Heol Y Twyn, Wattstown Environmental Improvements
Design and Access Statement
RCT Homes
January 2014
! Mackley Davies Associates Ltd This document has been prepared by The Urbanists and Mackley Davies Associates on behalf of:
UG1485 January 2014
Prepared by:
Liam Hopkins and Gill Mackley [email protected] [email protected]
All plans within this document are reproduced from Ordnance Survey with permission of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office © Crown Copyright.
Licence Number 100054593 1. Introduction
RCT Homes are designing and implementing a programme of environmental improvement projects throughout the residential estates that it manages. The programme will improve the quality of spaces around flats and enhance the quality of life enjoyed by tenants. This planning application for improvement works in Wattstown is part of this programme of works.
Article 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012 makes it a statutory requirement for a Design and Access Statement (DAS) to be submitted with most forms of planning application in Wales. The Order explains that the DAS must explain:
“(a) the design principles and concepts that have been applied to the development; and (b) how issues relating to access have been dealt with.” (par. 3, Art. 7)”
This DAS has been prepared to accompany the satisfy this requirement for the application for proposed environmental improvements works in Wattstown.
HEOL Y TWYN, WATTSTOWN 1 2. The Site Location
The application site lies within the northernmost and elevated area of Wattstown. The application site is focussed on the boundaries and parcels of land that are adjacent to the flat blocks on Heol y Twyn. The A4233 is located to the south of the site, connecting Wattstown to Porth in the south and the remaining Rhondda Fach settlements to the north.
Refer to the site location plan (drawing reference: 14/414/29).
Site Features
Wattstown is a residential settlement and Heol Y Twyn and the application site is typical of the residential nature. As the site is located in the most elevated area of Wattstown its topography, which declines sharply south to the A4233, is one of the most prominent features. Other prominent features include the poor condition of the boundaries in the site and the presence of underused pockets of space which detract from the local ‘street scene’. Also noticeable is the lack of suitable semi-private amenity / outdoor space available to the flats.
Refer to the photo sheets included in the application for images of the site (drawing references: 14/414/22 - 14/414/26).
HEOL Y TWYN, WATTSTOWN 2 3. The Proposals
The scheme is designed to tackle some of the key issues facing tenants and the land owner RCT Homes on Heol Y Twyn. These include:
• Boundaries in a poor state of repair
• Limited suitable amenity / outdoor space
• Pockets of underused ‘left over’ spaces
Consultation with residents has been undertaken by RCT Homes and the design team in 2011 (community audit), February 2013 (refresher event) and October 2014 when sketch scheme proposals were shared and discussed. The feedback from residents throughout this process informed the works proposed in the application.
A full description of the proposed works is provided in the plans and sections included in the application (drawing references: 14/414/12 - 14/414/28). A summary is also provided below:
Flat Treatments
• Upgrade existing high brick walls with a visually open mix of lower brick walls and vertical railings
• Upgrade hardstanding areas adjacent to flats with pre-cast concrete flags
• Provide planting beds and oak bench seating in areas adjacent to flats
• Upgrade stepped access points and provide hand railing
• Create enclosed bin stores adjacent to block 24-29 and block 30-35
• Remove fencing in green space between block 24-29 and block 30-35 to create one garden space
• Provide ramped access to block 24-29 and 30-35 from the footway
• Extend hardstanding east of block 24-29 to provide an area for seating within existing grassed garden area
• Extend hardstanding area east of block 30-35 into existing grassed area (mowing strip included)
• Provide new green space adjacent to block 30-35 by turfing over part of the large slab area
• Include gateway and privacy divider in boundary treatments to block 36-39
• Upgrade concrete edges adjacent to block 36-39 with resin bound surface to grade in with level change
• Clear, regrade and turf green space adjacent to block 49-53
HEOL Y TWYN, WATTSTOWN 3 • Hedge and small tree planting to frontages to green up frontages
Orchard
• Upgrade existing high brick walls with a visually open mix of lower brick walls and vertical railings
• Replace 1m chain link fence on eastern boundary with 1.5m timber palisade fence
• Remove tree stumps, clear brambles and regrade to even out levels
• Provide brick edge to create a mowing strip
• Plant native hedge along the eastern boundary
• Plant Orchard trees on 4m grid
HEOL Y TWYN, WATTSTOWN 4 4. Planning and Design Assessment
Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012
Article 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012 makes it a statutory requirement for Design and Access Statements to be submitted with most forms of planning applications in Wales. Specifically the Order requires that the Statement must explain the design principles that have been applied and how issues of access have been addressed.
The Order elaborates that the Statement must specifically explain how the design principles and concepts have been applied to:
• Environmental sustainability
• Movement to, from, and within the development
• Character
• Community safety
Character
The proposed works are appropriate to the residential character of the site and will help to improve its aesthetic experience. For example, the new boundaries and reuse of redundant green spaces will directly improve the appearance of the ‘street scene’ in the site, while the provision of new hard surfacing, seating areas and planting will improve the physical appearance of the flats from the street and also provide tenants with space that will increase outdoor activity.
The palette of landscape materials has been selected because of its appropriateness to a residential setting. The hard landscape materials has been selected because they are robust and easy to maintain, but they will diversify the materials present in the site and improve its appearance. The planting proposed will compliment the hard landscape works and provide a ‘cared for appearance’. The planting proposed will also be easy to maintain.
Movement & Access
The upgrade works to the existing steps and access points and the provision of new hard surfacing adjacent to the flats will improve access by foot to the flats without disrupting existing movement patterns on the public footway. The proposed works will also not result in any change to vehicular access.
HEOL Y TWYN, WATTSTOWN 5 Environmental Sustainability
The proposed landscaping works to the flats and the pockets of green space will provide tenants with usable outdoor spaces, but will also facilitate carbon sequestration and create more diverse opportunities for biodiversity to establish itself.
The proposed works will not impact on the site drainage regime and the works to the hardstanding will conform to the existing drainage falls. The only new area of hardstanding will be the small area created adjacent to block 24-29. This area will drain into the adjacent grassed areas.
Where excavation is required a cut and fill balance will be sought to reduce the need to transfer materials off the site. Topsoil will be carefully stripped, stored and re-used on site.
Community Safety and Security
The new boundaries will provide tenants with a ‘defensible’ areas and the landscaping works to immediately adjacent to the flats will turn these areas into spaces that tenants want to use for amenity purposes. Combined these works will encourage greater outdoor activity which will increase natural surveillance throughout the site.
Greater outdoor activity and natural surveillance will also be encouraged through the works to the green spaces, which will turn redundant spaces that are currently ‘soft’ targets for anti-social behaviour into ‘cared for’ spaces. The works to create the Orchard, will have a particularly positive impact, as they will remove the existing wall that encloses the green space and prevents any natural surveillance of the area.
The proposed works will not have a detrimental impact on any of the existing sight / overlooking lines in the site.
The Rhondda Cynon Taff Local Development Plan (2011)
Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and Section 70(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 state that where a determination is to be made under the planning acts that determination must be made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The development plan for Rhondda Cynon Taff is the ‘Rhondda Cynon Taff Local Development Plan’ (LDP).
In the LDP Wattstown is located in the Northern Strategy Area. Policy CS 1 (Development in the North) identifies that the emphasis for this area will be “on building strong sustainable
HEOL Y TWYN, WATTSTOWN 6 communities” (LDP, p.30). The proposed improvement works will contribute to the achievement of this ambition through enhancing the outdoor environment on Heol Y Twyn.
Policies AW5 (New Development) and AW6 (Design and Placemaking) are particularly relevant to the proposed works. Combined they provide the framework to ensure that new development is of an appropriate type and of sufficient design quality. The policies include a number of criteria that are applicable to the improvement proposals. These include:
• The scale, form and design of the development would not have an unacceptable effect on the character and appearance of the site;
• Existing site feature of built and natural environment would be retained (if appropriate);
• There would be no significant impact upon the amenities of neighbouring occupiers;
• The development will be compatible with other uses in the locality;
• Safe access to the highway is retained;
• The proposals are of a high standard of design, which reinforces attractive qualities and local distinctiveness; and
• Landscaping and planting are integral to the proposals.
The environmental improvement works will increase the design quality on Heol Y Twyn and will improve its aesthetic appearance and make it a more distinctive and enjoyable place for residents to live. The scale, form and design of the proposals conforms to the character and appearance of the site, and where possible existing features will be retained and enhanced so that they are ‘fit for purpose’. The proposals are compatible with the residential character of the area, and will ensure that residents benefit from improved public realm and outdoor facilities. There will not be any impact on access to the highway as a result of implementing the proposals, and safe access will be retained throughout the duration of the works and thereafter.
Throughout the design process the local community has been comprehensively engaged and its feedback has led to the prioritised works proposed in this planning application. Given that the works will be undertaken in a residential area they will be undertaken sensitively and implemented during appropriate working hours to ensure there is minimal disruption to residents. It is therefore considered that the proposals are in full accordance with Policies AW5 and AW 6 of the LDP.
HEOL Y TWYN, WATTSTOWN 7 5. Conclusion
The proposed improvement works will improve the quality of Heol Y Twyn’s physical fabric and revitalise the street scene. Through undertaking the work RCT Homes will improve the quality of outdoor space under its management and enhance the quality of life enjoyed by its tenants.
This DAS demonstrates that the design of the proposals will contribute to environmental sustainability, enhance the character of the local area, improve movement and accessibility in the area of works and increase community safety. The DAS also demonstrates that the proposals are in accordance with the strategic and design requirements of local planning policy.
In light of the positive outcome that the proposed works will deliver and their accordance with national legislation and local policy, it is considered that the proposed works are suitable and planning permission should be granted.
HEOL Y TWYN, WATTSTOWN 8