Site Deliverability Statement Alternative Site at: Bridge Road, Old St Mellons

Transcription

1 Site Deliverability Statement Alternative Site at: Bridge Road, Old St Mellons Representor Number 1135 AS(N)4 Persimmon Homes 9 th February 2015

2 Contents Site Deliverability Statement Alternative Site at: Land at Bridge Road, Old St Mellons 1.INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Purpose 1.3 Background 2. SITE CONTEXT 2.1 Site Location 2.2 Wider Site Context 3. SITE ASSESSMENT AND DELIVERY 3.1 Existing site features 3.2 Surrounding Land Uses 3.3 Surrounding facilities 3.4 Highways and Transport 3.5 Landscape Principles and Green Infrastructure 3.5 Ecology 3.6 Tree Survey 3.7 Sustainability Appraisal 4 POLICY CONSIDERATION. 5. MASTERPLAN 6. CONCLUSION 2

3 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Introduction This statement has been prepared to inform the consideration of alternative sites as part of the examination of the deposit Cardiff Local Development Plan. Persimmon Homes (East Wales) are promoting the land at Bridge Road (AS(N)4 for inclusion as a residential allocation within the settlement boundary of Old St.Mellons. 1.2 Purpose The primary purpose of this document is to demonstrate that the land at Bridge Road, Old St Mellonsis deliverable, and consistent with the aims and objectives of the deposit local development plan and national planning policy, and as such should be included as a residential allocation within the settlement boundary of Old St Mellons. This documents contains references to the survey work and assessments that have been undertaken but should not be regarded as exhaustive. Full details of these surveys and assessments are contained in the information submitted in support of the candidate site submission and as such should be read in conjunction with this statement. 1.3 Background The promoted site was submitted as a candidate site as part pre-deposit stage, and was subsequently considered as part of the preferred strategy where it was disregarded on the basis that the sites perceived isolation from community facilities andpoor transport links would result in a form of development that would necessitate a high proportion of trips by car. Whilst we do not dispute the methodology employed by the Council for the assessment of candidate sites, we believe that this conclusion was somewhat premature in that it failed to recognise or considered the significant infrastructure that would be delivered as part of the development of strategic site G Land East of PontprennauLink Road. Image 1 (above) Site red line When considered in this context, the concerns identified during the candidate site assessment cannot be attributed the same weight as the promoted site would,if included as an allocation within the settlement boundary of Old St Mellons, benefit from and have access to the significant transport and community infrastructure that will be delivered aspart of the development of the strategic site. For that reason, we believe that the promoted site should be considered for inclusion within the plan on the basis of the arguments outlined in this document. 3

4 2.0 Site Context 2.1 Site Location The promoted site is located to the west of the Old St Mellonssettlement, and is bound to the north by the golf club, Began Road to the east, Bridge Road to the South and the Rhymney River to the west. The site occupies two field parcels which form a part of a wedgeof land totalling approximately 6.6 hectares between Bridge Road (B4562) and Began Road, Old St Mellons. 2.2 Wider Site Context The promoted site is located to the east of strategic site G Land East of PontprennauLink Road which benefits from an extant outline planning permission for the development of a new community comprising to 1020 new homes, village centre (comprising retail, employment and community uses), play areas and allotments; 2 form entry primaryschool, riverside park including extension and improvements to Rhymney trail with associated landscaping, land reprofiling, access (vehicular, cycle and pedestrian) and highway works. The development of the strategic site will provide the residentsof the promoted site with access to a whole range of community and transport facilities which will all contribute to improving the vitality and vibrancy of the settlement of Old St Mellons. Images (above) Site context 4

5 3.0 Site Assessment & Delivery 3.1 Existing Site Features The promoted site slopes down from the residential properties along Began Road towards the floodplain of the River Rhymney. 3.2 Surrounding Land Uses The promoted site is surrounded by open countryside, agricultural land, and the Rhymney River which bound its northern and western boundaries, with low density dwellings to the east and south, most recent of which is the residential development at Ruperra Close. 3.3 Surrounding Amenities The promoted site is located in close proximity to strategic site G which will contain community infrastructure in the form of a local centre which will provide access to local amenities such as convenience food stores, a primary school, a village centre, a park and employment opportunities. All of which can be access via cycle and pedestrian linkages from the strategic site or via public transport. 3.4 Highways and Transport A Transport Statement was prepared by AsbriTransport in support of the promoted sites candidate site submission. The Transport Statement prepared by AsbriTransport acknowledges the concerns of the Planning Inspectorate in dismissing the appeal for the northern parcel of land, and address the concern by forming a new access onto Bridge Road. This revised access will ensure an appropriately designed, accessible and legible form of development which benefits from the substantial transport infrastructure delivered as part of the development of the strategic sites. It is noted that the volume of traffic observed along Bridge Road will be significantly reduced as the length of Bridge Road that traverses the strategic site willbe closed to all vehicles other than public transport thereby reducing the volume of traffic and ensuring easy access to public transport and the community infrastructure contained within the strategic site. All of which will contribute to a form of development that maximises the potentialfor travel by modes other than the car. Images above: Site Location and Access 5

6 3.5 Landscape Principles & Green Infrastructure An outline Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment has been carried out by Anthony JellardAssociates in order to assess the likely landscape and visual impact of the promoted site. The assessment comprised of an examination of various dataregarding the site, including historic maps, aerial photographs and planning background information. Whilst the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment concluded thatthere would be a loss of open land, it considered that the housing layout promoted respected the general urban form of the western edges of the settlement which follows the edges of the Rhymney River floodplain. The retention of trees and hedgerows within the promoted layout retained the wellvegetated feel of the Old St Mellonswhich is further maintained and enhanced through the formation of a major landscape buffer. Full details of the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment can be found in the documents that accompanied the submission of the candidate site submission. Images 2 (above) Site red line and context 6

7 3.6 Ecology The northern part of the site which was the subject of a recent planning appeal, was subject to bat and dormice surveys and a phase 2 Ecology undertaken alongisea draft mitigation strategy that was accepted by Natural Resources Wales. An extended phase 1 Habitat Survey has also been undertaken on the larger field parcel, which confirmed that the site is predominantly of an arable nature with boundary vegetation and a stream fringed with ruderalvegetation, with the majority of the ecological interest confined to the hedgerows and scrub. Based on these findings, and in the absence of any ecological designations, the assessment concluded that there were no ecological constraints of sufficient magnitude to impede the progress of any future development. 3.7 Tree Survey The design of the northern element of the site has evolved to reflect the significance and value of high and moderate retention value trees which inform the layout of the site. On the larger field to the south the survey identified a small number of hedgerow trees along the boundary which were considered to be of limited arboriculturalvalue, with the exception of a horse-chestnut which is classified as Retention Category B. 3.8 Sustainability Appraisal The promoted site was considered as a candidate site as part of local development plan process. As part of this submission a Sustainability Appraisal Report was submitted in support of the promoted site, which identified the site as beingcapable of scoring high (when compared with the development of strategic site G) in three main areas, these being provision for ecological mitigation (SA Objective 3); Flood Riskarea avoided and enhanced linkages (SA Objective 4); No listed buildings but archaeological potential high (SA Objective 5). It is considered that the promoted site would, when considered in the context of the infrastructure that will be provided as part of the strategic site, improve its sustainable credentials such that it would receive a favourable score comparable with the strategic site. Images above: Ecological Survey Data 7

8 4.0 Policy Context 4.1 Policy Considerations The promoted site is located outside of the settlement boundary defined by policy KP3(B) on land designated a River Corridor by policy ENV 4 of the deposit localdevelopment plan. Whilst these policy constraints are acknowledged, it is considered that the promoted site represents a natural and logical extension of the settlement which through integration with the strategic site will provide a sustainable form of development that is consistent with the aims of the plan. Whilst the aims and objectives of policy ENV4 of the deposit local development plan are acknowledged it is considered that the level of open space provision that will be provided as part of the promoted site (which proposes the formation of a village green) would compensate against the loss of a small parcel of land included within this designation,and as such the extent of policy ENV4 should be limited to the area of land that falls within the flood plain. Policy KP1 of the deposit local development plan identifies a significant level of housing growth over the plan period, with a large proportion of this growth targeted at the strategic sites identified by policy KP2 of the deposit plan. The scale of the strategic sites and the associated infrastructure required to accommodate them is such that a significant proportion of the housing land required may not be delivered early in the plan period. The promoted site is not bound by such infrastructure constraints, and as such Persimmon Homes control over the land coupled with its experience of delivering housing development would ensure that the site provides an immediate contribution of approximately 100 units to the five year housing land supply. The ability of the site to make an immediate contribution to the five year housing land supply would also provide greater flexibility in the delivery of the overall level of housing identified by policy KP1 of the deposit local development plan, thereby ensuring that the plan is able to deal with changing circumstances in accordance with the requirement of soundness test CE4 of the Local Development Plan Manual (2006). The inclusion of the site as an allocation within the settlementboundary of Old St Mellonswould also strengthen the sustainable credentials of the Old St Mellonssettlement, as it would serve as a conduit to strategic site G Land East of Pontprennauwhere access to the transport infrastructure delivered as part of the strategic sites development would ensure a settlement form that is consistent with the aims of paragraph of Planning Policy Wales which states that local planning authorities should assess the extent to which their development plan settlement strategies and new development are consistent with minimising the need to travel and increasing accessibility by modes other than the private car. Images above: Policy Documents The relationship between the promoted site and strategic site G will ensure that it can make a significant contribution to the achievement of a 50:50 modal split between journeys by car and journeys by walking, cycling and public transport; reduce traveldemand and dependence on the car; enable and maximise use of sustainable and active modes of transport; and integrate travel modes in accordance with the aims of policy KP8 of the deposit local development plan. 8

9 5.0 Master Plan 5.1 Master Plan Development A concept Masterplanhas been prepared in conjunction with the other supporting studies and aims to ensure a form of development that it is compatible with both the strategic site to the west and the existing and proposed development to the east and south-east. The Masterplanproposes a low density form of development with substantial landscaping and garden elements that are sympathetic to the pattern of development observed along Old St Mellons which is characterised by large dwellings of varying design. Image above: Masterplan 9

10 6.0 Conclusion Paragraph 9.29 of Planning Policy Wales recognises that accessibility to jobs, shops and services by modes other than the car, and the potential for improving such accessibility a crieteriathat should be considered in deciding which sites to allocate for housing. In this respect it is noted that the promoted site is uniquely placed tomaximise the benefits of the transport and community infrastructure delivered as part of the development of strategic site G Land East of PontprennauLink Road through integration and its close proximity. The western extension of the settlement boundary of Old St Mellonsbound by the Rhymney River will ensure a defensible and logical settlement boundary that draws on the physical feasturesof the land. On the basis of the arguments promoted in favour of the land at Bridge Road, Old St Mellons, we believe that the inclusion of the land as a residential allocation within the settlement boundary of Old St Mellonscapable of delivering up to 100 dwellings would improve the coherence and effectiveness of the plan by strengthening its ability to realise the level of growth identified by policy KP1 of the deposit planin a manner that is consistent with the objectives of Policy KP8 of the deposit local development plan. 10