Welcome Why are we here? The Stroud District Local Plan Inspector has found that the Local Plan s proposed level of housing is not soundly based. Work to correct this will lead to a higher level of housing to be accommodated. The Local Plan has already identified that the Sharpness area is a suitable location for development. Therefore this is an appropriate time to seek your views on the potential to create a garden village development at Sharpness. A truly mixed use community with a vibrant economic base with attractive amenities A place built upon the 10 One Planet Living principles An accessible and well connected Sharpness For over 12 months a consortium led by GreenSquare Group, and involving Hunter Page Planning Ltd, have been working on a proposal for 1800 houses at Sharpness/Newtown, Gloucestershire, and we believe now is the time to consult with the community on what they may think about this development. A place for people where people have a real choice and can make a difference Vision aims Good food everywhere and for everyone Our vision for Sharpness Garden Village will push the boundaries on sustainability both socially and environmentally. On this journey, we will evolve new methods of collaborative development and ways of building new homes that are beautiful and affordable in a stunning landscape with a diverse range of amenities and A unique place with a strong culture and identity that embraces its heritage A place where nature thrives and is cherished Healthy lifestyle and happiness employment opportunities on the door step. Project boundary and location.
Who are we? GreenSquare Group was formed in 2008, we are a major provider of housing, regeneration, care and support and commercial services across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Our core business is building, managing and maintaining homes as well as supporting strong and stable communities. Our vision Develop good quality housing to meet a wide and growing range of needs. Create places where people want to live, and support a good quality of life. Provide the range and quality of services our customers want. Grow our activities and improve our financial strength and sustainability. We have the ability to manage and maintain areas of open space, drainage features, and play areas. GreenSquare are committed to meeting our policies regarding sustainable economic and social regeneration. We require the appointment of local companies from within an agreed distance of the site to fulfil the local labour obligation and also create apprenticeships to encourage training and skills development. Any contractor will also be required to involve the local community e.g. through a community noticeboard which will be updated weekly, a community post box, site open days, linking in with existing community groups and work in partnership with a local artist (or artists) to create temporary works of art on the site hoardings. Hab was established by the writer, designer and broadcaster Kevin McCloud. It stands for Happiness Architecture Beauty. We build houses that make people happy; that keep people warm in winter and cool in summer and generally comfortable and cheerful all year round. We work with brilliant architects and landscape architects to make places that look great and work well, and have lots of outdoor space for people to play, chat, lie in the sun, throw a good party, grow their own food. Hab is a potential development partner and is co-operating with GreenSquare on the Cashes Green Development. Cashes Green Development
Summary Of Our Proposals The area around Sharpness and surrounding villages has the potential to be a growth point providing housing growth in the short and longer term. A place to live work and play with strong connections to the natural environment and protecting finite resources Summary of Our Proposals An expansion of Newtown to create a larger self contained settlement of up to 2400 houses. Will include 1800 houses on land north and south of the railway line with 300 homes being proposed by the Canals and Riverside Trust to facilitate regeneration around the Marina. Community facilities to include: Improvements to the existing Primary School; An additional Primary School on land south of the railway line; A foodstore (up to 20,000 sq.ft) small shops and Cafes around a market square; Business Innovation Centre and hot desks; Flexible employment areas located at the heart of the community; Health Centre; Extensive Open Space Network and large new Common linked by footpaths and cycleways; Opportunities for food production and orchards; Habitats for wildlife; Road improvements; Community Sports Pitches.
A place built upon the 10 One Planet Living principles Our planet is under huge stress from the demands of the human population and collectively we are now consuming more than the planet can replenish on an ongoing basis. With a growing population we need to find ways to reduce our negative impacts to ensure that future generations are not disadvantaged by failing ecology. 1. Zero Carbon Minimise carbon emissions. Reduce energy demand to the lowest possible levels. Use the best available low or zero carbon technology. Generate as much renewable power within the scheme as possible. 2. Zero Waste Minimisation of waste throughout the project including a target for zero waste from construction to landfill. Create an exemplar of a low waste settlement with a strong focus on reduction, reuse and recycling. 3. Sustainable Transport Strong focus on reducing the need to travel, alternative travel resources and prioritising pedestrian and cycle routes. 4. Sustainable Materials Use of natural and renewable materials. Materials to be sourced within a 50 mile radius where feasible. 5. Local and Sustainable Food Food affects us all and is at the centre of our thinking and is discussed in further detail in this section. 6. Sustainable Water Efficient use of water with up-to-date technologies. Both rainwater and greywater systems will be considered. Landscaping will be designed to minimise irrigation needs. Consideration of water use in all stages of day to day living. 7. Land Use and Wildlife A healthy ecological system is not only vital but can also create a great living environment. Bringing nature right through the scheme will set ambitious targets for biodiversity through working closely with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and other bodies. The masterplan will allow enough undeveloped land for the community to evolve and grow and make its own decisions, on what uses it wants to incorporate. 8. Culture and Community Emphasise the existing strong sense of place in the design process to ensure that the results create a unique and attractive sense of place. 9. Equity and Local Economy Provide opportunities for local small firms including labour, training and apprenticeships. Affordability of the homes considered to create a multidimensional development. Encourage the formation of both commercial and social enterprises. Retailers will be vetted with regards to ztheir Fair Trade principles. Work closely with adjacent employers and landowners to maximise inward investment and employment growth. 10. Health and Happiness This is the ultimate One Planet Living principle; society should be measuring success by the health and happiness of its people, and not measures such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The development at Sharpness should be judged ultimately on the well-being of its inhabitants and a holistic approach to design and sustainability is vital in this regard.
Site Context
Access Movement and Connectivity An accessible and well connected settlement The vision for Sharpness will balance land uses so that people are encouraged to minimise journey lengths for employment, shopping, leisure, education and other activities. It will be possible to undertake all these activities on-site. Consider first Pedestrians Cyclists Public Transport Users Specialist Service Vehicles Consider last Other motor traffic Sustainable Movement Sustainable Movement Strategy The sustainable movement strategy will enable people to move without the use of the private car as the predominant choice of travel, i.e. low car use and high levels of walking, cycling and public transport. The key principles for developing a sustainable movement strategy are: Making sustainable travel modes easy, affordable, fast and pleasant; Provide essential services within walking distance of all homes; Design streets for a suitable user hierarchy (pedestrians first and cars last); Provide green walking routes; The proposals will promote walking and cycling creating safe and easily accessible links between community facilities and other important local routes such as National Cycle Route 41 which passes through Wanswell linking to Berkeley to the south and Slimbridge to the north; Potential to improve/upgrade the canal towpath and The Severn Way; Provide sustainable travel links to higher order settlements and railway stations; To reduce car usage and car ownership; The existing settlement is currently served by public transport, and the expansion of the settlement would provide significant new patronage to create significant enhancements compared to existing services. Achieving Sustainable Transport There will be a target of 66 percent of residents living and working within the settlement itself or within cycling and walking distance. This level of self containment is unlikely to be reasonably achieved elsewhere in the district. Traffic at this location would have comparatively less impact on the more stressed parts of the Gloucestershire road network; and local impacts could be minimised by sensibly arranging points of access to the proposed development area, and the provision of appropriate off site infrastructure in connection with the development.
The Environment A place where nature thrives and is cherished It is inevitable that some of our green fields will be permanently lost in creating new homes within the district. Land at Sharpness is not protected by any landscape designations and has few other environmental constraints At Sharpness we will work with the existing landscape framework retaining important hedgerows and trees to help structure the overall layout. We will work very closely with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and other local groups who have an intimate knowledge of the ecology of the county and will deliver tangible benefits for wildlife. The overriding theme will be to use native plant species chosen to reflect both the character and biodiversity of the local environment. The landscape strategy will provide for food production, open space and Sustainable Drainage Systems, all seamlessly integrated into the development. A new footpath network allows movement through the differing landscapes. BIODIVERSITY SHELTER FOOD RESIDENTIAL Strategic green framework to deliver ambitious open space provision, biodiversity, edible landscapes, shelter and space for SUDs.
Community Benefits A truly mixed use community with a vibrant economic base and attractive amenities Sharpness has the opportunity to become more attractive to investors, and evolve into a place where people want to live. Much needs to be done to improve the area s image to the outside world and to attract increasing numbers of visitors. The current core of commercial activity and the potential of the under used employment land provides a fantastic starting point for creating a mixed use community. We want to ensure that the regeneration of the area maximises the potential for job creation. We want to go way beyond this and look at how we can integrate commercial activity throughout the scheme. In order to encourage social and community based enterprise we will investigate how the scheme s green infrastructure and other facilities may support enterprise as well as offering amenity to all. We will encourage entrepreneurs to base themselves in Sharpness. We will enable home working and will investigate the provision of a community work hub (as part of a wider community centre) to provide the facilities and social environment that home/ flexi workers require. Local facilities Sufficient retail facilities will be provided for resident amenity, but not to undermine nearby centres such as Berkeley, which should benefit from the area s increased population. We want to ensure that there are reasons for people to move around the streets on foot and by bike. Sharpness needs to have places and spaces that will entice residents, workers and visitors onto the streets.
Health & Wellbeing Healthy lifestyle and happiness A sense of place We will create a settlement that gives maximum opportunities for health and happiness. People s physical and mental health and their feelings of wellbeing will be nourished by: The close integration of nature; The promotion of walking and cycling as primary means of transport; Access to sport and other outdoor activities; The focus on dayligh and indoor air quality; The availability of healthy food; We believe that all places are unique and special and that these differences should be identified, emphasised and celebrated within the design process. The design team will undertake a detailed audit of what makes Sharpness and the surrounding villages unique special and by working very closely with local people to evolve a strategy for distinctiveness. This will build on what is already in place through the design of landscaping, streetscape and buildings and opportunities for public art. We believe that this approach will strengthen local pride and in turn help create a strong and resilient community. Access to employment opportunities; and Personal empowerment and a vibrant community. The now dismantled railway bridge at Sharpness Good food everywhere and for everyone Food is vital to our existence and yet it has been relegated to something that is fast, frozen or ready. Many people have lost touch with where their food comes from (and its seasonality) with the result that the nutritional quality has reduced whilst the negative impacts have increased. We want to put good food at the heart of the community, and in this regard, we want to try and establish a food production business as a core part of the scheme in conjunction with local farmers. This could benefit any café/restaurant within the scheme and especially the food store. The produced food must be available to all at competitive prices. Food growing would also be integrated throughout the landscape strategy with an evolution of the edible planting and foraging approach delivered by Hab and GreenSquare in both Swindon and Stroud. Community orchards will be integrated within neighbourhoods.
Constraints and Opportunities Key Constraints The site has a number of constraints: A railway line that acts as a barrier to localised movement across it; A floodplain on western fringes of the settlement; A number of key wildlife sites; Existing framework of hedgerows; HGV and commercial traffic along B4066 to and from the port; Its proximity to the settlement of Berkeley; The designation of the Severn Estuary as a Wetland Area of International Importance and Ramsar site, a Special Protection Area (SPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI); Existing public rights of way that need to be retained. Key Opportunities The site has a number of opportunities: Long distance views across the Severn Estuary and inland towards the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); Potential for a viable and self sufficient community; Potential to increase leisure and tourism opportunities; Potential to improve links/connections to existing employment of Sharpness Docks; Opportunities for much needed housing; Opportunities for employment on brownfield sites; Opportunities for strategic green infrastructure and open space network providing shelter, biodiversity and a source for locally produced food; Potential for renewable energy initiatives; Existing streams and watercourses within the green infrastructure; Potential for improved links between existing settlements; Potential to increase and improve community facilities; Potential to increase pedestrian and cycle links; Potential to capitalise on an inherently sustainable location by river, road, rail and canal; Opportunities to promote cultural and historical connections with the docks, port and canal that date from early 19th century; Potential to enhance existing structure of hedgerows and trees where possible; Relatively unconstrained Grade 3 agriculture land dominated by brownfield sites.
Masterplan Deliverability GreenSquare and the team have been in discussions regarding the regeneration of Sharpness for over 2 years. The team has the full support of the GreenSquare Group which has access to considerable resources and is well funded. GreenSquare are hugely ambitious for Sharpness and the delivery of housing to ease supply issues alone will not suffice. We want to challenge the standard methodologies and the standard outputs and try to create a new blueprint for large scale development. We can provide the skills to deliver vision, innovation and inspiration but this requires a collaborative effort from all be it public sector, private sector,community bodies or individuals. Together we can forge a new Sharpness that will be much loved and will endure for generations.
Masterplan