WHITELEY TOWN COUNCIL NORTH WHITELEY DEVELOPMENT SEPTEMBER 2014
Dear Resident This Special Edition of the Whiteley Voice which has been prepared in conjunction with the North Whiteley Consortium is to let you have information on the key areas of work that have been part of the ongoing dialogue between the two parties and Winchester City Council over the last few years. The Town Council's support for this development to provide 3,500 new homes has been conditional upon many of the existing deficiencies in community infrastructure, such as new schools and transport links, being met early in the development. Over the last couple of years there have been changes to our existing community with the provision of a modern shopping centre and a new 9 screen cinema which is due to open summer 2015. Against this background we have been anxious to ensure that the new development to the north will create a cohesive single community in association with the existing Whiteley population. I am pleased to be able to tell you that all our concerns have been taken on board and the outcomes are reflected in this document. Although some issues still need to be resolved, the Town Council in principle supports the approach being adopted for the submission of a planning application to Winchester City Council later this year. I hope you find this information helpful and will find time to attend the pre-submission exhibition (the details of which are given on page 11). Cllr Mike Evans Chairman Whiteley Town Council 2 www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk
What is North Whiteley? Although the concept of 'North Whiteley' has been around for a number of years, the recent developments in Whiteley the new town centre, additional employment floorspace, further residential development, multi screen cinema have led to some confusion about what North Whiteley actually is. Pending submission of an outline planning application it was considered an appropriate time to give local residents a further update on the project. Winchester City Council has identified an area of land to the north of Whiteley as a suitable location to provide much needed housing. Indeed, policy SH3 of the Council's adopted Joint Core Strategy deals specifically with North Whiteley in this respect. The policy is extensive and seeks to set out a framework upon which development can come forward. The policy recognises that: Land to the north of Whiteley...is allocated for development of about 3,500 dwellings together with supporting uses. The development should reflect the opportunities presented by the substantial areas of green space within and adjoining the allocated area Development should also complement and take advantage of facilities in the nearby town centre and major employment at the Solent Business Park Protect and enhance the various environmentally sensitive areas Provide for pre-school facilities, additional primary school places and a secondary school Provide a comprehensive assessment of existing access difficulties affecting Whiteley Undertake a full Transport Assessment...including pedestrian and cycle links, a public transport strategy minimise car usage to include improvements to junction 9 of the M27 Avoid harmful impacts on water resources..include a Green Infrastructure Strategy that sets out measures to avoid harmful impacts and mitigate the local and wider impacts The site covered by the Council's policy is under the control of the North Whiteley Consortium, which is a group of developers and landowners, including Bovis Homes, Taylor Wimpey, JGP Lakedale and Crest Nicholson. The Consortium has been involved in the site for many years and has spent a considerable time establishing the baseline position for a planning application, through commissioning a range of detailed studies into matters such as ecology, landscape, archaeology, ground conditions, flooding, noise, air quality and traffic. Through this work, and extensive stakeholder engagement, a robust proposal has evolved which recognises and celebrates the www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk 3
ecological and landscape interests at the site and has used these, along with the wider site context, to shape the development proposals. It is intended that North Whiteley will comprise of two discrete neighbourhoods that respond to the physical constraints and opportunities of the land, and which will together function as a single cohesive community with existing Whiteley. As detailed below the development will deliver some of the key community infrastructure that has been missing/ promised at Whiteley for so long. 4 www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk
Engagement The North Whiteley Consortium has been committed to ensuring that public consultation and participation in the development of the master plan for North Whiteley has been at the heart of the design process and have undertaken a series of stakeholder workshops, public exhibitions and Town/ Parish presentations. In addition, the planning and design team has presented, listened to and responded to comments from regular meetings of the North Whiteley Forum, where inputs from a range of technical stakeholders, officers and the public have actively informed the master plan and intended form of submission. The consultation timeline below illustrates the extent and range of consultation activity that has taken place since 2010 whilst the Design and Access Statement (to be submitted as part of the planning application) will contain a dedicated Statement of Community Involvement that will detail the feedback received and importantly how the final scheme has responded. www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk 5
Current Position Work on the planning application is well under way and an extensive suite of technical supporting information is being produced. Although the planning application will be in outline (with the exception of the main strategic on site highways to be submitted in detail), an illustrative master plan has been produced to identify how the site will come forward. The following details this master plan and highlights key components. 6 www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk
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Delivery To inform issues around infrastructure delivery, viability and development impacts, an indicative phasing strategy has been produced and agreed with WCC and other stakeholders. This strategy has been presented to the North Whiteley Forum and Town/ Parish Councils and will accompany the planning application. The strategy identifies how the proposed infrastructure facilities will sequentially and logically build up over the lifetime of the project. The first year of development is anticipated to commence in year 2016. Housing The illustrative masterplan currently anticipates the provision of approximately 3,500 residential units, broadly divided 1,750 in the northern neighborhood and 1,750 to the south. Across the site there will be a range of densities from 15 to 22 dwellings per acre. The highest densities will be along the route of the two strategic roads through the site and at/around the two local centres, with the lowest densities proposed at the western edge of the development near Curbridge. There will be a range of property types appropriate to the density range. Housing delivery will start from the south moving progressively northward through the centre of the site, with development progressing into the Northern Neighbourhood from year 3. Transport A comprehensive transport strategy has been developed, building on what already exists within Whiteley, to maximise the opportunities for people to move around the local area by walking, cycling and public transport, as well as to accommodate the additional traffic that will be generated by the proposed development, with an extensive package of highway improvements, new bus routes and pedestrian/ cycle facilities, to benefit the whole of Whiteley. The existing Bluebell Way and Whiteley Way will begin to be extended into the site from the south in year 1 and by the end of year 3 Bluebell Way will connect with Botley Road just to the south of Bury Farm Industrial Estate. Towards the end of year 7 the northern link to Botley Road (combination of Whiteley Way and the new Curbridge Way) will be made, with a new junction to Botley Road, north of Curbridge. Year 10 will see finalisation of Whiteley Way running through the new Northern Local Centre. The new main roads are designed as residential streets, in accordance with best practice 8 www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk
guidance, and reflect the fact that they will have a multitude of functions and provide for pedestrians, cyclists and buses as well as cars and HGV's. They will be designed to encourage low speeds (30mph, or lower where there will be high pedestrian activity, e.g. outside of the schools and local centres) and include integrated sustainable drainage and landscaping to create attractive and functional routes. The development also provides the opportunity to bring significant improvements to the surrounding pedestrian and cycle network, providing safe, convenient and attractive routes within the new development, along Whiteley Way to Segensworth (across M27 J9) and north along Botley Road to Botley Station. These have been designed to integrate with a network of recreational routes through the extensive existing and proposed open space and woodland. Improved signage will make it easier for people to navigate their way around Whiteley. Improved public transport is vital to the success of the new development and a phased implementation strategy will ensure that new buses are provided from the outset, and increased as the new road connections are completed and the development built out. Over time, the development will deliver a commercially viable network of new bus routes serving Whiteley, the new town centre, Solent Business Parks, Botley and Swanwick train stations, Fareham, Segensworth, Botley, Hedge End, Warsash, Locks Heath, Swanwick, Burridge and North Whiteley. Up to 7 buses an hour will run throughout Whiteley and serve improved bus stops, which will have shelters and Real Time Information. Schools There will be two primary schools with pre-school provision, the first being in the south, which is being designed to accommodate 3 forms of entry (1 of which will immediately address the existing surplus demand in Whiteley) and a second 2/ 3 form entry in the north. These are expected to be open from years 2 and 7 respectively. Provision is also being made for a 9 form entry secondary school, to cater for the demands that arise from both the development and existing Whiteley. It will be a community secondary school with a range of facilities open for wider public use. www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk 9
Local Centres The new neighborhoods will be served by two new local centres. The new northern local centre will provide a convenience store, retail/ support space, a new community centre, scope for a nursery and opportunity for a care home facility. Given the relatively close proximity to Whiteley Town Centre the new southern local centre (anticipated in year 5) located adjacent to the southern primary school, will be more limited in extent with lower levels of retail and nursery opportunities. Pitches and Play There will be a range of play/ pitch provision across the development. In addition to the more informal spaces within play areas and larger green areas, there will be 4 junior football pitches in the north west of the development, with 4 full size pitches in the north eastern corner to be served by changing facilities and 2 flood lit all weather pitches positioned within the secondary school site. Play facilities will be distributed across the site ranging from equipped local and neighborhood areas of play to more informal and frequent playful landscapes. Their provision will be sequential to the phasing strategy. Green infrastructure The site respects and accommodates the existing complex and comprehensive network of green spaces that have been a significant influence on the form that the master plan has taken. Indeed, approximately 90ha (222acres) of the site area will be open space of one sort or another. The planning application will detail these different levels of provision, their management and future maintenance. Allotments There will be 4 allotment areas distributed across the wider site. 10 www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk
What Next? Work in finalising the planning application documents continues, with the intention of producing a complete draft in October 2014. An outline planning application (with the three strategic highways through the site being prepared in detail), will then be submitted shortly afterwards. Ahead of submission of the planning application, the North Whiteley Consortium intends to hold one further public exhibition, in line with their commitments made to both the Whiteley Forum and Town Council. The purpose of this event will be to provide existing residents and stakeholders with a further update to the now consolidated proposals and to have an informed view of the intended phasing strategy in the delivery of this exciting project. Whiteley Town Council will also be on hand to answer any questions. You are invited to attend this final pre submission exhibition, the details of which are: th Friday 12 December 2014, 12.00-19.00 th Saturday 13 December 2014, 11.00-16.00 Location: Meadowside Leisure Centre, Whiteley, PO157LJ The material shared at the event will be posted on the Town Council's web site during the following week. It should be noted that once the planning application is submitted to and registered by Winchester City Council they will consult directly with technical stakeholders, Town/Parish Councils and local residents offering a further opportunity for detailed comment. www.whiteleytowncouncil.co.uk 11