercise has been taken from the Panel Report. This is 5,390 units within the South West SDA and 10,400 units within the South East SDA (from Table 23.2 of the Panel Report). 6.3 The density of the residential development has been established by the client team. Three scenarios are considered using an average density of 30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) net. Actual housing densities will clearly vary across the SDA, with higher levels adjacent to public transport nodes/routes. These densities represent range from the national minimum target of 30 dph (paragraph 47 of PPS3) to the recent best practice target taken from the Urban Design Compendium 2 of 50 dph. The three scenarios therefore generate residential land requirements for the South West SDA of 180ha, 135ha and 108ha respectively. Similarly, the residential land requirements for the South East SDA will be 347ha, 260ha and 208ha respectively. It should be noted that these are net figures and therefore include access roads, incidental open space and landscaping, and children s play areas 4. Employment 6.4 The Panel noted additional employment land would be provided as part of the future SDA s and a figure of 86ha was referred to within the Panel Report. This figure was taken from the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy to 2031 (paragraph 11.48) and it is noted that this is a scale of employment intended to complement a much larger amount of housing growth than envisaged by the Panel within the SDA s to It is not therefore considered appropriate to rely on this figure for the purposes of this exercise. 4 Source: Definition of Net Dwelling Density within PPS3 Annex B April

42 6.5 The Draft South East Plan and the MKSM Sub-Regional Strategy both establish a monitoring target of providing one new job to one new dwelling within Milton Keynes. Using this target, it is therefore reasonable to assume that 5,390 jobs will need to be provided to serve the South West SDA and 10,400 jobs to serve the South East SDA. It is acknowledged, however, that this is a Borough-wide target and not all of these jobs will be provided within the SDA s. 6.6 The future workforce within Milton Keynes in 2031 has been predicted to be split between the various employment sectors as set out in the following table (Source: Tables 5.2 and 5.3 (Policy-on scenario 2) of the Milton Keynes Employment Land Study September 2006). Table 6.1: Breakdown of Milton Keynes Workforce by Employment Sector at 2031 Sector % Offices/Research & Development 46% Industrial (Light and General) 6% Logistics/Distribution 14% Other (Retail/Services) 34% 6.7 If you apply this breakdown to the proposed SDA s when completed, the total number of jobs required for each employment sector is set out in Table 6.2 below. Table 6.2: Total Number of Jobs Required for Each SDA South West SDA South East SDA Use Class Jobs Jobs Offices (B1a/B1b) 2,479 4,784 Industrial (B2/B1c) Distribution (B8) 755 1,456 Other 1,832 3,536 Total 5,390 10,400 April

43 6.8 As noted above, it may not be appropriate for all of the jobs required to serve the future residents to be located within the SDA. It is noted that there is a policy aspiration to see a greater focus of office development within Central Milton Keynes (CMK). At present, approximately 10% of the existing office stock is within CMK 5 and therefore it is considered reasonable to assume that at least 10% of future office jobs will be provided within CMK. However, it is also recognised that there will be a need to provide some office space outside of CMK 6. In the absence of any definitive guidance on the proportion of office development capable of being accommodated within CMK, it is considered reasonable to assume that 50% of the office jobs required to serve the SDA s will be provided within the SDA s. 6.9 In relation to other jobs, it is assumed that the majority of the retail/service job growth will come forward within the existing centres in accordance with national planning policy within PPS6. In addition, some employment on other areas will come forward within the SDA within local shops, schools and community facilities It is therefore possible using standard employment densities and typologies taken from the Milton Keynes Employment Land Study to calculate the amount of land required within the SDA s for each Use Class as set out in Tables 6.3 and 6.4 below. Table 6.3: Total Land Requirement for Employment Sectors within the South West SDA Use Class South West Employment Total Employment Site Land SDA Jobs Density per Floorspace Typologies 8 Requirement person 7 Required (net) Offices (B1a) m2 23,560m2 4,600 sq.m/ha 5.12ha Industrial (B1c & B2) m2 10,982m2 4,000 sq.m/ha 2.75ha Distribution (B8) m2 37,750m2 5,070 sq.m/ha 7.45ha Total 2,318 72,292m ha 5 Paragraph 3.9 of the Milton Keynes Employment Land Study (September 2006) 6 Paragraph 8.18 of the Milton Keynes Employment Land Study (September 2006) 7 Table 5.4 of the Milton Keynes Employment Land Study (September 2006) 8 Table 4.4 of the Milton Keynes Employment Land Study (September 2006) 9 Explanation for this figure is set out in Paragraph 6.8 April

44 Table 6.4: Total Land Requirement for Employment Sectors within the South East SDA Use Class South East Employment Total Employment Land SDA Jobs Density per Floorspace Site Typologies Requirement person Required (net) Offices (B1a) m2 45,448m2 4,600 sq.m/ha 9.88ha Industrial (B1c & B2) m2 21,216m2 4,000 sq.m/ha 5.3ha Distribution (B8) m2 72,800m2 5,070 sq.m/ha 14.36ha Total 4, ,464m ha 6.11 For the purposes of this exercise, the Land Use Budgets should therefore make provision for 15ha (net) of employment land in the South West SDA and 30ha (net) in the South East SDA. However, it should be noted that the potential landscape and transport implications of this quantum of employment land, particularly the distribution element, have not been fully assessed and should be the subject of further assessment as part of the more detailed masterplanning stage. Retail/Commercial Uses (High Street) 6.12 There is little specific policy guidance as to the amount of retail/commercial land required to serve new residential developments. The Milton Keynes Expansion Area Development Frameworks identify High Street areas ranging between 0.3ha per 1,000 population in the Eastern Expansion Area and 0.6ha per 1,000 population in the Western Expansion Area. The lower figure for the Eastern Expansion Area reflects the proximity of the Kingston District Centre and is also broadly consistent with guidance adopted by Aylesbury Vale District Council in respect of the Berryfields MDA on the edge of Aylesbury Town. Having regard to the proximity of nearby centres to the SDA s, including the Kingston District Centre and Bletchley Town Centre, the lower standard (0.3ha per 1,000 population) has been adopted to inform the land use budget for the two SDA s The population of each SDA has been calculated based upon the latest projected household types. The average household size in Milton Keynes is expected to fall to 2.29 persons per household by Applying this standard to the SDA s, the South West SDA would have a total population of 12,343 and the South East SDA would have a total population of 23,816. April

45 The estimated population of the SDA s would therefore generate a requirement for a retail/commercial area of 4ha within the South West SDA and 7ha within the South East SDA. Schools 6.14 Milton Keynes Adopted Education Facilities SPG establishes that a primary school of 1.93ha (including playing fields) in size will serve 1,500 dwellings. It is noted that this standard has been carried through into the Expansion Area Development Frameworks. Notwithstanding that the school system differs within Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, this standard has been applied to inform the land use budget for both SDA s in order to ensure consistency of approach and this has been agreed with the Study Steering Group. The Client Group advise that there is no capacity within existing schools and therefore the South West SDA will require four primary schools (totaling approximately 8ha) and the South East SDA will require seven schools (approximately 14ha) In relation to secondary schools, the Adopted Education Facilities SPG establishes that a secondary school of 10.45ha in size (including playing fields) will serve 6,000 to 7,500 dwellings. More recent guidance has been included in the South East Plan Implementation Plan EiP Submission (October 2006) which assumes 5,000 dwellings would trigger the need for a secondary school. Furthermore, Milton Keynes Council are now planning on the basis of one secondary school per 6,000 dwellings based on an increase in pupil yield per 100 dwellings For the purposes of this exercise, it has therefore been assumed that one secondary school of 10ha would be required to serve the South West SDA and two schools (21ha) would be required to serve the South East SDA. Community/Health Facilities 6.17 There are a number of standards applicable to the provision of community facilities which vary in their level of detail. The Milton Keynes Local Plan includes a requirement for 0.75ha per 1,000 population for reserve areas which includes land for local commercial or community/social uses. This would translate to 9ha within the South West SDA and 18ha within the South East SDA which would include land for community and social uses, such as local health facilities. This standard has been adopted for the purposes of this study. April

46 Sports/Leisure Facilities 6.18 The Milton Keynes Local Plan contains a standard requiring sports hall provision for populations in excess of 20,000. Having regard to the existing and projected populations around both SDA s and the availability of relevant facilities, the Client Group has advised that they should both include an indoor leisure centre, containing facilities such as a multi-purpose hall and swimming pool. This is in accordance with the view of Milton Keynes Council s leisure advisors, Nortoft Partnerships Ltd. The scale and nature of facilities may vary between the SDA s. An area of 5ha has therefore been included within the Land Use Budget for a strategic leisure centre in each SDA Commercial leisure opportunities can also make an important contribution to the sustainability of a community. In accordance with national planning policy within PPS6, the majority of built leisure facilities will be directed towards the city/district centres. However, leisure uses of an appropriate scale to serve the SDA can contribute towards reducing the need to travel provided they are located in an accessible location, such as within the proposed commercial high street area. Accordingly, the Client Group has advised the addition of 2ha to the land use budget for each SDA for indoor commercial leisure uses. It should be noted that commercial uses such as golf courses could be accommodated within the landscape buffers where appropriate (see paragraph 6.25 below). Specialist Sports Provision 6.20 The Government has recently signalled that the planning system will have a major role to play in improving the nation s health and tackling obesity. The Client Group has an aspiration for more specialist sports facilities of national, regional or sub-regional significance. Given the difficulty in accommodating these in the existing urban areas, a provision of 11ha is to be made within the land use budgets for each SDA in accordance with the advice of the Client Group. This is a generous provision and will need to be soundly evaluated at the subsequent masterplanning stage. Formal Open Space 6.21 The standards for formal open space from the relevant adopted Local Plans and Supplementary Planning Guidance closely follow the National Playing Field Association Standard of 2.4ha per 1,000 population. This comprises space for local play areas (0.35ha/1,000 population), neighborhood play areas (0.6ha/1000 population) and playing April

47 fields (1.5ha/1000 population) and these standards have been applied in the Expansion Areas. This standard translates to 30ha within the South West SDA and 57ha within the South East SDA and has been adopted for the purposes of this study. Informal Open Space 6.22 The Milton Keynes Supplementary Planning Guidance on Leisure and Recreation sets a standard of 1.325ha per 1,000 population for informal open space, comprising local parks (0.4ha/1000 population), district parks (0.8ha/1000 population) and incidental open space (0.125ha/1000 population). These standards were applied to the Expansion Areas, although it is recognised that the latest guidance on natural open space is moving away from standards related to population size. Natural England s ANGST standards have developed this approach much further in analysing scale, catchment area and population served by different levels of facility (sub-regional, city, district and neighbourhood). In addition, the Milton Keynes Local Plan requires 10ha of land for wildlife interest at 1km intervals and Natural England has a standard of 1ha per 1,000 population for local nature reserves These standards combined, excluding incidental open space which is addressed within the residential land budget, generate a requirement for 2.2ha per 1,000 population. This equates to 27ha within the South West SDA and 52ha within the South East SDA and is considered a reasonable starting point for assessing informal open space requirements However, it is acknowledged that the quantum of informal open space will need to be considered in greater detail at the masterplanning stage having regard to a range of factors including: The ANGST standards and emerging local standards, within leisure strategies and SPD s; The existing and predicted demand for, and supply of, open space within the city and its surrounding areas, having regard to the likely future changes in activity rates; The location and nature of existing wildlife areas within the SDA and the scope for multiuse open space areas, i.e. serving more than one purpose; and, The amount of land required for green infrastructure and landscape buffers around the SDA s (see paragraph 6.26). April

48 Infrastructure 6.25 Having regard to the complexity of identifying the specific land requirements for infrastructure for the SDA s, it is considered appropriate to rely on the gross to net assumptions typically applied to calculating land areas. Net areas exclude all major estate roads and structural landscaping (landscape buffers). For employment areas, a net to gross ratio of 80/20 is typically applied and was used for the Milton Keynes Employment Land Study 10. However, having regard to the Land Use Budgets from the Expansion Areas, the amount of land allocated for major roads, structural landscaping, noise bunds, floodplains, and balancing areas represents approximately 30% of the total land area. It has therefore been assumed that a 70/30 net to gross ratio is more appropriate and the land budget for infrastructure within the SDA s will represent 30% of the total land area. This will include provision for green infrastructure, such as structural landscaping/landscape buffers It is also important to note that land identified for infrastructure can serve more than one function within the SDA. Landscape buffers and flood protection areas can also act as areas for recreation and biodiversity. There are many examples within Milton Keynes where such land has served a dual use, including the Loughton Brook Linear Park as part of the Tattenhoe Park development. The potential for the dual use of areas in this way may reduce the overall land budget requirements for the SDA s and this should be explored further at the masterplanning stage. Summary 6.27 The following table overleaf sets out the total land use budget for the component parts of the SDAs. 10 Paragraph 4.32 of the Milton Keynes Employment Land Study (September 2006) April

49 Table 6.5: Total Land Use Budgets for the South West and South East SDA Land Use South West SDA South East SDA Residential (three scenarios for 30, 40 and 50 dph respectively) 180ha, 135ha and 108ha 347ha, 260ha and 208ha Employment 15ha 30ha Retail/Commercial Areas 4ha 7ha Schools 18ha 35ha Community/Health Facilities 9ha 18ha Sports/Leisure Facilities 7ha 7ha Specialist Sports Provision 11ha 11ha Playing Fields 30ha 57ha Informal Open Space and Nature Reserves 27ha 52ha Total Net Areas 301ha, 256ha and 229ha 564ha, 477ha and 425ha Infrastructure including provision for green infrastructure, such as structural landscaping/ landscape buffers. 129ha, 110ha and 98ha 242ha, 204ha and 182ha Total Land Budgets 430ha, 366ha and 327ha 806ha, 681ha and 607ha 6.28 The following section identifies the recommended distribution of the land use budget for the South West SDA using the three agreed density scenarios. April

50 7. South West SDA Distribution of Development Guiding Principles 7.1 The following key principles have been taken from the Panel Report and advice from the Client Group, and have guided the proposed spatial distribution of development within the South West SDA: Integrating development with the urban framework of the City; Maintaining the integrity of the existing settlement of Newton Longville; Identifying long term defensible boundaries for development; Encouraging the use of public transport through maximising development in close proximity to public transport nodes and routes, particularly the proposed railway station and bus rapid transit route; Providing a Park and Ride facility to serve the A421 corridor; Extending the Loughton Brook Linear Park to serve the development and maintaining the Weasels Lane/Sustrans Route as a green corridor ; Maintaining key landscape features, including important field boundaries; Locating a central hub of retail, community, health and leisure uses to serve residents of the SDA; and Providing a strategic employment area with good transport connections. Transportation Matters 7.2 It is essential that a Whole City approach is applied to this SDA as this is consistent with the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy which states that the new areas should respond positively to the existing settlements and communities around Milton Keynes. This implies that the South West SDA may become a destination in its own right. Therefore, links to, and from, what will effectively become a sustainable urban extension to Milton Keynes will be subject to further transport modelling/ analysis. 7.3 We understand that a review of the Milton Keynes transport model has been commissioned and that this will report during This will consider the impact of the growth on the April

51 capacity of the highway network and will have a key role in informing the evolution of a master plan for the development of this SDA. 7.4 Transport considerations will play an important role in shaping the layout and distribution of uses within the SDA, the transport links and improvements required, and the timing of development. The transport implications of this potential growth area have been considered through the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy. However, further detailed studies will be required in due course which may have implications for the nature of the SDA. 7.5 The impact of the SDA on the highway network will clearly need to be assessed in detail as part of a wider transport assessment of Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. The need for improvements to the A421 has been acknowledged in the Draft South East Plan, although the case for improvements and their nature has yet to be investigated. Notwithstanding measures to encourage the use of public transport, the impact of additional traffic movements on the A421 both east and west will need to be assessed and, where necessary, mitigated through improvements. 7.6 There is also the potential for a significant adverse impact on Whaddon Road through Newton Longville village from its use as a short-cut to the A4146 and A5 to the south. The use of Whaddon Road for this purpose would not be acceptable to Buckinghamshire County Council. It will be necessary therefore to assess in detail alternative routes at the masterplanning stage, for example a new road connecting the SDA with Bletchley Road to the north east of Newton Longville and closure, or control of use, of Whaddon Road. In addition, in the longer term, Buckinghamshire County Council wishes to see the SDA linked by a new road connecting Bletchley Road with the Newton Leys development and the Stoke Hammond bypass and a potential route is safeguarded by Policy RA35 of the Aylesbury Vale District Local Plan. It is also noted that land is reserved for a link road within the Newton Leys development. 7.7 The provision of East-West rail services and a new station serving the SDA will be fundamental to delivering a sustainable community, although it is acknowledged that East- West rail has a much wider regional and sub-regional purpose beyond supporting this development. Notwithstanding this, it will be important to seek to capture development value from the SDA to facilitate its implementation. 7.8 It will also be important at the masterplanning stage to maximise development around the proposed railway station and design the layout in such a way as to encourage patronage of services through providing safe and convenient routes. The location of the station has not April

52 been determined, although it is noted that Buckinghamshire County Council consider a location to the east of Whaddon Road would be more convenient for residents of Newton Longville. This study does not seek to determine the location but considers the implications for the layout and form of the SDA of two options either side of Whaddon Road. 7.9 It is acknowledged that the likely frequency of services stopping at the new station and the limited destinations that might be served will mean that new bus services will be the main element of public transport provision in the area. They will be particularly important in serving those residents more remote from the station. In terms of linkages, the extension of the bus rapid transit system from the Snelshall West employment area to the north across the A421 into the SDA could potentially provide fast connections to Westcroft District Centre and Central Milton Keynes beyond. A conventional bus service at an attractive frequency would also be required to connect with Bletchley Town Centre. Internally, services will need to connect the residential areas with the rail station, retail/commercial hub, strategic employment site and external links. The masterplanning will need to ensure that the layout of development allows for the efficient operation of these services that are both convenient and direct There will be a need for a high level of permeability for walking and cycling through the SDA and linking with surrounding areas. The internal layout of development will therefore need to integrate appropriate walking and cycling networks for residents to key destinations, such as the railway station, park and ride facility and retail/commercial hub. The network will also need to connect with any natural boundary/linear park encircling the SDA which could provide an attractive recreational resource for the new community. This should connect with the Loughton Brook Linear Park to the north and other surrounding rural footpaths providing opportunities for residents to access the open countryside. Distribution of Development 7.11 For the purposes of distributing development within the proposed SDA, the area has been divided into four separate parcels of land. These parcels are divided by the disused railway line (north east to south west) and Whaddon Road (north west to south east). These are illustrated on Figure 7.1 below. Having regard to the need to integrate with the urban framework, it is clearly appropriate to begin with the northern quadrant. April

53 Milton Keynes Council Figure 7.1: The South West SDA A421 Far Bletchley Northern Quadrant Whaddon Road Eastern Quadrant Western Quadrant Southern Quadrant Newton Longville Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) Northern Quadrant 7.12 The northern quadrant as defined on Figure 7.1 is approximately 158ha and, having regard to the need to integrate with the urban framework, is clearly appropriate for development as part of the SDA. Linkages with Far Bletchley, Snelshall West and beyond will therefore be important, including providing a public transport connection with the proposed bus route through Tattenhoe Park. Similarly, the retention of Weasels Lane as a key pedestrian/cycle route through the SDA will be important in connecting to improved linkages along the B4034 to Bletchley The layout and distribution of uses will need to have regard to existing landscape features and built development. There is potential to locate an employment hub adjacent to the A421 to take advantage of the transport connections and proximity to the existing employment area at Snelshall West. The impact of employment development in this location, including visual and highway impacts, will need to be considered in more detail at the masterplanning stage. This quadrant would also be the most appropriate to accommodate a park and ride facility to serve the A421 corridor. Locating this facility adjacent to the potential employment hub would have advantage in improving the accessibility of this location for future users of the area and also maximise the attractiveness of this facility to passing motorists on the A421. As indicated by April

54 Buckinghamshire County Council, this quadrant could also potentially accommodate the proposed new railway station to serve the SDA However, this quadrant cannot accommodate all of the land use requirements for the SDA at any of the three density scenarios set out in Table 6.5. It could only accommodate approximately 50% of the total land required for the 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) scenario and therefore it is necessary to consider the use of other quadrants. Western Quadrant 7.15 Having regard to the objective of retaining the integrity of Newton Longville, this study has considered the potential of the western quadrant to meet the needs of the SDA before other quadrants given its physical separation from the village Development of the western quadrant will need to have regard to the presence of the Loughton Brook Linear Park on the northern side of the A421 and the Milton Keynes boundary walk. It will be very important to extend this open space feature through the northern part of the quadrant to provide opportunities for recreation and biodiversity, and also to provide a natural defensible boundary for development It will also be important to provide effective and sustainable linkages with the northern quadrant and with the Snelshall West development to the north west. The western quadrant could also include the location for the new railway station and there is potential to locate a retail/commercial hub that is central to the SDA and well related to the railway station and rapid bus transit routes The scale of the western quadrant is less easy to define given the lack of a definitive boundary to the west. To the north lies Thrift Wood and Broadway Wood, a substantial woodland and prominent feature in the landscape providing a suitable natural boundary to the north. The southern boundary is defined by the railway line, however, to the west lies open agricultural land until you reach a minor road at Stearthill House (also referred to as Whaddon Road). The further built development extends to the west the more remote it would become from the existing urban framework of the City and the potential new railway station, and arguably therefore less sustainable One of the key factors for determining the western boundary should therefore be the distance from the proposed railway station. This has been defined by reference to what is considered April

55 to be the reasonable maximum walking distance (800 metres 11 ), although it is noted by Buckinghamshire County Council that residents may walk slightly greater distances for trips to a railway station than to other destinations. Residents of development beyond this distance would be more likely to rely on the private car unless high frequency bus services could be adequately extended to cover this area. It is noted that planning guidance within PPG13 (paragraph 76) is supportive of this approach and encourages making the best use of land within and around major public transport interchanges It is acknowledged that in the absence of a detailed layout it is not possible to accurately measure the 800m walking distance from the station. However, given residents may walk slightly greater distances to a station, an 800 m radius is considered reasonably robust and is illustrated on Figure 7.2 below. This assumes the location of the station is in the western quadrant. This provides an indicative boundary which is considered appropriate to guide the broad extent of built development within the SDA for the purposes of this Study. Figure 7.2: Area within 800 metres of the potential location for the Railway Station to the west of Whaddon Road Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) 7.21 The exact boundary of the western quadrant would in reality fall further to the west as it would need to accommodate structural landscaping as part of the land requirement for green 11 Source: Paragraph of the Urban Design Compendium April

56 infrastructure to soften the transition to open countryside and provide a natural defensible boundary. This green buffer could be accommodated through the provision of a wildlife corridor connecting Thrift Wood with Salden Wood and this could also provide an extension to the linear park connecting with Weasels Lane to the south. The distribution of uses and location for the western boundary is illustrated on Figure 7.3 below The exact position of the western boundary and indicative distribution of uses will clearly need to be subject to detailed masterplanning and landscape assessment in due course, and it is acknowledged that there maybe potential to push the boundary of this quadrant further west to provide more capacity for the SDA. However, extending built development further west will result in housing being more remote from the urban framework and the potential new railway station, particularly if the chosen location for the station is to the east of Whaddon Road within the northern quadrant. Furthermore, it may also result in a finger of built development extending further into the open countryside, potentially having an unacceptable impact on the landscape The western quadrant as shown in Figure 7.3 would measure approximately 148ha. Figure 7.3: Land Required and Indicative Distribution of Uses (North of Railway Line) Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) April

57 Key: Structural Landscaping/Linear Park Extension (Dark Green), Employment (Blue), Commercial Hub (Orange), Potential Rail Station (Red), Park and Ride (Brown), Transport Links (Arrow), Other Uses, inc. residential (Shaded). Capacity North of the Railway Line 7.24 The northern and western quadrants combined equate to approximately 306ha in total. It will be noted from Table 6.5 of this Report that this land area is insufficient to accommodate all of the proposed land uses for the SDA in respect of any of the three density scenarios. However, the land requirement for the 50 dph scenario (327ha) would be achievable if the land budget was reduced by approximately 21ha, through, for example, reducing the land for green buffers or open space. This option is, however, not recommended as open space and landscaping will be very important features within a development with a high average density of 50 dph across the entire scheme. Furthermore, it is not considered that an average density of 50 dph would achieve a sympathetic relationship with the surrounding built development and rural area It is therefore necessary to consider land to the south of the railway line to accommodate development of a density less than 50 dph. Eastern Quadrant 7.26 The eastern quadrant is approximately 63ha and has the potential to integrate with both the urban framework and the northern quadrant, subject to providing effective links across the railway line. As indicated by Buckinghamshire County Council, this quadrant could accommodate the new railway station to the east of Whaddon Road. Furthermore, development of this quadrant within the SDA has the additional advantage in terms of enabling the provision of a transport connection with Bletchley Road (see paragraph 7.4). This would improve transport connections with Bletchley from the SDA and provide an alternative route for vehicles heading to the south and the A5 avoiding Newton Longville However, the eastern quadrant is arguably the most sensitive to develop given its role in providing physical separation between Newton Longville and Bletchley. Retaining the integrity of Newton Longville is an important guiding principle for the SDA and there will therefore need to be a sizable green landscape buffer within this quadrant along its southern boundary. There is therefore only scope for development in the northern half of this quadrant (subject to a suitable noise buffer with the railway line and flood risk assessment) as illustrated on Figure 7.4 and this would not result in development being maximised within walking distance of the potential new railway station if it is located within this quadrant. April

58 7.28 The inclusion of this quadrant, along with the northern and western quadrants, would enable the land requirements for the 40 dph scenario to be met (369ha). Figure 7.4: Land Required and Indicative Distribution of Uses for SW SDA at 40 dph Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) Key: Structural Landscaping/Linear Park Extension (Dark Green), Employment (Blue), Commercial Hub (Orange), Potential Rail Station (Red), Park and Ride (Brown), Transport Links (Arrow), Other Uses, inc. residential (Shaded). Southern Quadrant 7.29 The southern quadrant falls adjacent to the potential location for the new railway station and, having regard to the need to maximise the use of public transport, it would be appropriate to focus built development within the 800m radius (maximum walking distance) shown on Figure 7.2. This area in part also falls within a valley and therefore in visual terms is arguably less sensitive, although a detailed landscape and flood risk assessment will be required Effective linkages with the development of the western quadrant, including across the railway line, will be important. It is considered appropriate therefore to extend the structural landscaping/linear park along the western and southern boundary of this quadrant. This could connect the linear park and result in a continuous natural defensible boundary within public ownership connecting Thrift Wood, Salden Wood with the southern fringes of Newton Longville. This would provide a significant recreational resource. Other physical linkages April

59 may also be required in order to avoid any sense of isolation of residents within this quadrant from the northern half of the SDA and its facilities The total area of the southern quadrant as shown equates to approximately 70ha. Along with the northern and western quadrants, including this quadrant would also only enable the land requirements for the 40 dph scenario to be met (376ha). However, when combined with the eastern quadrant considered above, it would enable the SDA to meet the 30 dph land requirements (430ha) as illustrated on Figure 7.5. Figure 7.5: Land Required and Indicative Distribution of Uses for SW SDA at 30dph Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) Key: Structural Landscaping/Linear Park Extension (Dark Green), Employment (Blue), Commercial Hub (Orange), Potential Rail Station (Red), Park and Ride (Brown), Transport Links (Arrow), Other Uses, inc. residential (Shaded). Overview of the three scenarios 7.32 The table overleaf summarises the implications of the three average density scenarios for the South West SDA land requirement. April

60 Scenario Land Required Quadrants Required Land Available 50 dwellings per ha 327ha Northern (158ha) and Western (148ha) 306ha* 40 dwellings per ha 366ha Northern (158ha), Western (148ha) and Eastern (63ha) or Southern (70ha) ha 30 dwellings per ha 430ha Northern (158ha), Western (148ha), Eastern (63ha) and Southern (70ha) 439ha * The land available for this scenario is less than required and would therefore require a reduction in the land budget or an extension to the area in order to work In total, therefore, an SDA comprising the northern, western, eastern and southern quadrants as shown on Figure 7.5 would equate to approximately 439ha and this would provide sufficient land to accommodate residential development of 5,390 dwellings at 30 dwellings per hectare, including all other supporting uses. This scenario is the only option which maximises the potential for development within walking distance of the possible location for the new railway station through providing development on both sides of the railway line The exact location of the boundary and distribution of uses will need to be tested at the detailed masterplanning stage and this will provide an opportunity to re-assess the land requirements. Delivery and Phasing 7.35 The Panel Report recommended that the South West SDA would be delivered during the period 2016 to This represents a build rate of approximately 550 dwellings per annum. The Panel indicated that this timetable would ensure the delivery of any housing would follow the programmed provision of the railway station to serve the SDA. It would therefore be appropriate for the initial phases of development to be focussed around the station area in order to maximise potential patronage of new services and influence the travel patterns of residents from an early stage of the development. In addition, development of the northern quadrant will be required early on to provide the key transport connections with the existing urban area The early phases of residential development to the north of the railway line will enable the critical mass to be developed to support local services, including the provision of the retail/commercial hub within this area. Initial phases to the north would also include the April

61 potential employment area, which would need to be built to support the influx of population and support the economic base of the SDA. Any development to the south of the railway line would need to be related to the Primary School and Public Transport Accessibility to the station and the wider urban area. Key Risks 7.37 There are a number of potential risks that may affect the nature and delivery of the South West SDA. The provision of East/West Rail and, in addition, the implementation of the proposed railway station is clearly a risk. The GRIP 3 work has shown an operating case for the local rail option favoured by the Consortium and the involvement of DfT and Network Rail in the GRIP 4 work will ensure the technical requirements of the rail industry are fed into the design in order to ensure delivery of the project. However, the key risk at this stage would appear to be uncertainty regarding future funding streams The distribution and phasing of development will need to be guided by the location of the new station and its timing in order to make the best use of public transport connections. Any failure in the delivery of the rail service and/or the new station will therefore potentially affect the nature and delivery of the SDA, although given the importance attached to East/West Rail it is appropriate to plan the SDA on the basis that it may come forward in the future. However, the failure to deliver the new station, or any delay in its delivery, must be a key risk to the implementation of the SDA proposal It has been noted from the representations made to the Examination in Public into the draft South East Plan that developer interests have acquired control over large parts of the SDA, particularly to the north of the railway line. However, there may well be particular parcels of land within the SDA not under the control of developers. Such parcels may be critical to the delivery of the SDA, particularly around the railway station where development will need to integrate in order to ensure effective and sustainable linkages. Insufficient land assembly is therefore a potential risk to delivery Notwithstanding the assessment work already undertaken by prospective developers, there is the potential for site constraints to emerge at the detailed masterplanning stage, for example flood risk or particular archaeological or ecological features. Depending on their significance, these may influence the nature of development and require additional land to be provided as compensation or mitigation for any adverse impacts. There is a risk therefore that additional land may be required to ensure the residential target is met within the SDA. However, it will be noted from the above analysis that there is a degree of flexibility with regard to the April

62 boundaries of the western and southern quadrants to include additional land, an approach which is consistent with guidance within PPS3 in relation to delivering a flexible supply of housing land. The risk is therefore potentially low in these circumstances and, as noted above, it will be particularly important at the detailed masterplanning stage to take account of the location of existing landscape features, such as important field hedgerows. Summary 7.41 In summary, the above analysis has revealed a number of options for the South West SDA. The SDA could be accommodated to the north of the disused railway line, provided a density of residential development at an average of 50 dwellings per hectare was achieved throughout the SDA and the land budget was trimmed or the assumed boundaries were changed. This would provide defensible boundaries to the SDA and retain the integrity of Newton Longville through retaining a significant green wedge to the south of the railway line. The high average density of development would, however, be unrealistic to achieve and would represent an entirely different mix and character of development to that seen elsewhere in Milton Keynes. Furthermore, it would not maximise the potential use of the new railway station through development and would be less likely to relieve the traffic impact on Newton Longville through the provision of a link road with Bletchley Road to the east. It would also leave uncertainty as to the future use of the land to the south of the railway line and result in an average density of residential development within the SDA which would not achieve a sympathetic relationship with the surrounding development or rural area. For these reasons this approach is not recommended here The incorporation of land to the south of the railway line within the eastern quadrant of the SDA would provide sufficient land to enable the delivery of residential development at an average of 40 dwellings per hectare. However, depending on the location of the new station this may not maximise development around this important public transport node and would place pressure for development in an important green buffer around Newton Longville. It would also provide little contingency in the event of further land being required for development and raise uncertainty as to the future use of the southern quadrant The development of the northern half of the southern quadrant as an alternative to the eastern quadrant would also enable the delivery of the 40 dwellings per hectare average. However, its inclusion with the eastern quadrant would enable the delivery of residential development at an average of 30 dwellings per hectare. This would maximise development within walking distance of the new railway station consistent with PPG13 and contain a green buffer which would encircle the SDA extending from Loughton Brook in the north, past Thrift Wood and April

63 Salden Wood, before connecting with the southern fringes of Newton Longville and Far Bletchley. In the form of a linear park, this could provide an exceptional recreational and ecological resource which if held in public ownership, such as by the Parks Trust, could provide in perpetuity a long-term natural defensible boundary as recommended by the Panel It is noted that this approach is consistent with the broad principle adopted within the Growth Strategy for Milton Keynes, albeit that the linear park was shown to the south of Newton Longville having regard to the greater scale of development that was being accommodated in the South West SDA at that time The report therefore recommends that a linear park around the edge of the SDA is taken forward. It is recognised, however, that it will be possible through the detailed masterplanning of the SDA to assess the potential of other options, including varying the quantum and distribution of uses, and increasing the density in order to provide scope for other uses or a reduced land area. In addition, as noted above in paragraph 6.26, further work may also reveal the potential for dual use of the green buffer as a recreational resource which may reduce the overall land budget required There is a need for a comprehensive approach to the development of the whole of the South West SDA. This enables the development to incorporate the principles of a Whole City approach. This is essential to ensure that development is planned and undertaken in a comprehensive manner by the Local Planning Authorities. Within this there will need to be consideration of the potential for future joint working The following section identifies the distribution of land uses for the South East SDA using the three agreed density scenarios in the same way as this section of the report. April

64 8. South East SDA Distribution of Development Guiding Principles 8.1 The following key principles taken from the South East Plan Panel Report have guided the spatial distribution of development within the South East SDA: Integration with the urban fabric of the City; Maximising the use of public transport through locating development in close proximity to public transport nodes and routes, particularly in the vicinity of the existing railway stations at Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise; Need to optimise use of existing infrastructure and proposed infrastructure schemes highlighted in the Milton Keynes Long Term Growth Strategy; Need to achieve social diversity in the development and critical mass to help fund infrastructure; Maintaining the integrity of the existing settlements of Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise and Wavendon; Providing a Park and Ride facility to serve both the SDA and the Eastern Expansion Area, in close proximity to the A421 corridor; Extending the Eastern Expansion Area Linear Park to provide a green corridor for the development as identified in the Milton Keynes Long Term Growth Strategy; Identification of long term defensible boundaries for development, including the continuation of existing strategic open space areas, where appropriate, between the existing villages and in relation to the Milton Keynes urban area; and The location of strategic employment areas and a retail/service centre based on locations identified in the Milton Keynes Long Term Growth Strategy. Transportation Matters 8.2 It is essential that a Whole City approach is applied to this SDA as this is consistent with the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy which states that the new areas should respond positively to the existing settlements and communities around Milton Keynes. This implies that the South East SDA may become a destination in its own right. Therefore, links to and from what will April

65 effectively become a sustainable urban extension to Milton Keynes will be subject to further transport modelling/ analysis. 8.3 We understand that a review of the Milton Keynes transport model has been commissioned and that this will report during This will consider the impact of the growth on the capacity of the highway network and will have a key role in informing the evolution of a masterplan for the development of this SDA. 8.4 As with the South West SDA transport considerations will play an important role in shaping the layout and distribution of uses within the SDA, the transport links and improvements required, and the timing of development. The transport implications of this potential growth area have been considered through the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy. However, further detailed studies will be required in due course which may have implications for the nature of this SDA. 8.5 As identified in the South West SDA the impact of the South East SDA on the highway network will clearly need to be assessed in detail as part of a wider transport assessment of Milton Keynes. The need for improvements to the A421 has been acknowledged in the Draft South East Plan and work is in progress to facilitate these. Work has now been completed on the dualling of a section of the A421 east of Kingston linking to a new roundabout that will provide access to the Eastern Expansion Area. The new roundabout has also been designed to provide access to the Strategic Reserve Area south of the A421 (this is included as part of the South East SDA). 8.6 Notwithstanding measures to encourage the use of public transport, the impact of additional traffic movements on the A421 both east and west and the A5130 north and south will need to be assessed and, where necessary, mitigated through improvements. This is likely to include further dualling of the A421 between M1 Junction 13 and the Eastern Expansion Area. 8.7 It will be important at the masterplanning stage to look at links and development around the existing railway station at Woburn Sands and design the layout in such a way as to encourage patronage of services. Development should not however be considered in proximity to Aspley Guise station in order to ensure that physical and visual coalescence of the SDA with Aspley Guise is avoided. Furthermore, development in this location should be resisted as it would set a precedent for developers which could have an adverse impact on the historic setting of Aspley Guise. 8.8 It is acknowledged that the likely frequency of services stopping at the rail stations and the limited destinations that might be served will mean that new bus services will be the main April

66 element of public transport provision in the area. This will be particularly important in serving those residents more remote from the stations. Internally, services will need to connect the residential areas with the rail stations, retail/commercial hub, strategic employment site and external links. The detailed masterplanning will need to ensure that the layout of development allows for the efficient operation of these services that are both convenient and direct. 8.9 There will be a need for a high level of permeability for walking and cycling through the SDA. The internal layout of development will therefore need to integrate appropriate walking and cycling networks for residents to key destinations, such as the railway stations, park and ride facility and retail/commercial hub. The network will also need to connect with any natural boundary/linear park developed as part of the SDA which could provide an attractive recreational resource for the new community. This should also connect with other surrounding rural footpaths providing opportunities for residents to access open countryside This review of the impact of development on transport capacity has clearly identified the importance of the current review of the Milton Keynes transport model. It is expected that the output of this will provide guidance on where further transport infrastructure will be required to ensure that the existing/ future highway infrastructure provides sufficient capacity to enable the growth. There will be three stages to assessing the transport implications of development proposals of this scale: Running the model to assess city wide implications (this is the current stage); Running the model at the development framework stage, to look in more detail at the impact of different transport assumptions/ improvements for a specific expansion area/ SDA; and Transport assessments accompanying outline planning applications for a specific expansion area/ SDA which are often undertaken using supplementary and more detailed local models The future master plan and proposed development phasing for the South East SDA will need to take these issues into account to ensure that the necessary strategic infrastructure is implemented prior to development coming forward to prevent increasing problems of congestion. Distribution of Development 8.12 Consideration of the guiding principles has influenced the distribution of development described in this section. April

67 8.13 The South East SDA can be conveniently divided into five discrete parcels of land as follows: North of Lower End Road; East of Salford Road; South of Lower End Road; West of the A5130; and Adjacent to the A5130 and A421 junction These sub areas are shown on Figure 8.1. The following text discusses the potential of the sub-areas in land use terms as a basis for the distribution of development outlined later in this section. Figure 8.1 The South East SDA, Sub-Areas GVA Grimley, Promap, 2008 April

68 Land North of the Lower End Road Development Potential 8.15 This land parcel north of Lower End Road amounts to a total area of approximately 153 ha and is shown on Figure 8.1 above Part of the site is designated as Strategic Reserve Areas (SRA s) in the adopted Milton Keynes Local Plan and is assumed in the South East Plan Panel Report as falling within the South East SDA. Currently there are two outline planning applications for residential development (07/00934/MKPCO and 07/00936/MKPCO) relating to this land being considered by the Milton Keynes Partnership. There are three Strategic Reserve Areas in this location which we would expect would be brought forward in the first phase of development (see below) The Strategic Reserve Areas has generally robust physical boundaries comprising Lower End Road to the south; the M1 motorway corridor to the east; the A5130 to the west and the A421 intersecting the site. The land to the north of the A421 is bounded by the M1 motorway to the east and two minor watercourses which run to the north and west of this site As a general principle, higher residential densities (say 45 dph and above) should be concentrated upon those areas with convenient access to existing and proposed local facilities and public transport nodes in order to discourage use of the private car In the context of land located close to Lower End Road, higher densities should be provided within 10 minutes walking distance (800m) of the proposed local centre and public transport routes The Milton Keynes Growth Strategy identified land near to the A421/M1 as a strategic employment location. For the purposes of this Report it is assumed that this will be the key location for employment in the SDA of approximately 30 ha in area. A proportion of this proposed location will be provided in the land parcel, east of Salford Road. However, given that the Highways Agency appears to have ruled out a new junction on the M1 in this location, it is suggested that a location nearer to the Kingston Centre may be more appropriate. This would need to be seen in the context of the proposals for the adjoining Eastern Expansion Area. This proposal can be reviewed as part of the masterplanning exercise In addition, it is proposed that the Eastern Expansion Area Linear Park is extended through this parcel of land, possibly extending into existing treed areas (many with TPO s), and in doing so protecting the setting of Wavendon House, a listed building and the golf course. April

69 Extant woodland blocks to the north-east of the A421 should also be retained and enhanced, if possible We would expect (similar to that required in the Eastern Expansion Area) for there to be a noise attenuation bund for land alongside the M1 motorway (north of the A421) in this part of the site. A proportion of this boundary is existing woodland that would be retained in any development proposals. This is shown in Figures 8.2 to 8.4. The detail of this will be developed at the master planning stage. Land West of the A5130 at Woburn Sands Development Potential 8.23 This area of land as shown on Figure 8.1 is approximately 122 ha in size. It is bounded by the A5310 to the east, the Bedford to Bletchley railway line to the south, the urban area of Milton Keynes to the west and Wavendon to the north. Woburn Sands is a much larger settlement than Aspley Guise with a well used shopping centre. The rail station has a longer platform than at Aspley Guise which could accommodate longer trains if required. For these reasons, it would seem more appropriate to expand Woburn Sands as a key service centre to support growth in the SDA. It is proposed that high density housing is located within reasonable walking distance of the Woburn Sands railway station, together with a supporting element of mixed use To the west of this parcel of land and adjoining the Milton Keynes urban area there is a fourth Strategic Reserve Area, as identified in the Milton Keynes Local Plan. We would expect that this area of land would be included in one of the early phases of development, alongside the other three SRA s located within this SDA It will be important to protect the setting and distinctiveness of Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise and Wavendon by preventing coalescence of urban development. As a result we recommend a substantial strategic landscape buffer be established between Woburn Sands and Milton Keynes. Strategic development should take place to the west of the A5130 to incorporate the strategic reserve area and connect into the Milton Keynes urban area. A green buffer will also be required to prevent coalescence with Wavendon. Land East of Salford Road Development Potential 8.26 The land east of Salford Road is the most easterly parcel within the SDA and amounts to approximately 218 hectares (ha) in size. It is well defined by existing road infrastructure, including the M1 and A421 to the east and the Bedford to Bletchley railway line to the west. April

70 8.27 The character of the landscape is low lying and flat and is emphasised by its proximity to the steep rising slopes of the Greensand Ridge. The distribution of development will need to take into account the impact on the surrounding environment, in particular the potential impact upon the setting of the village of Aspley Guise which is an attractive and historic settlement. As discussed in Section 5, it is important that the rural setting of this village is protected to ensure that its attractive character and distinctiveness remain and that coalescence is avoided In line with the South East Plan Panel Report recommendations, it is proposed that this village and its setting is protected by the provision of a landscape buffer to prevent coalescence and to maintain local distinctiveness. We note Mid Bedfordshire District Council s position with regard to the creation of an extension to the Green Belt currently south of the railway line/provision of a green buffer north of the Bedford to Bletchley railway. Whilst we agree, in principle with the need to provide a landscape buffer we feel that the extent proposed is not sustainable, will sterilise the development of land and would lead to a significant reduction in the number of homes that can be delivered in this location. Our view is consistent with that taken by the Panel following the South East Plan Examination in Public. It will be noted that our density scenarios do seek to protect the village of Aspley Guise through the provision of a substantial landscape buffer in line with the objectives of Mid-Bedfordshire District Council. As noted above, we would expect for there to be a noise attenuation bund alongside the M1 motorway in this part of the site It is proposed that a new employment location is partially incorporated into this parcel of land. This reflects the strategic accessibility of the location and builds upon a proposal contained in the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy report. The western boundary of this area would be provided by an existing pedestrian route Apart from this area of employment, it is likely that the predominant use in this sub-area would be residential, largely medium density, with a smaller enclave of higher density development near to the railway station. Higher density housing would also be appropriate in the northern part of the sub-area within a reasonable walking distance (approximately 800m) of the proposed local centre which would be located at the junction of Lower End Road and Salford Road as identified in the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy The close proximity of the M1 and A421 road corridors means that it will be critical to ensure that environmental impacts upon residential amenity are minimised by the appropriate establishment of landscape buffers. Similarly the environmental impacts of the proposed Bedford to Milton Keynes Canal (proposed to run adjacent to the M1 motorway) would need to April

71 be considered in this light. Whilst these have been taken into account in the land use budget for the South East SDA a key role of the masterplan will be to provide more detail on the location of the open space buffers, amenity provision and landscaping. As noted previously we would expect that a noise attenuation bund would be provided in the form of green landscaping bordering the M1 from the proposed development in this location It is possible, but will of course be subject to further discussions by the Local Planning Authorities as part of the masterplanning work, that a transport interchange could be provided around J13 of the M1. This will be dependant to a large extent on the nature of the development in this area, the demand for such a facility and the willingness of the Local Planning Authority to pursue such an option. If this were considered this could provide a transport interchange to incorporate appropriate road, rail and Park and Ride facilities The distribution of uses suggested above is consistent with the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy, but will need to be the subject of further evaluation at the Masterplanning stage. Land South of the Lower End Road Development Potential 8.34 This central area of land as shown on Figure 8.1 is approximately 242 ha in area and is the largest parcel of land in the SDA. It is bordered by Lower End Road to the north, Salford Road to the east, the Bedford to Bletchley Railway to the south and the A5130 route to the west The Milton Keynes Growth Strategy identifies the community and commercial core for the SDA as being located within this parcel of land broadly at the junction of Lower End and Salford Roads. This will require a site of around 7 ha. Due to its central location, this centre will serve both the early phases of development to the north and west in the strategic reserve areas and development in the remainder of the SDA. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that it is of an appropriate scale and mix of uses to complement the Kingston Centre to the north, rather than compete with it. Due consideration will also need to be given to how this centre is delivered i.e. a single large centre, or several small local centres. These issues will be key for the Masterplanning stage of work It is proposed that the southern fringes of the new employment location will be incorporated into this parcel of land to the north of the local centre. This reflects the strategic accessibility of the location and builds upon a proposal contained in the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy report. April

72 8.37 To the west of the retail core it is proposed to provide an extension to the proposed Linear Park. These parks form a strong structural element in the current city landscape and, where feasible, should be continued. They serve a variety of functions, supporting local community and leisure activities. The introduction and implementation of these open space networks provides visual amenity value, important conservation areas, areas that support sustainable urban drainage and will also contribute towards creating linkages to the existing urban areas, and wider landscapes Within this area, care will be needed in dealing with development around Lower End and Cross End, two small hamlets with distinctive characters of their own. This could be achieved through the extension of the linear park and open space concepts outlined above To the south of this land parcel we propose a landscape buffer between Aspley Guise and Woburn Sands to further protect the distinctiveness and setting of these two locations. The extent of this landscape buffer is dependant on the density of development proposed (see Figures 8.2 to 8.4) In urban planning terms, it would be appropriate to locate higher density housing within walking distance of the proposed local centre and employment location, with lower density housing integrating with the open landscape of the linear park in line with best practice outlined in the Urban Design Compendium Land adjacent to the A5130 and A421 junction at Wavendon Development Potential 8.41 This quadrant of land as shown on Figure 8.1 is approximately 53ha in size, and is the smallest parcel of land identified by the Consultant within the South-East SDA. This rectangular site is bounded by the urban area of Milton Keynes to the west and the Brinklow Industrial Area to the north and includes the village of Wavendon. The eastern boundary of the site is defined by the route of the A This area would lend itself to employment and residential uses. Medium to high density residential uses would be appropriate given the proximity of the land to the Kingston Centre and nearby commercial employment activities. The area would also be well served by public transport routes. Local open space and landscape buffers, particularly to avoid coalescence with Wavendon, will be required within the site to minimise the environmental impact of traffic. The potential of employment use, in addition to that currently proposed to the north east of the April

73 SDA close to the M1 will need to be explored in greater detail through the masterplanning process. This will be dependant on capacity issues on the A421. Overview of the scenarios 8.43 Mindful of the principles identified above, this sub-section outlines the key implications for the land use budget of providing the required 10,400 dwellings in the South East SDA at the three density scenarios of the 30, 40 and 50 dph respectively, as set out in the study brief The following table summarises the implications of the three average density scenarios for the South East SDA land requirement. Scenario Land Required Land Available Difference 50 dwellings per ha 607ha 788ha 181ha 40 dwellings per ha 681ha 788ha 107ha 30 dwellings per ha 806ha 788ha - 18ha 30 dwellings per hectare 8.45 Figure 8.2 shows a potential distribution of development for the 30 dph scenario adopting the land use budget assumptions set out in Section 6 and the principles discussed earlier in this section. April

74 Figure 8.2 Assumed Spatial Distribution at 30 Dwellings per Hectare Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) Key: Structural Landscaping/Linear Park Extension (Green), Employment (Blue), Park and Ride (Brown dot in blue circle) Retail/Commercial Hub (Orange), Railway Station (Black dot) and all Other Uses, principally residential (red shaded area). Source: GVA Grimley analysis, This scenario will generate a net developable area of 564 ha. When infrastructure is added (242 ha), this would provide a total land budget of 806 ha. We estimate that the area defined for the South East SDA in Section 5 contains around 788 ha, indicating a shortfall in land supply of approximately 18 ha. We can conclude that at an average density of 30 dph, it will be very challenging, if not impossible, to accommodate the number of dwellings proposed by the Panel Report for the South East SDA It follows that if the South East Panel figure of 10,400 new homes is to be achieved, additional land will have to be identified beyond that defined in this report. Options could include: Additional provision elsewhere in/ around the City; or The utilisation of a lower housing figure for the South East SDA as indicated in the Growth Strategy (a figure of 7,200 was used, but a potential range of 7-8,000 dwellings was considered deliverable). As indicated in Section 5 (para 5.6) this did not include the capacity of the Strategic Reserve Areas (approx. 2,500 dwellings). Therefore a revised April

75 capacity for the South East SDA, including the Strategic Reserve Areas, would be 9,500 to 10,500 dwellings This requirement could have significant environmental impacts and will need to be considered carefully, particularly in relation to the effect on adjoining villages such as Aspley Guise, Woburn Sands, Wavendon and Husborne Crawley. The alternative approach would be to promote higher density development scenarios and it is to these we now turn As it is clear from the above discussion that a scenario of 30dph can not be achieved we have considered the impact of a 35 dph scenario (as this is outside of the brief, this has not been illustrated by plans). A 35dph scenario would generate a net developable area of 514 ha. When infrastructure is added (220 ha), this would provide a total land budget of 734 ha. This compares with the total area for the SDA estimated at 788 ha. 40 dwellings per hectare 8.50 Figure 8.3 provides an indicative plan of the distribution of development assuming a 40 dph scenario. Figure 8.3 Assumed Spatial Distribution at 40 Dwellings per Hectare Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) Key: Structural Landscaping/Linear Park Extension (Green), Employment (Blue), Park and Ride (Brown dot in blue circle) Retail/Commercial Hub (Orange), Railway Station (Black dot) and all Other Uses, principally residential (red shaded area). Source: GVA Grimley analysis, 2008 April

76 8.51 This land use budget would generate a net developable area of 477 ha. With the addition of 204 ha of infrastructure requirements, the gross SDA area at 40 dph would increase to 681 ha. This compares with the total area for the SDA estimated at 788 ha, thus providing some 107 ha of land that is not required for development. This area has been seen as contingency and has been used to increase the landscape buffers and to avoid coalescence in the key locations throughout the SDA We have also considered the impact of a 45 dph scenario (this too has not been illustrated by plans). A 45dph scenario would generate a net developable area of 448 ha. When infrastructure is added (192 ha), this would provide a total land budget of 640 ha. This compares with the total area for the SDA estimated at 788 ha. 50 dwellings per hectare 8.53 Figure 8.4 provides an indication of the distribution of development at the 50 dph level. Figure 8.4 Assumed Spatial Distribution at 50 Dwellings per Hectare Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Milton Keynes Council (February 2008) Key: Structural Landscaping/Linear Park Extension (Green), Employment (Blue), Park and Ride (Brown dot in blue circle) Retail/Commercial Hub (Orange), Railway Station (Black dot) and all Other Uses, principally residential (red shaded area). Source: GVA Grimley analysis, 2008 April

77 8.54 This land use budget will generate a net developable area of 425 ha. With the addition of 182 ha of infrastructure requirements, the gross SDA area at the 50 dph scenario would increase to 607 ha. This compares with the total area for the SDA estimated at 788 ha. Delivery and Phasing 8.55 The Panel Report recommended that the majority of the development (9,800 dwellings out of a total 10,400 dwellings) in the South East SDA should be delivered during the period 2016 to This represents an average build rate of 980 dwellings per annum which in our opinion is a very challenging target a longer period of time for development would reduce this build rate. This key issue will need to be investigated in the next stage of master planning and delivery work undertaken for the South East SDA. The Panel Report also indicates that the first phase of development should incorporate part of the Strategic Reserve Area allocation of 600 dwellings. These form part of the current planning applications which are under consideration which will provide for up to 2,500 dwellings. This initial component of the strategic reserve areas will be brought forward during the period and will, therefore, form the first phase of development in the South East SDA It is recommended that in line with advice in the Panel Report, Phase 1 of the development should commence with the bringing forward of the strategic reserve areas (North of Lower End Road and West of the A5130). Phase 2 should comprise development on land south of Lower End Road (including the new local centre) and development to the north of Woburn Sands, within a reasonable walking distance of the railway station. Strategic open space/ landscape buffers should be established at an early stage, in these areas, particularly those between Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise and between new development to the north of Woburn Sands and the urban area of Milton Keynes and should incorporate the proposed extensions to the Eastern Expansion Area Linear Park. Due to the scale of development proposed and in light of the build rate of 980 dwellings p.a. it is likely that development will be undertaken simultaneously in different locations, not sequentially. Further detail on this will be provided as part of the master planning stage of work. It is also key that the new local centre is implemented in the early phases With the exception of the strategic reserve area in the west, the provision of development will thus take place in a generally southerly direction, with improvements to strategic infrastructure being delivered prior to development coming on stream. A particular priority is the completion of the dualling of the A421 and junction 13 on the M1 to create an east/west dual carriageway from the motorway to Kingston. This should be complemented by upgrading of the Marston Vale rail line (Bedford to Bletchley) and improved bus services linked to a new park and ride April

78 facility at Junction 13 (see above). It follows that the bringing forward of land east of Salford Road would form one of the last phases of development within the SDA, with the ultimate amount of land required in this location, dependant on the density scenario that is taken forward. This will be subject to the further masterplanning work There are two points here. The most appropriate location for early development within this land parcel would be at its northern end which would be nearest to the proposed local shopping centre, employment location and park and ride thus promoting the most sustainable development; and If less of this land is needed to accommodate new housing due to increased density levels, in the earlier phases then this would be an opportunity to enhance the green buffer between Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise, to improve its amenity impact and ensure its permanence. Its use could be multi-functional serving as a visual buffer, an area to accommodate various sports/community activities, an area for sustainable urban drainage and a nature conservation link. This will, of course, be dependant on the density scenario chosen which will provide guidance as to the extent of landscape buffers around the key settlements Whilst it is outside of the current brief to discuss this in detail, the analysis makes clear that the proposed split of 5,600 dwellings identified in the South East Plan Inspector s Report to be accommodated in Mid Bedfordshire is not deliverable. This split of housing provision is a key issue that will need to be discussed with Milton Keynes Council and Mid Bedfordshire District Council and guidance given in the master planning brief as outlined below As previously identified the South East SDA provides approximately 788 hectares of potential development land. Taking the gross capacity of land this shows that 66% (520 hectares) is located within the Milton Keynes boundary and the remaining third, 34% (268 hectares) is located within Mid Bedfordshire s district. We realise that the capacity of each area would be reduced through the netting off of land that would need to be retained for amenity value, landscaping, park and woodland etc. That said we expect there to be sufficient capacity within the infrastructure (which incorporates landscaping), playing fields and informal open space and nature reserves land budgets in all density scenarios to provide for this quantum of green space within the SDA If the existing split of dwellings was maintained only a development in excess of 50 dph would enable 5,600 dwellings to be brought forward in Mid Bedfordshire s district. This is a key issue that will need to be subject to further detailed work on densities and capacities of the April

79 whole SDA. We would recommend that this issue be given further thought by both Local Planning Authorities and careful consideration be given to reviewing the dwellings split in alignment with the quantum of net development land located in each local authority administrative area. Key Risks 8.62 A critical concern in delivery of the South-East SDA will be the timely provision of strategic infrastructure, including roads, public transport and green infrastructure such as linear parks etc. The Milton Keynes tariff approach (assuming that this is continued in the South East SDA, with the agreement of Mid-Bedfordshire District Council) will facilitate this early provision as lessons are assimilated to improve its effectiveness as a delivery tool. However, funding of critical infrastructure will require forensic examination and pro-active discussion to ensure that it s implementation does not become a constraint on the delivery of housing It has been noted from representations made to the Examination in Public into the draft South East Plan that developers have already acquired land interests over large parts of the SDA. There may, however, be parcels of land in strategic locations which have yet to be assembled. The Principal Authorities would be advised to explore this issue in further detail to ensure that land ownership issues would not act as a potential constraint to delivery of development in the SDA During the preparation of this Report, comments have been made about the location/ nature of the local centre to serve the South-East SDA. We have assumed a location which reflects the Growth Strategy. If, however, there are concerns about its location/ nature, these should be explored at this Masterplanning stage. Careful consideration will be needed on two accounts, first, it is important to ensure that the proposal will not adversely impact upon the setting of listed Wavendon House and, secondly, it will be important to ensure that this centre complements, rather than competes with, the centres at Kingston and Woburn Sands by it focussing upon local needs to service the population of the SDA In this report the consultant has made assumptions (largely based on the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy) to underpin preparation of the identified land use budgets. These matters should all be reviewed in detail as part of the future Masterplanning exercise with respect to the South-East SDA It is clear that there is a need for there to be a comprehensive approach to the development of the whole of the South East SDA. This would then provide a framework for more detailed April

80 plans for parts of this area. This could include joint or separate DPD s/ SPD s for the Milton Keynes Council and Mid-Bedfordshire District Council areas. This is essential to ensure that development is planned and undertaken in a comprehensive manner by the Local Planning Authorities so that issues such as connectivity and the location and timing of new facilities etc are properly integrated within the proposed development. The approach to the extent of future joint working will require careful consideration. Summary 8.67 Our analysis indicates, albeit at a broad level, that the South East SDA can not accommodate 10,400 dwellings as proposed by the Panel Report at 30 dwellings per ha. It could, however, accommodate both the 40 and 50 dph scenarios. In the Consultant s judgement, the latter is probably unrealistic, based on average density assumptions made in the Western and Eastern Expansion Areas and assuming that a significant level of strategic open space will be provided in the proposed SDA Whilst there is sufficient land within the SDA at 40 and 50dph scenarios to accommodate the required 10,400 dwellings, the analysis shows that there is not sufficient land within Mid Bedfordshire District to accommodate the 5,600 dwellings identified in the South East Plan Panel Report, apart from at densities over 50 dph, which as identified above is undeliverable. We suggest that the two Local Planning Authorities review this as a matter of priority and provide appropriate guidance in the masterplanning brief with a view to resolving this issue It is recommended that land use budget assumptions should be based on a 40/45 dph density level. This will allow for a development that reflects the existing character of Milton Keynes, whilst permitting higher density development nearer to public transport and retail/service nodes to promote sustainable development. At this density there would be sufficient land available to protect the setting and distinctiveness of existing settlements, whilst catering for community/educational needs of the citizens of the proposed SDA. The future Masterplanning exercise will need to confirm this high level analysis and will advise on the specific location of key land uses and ancillary facilities In terms of delivery it is proposed that development should commence with the bringing forward of the strategic reserves (in the north and the west) and follow a broadly southerly direction. Phase 2 should focus on development of the new local centre and adjoining land together with land to the north of Woburn Sands within walking distance of the railway station. April

81 8.71 The extent to which the land east of Salford Road is developed will depend upon the ultimate density of development. In this location the land nearest to the proposed local centre and employment site should be developed first In terms of risks, a key concern for the South East SDA is the delivery of strategic infrastructure prior to development taking place, notably improvements to the A421 and Junction 13 of the M1. Significant upgrades to public transport, including rail and the provision of a new park and ride facility, will also be a priority There appears to be concern with regard to the location/ nature of the proposed local centre. It is understood that this is connected with its relationship to the existing centres at Kingston and Woburn Sands. It is expected that this proposed local centre will be complementary to and not compete with these larger centres. These issues will need to be reviewed as part of the forthcoming masterplan process in collaboration with the local planning authorities There is a need for a comprehensive approach to the development of the whole of the South East SDA. This could include joint or separate DPD s/ SPD s for the Milton Keynes Council and Mid-Bedfordshire District Council areas. This is essential to ensure that development is planned and undertaken in a comprehensive manner by the Local Planning Authorities. Within this there will need to be consideration of the potential for future joint working The following section identifies the next steps. April

82 9. Next Steps 9.1 This project has involved a strategic review of the land use implications of the Panel s recommendations relating to the proposed SDA s. By its very nature it has been a high level spatial analysis exercise that has had to make a number of assumptions on the nature and distribution of development within the SDA. 9.2 The detailed figures for each component of the land budgets should be taken as indicative rather than definitive: they will change as more detailed work is carried out. Each scenario provides a different level of flexibility to deal with such changes. For example, in some of the housing density scenarios, there may be scope to increase the extent of landscape buffers from that already allowed for in the land budgets under Infrastructure (see Table 6.5) or to accommodate new uses as yet unidentified. 9.3 It is clearly relevant therefore that the next steps in relation to the two SDA s will be to test the various assumptions that have been made in this study as part of work to take forward the Local Development Framework for the respective areas. These fall under the following generic headings. Transport Assessments 9.4 It will be necessary to undertake a detailed study of the transportation impacts of the SDA and the potential measures by which to alleviate those impacts, including highway improvements, public transport accessibility levels and routes, and walking/cycling networks. This will help inform the nature and layout of the SDA and their ability to deliver the quantum of development required; 9.5 With particular reference to the South West SDA, this will also need to consider the location, nature and mechanism by which to deliver the proposed new railway station to serve the SDA, consistent with the ongoing work of the East-West Rail Consortium in order to seek to minimise the risk of delivery failing or being delayed. 9.6 With regard to the South East SDA this will focus on the capacity of the key strategic highway routes, namely the east to west A421 and the north to south A5130, to deliver the proposed growth and identified land uses. Another key factor will be ensuring that the proposed SDA is connected to the Milton Keynes urban area by public transport provision that will facilitate sustainable travel patterns. April

83 Technical Assessments 9.7 It will be necessary to undertake a number of technical studies of key constraints that may affect the SDA. 9.8 With particular reference to the South West SDA, this should include a detailed landscape assessment to inform the natural defensible boundary to the SDA and the green buffers. This will build upon the work undertaken as part of the Growth Strategy but would also look to critically appraise all Landscape Assessments undertaken prior to and since publication of the Growth Strategy. A strategic flood risk assessment would also be recommended as a key piece of work to inform early masterplanning work. 9.9 Within the South East SDA this will need to incorporate a detailed assessment of the quantum of development that can be delivered in Mid Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes respectively taking account of the consultant s view that the 5,600 dwellings proposed in Mid Bedfordshire are not deliverable within the land that is available in the district once all constraints and land use budget requirements are met. This could include the need to redistribute the development within the SDA, look elsewhere within or outside Milton Keynes or reduce the overall capacity for the whole SDA from 10,400 dwellings Further independent analysis needs to be carried out of the various studies that have been undertaken on the quality of the landscape in the South East due to the different interpretations of the work completed to date. In addition, like the South West SDA a strategic flood risk assessment is recommended as critical in relation to early masterplanning work. Masterplanning 9.11 It will be important to undertake a spatial masterplanning exercise to assess the options for the distribution of the land uses/budgets to be informed by the transport and technical studies/assessments and to consider the need for further refinement of the boundaries to both of the proposed SDA s. We would expect that this more detailed information would be best produced as a Development Framework document in a similar manner to that prepared for the Eastern and Western Expansion Areas. It is clear that there is a need for there to be a comprehensive approach to the development in both of the SDA s (see the section below on Planning Framework). April

84 Infrastructure Requirements and Delivery 9.12 It will be necessary to undertake a study to assess the likely infrastructure required to support the two SDA s, including green infrastructure, and the mechanism through which these will be delivered, including considering common standards between the respective local authorities and the appropriateness of the level and use of a tariff mechanism to deliver funding from new housing, in the light of the emerging Community Infrastructure Levy proposals With particular reference to the South West SDA, consideration should be given to the means by which the natural defensible boundaries can be secured in perpetuity having regard to the advice of the Panel Report in respect of the role of the Parks Trust Similarly in the South East SDA there will be a need to consider and seek to agree the extent of the landscape buffer to the north of the railway in order to protect the distinctiveness of Aspley Guise and Woburn Sands and Wavendon to the west. Again maintenance of the area will be a key issue with the Parks Trust model worth pursuing as an option. Planning Framework 9.15 Consideration should also be given to reviewing and, if necessary, revising the Local Development Framework for the respective local authorities in order to identify the appropriate development plan document to deliver the planning framework for the SDA s. This could include the use of Development Plan Documents, including the Core Strategies, to define the scale, location and approach to the SDA supplemented by Area Action Plans and/ or Supplementary Planning Documents to provide the necessary level of detailed guidance in advance of the submission of planning applications All of the above tasks will require close strategic collaboration between the respective local authorities at officer and member level in order to establish and agree an appropriate planning framework to bring forward development within the SDA s in a consistent and sustainable manner as recommended by the South East Plan Panel Report. April

85 Appendices Appendix 1 Key Land Use Budget Parameters April

86 Review of the Proposed Milton Keynes Strategic Development Areas in light of the Panel Report int othe draft South East Plan: Key Land Use Budget Parameters APPENDIX ONE National Guidances (from PPS's/PPG's/Circulars) Topic Policy Guidance Source Best Practice Guidance Source 1 RESIDENTIAL a Density Range Indicative Minimum of 30 dph (net). Paragraph 47 of PPS3 b Affordable Housing c Housing Mix 2 EMPLOYMENT a Land Requirement 3 RETAIL a Land Requirement 4 COMMUNITY USES a Primary Schools b Secondary Schools c Community Facilities d Leisure Centres e Health Facilities 5 OPEN SPACE a Formal Space Informal Natural b Space 6 INFRASTRUCTURE a Transport Affordable housing should reflect the size and type required. Mix of households should be achieved in order to sustain mixed communities. Sustainable locations for employment development to enable the economy to prosper. Network of local centres is essential to provide easy access to shopping. 1.93ha will serve a primary school with 420 places 10.45ha will serve a secondary school with 1200 to 1500 places Provide access for all to community facilities by foot, bicycle or public transport Provide access for all to leisure facilities by foot, bicycle or public transport Provide access for all to health facilities by foot, bicycle or public transport Paragraph 23 of PPS3 Paragraph 24 of PPS3 Paragraph 23 of PPS1 Paragraph 2.55 of PPS6 DfES: Area Guidelines Overview dph (or more) support local services and make low energy provision more viable There needs to be a good mix of tenures on new developments. Locating a mix of uses within a neighbourhood can promote sustainability Support for office and commercial outlets within mixed use areas through careful design Indicative threshold for a viable neighbourhood centre is 0.15ha Primary schools (two form entry) require 0.9ha to serve a catchment of 4,000 people. Nursery schools require 0.5ha for 2,000 people. DfES: Area Guidelines Overview 2004 No guidance n/a PPS1 - General Approach to Delivering Sustainable Development PPS1 - General Approach to Delivering Sustainable Development PPS1 - General Approach to Delivering Sustainable Development Open space standards are best set locally. Development should provide for local sports Paragraph 23 of PPG17 and recreational facilities. Opportunities should be sought to improve Paragraph 24 of PPG17 the local open space network. Sites to be well served by public transport and highway infrastructure Paragraph 21 of PPG13 Community centres require 1ha to serve a catchment of 4,000 people. Sport or leisure centres require 1ha to serve a catchment of 24,000 people. Doctors' Surgery require 0.08ha for 4,000 people. Pharnacy's require 0.01ha for 5,000 people. Minimum standard for outdoor playing space of 2.4 hectares per 1,000 population Local parks are ideally placed within 250m to 400m of the majority of homes. Importance of making connections, having an acccess strategy, route structure and place hierarchy with emphasis on walking and cycling and public transport. Paragraph of the Urban Design Compendium 2 Paragraph 12 of Delivering Affordable Housing Paragraph 2.3 of the Urban Design Compendium 2 Paragraph 2.3 of the Urban Design Compendium 2 Table 2.3 of the Urban Design Compendium 2 Table 2.3 of the Urban Design Compendium 2 Table 2.3 of the Urban Design Compendium 2 Table 2.3 of the Urban Design Compendium 2 Table 2.3 of the Urban Design Compendium 2 National Playing Field Association Paragraph of the Urban Design Compendium 2 Paragraph of the Urban Design Compendium 2 b Services Bring forward land with the provision of essential infrastructure, including sustainable waste management Paragraph 27 of PPS1 Importance of energy efficiency, resources and waste, surface drainage strategy, habitat conservation and creation. Paragraph 2.2.3/5 of the Urban Design Compendium 2 c Other Planted screens can be effective in restricting the views of roads, while planted screens also improve the local character of a place Paragraph 2.1 of Volume 10 Section 1 of Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Authorities are expected to adopt street layouts complying with the Design Guidance adopted by the Highway Authority. These include - verges and plannted areas adjacent the carridge way. Paragraph of The Manual for Streets

87 Draft South East Plan 1 RESIDENTIAL a Density Range Regional target of 40 dph (Policy H5) b c Affordable Housing Requirement Housing Mix 2 EMPLOYMENT a Land Requirement 3 RETAIL a Land Requirement 4 COMMUNITY USES a b c d e Primary Schools Secondary Schools Community Facilities Leisure Centres Health Facilities 5 OPEN SPACE a Formal Space Informal Natural b Space 6 INFRASTRUCTURE a b c Transport Services Other Regional target of 35% (Policy H4), MK Growth Area Target of 30% (Policy MKAV1) and AV Target of 40% (Policy MKAV2) Appropriate range of type, size and tenure (Policy H6) The provision of development land in appropriate locations that are accessible to local labour supply and promote mixed use and public transport usage (Policy RE2). MK Growth Area Target 48,850 jobs (Policy MKAV1). AV Target 21,200 (Policy MKAV2). New housing should have the necessary services and community provision (Policy H3) Ensure adequate provision of pre-school, school and community learning facilities (Policy S5) Ensure adequate provision of pre-school, school and community learning facilities (Policy S5) Facilities should be located and designed appropriately, taking account of local needs (Policy S8) Develop healthy sustainable communities with access to amenities such as physical recreation activity (Policy S3) Ensure the provision of additional health and social care facilities to meet the needs of the communities (Policy S4) Provision for cultural and sporting activity should be based on an up to date strategy and audit of supply and demand (Policy S7) Maintain and establish accessible green networks and open green space (Policy NRM4) Achieve a rebalancing of the transport system in favour of non car modes. Development to be located to reduce journey lengths. (Section D4) The ability to accommodate growth is reliant on the sustainable and timely provision of water resources, treatment and distribution systems, sewerage systems and waste water treatment works. (Section D1) Both urban intensification and sustainable urban extensions will be planned in such a way to maintain and extend green infrastructure (Policy MKAV1) Regional Policy Guidance Panel Report Recommend higher or lower targets being set locally (recommendation 8.6) Regional target is sound (paragraph 8.18), however recommend deletion of 40% target for AV (recommendation 23.10). Policy considered appropriate (paragraph 8.26) Support 1:1 ratio of jobs to new housing to equate to MK 49,950 jobs and Aylesbury Vale 21,500 jobs. Additional employment land (86ha) to be provided through sustainable urban extensions, i.e strategic development areas (Chapter 23). No comment No recommended changes No recommended changes No recommended changes Supported with minor changes Supported with minor changes Recommended stronger messages about demand management and the significance of climate change. Modal shift to be encouraged in new developments. (Paragraph 9.3, 9.4 and 9.19) Support with recommendation to identify important sub-regional infrastructure projects (Paragraph ) The provision of green infrastructure, in the form of linear parks, tree lined roads and integral open sapce, will be critical to the effective integration of any extensions to the city (Paragraph ). MKSM Sub-Regional Strategy Density should be sufficient to support basic amenities in the neighbourhood (paragraph 42) Significant increases in provision, mix and choice (Policy 3) Well-integrated mix of decent homes of different types and tenures (paragraph 31) 44,900 jobs in MK and 12,690 jobs in Aylesbury Vale to 2021 (Policies 1 and 2) Phased provision of high quality services (Policy 3) Phased provision of primary and secondary education (Policy 3). Phased provision of high quality community facilities (Policy 3). Substantial investment in expanding and modernising primary and community health and social care (Policy 3). Need to maintain and extend green infrastructure (Policy 1). Need to maintain and extend green infrastructure (Policy 1). Particular emphasis on development of new public transport nodes and interchanges, well related to new urban extensions and linked with the provision of high quality public transport serving N/S and E/W corridors (Paragraph 100) The strategic planning of surface water drainage management to minimise flood risk and avoid adverse impacts of large scale development on water quality. Waste management including waste reduction and waste infrastructure requirements. (Policy 3) Maintenance and provision of new and existing green infrastructure including parks, greenspace and water spaces within the urban area (Policy 3)

88 1 RESIDENTIAL a Density Range b c Affordable Housing Requirement Housing Mix 2 EMPLOYMENT a Land Requirement 3 RETAIL a Land Requirement 4 COMMUNITY USES a b c d e Primary Schools Secondary Schools Community Facilities Leisure Centres Health Facilities 5 OPEN SPACE a b Formal Space Informal Natural Space 6 INFRASTRUCTURE a b Transport Services Topic c Other No guidance MK Local Plan Average net density of less than 30dph not permitted (Policy H8) MK Core Strategy Preferred Options Adaptable approach to housing density (MI7)No guidance Increase affordable housing to meet need Target of 30% affordable housing (Policy H4 (SEC2) Range of house sizes and types required (Policy H9) Recognising the developing role of the City as a regional employment centre. Plan target indicates 3% more jobs than houses. (para 11.6) Policy objective ensures employment land is open to variety of uses Reserve sites (0.75ha per 1000 pop.) to provide for local shops and other services (Policy C9) New schools will be required as part of new housing development in City Expansion Areas (Paragraph 14.28) One hall (220 square metres) per 3,600 people (Paragraph 14.26) Minimum of one sports hall (4 badminton courts in size) to serve 20,000 population and one 25 x 13m swimming pool per 30,000 population (Appendix L3) New health care facilities will be required as part of new housing development in City Expansion Areas. (Policy C5) Local play areas ha at 500m intervals, Neighbourhood play areas - 0.6ha at 1km intervals, Playing fields - 1ha per 1,000 population, Allotments ha per 1,000 population (Appendix L3) Local parks - 0.6ha per 1,000 population, Areas of wildlife interest - 10ha at 1km intervals (Appendix L3) 400 metres is about the furthest distance people will walk to and from bus stops. In higher density developments metres would be more appropriate (Paragraph 7.16) The Council will seek to ensure that development proposals make adequate provision both social infrastructure and commuity facilities related to development proposals. (Policy PO1) Local Policy Guidance Mix of dwelling sizes, types and tenures to provide housing choice (NC1) Employment requirement ratio, every one house provides one job. New communities to have accessibility to commercial facilities (NC1) New communities to contain provision of services such as schools (NC1) New communities to contain provision of services such as schools (NC1) SPD's/ SPG's Target 25% social rented and 5% other forms (Paragraph 2.33 of Affordable Housing SPD) No guidance No guidance No guidance 1.93ha per 1,500 dwellings (Appendix 2 of Education Facilities SPG) ha per 6,000 to 7,500 dwellings (Appendix 2 of Education Facilities SPG) Libraries - 21 sq. m net per 1000 population, Community centres - 61 sq.m Ensure the majority of new housing is within per 1,000 people, Reserve site for wider 500 metres of a wide range of local services community facilities ha per 1,000 (NC4) population (Paragraph 2.2 & 2.13 of the Social Infrastructure SPD and Appendix C of Leisure and Recreation SPG) New communities to contain provision of services such as community facilities (NC1) Access to primary health care facilities will be promoted within local communities. (Policy MI8) Increase the provision of recreation space to 9.5ha per 1000 population by (Policy MI8) Provide for the creation of new green infrastructure meeting the needs of future residents (Policy MOA2) Growth of the City should promote public transport whilst maintaining ease of car movement. (Paragraphy 3.1.9) A strategyic approach to flood mitigation with the creation of new balancing lakes providing multi-purpose uses. (Paragraph 5.2.2) Growth should protect green space. (Paragraphy 3.1.9) Swimming pool metres of pool space per 1000 population, Sports hall courts and associated facilities per 1000 population (Table 1 of Leisure and Recreation SPG) 320m2 for a practice of 2GP s and 800 m2 for a practice of 6 GP s (para 2.7) Local play areas ha per 1,000 population, Neighbourhood play area - 0.6ha per 1,000 population, and playing fields is 1.5 hectares per 1,000 population. (Appendix G of Leisure and Recreation SPG) Local parks - 0.4ha per 1,000 population, District parks - 0.8ha per 1,000 population, Incidental open space 0.125ha per 1,000 population (Appendix G of Leisure and Recreation SPG) No guidance New Development will require additional facilities to deal with waste (Paragraphy of SPD Social Infrastructure Planning Obligations). Promotion of an integrated and sustainable approach to flood risk, surface water drainage - acceptable solution is balancing lakes (Paragraph 3.1.1) No guidance Expansion Area Development Framework Average density of at least 35 (WEA) to 39 (EEA) dph (Paragraph 3.3.1) 30% affordable housing required (both WEA & EEA)) Wide range of size, type and tenure (both WEA & EEA) Two areas identified; 17ha within the WEA and 96ha within the EEA. Mixed use area, containing local services and facilities (WEA = 0.57ha per 1,000 units and EEA = 0.3ha per 1,000 units) Two primary schools (both 2ha) each serving a catchment of 1,500 dwellings (EEA page 33) One secondary school (10.5ha) serving a catchment of 6,000 dwellings (WEA page 33) One library and Adult Education Facilities = 500 sq. m (WEA Page 32) One hall/sports centre (17m by 9m and 9m by 9m) for 3,600 population and one community recycling centre (1ha). (WEA Page 32 and EEA Page 32) Hub facilities' require 2,000 sq. m, supported by 'Spoke facilities' of up to 500 sq. m (WEA Page 32) The same as the SPG standards. The same as the SPG standards. Bus stops should be no more than 400 metres from all houses and workplaces, with more places within 300 metres (WEA and EEA page 28) To accord with policy, development should provide flood storage and drainage. (EEA and WEA page 36 and 34 respectively) No guidance

89 Local Policy Guidance Topic Aylesbury Vale Aylesbury Vale District Local Plan Core Strategy 1 RESIDENTIAL a Density Range No guidance (Policies GP36 & 37 not Range of densities from 40 to 100+ saved) depending on location (Policy CS2) b Affordable Housing Up to 30% affordable housing (Policy Target of 40% affordable housing Requirement GP2) (Policy CS9) c Housing Mix No guidance (Policy GP1 not saved) Mix of house size, types and tenure (Policy CS9) 2 EMPLOYMENT a Land Requirement No guidance 3 RETAIL a Land Requirement No guidance 4 COMMUNITY USES a b c d e Primary Schools Secondary Schools Community Facilities Leisure Centres Health Facilities 5 OPEN SPACE a b Formal Space Informal Natural Space Appropriate facilities will be sought from new proposals (Policy GP.94) Appropriate facilities will be sought from new proposals (Policy GP.94) Objective to deliver timely supply of employment land and to identify a settlement hierarchy and concentrate growth in the most sustainable settlements of the District. (Chapter 5.4 and Paragraph ) Accessibility to essential facilities (Strategic Objective) Policy C5 will set a framework for identifying all infrastructure requirements. Policy C5 will set a framework for identifying all infrastructure requirements. Appropriate community facilities will Policy C5 will set a framework for be sought from new proposals (Policy identifying all infrastructure GP.94) requirements. Appropriate indoor recreation facilities will be sought from new proposals (Policy GP.90) Appropriate facilities will be sought from new proposals (Policy GP.94) Policy C5 will set a framework for identifying all infrastructure requirements. Policy C5 will set a framework for identifying all infrastructure requirements. 2.43ha per 1,000 population comprising LAP: 0.04ha at 100m Policy C5 will set a framework for intervals, LEAP: 0.36ha at 240m identifying all infrastructure intervals and NEAP: 0.85ha at 600m requirements. intervals (Policy GP 87 & Appendix 2) Appropriate informal space will be sought from new proposals (Policy GP.91) Policy C5 will set a framework for identifying all infrastructure requirements. No guidance Guidance 30% as a minimum requirement No guidance No guidance No guidance Based on secondary settlement, Community Centre (minimum 180 sq. m) to be provided (Table 1- Appendix 2). Based on secondary settlement, Dry Sports Centres and Swimming Pool to be provided (Table 1 - Appendix 2) No guidance Based on secondary settlement, Central public open space of approximately hectares. Local open space of around 2 ha providing amenity and natural land within 400m of all homes. Immediately local open space of ha in housing within 300m of homes (Page 9) Based on secondary settlement, Central public open space of approximately hectares. Local open space of around 2 ha providing amenity and natural land within 400m of all homes. Immediately local open space of ha in housing within 300m of homes (Page 9) 6 INFRASTRUCTURE a Transport No Guidance No guidance n/a b Services Development should be designed to restrict and reduce surface water discharge, suitable measures for management should avoid the risk of flooding. (Policy GP 67) Policy C5 will set a framework for identifying all infrastructure requirements. No guidance No guidance SPD's / SPG's c Other No Guidance No guidance n/a Source Delivering Affordable Housing (Paragraph 4.3) n/a n/a n/a Sport and Leisure SPD Sport and Leisure SPD n/a Sport and Leisure SPD Sport and Leisure SPD n/a

90 1 RESIDENTIAL a Density Range Not prescriptive (Policy HO5) b c Affordable Housing Requirement Housing Mix 2 EMPLOYMENT a Land Requirement 3 RETAIL a Land Requirement No guidance 4 COMMUNITY USES a b Primary Schools Secondary Schools Community Facilities 5 OPEN SPACE a Formal Space Informal Natural b Space 6 INFRASTRUCTURE a b Transport Services Topic c Other No guidance Mid Bedfordshire Local Plan 2005 At least 20% affordable housing (Policy HO2) Wide range of types and sizes (Policy HO4) Focusing housing and employment within the strategic transportation corridors. (Paragraph ) Contributions will be sought, in accordance with Government guidance (Policy DPS1) Encourage the provision of appropriate new community facilities (Policy DPS2) 1.7ha of outdoor play space and 0.7ha of children's playing space per 1,000 population (Policy SR5) Up to 0.8ha of informal recreational open space per 1,000 population (Policy SR5) Ensure provision of appropriate access to facilities to new development to meet the needs of public transport and people. (Paragraph ) Take full advantage of the impact of development on surface water drainage and infrastructure and incorporate appropriate controls. (Policy DPS17) Local Policy Guidance Mid Bedfordshire Core Strategy & Development should make the best use of available land (Policy DC7) At least 35% affordable housing (Policy CS15) Mix of house types and sizes (Policy DC13) Guidance Source 30 to 65 dph depending on location Design Guide for Residential Areas Up to 28% affordable housing No guidance Proposed increased target for job growth. Employment land requirement similar to housing target No guidance of 14,230 (ratio: every house planned must produce 0.98 jobs). (Paragraph & Policy CS18) Support access to local services (Policy CS4) Promote more sustainable transport modes and reduce dependancy on the car. (Strategic objective paragraph 2.2.4) Focal point of residential areas should be mixed use, such as shops. Refer to County Council Developer Ensure that appropriate infrastructure Contributions Strategy is planned to provide for existing and Refer to County Council Developer growing local communities (CS10) Contributions Strategy Ensure that appropriate infrastructure is planned to provide for existing and Ensure that new development has a positive impact on communities and is supported by necessary infrastructure. (Strategic objective paragraph 2.2.4) Seek a net gain of assets, whilst expecting that new development aid delivery. (Preferred Option CS23) As the Local Plan Standard As the Local Plan Standard No guidance No guidance No guidance SPD's / SPG's Affordable Housing SPG n/a n/a Design Guide for Residential Areas c 0.1 sq m per person (Annex 9) Draft Planning Obligation Strategy d Leisure Centres growing local communities (CS10) 0.6 sq. m per person (Annex 7) Draft Planning Obligation Strategy e Health Facilities Contributions will also be sought, in Ensure that appropriate infrastructure accordance with Government is planned to provide for existing and 0.1 sq m per person (Annex 5) guidance (Policy DPS1) growing local communities (CS10) Draft Planning Obligation Strategy Ensure that appropriate infrastructure is planned to provide for existing and growing local communities (CS10) n/a n/a Draft Planning Obligation Strategy Draft Planning Obligation Strategy n/a n/a n/a NB Includes relevant Bedfordshire County Council standards where relevant (eg. on highways/design/transportation)

91 Local Policy Guidance Topic Buckinghamshire CC Counties Source Bedfordshire CC Source 1 RESIDENTIAL a Density Range No guidance n/a No guidance n/a b Affordable Housing Requirement No guidance n/a No guidance n/a c Housing Mix No guidance n/a No guidance n/a 2 EMPLOYMENT a Land Requirement No guidance n/a 3 RETAIL a Land Requirement 4 COMMUNITY USES Residential development must be consistent with the availability of local shops Provision of sufficient quality of land to help diversify the local economy. Urban areas to absorb growth along strategic transport corridors. Structure Plan Policy IN1 No guidance n/a Structure Plan 1991 (para 1.8) a Primary Schools No guidance n/a Lower school (1.2 to 1.85ha) depending on pupil numbers Developer Contributions Strategy (Appendix 2) b Secondary Schools No guidance n/a Middle school (3.5 to 4.83ha) and Upper school (5.94 to 9.17ha) depending on pupil numbers (Appendix 2). Developer Contributions Strategy c Community Libraries ha per 1,000 No guidance n/a Facilities population (Page 20) Developer Contributions Strategy d Leisure Centres No guidance n/a No guidance n/a e Health Facilities No guidance n/a No guidance n/a 5 OPEN SPACE a Formal Space No guidance n/a No guidance n/a b Informal Natural Space No guidance n/a No guidance n/a 6 INFRASTRUCTURE a b c Roads Services Other Future land uses and transport provision will be planned together. New development should not outstrip the capacity of the supporting infrastrucutre. Landscape protection and enhancement should not be an activity soley confined to a limited number of specially designated areas Page 48 of the Structure Plan Page 116 of the Structure Plan Page 88 of the Structure Plan No guidance Travel Plans are generally required for residential development of 50 or more dwellings and employment areas of more than 1000 sq. m gross floor area. (Page 18) Thresholds have yet to be agreed (Page 26) n/a Developer Contributions Strategy Developer Contributions Strategy

92 Appendices Appendix 2 Capacity of the South East SDA April

93 Bedfordshire County Council, Mid- Bedfordshire District Council, Milton Keynes Council and Milton Keynes Partnership Appendix 2 to the Strategic Development Areas Study Capacity of the South East SDA Final Supplementary Report April

94 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION APPROACH LITERATURE REVIEW LAND BUDGET AND CAPACITY ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS NEXT STEPS Annex Annex 1 Plan identifying the extent of the proposed Mid-Bedfordshire open gap/green belt extension as identified in their Core Strategy March 2008

95 1. Introduction 1.1 This report has been jointly commissioned by Bedfordshire County Council, Mid-Bedfordshire District Council (MBDC), Milton Keynes Council (MKC) and Milton Keynes Partnership. It supplements the SDA Study which was submitted to the client group during February The South East Plan Panel report recommended that there should be: 10,400 homes in the South East SDA (4,800 in Milton Keynes and 5,600 in Mid Bedfordshire District). 1.3 Following further analysis the SDA Study concluded that within the South East SDA: There is capacity to accommodate 10,400 homes and related uses on the basis of average net housing densities of 40 to 50 dph (para 8.67); but There is not sufficient capacity to accommodate 5,600 homes in the Mid Bedfordshire part of the SDA, except at a high density of 50 dph which is considered to be undeliverable (para 8.68). 1.4 The SDA Study recommended that further work was needed to assess the housing capacity within the MKC and MBDC parts of the SDA. This was considered to be additional work and as a result this further supplementary report was written to accompany the main report. 1.5 It must be noted that as this work has been commissioned after the submission of the original SDA report its analysis and conclusions have not been incorporated into the text of the latter. This document therefore needs to be read alongside the final report. The Consultants Brief 1.6 The client group agreed the following guiding principles for this work: The additional work should identify the housing capacity, under the three density scenarios (30/40/50 dph), for both the MBDC and MKC parts of the SE SDA this is covered in Section 4. It was agreed that the client group did not require diagrams illustrating these scenarios; April

96 The additional work should remain at a strategic level. The focus remains on producing evidence that will inform the views of the client group (and others) when commenting on the Proposed Changes to the South East Plan; The additional work should assess the implications for the land use budget of Mid Bedfordshire District Council s current position set out in the Preferred Options of its LDF Core Strategy/DC DPD to maintain a specific open space gap north of the Marston Vale railway line. This is covered in Sections 4 and 5; The report should similarly take account of the draft Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan being prepared for Aspley Guise by the Greensand Trust and the Parish Council which indicates the local community s aspirations for protection and enhancement of GI in the area, including the South East SDA. This is covered in Section 3; The additional work should take account of any relevant conclusions of the updated modelling work undertaken to inform the inquiry into A421 and Junction 13 of the M1 improvements. This is covered in Section 3; There will be a need for a future comprehensive development framework for the whole of the SDA as identified in Section 6. To clarify it is expected that the next stage of work would be best produced as a Development Framework document in a manner similar to that prepared for the Eastern and Western Expansion Areas. This document could then form the basis for future Area Action Plans/ SPD s; and The SDA Study was briefed as a desk-based exercise. For this additional work, the client group has anticipated that the consultancy team may need to spend between half and one whole day on site. 1.7 Similar to the main report this assessment has maintained a strategic focus and has provided advice on the overall land budget for each of the SDA s at three density scenarios (30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare). It has taken into account the principles of relevant national, regional and local planning policy (including the Panel Report) and adopted a consistent approach to the South East SDA in terms of spatial planning principles and standards. It has also sought to minimise the impact of development on the surrounding landscape. 1.8 The following section outlines our approach to this additional work as agreed with the client group. April

97 2. Approach 2.1 The analysis in the main SDA report indicated, albeit at a broad level, that the South East SDA can not accommodate 10,400 dwellings as proposed by the Panel Report at 30 dwellings per ha. In contrast, it could accommodate both the 40 and 50 dph scenarios. However, in the Consultant s judgement, the 50 dph scenario is probably unrealistic and therefore challenging to deliver based on average density assumptions made in the Western and Eastern Expansion Areas and assuming that a significant level of strategic open space will be provided in the proposed SDA as required by the client group. 2.2 Whilst there is sufficient land overall within the SDA at 40 and 50dph scenarios to accommodate the required 10,400 dwellings, the analysis also shows that there is not sufficient land specifically within Mid Bedfordshire District to accommodate the 5,600 dwellings identified in the South East Plan Panel Report unless development is undertaken at a density of over 50 dph. 2.3 Given the challenge inherent in delivering development at this higher density it is recommended in the main report that the two Local Planning Authorities review the findings as a matter of priority and provide appropriate guidance in the masterplanning brief with a view to addressing and resolving this issue. This report will contribute to this appraisal. 2.4 The approach to this work as identified in the GVA Grimley letter dated 5 th March 2008 was agreed with the client group. The following tasks were identified: A theoretical approach to the land use budget breakdown has been maintained consistent with that undertaken in the work to date to ensure that the whole of the SDA is comprehensively planned. Therefore we have apportioned the quantum of land uses as identified in the land use budget between the two Local Authority administrative areas. We have used common sense when apportioning the land budget, for example with respect to the distribution of schools between the two Local Authority areas (see Section 4); We have prepared two land budgets (refer to Section 4) in which the housing capacity under the three density scenarios of 30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare has been assessed. This is based on two scenarios: I. The basis outlined in the South East Plan Panel Report, which recommends against the Mid Bedfordshire proposals for a specific open gap/green belt extension north of April

98 the Marston Vale Railway line in favour of a landscape buffer (this is shown at Annex 1). This incorporates the landscape fixes as identified by Milton Keynes Council in the main report (para 5.6) that should be protected from any future development i.e. existing urban development at Woburn Sands; Wavendon village; golf courses; garden centres etc. This totals 108 ha (this land is incorporated in the Infrastructure land budget figure). This scenario utilises the full 788 hectares (ha) of the South East SDA for all density scenarios. The land budget identifies the capacity of both the MKC and MBDC administrative areas based on the proportion of land that is available within each area i.e. MKC ha and MBDC ha. This is an approximate two thirds/one third split in favour of land in Milton Keynes; and II. The current position set out in the Mid Bedfordshire District Council s Preferred Options for its LDF Core Strategy/DC DPD which seeks to maintain a specific open gap/green belt extension north of the Marston Vale Railway line. The land budget identifies the capacity of both the MKC and MBDC administrative areas based on the proportion of land that is available within each area i.e. MKC ha and MBDC - 82 ha (in this option 185 ha of land is allocated to accommodate the MBDC proposals for a specific open gap/green belt extension). As a result this reduces the overall area of the South East SDA to 602 ha. This provides a land take split between the two administrative areas of MKC 86% and MBDC 14%. Clearly this position will impact fundamentally upon the amount of land available for development in the South East SDA. In addition, for comparison purposes we have also considered a capacity split based on the approach utilised in the main Study i.e. based on a specific number of dwellings (10,400 for the South East SDA). As identified in the main report, this approach identifies land in the higher density scenarios (40 and 50 dph) that can serve as contingency. The two approaches to determining capacity are further described in Section 4; We have received a draft copy of the Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan prepared for Aspley Guise by the Greensand Trust and the Parish Council on behalf of Mid Bedfordshire District Council. This indicates the local community s aspirations for protection and enhancement of GI in the area, including the South East SDA. We have reviewed this report as part of this work (Section 3); and We have reviewed the relevant conclusions of the updated modelling work undertaken to inform the inquiry into the A421 and Junction 13 M1 improvements (see Section 3) insofar as they are relevant to this work. April

99 2.5 The next section reviews the two additional reports that we have received to inform this analysis. April

100 3. Literature Review 3.1 We have reviewed the following documents as part of this additional work: A draft copy of the Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan prepared for Aspley Guise by the Greensand Trust and the Parish Council on behalf of Mid Bedfordshire District Council (March 2008); and A note prepared by Hyder on the updated modelling work undertaken to inform the inquiry into the A421 and Junction 13 of the M1 improvements scheme (February 2008). 3.2 It is noted that the contents of these documents have not materially impacted upon the outcomes of this additional work or the capacity assumptions therein and have been reviewed as part of the evidence base on the capacity of the South East SDA. 3.3 However, the outcomes of these, and other technical reports are seen as welcome additions to the evidence base of documentation that will need to be considered in more detail when a comprehensive development framework is produced in relation to the South East SDA. For example, one of the conclusions of the GI Study identifies that 136 hectares should be utilised for green infrastructure. The testing of this scenario is outside the consultants brief, we would expect that this conclusion be tested as part of further work on the capacity of the South East SDA. 3.4 A brief summary of each document is provided below. Draft Green Infrastructure Plan, March 2008 The Greensand Trust 3.5 As context this report highlights the outcome of the Milton Keynes Long-Term Growth Strategy to 2031 that proposes that the City should grow in a south easterly direction around Wavendon, Woburn Sands and into Mid Beds towards Aspley Guise and Husborne Crawley. 3.6 The emerging GI Plan is seated in the delivery of the East of England Regional Spatial Strategy Policy ENV1 which states: Areas and networks of green infrastructure should be identified, created, protected and managed to ensure that an improved and healthy environment is available for the benefit of present and future communities. This will be particularly important in those areas identified to accommodate the largest amounts of growth. April

101 Local development documents should: Define a multiple hierarchy of green infrastructure, in terms of location, function, size and levels of use, at every spatial scale and across all areas of the region based on analysis of existing natural, historic, cultural and landscape assets, including the identification of new assets required to deliver green infrastructure; Identify and require the retention and provision of substantial connected networks of green space, in urban, urban fringe and adjacent countryside areas to serve the new communities in the sub-region by 2021;and Ensure that policies have regard to the economic and social as well as environmental benefits of green infrastructure assets, and fulfil obligations to protect sites of European or international importance to wildlife. 3.7 In accordance with this policy approach Mid Bedfordshire District Council has expressed the intention of putting Green Infrastructure Plans in place at Strategic, District and Parish level. Aspley Guise was seen as a priority parish for such plans given the proposals for growth both in, and surrounding, the Parish.. The emerging GI plan for Aspley Guise indicates the local community s specific aspirations for protection and enhancement of Green Infrastructure in the area. 3.8 The plan has the backing of the Aspley Guise Parish Council as it has been a community led plan. It is yet to be adopted by the Parish Council but it is expected to occur in due course. Mid Bedfordshire District Council intend to use its findings as a technical study to inform ongoing work. 3.9 The document produces a series of themed maps for Aspley Guise identifying green Infrastructure in terms of: Landscape; Historic heritage; Biodiversity; and Open Space and Recreation The main area proposed for new open space is the area north of the railway on either side of the Salford Road. This area includes: The land identified in the landscape study that is needed to prevent the coalescence of any new developments with Aspley Guise; Many of the ridge and furrow grasslands; The most important grasslands identified in the biodiversity report; April

102 Opportunities to upgrade footpaths for off-road cycle and horse use; Buffers adjacent to the most important grasslands to prevent damage due to inappropriate adjacent land uses or activities; and Opportunities for both formal and informal recreation related to new development, although these proposals will need careful planning and specific measures put in place to ensure that future management will prevent damage or destruction of key features A copy of the Green Infrastructure map produced by the Greensand Trust is provided below: April

103 Figure 3.1: Aspley Guise Green Infrastructure Plan 3.12 The report identifies multi-functional green corridors to the north on the line of existing water courses. In addition existing rights of way are proposed that link with current motorway crossings. Improved crossings of the A421 are also required to make these fully effective. The existing off road links towards Woburn and to the Aspley Woods Complex will need to be April

104 upgraded to deal with increased pressure from any new developments. Extra pressure on the recreation facilities at Aspley Woods will necessitate increased resources for capital and maintenance The route of the proposed Milton Keynes to Bedford Waterway Park is shown on the map, although at present little other detail is available. Any associated towpath proposals could provide a valuable link to the east under the motorway and into the heart of the Marston Vale This Study plays a useful role in describing the potential that exists to enhance green open space and links in the South East SDA. Its proposals do however have to be weighed against other factors, for example, the priority attached to delivery of housing and related uses in the area. This report is however a useful contribution and with the widespread backing and involvement of the local community will clearly inform the wider masterplanning of the area. A421 Improvements Scheme Sensitivity Tests, February 2008 Hyder 3.15 This is a technical note that addresses questions relating to the performance of M1 J13. It contains a series of sensitivity analyses that have been undertaken by Hyder Broadly speaking the aims of the Hyder studies were: To address concerns expressed by Aspley Guise Parish Council relating to: Down-grading of the A5130, which was not represented in the original traffic model; and The impact of the potential roundabouts along the A421 between the Kingston Roundabout and M1J13, which were also not represented in the model. To consider issues raised by the South East Milton Keynes Consortium of Developers, relating to the indicative assessment of the M1 Junction 13 at 2026 which they considered to be unsatisfactory. It needs to be consistent with the Milton Keynes/ South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, the Proposed Changes to the East of England Plan, and the Panel Report to the South-East Plan It was agreed that Hyder would carry out a full appraisal of M1, Junction 13 as at 2026, (consistent with the planning policy documents identified above) using the core assessment approach. April

105 3.18 This modelling was undertaken on the basis of altered housing assumptions (due to the concerns expressed by Aspley Guise Parish Council and the South East Milton Keynes Consortium) to assess their impact on the existing and proposed transport infrastructure up to The Study led to the following conclusions: Under the assumptions used for the sensitivity tests, additional traffic has been generated in line with the general level of housing (and other) developments targeted in the Milton Keynes/ South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, the Proposed Changes to the East of England Plan, and the Panel Report to the South-East Plan; It is noted that the planned road improvements in south-east Milton Keynes have only been modelled (as part of this work) to cover the period up to It is not clear whether this Study has taken account of the strategic modelling undertaken as part of the evidence base that informed the Milton Keynes Long Term Growth Strategy to This considered projected growth in travel in light of the proposed urban extensions at both 2016 and 2031; No allowance has been made in these sensitivity tests for the potential reductions in highway traffic (e.g. through changes in the time of travel, change of mode where this is a viable alternative, and/or trip suppression) that would be likely to occur if congestion on the highway network were to become as severe as forecast; Consequently, in these sensitivity tests, even without taking into account the development proposed in the Panel Report to the South-East Plan, the local highway network in southeast Milton Keynes is forecast to be severely congested in Hence, the traffic that is forecast to use M1J13 in the sensitivity tests reported is considered to be a worst case under which to judge the performance of the junction; Without any proposed development or mitigation measures, the results indicate that all of the sub-junctions comprising M1 J13 would perform satisfactory except the left turn to the A421 on-slip at the Salford Road Junction, which is forecast to have a 93% degree of saturation in the PM peak hour. Additional signalisation at the Salford Road Junction would reduce the degree of saturation on this arm to below 90% which is more acceptable; With the proposed development and without any mitigation measures, all of the subjunctions comprising M1 J13 would still perform satisfactory, except the left turn to the A421 on-slip at the Salford Road Junction, which is forecast to have a 96% degree of April

106 saturation in the PM peak hour. Additional signalisation at the Salford Road Junction would reduce the degree of saturation on this arm to below 90%; and The differences between the two forecasts scenarios are not as great as might be expected because much of the local road network, as represented in the model, is already over-capacity without the additional development. Therefore, wherever growth takes place in the City, there will need to be improvements made to facilitate this growth i.e. to the road network, plus effective measures to encourage public transport, cycling and walking through the SDA It is evident from this report that additional road improvements will be necessary to cater for increased traffic beyond 2016 resulting from proposed new housing development. These will need to be considered as part of the future masterplanning of the South East SDA, but should not affect the outcome of this work As identified in para 3.19 the Hyder work does not appear to take account of the Milton Keynes Long Term Growth Strategy to The transport work undertaken as part of the Growth Strategy provided technical data to support growth in this area, albeit at a lower level than the Panel Report recommends. It would be prudent if the conclusions of this work were reviewed in light of the Hyder findings. This would further inform the evidence base with regard to transport capacity in the South East SDA The next section of the report outlines the assumptions we have made in the proportional split of the land budget uses between the two administrative areas and also outlines the findings of the capacity analysis. April

107 4. Land Budget and Capacity Analysis 4.1 In revising the land budget we have carried forward the theoretical approach that is consistent with that undertaken in the work to date to ensure that the whole of the SDA is comprehensively planned. 4.2 We have apportioned the quantum of land uses as identified in the land use budget (see below) between the two Local Authority districts. We have used a common sense approach when apportioning uses/facilities between the districts to ensure the proper provision of uses to accord with the formulae adopted in the earlier study. Approach to identifying Capacity 4.3 There are two basic ways in which capacity can be determined: Approach 1: Based on a specific amount of land this method enables the capacity of the SDA to be determined once all of the other land use budget requirements (e.g. employment, retail/commercial areas, schools, community/health facilities, sports/leisure facilities, specialist sports provision, playing fields, informal open space and nature reserves; and infrastructure including provision for green infrastructure such as structural landscaping/landscape buffers) have been netted off. This leaves a quantum of land that is available for residential development. It is this approach that has been adopted in this additional work to firstly identify the capacity of the whole South East SDA and secondly to define the split between the Milton Keynes and Mid-Bedfordshire administrative areas. This approach has also influenced the analyses based on 30, 40 and 50 dph scenarios; and Approach 2: Based on a specific number of dwellings this approach was taken in the SDA Study in which the Panel Report figure of 10,400 dwellings to be delivered in the South East SDA was tested at densities of 30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare (dph). By applying this approach in the South East SDA, this led to identification of a surplus of land, under density scenarios 40 and 50 dph. 4.4 For these two approaches we have prepared land budgets that have considered the housing capacity under the three density scenarios of 30, 40 and 50 dwellings per hectare as identified in the brief. These land budgets have been prepared having regard to the positions as: April

108 I. Set out in the South East Plan Panel Report; and II. As per the approach outlined in the Mid-Bedfordshire LDF Core Strategy. 4.5 These are described below: Scenario 1 - This basis is as outlined in the South East Plan Panel Report which recommends against the Mid Bedfordshire proposals for a specific open gap/green belt extension north of the Marston Vale Railway line in favour of a landscape buffer (this is shown at Annex 1). This incorporates the landscape fixes as identified by Milton Keynes Council in the main report (para 5.6) that should be protected from any future development i.e. existing urban development at Woburn Sands; Wavendon village; golf courses; garden centres etc. This totals 108 ha (this land is incorporated in the Infrastructure land budget figure). This scenario utilises the full 788 hectares (ha) of the South East SDA for all density scenarios. The land budget below identifies the capacity of both the Milton Keyes Council (MKC) and the Mid Bedfordshire District Council (MBDC) administrative areas based on the proportion of land that is available within each area (i.e. MKC 520 ha and MBDC 268 ha. This is an approximate two thirds/one third split (66% and 34%) in favour of land in Milton Keynes; and Scenario 2 This adopts the current position set out in the Mid Bedfordshire District Council s Preferred Options of its LDF Core Strategy/DC DPD which seeks to maintain a specific open gap/green belt extension north of the Marston Vale Railway line. The land budget identifies the capacity of both the MKC and MBDC administrative areas based on the proportion of land that is available within each area (i.e. MKC 520 ha and MBDC 82 ha). In this option 185 ha of land is allocated to accommodate the MBDC proposals for a specific open gap/green belt extension. This approach would reduce the overall area of the South East SDA to 602 ha. This provides a land take between the two administrative areas of MKC 86.4% and MBDC 13.6%. April

109 Land Budget Assumptions and Capacity Analysis Approach 1: Based on a specific amount of land (Scenario 1) 4.6 Based on the approaches identified above, in preparing the Land Use Budget we have made the following set of assumptions. These are based on the land use budget assumptions made in Section 6 of the main report. This type of capacity analysis is an iterative process i.e. an increase in the land budget for non-housing uses due to an increased number of dwellings being deliverable at higher densities will reduce the amount of land available for housing. The outputs of this exercise and assumptions are outlined below: Table 4.1: Approach 1: Based on a specific amount of land (Scenario 1) Land Use Capacity (ha) South East SDA Milton Keynes Mid Bedfordshire Dwellings per hectare (dph) Residential A - Employment (no. dwellings) 10,170 12,201 13, ,053 8,949 3,458 4,148 4,610 B - Retail/Commercial Areas C - Primary Schools (no. of Schools) D - Secondary Schools (no. of Schools) E - Community/Health Facilities F - Sports/Leisure Facilities G - Specialist Sports Provision H Formal Open Space I - Informal Open Space and Nature Reserves Sub Total (A-I) (ha) Infrastructure including provision for green infrastructure, such as structural landscaping/ landscape buffers. Total Land (ha) Nb1: The household size and makeup is assumed to be the same regardless of the density of development. This is a reasonable approach to take at the strategic level. In reality a development with a net average density of 50 dph could have a different housing mix, and therefore population composition, to one with a net average density of 30 dph; Nb2: Under the 40dph scenario for component D we have assumed that the additional 201 dwellings would not require an additional school (a further 10.5 ha). If this were incorporated into the land budget the no. of dwellings that could be provided would have to be reduced to under the 12,000 trigger point to bring the land area back to 788ha. As 12,000 dwellings triggers 2 secondary schools not 3 it appeared prudent to maximise the no. of dwellings that the area could in theory deliver. The Development Framework that will be prepared will resolve issues such as this; and Nb3: The constant components (F&G) represent single facilities, therefore the proportional split would not be deliverable in reality. The location of these facilities will be determined when a Development Framework is prepared for this SDA. (GVA Grimley, April 2008) 4.7 Using this approach the capacity of the two administrative areas under the density scenarios is identified in Table 4.2 below: April

110 Table 4.2 Approach 1 (Scenario 1) Total Residential Capacity Split by administrative area Residential Density Scenario 30 dph 40 dph 50 dph SDA Total 788 ha Milton Keynes 520 ha Mid Bedfordshire 268 ha 10,170 dwellings 12,201 dwellings 13,559 dwellings 6,712 dwellings 8,053 dwellings 8,949 dwellings 3,458 dwellings 4,148 dwellings 4,610 dwellings (GVA Grimley, April 2008) 4.8 Table 4.2 demonstrates that even at 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) there is not sufficient land within Mid Bedfordshire to meet the South East Plan Panel target of 5,600 dwellings in the District. 4.9 Equally the work confirms that there is more than sufficient capacity at all density scenarios to accommodate the 4,800 dwellings identified by the South East Plan Panel in the Milton Keynes part of the SDA Table 4.2 also clearly indicates that development at a density of 30dph will accommodate all but 230 of the 10,400 dwellings identified for the South East SDA by the Panel. A density of about 31 dph should be able to accommodate this level of development. These figures and the assumptions that have informed them will of course need to be tested as part of the drawing up of comprehensive development framework for the area. April

111 Approach 1: Based on a specific amount of land (Scenario 2) 4.11 Based on the approaches identified above in preparing the Land Use Budget for the Mid Beds scenario we have made the following set of assumptions: Table 4.3: Approach 1: Based on a specific amount of land (Scenario 2) Land Use Capacity (ha) South East SDA Milton Keynes Mid Bedfordshire Dwellings per hectare (dph) Residential (no. dwellings) 7,563 9,061 10,327 6,524 7,829 8,923 1,029 1,232 1,404 A - Employment B - Retail/Commercial Areas C - Primary Schools (no. of Schools) D - Secondary Schools (no. of Schools) E - Community/Health Facilities F - Sports/Leisure Facilities G - Specialist Sports Provision H - Formal Open Space I - Informal Open Space and Nature Reserves Sub Total (A-I) (ha) Infrastructure including provision for green infrastructure, such as structural landscaping/ landscape buffers. Total Land (ha) Nb1: The household size and makeup is assumed to be the same regardless of the density of development. This is a reasonable approach to take at the strategic level. In reality a development with a net average density of 50 dph could have a different housing mix, and therefore population composition, to one with a net average density of 30 dph; Nb2: The constant components (F&G) represent single facilities, therefore the proportional split would not be deliverable in reality. The location of these facilities will be determined when a Development Framework is prepared for this SDA; and Nb3: It is possible that a proportion of the 30-32ha that is provided in Row I and the Infrastructure row within Mid- Bedfordshire could be provided in the strategic gap. This would then result in a more efficient use of land by the freeing up of additional land in the SDA that could be used for residential development. It would also ensure that the strategic gap contributes fully to green infrastructure as identified in the Aspley Guise GI Plan. This would need to be determined when a Development Framework is prepared for this SDA and as a result this has not been applied here. The approach taken is reasonable at the strategic level and ensures that the land budget assumptions agreed in the main report are applied in a consistent manner across each approach/ scenario and local authority area. (GVA Grimley, April 2008) 4.12 Using this approach the capacity of the two administrative areas under the density scenarios is identified in Table 4.4 below: April

112 Table 4.4 Approach 1 (Scenario 2) Total Residential Capacity Split by administrative area Residential Density Scenario 30 dph 40 dph 50 dph SDA Total 602 ha Milton Keynes 520 ha Mid Bedfordshire 82 ha 7,563 dwellings 9,061 dwellings 10,327 dwellings 6,534 dwellings 7,829 dwellings 8,923 dwellings 1,029 dwellings 1,232 dwellings 1,404 dwellings (GVA Grimley, April 2008) 4.13 Table 4.4 demonstrates that as a direct consequence of including the proposal for an open gap/green belt extension as proposed in the Mid Bedfordshire Core Strategy the housing capacity of land within Mid Bedfordshire is reduced by about two thirds from 3,458-4,610 dwellings in Scenario 1 to 1,029-1,404 dwellings in Scenario 2. As well as showing that there is insufficient to meet the South East Plan Panel target of 5,600 dwellings, under this Scenario there is also insufficient capacity at all densities to accommodate the 2,700 dwellings identified in the Preferred Options of Mid Beds Core Strategy The analysis goes on to confirm that there is more than sufficient capacity at all density scenarios to accommodate the 4,800 dwellings identified by the Panel for Milton Keynes Borough In addition the analysis also indicates that development at an average density of 50dph will accommodate all but 73 of the 10,400 dwellings identified for the South East SDA. A density of around 51 dph should be able to accommodate this level of housing and related uses. In practice however as indicated earlier in this report, such a high average density is unlikely to be a deliverable density and so will need to be fully evaluated as part of the preparation of a comprehensive development framework for the area in due course. April

113 Approach 2: Based on a specific number of dwellings (Scenario 1) 4.16 Based on the approaches and scenarios identified above in preparing the Land Use Budget we have made the following set of assumptions: Table 4.5: Approach 2: Based on a set number of dwellings (Scenario 1) Land Use Capacity Milton Keynes Mid Bedfordshire Residential 30 dph 40 dph 50 dph 231 ha (6,930 dwellings) 173 ha (6,920 dwellings) 139 ha (6,950 dwellings) 116 ha (3,480 dwellings) 87 ha (3,480 dwellings) 69 ha (3,450 dwellings) A - Employment 20 ha 10 ha B - Retail/Commercial Areas 7 ha 0 ha C - Primary Schools 10 ha (5 schools) 4 ha (2 schools) D - Secondary Schools 10.5 ha (1 school) 10.5 ha (1 school) E - Community/Health Facilities 12 ha 6 ha F - Sports/Leisure Facilities 5 ha 2 ha G - Specialist Sports Provision 11 ha 0 ha H - Playing Fields 28.5 ha 28.5 ha I - Informal Open Space and Nature 35 ha 17 ha Reserves Sub Total (A-I) 139 ha 78 ha Infrastructure including provision for green infrastructure, such as structural landscaping/ landscape buffers. Total Land 30 dph 161 ha 40 dph 136 ha 50 dph 121 ha 30 dph 531 ha 40 dph 448 ha 50 dph 399 ha 30 dph 81 ha 40 dph 68 ha 50 dph 61 ha 30 dph 275 ha 40 dph 233 ha 50 dph 208 ha (GVA Grimley, April 2008) 4.17 Using this land use split the capacity of the two administrative areas under the required density scenarios is identified in Table 4.6 below: Table 4.6 Approach 2 (Scenario 1) Total Capacity Split by administrative area Land Use Capacity Residential 30 dph 40 dph 50 dph Milton Keynes Mid Bedfordshire Capacity of the South East SDA 231 ha (6,930 dwellings) 173 ha (6,920 dwellings) 139 ha (6,950 dwellings) 116 ha (3,480 dwellings) 87 ha (3,480 dwellings) 69 ha (3,450 dwellings) 806 ha (10,410 dwellings) 681 ha (10,400 dwellings) 607 ha (10,400 dwellings) (GVA Grimley, April 2008) 4.18 This approach is consistent with that adopted in the main report. The development levels have been adjusted to apportion the development between the two administrative areas as described earlier As concluded in the main report, this analysis shows that at 30 dph there is insufficient land to accommodate the 10,400 homes, whilst at 40 and 50 dph there should be enough land April

114 available. Any land that is not required for development could be allocated for additional development or be used to increase the landscape buffers Table 4.6 shows that even at 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) there is not sufficient land within Mid Bedfordshire to meet the Panel target of 5,600 dwellings in the District. It also identifies that there is more capacity at all density scenarios in Mid Bedfordshire District than would be needed to cater for the 2,700 dwellings identified in the Preferred Options report for the Council s Core Strategy The analysis also confirms that there is more than sufficient capacity at all density scenarios to accommodate the 4,800 dwellings identified by the Panel in Milton Keynes district. Approach 2: Based on a specific number of dwellings (Scenario 2) 4.22 Based on the approach identified above in preparing this Land Use Budget we have made the following set of assumptions: Table 4.7: Approach 2: Based on a set number of dwellings (Scenario 2) Land Use Capacity Milton Keynes Mid Bedfordshire Residential 30 dph 40 dph 50 dph 298 ha (8,940 dwellings) 224 ha (8,960 dwellings) 179 ha (8,950 dwellings) 49 ha (1,470 dwellings) 36 ha (1,480 dwellings) 29 ha (1,450 dwellings) A - Employment 26 ha 4 ha B - Retail/Commercial Areas 7 ha 0 ha C - Primary Schools 12 ha (6 schools) 2 ha (1 school) D - Secondary Schools 21 ha (2 schools) 0 ha E - Community/Health Facilities 15 ha 3 ha F - Sports/Leisure Facilities 6 ha 1 ha G - Specialist Sports Provision 11 ha 0 ha H - Playing Fields 57 ha 0 ha I - Informal Open Space and Nature 45 ha 7 ha Reserves Sub Total (A-I) 200 ha 17 ha Infrastructure including provision for green infrastructure, such as structural landscaping/ landscape buffers. Total Land 30 dph 208 ha 40 dph 175 ha 50 dph 157 ha 30 dph 706 ha 40 dph 599 ha 50 dph 536 ha 30 dph 34 ha 40 dph 29 ha 50 dph 25 ha 30 dph 100 ha 40 dph 82 ha 50 dph 71 ha (GVA Grimley, April 2008) 4.23 Adopting this approach the capacity of the two administrative areas under the three density scenarios is highlighted below: April

115 Table 4.8 Approach 2 (Scenario 2) Total Capacity Split by administrative area Land Use Capacity Residential 30 dph 40 dph 50 dph Milton Keynes Mid Bedfordshire Capacity of the South East SDA 298 ha (8,940 dwellings) 224 ha (8,960 dwellings) 179 ha (8,950 dwellings) 49 ha (1,470 dwellings) 36 ha (1,480 dwellings) 29 ha (1,450 dwellings) 806 ha (10,410 dwellings) 681 ha (10,440 dwellings) 607 ha (10,400 dwellings) (GVA Grimley, April 2008) 4.24 This scenario was not tested in the main report. Again the development levels have been adjusted to apportion the development between the two administrative areas as described above Similar to Approach 2 (Scenario 1) and as identified in the main report, this work shows that at 30 dph, there is insufficient land to accommodate the 10,400 homes, however at the 40 and 50 dph scenarios there would be enough land available Table 4.8 demonstrates that under this scenario, as a result of the proposal for a open gap/green belt extension in the Mid Bedfordshire Core Strategy, there is insufficient land within Mid Bedfordshire to meet the South East Plan Panel target of 5,600 dwellings in the District. The table also indicates that there is a insufficient capacity at all three densities in Mid Bedfordshire District to accommodate the 2,700 dwellings identified in the Core Strategy, Preferred Options report There is more than sufficient capacity at all density scenarios to accommodate the 4,800 dwellings identified by the Panel in Milton Keynes district The following sections draw together key conclusions from this report and identify next steps. April

116 5. Conclusions 5.1 We would reiterate that this report and the wider Study should be seen as the starting point in confirming the capacity of both the South East and the South West SDA s. 5.2 The key conclusions from the capacity based analysis (Approach 1) undertaken in the previous section are as follows: Scenario 1 (South East Plan target of 10,400 dwellings) Development at a density of 30dph will accommodate 10,170 dwellings in the South East SDA. This is 230 dwellings short of that recommended by the South East Plan Panel. A density of about 31 dph should be able to accommodate the total number of dwellings required. This will be subject to testing as part of the preparation of a comprehensive development framework for the area; However, even if development were to occur at 50 dph, there would be insufficient land within Mid Bedfordshire to meet the Panel target of 5,600 dwellings within the District boundary; At 30dph Mid Bedfordshire could accommodate an estimated 3,458 dwellings. At 40dph this rises to 4,148 dwellings and at an average of a maximum of 50dph, 4,610 dwellings might be accommodated; and In Milton Keynes administrative area, at 30dph 6,712 dwellings could be accommodated. At 40dph this rises to 8,053 dwellings and at an average of 50dph 8,949 dwellings might be accommodated. Therefore it can be concluded that there is more than sufficient capacity at all density scenarios to accommodate the 4,800 dwellings identified by the Panel in Milton Keynes. Scenario 2 (Adopting Mid Bedfordshire District Council s Core Strategy to maintain a specific open gap/greenbelt extension) Development at a density of 50dph will accommodate 10,327 dwellings in the South East SDA. This is 73 dwellings short of that recommended by the South East Plan Panel. A density of around 51 dph should be able to accommodate the level of development recommended by the Panel. This however is unlikely to be a deliverable density and so April

117 will need to be carefully tested as part of the drawing up of the comprehensive development framework; There is insufficient land within Mid Bedfordshire to meet the Panel target of 5,600 dwellings in the District; At 30dph Mid Bedfordshire could accommodate an estimated 1,029 dwellings. At 40dph this rises to 1,232 dwellings and at an average of a maximum of 50dph, 1,404 dwellings might be accommodated. Therefore it can be concluded that at all densities there is insufficient land available in Mid Bedfordshire District to accommodate the 2,700 dwellings identified in their Core Strategy Preferred Options; and In Milton Keynes administrative area, at 30dph 6,534 dwellings could be accommodated. At 40dph this rises to 7,829 dwellings and at an average of 50dph 8,923 dwellings might be accommodated. Therefore it can be concluded that there is more than sufficient capacity at all density scenarios to accommodate the 4,800 dwellings identified by the Panel in Milton Keynes. 5.3 The conclusions for Approach 2 (based on a specific number of dwellings) have been set out in the main report in Section 8 and as a result they are not repeated here. 5.4 The final section outlines the next steps for future work. April

118 6. Next Steps 6.1 There are a number of next steps outlined in the main report that focus on the need to test the various assumptions made as part of work to take forward the local development framework for the South East SDA. 6.2 This Appendix has addressed just one of the identified next steps, namely: Within the South East, this will need to incorporate a detailed assessment of the quantum of development that can be delivered in Mid-Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes respectively taking account of the view that the 5,600 dwellings proposed in Mid-Bedfordshire are not deliverable within the land identified for the SDA in the district once all constraints and land use budget requirements are met. (Para 9.7 of SDA Report) 6.3 In the context of this supplementary report it is recommended that additional work should include the following: Transport Assessments - It will be necessary to undertake a detailed study of the transportation impacts of the SDA and the potential measures by which to alleviate those impacts, including assessment of highway improvements, public transport accessibility levels and routes, and walking/cycling networks. This will help inform the content and layout of the development framework for the SDA and the ability to deliver the quantum of development required; Technical Assessments - It will be necessary to undertake a number of technical studies of key constraints that may affect the South East SDA which should include a critical appraisal of all landscape assessments undertaken prior to and since publication of the Growth Strategy. A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment is also recommended as a key piece of work to inform early masterplanning activity; Masterplanning - it will be important to undertake a spatial masterplanning exercise to assess the options for the distribution of the land uses/budgets which will be informed by the transport and technical studies/assessments and should consider the need for further refinement of the boundary of the South East SDA. We would recommend that this more detailed information should be produced as a Development Framework document in a similar manner to those prepared for the Eastern and Western Expansion Areas; April

119 Planning Development Control - We feel that consideration should be given for the preparation of a policy framework against which outline planning applications for the strategic reserves in Milton Keynes could be considered and consents granted in line with the South East Plan Panels recommendation for some development within the South East SDA in the periods 2011 to 2016; Infrastructure Requirements and Delivery - it will be necessary to undertake a study to assess the likely infrastructure required to support the South East SDA, (including green infrastructure), and the mechanism through which these will be delivered, including adoption of common standards by the respective local authorities and the appropriateness of use of a tariff mechanism to deliver infrastructure funding from new housing, in the light of the emerging Community Infrastructure Levy proposals; and Planning Framework - Consideration should be given to reviewing and, if necessary, revising the Milton Keynes Core Strategy and Key Diagram DPD and the Mid Bedfordshire Combined Core Strategy and Development Control Policies DPD and the Site Allocations DPD in order to identify the most appropriate Development Plan Documents (or SPD s) to deliver the planning framework for the SDA s. This will require close strategic collaboration between Milton Keynes Council and Mid Bedfordshire District Council, Milton Keynes Partnership and Buckinghamshire County Council at officer and member level in order to establish and agree an appropriate way forward to deliver development within the South East SDA in a consistent and sustainable manner as recommended by the South East Plan Panel Report. April

120 Annexe Annexe 1 Plan identifying the extent of the proposed Mid-Bedfordshire open gap/green belt extension as identified in their Core Strategy April

121 April