Land at Fiddington Hill Nursery, Market Lavington

Transcription

1 Land at Fiddington Hill Nursery, Market Lavington Briefing Report for Market Lavington Parish Council Persimmon Homes (Wessex) April 2016

2 Background This brief report has been prepared following the Market Lavington Neighbourhood Plan pop in consultation event held at the Old School Hall between 4pm and 8pm on Monday 14 th March Landowners and developers with an interest in providing new homes at Market Lavington were invited to attend the event to discuss their proposals with local residents. Persimmon Homes is proposing a high quality development of approximately 50 homes on land at Fiddington Hill Nursery located to the North East of Market Lavington. The site is identified in Wiltshire Council s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) as site number Three members of the Persimmon Homes planning team attended the event to present the proposals and be on hand to answer any questions. The landowner was also present to respond to queries. Market Lavington Neighbourhood Plan consultation event, 14 March 2016 The purpose of this document is to present Market Lavington Parish Council and the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group with an overview of the matters raised at the event and provide reassurance that the proposals for the site have been carefully considered and all technical issues can be resolved

3 The Fiddington Hill Nursery site is well located to the village and benefits from a lack of environmental constraints, meaning development would have a very limited impact on the wider landscape and countryside. The site has continued to garner support throughout the process of preparing the Neighbourhood Plan and this was reflected at the event held on 14 th March We spoke with many local residents throughout the evening, many of whom welcomed the proposals and others that raised some concerns about development at Market Lavington. We did not receive enough written comments on the evening to provide a quantitative analysis in this report, however this document quotes some of the written comments received and explains how Persimmon Homes is responding to these considerations. Access and movement Market Lavington High Street and Easterton Road can t cope now No alternative access road other than Fiddington Clay which is often difficult already with cars parked opposite each other restricting access for vans, works vehicles Access to the B3098 is inadequate now and will be worse and more dangerous if this development goes ahead would it be possible to build a roundabout There is no access to the proposed site only a single track road Traffic is locally considered to be a problem at Market Lavington, as it tends to be at most large villages and towns during typical travel to work time periods. However, Wiltshire Council has not identified Market Lavington as having a particular issue with congestion, and it is considered that the road network could accommodate additional traffic arising from the site without significant mitigation. Development of the Fiddington Hill Nursery site for housing would inevitably add some additional vehicular movements on the local roads. To analyse this impact, Persimmon Homes commissioned consultants to prepare a Transport Assessment which demonstrates that the impact of the proposed development on the B3098 / Fiddington Clay roundabout junction would be small and would not result in capacity improvements being required as a result of the proposed development. Through discussing the matter with local residents it appears that the concerns about High Street (B3098) traffic are more closely related to obstructive on-street parking rather than high levels of vehicular movement. Persimmon Homes will, in line with Wiltshire Council s guidelines, seek to incorporate a sufficient number and

4 type of parking spaces at the Nursery site so as not to exacerbate existing High Street parking concerns. The Nursery site benefits from an existing access off Fiddington Hill which links to Fiddington Clay. The Fiddington Hill junction will be widened to provide a safe and suitable access to the proposed housing scheme for vehicles and pedestrians. Proposed improvements to Fiddington Hill access A number of alternative access routes were suggested by local residents at the consultation event, none of which are considered to be appropriate. Providing an access directly onto the B3098 to the North West would require a considerable level of road building in the open countryside and would access directly onto a potentially dangerous bend on the B3098, so this is not considered to be a suitable option. Drainage This land has flooded recently with the run-off from the plain where will it go now? The land floods if you build on it the water has to go somewhere most likely properties in Stirling Road The site is located within Flood Zone 1, which the Environment Agency defines as land at the lowest risk of flooding from river or sea. All uses of land are deemed to be appropriate in this zone. It should be noted that some of the alternative sites

5 being considered by the Neighbourhood Planning Steering Group lie within areas of medium and high probability of flooding. It is understood that, following a sustained period of heavy rainfall, there has recently been some standing surface water at the Fiddington Hill Nursery site, which was mentioned at the consultation evening. As a major house builder, Persimmon Homes is experienced in improving drainage as part of new housing projects and drainage is not considered to be a significant issue at this site. A sustainable drainage strategy is proposed for managing the disposal of surface water runoff from the proposed development on the site. The proposed strategy involves the use of infiltration devices to discharge surface water runoff to ground and ensure that surface water arising from the site would be managed in a sustainable manner, reducing the flood risk to the site itself and elsewhere. All residential developments of this size must be supported by a Flood Risk Assessment. An assessment has been carried out on this site which concludes that the development would not increase flood risk elsewhere and would reduce flood risk overall. Quantity and mix of homes I would find a development of units would be more acceptable We need more 2, 3, 4 bed houses in the village for family needs The Wiltshire Core Strategy (adopted January 2015) is the relevant local development plan for Market Lavington. The Core Strategy identifies that 490 dwellings should be delivered in the Devizes Community Area remainder (Devizes Market Town has its own separate housing requirement) between 2006 and As a Local Service Centre with a good level of services and facilities, a high proportion of this identified local need is expected to be delivered at Market Lavington. As one the UK s leading house builders, Persimmon Homes has unparalleled experience in delivering high quality residential developments. The type of homes to be provided on the Fiddington Hill Nursery site will be informed by planning policy, evidence of housing need and discussions with the local community and other stakeholders. The scheme will provide a range of new 2, 3 and 4 bed market homes. In line with local policy, 30% of the homes on the site will be affordable (i.e

6 social rented, affordable rented or intermediate housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market). Developing the site for only a few dwellings would represent an inefficient use of land inconsistent with national and local planning policy. This would do little to address the housing need and the Council would need to turn to less suitable sites to deliver the remaining requirement. If the site continues to be identified as the preferred site for new housing in Market Lavington, then development should seek to maximise its potential in a sustainable manner. Community benefits Design for a young family If you do succeed with your development - what are you going to do for the village? The track called The Clays is a bridleway which could be improved (drainage, surfacing) to improve walking and cycling access from the development to the centre of the village and secondary school How are the schools, GP surgery going to cope with the extra housing The proposed development will provide a high quality residential scheme that goes a significant way to meeting local housing needs. The scheme will incorporate appropriate landscaping features including tree and hedgerow planting to help soften the development. Development of the site will also provide a new area of open space (including play area) and allow for the enhancement of the public right of way that runs along the northern boundary of the site. The emerging Market Lavington Neighbourhood Plan is a good opportunity to identify the infrastructure projects considered to be most important to local people, which development can then help to support whether that is proposals to renovate the Old School Hall or improvements to local footpaths and cycleways. The housing requirements set by Wiltshire Council is informed by discussions with local schools and other infrastructure providers. All new housing developments are required to pay into the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which is used to fund key infrastructure projects. Wiltshire Council s draft revised CIL List identifies the expansion of Lavington School as a project which may be delivered through CIL funding

7 Development of the site will also generate employment during the construction period. Once complete, residents of the scheme will help to support the shops, facilities and services in the village. Conclusions Persimmon Homes is supportive of Market Lavington s intention to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan. It is understood that following the latest consultation event, the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group will now undertake a detailed assessment of the potential housing development options. The land at Fiddington Hill Nursery is considered to be a sustainable site that is unconstrained, well located to the existing settlement and benefits from the support of a leading house builder. It is expected that the site would score well in a sustainability appraisal of the various site options. It is hoped that this briefing document will assist with the assessment of the Fiddington Hill Nursery site and we would welcome the opportunity to respond to any further queries about the site. The presentation boards used at the event are attached to this report

8 Land at Fiddington Hill Nursery Site Location Persimmon Homes are undertaking this exhibition to consult with the local community of Market Lavington and explain how land at Fiddington Hill Nursery could be developed for housing to help meet local needs. The residential development will deliver a range of housing including affordable in accordance with Wiltshire Council s Core Strategy requirements. Site Location Plan Land at Fiddington Hill Nursery Example Persimmon Homes Schemes

9 Land at Fiddington Hill Nursery Site Surrounding and Context The site is in close proximity to many important facilities such as schools, shops & places of employment. It is also well connected to pedestrian, cycle and vehicular infrastructure. The plan below shows the site context and the location of existing services and facilities including accessibility of the site in terms of walking distances. Services and Facilities Plan Site Opportunities Good road/public transport links. Connectivity to local services and facilities. St Barnabas Primary School and the High Street are approximately a ten minute walk from the site. The site is well screened and unconstrained. Persimmon Homes will work with the Neighbourhood Plan Group and the local community to explore and deliver potential development benefits, such benefits might include; traffic control measures along the High Street, funding towards the Old School Hall renovation and funding towards pavement improvements.

10 Land at Fiddington Hill Nursery Proposed Development The scheme will be designed in consultation with Market Lavington Neighbourhood Planning Group, having respect for the local vernacular and character of Market Lavington, whilst respecting and enhancing its landscape setting. The site will include public open space with an area of play for children. The building materials and design will reflect the existing context. A development of around 50 homes. A range of 2, 3, and 4 bed homes. 30% affordable homes available for local people and families in need. Proposed access to the site will be from Fiddington Hill, which will be widened from its junction with Fiddington Clay to the proposed site access. A two metre wide footway is proposed on the north east side of Fiddington Hill to connect the proposed development to existing pedestrian facilities on Fiddington Clay.

11 Land at Fiddington Hill Nursery Thank you Thank you for visiting our exhibition. We hope you found it useful and informative. If you have any further questions please ask one of our team. What Next. Persimmon Homes will work collaboratively with local residents and the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group in order to draw up more detailed proposals to support a full planning application.

12 Land at Fiddington Hill Nursery Illustrative Framework Plan