Kettering Borough Rural Masterplanning Report February 2012

1 Contents Page No

How to use this document 3 Public consultation 3 Part 1: Introduction, background & purpose of the project 4 1.1 Introduction 4 1.2 Background 4 1.3 Purpose of the project 5 1.4 Outcomes of the project 5 1.5 Methodology for assessing villages 6 1.5.1 Evaluation matrix 6 1.5.2 Assessment of place 7 1.5.3 Qualitative principles of place 7 Part 2: Borough-wide principles for rural development 9 Farm buildings 9 Materials 9 Parking 9 Highway standards 10 Part 3: Village-by-village analysis & development principles 11 Ashley 11 Brampton Ash Braybrooke Broughton Cranford Dingley Geddington Grafton Underwood Great Cransley Harrington & Thorpe Underwood Little Oakley Loddington & Orton Mawsley Newton Pytchley Rushton Stoke Albany Sutton Bassett Thorpe Malsor Warkton Weekley Weston by Welland Wilbarston & Pipewell How to use this document This document presents the findings of the Rural Masterplanning project conducted by Kettering Borough Council’s Planning Policy team as part of their Development Plan preparation for the rural area. The project involved a detailed analysis of the rural area and has provided a detailed assessment of all of the villages in the Borough. This will enable future development proposals to be considered in the context of each individual village’s characteristics and needs. The project also considers any opportunities for enhancement which may exist.

This document is split into 3 parts:

Part 1 sets out the background to the project, the planning context, the project’s purpose and outcomes and explains the methodology used to carry out the study.

Part 2 sets out some general principles to guide future development in rural areas which were identified as common themes from the analysis undertaken. They cover redevelopment of farm buildings, materials, parking and highway standards.

Part 3 has a section for each village in the Borough and contains the bulk of the information contained in this document. For each village there is a detailed analysis, identification of any issues and opportunities and some draft design principles to guide any future development. Readers interested in a specific village can turn directly to that village’s individual section for the information presented for that place.

Public Consultation The outputs of the Rural Masterplanning project presented in this report will be taken forward into the Site Specific Proposals LDD (SSP LDD) and subject to extensive public consultation. The next stage of the SSP LDD will be an Options Paper – setting out options for public consultation. This will include setting out draft Borough wide design principles for rural development, accompanied by a detailed section for each village, in which the draft design principles for that settlement, and any identified opportunities or potential development sites are proposed. At this stage communities will be consulted and have the chance to provide feedback on the Rural Masterplanning work and the options drafted for each settlement.

This report is a background paper. Any principles and opportunities taken forward from this document into the SSP LDD Options Paper will be dependent on the outcomes of public consultation on that document. No development site allocations are made within this Rural Masterplanning report. The purpose of this Rural Masterplanning project is to assess the character of each village and any opportunities, for protection, development or enhancement that may exist as well as to look at any submitted housing sites in their context. Options regarding the level of development and which, if any, sites could be developed, will be contained in the next stage of the SSP LDD, which will be informed by this and other background papers. The SSP LDD will be subject to extensive public consultation, scheduled for early 2012.

Maps

Maps in this document are reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. 100017647.

3 Part 1: Introduction, background & purpose of the project

Kettering Borough, whilst comprising several towns, is a predominantly rural area benefitting from many attractive villages set in attractive countryside. A key element of Plan making for the Borough is to arrive at a policy framework which manages rural needs and development whilst maintaining the special character of our rural areas, and where possible adding to the sustainability, quality, vitality and vibrancy of village life.

Planning policy for the rural area of the Borough, including its villages, is currently covered by the North Northamptonshire Core Spatial Strategy (CSS) and the saved policies of the Local Plan. The Local Plan dates back to 1995 and is being replaced by a Local Development Framework (LDF), of which the CSS is part. However, the CSS is a strategic level document for the sub-region and detail on rural matters is light. More detailed policy for Kettering Borough’s rural areas is to be provided in the emerging SSP LDD. Issues consultation on the SSP LDD was carried out in March 2009 with Options consultation planned for the next stage of the plan in late 2011 / early 2012.

The need to inform this LDD with an up-to-date evidence base, combined with the age of the saved Local Plan policies meant that work was needed to address the current rural context of the Borough and to determine the planning issues therein.

In the past, new development in villages has often failed to take account of the context in which it is being built. Standardised designs and building materials alongside urban style road layouts have lead to the introduction of urban style developments in the rural area. These developments detract from the qualities that make villages in the Borough special. Recent rural development, particularly affordable housing development, has often not adequately reflected local character, materials and identity. There is a danger that the special character of the Borough’s rural areas may be eroded with unsympathetic development which meets quantitative housing targets but fails to deliver quality developments responsive to local need and identity. This has lead to reluctance from people living in those villages affected to see any further development.

However, new development in villages can have a positive impact on villages in terms of supporting services and facilities, providing housing to allow local people to remain in the village and to provide some small scale employment or community facilities. New development does not have to mean development which detracts from the character of the village. Provided development is designed to a high standard, and positively contributes and enhances the character of the area, then development can have a positive impact. There is an argument that some change or development is necessary in some villages, in order to sustain them in the future and allow them to continue to flourish as mixed communities. For example can enable new generations of people to live in rural areas; provide affordable homes for local people; allow young families to continue to live in villages and support facilities such as schools and pubs.

Villages have evolved over time and it is important when thinking about future development to think about the needs of existing residents and how to best meet these needs while maintaining the need to ensure development is focused in sustainable locations.

A need for a project was therefore identified to address these issues with the overriding objective of informing the SSP LDD.

1.2 Background Kettering Borough Council received backing from the Government’s (DEFRA’s) Rural Masterplanning Fund having demonstrated a compelling vision for rural areas. Alan Baxter & Associates were appointed by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) under the enabling framework to draw together a methodology for assessing rural settlements. Alan Baxters role was to provide expert advice and guide the creation of a draft methodology to

4 assist rural settlement analysis. 5 case studies settlements were initially assessed (Broughton, Geddington, Grafton Underwood, Stoke Albany, and Wilbarston). This enabled the methodology and intended outcomes of the project to be refined and finalised.

Officers from Kettering Borough Council then applied the methodology in a detailed analysis of each settlement in district, and used this to consider future opportunities for development or enhancements in the villages, and to develop design based principles to guide future development proposals.

1.3 Purpose of the Rural Masterplanning project The purpose of this Rural Masterplanning project is to take a holistic look at each of the Borough’s villages needs, aspirations, opportunities for improvement, potential capacity for future development and, crucially, to ensure that any new development in villages respects and enhances the qualities of that village which make it special.

The project explores and draws out relevant issues to inform a clearer spatial understanding of rural areas and the roles, functions, relationships, needs, aspirations, qualities of the built and natural environment, and special character of settlements in order to develop a strategy for ensuring their sustainable future. A key focus of the work has been identifying qualities of the built and natural environment and capturing the sense of place to ensure locally distinctive character is identified, preserved and enhanced.

A key element of the project was to conduct a locally specific assessment of urban design characteristics and develop some urban design principles in order to embed design quality and sustainability into any future rural development. A key aspiration of the SSP LDD is to ensure that future rural development is reflective of and responsive to local character, identity and distinctiveness. Although the growth agenda is focussed on urban areas, given the general pressure for development under the growth area agenda, there is a danger that developments may deliver quantity over quality in order to meet challenging housing delivery targets, particularly in relation to rural affordable housing provision where there has been a paucity of recent delivery. Instead KBC wish to ensure that rural developments are delivered sustainably, are of the highest quality and add to, rather than detract from, the existing character of our villages.

The primary use of this study is in plan preparation for the SSP LDD. However, the Rural Masterplanning work forms a significant and detailed evidence base for the Borough’s villages and this paper should also be used to inform Design and Access Statements for future development in rural areas.

1.4 Outcomes of the project The following outcomes have been achieved by the project: A detailed understanding of each village– its make up, context, aspirations and needs; For each settlement, a detailed character analysis – informed by Officer visits and on-site assessments; A set of 3 analysis maps for each place: Landform and Movement Character Public Realm and Landscape Parish Council consultation and feedback – 17 Parish Council meetings attended and several Parish Plans or Village Design Statements considered; This document – a detailed reference document to guide future plans and development proposals; Borough-wide design guidance – some principles which are generally applicable in rural areas to development proposals. Village specific design guidance – specific principles for each village to guide future development proposals.

5 Those outputs highlighted in bold will be taken forward into the SSP LDD and subject to extensive public consultation. The next stage of the SSP LDD will be an Options Paper – setting out options for public consultation. This will include setting out draft Borough wide design principles for rural development, accompanied by a detailed section for each village, in which the draft design principles for that settlement, and any identified opportunities or potential development sites are proposed. At this stage communities will be consulted on the outcomes of this report.

1.5 Methodology for assessing villages The Rural Masterplanning Methodology is a place-focussed approach, not a one-size fits all design solution. This approach is robust enough to enable easy comparisons to be made between different settlements, but flexible enough to capture the more specific characters of places that make them unique.

The three stage process set out works as follows: 1. Evaluation Matrix; which collates factual data relating to the socioeconomic profile, key statistics, an inventory of functions and geographic and transport information. 2. Assessment of Place; a spatial analysis of the character, movement patterns, public realm and landscape characteristics. 3. Qualitative Principles of Place; setting out the principles of design for any future new development and potential development sites, and improvements to the existing parts of the settlements

The methodology was applied to 21 villages in the Borough which covered all but the smallest of settlements. 5 such settlements are so small, or scattered in their settlement pattern, that they have no defined village boundary, and are considered, in planning terms, as scattered development in the open countryside: Brampton Ash Dingley Orton Pipewell Thorpe Underwood

In these instances the Rural Masterplanning methodology was not applicable and meaningful analysis not practicable. This is not to say that these scattered villages do not have important rural characteristics which should be protected. In this connection, any proposals for new development in these settlements will be subject to general design principles for the Borough’s rural area, which were informed by the Rural Masterplanning project, as presented in Part 2 of this study.

The proposed methodology was consulted upon with key stakeholders at a workshop event which took place to develop the ideas in partnership together. Parish Plans and Village Design Statements drawn up by the villages were an important input into the project and provided a very useful resource and record of issues and aspirations, which has been utilised fully. Comments submitted during the Issues Paper consultation stage of the SSP LDD were also taken into account. In addition to this, consultation took place with Parish Councils during the preparation of the SSP LDD Options iteration of the plan, and the information gathered during this consultation has been fed into the Rural Masterplanning process. The Options stage of the SSP LDD will be the chance for the communities themselves to be consulted directly on the Rural Masterplanning project, its analysis and particularly its outcomes.

1.5.1 Evaluation Matrix In the first instance quantitative data was collected for the villages to help understand their factual profile. Information was collected under the following headings:

Profile Landscape x Population x Setting

6 x Demographic Split x Agricultural Uses x No of Jobs x Ecology x Businesses/ employers x Watercourses

Functional Relationships Amenities x Regional Catchment x Shops x Primary Movement Infrastructure x Post office x Nearest major employment centre x Bank / cash machine x Modal Split x Pub x Public Transport Provision x Restaurant / café x Foot / cycle path links to other settlements x Takeaway x Leisure / tourism features / attractors x Pre-school provision x Schools, primary, secondary x School capacity / subscription x Healthcare provision, inc dentists x Green Infrastructure x Museum/ library x Broadband facilities / speed Quantum Social Infrastructure x Total Area x Community Buildings x No. Houses x Places of Worship x Residential Density x Local Organisations / Groups x Land Use Split x No. of affordable housing units & tenure split x No. of elderly / supported housing units x No. of bungalows x Housing type split Planning Designations / Constraints x Conservation Areas coverage x No. Listed Buildings x Flood Plain x Ecological x Landscape Designation / typology

1.5.2 Assessment of place The second stage of the assessment involved a detailed analysis of the villages. Each village was visited and notes, sketches, photos and maps were used to record the key characteristics, functions, issues and opportunities. The analysis was completed under the following three categories:

x Landform and Movement x Character x Public Realm and Landscape

For each village a map was prepared for each of the three categories and the maps accompany a written summary of the analysis. The maps, analysis and outcomes for each village are provided in Part 2.

1.5.3 Qualitative Principles of Place The final stage of the methodology involved using the Evaluation Matrix, assessment of place and other evidence documents such as Parish Plans and Conservation Area Reviews to develop principles of the design for any new development and which may come forward in the future, and to identify potential growth sites and opportunities to improve existing parts of the villages.

1.5.4 Development principles: The development principles for each village will vary according to that settlement’s context, but will cover, where relevant, aspects such as:

7 x Streets and connections – layout; types; dimensions of streets; opportunities for new pedestrian connections x Built form, layout, set backs and building line x Scale, mass and height x Edge of settlement and boundary treatments x Important open spaces and views x Materials x Architectural or character cues

Opportunities: Any opportunities which have been identified to improve existing parts of villages will be drawn out. These opportunities could include: x Footpath links, for example links along rivers or to improve connectivity; x Highways improvements, for example methods for slowing speed or alleviating parking problems; x Enhancements to the public realm or village environment, for example the removal of street clutter or improvements to vacant land; x New or improved open spaces, for example allotments or better accessibility to existing spaces; and x Gateway enhancements - ways in which the entrances to villages could be improved.

The key for each village’s accompanying maps is provided below:

Landform & movement: Public realm & landscape:

8 Part 2: Borough-wide principles for rural development

Although each village is unique and the issues, opportunities and character are specific to that village, the detailed analysis undertaken in this project has identified a number of themes which are common to all. These common themes and proposed responses to these are set out below.

These principles will be applied to any proposals for new development in the 5 settlements in the Borough which are so small, or scattered in their settlement pattern, that they have no village boundary, and where Rural Masterplanning analysis was not practicable. Instead these settlements will covered by the general design principles for the Borough’s rural area below, which were informed by the Rural Masterplanning project and reflect the context of the rural area.

Farm Buildings Farm buildings are a feature common to all villages in Kettering Borough. A significant number of these are still in agricultural use and it is therefore considered important to provide guidance on the conversion of these buildings should the agricultural use cease to function. These farms usually include historic farm buildings with the addition of more modern agricultural buildings. Even if the agricultural function of these buildings is lost, it is important to retain a record of the role these buildings in the history of the settlement.

The following approach has therefore been set out the redevelopment of farm buildings in villages: Historic fabric of the buildings themselves should be retained, where this is not possible or where there are no historic buildings left, the plan form and arrangement of buildings should remain to retain the historic reference to farmsteads in the village. Where possible redevelopment should include an element of employment to retain this important function within the village. Residential use is usually the most damaging to historic buildings and alternative uses should be considered first.

Proposals for redevelopment of farm buildings should refer to HELM guidance on re-use of farm buildings.

A draft policy is presented in the SSP LDD Options Paper setting out circumstances and criteria for permissible re-use and redevelopment of existing buildings in the countryside, which in combination with the principles above, will provide a robust policy framework to address this issue.

Materials The materials used in villages do not vary significantly between villages. Historic materials include limestone, ironstone and red brick with slate, thatched and clay pantiled roofs. More modern development in villages has included use of materials which do not reflect those traditionally used in villages, and this has had generally had a negative impact on the character of the village. Therefore any new development in villages should reflect the limited pallet of materials used in the historic core of the village. The only exception to this should be where the exceptional quality and innovative nature of an individual design combined with contemporary materials merit an exception to this approach. These exceptions should demonstrate exemplar contemporary design and should show how the development will impact positively on the character of the village. This exceptions criterion is necessary so as to not unduly stifle future creativity, innovation, contemporary design responses or materials, where appropriate to the setting.

Parking Parking should be designed to ensure the car does not become the focus of the street scene. This can be done through: x Provision of parking to the rear or side of buildings.

9 x Walls or planting can be used to screen parking x Access to parking through parking arches ( for example Mawsley) x Use of parking courts

Highway Standards Historically roads in villages have had an informal layout. More modern development has introduced urban style layouts which are out of character with the rural area. Highway standards should therefore be applied sensitively to ensure roads reflect the existing network of streets in the village. The necessity for car parking or highways regulations should not undermine the integrity or character of a village, for example through removal of historic stone barns or walls in order to meet visibility splay requirements.

10 Part 3: Village-by-village analysis & development principles

Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Ashley

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 214 Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership 43% Ownership mortgage / loan 35% Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 13% Rented from housing association/ RSL 0%, Rented from private landlord 4% Rented from other 5%

Age: Under 16 15%, 16-24 3%, 25-59 49%, 60+ 33% (Census 2001)

No. of Jobs Approximately 10 in the village. Census (2001) - working population = 101 Ashley Herb Farm and Shop, The George Public House, The Innovation People Ltd, Forsell Properties, Businesses / employers Albany Drilling, CB Publications, Raised on Denim, Noel Tyler, Lorraine Morley. As well as 4 farmers and 27 known people working from home. 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre: Leicester Other nearby centres: Market Harborough / Corby / Kettering Primary Movement Infrastructure B664 0.3 miles (0.5km) from village centre; A6/A427 jcn and Market Harborough ring road 3.1 miles (5km); A14 jcn 9.3 miles (15km)

Nearest major employment centre Market Harborough (MH)

Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more 86 (Census 2001) cars Public Transport Provision DRT County Connect, Northants service 67 (return service once per day), RR7 (Tuesday only) and RR9 (Saturday only) Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Bridleways to Wilbarston (GA004), East Carlton (GA005) and Sutton Bassett (GA002) Footpaths to Wilbarston and Stoke Albany (GA010) and Suttor Bassett (GA012 and GA003) Minor Roads to above and Collingham Potential link: disused railway to east Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. 6 x B&B - Accommodation at the George Public visitor attractions or accommodation House 3. Quantum Total Area 14.87 Ha

No. Houses 113

11 Residential Density 7.6 dwellings per Ha

Land Use Split Residential 90% Commercial and Community10% No. of affordable housing units & tenure split 11 all KBC rented (9 bungalows, 2 houses) No. of elderly / supported housing units No. of bungalows Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- Detached 50; semi-detached 27; Terraced 23 detached, detached etc. (check flats) 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage 9.2 Ha

No. Listed Buildings/ Scheduled 32 Monuments Flood Plain 196m to Zone 2 designation River Welland Flood Plain

Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) Welland Valley

Landscape Designation / typology ECA: Northern edge of West Northants Uplands HCLA: Earlier Parliamentary enclosure CLCA: Undulating hills and valleys BCA: Liassic Slopes GI: No.37 Welland Valley 5. Landscape Setting Welland Valley – bottom of southern scarp slope

Agricultural Uses Mixed farming

Ecology No designated sites, wetlands, hedgerows with trees distinctive features Watercourses Tributary of River Welland in village; River 600m north

6. Amenities Shops Farm Shop Post office None Bank / cash machine None Pub The George Public House

Restaurant/café The George Public House Takeaway None Other None Pre-school provision None Schools, primary, secondary etc. None School capacity / subscription None Healthcare provision, inc dentists GP Medbourne 2.4km Mon pm only Regular GP and Dentist at Market Harborough 6.4km

Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors 0 Natural and semi-natural green space 0

12 Amenity green space 803m2 Outdoor sports facilities 0 Cemeteries and churchyards 0.32Ha Children's play areas 0.23Ha Allotments 0 Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library every 3 weeks for 20mins Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 1.02 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall

Places of Worship Church of St Mary the Virgin

Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums and toddlers and after school activities Women’s’ Institute, Church Council, Mums and tots clubs meeting, Ballroom Dancing, Indoor bowls and yoga

2. Summary of Village Design statement Aims to maintain the characteristics which villagers most value and ensure future change is based on the evolution of the village and is sympathetic to the existing character.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal The village is a typical Northamptonshire rural village, with stone built dwellings, slate or stone roofs and an open layout. Ashley is described as being a “double loop” village, with two clusters of development. The Church is an important village feature, located in the more historically important western loop, but prominent in the whole village. Trees, open space and views along lanes are an important feature contributing to the village’s attractiveness.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at the individual settlement level. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough of 148 units per annum. No settlement-specific assessment has been conducted for Ashley.

5. SHLAA findings No sites in Ashley were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation

Parish Council Meeting (11/10/2010)

Summary of response from Ashley Parish Council (17/02/2011) Want to continue as a ‘restraint village’ with limited development. Limited amount of new homes, historic rate of development has been 1 per year, would want no more than this. Do not want wholesale changes to the village boundary, just ‘tweaks’. Would like to see open space between Green Lane and Main St protected as before and small ‘village green’ off Westthorpe protected. Welland Special Landscape Area could be reinstated. Concerns regarding backland development, and would want this to be controlled through policy. The Welland Valley is an important asset, and would want more appreciation of this and protection by policy. Concerned that as the Welland Valley is spread across a number of authorities then no-one has overall control. Would welcome more cross boundary working and a

13 body to cover the whole of the Welland Valley in a more strategic way, as it has tourism and commercial potential. Parish conducted a survey early 2010, to assess the needs of the Village. The demographics of the village appear to be changing, there is a need for: - - a more inclusive play area - playing fields - allotments Concerns about the sewage infrastructure capacity. Concerned about the potential loss of a well used footpath link to the south of the village, following the loss of the countryside stewardship scheme at the end of 2010. Want to create a permissive right of way around the north of the village; there are limited links in the north of the village and want to fully utilise the views on the ridge over the Welland Valley, a circular route was suggested. Want to create a cycleway through the Welland Valley which utilises the dismantled railway to the north of the village. It is an historic railway link which links with Caldecott, Neville Holt, Market Harborough and even as far as Birmingham. It will be good for tourism, but will require joined up thinking with neighbouring authorities. 20 people in the village are currently home working, through office based employment, such as PR and legal services. Good links with London through the train station at Market Harborough. - Unlikely to require employment allocations, as the offices currently in the village are largely empty. - Parish Council to enquire about the need for small workshops. - Broadband can be problematic (2-5MB) Want to protect the pub and do not want this to turn into residential use. Didn’t want to lose the Post Office at Medbourne (Leicestershire) Demand for a bus service to Kettering appeared to be low.

‘REASONS FOR ASHLEY TO HAVE SPECIAL PLANNING PROTECTION’

Ashley was mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as a village of 73 houses and 320 inhabitants. It had one of the oldest dissenter chapels and manse in Northamptonshire, dating from 1673, (now converted into a house).

It seems to have been a typical Northamptonshire agricultural village until the arrival of Rev. R.T. Pulteney in 1853 to become rector. He was an extremely wealthy man and he set about transforming the village. He employed the best architects of the time, G. Gilbert Scott and E.F. Law to build a new chancel on the church, a school and schoolmaster’s house and a number of adjacent period properties. Main Street was altered to create a more ceremonial approach to the Church.

This unique Victorian Gothic heritage was recognised in 1977 by the creation of the Ashley Conservation Area with a Grade I listed church and 31 listed buildings and monuments and two significant green spaces. The village was declared a “restricted infill” village.

In many aspects, Ashley remains as it was after Rev Pulteney remodelled the village. The formal area of well designed stone houses along Main Street remains as it was. Elsewhere, the agricultural heritage of simple stone farmhouses with long gardens backing on to fields is arranged in linear form. There has been little back land development and limited infill. The fields surrounding the village clearly display medieval ridge and furrow.

According to all recent surveys, villagers do not wish this to change. There are a number of outstanding permissions for new houses which will provide new housing for some time. The villagers hope that the new planning guidelines for North Northamptonshire will recognise and protect the agricultural heritage and unique Victorian Gothic remodelling of their village. Overall villagers want to see very little development. Any policies which undermine the existing farming industry in and around Ashley would dilute the character of the village. We are happy to consider

14 development appropriate to Ashley's historic strengths that is consistent with the linear structure of the village.

1. Future development should be based on the Ashley Village Design Statement. 2. Ashley should be regarded as a Restraint Village ( RA4) with limited development due to the historical nature of the buildings by Pultney and its agricultural heritage. There should be no change to the village boundary. Ashley Parish Council wish to have the conservation area reappraised to expand it towards the parish boundary in order to protect the whole village and its setting. Conservation of historical features of the village and its setting is essential, as is its linear structure. 3. The village needs to retain the Environmentally Important Green Space encompassed by Green Lane, also Westthorpe Green and the Village Playground. The village needs to protect the environment within and around the village and protect the special landscape characteristics of the Welland Valley. 4. There is a desire to have an area adjacent to the village that could be used as a sports field and recreation area. 5. There is a demand for allotments within the village. 6. Footpaths and bridleways close to the village are valued and well used by villagers. Any additional routes that could be made available would be appreciated. 7. Considering the relatively small size of our village, we are fortunate to have a Grade I listed Church, which dates back to the 13th Century, a Pub and a Farm Shop. These are valued and we should not wish to lose them. There is, at present, no any identifiable demand for office or workshop units, nor any other particular facilities within the village.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network

Movement There is one main street running through the centre of Ashley which appears to take the largest volume of traffic and movement through the village, other secondary streets are linked to this main route and provide access to other parts of the village.

Main Street not only provides the main vehicular access street through the village but with pavements on both sides of the street it provides the main pedestrian footway. The village as a whole is well connected and walkable.

The majority of traffic however tends to avoid the village through use of the B664 which runs north/south right on the edge of the village and only running past a very small number of properties leading from Stoke Albany to Medbourne. This diversion of traffic helps the village ‘feel’ very quiet and undisturbed by too many vehicles.

At the village hall a rural rider community transport scheme is advertised, operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

There is a stone bus stop on Hall Lane (currently in operation). Although the stop is not particularly characterful in design, it is functional and constructed of stone to suit the predominant building material used in the village.

Isochrones The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the majority of Ashley is located within 400m of the historic centre of the village.

15 Ashley 400m Isochrone

Ashley Village Hall Bus stop on Main Street

Footpaths Links to public footpaths are mainly located to the west of the village with a Bridle way running off Green Lane to the south. Improvements in connections to the north and west of the village would improve access to the open countryside from these parts of the village.

Gateways A small Mews provides an attractive gateway to the village from Medbourne. The rear elevations of Spring House and Mallard House front the open countryside beyond the village and development in this area is inward looking over a gravel courtyard.

The north-western gateway to the village could be improved to create a sense of arrival to the village through landscaping and signage.

16 At the western end of Main Street, where this Street meets B664, Medbourne Road a small overgrown site to the south provides an unattractive gateway to an otherwise extremely attractive and historic village. This site should be improved to make an attractive entrance to the village. However, the site is outside the designated boundary so housing is unlikely to be acceptable here.

Key Buildings St Mary’s Church is a Grade I Listed building, constructed of squared coursed ironstone with limestone ashlar dressings, spire and a lead roof. It is a key building in the village, which dates back to the 13th Century. It is set on a higher ground level than that of the rest of the village increasing its prominence within the village setting.

St Marys Church | The George Public House | St Mary’s Church and Listed Stone Wall

The George Public House is a Grade II Listed building, constructed of squared coursed ironstone with a slate roof including datestones from 1745 and 1814. This is a locally important and particularly attractive building, set on a higher ground level than the main street aligning with contours in this area.

Open Space Visually important areas of important green open space exist within the village in the following locations: x Adjacent to and surrounding St Mary’s Church x Opposite the Village Hall and in between 35 and 43 main Street x On the corner of Main Street and Green Lane x Outside Staddlestones, Green Lane x Green along Westhorpe x Land within circle of Green Lane

Other areas of important open space within the village include: x The Play Area (designated open space) x The curtilage of Garden House

Opposite the Village Hall Ashley Play Area

17 Character The village is historic in character and primarily consists of attractive ironstone buildings with slate roofs set behind stone boundary walls. The later infilling of Northamptonshire red brick properties are equally attractive with stone detailing including lintels and cills. The later additions to the village somewhat undermine its historic character. However, they are generally set behind historic stone walls with some holes punched into them for access. Despite this the prevalent character of the village is maintained throughout.

The diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Ashley. The built form diagram clearly shows the enclosed nature of the village along Main Street and the large area of open space in between Main Street and Green Lane and the spacious nature of development in this area. The street pattern in Ashley clearly shows the “double loop” street pattern present within the village.

Ashley – Built form Ashley – Street pattern

Many of the historic buildings within the village have significant stone and brick detailing.

Character Areas

Historic Core The core character area of the village comprises of historic stone buildings, with significant stone detailing providing an impressive setting for the church. Here there are a significant number of Listed Buildings, surrounded by historic stone walls.

Along Hall Lane, the Church and residential properties are set back from the public highway located behind stone boundary walls which abut the footpath/highway.

Half way along Main Street you enter into a ‘bowl’ where properties especially on the southern side of the street have been built at an increased height, with openings onto the street elevation raised

18 significantly from street level. It is presumed this is to prevent flooding in these buildings. Buildings on the opposite side of the street are also raised but the pavement has been raised also, with a cobbled slope up to it and properties and openings here are at usual height to pavement. A small post and rail boundary treatment marks the edge of the pavement.

Properties to southern side of the street in this area are red brick, with one property having Tudor stained wood detailing and render detailing to gables. On the opposite side of the street properties are stone and better reflect the rest of the character of the village.

Westhorpe Westhorpe is a narrow road branching from Main Street, opposite the Rectory. It is enclosed at its junction with Main Street by a high stone wall and a terrace of dwellings which are placed on the back edge of the pavement. The view opens out into a triangular green enclosed on all three sides by houses. Westhorpe comprises of coursed ironstone properties with slate and/or thatched roofs and wooden windows.

Scattered Rural To the south of the village and along Green Lane, this area has a less enclosed, more rural, feel to it with a scattering of properties, surrounded by trees, set back from the public highway. Development here is of a variety of styles, 1 modern, 1 pair of semi-detached properties, some other older stone buildings and Yeoman’s farm, a coursed and banded ironstone and limestone house with thatched roof, which is thought to be the oldest property in the village. This property has a completely different character from the majority of properties in this area and the rest of the village.

Yeoman’s

19 Modern Infill Some limited modern infill has occurred at the western entrance to the village comprising of 1970s buff brick bungalows with concrete tiled roofs. These are out of character with the rest of the village and provide a not particularly attractive entrance to the village from this direction. A similar development lies within the eastern side of the village.

Some more attractive infill has occurred within the village largely set behind attractive stone walls using sympathetic materials with some limited detailing to reflect other historic properties within the village. This has occurred in small clusters along Main Street, which do not undermine the historic core.

Farmsteads The remaining character areas within the village comprise of small farmsteads where outbuildings have been converted to residential. Largely conversion has been sympathetic and of particular note is The Maltings, which is a majority red brick barn conversion development, with some stone buildings, wooden windows and doors and slate roofs. This is a particularly attractive conversion within the village boundary, set adjacent to The Manor.

The Maltings | The Manor

Public realm and landscape The public realm is largely enclosed by buildings with limited views out of the village from its centre and along Main Street. Primarily vistas to the open countryside are at the main entrances to the village where buildings become more spaced out or open spaces are present.

Primarily development is set against the highway behind stone boundary walls or development immediately abuts the highway, this gives the village its enclosed feel as well as limiting views into open countryside. Some development has taken place behind existing properties but this has largely taken the form of conversions of farm buildings.

Ground levels dip in the centre of the village outside the George Public house and down along green lane.

Other comments Further modern features which do not suit the historic character of the village such new openings in the stone walls including highways visibility splays should be avoided. New development should either be in the form of conversion or front onto the highway. Any new development should only be set back if behind an existing historic stone wall. No additional openings should be allowed in existing stone walls as this would undermine the character of the village.

The village contains many features which add to its overall character. These include the red phone box, bus stop, play area and development around watercourses.

20 8. Opportunities / Issues

A few opportunities exist within the village currently. There are two barns fronting Main Street, on the southern side as you begin to exit the village to the east and another behind number 44 on the approach to the play area. These barns could provide development opportunities for conversion only. This conversion could take the form of residential or for small business uses (although there has been no identified need for such use in this area). Some consideration may need to be given to positioning and opportunities for outdoor space and further openings should be limited to maintain the character of these historic barns.

There is a garage site on the corner of Main Street and Green Lane, which is in need of enhancement to reflect the character of the village, this is a potential development site for 1 or 2 dwellings which are sympathetic to the character and appearance of the rest of the village.

Housing site assessments Following public consultation on the Kettering Site Specific Proposals LDD a site in Ashley, off the Maltings was put forward as a potential new housing site. This has been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/137 - The site is poorly accessible (due to its rural location). Development in this location would have a negative impact on the setting of Listed Buildings and the character and appearance of the Ashley Conservation Area and would affect the linear character of the village. This site feels detached from the rest of the settlement despite its proximity and access appears unachievable. Any new access could have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the Ashley Conservation Area. For the reasons given above, this site will not be allocated as it is not suitable for development.

The small vacant (currently overgrown farmland) site at the western end of Main Street, should be improved to make an attractive entrance to the village. However, the site is outside the existing designated village boundary so housing may be unacceptable. When assessed the following conclusions were drawn against this site:

Site RA/162 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility (due to its rural location). Access to the site may be restricted due to its location on a corner plot. However, development of this site provides an opportunity to create an improved gateway into Ashley provided that new development is designed to a high quality and addresses the corner of Main Street and Stoke Albany Road. For this reason the site is taken forward as an option for potential development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Local need has been expressed for additional outdoor sports provision and allotments. It is considered that the area behind the existing open space provision in Ashley would provide an ideal opportunity for such use without impacting the character of the village.

21 Another potential opportunity for the provision of allotments and amenity space is land to the south of site RA/162, this could be brought forward along with the proposed gateway enhancement as described above.

9. Draft Design Principles

If development comes forward on the above potential opportunity site, the following design principles have been drafted:

Site RA/162 - site at the western gateway to the village: Development should address both the Stoke Albany Road and Main Street. Development should contribute to the provision of open space and allotments as required.

Notwithstanding the above opportunity sites for development, elsewhere development in Ashley will be extremely limited. That said it is important that any future proposals for development which do come forward respect the unique character and sense of place that Ashley has. For this reason some draft design principles have been outlined, below.

Any new development which may come forward in Ashley should:

Protect the unique historic character of the village, the setting of its numerous Listed Buildings and the character and appearance of the Conservation Area; New development within the village should be limited and follow the existing linear form of the village. Development should not be set-back from the public highway, maintain a sense of enclosure and use boundary treatments sympathetic to those currently in use throughout the village, i.e. stone walls; Where historic stone walls are present new development should be avoided where this may involve making new openings in the wall; Protect the green space in between Green Lane and Main Street and improve the connectivity of properties off Green Lane to the rest of the village. This could include an informal footpath through the central green space and along the river; Provision of additional outdoor sports open space and allotments; Improve the gateway to the village from the west to better reflect the overall historic and rural character of the rest of the village; Maintain the ‘soft’ edges around the village boundary and avoid new development with high close-boarded fencing or brick walls which marks boundaries with the open countryside or at gateways to the village; and Retain views of the church throughout the village.

22 Ashley landform & movement map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8.

23 Ashley character areas map

24 Ashley public realm & landscape

25 Ashley assessed housing sites map

26 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Brampton Ash

Brampton Ash is a small settlement that consists of a small number of dwellings, of low density in the open countryside. These dwellings are currently considered, in planning terms, as scattered dwellings in the open countryside, rather than a place defined by a village boundary, and given the small number of dwellings it is considered that this remains the most appropriate designation for Brampton Ash. It has therefore been decided that it is not appropriate to apply the Rural Masterplanning methodology to this settlement or to develop settlement specific design principles. Any future development is likely to be extremely limited and will be controlled in design terms by the general design principles for the Borough’s rural area, which were informed by the Rural Masterplanning project.

27 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Braybrooke

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 338 Demographic Split Tenure: Owned Outright: 32.2% Owned with a mortgage or loan: 51.4% Shared Ownership: 0% Rented from Council: 11.4% Rented from Housing Association or RSL: 0% Private rented: 2.1% Rented other: 2.9%

Age: Under 16 – 14.7% , 16-24 – 10.6% , 25-59 – 49.7%, 60+ - 25% No. of Jobs School is main employer Primary School, The Swan Public House, Brookeside Businesses / employers Care Home, Rob Busby Garage 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centres: Northampton and Leicester Primary Movement Infrastructure Average distance travelled to a fixed place of work 22.75km Nearest major employment centre x Market Harborough – 4.1km to town centre x Desborough – Great Bear 3.4km Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more cars – 91.4% Public Transport Provision Bus services: x Route 18, Market Harborough – BRAYBROOKE – Desborough – Rothwell – Kettering, mon to sat, hourly or better x Route 303 – Rothwell – BRAYBROOKE – Melton Mowbray, tues, monthly Nearest Railway Station x 3.7km to Market Harborough Station Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Footpath links to countryside, links to settlements require some walking along roads. x Footpath link to Stoke Albany and Wilbarston x Footpath links to Desborough and Market Harborough require some walking along roads/ lanes Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. visitor attractions or accommodation The Old Rectory Bed and Breakfast 3. Quantum Total Area 169451m2/ 16.9ha No. Houses 177 Parish Council update 2011: 147 Residential Density 10.5 dph Land Use Split Predominantly residential

No. of affordable housing units & tenure 7 x 2 bed bungalows split 7 x 3 bed houses 1 x 4 bed houses

28 No. of elderly / supported housing units N/A No. of bungalows N/A Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/A 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Yes, covers the central area of the village No. Listed Buildings 8 SAM Braybrooke Castle: the remains of a medieval moated manor and medieval settlement remains (Scheduled Ancient Monument 21674) is located east of the village adjacent to the village boundary and the conservation area. Braybrooke Bridge (Scheduled Ancient Monument SAM73) crosses the River Jordan on Desborough Road Flood Plain Yes – some areas of flood zone 2 and 3 running through the centre of the village along the River Jordan Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Wooded Clay Plateau – Geddington Chase and Broad Unwooded Vale – Welland Vale Environmental Character Assessment – West Northamptonshire Uplands Biodiversity Character Assessment – Liassic slopes – Upper Welland Liassic Slopes and Minor Floodplain – Upper Welland Historic Landscape Character – 19th Century Parliamentary Enclosure – Thorpe Malsor – Braybrooke Uplands 5. Landscape Setting Braybrooke is in a valley between two ridges. The River Jordan runs through the village and the green space along this is an important part of the village’s character. The surrounding land in the parish is a mixture of pasture and arable. Agricultural Uses Predominantly grazing land surrounding the village with areas of arable land to the north and west of the village Ecology No wildlife sites Watercourses The River Jordan flows north east – south west through the village 6. Amenities Shops No Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub Yes Restaurant/café No Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. Braybrooke Primary School School capacity / subscription There are issues between the Primary School and the village community in Braybrooke. There are surplus

29 places at the school but these issues will need to be taken into account when looking at development. Healthcare provision, inc. dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors Local corridor 23 – Macmillan Way Natural and semi-natural green space No Amenity green space Braybrooke Griffin Road AGS – Id 800, 0.04ha Outdoor sports facilities Braybrooke Primary School – Id 424, 0.37ha Braybrooke Castle Cricket ground – Id 516, 2.16ha Cemeteries and churchyards All Saints Church – ID 420, 0.43ha Children's play areas No Allotments No Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library every three weeks on a Thurs Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 0.8 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall Places of Worship All Saints Church and Baptist Chapel Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Braybrooke Morris Dancers, Braybrooke Cricket Club, and toddlers and after school activities Braybrooke WI, Braybrooke Tiny Tots clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan

A Village Design Statement was prepared for Braybrooke in 2005. This has not yet been adopted by the Borough Council. Summary of key findings:

The village has a spacious character with little overlooking between properties. Large gardens blur the distinction between the village and the open countryside Speeding in the village is a problem There are distinct groups of buildings which define the rural character of Braybrooke. All Saints Church is the most prominent important building Grass verges are a feature of the road sides Combination of hard surfaces softened by grass edges emphasises the rural setting of the village and must be maintained Includes a list of locally important buildings Residents are happy with the size and character of the village but lack of facilities and transport are seen as a drawback Lack of play area, shop and post office were highlighted as a disadvantage The majority of people felt the village boundary should not be changed. 86.8% of respondents agree with the status of Braybrooke as a restricted infill village 49% of respondents felt Braybrooke should undertake planned growth, the majority of people felt this should be within existing boundaries but some felt it should be through small extensions to the boundary Majority of people felt the village needs more starter homes and 3 bed family homes Sub division of existing gardens should be discouraged New development should respect the distinctive pattern of development in Braybrooke New buildings, extensions and alterations should use materials that allow them to blend in with their immediate surroundings.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The conservation area for Braybrooke was designated in September 1985. The following summarises the key points from this appraisal:

30 Braybrooke is a loosely structured village which derives its special character from the open spaces between the buildings as much as from the buildings themselves. The conservation area includes significant buildings and other features which contribute to the character of the village as well as the open spaces which provide a sense of space and openness that is special to Braybrooke. The River Jordan runs northeast – southwest and roughly bisects the village. The river’s potential to flood has discouraged development in the centre of the village. The special character this has created should be retained and these areas should be left undeveloped in the future. The 13th Century Parish Church is the principle focal point in the village. On the opposite side of Newland Street the three buildings between the junctions with Griffin Road and Desborough Road, with their substantial walling, form an effective counterpoint. The agricultural buildings of Rectory Farm further along Newland Street are now in poor condition but they do play an important role in enclosing the open area of pasture to the south. Any redevelopment of these agricultural buildings should provide a similar degree of enclosure. On the Harborough road the complex of buildings known as Wantage Farm requires sensitive renovation. The complex entrance to the village along Harborough Road is particularly pleasing due to the combination of the road alignment and the location of the dates from the 15th century and is an important feature. There are fine views across the Rectory Farm pasture to the Old Rectory (a Grade II Listed building); south of the River Jordan the substantial walling and mature trees around the Old Rectory complete the enclosure of the riverside pasture. Braybrooke Green is located at the junction of Desborough Road and School Lane; there is a pleasant grouping of houses around the Green, leading up to School Lane, in which substantial walling, roadside properties and mature hedging give a sense of tight enclosure not felt elsewhere in the village. Looking north-westwards from the Green itself, open views again predominate. Griffin Road derives its special character from a variety of factors including the high walling around the Old Rectory (now partly demolished) and the juxtaposition of traditional cottages to the narrow road. Any redevelopment of the elevated land to the west of Griffin Road should be very sensitively designed and should reflect the traditional building form and features of Braybrooke Conservation Area.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

5. SHLAA findings

2 sites were submitted for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). A summary of this assessment is provided below:

RA/128 - This site performs poorly in terms of accessibility. The site forms part of the green corridor which runs through the village this green corridor is an important part of the village’s special character. The impact of developing this space in its entirety would have an unacceptable impact on the conservation area and on the character of the settlement. Development of the site is also likely to have a negative impact on The Rectory which is a grade II listed building. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure which would be difficult to overcome. Parts of the site are also located in flood zones 2 and 3. However, there may be potential for a smaller part at the southern element of the site to be developed provided that the impact on the Listed Building can be suitably mitigated. This element of the site is less sensitive, well screened from the surrounding landscape and is currently overgrown / underutilised. A small scale development of this part of the site may be acceptable.

31 RA/143 - Site performs poorly in terms of accessibility. There are a significant number of constraints to development of the site. It is not possible to gain safe access to the site as the site is land locked, access would need to be from Green Lane which is narrow and has limited capacity. There are major constraints to the provision of sewage and water infrastructure which would be difficult to overcome. Further information is required on impact on archaeology but it is likely there would be a significant negative impact which could not be mitigated.

6. Summary of Parish Meeting

Kettering Borough Council’s Planning Policy team wrote to each Parish Council offering to attend a meeting to consult with the Parish on the development of this report, and the Site Specific Proposals LDD. This offer was not taken up by Braybrooke Parish Council.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network The primary route through the village is Desborough Road and Harborough Road. This route connects the village with Desborough to the south east and Market Harborough to the northwest.

The main secondary routes are Griffin Road, School Lane and Newland Street. The remaining streets are all tertiary streets to access residential areas.

The main roads throughout the village have pavement only on one side of the street and in places there are no footpaths to aid walking around the village. The walkway to the school off Newland Street towards Church Close could be improved to increase its width, surveillance and lighting to improve this important connection. There are a number of footpaths which provide access out of the village.

There are bus stops located off Harborough Road and at the village green near Castlebank.

Isochrones The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the majority of Braybrooke is located within 400m of the historic centre of the village. However the school is located north of the village on Church Close and access to this will also be an important consideration when considering future development in the village.

Landform

32 The village has formed either side of the River Jordan which runs north-east to south-west through the village. The river is in a cutting, running through the village, which then slopes up away from the river in both directions.

Character Areas Braybrooke does not have a defined village centre as key facilities are now dispersed through out the village. However the historic main street would have been located on Griffin Road where the School, Post Office and Pub were located. The pub is still located on this street but the school has moved to Church Close and the post office has closed.

The diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Braybrooke. The built form diagram clearly shows the area of open space running through the village and the spacious nature of development in this area. More modern development to the north and south of the village is more uniform in nature and relates more closely to the street pattern.

Built form Street pattern

Historic Core The historic core of the village surrounds the Church and encompasses 4 other Listed Buildings:

2 Bridge House and attached barn – This is a Grade II Listed, farm house. L-plan 3-storey building constructed of brick and squared ironstone with gabled and hipped Welsh slate roofs (Mid and late C18). Previously part of a larger farmstead which is visible in the village, comprising of red brick converted barns to rear linked by high red brick boundary walls. 2 Jordan House – Is a Grade II Listed former public house, now a residential property. It is brick, whitewashed, with rubble plinth and slate roof (dates back to 1768). Wantage House – Is a Grade II Listed farmhouse, now a house. It is red brick with concrete tile hipped roof L-plan property (c.1820 with mid C19 and late C20 alterations). A listed bridge crosses the river – It is Grade II Listed.

2 Bridge House Jordan House Wantage House

The residential property, 1 The Elms, located behind Bridge House and opposite the Church also contributes to the character of this part of the village. As well as the Village Hall, the Old Rectory and surrounding open space.

33 School Lane This area of the village is more enclosed, with high boundary treatments abutting the highway and gates limiting access into properties. Views out of the village are limited especially as you approach Griffin Road. This area is dominated by red brick properties, barn conversions and brick boundary walls. At the entrance to School Lane is the particularly attractive, Grade II Listed, 3 School Lane. This is a rendered and thatched cottage which abuts the public highway.

School Lane

Newland Street/Griffin Road Newland Street comprises of large detached properties of varying styles, set in reasonably sized plots surrounded by open space. This area is characterised by trees and green hedges and provides an entrance to open countryside beyond the village.

Number 5 Newland Street/Griffin Lodge, holds a particularly prominent position in this area, surrounded by green space and lack of close boarded boundary treatment.

Properties along the southern part of Griffin road have a similar character of large detached properties of varying styles set in reasonably large plots.

Modern Housing Developments Clusters of more modern housing development exist along:

Church Close A small close of semi-detached 1970s residential houses constructed of a buff brick with concrete tiled roofs. These are set behind a row of older part brick/part rendered gable fronting properties, set back from the public highway. Desborough Road A row of 1970s, semi-detached rendered properties, set back from the public highway and on a raised ground level off Desborough Road. Latymer Close

These properties probably date back to around the 1980s and are buff brick, detached houses with concrete tiled roof of a very different character to much of the rest of the village.

34 Public realm and landscape

All Saints Church The Swan Public House

All Saints Church is a key landmark in the village and there are views and glimpsed views of this throughout the settlement. This is an attractive, Grade II Listed ironstone and limestone building, set on a raised green attributing it with additional prominence within the village. Other key landmarks include The Swan public house, a thatched and white painted brick building set back from the public highway, the traditional red brick Village Hall, which abuts the highway on a sharp bend along Griffin Road and a modern dwelling, number 50 Griffin Road.

Braybrooke Village Hall 50 Griffin Road

There are a number of particularly attractive buildings throughout the village but these are often inter-dispersed with more modern properties of varying styles and building materials.

Boundaries treatments throughout the village vary enormously and include stone and brick boundary walls, iron railing of varying styles, wooden panel fencing and close boarded fencing.

Much of the village to the southern side of the river is very enclosed, especially along School Lane, with properties and boundary treatments limiting views out to the open countryside. The north of the village has a more open feel to it, with views out of the settlement. Views are most prominent along the eastern site of the village, particularly along Desborough Road where there are wide panoramic views of the open countryside.

Open space

35 The green space running through the centre of the settlement along the path of the River Jordan is a historically and visually important open space within the village boundary. The trees found within this space are particularly important to the character of this area also.

Other important green spaces include the land around All Saints Church, the green space which creates an informal walkway from Griffin Road to Green Lane and the footpaths out of the village, green corners at the entrance of School Lane off Desborough Road and into Latymer Close off Griffin Road add to the amount of green space within the village and soften the entrances to these roads. These spaces should be retained for this reason. Of particular importance is the space at the entrance to School Lane as this is where the village sign is positioned.

Braybrooke Village Sign

Other comments The village contains many features which add to the overall character of village and reflect the varying nature of styles of development, which have been constructed over time throughout the settlement. These include the village sign and information board, character lamp-posts, bridges and other development around watercourses.

8. Opportunities/ Issues Following public consultation on the Kettering Site Specific Proposals LDD a site in Braybrooke and two sites adjacent to Braybrooke have been put forward as a potential new housing sites. This has been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA.128 – is a potential site behind the Old Rectory at Braybrooke. This site performs poorly in terms of accessibility. The site forms part of the green corridor which runs through the village this green corridor is an important part of the village’s special character. The impact of developing this space in its entirety would have an unacceptable impact on the conservation area and on the character of the settlement. Development of the site is also likely to have a negative impact on The Old Rectory which is a Grade II Listed Building. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure which would be difficult to overcome. Parts of the site are also located in flood zones 2 and 3. However, there may be potential for a smaller part at the southern extent of the site to be developed provided that the impact on the Listed Building can be suitably mitigated. This element of the site is less sensitive, well screened from the surrounding landscape and is currently overgrown / underutilised. This option is presented as an option for consultation in the next stage of the Site Specific Proposals LDD.

Site RA.143 – is a potential site off Green Lane. This site performs poorly in terms of accessibility. There are a significant number of constraints to development of the site. It is not possible to gain safe access to the site as the site is land locked, access would need to be from Green Lane which is narrow and has limited capacity. There are major constraints to the provision of sewage and water infrastructure which would be difficult to overcome. Further information is required on impact on archaeology but it is likely there would be a significant negative impact which could not be mitigated. For the reasons given above, this site will not be allocated as it is not suitable for development.

36 A potential development opportunity exists at a garage site along Church Lane. Development of this site is likely to be dependent on the ownership and use of this garage site. However, development of this site could provide an opportunity to replace an otherwise unattractive area of the village and allow greater permeability with the open countryside beyond.

Potential other opportunities within the village include: To improve walkability within the village, footpaths need to connect and extend throughout the village along at least one side of the road where possible. The footpath leading to the School off Newland Street should be improved in the following ways; increase its width, surveillance and lighting where possible.

9. Draft Design Principles

If the above opportunity sites come forward for development the following principles should be followed: Garage site off Church Close: Allow greater permeability with the open countryside beyond with spaces between properties and the ability to walk in between them. Southern part of site RA.128 Any impact on the special interest of the Grade II Listed Old Rectory must be mitigated

Elsewhere, new development in Braybrooke is likely to be extremely limited. The following principles will apply to any development proposals that may come forward. Development should:

Protect the green space that runs through the village and enhance through the inclusion of a public access following the river east/west through the village. New development to the north of the river should be less compact and be inter-dispersed with green open spaces. Boundary treatment should be low and of an ‘open’ nature to avoid negatively impacting the character of this part of the village New development on the edge of the settlement should be well spaced to retain the villages open and rural character, and views to the open countryside should be maintained through the use of low or soft boundary treatments. Walkability throughout the village should be improved including a consistent footpath connection along Griffin Road, running north/south. An overriding building material or boundary treatment is not present within this village but any new development should respect the character of existing properties and should avoid examples of poorly designed properties and take inspiration from those which make a positive contribution to the character of this village. Lanes and Mews are a characteristic of the village, these should be protected and enhanced and provide the inspiration for any new development.

37 Braybrooke landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

38 Braybrooke character areas map

39 Braybrooke public realm & landscape map

40 Braybrooke assessed housing sites map

41 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Broughton

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 2,046 (Census 2001) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership: 28.4%, Ownership mortgage/ loan: 52.9%, Shared ownership: 0%, Rented from local authority: 11.1%, Rented from housing association/ RSL: 0.4%, Rented from private landlord: 4.1%, Rented from other: 3.1% Age: Under 16 22%, 16-24 7.8%, 25-59 50.8%, 60+ 19.4% (Census 2001) No. of Jobs Unknown Agricultural home based businesses and a number of cottage Businesses / employers industries (Parish Plan) 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre is Northampton

Primary Movement Roads into & out of settlement & their classification: Infrastructure 2 accesses from the A43, Close to J8 of A14, On the B574 to Wellingborough, Minor roads link to nearby villages e.g. Cransley, Mawsley, Loddington & Pytchley Distance to nearest town: Kettering: 2.9 miles centre to centre; 1.4 miles edge to edge; Wellingborough 6.5 miles; 5.5 miles to edge Northampton: 12 miles to centre; 9 miles to edge Distance travelled to work: 9.6 miles (census 2001); 12% of respondents to Parish Plan live and work in Broughton Nearest major employment Kettering - 2.7 miles to Telford Way Industrial Estate, 2.9 centre miles to town centre; Wellingborough - 5.6 miles to Finedon Road Industrial Estate, 6.5 miles to town centre; Northampton - 9.5 miles to Moulton Park Business Park, 12 miles to centre. Modal Split 85.5% (Census 2001) Number of people who own 1 or more cars Public Transport Provision Bus services: Route 39 – Northampton – Moulton – BROUGHTON – Kettering – hourly mon-sat, 05:43-21:30 - Stagecoach Route 304 – Desborough – Rothwell – Northampton, Weds & Sats only, Once a day – Hamilton’s & Buckley’s Coaches. Nearest train station 2.8 miles Kettering; 7.9 miles Wellingborough;

42 12.3 miles Northampton Foot / cycle path links to other Shared cycle / pedestrian way along A43 to Kettering & settlements Northampton Bridleway to Pytchley – bridleways & footpaths on to Orlingbury – Harrowdens – Wellingborough Partial footpath to Great Cransley – on to Loddington & Mawsley Leisure / tourism features / None attractors, e.g. visitor attractions or accommodation 3. Quantum Total Area 52.8ha No. Houses 1,115 (GIS) Residential Density 21dph Land Use Split Predominantly residential. Several shops, takeaways and some employment. No. of affordable housing units Total of 120 affordable homes - 116 for rent & 4 shared & tenure split ownership., 109 KBC ownership & 11 RSLs No. of elderly / supported 34 units in St Andrews Court KBC sheltered scheme (20 housing units bungalows & 14 flats) No. of bungalows N/a Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi-detached, detached etc. N/a 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage No Conservation Area – A conservation area appraisal is being prepared for Broughton No. Listed Buildings 8 Flood Plain None (all in zone 1) Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / Landscape Character Assessment – Rolling Ironstone Valley typology Slopes Environmental Character Assessment - Central Northamptonshire Plateaux and Valleys Biodiversity Character Assessment – Liassic Slopes / Cropped Claylands 5. Landscape Setting The village has a rural setting and a traditional agricultural character, which is highlighted by: Open land which cuts into the village at various points, including from the east at Gate Lane and the southeast in and around the Church of St. Andrew; Rectory Farm in the centre of the historic heart of the village; The open site to the east of Gate Lane which was once used by a local dairy farmer as pasture land; and The open spaces and gaps between the buildings allow constant views out towards the countryside which provides an important link between the village and its surroundings. There is little woodland, but prominent coverts on higher ground. (Draft Conservation Area Appraisal). Agricultural Uses Mixed farming is typical, with open arable farming contrasting with pasture land enclosed by species-rich mature hedgerows. Grazing land is a typical land use in and around Broughton, the

43 best examples of which can be seen at Rectory Farm, land pto the east of Gate Lane and to the west of Northampton Road. Ecology No LWS, PWS, SSSIs etc. 1 Pocket park outside of village boundary. Watercourses A small stream flows into the village from the east and provides numerous springs in the village. There are an abundance of natural springs throughout the surrounding area. (Draft Conservation Area Appraisal) 6. Amenities Shops 3 food shops, 1 hairdressers Post office Yes Bank / cash machine Cash machine Pub 2 pubs Restaurant/café No Takeaway Yes - Chinese takeaway Other Car repair garage (parish plan) Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. Primary School School capacity / subscription Small number of surplus places Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors CSS GI local corridor 8 - Sywell Reservoir to Broughton Natural and semi-natural Broughton pocket park (outside of village boundary) 0.55ha green space (660) Amenity green space Podmore Way AGS 0.18ha (534), Broughton War Memorial 0.02ha (710) Outdoor sports facilities Gate lane recreation ground 4.5ha (611), Broughton recreation ground 0.71ha (614), Great Cransley School playing fields 1.62ha (593) Cemeteries and Broughton cemetery 0.83ha (612), St Andrews church 0.21ha churchyards (713) Children's play areas 3 play areas (711, 613, 535) and basketball court (712) Allotments Broughton allotments - 5.41ha (610) Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library service - mon and tues every three weeks Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 5.83 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall Places of Worship St Andrews Church, Broughton Chapel Local Organisations/Groups, Toybox, Broughton under 5's, Yoga classes, table tennis, St e.g. Mums and toddlers and Andrews sisters, St Andrews church, Minnows praise, Little after school activities clubs fishes, Broughton players, Broughton old folks parcel fund, Broughton over 60's, Broughton old boys, Broughton ladies circle, Broughton indoor bowls, Broughton 4 youth, Broughton scouting groups, Broughton charities of bentham, Broughton art exhibition, Broughton archive, Broughton medical action research, 4 spires youth, 4 spires WI, Royal British legion (women’s section), Sunday school, Keep fit, Broughton chapel, Youth football, Brownies/ guides, Flute circle, Kung fu

2. Summary of Parish Plan

44 The Broughton Parish Plan was adopted by the Council on the 24th November 2009. The following key issues of relevance can be drawn from the Broughton Parish Plan: Development within village boundary should protect or enhance character Resist amalgamation of Kettering & Broughton Some households unable to move due to price or lack of availability of suitable accommodation, including private rented and local authority / housing association homes Broughton Parish Council to work with KBC to investigate potential for building rented housing association, shared ownership or low cost owner-occupier accommodation Concern over too much recent housing development at too high densities detracting from the character of the village In terms of housing, respondents would like to see conversion of redundant buildings; affordable housing; starter homes; adequate off-road parking; and development which retains the character of the village Encouragement for business / commercial development especially including cottage industries and a butchers / bakers and tea shop Support for improvements to bus services including: o Improved promotion of existing service to encourage its use o Improved disabled access o Timetable improvements to match the working day and social activities, for example an evening service to Kettering town centre and cinema o Improved connections to onward travel i.e. train services Wish to promote, encourage, improve and support existing recreation and leisure facilities within the village and to facilitate the creation of new facilities. Disappointment with cycle paths, for example no cycle paths to Mawsley, Loddington or Pytchley and route alongside A43 and across A14 is dangerous Investigate options to provide additional cycle routes and a new footpath to Kettering

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

There is currently no Conservation Area designation in place for Broughton though one is under production and is at the draft stage having been through a round of public consultation. A summary of the emerging key issues identified in the draft Conservation Area Appraisal include: Agriculture has played a role in shaping the plan form of Broughton as the village appears to have grown as a dispersed settlement, with ample land available for grazing for animals close to domestic properties. Historic maps of Broughton from the turn of the twentieth century show the predominance of allotments, especially to the south of the historic village core. It is this agricultural heritage which has created an urban form that is less linear and more dispersed than many of the surrounding towns and villages in the area. Ironstone is a distinct characteristic of the village Commuter Village: Modern Broughton suffers from its location and good transport links with Kettering, Northampton and its proximity to the A14. As a result there is very little employment locally and most residents commute to their place of work. This detracts from the village and prevents it from having a vibrant heart. High Street: Due to the village bypass and the number of commuters resident in the village there is little economic activity along the High Street. Unfortunately the lack of services prevent the emergence of a viable High Street, something that was central to the character of Broughton until recent decades. Speculative Development: Broughton is an attractive place to live and developers realise this. Unfortunately this has led to the development of certain infill sites which detract from the historical form of Broughton. Modern Materials: Some, although not all, modern infill development has been built using poor quality materials which do not respect the surrounding character.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

45 There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at the individual settlement level for every settlement in the Borough. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough of 148 units per annum. Additionally, KBC’s Housing Strategy team can evidence a lack of affordable housing delivery in rural settlements which is failing to meet local needs.

5. SHLAA findings

6 sites in Broughton were assessed in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) and were ranked as Category 1 (most achievable/deliverable & least constrained) to Category 3 (least achievable/deliverable & most constrained). Of the Broughton sites, 5 were assessed as being Category 2 and 1 as Category 3. The SHLAA sites are mapped below (green Category 2 and orange Category 3). The SHLAA is an indicative indication assessment of suitability for residential development and in no way predetermines whether a site will be allocated for development. Decisions regarding actual development sites will be made following public consultation on options in the next stage of the Site Specific Proposals LDD, as informed by this Rural Masterplanning project.

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation Meeting

Aspirations x Details provided within the recently adopted Parish Plan – considerable effort to produce and represents the view of the majority of the village. x Headlines include that there has been too much development over the last 10 years – there should be no further development. x Conservation Area designation is essential – concern at the delay in the production of this x Footpath and cycleway improvements within the village and to adjoining villages are important, x Protect open space within the village including the area in front of the church x Realistic encouragement for small industrial units outside the present village envelope (see parish plan) x Village boundary should remain as is – although discussions focussed on the potential for small alterations to allow small industrial units.

46 Notes x Highways issues particularly within the village centre are a major concern (see parish plan) – previous s106 from infill and nearby development has not been used to secure highway improvements within the village resulting in parish councillors questioning the effectiveness of such development contributions.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network The primary routes through the village are Kettering Road/ Northampton Road/ High Street which runs through the village from north east to south west and Cransley Hill and Wellingborough Road which link the village to Great Cransley to the north west and Pytchley and Orlingbury in the southeast. Kettering Road and Northampton road link the village with the A43 which runs along the western edge of the village.

Secondary routes along Church Street, Gate Lane and Cox’s Lane link these primary routes. The rest of the streets in the village are tertiary streets.

There are good footpath links within the village and there are a number of footpath links out of the settlement which connect the village to Great Cransley and Pytchley. There is also a footpath/ cycleway along the A43 which links the village to Kettering. There are opportunities to improve footpath links both within the village and to the open countryside. These are shown on the movement analysis map.

The majority of the village is easy to navigate around. However, there are pockets of new development where legibility is poor.

Parking along the High Street appears to be a problem although this does help reduce the speed of traffic along this route.

Isochrones The isochrones below show that a significant proportion of the village is located within 400m of the village centre and that the whole village is located within 800m of the village centre. When considering future development in the village proximity to the village centre will be an important consideration.

47 Landform Broughton is located on a valley side. The main street runs parallel to the contours. A significant amount of development has taken place around the edges of the villages which has created hard edges to the village with back gardens backing onto the open countryside. More historic areas on the edge of the village create softer edges with trees and hedgerows creating a smoother transition between the village and the open countryside.

The village was historically dispersed in form with agricultural fields and open space forming part of the character of the village. More recent development had taken place on some of these open spaces within the village creating a more dense built form.

Character The centre of the village is located along the High Street although services and facilities are dispersed along this road and there is no specific focus of facilities. The village has a number of facilities including; a Primary School; Church; Shops; Pub; Village Hall and takeaway.

The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Broughton. These clearly show the more natural dispersed form of the more historic development and the uniform pattern of more modern development. This is also evident in the street patterns where the historic streets are narrower and more winding and more modern streets which are wider and have been designed more with the car in mind.

Built Form Street Pattern

Character Areas

Central Village x Linearity of High Street and lack of a focused centre x Mixture of historic ironstone buildings, Victorian streets and more recent additions x Village green and horsechestnut trees provides main open space x Mixture of uses including shops, pub, low-key commercial/ workshops and residential properties x Some Victorian, brick terraced streets e.g. Silver Street x Buildings abut and front on to the street creating a good sense of enclosure

48 Historic Farmsteads x Church and steeple is primary landmark x Typically using ironstone, black weatherboards, slate, pantiles x Organic layout typified by clusters of buildings and outbuildings x Gravel surfaces and granite set kerbs and delineations

Edge Suburbs x Post-war expansion x Detached and semi-detached houses on linear and Radburn layouts x Poor relationship to landscape and centre of settlement x Buildings set back from the street with a poor sense of enclosure

Public realm and landscape The church is the key landmark in the village and views of this can be seen throughout the village. There are long panoramic views out of the village from the north towards Kettering. The topography and landscaping mean the village is well enclosed and views out are limited.

There are a number of important open spaces in the village. These include the village green which links visually with the open space at Rectory Farm and beyond this to the open space along Gate Lane which are an important record of the historic dispersed nature of the village. The open space in front of the church is also visually important and provides the setting for the church. In addition to this there is a recreation ground, pocket park, allotments and amenity open space which provide important activities in the village.

49 There are two key gateways into the centre of the village as shown on the map. These would benefit from some enhancement along with environmental and parking improvements along the High Street.

8. Opportunities/ Issues Potential opportunities for improvements within the village include: Environmental improvements to the High Street to encourage economic activity and greater vibrancy and remove the dominance of the highway; High Street/ Northampton Road/ Kettering Road – sympathetic traffic calming to slow speeds and tree planting to reflect the rural setting; Improved vehicular and pedestrian access to the school; and Improved footpath and cycle links from the village.

Housing site assessments Following public consultation on the SSP LDD several sites were put forward as potential new housing sites. Consultation feedback from Broughton Parish Council has indicated that no further development should take place outside of the current village boundary. However, sites submitted with development potential have to be assessed in the same way as any other site in the Borough, in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment are summarised below. Site RA/094, land south east of Northampton Road - This site performs poorly in terms of accessibility as it is distant from the village centre and poorly related to the central focus of Broughton when compared to other sites, but has relatively few other constraints. The main constraint is the impact on archaeology. However, the scale of the submitted site is considered too large and its development in its entirety would not bring about great benefit to the village but merely be an extension of the suburban-type development to the immediate north. However, some small scale frontage development, of around 10 dwellings, to continue the linear built form on Northampton Road, and to improve the gateway into the village, may be appropriate.

Site RA/095, Gate Lane - This site performs poorly in terms of accessibility although is relatively well related to the village centre. The site scores relatively well, however there are some significant constraints. The site is a historically important open space and is important in the setting of the village. Development of the site would therefore have a significant negative impact on the historic environment. Further investigation is required to assess archaeology on the site. Capacity of Gate Lane is also a significant constraint. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the options for Broughton in the Site Specific Proposals LDD.

Site RA/096, land between A43 and High Street - Site scores relatively well. It performs poorly in terms of accessibility but compared with other sites in the village it is well located in terms of local facilities. It is considered that a suitable residential scheme could bring about significant benefits including improved vehicular and pedestrian access to, enclosure and natural surveillance of the school; a development well linked and related to the High Street, the traditional core of the village, and what should be the focal point of the village; and one which could support increased activity and vibrancy in this area. The major constraint to development would be access which would need to be overcome or mitigated, perhaps including a widened shared access with the primary school. The access issue would need to be overcome before allocation could be considered.

50 Site RA/097, land to the east and west of Church Street - There are significant constraints to the development of these sites. Development of the southern section of the site would have a detrimental effect on the setting of the church. The site to the north is an important open space which is important to the character of the settlement. Access would be problematic and would result in the removal of a significant section of historic wall. Site should not be taken forward for consideration in the options for Broughton in the Site Specific Proposals LDD

Site RA/098, land to the east and west of Cransley Hill – The site in its entirety is too large. The site western section of the site is constrained by a Tree Protection Order and is a more sensitive environment. The eastern section of the site is lower in terms of landscape quality and impact and is considered more of an appropriate prospect for development. The site is comparatively well related to the High Street, the traditional core of the village and facilities, including the school. There is potential for the western extent of the site to be used for uses which would benefit the school. Any development would need to be at low density; address Coxs Lane and Cransley Hill and provide satisfactory access, including access to development site RA/127. Development in combination with this site may be beneficial.

Site RA/099, Broughton Allotments - Part of this site is actively used for allotments and development would only be acceptable if alternative provision was made. Access to the site is problematic due to the proximity of the A43 junction. Due to its location this site may be more appropriate for employment development; alternatively there may also be the opportunity to extend the allotments on the site. Site is poorly related to the central hub of the village and loss of open space is considered a significant constraint. For these reasons this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the options for Broughton in the Site Specific Proposals LDD.

RA/101, Land to the rear of 22 High Street - Site scores well. Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility but compared with other sites in the village is well located in terms of access to local facilities, including the school. A well designed development could be well linked and related to the High Street, the traditional core of the village, and what should be the focal point of the village; and one which could support increased activity and vibrancy in this area. Development could improve access to the school, links with the school, High Street and footpath links to the countryside. Development would need to be low density, well connected and traditional in character. The major constraint would be access with issues with the capacity of Bentham Close. The access issue would need to be overcome before allocation could be considered.

Site RA/127, The Paddock, Meadow Close - Site scores relatively well and there are relatively few constraints. Access to the site would require upgrading. Noise mitigation may be required. Site would be suitable for a low density, characterful development with good links out, including to the High Street. Development should be considered in conjunction with site RA/098, which could allow access to be addressed and a common character and form to be derived. Without this access development is likely to be problematic and subject to the capacity of a narrow lane from High Street.

Site RA/144, Land to the south east of Broughton - Development of this scale would not be appropriate given the size and character of the village. Key constraints include impact on archaeology, landscape, impact on the road network in Broughton and negative impact on the built character and form of the village. The current extent of development marks a clear boundary to the village to the south east and development beyond this would be inappropriate encroachment into the open countryside. The site is poorly related to and physically isolated from the central village and the historic core and would not bring about great benefit to the village but merely be an extension of the suburban-type development to the west. For the reasons outlined above, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the options for Broughton in the Site Specific Proposals LDD.

51 RA/167, Land to the west of Wellingborough Road - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility. The development of the whole site would be unacceptable due to the scale of development and although some frontage development may be an option, this site feels like a natural ‘end’ to the village and assimilates the village with open countryside. Also, frontage development would involve the removal of significant hedgerows. Access to the site may be limited due to the busy Wellingborough Road. The current extent of development marks a clear boundary to the village to the south east and development beyond this would be inappropriate encroachment into the open countryside. The site is poorly related to and physically isolated from the central village and the historic core and would not bring about great benefit to the village but merely be an extension of the suburban-type development to the north. the reasons outlined above, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the options for Broughton in the Site Specific Proposals LDD.

There is also a garage site at Carter Avenue, which is a potential redevelopment site for a small scale residential development, which could improve the built environment, subject to the ownership and level of use of the garages.

There is also a telephone exchange on Church Street, which may not be in current use and is incongruous to the surrounding traditional residential cottages. This could present an opportunity for a small brownfield redevelopment to provide a residential use, street enclosure and a character more in keeping with the rest of the street.

Employment Site Assessments

The Broughton Parish Plan identifies the need to encourage small scale industrial units in the village. A number of potential locations were identified in the Parish Plan. These locations were assessed using the methodology set out in the ‘Background Paper: Employment Allocations’. The findings of this assessment are set out below:

RA/13 -. Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility but compared with other sites in the village is well located in terms of access to local facilities. Access to the site and capacity issues of Bentham Close limited the potential for the employment uses and may result in unacceptable impacts to neighbouring residential developments.

RA/15 - Site has good access to the A43. The site is well screened from the A43 and Northampton Road and has relatively few constraints. The site is fairly large and development of a smaller part of the site would be adequate to meet the need for small scale industrial units.

RA/16 - This site performs poorly in terms of accessibility although is relatively well related to the village centre. The site overall scores relatively well, however there are some significant constraints. The site is a historically important open space and is important in the setting of the village. Development of the site would therefore have a significant negative impact on the historic environment. Further investigation is required to assess archaeology on the site. Capacity of Gate Lane when considering potential employment uses is also a significant constraint.

Draft Design Principles

The extent of new development in Broughton will depend largely on the result of future public consultation at the Options stage of the Site Specific Proposals LDD, and may range from modest to no allocated development. Nevertheless, design principles have been drafted to be applied to any proposals for new development which may come forward in Broughton in the future, with the intention that any such development should better reflect the traditional character of the place. These draft principles are provided below.

Any new development should: Protect or enhance the traditional, historic character of the central core of Broughton;

52 Not cause coalescence between Broughton and Kettering; Be well connected and well related to the centre of the village; Reflect the characteristics of the central village and the historic farmsteads depending upon the location of the development and its relationship to these character areas Be at a low density reflecting the Central Village and Historic Farmstead character areas with a more organic or dispersed pattern of development than recent modern developments; New street patterns should reflect those of historic streets in the village and should be designed to encourage slow traffic movement, to create a pedestrian friendly environment and to create an enclosed and intimate environment; Include frequent areas of attractive open spaces between development, reflecting this important traditional characteristic; Hedgerows and trees should be used to provide boundaries to gardens to create a soft edge to the village and where appropriate buildings should be spaced to allow views out to the open countryside to be retained. The use of high close-boarded fencing or brick walls which mark the boundary with the open countryside should be avoided or at gateways to the village; Protect open space within the village including the area in front of the church; Use a limited palette of traditional local materials based around ironstone, red brick, black weatherboards, slate and pantiles; Front on to and abut, or be slightly set back in line with surrounding building lines, the street, creating a good sense of enclosure; Enjoy a positive relationship with surrounding development and not present inactive or blank facades to streets; Prioritise conversion of redundant buildings, affordable housing and starter homes; Encourage business or commercial development, including cottage industries; and Facilitate the following improvements to the village: x Enhance the High Street environment to encourage a more viable and vibrant heart to the village as a focus for economic activities and facilities, for example a butchers, bakers or tea shop; x Public realm improvements to create a public realm more in keeping with the rural, traditional character of the village, for example soft landscaping and tree planting, and sensitive traffic calming measures, for example gravel dressing, carriageway narrowing and planting; x Enhancement of the area of open space in front of the church to improve its setting x Improvements to bus services; x Improve access to the school; x Improve footpath and cycle links out of the village, including a new footpath to Kettering

53 Broughton landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

54 Broughton character areas map

55 Broughton public realm & landscape map

56 Broughton assessed housing sites map

57 Broughton assessment employment sites map

58 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Cranford

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 414 (2001 Census) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership 17%**, Ownership mortgage/ loan 28.8%, Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 0%*, Rented from housing association/ RSL 5.1%, Rented from private landlord 40.7%, Rented from other 6.7% Age: Under 16 - 16%, 16-24 – 8%, 25-59 - 48%, 60+ - 28% (*This information is from the 2001 Census so may be out of date – recent KBC records show 23 properties rented from the local authority. ** Outright ownership may well be significantly higher now.) Updated figures provided by the Parish Council: x Approximately 30 properties are rented from the Local Authority x Number rented from housing association/ private landlord is lower than shown x Ownership is higher than shown No. of Jobs Unknown ED Training Ltd (HGV training) The Red Lion Public House Businesses / employers 3 stables 1 working farm (7 within the Parish) 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest Regional Centre: Northampton Other regional centres: Leicester, Peterborough, Milton Keynes Primary Movement Infrastructure Roads into & out of settlement & their classification: Strategic A14 runs to the south of the village Main road through the settlement is High Street / Cranford Road which links the village to Barton Seagrave and the A14. In theory, through traffic should be discouraged with the A14 taking the vast majority of traffic. 2 north-south roads exist which link the village with Grafton Underwood and the countryside. Distance to nearest town: Kettering: 3.1 miles to Kettering town centre; 1.2 miles from the edge of Cranford St John to outskirts of Ise Lodge estate, Kettering;

Nearest major employment centre Burton Latimer – 1.7 miles to industrial park; Kettering: 2.4 miles to Kettering Venture Park / Pytchley Lodge Road Industrial Estate; 3.1 miles to Kettering town centre Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more 88% (Census 2001)

59 cars Public Transport Provision Route 16 Kettering – Thrapston – Raunds is fairly regular – hourly service. 406 – Huntingon – Kettering 3rd Wed Monthly Foot / cycle path links to other settlements A decent network of footpaths traverses east-west including a link to the village of Twywell. North-south connections from the village are less connected but within the Parish there are North-south connections which link to Grafton Underwood and Cranford Road. Within the settlement pleasant footpaths cross the open space and link the 2 parts of the village. Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Dairy Farm Guest House visitor attractions or accommodation Cranford Hall St. Andrews Church, now maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust is now signposted as a Historic Building 3. Quantum Total Area 19.4ha (Area within the village boundary) No. Houses 209 (electoral roll) Residential Density 11dph Land Use Split Mostly residential and agricultural. No. of affordable housing units & tenure 10 houses split 13 bungalows No. of elderly / supported housing units Approximately 14 No. of bungalows 6/7 in St. Johns (13 affordable bungalows) Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- St. Andrews the majority are terraces detached, detached etc. St. Johns detached, semi detached and terraces 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage The whole of the village, and some surrounding fields, is a Conservation Area with many listed properties. A number of buildings are several hundred years old. No. Listed Buildings There are 38 listed buildings or structures in the parish. Flood Plain Small parts of the central green area fall within flood zones owing to the small watercourse. A larger area falls within flood zones 2 and 3 around the lowest point of Duck End. Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) See Ecology – below. Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Rolling Ironstone Valley Slopes – Kettering and Wellingborough Slopes Environmental Character Assessment – Rockingham Forest Biodiversity Character Assessment – Limestone Slopes Historic Character Assessment – Reinstated Mineral Extraction 5. Landscape Setting The parish of Cranford consists of two areas of settlement, Cranford St Andrew to the north and Cranford St John to the south, on either side of a tributary of the River Nene, the Alledge Brook.

60 Cranford is mainly surrounded by farmland, both arable and pasture. The southern end of the village adjoins the very busy A14 trunk road, to the south is a large wind farm and a large landfill site.

The parish also contains Cranford Road, Barton Seagrave, Kingston’s Spinney and an open ditch slope west towards Barton Seagrave.

Cranford is a spacious inward-looking village with broad tracts of meadow or pasture land in the bowl through which flows the Alledge brook. Boundaries north and south of the village are clearly defined by the relatively recently planted ‘Kingston’s Spinney’ to the north and by the less welcome A14 trunk road on the south side. East and west boundaries are less visibly defined, but the village is bound by old ironstone workings on both sides.

The main features of the village setting derive from the large tracts of parkland, or former parkland, around Cranford Hall, and earthworks – partly tree covered – left over from ironstone mining and open- cast quarrying. (Conversation Area Appraisal) Agricultural Uses Cranford is mainly surrounded by farmland, both arable and pasture. Ecology Numerous sites of ecological value exist within or around Cranford: There is a pocket park adjacent to Rectory Hill. To the south east of Cranford St John there is Quarry End, a Local Wildlife Site which leads into a SSSI to the south. SSSI Twywell Gullet lays approx 900m to the east of the village. Approx 300m to the north-east of the Duck End part of Cranford lays a Local Wildlife Site, Duck End Quarry. To the north of this lies Sandy Spinney Quarry Local Wildlife Site Watercourses The Alledge Brook runs south from Grafton Underwood through the parish and then turns east as it reaches the settlements around Cranford Road. The Brook runs in the valley between the 2 nucleuses of the settlement. 6. Amenities Shops None Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub The Red Lion – pub with dining Restaurant/café Yes – The Forge Takeaway Yes – The Forge provides a takeaway service Other Guest House, Liveries / Stables Pre-school provision Unknown

61 Schools, primary, secondary etc. Church of England primary school in the village with 60-70 pupils School capacity / subscription Capacity = 100 Healthcare provision, inc dentists None Green Infrastructure Several open spaces exist in and around Cranford: Sub-regional & local GI corridors None Natural and semi-natural green space Cranford Hall NSN 1.34ha Cranford Pocket Park 0.27ha

Amenity green space Village Hall Amenity Greenspace 0.09ha Top Dysons Amenity Greenspace 0.07ha The Green 0.39ha Outdoor sports facilities Cranford CE School Playing Field 0.25ha Cemeteries and churchyards St Andrews Church Churchyard 0.24ha St Johns Church Churchyard 0.36ha Children's play areas None Allotments None Accessible countryside in urban fringe area East Kettering accessible countryside Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library calls on Tuesdays every 3 weeks. Broadband facilities / speed Yes 6.06 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall and Parish Room Places of Worship There are two Churches, but only that of St. John is used at present. Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums The Village Hall is the main hub of the village and is and toddlers and after school activities patronised by the Women’s Institute, over 60’s Club, clubs the Parish Council and for many other events originating both from Cranford and the surrounding areas. A pre-school music group is held in the village hall. The school run after school activities.

2. Summary of Parish Plan One of the main issues raised by residents of Cranford is the need to sustain and improve services within the village through the provision of a village shop. There is currently no convenience shop within the village; therefore villagers are not able to access basic essentials unless they drive out of the village, which is considered unsustainable. The Parish Council intends to investigate the possibility of a mobile van or utilising the existing public house.

The need for improved facilities for recreation is also an issue of concern to residents. There is currently no park or play area for children and this is seen as one of the contributing factors to the limited number of young families in the village.

There is an issue with the width of the High Street which encourages speeding traffic. The High Street was considerably widened in 1968 to become the main route to the east coast ports as the A604 and though this traffic has been carried by the A14 since 1990 the width now invites speeding through the village. Unfortunately the A14 was not considered to be a by-pass so no money was available for remedial work and the many attempts made to get some form of traffic calming have all so far been unsuccessful.

The Parish Plan noted significant support for: Keeping the village the way it is A village shop

62 A village play area and sports facilities More litter bins plus dog fouling bins Regular litter picking events Traffic calming measures A transport sharing club Cycling improvements Help for disabled and elderly members of the community More mobile shops Aesthetic improvements – tree planting, flowers and shrubs More village social events Use of village funds to support village initiatives Providing better information re police contact and Neighbourhood Watch Tackling unsightly properties Limited development but appreciation of some future need

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

Cranford is of special interest as a village still retaining strong evidence of its medieval origins as twin parishes, the manorial estate of St Andrews – now Cranford Hall – still flourishing from the 18th Century and owning vast tracts of land around both parishes.

Not only is the medieval plan of the village still very clear, but Cranford is surrounded by traces of a now-vanished ironstone extraction industry and the village is a centre for several very traditional rural pursuits.

The topography is such that each former parish regards the other – across the brook – both parts overlook an idyllic scene of sheep grazing in parkland presided over by Cranford Hall.

The mix of building types, mostly residential, is a microcosm of Middle England from Cranford Hall and its establishment (St. Andrew’s) to the Manor (St. John’s) and other distinguished detached residences, 17th Century and later terraces mostly thatched, groups of council-built houses and small clusters of modern stone-faced dwellings.

Cranford derives its special character from its two distinct and complementary communities. In the centre Cranford Hall, with its stable yard adjoining, still serves the purpose for which it was built – the seat of the Robinson family, who have lived there for some four centuries and who still own the majority of the land in and around the village. The stables are still fully utilised for livery purposes.

The Conservation Area Appraisal provides a detailed examination of the special character of the village including aspects such as: Landscape; Setting; Streetscene; and Building Materials.

It then sets out guidance and principles covering issues such as alterations; demolition; maintenance; the design of new development; the streetscene; and links and views.

It is noted that: The presence of uncharacteristic buildings in the conservation area does not provide grounds for allowing more like them and a further erosion of historic character. By seeking to conserve traditional buildings and adding new ones that reinforce historic character, the relative impact of negative elements will be diminished.

Highways and footways should be surfaced in gravel dressing to retain the village feel rather than standard urban tarmac.

63 4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments A Housing Needs Survey was conducted for the village in 2004 which found a need for 8 units, 7 rental and 1 shared ownership. The Parish Council has commissioned an updated Housing Needs Survey by Northants Rural, which it is anticipated will be completed late 2011.The Site Specific LDD is an opportunity to address the identified need for affordable housing in the settlement and attempt to find a site, with the quantum of this need to be determined by the updated Housing Needs study.

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Cranford were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation

Summary of issues raised when KBC Officers attended Cranford Parish Council meeting (15/11/10):

Unhappy with the Kettering East application and have felt that the process has been undemocratic, and not enough consideration has been given to the impact of the development upon Cranford. Want the site specific plan to inform the Kettering East development and for it to be a defensible document which offers Cranford the same protection as Warkton, Weekley and Grafton Underwood in relation to the Kettering East Development. Concerned about warehousing forming the employment element at Kettering East. Traffic calming measures are important to the village. Concerned that the £60,000 fund allocated for this purpose within the Kettering East s106 has no date mechanism to fall back on. General desire to cut off High Street to the east of the village, but an alternative proposal for the west exists. Parish have previously identified two potential sites for affordable housing: o Site on the Eact corner of Thrapston Road and Duck End o South of New Stone House, Duck End o However, KBC housing rejected these as they were too far from the village centre, and suggested the following sites, which the Parish weren’t happy with: Adjacent to No.2 St Andrews Lane Western tip of Top Dysons Land to the south of the Rectory, Rectory Hill Want a play area, the Parish Plan identifies 3 potential sites, but there were some concerns about funding. However, they would like to pursue this through the site specific document.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network

Movement: There is one main primary street through the settlement, High Street / Cranford Road, which links the village to Barton Seagrave and Kettering to the west and the A14 to the east. The A14 being a strategic route which runs to the south of the village and therefore discourages through traffic meaning the main route through the village is far less busy than once was the case. However, a legacy of its former status as an A road is that the High Street is very wide which serves to visually and physically separate the activities on either side of the road, detracts from the public realm and encourages speeding. Bus stops are located on this road.

Two secondary north-south roads exist which link the village with Grafton Underwood and the countryside and the remainder of the streets are tertiary and access-only in nature.

64 Footpaths form a useful and important communication network throughout the village, but especially in Cranford St. Andrew where there is no public east-west road connecting the two principal parts of this community. The estate roads are private to vehicular traffic but passage for pedestrians is permitted. However, the ‘Private’ notices are a barrier to intuitive through movement for the uninformed visitor. There is an excellent network of pedestrian links in the central open space area which allows a pleasant green circuit of walks. Whilst the pedestrian links in the village are well connected, the routes are not always intuitive or legible to a lay visitor, and in Duck End there is no off-road footpath.

In terms of footpath links out of the village, a decent network of footpaths traverses east-west including a link to the village of Twywell. North-south connections are less connected. Potential new pedestrian links are suggested northwards towards Grafton Underwood, as shown on the Landform and Movement map.

There are four bridges across the Alledge Brook which are notable features of the central area. The westernmost stone-built bridge is listed grade II, originally dating from the 18th century has alongside it the modern Millennium footbridge. Another footbridge, commemorating the 1897 Jubilee and with excellent ironwork, carries the footpath which runs across the centre of the park. The easternmost road bridge is a modest brick structure. There is Potential gulley feature at Duck End another bridge at Duck End (south) over a gulley where the (south) bridge former railway line ran. There is evidence of its industrial heritage with ironwork and links to the historic railway use. This combined with the steep gulley to the west of the bridge presents an opportunity for enhancing the bridge and outlook as a landmark feature and possible gateway feature into Cranford. As noted in the Conservation Area Appraisal:

The course of the former Midland Railway Line is a significant landscape feature bordering the south side of the village, a tree-lined embankment to the west changing to a deep cutting where crossed by the A604 at the southeast corner of the Conservation Area.

The topography and watercourse bisecting the settlement are integral to Cranford’s special character. The two main built-up areas border and define the parkland on lower land where the Alledge Brook runs between them, with Cranford Hall and St. Andrew’s Church adjacent being jointly the focal point of the village. Rising ground southwards, and the bund partially protecting housing from the A14 traffic noise, restrain any views in this direction. South-north streets, for example Grafton Road and Duck End slope quite markedly, firstly into the valley of the Alledge Brook and then out up the other side as the land rises to the north.

Generally buildings sit well in the landscape and are well related to the topography and watercourse. This is particularly the case with the older parts of the village which generally have a softer and more successful relationship with the landscape and surrounding countryside than more recent additions.

The settlement is fairly deep with numerous changes of direction and deviating routes from the primary High Street. Owing to the topography, central parkland and meandering secondary and tertiary streets, the settlement has a feeling of depth from south-north.

The central open parkland means the village is fairly inward looking and edges to the countryside are generally quite hard, and harder than one might expect given the green rural setting. The most important soft edges are along the central open valley and to the north-east. A hard edge to the village is necessitated to the south by the terrain and nearby A14. Recent development which presents hard edges to both the countryside and the streetscene detracts from the traditional open and green character, for example on the western entrance to High Street.

65 Hard edges to the west Soft edges to the central parkland area

Isochrones The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the central activities of the High Street area are very accessible for those in Cranford St John but less so for Cranford St Andrew. This is really due to the unique way the settlement is divided by the watercourse and open space, meaning conclusions that could normally be drawn from isochrone analysis (for example where to site any potential new development) may not be so applicable.

400m Isochrone

Character Areas The defined centre of the village is along the High Street, though its vibrancy has been somewhat diluted and a case could be made for the focal and characterful centre of the village being around Cranford Hall and St Andrew’s Church. However, the High Street remains the main thoroughfare and focus for the settlement’s remaining facilities, most notably the school and pub. Regrettably former uses such as the Forge, at the corner of St. Andrew’s Lane and Rectory Hill, the Post Office on The Green, or shop of any kind no longer exist in the village.

As can be seen from the Figure Ground diagrams, the built form is generally low density and scattered and frequently broken up by areas of open space which gives the village a very green and rural feel. Streets and buildings are well spaced out and the large expanses of open space give a distinct character.

66 Cranford – Built form Cranford – Street pattern

The main Character Area remains the Historic Traditional. Stone is the traditional building material and numerous stretches and individual examples of historic stone built buildings bring a distinct character to certain areas of the village, particularly at the western end of Cranford St John and at Rectory Hill and St Andrews Lane in Cranford St Andrew. Cottages in St. Andrew’s Street and Rectory Hill, facing south and west respectively, are typically of the mid-Northamptonshire vernacular with limestone walls below thatched or tiled roofs.

Examples of the Historic Traditional Character Area

Buildings in this character area face and define the street and are arranged in line with the street. Cottages either front directly onto the footpath (as is the case in parts of Cranford St John) or have consistent depth front gardens with defined boundary treatments both of which contribute greatly to the streetscene and the character. Overall, the traditional palette of building materials is limited. Limestone is the indigenous building material, with the churches and more important houses having ashlar detailing, chimneys and window dressings. Some ironstone is incorporated as window dressings, for example at 4 High Street (Dormitory House) and there are some cast-iron windows in a number of dwellings. Roofs would originally have been thatch and many houses still remain thatched. Elsewhere a mix of red pantiles, Collyweston slate, welsh slate, plain clay tiles and interlocking concrete tiles are found and have replaced thatch on several buildings.

Although there is now only one working farm (Home Farm), scattered rural and farm buildings form another distinct character area – Scattered Isolated Rural. There are several Example of the Scattered Isolated Rural distinguished stone-built farmhouses and yeoman’s houses Character Area

67 including Duck End Farm and Dairy Farm with its circular stone dovecote.

A distinct character area exists in the central parkland area associated with the imposing Cranford Hall. The open, green and rural feel is typified by attractive trees and sheep grazing and adds a distinct character to both sides of the village which face in to this communal open space. The green links continue into the central element of the High Street and The Green.

However, character here becomes more sporadic with scattered infill / suburban / post war developments which reflect little of the traditional character traits outlined above. The success of modern development varies greatly with some attempting to use local materials, whereas other developments bear little affinity with the rest of the village scene, being of ‘standard’ designs seen throughout the country.

Examples of modern developments

Public realm and landscape The public realm is mixed with some good and bad examples. Some areas feel coherent and streets are well defined where in others this is not the case. Strong stone boundary walls are an important aspect of the streetscene but these are not constant. Some spring-heads remain built into the village walls and there are the attractive (but now redundant) water hydrants.

Unlike some villages, the paths and roads in Cranford are mostly surfaced in standard tarmacadam which signifies an urban rather than a rural setting and street furniture is generally modern and standard.

Examples of overall green open feel

The village lacks defined quality gateways and a sense of arrival is particularly lacking from the east. Opportunities exist to improve this and to improve the setting of the high street which is overly wide and engineered for its present day level of traffic. A band of trees importantly defines the western entry to the village along the main road and this could be maximised to form an attractive point of arrival.

68 Poor gateway from the east

The settlement generally has a very open and pleasant green feel to the public realm and trees are an important element shaping the village, its character and its definition, for example in the central parkland area. Trees mark the northern edge of the park and village from Rectory Hill in the west towards Sandy Spinney and the old quarries in the east. Trees also surround The Green and add streetscape interest to the High Street.

The settlement is dominated by the central parkland around Cranford Hall and St Andrew’s Church, which has been described above, however there are also several other important open spaces in or around the settlement: The Green Cranford Pocket Park Village Hall Amenity Greenspace Top Dysons Amenity Greenspace Cranford CE School Playing Field The two churchyards at St Andrews Church and St Johns Church respectively

Numerous sites of ecological value also exist within or around Cranford: There is a pocket park adjacent to Rectory Hill. To the south east of Cranford St John there is Quarry End, a Local Wildlife Site which leads into a SSSI to the south. SSSI Twywell Gullet lies approx 900m to the east of the village. Approx 300m to the north-east of the Duck End part of Cranford lies a Local Wildlife Site, Duck End Quarry. To the north of this lies Sandy Spinney Quarry Local Wildlife Site.

With this abundance of open spaces, sites of ecological value and the Alledge Brook watercourse Cranford is well served for open space. However, there are no formal play facilities (other than the school playground), for example, a children’s play area, despite the large expanse of land given over to open space.

Important views and vistas are shown on the Public Realm and Landscape map and are dominated by the central open space and associated historical buildings with both views into and out of the space being of critical importance to the character of the village. Important views also exist along Grafton Road, from the elevated areas of Duck End out to the open countryside and at Rectory Hill of the beautiful run of thatched cottages.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

Opportunities exist for: Improvements to the High Street with measures to soften or narrow the highway and calm traffic and improve the public realm; Creation of new gateways into the village from the west and particularly the east; Allocation for affordable housing to meet identified local need;

69 Any potential future development to better reflect the character of Historic Traditional and Scattered Isolated Rural; Creation of a new park including a children’s play area; and New footpath links to the north.

Potential Housing Sites Assessments Following public consultation on the Site Specific Proposals LDD Issues paper, no sites in or adjacent to Cranford were put forward for assessment as potential new housing sites.

Affordable Housing A need for affordable housing in Cranford has been identified in the past through a Housing Needs Survey. The Parish Council have endeavoured to find a site for a development of affordable homes but, under the old Local Plan, no sites have been able to be progressed. The Rural Masterplanning and Site Specific Proposals LDD presented an opportunity to revisit this issue and attempt to find a site, or sites, for affordable homes in or adjacent to the village. 5 sites have been tabled at various points in the recent past, and of those 3 were considered suitable for further detailed assessment in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. It was considered that it was not worthwhile to take forward the remaining 2 for assessment. The 5 sites are summarised below:

Land east of the corner of Duck End and Thrapston Road – taken forward for detailed assessment South of New Stone House, Duck End – taken forward for detailed assessment Land to the south of the Rectory, Rectory Hill – taken forward for detailed assessment Adjacent to number 2 St Andrews Lane – site rejected – too small to make significant contribution; landowner has indicated unwillingness to release site in the past Western tip of Top Dysons – site rejected – issues of unstable land and subsidence in the area were raised by the Parish Council.

A summary of the findings of the detailed site assessments carried out on the remaining 3 sites is provided below:

Site RA.173 - Land east of the corner of Duck End and Thrapston Road The site scores quite well and is considered a reasonable site which would have minimal negative impacts. The site scores positively on sensitivity, impact and the distance to the Primary School and open spaces. However, it is not very well related to the village and detached from the main nucleus of the settlement. A HGV operation operates at the eastern extent however the impact of this could be mitigated. The issue of access onto Thrapston Road would also need to be addressed but this should be possible. Notwithstanding these considerations, a well designed scheme could make a positive impact through redevelopment of an unattractive underutilised parcel of land. This site is presented as an option in the Site Specific Options Paper.

Site RA.170 - South of New Stone House, Duck End This site scores very well and benefits from low negative impacts, particularly on landscape and no major constraints to development. The topography, setting and location of the site lend itself well to a good, high quality small scale scheme. Satisfactory access could be gained onto Duck End, and whilst this road is narrow it is sufficient to access existing houses and a small scale development should be acceptable. The site is fairly detached from the main nucleus of the settlement, though still in close proximity to the Primary School and open spaces, and would benefit from a frontage onto Duck End which is better related to the form and character of the settlement than site RA.173. However, any development would need to be a high quality design and use high quality materials, including stone which could affect the viability of affordable housing. This site is presented as a preferred option in the Site Specific Options Paper.

Site RA.171 - Land to the south of the Rectory, Rectory Hill

70 The site scored quite poorly in terms of impact, character and accessibility. The site’s setting, topography and location mean development would be detrimental to the village’s form and character and to the setting of listed buildings, particularly the cottages on Rectory Hill. It would result in the loss of a green space which plays an important part in Cranford St Andrew’s character and transition to the open countryside. This site is therefore discounted as an option at this stage.

9. Draft Design Principles Were development to come forward on sites RA.173 or RA.170, presented as options for affordable housing above, the following principles would need to be adhered to:

Site RA.173 - Land east of the corner of Duck End and Thrapston Road Development will: Demonstrate that satisfactory access arrangements can be provided; Be outward facing and address Thrapston Road and the corner of Duck End; Create a positive gateway to the village; Provide a safe footpath into Duck End and the centre of the village; and As the development is not within or adjacent to the historic areas of the village, a wider palette of materials than traditional stone may be appropriate, including good quality contemporary materials.

Site RA.170 - South of New Stone House, Duck End Development will: Incorporate a high quality design reflecting the traditional and intimate cottage style characteristics of surrounding development; Use a limited palette of materials of local limestone, and thatch or slate; and Front and abut the highway of Duck End with a small set-back; or Be at a right angle to Duck End and front south, presenting an attractive corner treatment to Duck End; or Be an L shaped combination of these arrangements.

Elsewhere, any development proposals that may come forward in Cranford will: Seek to deliver affordable housing to meet the identified local need; Facilitate the following identified improvements to the village: o Creation of a children’s play area; o Improvements to the High Street with measures to soften or narrow the highway and calm traffic and improve the public realm; o Introduce appropriate tree planting to the south side of the High Street; and o Enhancement of gateways into the village from the west and particularly the east, potentially maximising the bridge and gulley at Duck End (south) over the former railway line as a landmark feature. Follow the hierarchy of the historic street pattern; Take their design, character and material cues from the character of Historic Traditional and Scattered Isolated Rural character areas, as identified in the Rural Masterplanning study; Use a limited palette of materials of local limestone, and thatch or slate (unless another material can be justified under the genetic design principles policy); Reflect the scale, mass, form, height and density of the historic pattern of development; Preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Conservation Area; Protect important views, particularly those of St Andrew’s Church and Cranford Hall; Not result in the loss of historic front gardens for structures or car parking; and Introduce street treatments and furniture appropriate to the historic and rural context, for example setts for kerbs and bonded pea shingle for path and road surfaces, and retain and, where necessary enhance original features such as the water hydrants.

71 Cranford landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

72 Cranford character areas map

73 Cranford landscape & public realm map

74 Cranford assessed housing sites map

75 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Dingley

Dingley is a settlement that consists of a small number of dwellings, of low density in the open countryside. These dwellings are currently considered, in planning terms, as scattered dwellings in the open countryside, rather than a place defined by a village boundary, and given the small number of dwellings in the settlement it is considered that this remains the most appropriate designation for Dingley. It has therefore been decided that it is not appropriate to apply the Rural Masterplanning methodology to this settlement or to develop settlement specific design principles. Any future development is likely to be extremely limited and will be controlled in design terms by the general design principles for the Borough’s rural area, which were informed by the Rural Masterplanning project.

Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Geddington

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 1,504 Demographic Split Tenure: Owned Outright 27.4% Owned with a mortgage or loan 46% Shared Ownership 0% Rented from Council 11.4% Rented from Housing Association or RSL 3.5% Private rented 7.1% Rented other 4.6%

Age: Under 16 – 21.9% , 16-24 – 8.2 % , 25-59 – 49.8%, 60+ - 20.1% No. of Jobs Unknown Post office, hairdressers, 3 pubs, some employment Businesses / employers units. 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest Regional centre is Northampton Other regional centres include Peterborough and Leicester Primary Movement Infrastructure Average distance travelled to a fixed place of work 14.5km (Census 2001) Nearest major employment centre Kettering – 5.2 miles to Telford Way Industrial Estate, 4.2 miles to town centre; Corby – 5.2 miles to Weldon North Industrial Estate, 5.8 miles to town centre. Wellingborough – 12.6 miles to Finedon Road Industrial Estate, 13.2 miles to town centre Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more cars 85.8% Public Transport Provision Bus services: Route 8 – Corby – GEDDINGTON – Kettering / Kettering – GEDDINGTON - Corby, hourly, Mon-Sat, approx 7am-6pm, Judges Mini Coaches Nearest train station

76 5 miles Kettering; 5.1 miles Corby 15.4 miles Wellingborough; 19.6 miles Northampton Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Continuous pavement along A43 into Kettering Rights of way: Bridleway to Newton Footpath from Newton to North Kettering (Brambleside) Footpath to Great Oakley Bridleway & footpath to Little Oakley Footpath to Stanion Byway & footpath to Brigstock Partial shared pedestrian / cycleway to Weekley – onward paths to Warkton & east Kettering (Ise Lodge) Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Queen Eleanor Cross, Historic monument visitor attractions or accommodation White Lion Pub & B&B Very close to Boughton House, stately home Ancient Bridge and Ford 3. Quantum Total Area 51.5ha No. Houses 817 (GIS) Residential Density 16 dph Land Use Split Predominantly residential. No. of affordable housing units & tenure Total of 85 affordable homes, 15 sheltered housing, split 20 social rent, 65 KBC ownership & 20 RSL No. of elderly / supported housing units 15 units in Castle Gardens KBC sheltered scheme No. of bungalows N/A Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/A 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Area coverage Yes, covering approximately half the village No. Listed Buildings 44 Flood Plain Parts of the village either side of New Road and Queen Street / Bridge Street are in flood zones 2 and 3 Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) SSSI (River Ise & Meadows) begins to the west of New Road on the Ise and extends west for over 2 miles to Barford Bridge. Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment - Wooded Clay Plateau Environmental Character Assessment - Rockingham Forest Biodiversity Character Assessment - Boulder Clay Woodlands / Limestone Slopes 5. Landscape Setting Attractive rural setting; Geddington Chase, a area of extensive woodland, extends from the north of the village; To the south-east of the village lies the estate and ground of Boughton House; Broad, elevated undulating plateau dissected and

77 drained by numerous valleys; Undulating landform, extensive views and sense of exposure on some prominent locations; Large woodlands on elevated ground form a backdrop to foreground farmland; Woodlands are of high scenic and nature conservation value and an important remnant of the Royal Hunting Forest of Rockingham; Foreground views are occupied by productive arable fields with low hedges and intermittent hedgerow trees; and Deeply rural quality despite proximity of large urban areas. (Landscape Character Assessment) Agricultural Uses Mixed agricultural uses surround the settlement including arable and grazing with sheep and cattle pastures. Ecology 1 SSSI, no LWS, PWS, SSSIs etc. Watercourses River Ise runs through the village towards the middle of the village. 6. Amenities Shops Non-food shop and food shop Post office Yes Bank / cash machine No Pub 3 pubs - The White Lion, The Star, and the White Hart Restaurant/café Tearooms Takeaway No Other Police surgeries twice a month in the Village Hall and tearooms. Pre-school provision Happy Faces Pre-school Schools, primary, secondary etc. Primary school School capacity / subscription Estimated number of pupils: 181 (JPU 2009 survey) Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors CSS GI local corridor 14a Geddington - Stanion Natural and semi-natural green 0 space Amenity green space The Meadows 0.86ha (Id 542), Skeffington Close AGS 0.11ha (Id 541) Outdoor sports facilities Geddington C of E playing pitches 0.45ha (Id 548), Geddington OSF 4.88ha (Id 14), Geddington Tennis Courts 0.11ha (Id 15), Geddington Bowling Green 0.15ha (Id 16) Cemeteries and churchyards St Faith's Church 0.16ha (Id 548), St Mary Magdalene Church 0.41ha (Id 547) Children's play areas Playground within Geddington OSF 0.02ha (Id 12) Allotments Allotments 0.35ha (Id 716) Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library service – Friday every three weeks Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 2.21 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall Places of Worship St Mary Magdalene Church, St Faith's Church

78 Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Bowls, boxing club, chefsmanna, cricket club, friends and toddlers and after school activities of St Mary Magdalene Church, Gardening club, clubs Newton rebels, Robert Dallington Charity, rugby club, Samuel Lee charity, Scouts, Cubs, Tennis club, Women’s Institute, Geddington Volunteer Fire Brigade

2. Summary of Parish Plan

A Village Plan for Geddington, Newton and Little Oakley has been produced but it has not yet been adopted by the Council. The Plan was produced in August 2003. Summary of the key findings:

x Support for the village to evolve but not for large developments x Single dwellings, small developments of less than 10 dwellings and conversion of redundant buildings were thought to be the most appropriate forms of housing development x General dissatisfaction with appearance of new buildings in the village x Need for affordable housing either rented, shared ownership or low cost market properties x Need for houses for older residents looking to move out of family homes x Desire for a skateboard ramp for young people x Support for a community bus service x There is a problem with lorries, with parking and general congestion in the village x Important to maintain a green wedge between the villages, Kettering and Corby.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Geddington Conservation Area study dates back to 1982/3 and is somewhat limited in its scope and totally lacking in analytical content. The document merely designates the Conservation Area Boundary.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

A housing Needs Assessment for Geddington, Newton and Little Oakley was undertaken in February 2011. Housing in the Parish has a high proportion of detached properties and is predominately privately owned.

An affordable housing need of around 16 dwellings has been identified, broken down into the following needs:

6 x 2 bed maisonettes/flats for rent 3 x 2 bed houses for rent 1 x 2 bed bungalow for rent 1 x 2 bed bungalow for shared ownership 1 x 2 bed house for shared ownership 3 x 3 bed houses for rent 1 x 3 bed house for shared ownership

Of this identified need it is considered that this should be primarily located in Geddington.

5. SHLAA findings

5 sites in Geddington were assessed in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) and were ranked as Category 1 (most achievable/deliverable & least constrained) to Category 3 (least achievable/deliverable & most constrained). Of the Geddington sites, 3 were assessed as being Category 2 and 2 as Category 3. The SHLAA sites are mapped below (green Category 2 and orange Category 3).

79 6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation Meeting

Aspirations

Geddington: Approximately 15 affordable homes in appropriate places of high quality Smaller development sites more related and integrated into the heart of the village Retention and protection of Environmentally Important Open Space in centre of village A ‘leisure way’ would be good along the River Ise Support for some employment appropriately located and made to look attractive, particularly small commercial office space, perhaps flexible, short term units, e.g. meeting space etc. Those with enterprises within the village, e.g. home businesses, should have options available for the village to expand and use office space. Improvements to the cricket club including changing, spectator and social facilities Upgrade to existing children’s play area

Newton: Derelict barns should be converted into residential use. Development on barns should remain within the current built footprint – no overdevelopment. Could include affordable units.

Little Oakley: No change to village boundary Support for disused barns and agricultural buildings to be brought back into use, probably residential (as per Newton)

Notes

Geddington: Chase View Rd / Stamford Road (‘Bryant Homes’) site should be removed from village Boundary. Site is an unsustainable location. Would be a separate community with no links to village centre. Access would be problematic. Scale is too large. Preference for smaller housing sites more in the heart of, or connected to the centre of, the village. Should be cohesive, balanced and integrated into the village.

80 Preferred sites thought of positively and as sustainable include land at the Sawmills and the former nursery, both at Grafton Road.

Services: Geddington and Newton look primarily to Kettering, especially for supermarkets and late opening shops near Stamford Road. Though Corby is increasingly becoming an attractive option for town centre shopping. Little Oakley – looks half and half to Kettering and Corby. Mainly to Corby for convenience shopping and the household waste recycling centre.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network The A43 is a strategic route which runs through Geddington and links Corby and Kettering. This is a busy route and is used by a large number of Heavy Goods Vehicles.

The primary route in the village is Queen Street/ Bridge Street. This route links the strategic route with secondary routes along Grafton Road and West Street. Secondary routes to the west of the village provide links to Newton and Rushton and the secondary route to the east links the village to Grafton Underwood. Queen Eleanor Road also provides a secondary route connecting Wood Street with the A43. The majority of tertiary streets in the village are located in the north of the village to access more modern development and to access development along Skeffington Close.

The A43 creates a major barrier to pedestrian movement in the village and effectively separates the development on the western side of this from the centre of the village. There are crossings over the road but it is not pleasant walking along this road. Pedestrian routes within the eastern section of the village are good and the central area of the village is easy to navigate round as there are key landmarks such as the church, ford and school. Newer development to the north of the village is more difficult to navigate round as streets do not link together and cul-de-sacs have been created. There are good links to the open countryside from the west, north and east of the village although newer development tends to create a hard edge to the open countryside. There are opportunities to enhance footpath links to the open countryside and a route along the River Ise would provide an attractive leisure route.

The A43 Corby Link Road is planned to provide better connections between Corby and the A14 and to relieve through traffic on the Geddington section of the A43. A reduction in traffic along this route would be a significant benefit to pedestrian and vehicle movement in Geddington.

Isochrones The diagram below shows the 400m and 800m isochrones for Geddington. These show that the majority of the village is within 400m of the village centre, the exceptions to this are the more modern development to the north of the village and development west of the A43. The distance to the centre of the village will need to be considered when assessing potential development sites in the village.

81 Land Form Geddington has developed north and south of the River Ise, this has created an attractive green corridor through the centre of the village which is an important part of the village’s character. The village is located in the valley of the river; this valley slopes up to the north of the village.

Development along Grafton Road sits well within the landscape and creates an attractive entrance to the village. More modern development to the north of the village provides a hard edge to the village and does not integrate well with the surrounding landscape.

Character The centre of the village is located on Bridge Street where services and facilities are clustered. Key facilities in the village include a school, church, village hall, 3 pubs (The White Lion, The Star, and the White Hart), hairdressers, tea shop and shop. The village retains a good amount of services and facilities forming a thriving, active community. There is a primary school, a well used village hall, tennis courts, playing field, post office, shops and inns.

The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Geddington. Original streets radiate out from the focal point of the Queen Eleanor Cross which forms the historic heart of the settlement. Key routes lead north-south and east-west from this point including the historic bridge over the Ise in the aptly named Bridge Street. The diagrams clearly show the distinction between the historic core where development fronts onto Queen Street, Bridge Street and West Street and built form is compact compared to newer development to the north and west of the village which is more uniform in character and development tends to be set back from the streets providing a more open character. The street patterns also clearly show the periods of growth in the village. Historic streets are narrower and more organic in form where as newer roads used to access more modern development are wider and more uniform in their design. The creation of the A43 has had a major impact on the street pattern in the village.

82 Built form Street Pattern

Character Areas 5 distinct Character Areas are notable within Geddington:

Historic Core x The historical heart of the village where cottages and landmarks combine to create Geddington’s unique character x Limestone cottages with Colleyweston slate or thatch roofs line the streets x Development fronts onto Queen Street, Bridge Street, West Street and Grafton Road x Historic walls continue built form where development is set back from the street x Good sense of enclosure and high quality public realm x Materials are traditional stone with some red brick buildings, with thatched, slate and tile roofs

Edge Suburbs x Development set back from the street x Lack of enclosure x Brick built and not in keeping with the character of the village x Clearer distinction between the road and pavement creating a more road dominated environment, poor quality public realm

Linear Residential x Mixture of styles of property. Materials are predominantly red brick with tile roofs x Significant number of large properties particularly along the A43 and Skeffington Close x Buildings along Grange Road front onto the street and are more in keeping with the character of the village

83 Modern Development x There are two examples of recent development in the village, both of these development have been built outside the village boundary x Stone build with slate roofs, design is more in keeping with the character of the village x In Queen Street stone walls have been used to create a good sense of enclosure x Neither of these developments addresses the street and this does not reflect the character of the Historic Core.

Peripheral Rural x There is a farm located on the western edge of the village along Newton Road, Newton Mill Farm House. This includes historic farm buildings but also includes modern agricultural buildings x On the eastern edge of the village along Grafton Road is the Sawmill and Geddington Farm, these buildings feel slightly detached from the village but are an important economic function within the village x There is also a number of small employment units in Grange Road, these are functional in appearance but provide an important element of employment in the village

Public realm and landscape The landscape around the village is a pleasing mixture of rolling agricultural fields, woods and parkland interspersed with several farms.

The most striking landmark in the village is the magnificent Queen Eleanor Cross which dates back to 1290. The forty foot high and lavishly decorated cross in the centre of the village was erected on Edward I’s orders along with twelve others, each marking the place his dead queen, Eleanor of Castile’s coffin rested. Of the three remaining crosses in the country, Geddington’s is the best preserved and attracts visitors from far and wide. At its base is the village well, reputedly used since Roman times and the space around the Cross remains a real focal point for the village today and views towards this landmark are very important. This rich historic character area is completed by the magnificent spectre of the nearby Church of St Mary Magdalene and the attractive historic stone cottages which enclose the space and radiating street.

Not far from the church and cross is an equally ancient monument. The lovely limestone bridge spanning the Ise was built sometime during the mid 1200s and probably owes its existence to Geddington’s royal patronage. The spectacular mediaeval bridge has five arches and three pedestrian refuges. A ford also runs alongside the bridge.

The school is also an important landmark in the village. The historic core of the village is well enclosed and there are glimpsed views of the Church throughout of the village. There are panoramic views out of the village to the south east and the recreation ground provides a good visual link between the village and the open countryside.

84 Public realm along Bridge Street, Queen Street and West Street is attractive, streets are relatively narrow and there is a good sense of enclosure. There are issues with cars parking along these streets. Examples of less successful public realm can be seen in the ‘Edge Suburbs’ where the road dominates the street scene and large open gardens create an open character.

Open Space There is an important open space running through the centre of Geddington along the River Ise. The linked linear expanses of open space are an important part of the character of the settlement and should be protected. They form an attractive aesthetic and recreational feature of the village and are central to its historic character as a village which grew around the River Ise.

There are two gateways into the village from the north and south which provide the opportunity for enhancement. The A43 is a busy traffic route and at the moment the status of the road dominates the entrance and does not create a sense of arrival into the village. Traffic calming measures may provide the opportunity to create more attractive entrances into the village. Were the proposed Corby Link Road which would divert through traffic including HGVs from the village to be completed, this would present a real opportunity to transform the function and character of New Road and Stamford Road.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

The River Ise runs through the centre of the village. At present there is no footpath along the route of this and so there is an opportunity to create a leisure way along the River Ise corridor

Housing site assessments There are a number of development sites that have been promoted in Geddington. The A43 creates a significant barrier to pedestrian movement in Geddington. The majority of services and facilities are located on the eastern side of the A43. The centre of the village is located on Bridge Street and any new development should be well related to this.

Sites east of A43 (Stamford Road/ New Road/ Kettering Road):

RA/102 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and is distant from the village centre when compared to other sites in the village. This is a large site for the size of the village and

85 development of this scale would not be consistent with the growth strategy set out in the CSS. One of the main constraints is impact of additional traffic on the A43 and congestion caused by vehicles turning into the new development. There are also major constraints to the delivery of water and sewage infrastructure which would need to be overcome if the site was developed. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options.

RA/106 - Development of the site would adversely impact on an area of environmentally important open space to the detriment of the character of the village. A small part of the site is in the flood zone. Development of the site is likely to have a potentially detrimental impact on archaeology and the character and appearance of the conservation area and the setting of neighbouring dwellings. Access is an issue directly onto the A43. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options.

RA/107 – A good opportunity for redevelopment on a brownfield site. The site is slightly detached from the existing settlement but within close proximity of the village centre and well related to the Historic Core of the village. The site may be more appropriate for small scale employment use or mixed use. Major constraints to provision of sewage and water infrastructure would need to be overcome. Design will need to be high quality to reflect location of the site in relation to the Conservation Area. The site is taken forward as an option for redevelopment in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

RA/109 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility, due to its rural location, but is relatively close to the village centre. The site is located in a minerals safeguard area. The impact on the Conservation Area and neighbouring Listed Buildings should be carefully considered. Any new development must be carefully designed and should be linear along the A43 not in an easterly direction as this would be out of character with this part of the village. Access could be an issue if directly onto the A43. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure. The entirety of the site is considered too large but some frontage development continuing the linear form of Kettering Road to the south may be more appropriate and could enhance the gateway to Geddington from this direction. The site is taken forward as an option for development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

RA/110 - Site contains a significant number of trees and has a lot of undergrowth so it is likely that the site has high ecological quality, further ecological assessment would be required. Trees along the frontage and along the southern edge of the site are protected by a group TPO. Site is located within the Conservation Area and adjacent to Listed Buildings so a high quality design would be required. A small part of the site falls within the flood zone and the whole site falls within a minerals consultation area. The site is close to the village centre and has good access to facilities. A high quality scheme could be well related to the Historic Core of the village and provide a pedestrian link over the river to the open space creating an important link with the central activities of the village and the south-west of the village. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure. The site is taken forward as an option for development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

RA/111 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility. Development of this site is likely to negatively impact the amenity of neighbouring properties, the character of this part of Geddington and could have a negative impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and the setting of Listed Buildings. Site is located in a minerals consultation area. Access to the site is inappropriate. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

There is also a brownfield site in Queen Street which is taken forward as an option for redevelopment in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper. This site is a former factory and

86 employment use which is now derelict. Its sensitive redevelopment could enhance the built environment and provide a small scale level of development.

Sites west of A43 (Stamford Road/ New Road/ Kettering Road):

RA/103 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and is poorly connected to the village centre. The site is located in a minerals safeguard area. Access is potentially an issue directly onto the A43. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options.

RA/104 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and is poorly connected to the village centre. The site is located in a minerals safeguard area. Access is potentially an issue directly onto the A43. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options.

RA/105 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and is poorly connected to the village centre. The site is located in a minerals safeguard area. There are significant constraints affecting the development site. Development of the site would adversely impact on a SSSI and environmentally important open space to the detriment of the character of the area. Over half the site is located within the flood zone. Access is an issue directly onto the A43 and as site is within a flood zone. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options.

RA/108 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and is located in a minerals safeguard area. The impact on the Conservation Area and neighbouring Listed Buildings should be carefully considered as well as the impact on the linear form of the village. It is unclear how access would be provided to the site but if this is from the A43 this may be an issue. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure. The site is adjacent to a group of small employment units and may provide a good opportunity to extend these to meet demand for additional units. A small part of the site is taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options as an employment allocation. Residential development is not considered suitable for the reasons given above.

Development west of the A43 should be limited as this part of the village is not well connected to the centre of the village. However if the development of the Corby link road significantly reduces the amount of traffic using this road then traffic calming measures and public realm improvements along this route would help reconnect this part of the village with the centre and may allow some of the sites located on this side of the village to come forward. However these sites should not be considered for development prior to this.

Employment Site Assessments

A number of sites have been submitted for employment development in Geddington. These sites were assessed using the methodology set out in the ‘Background Paper: Employment Allocations’. The findings of this assessment are set out below:

RA2 – Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility. Access to the site would be an issue; existing access is through existing residential areas and may not be suitable for employment related development. A new access on to the A43 would require significant works and vehicles turning in to the development may cause congestion.

RA3 - Good opportunity for redevelopment. Slightly detached from the existing settlement but within close proximity of the village centre. May be appropriate for small scale employment use or mixed use. Major constraints to provision of sewage and water infrastructure would need to be

87 overcome. Design will need to be high quality to reflect location of the site in relation to the conservation area.

RA9 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and is poorly connected to the village centre. The site is located in a minerals safeguard area. Access is potentially an issue directly onto the A43. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure.

RA10 – The site is adjacent to a group of small employment units and may provide a good opportunity to extend these if there is a demand for additional units. The impact on the Conservation Area and neighbouring Listed Buildings should be carefully considered as well as the impact on the linear form of the village. Access to the site may be an issue and would need careful consideration.

RA11 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility but is relatively close to the village centre. The site is located in a minerals safeguard area. The impact on the Conservation Area and neighbouring Listed Buildings should be carefully considered. Any new development must be carefully designed and should be linear along the A43 not in an easterly direction as this would be out of character with this part of the village. Access could be an issue if directly onto the A43. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure. Site may be more suitable for small scale housing development.

RA14 - Site contains a significant number of trees and has a lot of undergrowth so it is likely that the site has high ecological quality, further ecological assessment would be required. Trees along the frontage and along southern edge of the site are protected by a group TPO. Site is located within the Conservation Area and adjacent to Listed Buildings so a high quality design would be required. A small part of the site falls within the flood zone and the whole site falls within a minerals consultation area. The site is close to the village centre and has good access to facilities. There are major constraints to the provision of water and sewage infrastructure.

Draft Design Principles Site-specific principles for potential development sites are drafted below, should these sites come forward for development:

Any development of site RA/107 will Reflect the character of the historic core Provide a mixed use development to retain an employment function in this part of the village Retain the historic form of buildings on the site Retain mature trees as part of the development

Any development of site RA/109 will Front on to Kettering Road with relatively large plot sizes to retain views out to the wider countryside Be linear in form to reflect built form in this part of the village Create an attractive gateway into the village

Any development of site RA/110 will Reflect the character of the historic core Retain mature trees and hedgerows as part of the development, this will retain the soft gateway into the village Create good footpath links to the centre of the village

Any development of RA/108 will Provide small scale employment units to meet needs of small businesses within the village

Elsewhere in the village any development which comes forward should adhere to the following principles:

88 New development should reflect the positive character of the historic core Development should preserve and enhance the green corridor running through the centre of Geddington Materials should include traditional stone and red brick Development should abut the highway or where set back, stone walls should be used to create a sense of enclosure Buildings should front onto the street New streets should reflect the layout of those found in the historic core and should be designed to encourage slow traffic movement, to create a pedestrian friendly environment and to create an enclosed and intimate environment Hedgerows and trees should be used to provide boundaries to gardens to create a soft edge to the village New development should be well connected and well related to the centre of the village

89 Geddington landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

90 Geddington character areas map

91 Geddington public realm & landscape map

92 Geddington assessed housing sites

93 Geddington assessed employment sites

94 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Grafton Underwood

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 134 (Census 2001) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership, 16.4% Ownership mortgage/ loan 20% Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 0% Rented from housing association/ RSL 0% Rented from private landlord 52.7% Rented from other 10.9% Age: Under 16 - 20%, 16-24 – 8.6%, 25-59 – 48.6%, 60+ 22.8% (Census 2001) No. of Jobs Unknown Businesses / employers Agriculture related 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre is Northampton Primary Movement Infrastructure A minor B road (Brigstock Road) forms the main thoroughfare through the village. Nearest major employment centre Kettering – 4.6 miles to town centre , 6.8 miles to Telford Way Industrial Estate Corby – 8 miles to Weldon South Industrial Estate, 8.6 miles to town centre Modal Split Number of households who own 1 or more cars 94.7% Public Transport Provision None. Nearest bus stops are at Geddington, Brigstock, Slipton or Cranford. Foot / cycle path links to other settlements 1 footpath runs west-east through the centre of the village linking towards Warkton and Twywell. Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Picturesque village with nearby war memorial and visitor attractions or accommodation interesting military heritage (former US airfield) 3. Quantum Total Area 9.14ha No. Houses 60 Residential Density 9dph Land Use Split Largely residential in rural setting. No. of affordable housing units & tenure split None No. of elderly / supported housing units None No. of bungalows None Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. Mostly detached. Some semi-detached cottages. 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Covers all but 2 dwellings within the village boundary and some additional open spaces beyond this boundary. No. Listed Buildings 25

95 Flood Plain Parts of the village fall within Flood Zones 2 & 3 Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Glacial clay on Blisworth Limestone geology. There are extensive areas of managed ancient woodland within the parish. 5. Landscape Setting Village is defined by its agricultural setting and nearby woodlands. Agricultural Uses Sheep and cattle grazing. Some arable. Ecology Alledge Brook. Watercourses The morphology of Grafton is defined by the course of the Alledge Brook. The main village street runs along the eastern bank of the brook. 6. Amenities Shops None Post office None Bank / cash machine No Pub No Restaurant/café No Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors CSS GI Local Corridor 13a Broughton Park to Titchmarsh Wood Natural and semi-natural green space No Amenity green space No Outdoor sports facilities No Cemeteries and churchyards St James Church 0.5ha (626) Children's play areas No Allotments Grafton Underwood Allotments 0.54ha (627) Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc No mobile library service Broadband facilities / speed Unknown 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall Places of Worship St James’s Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Mums and Tots – held in the village hall and toddlers and after school activities clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan

There is no Parish Plan or Village Design Statement for Grafton Underwood.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

A 31 page Conservation Area Review was conducted in 2007 and can be viewed here:

96 http://www.kettering.gov.uk/downloads/Grafton_Underwood_Conservation_Area_Appraisal_Adopt ed_Version.pdf

A summary of special interest as provided in the review is provided below:

Grafton Underwood is one of a small group of former estate villages (along with Warkton and Weekley) associated with the Duke of Buccleugh’s Estate at Boughton. Because the village has remained in estate ownership until relatively recent times, it retains a coherent character that is strongly identified with agriculture and the management of the Estate.

The morphology of Grafton is defined by the course of the Alledge Brook. The main village street runs along the eastern bank of the brook. The village is organised on a typical linear mediaeval plan, with long narrow plots associated with individual holdings stretching between the main street and (former) back lanes running parallel to the street.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at the individual settlement level. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough of 148 units per annum. No settlement-specific assessment has been conducted for Grafton Underwood.

5. SHLAA findings No sites in Grafton Underwood were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation Meeting

Aspirations Maintain conservation focus of village; Mixed reaction to issue of affordable housing. Most children of long established families within the village move away to follow employment opportunities. Issue of Boughton Estate land would have an impact as may be unlikely to sell land even if identified for affordable housing. This issue would need to be consulted with all residents; Footpath and cycleway improvements with improved linked to existing routes out of the village and potential for a new circular route around the village; Protect open space in front of the church, importance of views of the church highlighted in conservation area review; Maintain linear built form.

Notes Concern regarding potential future impact of traffic from East Kettering; Village is distant from Kettering and is therefore different to other settlements that are in close proximity to the main towns of the Borough – villages that can accommodate future growth; Boughton estates own approximately 50% of properties; Parish council will talk to residents about aspirations, may undertake consultation themselves.

7. Village assessment

Landform and Movement network Grafton Underwood has one primary route which runs through the village linking the village with Kettering in the south, Brigstock to the north and Geddington to the west. This route is fairly busy,

97 some suitably designed traffic calming may be appropriate. There are no secondary routes in the village but there are a limited number of tertiary streets providing access to properties predominantly on the western side of the village.

The village is easy to walk around with good pedestrian links within the village and out to the open countryside. Footpaths link the village to Warkton, Kettering and Cranford although routes to Kettering and Cranford do require some on road walking.

Pavements exist only on one side of the road by wide verges on the other side enable walking throughout the village.

Isochrones Grafton Underwood does not have a defined centre as such so the Isochrone have been drawn from a central point in the village. The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the whole of the village is located within 400m of the centre of the village.

Landform The main street in Grafton Underwood runs parallel to the Alledge Brook which runs through the centre of the village. The main road runs parallel to the contours and the village is generally flat.

Grafton Underwood has a linear form which stretches along the Alledge Brook. The village sits well within the landscape with mature vegetation providing soft edges to the village.

98 Character Grafton Underwood is one of a small group of former estate villages (along with Warkton and Weekley) associated with the Duke of Buccleugh’s Estate at Boughton. Because the village has remained in estate ownership until relatively recent times, it retains a coherent character that is strongly identified with agriculture and the management of the Estate.

The morphology of Grafton is defined by the course of the Alledge Brook. The village is organised on a typical linear mediaeval plan, with long narrow plots associated with individual holdings stretching between the main street and (former) back lanes running parallel to the street. The linear form of the village suggests that Grafton was a planned settlement of later saxon date, but the organisation of this plan along a stream, which is a distinguishing character of the village, is rare in north Northamptonshire.

The extent of the village today is roughly the same as it would have been in early medieval times At the northern end of the village, the buildings are set back from the brook effectively creating an elongated green that is visually enclosed by trees and architectural features.

The village possesses a good selection of Estate buildings dating from the 17th century to the present. These include farmhouses, cottages in the post medieval tradition, model 19th century cottages, barns and other farm buildings. Materials throughout the village generally consist of Limestone with straw thatch, collyweston slate, Welsh slate or clay tiles (pantiles and plain tiles) for roofs. Most buildings are constructed up to the street pavement line, particularly at the northern end of the main street. Higher status buildings are generally set back from the street behind front gardens. A relatively large number of the buildings are orientated so that the principal elevations face south and are therefore at right angles to the street. Gardens to the side of these houses allow side views from the street

The extensive stone walls between and in front of the buildings along the main street and elsewhere help to define much of the spatial character of the village, some dating back to the 18th century.

The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and street pattern. These clearly show the informal layout of development with higher density development along the main route and larger more spacious development set back from the street.

99 Grafton Underwood – Built form Grafton Underwood – Street pattern

Medieval village Limestone properties with thatch or slates roofs. Development along the main street fronts onto or is at right angles to the street. Higher status buildings are set back in spacious grounds. Where buildings are set back stone walls continue the built form creating a good sense of enclosure. Linear medieval form and informal layout At the northern end of the village the buildings are set back from the brook creating an elongated green Development on the eastern side of the Alledge Brook fronts closely onto the street, on the western side of the village development is set back and there is more open space

Victorian Development Set back from the street with large front gardens Traditional red brick built, with stone lintels, cills and other detailing.

Modern Development Some modern development has occurred within the village, including one property fronting on the public highway and two properties at the edge of the village. These properties are out of character with the rest of the village in that they are large detached properties set in large plots built of materials which are not stone. The property in the village which is modern and constructed of stone does not follow the same building line or form of the other historic buildings in this location and therefore is out of character for this reason.

100 Public realm and landscape There are a number of areas of visually important open space in the village, these are shown on the Public Realm and Landscape map but include the open space around the church and the Old Rectory, the open space to the south of the old school and the linear green space located either side of the Allegde Brook. The open spaces around the Church/ Old Rectory and south of the school are important to the open character of this part of the village and provide a link to the medieval origins of the village.

The allotments to the south of the village are also an important feature which should be retained.

The Grade Listed, St James Church is an important landmark in the village, despite being set back from the road and announces arrival into the village from the south. Views of the church can be seen throughout the village. Views to the open countryside are predominantly out to the west of the village.

Other comments The village contains many features which add to its overall character, which should be retained. These include the red phone box and post box, village signs and plaques, benches, lampposts, bridges and watercourse features.

101 Opportunities/ Issues Following public consultation on the Kettering Site Specific Proposals LDD two sites have been promoted for potential development in Grafton Underwood. These sites are farmyards predominantly located within the village boundary. They have been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of these assessments have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/113 - Site scores poorly on terms of accessibility. If a local need for housing is identified then part of this site may be appropriate for development. Development should involve the redevelopment of existing buildings within the village boundary only. This site would require a high quality design to ensure impact on Listed Buildings and the Conservation Area is not unacceptable. Number of units proposed may need to be reduced to reflect the need to retain buildings and limitations of access to the site. Any development of the site should not ‘sprawl’ into open countryside so as to protect the character of this settlement and the use of high close boarded fencing or brick wall boundary screening should be avoided. The site is presented as an option for development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Site RA/114 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility. If a local need is identified, site may be suitable for development. Development should take the form of conversion of existing buildings only. Significant encroachment into the open countryside and the use of high close boarded fencing or brick wall boundary screening should be avoided. Development will need to be high quality to reflect the conservation status of the village. The site is presented as an option for development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Only the parts of the above sites which fall in the proposed village envelope should be developed and development should only occur where conversion of existing buildings is possible. Regarding conversion of existing farm buildings consideration may need to be given to opportunities for outdoor space and additional openings should be limited to maintain the character of these historic barns.

102 Traffic calming along the main street would reduce the speed of vehicles throughout the village but this must be sympathetic to the historic character of the village and not include standard highways solutions.

Draft Design Principles Development in Grafton Underwood should be extremely limited. Grafton Underwood has remained largely unchanged since medieval times and new development within the village would erode the special character of the village. New development would only be acceptable where this involves the conversion of existing buildings.

New development should: Protect the unique historic character of the village; Not result in the loss of important open space throughout the village; Not result in the subdivision of garden land; Retain views of the church; Reflect the informal layout of existing development; Abut the main street or where set back stone walls should be used to continue built form; Maintain the ‘soft’ edges around the village boundary and avoid new development with high close-boarded fencing or brick walls which marks boundaries with the open countryside or at gateways to the village; and Suitably designed traffic calming along the main street to reduce the speed of vehicles through the village.

103 Grafton Underwood landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

104 Grafton Underwood character areas map

105 Grafton Underwood public realm & landscape map

106 Grafton Underwood assessed housing sites map

107 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation Summary: Great Cransley

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 281 (2001 Census information includes Mawsley) 209 in Parish (Electoral Roll 2011) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership 37.4%, Ownership mortgage/ loan 40.9%, Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 15.7%, Rented from housing association/ RSL 0%, Rented from private landlord 2.6%, Rented from other 3.5% Age: Under 16 18.2%, 16-24 7.8%, 25-59 48%, 60+ 26% (Census 2001 information includes Mawsley) No. of Jobs Unknown Agriculture related employment, pub, 2 private nursery schools, 5 units at the Old Chicken Farm, Businesses / employers Units at Mill Farm (Loam Works), Garden Centre, Cafe 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest Regional Centre: Northampton Other regional centres: Leicester and Peterborough Primary Movement Infrastructure Roads into & out of settlement & their classification: Broughton Hill leads to Broughton and access to the A43 can be gained from Broughton Minor roads link to nearby villages e.g. Broughton and Loddington Distance to nearest town: Kettering: 2.6 miles to centre to centre; 1.4 miles edge to edge; Distance travelled to work: 9 miles (census 2001 information includes Mawsley); Nearest major employment centre Kettering: 2.1 miles to North Kettering Business Park Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more cars 92.2% (Census 2001) Public Transport Provision Bus Service (35) Mon to Fri one a day to Kettering Bus Service (304) Wed & Sat one a day to Northampton Nearest Train Station Ŷ 2 miles to Kettering Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Footpaths to Loddington and Thorpe Malsor Footpath/Bridleway to Kettering and Mawsley Short connecting footpath to Broughton off Broughton Hill Road Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Village Hall is used for bowls, yoga, upholstery, visitor attractions or accommodation dancing, keep fit, parties, parish meetings

3. Quantum

108 Total Area 11.2ha No. Houses 124 Residential Density 11 (dph) Land Use Split Predominately residential and agricultural

No. of affordable housing units & tenure 19 (12 Bungalows and 7 Houses) split No. of elderly / supported housing units N/A No. of bungalows N/A Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/A 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Approximately 50% of the village is CA but CA extends outside of village boundary No. Listed Buildings 6 Flood Plain Village is outside of the floodplain Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) Birch Spinney and Mawsley Marsh SSSI runs along the Parish boundary Landscape Designation / typology N/A 5. Landscape Setting The village of Cransley is located some 2 ½ miles south-west of Kettering, to the north of Broughton. Much of the village is located astride the Broughton to Loddington Road, with the cross-roads junction of Broughton Hill, Loddington Road, Bridle Way (leading to Holly Lane) and Church Lane, providing the principal focal point of the village. Agricultural Uses The village is predominantly surrounded by pasture land although there is arable farm land to the south east of the village. Ecology Cransley wood is located west of the village. Ramhill Spinney, Allotment Spinney and Ragsdale Spinney are also located in the Parish. Watercourses A watercourse runs parallel to Church Lane to the south of the village. Cransley reservoir is located north of the village and a watercourse runs along the northern boundary of the Parish. 6. Amenities Shops None in the village but there is a Garden Centre in the Parish Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub Yes – Three Cranes Restaurant/café No Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision There are two private nurseries in the village Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors Close to local corridor – Rothwell (Triangular Lodge) - Wicksteed Park (10a) and Sywell Reservoir –

109 Broughton (8) Natural and semi-natural green space 0 Amenity green space 0.14ha Outdoor sports facilities 0 Cemeteries and churchyards 0.17ha Children's play areas 0.05ha Allotments 0 Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile Library: Monday’s every 4 weeks Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 3.7 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall Places of Worship St Andrews C of E Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums None and toddlers and after school activities clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan

No Parish Plan.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Cransley Conservation Area was designated by Kettering Borough Council on the 2nd May, 1984. Church Lane, provides the principal focal point of the village. The majority of the older buildings of this part of the village are located in two distinct areas; at the cross-roads junction previously referred to, and at the lower end of Church Lane. Many of these buildings are constructed of stone, with a variety of roofing materials; including thatch and Welsh slate, and are domestic in style.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Great Cransley were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Meeting

x Would like to receive S106 monies from Cransley Park (previously Cohens Yard) x There is a need for affordable housing in the village. The Council needs to be assured that any housing would stay affordable. There are young people who want to stay in the village. x The Parish Council would like control of who would have affordable housing so local people would not be overlooked. x There should be put in place the possibility of house swapping of affordable housing as numbers of residents alter.

110 x There are infill opportunities in the oblong opposite the village hall between the present houses and also past Northfield Road towards the village boundary. All utilities would need to be considered before building. x Northfield Road needs official passing places. x Industry opportunities near the site of Kettering Loam at the North end of the village. x There is no town gas in the village, the Parish Council have tried twice since 1994 but there were not enough people interested and this made the cost to each house too expensive. There is electricity, oil or calor gas for heating.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement Network The primary route through the village is Broughton Hill and Loddington Road. This route connects to Broughton and the A43 in the south and Loddington in the north.

There is also a secondary route to the north east of the village which links Great Cransley to Thorpe Malsor and Kettering.

The only other two streets in the village are Church Lane and Bridle Way. These are tertiary routes which provide access to properties. Church Lane also provides access to farms located beyond the village. Church Lane would have historically been the main street in the settlement.

The settlement is easy to navigate around on foot and there are a significant number of pedestrian routes out of the settlement to provide access to the open countryside. Footpaths link Great Cransley to Loddington, Mawsley, Kettering and Broughton.

Parking, while not a visible issue during the day, is a problem during the evening as cars now park along the road becoming a prominent feature in the street scene. Speeding through the village is also an issue during peak times.

Isochrones The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the majority of the village is located within 400m of the centre of Great Cransley. When considering future development this provides a good indication of the proximity of sites to the centre of the settlement.

Landform

111 Church Lane which is the historic part of the settlement runs adjacent to the contours. Loddington Road and Broughton Hill run parallel to the contours. Loddington Road slopes moderately upwards to the north and Broughton Hill slopes moderately/steeply downward to the south.

The Historic Core sits well within the landscape and the tree planting and hedgerows create a soft edge to the villages. The modern ribbon development along Loddington Road creates a harder edge to the village, although there are still some good visual links out to the open countryside there is a more clear definition between the boundary of properties and the open countryside.

Character The centre of the villages is located at the cross roads of Broughton Road, Bridle Way, Church Lane and Loddington Road. Key facilities are the Pub and Village Hall.

The figure ground diagrams below show the build form and street patterns in Great Cransley. The build form diagram shows the linear character of development along the historic main road and the primary route through the settlement. Development in the Historic Core is much more dispersed and informal in character than the linear development along Loddington Road which is more uniform. The buildings along Loddington Road and Bridle Road front onto the street but are set back with large gardens to the front. Some development in the Historic Core fronts directly onto the street but there are also a number of court yard style developments. The cross roads form the centre of the village and is a key gateway in to the village.

Great Cransley – Build Form Great Cransley – Street Pattern

Character Areas

Historic Core Buildings front onto the street or stone walls continue the build form creating a good sense of enclosure and intimate character Sense of enclosure is enhanced by the mature trees and hedgerows which line Church Lane Buildings are ironstone with tile, thatched and slate roofs Streets are informal with single sided pavements Includes Cransley Hall which is an important building in the settlement with extensive gardens which contribute to the character of this area

112 Post War Linear Development Included post war semi-detached development, 1960’s bungalows and in the northern section detached properties. Large front gardens which slope up from the road. Buildings are set well back from the road Road dominates the public realm. Open character with views out to the open countryside, although views are limited by the topography as this slopes up from the road to the houses

20th Century Development 20th Century development, includes pre-war semi’s, 1960’ bungalows and more modern individual development Road dominates the public realm with pavements on both sides Panoramic views out across the open countryside Mix of property styles and materials.

Farmstead There is one farmstead located north of the cross roads. This is a historic farmstead although there are modern agricultural buildings to the rear. There is a second farmstead located on the southern side of Church Lane. This is also a historic farmstead. Buildings are a mix of brick and ironstone with slate and tile roofs.

113 Public Realm and Landscape The pub and the church are key landmarks in the village. Views out of the settlement are prominent along Bridle Road and parts of Loddington Road.

The Three Cranes View from Bridle Road

Church Lane is a good example of public realm. The location of buildings, stone walls and mature trees and hedgerows create a good sense of enclosure. Street widths and single pavements create a pedestrian friendly environment. The public realm along Loddington Road is less successful. The wide roads create a public realm dominated by the car and the long front gardens create an open character which lacks the intimacy of the Historic Core.

Church Lane Loddington Road

Open Space There are a limited number of open spaces in the village. Key open spaces include the Church Yard which is important in creating the setting for the church. There is also a small play area and some amenity space around the village hall. In addition to accessible open space the grounds of Cransley Hall are an important influence on the character of the Historic Core.

114 8. Opportunities/ Issues

The existing farm plays an important economic role in the village. If this is redeveloped, it should seek to include a mix of residential and work space to retain employment. Redevelopment should reflect the existing arrangement of buildings and where possible should seek to retain buildings worthy of retention.

Loddington Road is a wide road and the public realm is dominated by the highway. Sensitive traffic calming along this route would help reduce the speed of traffic and create a more pedestrian friendly environment. Sensitive landscaping along this route would help improve the sense of enclosure along this street.

Housing Site Assessments Following public consultation on the Kettering Site Specific Proposals LDD, 3 sites in Great Cransley, were put forward as potential new housing sites. These have been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of these assessments have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/112 - Development would need to be limited to five dwellings due to constraints on access and capacity of road network. Main constraints include impact on Cransley Hall and the conservation area, impact on the landscape and impact on the form and character of the settlement. Agent has confirmed site would be considered for affordable housing. This site has no road frontage and development of the site would have a negative impact on the character and form of this part of the village. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Site RA/146 - Site does not perform particularly well in terms of accessibility but there are a limited number of constraints. Key constraints include requirement for further information on archaeological impact. Site is well related to the form of the village and any development should be of a linear form fronting on to Loddington Road. Development should contribute towards the provision a new footway on this side of the road. This site would provide a good opportunity to meet local housing needs in the plan period. This site is therefore taken forward as an option for development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD.

Site RA/145 - Site does not perform particularly well in terms of accessibility but there are a limited number of constraints. Key constraints include requirement for further information on archaeological impact. Any development should be of a linear form fronting on to Loddington Road. Development should contribute towards the provision a new footway on this side of the road. This is a relatively large site for the size of the village and within the plan period this level of growth in Great Cransley is not considered necessary. Site RA/146 is better related to the current extent of the village and should be developed first. However in the long term site RA/145 offers a good opportunity for the village to expand. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper at this time.

9. Draft Design Principles Notwithstanding the above potential opportunity sites for development, elsewhere development in Great Cransley will be extremely limited. That said it is important that any future proposals for development which do come forward respect the village’s unique character. For this reason some draft design principles have been outlined, below.

Any new development which may come forward in Great Cransley should:

115 Great Cransley has very distinct character areas and new development should be designed in the context of the character area to which it relates and should seek to enhance or improve the character of the area. The design and access statement should identify which character area a proposed development relates to and should describe how the context of the character area has been reflected in the design of the development. Reference should be made to the Rural Masterplanning project. Where possible proposed development should reflect the positive character of the Historic Core. Development proposals within or closely related to the Historic Core should: o Front directly onto the street, or where buildings are set back stone walls should be used to continue the built form creating a good sense of enclosure. o Not result in the loss of mature trees or hedgerows which are an important part of the character of this area o Maintain the informal nature of streets o Use landscaping to create a soft edge to the village

Development proposals along Loddington Road should: o Front on to Loddington Road but be set back in a similar style to adjacent properties. o Allow for the retention of views out to the open countryside to be retained. o Use planting to the rear of properties to create a soft edge to the village and avoid the use of high close-boarded fencing or walls to create the boundary to the open countryside

Should redevelopment of site RA/146 come forward, the following principles will be adhered to: Development should front onto Loddington Road but be set back in a similar style to adjacent properties. Properties should be spaced to allow for views out to the open countryside to be retained. Boundary treatments to the rear of the properties should allow good visual links to the open countryside and planting should be used to create a soft edge to the village. Use of high close-boarded fences or walls to provide a boundary to the open countryside should be avoided. Density of development should reflect that of adjacent development. Should include affordable housing to meet local needs

116 Great Cransley landform & movement map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

117 Great Cransley character areas map

118 Great Cransley public realm & landscape map

119 Great Cransley assessed housing sites map

120 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Harrington & Thorpe Underwood

Thorpe Underwood

Thorpe Underwood is a settlement that consists of a small number of dwellings, at low density in the open countryside. These dwellings are currently considered, in planning terms, as scattered dwellings in the open countryside, rather than a place defined by a village boundary, and given the small number of dwellings it is considered that this remains the most appropriate designation for Thorpe Underwood. It has therefore been decided that it is not appropriate to apply the Rural Masterplanning methodology to Thorpe Underwood or to develop settlement specific design principles. Any future development is likely to be extremely limited and limited to those buildings which currently exist in Thorpe Underwood. This is not to say that Thorpe Underwood does not have an important character which should be protected. In this connection, any proposals for new development in Thorpe Underwood will be controlled in design terms by the general design principles for the Borough’s rural area, which were informed by the Rural Masterplanning project.

Harrington

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 142 (Village Design Statement, August 2008) Currently 155 (Parish Council (PC), November 2011) Demographic Split Tenure: Owned Outright 45.3% Owned with a mortgage or loan 43.8% Shared Ownership 0% Rented from Council 0% Rented from Housing Association or RSL 0% Private rented 0% Rented other 10.9%

Age: Under 16 – 17.4% , 16-24 – 7.1% , 25-59 – 53.6%, 60+ - 21.9%

(Census 2001 figures for Harrington and Thorpe Underwood) PC update 2011: There is one rented Council house and 4 privately rented. No. of Jobs Unavailable Small and large businesses run from households in Businesses / employers the village 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centres: Northampton and Leicester Primary Movement Infrastructure Nearest main route: A14 and A6 Average distance travelled to a fixed place of work 26km (Census 2001 figures for Harrington and Thorpe Underwood) Nearest major employment centre Kettering – 7.7km to Telford Lodge Industrial Estate Market Harborough – 7.8km to town centre Modal Split Number of people who own one or more cars 100% (Census 2001 figure for Harrington and Thorpe

121 Underwood) Parish Council update 2011: Only one household has no car. Public Transport Provision Bus services: x No bus service

Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Footpath links to Arthingworth Footpath links to Rothwell and Desborough require some walking along roads Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Tourist and business accommodation provided at visitor attractions or accommodation Church Farm 3. Quantum Total Area 53424m2/ 5.3ha No. Houses 66 (electoral roll) (Parish) Residential Density 12.6 dph Land Use Split Predominantly residential

No. of affordable housing units & tenure 1 x 3 bed house split No. of elderly / supported housing units N/A No. of bungalows 6 (PC, 2011) Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- 45 homes in Harrington: consists of 1 row terrace detached, detached etc. houses comprising 6 houses, 5 pairs semi-detached houses, 1 large house with annex and rest are detached (PC, 2011) 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Majority of village is covered by the conservation area. No. Listed Buildings 6 Listed Buildings, Historic Park & Garden 2036, Scheduled Ancient Monument SAM 133 Flood Plain No Flood Plain Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment –Undulating Hills and Valleys – Cottesbrooke and Arthingworth Environmental Character Assessment – West Northamptonshire Uplands Biodiversity Character Assessment – Liassic Slopes – Ise Valley Liassic Slopes Historic Landscape Character – Pre 19th Century non-parliamentary enclosure – Brampton Brooke – River Ise watershed 5. Landscape Setting Agricultural Uses Village is surrounded by predominantly grazing land with some areas of arable land to the south and east of the village. Ecology TPO at the Old Rectory and along the front of The Falls Watercourses There are springs throughout the village 6. Amenities Shops No food store, Craft Shop Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub Tollemache Arms

122 Restaurant/café Tollemache Arms Takeaway Tollemache Arms Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription No Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors Local corridor 22 – Top Lodge - Desborough Natural and semi-natural green space No Amenity green space Main Street AGS (Id 714) 0.19ha Outdoor sports facilities No Cemeteries and churchyards St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church (Id 592) 0.65ha Children's play areas There is a play area at the Tollemache Arms Allotments No Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc No mobile library Broadband facilities / speed Yes – Average 0.5MB 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall (Coffee mornings, film nights, leisure activities) Places of Worship St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church (Religious services and summer concerts) Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Coffee mornings and film night at the village hall. and toddlers and after school activities Local organisations/ groups vary according to need. clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan/ Village Design Statement

The Harrington and Thorpe Underwood Village Design Statement was adopted by Kettering Borough Council in September 2008. A brief summary of the Village Design Statement is provided below:

Development should fit with the peaceful, agricultural setting of the area Existing linear pattern with houses set back from the road should be maintained and development should be in a sympathetic form, materials and design to the surroundings No new build development should be permitted outside the Harrington village boundary Visual qualities of the villages should be preserved New buildings should provide adequate off-road parking Re-use of existing buildings should be a priority Subdivision of gardens should be discouraged Spacious layout, open areas and large gardens are an important characteristic and should be respected Planting of native species should be encouraged in new development and where these have died or been felled. Mature trees and copses in the open countryside close to the villages should be maintained Traditional hedgerows should be retained and incorporated within new development

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

Designated May 1984 Two areas of open land on the High Street are significant in the character of the village Majority of older buildings in the village are constructed of stone

123 4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at the individual settlement level. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough. No settlement-specific assessment has been conducted for Harrington or Thorpe Underwood.

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Harrington or Thorpe Underwood were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation

Village Design Statement is a very recent and detailed document and they want to stick to this approach. High response rate from the Village. The PC agreed to look at the statement again and provide any updated comments to KBC. No children’s play space provision, the local pub is to turn part of the car park into a play area. Large percentage of home working, but broadband is problematic. The Rothwell exchange is overloaded and can’t cope with the demand. Average speed of 0.5 Mbps. Mix of views as to whether any new development would be appropriate - some people in the village who felt it should not change and some who felt it would die if there was no change and that we need to find a balance between these views.

Parish Council Update November 2011: Preliminary findings reveal no further change to the Village Design Statement. It is generally felt that 5 years should elapse before the Village Design Statement is reviewed in 2013. A play area has been approved and is in place at the Tollemache Arms. Broadband is still problematic. Speeds vary but they are slow.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement Network The primary route through Harrington is the High Street. This route connects Harrington to Rothwell, Desborough and Arthingworth. This route is not a strategic route so there is little traffic travelling through the village during the day. At peak times Church Lane becomes a busy commuter route from Desborough heading to the A14 or A508. Church Lane is narrow and not suitable for heavy traffic. The nearest strategic route is the A14 but this can only be accessed from junction 3 near Rothwell, this junction also links to the A6.

There is a secondary route from the north of the village which provides a link to the Church and Thorpe Underwood. There is a footpath along this route which provides a pedestrian connection to the Church.

Harrington is a linear settlement and there are no tertiary streets in the village. The village is easy to navigate around as it is predominantly formed along one street. There are good pedestrian links into the open countryside, these provide connections to Thorpe Underwood, Rothwell and Arthingworth. These provide links to the open countryside in north, south, east and west directions although the connections to the south are limited by the A14 which runs approximately 580m to the south of the village.

The pavement is clearly defined and accessible throughout the village on one side of the road. There is a footpath to the east site as well from the Old Rectory paddock gate passing the row of

124 cottages and the Village Hall finishing at Falls Farm. The pathway to the church leaves from the village to the church.

Landform The main street runs parallel to the contours so the majority of the settlement is fairly flat. The southern end of the High Street slopes moderately and Church Lane slopes down towards the church. The Falls slopes down away from the settlement allowing wide views of the open countryside.

The village sits well within the landscape and there are good visual links from the village to the open countryside. The older parts of the settlement which have softer edges provide a more gradual move between the open countryside and the village. The more modern developments tend to have clearly defined gardens which create a harder edge to the village.

The village is shallow as there are no tertiary streets and development fronts onto the primary or secondary routes through the village.

Isochrones The map below shows the 400m isochrones. Although there is no distinct settlement centre the isochrone shows that the majority of the village is within 400m of the middle of the main street. This analysis is useful when considering the accessibility of potential development sites. However, in the case of Harrington where the village centre is not clearly defined there is some flexibility in the location of isochrones.

Character The village of Harrington is located some three miles west of Rothwell, off the B576, Rothwell to Kelmarsh road. The road network of the village is roughly T-shaped, with High Street forming the main spine and Church Lane and Rothwell Road forming offshoots to the north and south.

Harrington is an attractive, linear settlement comprising mostly of Limestone buildings set behind historic stone boundary walls or stone and brick buildings which abut the public highway. The only exceptions to this are the historic farmsteads which have a more clustered form. The architecture of the older buildings is domestic in style. Such buildings fall into two groups, one centred around the junction of High Street, Church Lane and Rothwell Road including the public house, The Old Rectory and outbuildings and Church Farm, and the other forming the remainder of the village, including The Row and other individual cottages and houses.

The village is linked by several large and small green ‘gaps’ in between properties which allow views over stone walls out to the attractive open countryside beyond the village boundaries. These green open spaces combined with a number of attractive trees form part of the character of the village and contribute to its rural setting.

Key buildings within the village include: The Tollemache Arms Public House – an attractive painted brick and thatched building with large car park to side and rear; and The Harrington village hall - a small stone building with slate roof, the side of this building fronts the highway and it has a small courtyard to front. Both are located on the main street.

125 The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Harrington. These diagrams clearly show the linear form of the settlement but they also show the more scattered pattern of development related to the farmsteads in the village. These are all located on the eastern site of the High Street. The large areas of open space located at the northern end of the High Street are clearly visible and the village has an open spacious character.

Harrington Built Form Harrington Street Pattern

There are two distinct character areas in Harrington. The Historic Core which represents the original historic village and Modern Linear development which has taken place mainly at the southern end of the High Street. In addition to these two character areas within the Historic Core there are also three farmsteads which have unique character.

Historic Core Stone walls continue the built form, with development located behind them Building materials include Ironstone and Limestone, roofs are tiles, thatched or slate Buildings front onto the street or with small gardens to the front

Historic Core Historic Core

Modern Linear Detached and semi-detached properties Primarily buff brick built with concrete tile roofs Buildings set back from the street with large front gardens

126 Despite this modern infill, most of these properties are set behind the historic village stone walls maintaining this element of the character of the village to a degree

Modern Linear Modern Linear

Farmsteads There are three historic farmsteads in Harrington which form part of the village. Two of these are working farmsteads, Church Farm and Falls Farm. The rest of the former farms are now private houses. Buildings are informal and scattered in form Building materials are Ironstone and Limestone with tile or slate roofs The farmstead to the north of the village has been converted to provide Bed and Breakfast accommodation. This provides a good example of diversification and has retained the economic function of the farm.

Public realm and landscape Key landmarks in the village include the Tollemache Arms Public House and The Old Rectory. Key views in the village are along the western edge of the High Street looking out across the open countryside. The most significant of these is the wide view across The Falls, however there are several open spaces along this edge of the High Street which provide views out to the open countryside and these are an important part of the character of the village.

The Gateways into Harrington reflect the rural character of the village. To the south the gateway has built form on the western edge with open space on the eastern site. This creates a gradual approach to the village. The north eastern gateway again is very rural in character with agricultural buildings forming the entrance to the village with open space in front of a red brick wall on the opposite site of the road. The northern gateway to the village again has dwellings on one side of the road with open space opposite. Where Church Lane meets the High Street, the Tollemache Arms Public House car park creates a hard entrance to the village and would benefit from some softening to reflect the attractiveness of the building and this end of the village.

The main street is a good example of public realm, the stone wall creates a continuous built form which creates a distinction between the open countryside and the village while still creating a visual link between the two. The junction of the High Street and Church Lane is an attractive open junction with the red brick wall around The Old Rectory providing an attractive feature.

127 Main Street public realm | Open space along Main Street | Boundary of The Old Rectory

Parking in Harrington is a mix of on and off street parking. Off street parking is mainly associated with the more modern development and has involved punching access points into the traditional stone boundary walls and often the creation of visibility splays, not characteristic to the village. This should be avoided in the future to ensure the historic character of the village is retained. New development should provide adequate parking provision and should be designed in accordance with the Borough wide principles set out in part 2.

Open space There are two important open spaces located either side of the northern section of the High Street, the grounds of The Rectory and The Falls. These spaces are important spaces within the village which contribute to its character and are recognised as a key element within the Conservation Area designation.

The Falls- important open space | Important open space

There are several large and small green ‘gaps’ in between properties which allow views over stone walls out to the attractive open countryside beyond the village boundaries. These small green open spaces form part of the character of the village and contribute to its rural setting. These spaces are found mostly on the western side of High Street but do occur on the eastern side and are equally as important.

Other comments There is some reasonably attractive street furniture contained within the village including benches set on wide verges, a water pump, red telephone box, street sign and bin. However, other street furniture such as grit bins could be improved to better blend into the historic character of the village and not stand out so much in the street scene.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

128 The car park of the Tollemache Arms could be softened to create an attractive gateway at this end of the village. This could be achieved through some planting which would soften the current hard surfaced car park.

The boundary treatment around the village hall should be softened or changed to better reflect the character of the rest of the village. Any change to this boundary would need to ensure the safety of toddlers playing in the yard is maintained.

Housing site assessments Following public consultation on the Kettering Site Specific Proposals LDD, two sites were promoted for development in Harrington. These have been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/134 – This is as small site. It performs poorly in terms of accessibility. Key constraints are impact on the adjacent Scheduled Ancient Monument and the historic environment. This is also one of the important ‘gap’ sites within the village envelope as referred to above.

Site RA/133 - This site performs poorly in terms of accessibility. The site is located at an important gateway into Harrington and development would have a significant impact on the character of the settlement and on the historic environment. Due to the sites raised ground level any development would be a prominent feature in the village. Development of the site would have a significant negative impact on archaeology.

For the reasons given above, these sites will not be allocated as they are not suitable for development.

9. Draft Design Principles

Development in Harrington is likely to be extremely limited. The following principles will be applied to any development that may come forward:

Development should reflect the linear character of the settlement; Any new development should be set behind stone boundary walls or if a conversion abut the public highway; Materials should be limestone or ironstone with tile, slate or thatched roofs; Where historic stone walls are present new development should be avoided where this may involve making new openings in the wall; Views and open spaces between dwellings should be retained as these contribute to the rural character of the village; and The ‘soft’ edges to the village boundary should be maintained and new development should avoid high close-boarded fencing or brick walls which mark boundaries with the open countryside or at gateways to the village.

129 Harrington landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

130 Harrington character areas map

131 Harrington public realm & landscape map

132 Harrington assessed housing sites map

133 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Little Oakley

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 145 (Census 2001information shared with Newton) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership 23.5%, Ownership mortgage/ loan 9%, Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 0%, Rented from housing association/ RSL 0%, Rented from private landlord 18%, Rented from other 18% Age: Under 16 23.5%, 16-24 9%, 25-59 52.4%, 60+ 15.2% (Census 2001 information shared with Newton) No. of Jobs N/A Businesses / employers Agriculture related employment 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest Regional Centre: Northampton Other regional centres: Peterborough and Leicester Primary Movement Infrastructure Roads into & out of settlement & their classification: Oakley Road connects to the A43 to Geddington Minor roads link to Corby and Little Stanion Distance to nearest town: Corby 1.9 miles to centre to centre; 0.5 miles edge to edge; Distance travelled to work: 13.7 miles (census 2001 information shared with Newton); Nearest major employment centre Corby – 1.2 miles to Euro Hub, 1.7 miles to town centre; Modal Split 100% (Census 2001 information shared with Newton) Public Transport Provision Bus services: x There are no services passing through Little Oakley Nearest Train Station 1.8 miles to Corby Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Footpath to south of Corby and Geddington Bridleway just outside Little Oakley, runs south towards Geddington and Newton Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Primrose Cottage Bed And Breakfast. visitor attractions or accommodation 3. Quantum Total Area 3.3ha No. Houses 36 Residential Density 11dph Land Use Split Mainly residential

No. of affordable housing units & tenure 0 split No. of elderly / supported housing units N/A No. of bungalows N/A

134 Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/A 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage 100% + some areas of open space outside of the Village boundary No. Listed Buildings 9 Flood Plain River runs to the south of the village and flood zones 2 and 3 extend towards Little Oakley. A small part of flood zones 2 and 3 fall within the village boundary. Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology 5. Landscape Setting The village of Little Oakley is located some five kilometres north-east of Kettering, off the A43 Kettering to Stamford road. The village is of linear form, located either side of the main street. Agricultural Uses The village is surrounded by pasture land but there are areas of arable farm land to the north and south of the village. Ecology Harpers Brooke is located south of the village Sart Wood County Wildlife Site is located south west of the village Watercourses Harpers Brooke is located south of the village Flood zones 2 and 3 meet the main road in places 6. Amenities Shops None Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub No Restaurant/café No Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors Little Oakley is located on CSS GI local corridor 12b – Stoke Albany – Little Oakley Natural and semi-natural green space 0 Amenity green space 0 Outdoor sports facilities 0 Cemeteries and churchyards 0.2ha Children's play areas 0 Allotments 0 Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc No Mobile Libraries stop in Little Oakley. Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 1.41 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings None Places of Worship St Peter’s Church

135 Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums and toddlers and after school activities Petanque Club clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan

A Village Plan for Geddington, Newton and Little Oakley has been produced but it has not yet been adopted by the Council. The Plan was produced in August 2003. The Plan states that ‘there is no meeting place in Little Oakley, although villagers have identified a patch of land as a ‘Community Field’ on which a hut in which to meet could be sited’. Issues for Little Oakley are summarised as follows: x Support for chicanes at either end of the village x Improved street lighting is required, particularly near Grange Farm x Tree planting x Improved response from police when crime is reported x Enforcement against dog fouling x Retention of footpath and bridleways.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Little Oakley Conservation Area was designated by Kettering Borough Council on 28th September 1983. The village is of linear form, located either side of the main street. The villages is characterised by group of stone cottages and farms interspersed by fields, fronted by attractive stone walls. The majority of the buildings within the village are constructed of stone (limestone), with roof coverings of thatch, blue slate and orange pantiles, particularly on outbuildings. Most of the architecture is domestic in scale, although Manor Farm and its outbuildings (Grade II listed buildings) and the former St. Peter’s Church (Grade II* listed building) provide an imposing entrance to the village when it is approached from the west. Although there have been several new dwellings built within the village in recent years, these have largely blended in with the character of the area.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

A need has been identified for the following:

Of this identified need, it is considered that this should be primarily located in Geddington.

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Little Oakley were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

136 6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation Meeting

No change to village boundary. Support for disused barns and agricultural buildings to be brought back into use, probably residential. Development on barns should remain within the current built footprint – no overdevelopment. Could include affordable units.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network Little Oakley is formed along the primary route, Mill Hill, which runs through the village. This route links the village with Corby, Stanion and Geddington. All properties in the village are accessed from this road.

Little Oakley is easy to navigate around and there are good footpath links to the south-east and west of the village, linking the village with Geddington and Corby. There are no routes out of the northern edge of the village although the western route links with a route which does link to areas north of the village.

Traffic through the village is an issue as the route through is a main commuter route.

There are pavements on both sides of the road running throughout the village.

Isochrones The map below shows the 400m isochrone. The whole village is located within 400m of the main street.

Landform The main street runs along the contours and is parallel with the Harpers Brooke. Topography slopes down towards Harpers Brooke. The village sits well in the countryside and there are good visual links out of the village.

Character The village of Little Oakley is located some five miles north-west of Kettering, off the A45 Kettering to Stamford road. The village is a small historic village made up of a simple street pattern following a linear form, located either side of the main street.

The village is characterised by groups of stone cottages and farms interspersed by fields, fronted by attractive stone walls. The majority of the buildings within the village are constructed of

137 limestone, with roof coverings of thatch, blue slate and orange pantiles, particularly on outbuildings. Most of the architecture is domestic in scale, although Manor Farm and its outbuildings (Grade II listed buildings) and the former St. Peter’s Church (Grade II* listed building) provide an imposing entrance to the village when it is approached from the west. There has been limited modern infilling mainly garages, extensions and a limited number of residential properties, which has largely blended in with the character of the area. Properties within the village are fairly well spaced out, giving the village a very rural feel and providing views to the open countryside.

Little Oakley is a small village. The only facilities are the church and bowls club. There is also a Bed and Breakfast. There is no distinct village centre but the main street runs from the church to the Moat Farm.

The figure diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Little Oakley. These show the simple street pattern and the form of development along this street. Although the settlement is linear there is a mixture of properties some of which front directly onto the street and others which are set back, set in large gardens. The principle pattern is properties on the southern side of the street abut the pavement and properties on the northern side of the street are set back at a raised ground level. The exception to this pattern is the modern infill property, number 17a Orchard Cottage. This building is not sympathetic to the over-riding character of the village due to its position, design and building materials used.

Little Oakley Built Form Little Oakley Street Pattern

The village largely comprises of ironstone buildings, set behind stone boundary walls or abutting the highway and linked by stone boundary walls. There has been limited modern infilling mainly garages, extensions and a limited number of residential properties. Properties within the village are fairly well spaced out, giving the village a very rural feel and providing views to the open countryside. However, the village does feel slightly more enclosed as you approach the Church, where development is slightly denser than the rest of the village.

Historic Core Buildings front on to the main street or are set back in large grounds Stone walls continue the built form Materials include limestone and ironstone with thatched and pan tile and tile roofs

138 Modern Infill Brick and stone build. Brick does not reflect the historic character of the village Buildings set back from the street

Farmsteads x There are two farmsteads in the village. These are historic farmsteads although there are modern agricultural buildings which have been added to these.

Public realm and landscape The public realm is attractive but traffic has a negative impact on this and creates a vehicle dominated environment. Traffic calming measures could help create a better public realm.

Key views in the settlement are of the church which is the key landmark and panoramic views out of the village to the open countryside.

Gateways At the south-western end of the village, the Grade II* Listed Manor Farmhouse, the river, stone walls, trees, hedgerows and views of the C13/C14, Grade II* Listed church create and attractive entrance to the village and provide a good sense of arrival in the village. At the eastern end of the village the large thatched cottages and stone buildings, set in large plots and impressive views of the open countryside highlight the rural character of this settlement combined with a good sense of arrival.

139 Open Space The open space around the church is important to the setting of the church. There are also several open spaces within the village which although not accessible are important in terms of the character of the settlement and in creating links between the settlement and the open countryside. These are shown on the public realm and landscape map.

Other comments There is some attractive and historic street furniture contained within the village including bench, red telephone box and letterbox, which should be retained where possible.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

Traffic calming measures should be implemented to slow traffic travelling through the village. Conversion of farmyards should these cease to be actively used.

Opportunities for new development in Little Oakley are limited, potential development sites within the village boundary lie on important green spaces which contribute to the overall character of the settlement and provide the setting for Listed Buildings and the Conservation Area. Development of the village could follow its linear form through extending to the east or west. Development to the west would have a detrimental impact on the setting and curtilage of the Grade II* Listed St Peters Church and Manor Farm. Development to the east is outside the current village boundary, due to the lack of facilities in the village it is not considered significant development outside the boundary is sustainable.

9. Draft Design Principles

Development in Little Oakley is likely to be extremely limited. The following principles will be applied to any new development that may come forward: Maintain the linear nature of the settlement; Development on the southern side of the street should abut the pavement; Development on the northern side of the street should be set back at a distance which reflects that of neighbouring properties; Materials should be limestone or ironstone with tile or thatched roofs; The historic boundary walls should be retained and no additional openings in it; Traffic calming measures would help to create an improved public realm; The ‘open’ entrance to the south-western part of the village provides the setting of the Listed Building and should be protected on both sides of the road; and The wide open spaces within the village contribute to its character and should be retained.

140 Little Oakley landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

141 Little Oakley character areas map

142 Little Oakley public realm & landscape map

143 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation Summary: Loddington & Orton

Orton

Orton consists of a small number of dwellings, at low density in the open countryside. These dwellings are currently considered, in planning terms, as scattered dwellings in the open countryside, rather than a place defined by a village boundary, and given the small number of dwellings in each settlement it is considered that this remains the most appropriate designation for Orton. It has therefore been decided that it is not appropriate to apply the Rural Masterplanning methodology to Orton or to develop settlement specific design principles. Any future development is likely to be extremely limited and limited to those buildings which currently exist in Orton. This is not to say that Orton does not have important characteristics which should be protected. In this connection, any proposals for new development Orton will be controlled in design terms by the general design principles for the Borough’s rural area, which were informed by the Rural Masterplanning project.

Loddington

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population – Loddington and Orton 293

Under 16… 17.93%; 16-24… 6.16%; 25-59 … 52%; over 60 … 23.91% (2001 census) Demographic Split Owner occupied: Owns outright 37.33% Loddington and Orton Owner occupied: Owns with a mortgage or loan 48.44% Owner occupied: Shared ownership - Rented from: Council (local authority) 8.00% Rented from: Housing Association / Registered Social Landlord - Rented from: Private landlord or letting agency 4.9% Rented from: Other 1.33% Number of Jobs Unknown The Hare, CFW Accountants Businesses / employers 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest Regional Centre: Northampton Other regional centres: Leicester and Peterborough Primary Movement Infrastructure 1.55 miles (2.5km) minor roads to A14 and Rothwell

Nearest major employment centre Kettering – approx 3 miles to Telford Way Industrial Estate

Modal Split Unknown

Public Transport Provision 304 Desborough/Broughton/Northampton Wed only Community transport – Brooksdale Travel Bus service linking Great Cransley, Loddington and Thorpe Malsor.

Foot / cycle path links to other Footpaths to Orton (1.4km GV001 and GR003); Great settlements Cransley (2.25km, GR005 and GG007) and incomplete link to Broughton (3.3km).

144 Leisure / tourism features / attractors, Attractive village and conservation area; Rights of Way e.g. visitor attractions or accommodation 3. Quantum Total Area 19.5Ha

No. Houses 205

Residential Density 10 dwellings/Ha

Land Use Split Residential 80%, Open space and community inc education 20% No. of affordable housing units & tenure split 17 all KBC rented - 9 bungalows, 8 houses No. of elderly / supported housing units Not known No. of bungalows 9 (affordable)

Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. Detached 117; Semi-D 30; Terraced 58 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage 9.8 Ha

No. Listed Buildings 16

Flood Plain No, 64m from nearest dwelling to zone 3

Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None

Landscape Designation / typology GI 19 ECA: Central Northants plateau and valleys CLCA: Rolling ironstone Valley Slopes BCA: Liassic slopes HLCA: Pre 19cent. non-parliamentary enclosure 5. Landscape Setting Rural

Agricultural Uses Mixed farming

Ecology N/A Watercourses N/A

6. Amenities Shops Village shop

Post office Mon pm

Bank / cash machine None

Pub The Hare

Restaurant/café None

Takeaway None

145 Other None Pre-school provision None Schools, primary, secondary etc. C of E Primary school

School capacity / subscription 70 pupils Healthcare provision, inc dentists Nearest GP Mawsley 2.7km, Dentist Rothwell 2.7km

Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors N/A Natural and semi-natural green space None Amenity green space Main Street AGS 0.04ha Harrington Road AGS 0.26ha Outdoor sports facilities Loddington Cricket Club & grounds 1.8ha Cemeteries and churchyards St Leonard's Church 0.3 Ha Children's play areas Children’s Play Area 0.07ha Loddington Playing Fields Skate Board Ramp 0.03ha Allotments None Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library every 3 weeks for 15 mins Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 1.88Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village hall

Places of Worship St Leonards C of E

Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums School organises some events. and toddlers and after school activities clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan No Parish Plan.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal A typical linear rural Northamptonshire village, with stone-built buildings. The Church and Loddington Hall add special character to the historic form.

5. SHLAA findings No sites in Loddington were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation Parish council consulted over a year ago about potential parish plan – response from village was to stay as is. Approximately 2.5 years ago ACRE undertook survey of people in the village and although it had a flawed methodology it did indicate the need for 4 or 6 affordable houses. A subsequent village meeting about the findings was very hostile with the majority of those attending not wanting any further development outside of the village boundary.

146 Issue of new development outside of the village boundary at the former Old Forge Kennels to the NE of the hall – new houses built where old kennel stood; otherwise village boundary has remained intact. The parish voted in favour of the new village at Mawsley rather than significant new development within the village. The two areas of environmentally important open space should be retained. Play area has been provided adjacent to the cricket ground A number of people work from home but there appears little demand for employment provision within the village Pub is no longer the focal point of the village – it is more of a restaurant than a pub, a policy that protects the village pub was supported by members of the parish council Restricted infill village designation should remain – there is still room for more infill. The avenue of trees SW of hall should be protected Parking is a problem within the village – however the solution may be worse than the problem.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network There is one primary street through the settlement, Harrington Road, which is the primary route into the village from Kettering. There are traffic calming measures on this route which, coupled with on-street car parking, seems to do a reasonable job of slowing down traffic.

The secondary streets form a loop from Harrington Road along Main Street and Richardsons Lane which link to Orton Road which forms a rural route to the settlement of that name. In Main Street there would appear to be a problem with parked cars at certain times of the day, particularly around the school. The remainder of the streets in the village are tertiary and provide access only to residential areas.

There are two bus stops which serve Loddington, in Main Street and Harrington Road.

Pedestrian connections in the village are generally good and well linked, with a choice of routes linking the activities of Main Street with the Harrington Road area. Connections into the wider countryside are fair with direct footpaths to Orton to the north and Cransley to the south. There is no direct off-road link to Kettering despite the relatively short distance – just under 2 miles to the outskirts of town. A potential new footpath link to the east towards Thorpe Malsor is suggested.

Loddington’s topography is generally flat. The village lies on elevated land affording it excellent views of the surrounding countryside, particularly to the south. The ground falls away fairly sharply to the north, for example down Orton Lane, into a valley of a small watercourse which leads to Thorpe Malsor Reservoir. This valley forms a natural boundary to the village to the north. To the south the land again falls away, though less steeply and in lesser proximity to the village edge. Again a small valley contains a minor watercourse which leads to Cransley Reservoir.

The settlement is located at a logical point, on the elevated ground between these watercourses. The older buildings in the village have a better relationship with the landscape than more modern developments. The former generally have soft edges and strong visual links with the countryside and sit well in relation to the valley to the north. More recent development presents hard edges to the countryside with the rear of properties and 2m high fencing typically facing out. The southern boundary of the village forms a very hard edge, broken only intermittently, for example by a paddock and cricket pitch.

Isochrone The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the activities of the centre of the village are very accessible to the whole village, except those in the far eastern corner.

147 400m Isochrone

Character Areas The centre of the village remains in the historic core around Main Street. Here the settlement’s facilities are focussed in a relatively small space, including the school, village hall, pub, shop and church. Each of which play an important functional and social role in the village.

Several distinct phases of development are evident in Loddington which creates several different character areas. Despite this, as can be seen from the figure ground and street patterns diagrams below, the village retains a linear form with development focussed along the main routes of Main Street and Harrington Road with some infill in between.

Loddington – Built form Loddington – Street pattern

The figure ground diagram demonstrates the overall low density of development though this is generally more pronounced in the older areas of the village around Main Street. Here development is more scatted, incremental and less formally arranged in relation to the street, for example sporadic mews or development which extends back at right angles to the street. Modern suburban type developments are uniformly arranged in small cul-de-sacs or, in the case of the post-war social housing in defined runs of terrace units.

The overriding character area remains the Historic Core where the buildings date from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Earlier examples include the St. Leonards Church which dates from the 14th century and Loddington Hall dating from the 17th century. The main building materials are

148 sandstone and ironstone with decorative stonework constructed from local limestone. Roofing materials vary from concrete tiles to more traditional grey Welsh slates and Collyweston slates.

The church forms an obvious focal point within the village and the open space to the south of it plays an important part within this, and provides an important link between the old and the newer parts of the village. The character is further enhanced by a number of individual trees fronting Main Street, some of which are the subject of tree preservation orders.

Elsewhere the character is more mixed and a variety of different character areas are noted on the character areas map: Central open space – 2 areas of open space including the open space to the south of the church and the paddock area at Richardsons Lane play an important role in the character of the village, maintaining the open and rural feel and providing important views within the village. Modern / 60s - 70s Suburbia – A few areas of modern, mostly detached residential properties, which tend to be large and set back from the street in large plots, spanning a variety of styles and built materials. Detached / Semi-detached Bungalows - A concentration of bungalows exist to the south east around the intersection of Main Street and Harrington Road. Bungalows are set back in individual plots and constructed of either stone or brick. Modern Stone Built Detached – An area of large detached houses built fairly recently of stone and slate. Some are separated from the street by a 2m tall historic ironstone wall which serves to bring definition to Main Street but also means the area is somewhat of a gated community. Victorian Terraces – 2 short runs of late Victorian red brick terraces bring definition and enclosure to a section of Harrington Road with small uniform length front gardens onto the street. Post-war social housing – The north-eastern extent of the village contains an area of brick built terraced houses with large front gardens and on plot frontage car parking.

Overall the character of the village is very rural, leafy and green. Open spaces and trees play an important part in several areas and the village retains a good array of facilities for its size. Whilst more recent developments have, on the whole, failed to reflect the character of the Historic Core, the quality and integrity of this central area is retained whilst the variety of development phases and character areas serve to create a rich, interesting and varied built fabric.

Public realm and landscape There are 3 large areas of open space in the village. To the south-west the cricket pitch forms an important recreational space and provides a pleasant green edge to the village with attractive views into and out of the space. This area is also home to a play area and skate ramp. As has been discussed, above, the open areas around the church and at Richardsons Lane provide green spaces central to the character of the village and its green and open landscape. Important view corridors link into and out of these spaces and provide visual connections with the countryside and through the central part of the settlement. Elsewhere there are two small areas of Amenity Green Space, neither of which are very well utilised nor serve much of a function.

Trees and hedgerows throughout the village, particularly around the church and open spaces described above, play a further important part in Loddington’s overall green and rural character.

149 There are several panoramic vistas out of the village to the surrounding countryside, particularly in the south and to the east at the entrance to the village. Another important rural vista occurs at the top of Orton Road. As this road leads into Main Street, attractive glimpses to the north are visible between buildings of the small rural valley behind the built form. There is an attractive view up Main Street at its western entrance, framed by the tall ironstone wall to the left. Views of the church and spire are prominent throughout the western half of the village.

Two attractive gateways occur within the village at either end of Main Street; however entrances into the village at either end of Harrington Road are underwhelming and lack a sense of arrival. There are opportunities for gateway enhancements at these locations.

Public realm is generally good with a pleasant walkable feel to the village throughout. The Historic Core around Main Street is the most successful of these areas where the built form, character and enclosure add to the quality of the public realm. Less successful are the frequent use of modern and standard street furniture and surface treatment, with the paths and roads mostly surfaced in standard tarmacadam which signifies an urban rather than a rural setting.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

There is an opportunity for any potential future development to better reflect the character of the Historic Core.

A good route for a potential new footpath would be a link to the east towards Thorpe Malsor where there are currently a lack of routes eastwards out of the village. There is also no direct off-road link to Kettering despite the relatively short distance – just less than 2 miles to the outskirts of town.

Gateway enhancements could be made to create a distinct point of arrival at either end of Harrington Road.

Housing site assessments Two sites in Loddington were put forward for assessment as potential new housing sites. These sites were assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/165 – Site scores well in terms of accessibility to a primary school, shop and open space but poorly in terms of accessibility to secondary school education, health provision and indoor sports and leisure. Low density development may be acceptable provided it is of high quality design which fronts onto the public highway and is spaced sufficiently to allow the views to the open countryside. Development of this site is likely to result in the removal of a dense hedgerow which does contribute to the character of this part of the village. The site is taken forward as an option for development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Site RA/166 – Site scores well in terms of accessibility to a primary school and shop but poorly in terms of accessibility to secondary school education, health provision and indoor sports and leisure. Development here could enhance the gateway entrance into the village through a quality design. Development should not hinder the footpath and front onto the highway following the linear form of this part of the village. Access opposite Cransley Road may be an issue. The site is taken forward as an option for development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

9. Draft Design Principles

Were any development to come forward on identified opportunity sites, site specific design principles are drafted as follows:

150 Any redevelopment of site RA/165 will:

Reflect the scale, height and mass of surrounding development; Front the highway with consistent set-backs; Be at a low density and of high quality design and make a positive contribution to the streetscene; Be spaced sufficiently to allow the views to the open countryside from the highway; and Owing to the variety of styles and materials in existence along Harrington Road, high quality contemporary materials may be as appropriate as the traditional palette of ironstone, red brick and slate.

Any redevelopment of site RA/166 will:

Create an attractive gateway entrance into the village; Front onto the public highway and follow the linear form of the village; Present a soft edge to and enjoy a positive relationship with the countryside; and Owing to the variety of styles and materials in existence along Harrington Road, high quality contemporary materials may be as appropriate as the traditional palette of ironstone, red brick and slate.

Elsewhere, new development in Loddington is likely to be limited. The following principles have been drafted to apply to any development proposals that may come forward. Development will:

x Protect or enhance the important open spaces at either end of Harrington Road, and views into them; x Maintain the characteristic of linear development along main streets and good pedestrian connectivity; x Be well spaced so as views and glimpses to the open countryside, the church and village open spaces are preserved; x Include ‘soft’ edges around the village boundary and avoid high close-boarded fencing or brick walls which mark boundaries with the open countryside or at gateways to the village;

x If north of the open space on Harrington Road or west of Main Street, new development will: o Use a limited palette of building materials comprising sandstone, ironstone, limestone detailing and slate; o Be traditional in design and take architectural cues from the surrounding historic buildings; o Use stone walls as boundary treatments onto streets; and o Either Be linear to the street with frontages which face and abut the highway; or Be arranged less formally, in development which extends back at right angles to the street or in sporadic mews. x Or, if south or immediately north of Harrington Road, or east of Richardsons Lane, new development will: o Face and positively address streets with set backs of no more than 12m and boundary treatments limited to 1-1.5m in height - gated developments detached from the streetscene will not be acceptable; and o Select from a more expansive palette of building materials - high quality contemporary materials may be as appropriate as the traditional palette of ironstone, red brick and slate.

Gateway enhancements should be made to create a distinct point of arrival at either end of Harrington Road.

151 Footpath improvements could include a link to the east towards Thorpe Malsor and a direct off- road link to Kettering.

152 Loddington landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

153 Loddington character areas map

154 Loddington public realm & landscape map

155 Loddington assessed housing sites map

156 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Mawsley

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 980 dwellings – population based on 2.4 persons per dwelling = 2352 Demographic Split These figures cover Mawsley and Great Cransley and predate the development of Mawsley village. Tenure: Owned Outright: 37.4% Owned with a mortgage or loan: 40.8% Shared Ownership: 0% Rented from Council: 15.7% Rented from Housing Association or RSL: 0% Private rented: 2.6% Rented other: 3.5%

Age: Under 16 – 18.1% , 16-24 – 7.9% , 25-59 – 48%, 60+ - 26% No. of Jobs N/A Primary School, Barnwell Court (Offices, retail units, Businesses / employers takeaway and restaurant (new dev, some units let) 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre - Northampton Primary Movement Infrastructure Average distance travelled to a fixed place of work (Census 2001) – No information available Nearest major employment centre 3.1 miles (4.9km) to Kettering (Telford Lodge Industrial Estate) Nearest town centre: 2.8 miles (4.6km) to Rothwell Town Centre Modal Split N/A Public Transport Provision Route 39 Northampton-Molton-Holcot-Old-Mawsley- Boughton-Kettering hourly, Mon-Sat, 7am-6pm Nearest train station: Kettering Railway Station – 3.4 miles (5.4km) Foot / cycle path links to other settlements ROW: Footpaths to Great Cransley Links to Kettering and Broughton via Great Cransley Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. visitor attractions or accommodation None 3. Quantum Total Area 44ha No. Houses 980 dwellings (monitoring information) Residential Density 22 dph Land Use Split Predominantly residential No. of affordable housing units & tenure 20 x 2 bed house (rented) split 30 x 3 bed house (rented) 2 x 4 bed house (rented) 7 x 2 bed bungalow (rented) 1 x 3 bed bungalow (rented) 25 x 2 bed house (shared) 22 x 3 bed house (shared) 11 x 2 bed house (NBHB)

157 4 x 3 bed house (NBHB)

No. of elderly / supported housing units N/A No. of bungalows N/A Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/A 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage No conservation area No. Listed Buildings 0 Flood Plain No areas of flood plain Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) SSSI Birch Spinney and Mawsley Marsh is located north of the village. Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Clay Plateau – Sywell Plateau Environmental Character Assessment – Central Northamptonshire Plateaux and Valleys Biodiversity Character Assessment – Cropped Claylands – Sywell, Hardwick and Mawsley Plateau Historic Landscape Character – Earlier Parliamentary Enclosure – Lamport – Moulton Uplands 5. Landscape Setting The village is set within the open countryside in an agricultural landscape. Agricultural Uses Surrounded by agricultural land, predominantly arable. Ecology Birch Spinney and Mawsley Wood SSSI is located north of the village. Watercourses No watercourses within the village. 6. Amenities Shops Food shop and non-food shop. Post office No Bank / cash machine Yes Pub No Restaurant/café Unit to let Takeaway Unit to let Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. Mawsley Community Primary School School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists Mawsley Medical Centre and Dental Clinic Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors No CSS corridors in close proximity to the village Natural and semi-natural green space Mawsley Pocket park Amenity green space Sloe Lane Amenity green space Id 17 Outdoor sports facilities On Hawthorn Avenue Id 6 Cemeteries and churchyards No Children's play areas 1 Children’s play area Id 31 Allotments No Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library on a Monday, every three weeks. Broadband facilities / speed Yes 2.93Mb 7. Social Infrastructure

158 Community Buildings The Centre Places of Worship Mawsley Church meets in The Centre Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Mawsley Baby and Toddler Club, Mawsley Walking and toddlers and after school activities Group, Mawsley Football Club, Mawsley Allotment clubs Association, Walgrave and Mawsley Amber FC, Women’s Institute, Mawsley Gardening and Wildlife Club

2. Summary of Parish Plan

No Parish Plan.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

No Conservation Area.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

No Housing Need Assessment has been carried out for Mawsley. A significant number of affordable homes were part of the development of Mawsley.

5. SHLAA findings and Site Assessment

Two sites on the periphery of Mawsley were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). The findings of the SHLAA are summarised below.

Site Reference Summary of detailed assessment RA/115 Scale of site would require a policy decision to extend Mawsley. Smaller parcels may be possible. Those areas closest to Mawsley most suitable. Western extent well placed to access local centre facilities in Mawsley and open space. Agent has confirmed that they would consider development of part of the site if a lower number of houses were required in Mawsley during the plan period. Good connections to the centre of Mawsley would need to be provided. There are major constraints to provision of sewage and water infrastructure which would need to be overcome. Further assessment is required on archaeology. RA/116 This site is detached from Mawsley by open space and it would be difficult to integrate development on this site with the village. Access to the site would need to be from the route to Mawsley so there would be no vehicle connection to the existing village. There are also significant constraints relating to the impact of development on Birch Spinney and Mawsley Marsh SSSI. Further information is required to assess the impact of development on archaeology.

6. Parish Council Consultation

159 7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network The primary route which links Mawsley with other settlement is outside the village as shown on the Landform and movement network map. This route connects Mawsley with Harrington and Loddington and the A43 which links to Broughton and Kettering.

There are three secondary routes which provide the main routes through the village. These routes are: Loddington Way Broughton Road, Main Street, The Green School Road

The remaining routes in the settlement are tertiary routes which link to residential areas. The settlement has a complex network of tertiary streets which in the form of loops and cul-de-sacs.

There are good pedestrian links within the settlement but there are poor connections with the open countryside. There is only one pedestrian link out of the village and there are barriers around the settlement preventing access to the open countryside.

Barriers preventing access to the open countryside

The settlement is difficult to navigate around both on-foot and in the car. This is due to the winding nature of the streets and lack of distinctive character areas and landmarks.

No visible issues with speeding or parking. Majority of parking is provided in parking courtyards or off-road.

Isochrones The map below shows the 400m and 800m isochrones. This shows that the majority of the village is located within 800m of the centre of Mawsley. When considering future development this provides a good indication of the proximity of sites to the centre of the settlement.

160 Landform The village slopes down from the south east to the north west. Two of the secondary streets run parallel to the contours but there is no real relationship between the road network and the contours.

There is a clear distinction between the settlement and the open countryside and although some development looks out across the countryside there is little integration between the village and the open countryside.

Character Mawsley is a new village and as such doesn’t have character areas in the same way as other villages in the Borough, although Long Breech and some of the recent developments to the north have a distinct character for Mawsley. The whole village is a development with its own unique character derived from the use of traditional design and materials combined with modern dwellings and house types. The village has a good range of facilities including a local shopping centre, medical centre, school and community centre.

The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Mawsley. These show the close relationship between the built form and the pattern of streets reflective of the planned nature of the settlement.

Mawsley Built form Mawsley Street pattern

Summary of character:

161 Mix of detached, semi-detached and terrace properties Materials include brick, ironstone and limestone with slate and tile roofs, ironstone buildings tend to be in visually prominent locations Clear distinction between public and private space Mix of boundary treatments including low fences, picket fencing, metal railings Mix of parking courts and off-road parking Some properties front directly onto the street while others have gardens to the front, around open spaces properties tend to face on to these Significant amount of open space although in some cases this has been used in road design to create traffic islands. In spite of the amount of green areas very little is usable open space, except for the recreation ground. Most of the greenery in Mawsley has been used to soften the visual impact of the development and not to provide usable green space.

Fronting onto open space Landmark building

Parking court Wide road

Ironstone dwelling Shared surface Traffic island

Public realm and landscape Key landmarks in the settlement include the school, 10 to 18 Main Street and the medical centre. There are panoramic views out of the settlement from the open space which runs along the north western edge of the village, across the cricket ground and from Main Street at the south eastern edge of the settlement. Within the settlement view tend to focus on key buildings or along streets which frame views of the open countryside.

162 Mawsley Medical Centre | Views of open countryside across Mawsley Meadow

Public realm is generally higher quality along the tertiary streets where roads are narrower and more pedestrian friendly than the secondary streets which have been designed to accommodate more traffic. Some of the traffic islands or areas which appear to be traffic islands detract from the appearance of the village.

Loddington Way | Cransley Rise

Open space There is a significant amount of open space in the settlement. Some of this is more successful than others, for example the areas of open space around the southern and western edge of the settlement provide an attractive area for walking. Other areas for example the pond feature have not been maintained and have a neglected feel.

Pond feature not maintained | Open space around the settlement

There are two key gateways into the settlement one on Loddington Way and one on Broughton Road. Broughton Road has two landmark developments which create a good gateway into the settlement. The Loddington Way gateway is a softer entrance as this is open space. There are opportunities to enhance this gateway.

163 8. Opportunities/ Issues

There is an opportunity to enhance the gateway into the village at Loddington Way.

Housing site assessments There are two sites in Mawsley which have been promoted for development. These sites have been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/115 – Large potential development site, development of whole site would be inappropriate but development of a small part closely linked to the existing village may be appropriate if Mawsley is considered a suitable location for future growth. Although the site is close to the village centre connectivity between the site and the village will be an important factor when considering the site as there are limited opportunities to achieve connectivity.

Site RA/116 – Majority of the site is more than 800m from the village centre. This is not considered to be a suitable location to expand the village.

9. Draft Design Principles

Any new development at Mawsley should adhere to the following draft design principles. x Mawsley had a very distinct character and new development should be designed to reflect the character of the village x Development should seeks to improve connections to the open countryside x Development should create soft edges between the village and the open countryside through the use of planting. Use of high close-boarded fences and walls at the boundary between the village and the open countryside or at gateway locations should be avoided x Development should front onto the street or onto open space providing natural surveillance

Principles for development of site RA/115, were it to be developed. x Development should be well connected to the existing village this should include pedestrian and vehicle connectivity x Development should provide links from the village to the open countryside

164 Mawsley landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

165 Mawsley character areas map

166 Mawsley public realm & landscape map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

167 Mawsley assessed housing sites map

168 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Newton

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 145 (Census 2001information shared with Little Oakley) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership: 23.5%, Ownership mortgage/ loan: 9%, Shared ownership: 0%, Rented from local authority: 0%, Rented from housing association/ RSL: 0%, Rented from private landlord: 18%, Rented from other: 18% Age: Under 16 23.5%, 16-24 9%, 25-59 52.4%, 60+ 15.2% (Census 2001 information shared with Little Oakley) No. of Jobs Unknown Employment associated with Dovecote Farm – Businesses / employers Restaurant, tea rooms, function rooms, farm shop and pick your own fruit. 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre is Northampton Other regional centres: Leicester, Peterborough Primary Movement Infrastructure Newton Road connects the village to the A43 which provides access to Corby and Kettering Nearest major employment centre Kettering – 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to Kettering North Business Park Kettering – 2.7 miles (4.3km) to Kettering Town Centre Modal Split 100% (Census 2001 information shared with Little Oakley) Public Transport Provision There are no bus services passing through Newton Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Footpath links to Geddington and Kettering Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Dovecote Farm - Restaurant, tea rooms, function visitor attractions or accommodation rooms, farm shop and pick your own fruit. 3. Quantum Total Area 27575m2/ 2.75ha No. Houses 19 (Electoral Roll) Residential Density 6.9 dph Land Use Split Predominantly residential No. of affordable housing units & tenure split None No. of elderly / supported housing units N/A No. of bungalows N/A Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/A 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Conservation Area covers the whole of the village with the exception of agricultural buildings on the eastern side of the village.

169 No. Listed Buildings 11 Listed Buildings and significant area of listed curtilages Flood Plain None within the village but there are areas of flood zones 2 and 3 south of the village along the River Ise Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) SSSI River Ise and Meadows is located south of the village Newton Field NWT is located south east of the village Dovecote Quarry & Sq. Pond RFT is located east of the village End Quarry, Newton NWT is located north of the village Newton Old Railway & Pit NWT is located west of the site Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Wooded Clay Plateau Environmental Character Assessment – Rockingham Forest Biodiversity Character Assessment – Limestone Slopes; River Ise area – Minor Flood Plain Historic Character Assessment – Reinstated Mineral Extraction 5. Landscape Setting The Ise Valley is located on a south facing slope overlooking the River Ise Agricultural Uses Predominantly arable farmland Ecology SSSI River Ise and Meadows is located south of the village Newton Field NWT is located south east of the village Dovecote Quarry & Sq. Pond RFT is located east of the village End Quarry, Newton NWT is located north of the village Newton Old Railway & Pit NWT is located west of the site Watercourses The River Ise runs south of the village 6. Amenities Shops No Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub No Restaurant/café Yes – at Dovecote Farm Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription No Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors Sub-regional River Ise GI corridor runs to the south Natural and semi-natural green space Disused Quarry North of Newton – Id 550, 2.46ha Amenity green space No Outdoor sports facilities No Cemeteries and churchyards St Faiths Church – Id 538, 0.16ha Children's play areas No

170 Allotments No Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile Library Friday every 3 weeks. Broadband facilities / speed 1.27mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Newton Field Centre Places of Worship St Faiths Church now used as Newton Field Centre Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums None and toddlers and after school activities clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan

A Village Plan for Geddington, Newton and Little Oakley has been produced but it has not yet been adopted by the Council. The Plan was produced in August 2003.

Newton: x It is important that the footpaths and benches around the village are properly maintained x Newton Field Centre and the 16th Century Tresham Dovecote need to be maintained x There are issues with the speed of traffic travelling along Newton Road making access to and from the village dangerous x The post box and telephone box are important

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Newton Conservation Area was designated in November 1990. x Although small in size, Newton is a compact village which is characterised by a number of attractive stone-built houses and cottages linked by stone walls. The village is approached along a cul-de-sac from the Rushton to Geddington Road, emphasising the tranquil setting of the landscape of the Valley of the River Ise. x Within the area covered by this document are a number of stone built buildings of considerable merit, in particular the Manor House and the adjacent Stone Barn, both of which are listed buildings. Dovecote Farm house and a number of individual cottages make an important contribution to the special character of the village, but of equal importance are the stone-built agricultural buildings, several of which have been granted permission for conversion to dwellings. x Also, within the village framework is the former St. Faith’s Church, a listed building and the Dovecote which is one of the very few Grade I listed buildings in the country and also classified as an ancient monument. x The boundary of the Conservation Area for Newton, as indicated on the plan which forms part of the document, has been drawn so as to include all the buildings and significant features, including the open spaces, which contribute to the character of the village proper. It will be the policy of this authority to ensure the preservation and enhancement of the character and appearance of all the features of the village.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

A Housing Needs Assessment for Geddington, Newton and Little Oakley was undertaken in February 2011. Housing in the Parish has a high proportion of detached properties and is predominately privately owned. There is no affordable housing stock in Newton.

A need has been identified for the following:

6 x 2 bed maisonettes/flats for rent 3 x 2 bed houses for rent

171 1 x 2 bed bungalow for rent 1 x 2 bed bungalow for shared ownership 1 x 2 bed house for shared ownership 3 x 3 bed houses for rent 1 x 3 bed house for shared ownership

Of this identified need it is considered that this should be primarily located in Geddington.

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Newton were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council consultation

Derelict barns in Newton should be converted into residential use. Development on barns should remain within the current built footprint – no overdevelopment. Could include affordable units.

7 Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network Newton has no primary route. The village is accessed by a secondary route which only provides access to the village. There are three tertiary streets which link to the secondary route and provide access to properties. The only traffic entering the village is to access properties in Newton so the road is very quiet and there is no issue with traffic travelling through the village. Access to Dovecote Farm is provided directly from the Newton Road and does not connections through to the village.

The village is easy to navigate around and there are good pedestrian connections to the open countryside in the south, east and west of the village. These footpaths connect the village to Geddington in the east and Kettering to the south. There are no footpath connects out of the settlement to the north.

Isochrones The diagram below shows the 400m isochrone. Newton is a very compact village and the whole village is well within 400m of the centre.

The village slopes from north to south down towards the River Ise. The buildings sit well in the landscape and have large gardens which provide soft edges to the open countryside.

Throughout the village pavement is intermittent and only on one side of the road. The pavement is standard concrete paving which does not really suit the historic character of this village.

172 Character Newton is a very small village with no facilities within the tight village envelope. The Newton Field Centre is located to the south east of the village in a converted church.

The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and street pattern in Newton. These illustrate the compact nature of village as well as highlighting the spacious plots in which the dwellings are set.

Built form Street pattern

Due to the size of the village there are no distinct character areas. There is a mix of historic development with some limited more modern infill development. The dominate character is traditional rural with attractive stone buildings well related to the surrounding countryside. Dovecote Farm provides an important economic function in the village with Polytunnels forming a prominent feature north of the village.

Buildings in the south eastern section of the village front directly onto the street where as development to the west and north is set back from the road with large front gardens.

Materials in the village include limestone and brick with slate, thatched and tile roofs. The historic buildings are stone built with newer infill development built in brick.

Stone building with thatched roof Stone dwelling

Public realm and landscape Key views in the village are views out of the village to the south, south east and south west. These provide panoramic views of the open countryside and the River Ise and Meadows SSSI.

173 Open space There are two important open spaces in the village. The garden to the front of Newton Lodge and the open area to the west of this are visually important open spaces which create an open character and provide links to the open countryside.

There is only one gateway into the village. The gateway reflects the rural nature of the village as the first buildings are agricultural in appearance but are particularly attractive.

Other comments The village contains many features which add to its overall character. These include the red phone box and letter box. Unsympathetic features such as grit boxes, typical concrete paving and unsightly visibility splays should be avoided.

8. Opportunities/ Issues Following public consultation on the Kettering Site Specific Proposals LDD a site in Newton was put forward as a potential new housing site. This has been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/130 - The site performs poorly in terms of accessibility and adequate access could not be gained to the southern section of the site. Part of the site to the east, may have potential for redevelopment if Newton is considered a location suitable for development but the site to the south would result in development not sympathetic to the rural and historic character of the existing village.

The site to the east could provide some employment linked to Dovecote Farm and also allow a pedestrian access from this end of the village to the café and farm shop. In addition, some development on this site could improve the appearance of some of the buildings through conversion and/or the removal of some unsightly buildings.

This site is therefore taken forward as an option for redevelopment in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

9. Draft Design Principles

Development in Newton will be extremely limited. That said it is important that any future proposals for development which do come forward are strictly controlled in order to respect the unique character and setting that Newton has. For this reason some draft design principles have been outlined, below.

174 Any new development that comes forward in Newton will: Reflect the small scale, low density, traditional and rural characteristics of the village; If in the south eastern section of the village, development will front directly onto the street; or If to the west and north be set back from the road with large front gardens; Use a limited palette of materials of limestone and red brick with slate and thatched roofs; Protect views out of the village to the south, south-east and south-west to the open countryside and the River Ise and Meadows SSSI; and If involving the conversion or replacement of traditional farm buildings, not significantly increase the footprint or mass of the existing structure.

175 Newton landform & movement map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

176 Newton public realm & landscape map

177 Newton assessed housing site map

178 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Pytchley

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 496 Demographic Split Tenure: Owned Outright: 22% Owned with a mortgage or loan: 36.9% Shared Ownership: 0% Rented from Council: 18.2% Rented from Housing Association or RSL: 0% Private rented: 14.5% Rented other: 8.4%

Age: Under 16 – 19.6% , 16-24 – 8.6% , 25-59 – 51%, 60+ - 20.8% (Census 2001) No. of Jobs Unknown Mainly farming, Golf course/ driving range, Transport Businesses / employers Company, pub, school 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre Northampton Primary Movement Infrastructure Average distance travelled to a fixed place of work 17.32km (Census 2001) Nearest major employment centre Kettering – 1.7kmm to Pytchley Lodge Industrial Estate, 3.2km to Kettering town centre Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more cars 87.4% Public Transport Provision Bus services x Route 34 – Wellingborough – Little Harrowden – Orlingbury – PYTCHLEY – Kettering, Mon- Sat, Daily x Route 38 – Kettering- Northampton, Mon-Sat, 4 a day Nearest train station x 3.3km to Kettering Station Foot / cycle path links to other settlements x Bridleway to Broughton x Footpath to Kettering but involves small section along Pytchley Lane x Footpath to Isham x Bridleway to Orlingbury Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Pytchley Golf Course is located north east of the visitor attractions or accommodation village 3. Quantum Total Area 20ha (area within village boundary) No. Houses 222 ( electoral roll) Residential Density 11.1dph Land Use Split Predominantly residential No. of affordable housing units & tenure 15 x 3 bed houses split 6 x 1 bed bungalows 16 x 2 bed bungalows No. of elderly / supported housing units N/A No. of bungalows 22 (affordable)

179 Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/A 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Yes, covers central area of the village, excludes Lower End and Church Road and residential properties along Isham Road No. Listed Buildings 12 - Church is Grade 1 Listed Flood Plain No areas of flood zones 2 or 3 within the village Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Rolling Ironstone Valley Slopes – Kettering and Wellingborough Slopes Environmental Character Assessment – Central Northamptonshire Plateau and Valleys Biodiversity Character Assessment – Cropped Clayland – Brafield and Hackleton and Liassic Slopes – Ise Valley Liassic Slopes Historic Character Assessment – Large Modern Fields – Ise Valley site: Broughton to Harrowden 5. Landscape Setting Pytchley is located on the south east facing slope of a ridge with long ranging views out across the open countryside. Agricultural Uses Mixed agricultural uses surround the settlement including arable and grazing land. Ecology No wildlife sites Watercourses There is a small stream that runs under Butchers Lane past the school and from the village south east to one of the tributaries running into the River Ise. 6. Amenities Shops No Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub The Overstone Arms Restaurant/café (The Overstone Arms serves a restaurant function) Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. Pytchley Endowed Church of England Primary School School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors No Natural and semi-natural green space No Amenity green space Lower Encl (Id 955) 0.09ha Outdoor sports facilities Pytchley playing field (Id 676) 0.81ha Cricket Pitch (not included in PPG17) Cemeteries and churchyards All Saints Church (Id 672) 0.27ha, Pytchley cemetery (Id 673) 0.1ha, Pytchley cemetery 2 (Id 678) 0.2ha Children's play areas Pytchley Playing Field Playground (Id956) 0.1ha Allotments Pytchley allotment (Id 675) 2.1ha

Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library service – Mon every three weeks

180 Broadband facilities / speed Unknown 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall, All Saints Church Places of Worship All Saints Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Bell ringers, Church, Church Heritage Trust, Cricket and toddlers and after school activities Club, Kettering Movie Makers, Friends of Pytchley clubs School, Indoor Bowls, Neighbourhood Watch, Outings Fund, Parents and Tots, Wine Club

2. Summary of Parish Plan

The Parish Plan for Pytchley was prepared in 2003, the Parish Plan has not yet been adopted by the Council and is currently being updated.

Summary of the 2003 Parish Plan: Some villagers thought there should be some small scale development of less than 10 houses and development of single dwellings within the village framework but no one thought that large groups of houses outside or bordering the village boundary should be built. Need for smaller more affordable properties. Reluctance for development outside the existing village boundary. Need for a safe pedestrian/ cycle route to Kettering. Need to protect important village facilities such as the school, pub, village hall and recreation ground. Suggested improvements to the recreation ground; skateboard ramp, more play equipment and sports facilities. Surrounding countryside is very important to residents. Little support for further business or industrial development in the village.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Pytchley Conservation Area was designated in May 1984. The village is characterised by the complexity of its street pattern which creates distinct parts to the village. There are a significant number of older buildings which although not listed make a significant contribution to the character of the village. The majority of old buildings are stone with a variety of roofing materials. Most of the buildings are domestic, although Manor House and Pytchley House provide two examples of a grander style of building.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at every individual settlement level. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough of 148 units per annum. No settlement-specific assessment has been conducted for Pytchley.

5. SHLAA findings

2 sites in Pytchley were assessed in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). The findings of the SHLAA are summarised below.

Site Reference Summary of detailed assessment RA/117 Site is fairly flat to east with a gentle slope to the centre. Development of the entire site would be unacceptable in terms of scale given the size of

181 settlement & character. Parts of site may be worthy of further consideration should need be identified. Key constraints include; provision of water and sewage infrastructure, impact on the historic environment and accessibility of key services and facilities. RA/119 Site slopes quite steeply east-west. Development of entire site would have unacceptable impact on landscape –scale too large given size of settlement & character. Northern and western parts of site best connected to centre of village & fairly well screened from rest of village, Isham Road & Stringers Hill. High quality development worthy of further consideration should a need be identified. Main constraints include; capacity of water and sewage infrastructure, safe access to the site, impact on the historic environment and accessibility of key facilities.

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation

Aspirations:

To protect the open space between Pytchley and Kettering and to resist development this side of the A14. The village boundary is just about right and does not need amending. All developments in the village in the last 10 years have been large detached homes. There is a need for a more balanced approach and smaller homes. However, is there a market for starter homes in the village? Do young people prefer to live in a town? Some support for some affordable housing within the village, if in keeping with character. Particularly if it could be for local people (within the village). Acceptance that village is unlikely to be viable for retail or employment – too small and Kettering is too close. Strong desire to protect facilities especially the viability of school and pub. Some affordable homes could perhaps help with this. Should perhaps explore the possibility of modest growth – affordable homes in keeping with character an idea to pursue. Although some doubt was expressed that any site would be found within the village envelope that would gain widespread support. Maintaining the pub and school will keep a sense of community, even if village is increasingly becoming a dormitory village. Village would support further traffic calming. Rat running is a problem including vehicles from Moulton Park using route A43 – Pytchley – A14. Further traffic calming like the ones the Parish Council paid for (approx £16,000) would be supported – solution by the school is good – by the church less so. Footpaths etc: Strong support for a non –vehicular link to Kettering. Preferred route for this is along Back Road – better route; land available; crossing of the A14 is already there and is suitable; brings you out at the back of Tescos & links to Green Links into Kettering town centre. Possible idea to make Back Road single carriageway with cycle lane with passing places for vehicles – takes away convenience / through route / rat running and speeding vehicles. Top Road / Isham Road has larger vehicles, is less safe and has no way for pedestrians and cyclists to cross large roundabout at junction with A14. There should be a direct footpath from the bus stop to the school

182 Access around the village for wheelchair users / mobility scooters / pushchairs is atrocious. Impossible to get about, e.g. from the church – pub – school – village hall. Need for carefully considered dropped kerbs, crossings etc.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network

Movement There are two primary routes through the settlement: Isham Road, High Street and Broughton Road. This is a main route through the settlement and links between Kettering and the A43. This is used as a cut through for people travelling between Kettering and Northampton. Stringers Hill and Orlingbury Road. This is the main route out of the settlement to the south.

The only other route which provides a link out of the settlement is Kettering Road. This is a secondary route which links Pytchley with Kettering.

The remainder of roads in Pytchley are tertiary streets used to access residential areas and to move around the settlement.

Pytchley has a number of footpath links which allow access to the open countryside. The village is relatively small and is pleasant to walk around. The Suburban Edge is slightly detached from the heart of the village but there are pedestrian routes which link this area to the centre of the village.

Parking is an issue outside the school at the beginning and end of the school day.

The primary route through the settlement is used as a rat run between Kettering and the A43 and this can cause problems with traffic speeding through the settlement. However parking along the High Streets limits the speed with which vehicles can travel.

Isochrones The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the majority of the village is located within 400m of the centre of Pytchley. When considering future development this provides a good indication of the proximity of sites to the centre of the settlement.

183 Landform The High Street is the main street and runs parallel to the contours. The other primary route Stringers Hill and the secondary route Kettering Road run parallel to this. The slope down Stringers Hill to the Edge Suburb is moderate.

The Historic Core and development along the High Street sits well in the landscape and soft edges create good physical and visual links with the countryside. The linear development along Isham Road and the Edge Suburbs create a more hard edge with the countryside, although there are still visual links with the open countryside and pedestrian routes which allow access to the open countryside.

Character The centre of the village is the area along the High Street. Key facilities are the Primary School, Pub, Church and Village Hall. The village hall is located at the Edge Suburbs alongside the recreation ground.

The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Pytchley. The built form diagram clearly shows the difference between the informal patterns of Historic Core and the more uniform development of the Edge Suburbs and Linear development along Isham Road. In these areas the built form is closely related to the street pattern where as in the Historic Core the buildings are more scattered in nature. Development along the High Street fronts on to this street. Development on the southern side of the High Street fronts directly onto the street and creates a dense frontage on to the High Street. On the opposite site of the street buildings tend to be set back with gardens to the front.

Pytchley – Built Form Pytchley – Street Pattern

Character Areas

Butchers Lane Area Buildings front on to the street and have an intimate character with a good sense of enclosure Building materials include limestone & ironstone with a mix of thatched, slate and tile roofs Stone walls create a continuous built form which adds to the sense of enclosure Streets are informal with pavements on one side of the road only.

184 Top End An area with its own distinct historic character Defined by the informal, enclosed approach to some of the villages higher status dwellings, such as Manor House, Dower House and Pytchley House Character is derived from tight enclosed streets and lack of planned form

High Street/ Historic Village Centre This includes the main street and key facilities such as the Church, School, Pub, the Old Vicarage and the Glebe House which were historically the core of the village Redbrick Georgian and Victorian development fronting onto the High Street and historic stone buildings Buildings front directly onto the High Street on one side of the road but are set back with gardens to the front on the opposite side of the road

20th Century linear development Post war ribbon development Development fronts on to Isham Road but is set back with large gardens to the front and rear Predominantly two storey detached and semi-detached properties with two rows of large terraces. Brick built with tile roofs.

185 Few old buildings

Edge suburbs Mainly detached and semi-detached houses and bungalows developed on a loop around the recreation ground. Backs of the properties face on to the recreation ground Development is urban in character and does not reflect the specific character of Pytchley Large front gardens and wide roads create an open character to the area which is in contrast with the enclosed intimate character of the historic areas of the village

Farmsteads There are three farmsteads on the edge of the village. These are historic farmsteads although there are new agricultural buildings associated with these. Some of the historic buildings associated with these farms have been converted into residential use.

There has been some infill development in the settlement. In some cases this does not reflect the materials and characteristics of the settlement, however there are some examples of infill development which reflects the materials and characteristics of the settlement. Below are some good examples:

186 Development reflecting local materials

Public realm and landscape The church is a key landmark and views of this can be seen throughout the settlement. Views out of the settlement are most prominent along Isham Road and down Stringers Hill and Orlingbury Road where the open nature of development and topography in these areas allows wide views out of the village.

Butchers Lane is an example of good quality public realm. This street forms part of the Historic Core and the location of buildings, stone walls and hedgerows create an attractive and intimate public realm.

The public realm along Lower End is lower quality. The wide roads and long gardens create an open character in addition the wide roads and double footpaths create an environment dominated by the car.

Butchers Lane | Lower End

Open space There is an area of open space in the centre of the settlement which is grazing land. Although this is not accessible open space it is environmentally important open space and forms part of the setting of the village.

There are four gateways into the village: Orlingbury Road – this gateway could benefit from enhancement. Tree planting could soften the entrance to the village and create a less hard edge to the village Broughton Road – this creates an attractive gateway into the village, trees and hedgerows give a sense of enclosure and arrival into the village Kettering Road – opportunity for gateway enhancement Isham Road – opportunity for gateway enhancement

187 8. Opportunities/ Issues

Gateway enhancements and public realm improvements as shown on the opportunities plan Creating of a footpath link to Kettering Improvements to recreation ground Parking is an issues outside the school at the start and end of the school day

Housing site assessments Following public consultation on the Site Specific Proposals LDD 2 sites in Pytchley were put forward as potential sites for new housing. These sites have been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of these assessments have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/117 – Site is fairly flat to east with a gentle slope to the centre. Development of the entire site would be unacceptable in terms of scale given the size of settlement & character. The parts of the site fronting Isham Road may be worthy of further consideration should need be identified.. Key constraints include; provision of water and sewage infrastructure, impact on the historic environment and accessibility of key services and facilities. Site would need to link to the centre of the village. Development would need to reflect the character of Pytchley. A small scale frontage development onto Isham Road, continuing the linear form of development along this road is taken forward as an option development in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper

Site RA/119 – Site slopes quite steeply east-west. Development of entire site would have unacceptable impact on landscape and character of Pytchley as the scale is too large given the size of the settlement and its character. The main constraints include; capacity of water and sewage infrastructure; safe access to the site; impact on the historic environment; and accessibility of key facilities. Gaining safe assess to the site is a considerable constraint. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options.

There is a garage site between numbers 22-24 Church Road, which is a potential redevelopment site for a small scale residential development, subject to the ownership and level of use of the garages.

9. Draft Design Principles

Development in Pytchley is likely to be limited. That said, it is important that any future proposals for development which do come forward respect the village’s unique character and environmental quality. For this reason draft development principles to be applied to any development proposals are proposed, below: Development should reflect the character of the historic core. The gap between Pytchley and Kettering should be maintained Development should front onto and abut the street or where set back stone walls should be used to continue the sense of enclosure. Development should create soft edges to the village through the use of planting. Use of high close-boarded fences or walls should be avoided where the edge of the village meets the countryside or at gateway locations Development of streets should reflect the hierarchy of streets in the historic core, with narrow informal streets which create a pedestrian friendly environment.

188 Pytchley landform & movement map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

189 Pytchley character areas map

190 Pytchley public realm & landscape map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

191 Pytchley assessed housing sites map

192 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Rushton

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 452 (Census 2001) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership 32.8%, Ownership mortgage/ loan 44.6%, Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 6.5%, Rented from housing association/ RSL 0%, Rented from private landlord 11.8%, Rented from other 4.3% Age: Under 16 19.9%, 16-24 8%, 25-59 53.8%, 60+ 18.4% (Census 2001) No. of Jobs Unknown

Thornhill arms (pub), Rushton Hall Hotel, Spa and Restaurant, Tyetune Motors, Homefield Grange Businesses / employers Health Spa, Rushton Hall stables, Manor Farm stables, Manor Farm guest house and local Farms

2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest Regional Centre: Northampton Other regional centres: Peterborough, Leicester Primary Movement Infrastructure Roads into & out of settlement & their classification: Station Road leading to A6003 to Kettering and Corby Desborough Road, which leads to Desborough, Rothwell and Kettering Distance to nearest town: Corby: 4.3 (6.9 km) miles centre to centre; 1.7 miles (2.7 km) edge to edge; Kettering: 2.8 miles (4.5 km); 1.8 miles (2.9km) to edge Distance travelled to work: 8.8 miles (14.2 km)(census 2001); Nearest major employment centre Kettering – 1.1 miles (1.7 km) to North Kettering Business Park, 2.6 miles (4.2 km) to town centre; Corby – 1.7 miles (2.7 km) to employment site to the south of Corby, 4.1 miles (6.6km) to town centre; Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more 92.5% (Census 2001) cars Public Transport Provision Bus: RUSHTON – ROTHWELL (Mondays only) PIPEWELL/RUSHTON – KETTERING (Fridays only) (Community Mini-bus) Stagecoach temporary service: Kettering – Rothwell – Desborough – Rushton – Corby, Hourly, Mon-Sat,

193 Only runs until early evening Nearest Train Station: x Corby – 4.5 miles (7.2 km) x Kettering Railway Station – 3.2 miles (5.1 km) Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Footpath and Bridleway run North to Pipewell. Bridleway runs south to Kettering and footpath/bridleway to North of North Kettering Business Park. Footpath runs west and connects to Rothwell Road. Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Rushton Hall/ Hotel visitor attractions or accommodation Rushton Triangular Lodge 3. Quantum Total Area 14.3ha No. Houses 200 Residential Density 14dph Land Use Split 80% residential 15% open space 5% commercial, leisure and tourism No. of affordable housing units & tenure 13 (3 Houses, 10 Bungalows) split No. of elderly / supported housing units N/a No. of bungalows N/a Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/a 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage 90% of village within conservation area. CA extends outside of the village boundary to include important open space. No. Listed Buildings 7 within village boundary Flood Plain Flood zones 2 and 3 can be found south of the village Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) Wildlife sites to the west of the village, no SSSI. Landscape Designation / typology

5. Landscape Setting The village of Rushton is situated approximately three miles to the north-west of Kettering on a south facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Ise. The River Ise runs south of the village and is a sub- regional green infrastructure corridor. Rushton is on the border of Rockingham Forest. Agricultural Uses Village is surrounded by predominantly pasture land and parkland with some arable farm land to the north and south of the village. There is a landfill site north east of the village which is planned to be extended. Permission has also been granted for 7 wind turbines north east of the village. Ecology Rushton Pocket Park is located north of Station Road Rushton Park Woodland is located south west of the village Watercourses The River Ise runs south of the village. 6. Amenities Shops No Post office Post office facility in the village hall on Monday mornings

194 Bank / cash machine No Pub Thornhill Arms Restaurant/café Thornhill Arms includes a restaurant / Rushton Hall Restaurant Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. Rushton Primary School School capacity / subscription Rushton Primary has a small amount of surplus places. The school is currently being extended to meet needs. Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors CSS GI Sub-regional corridor Ise Valley Natural and semi-natural green space 0.3ha Amenity green space 0.04ha Outdoor sports facilities 2.3 ha (2ha of this is outside of the village boundary but in walking distance) Cemeteries and churchyards 0.3ha Children's play areas 0.02ha Allotments 0

Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Corby Mobile Route: 11 - Mondays - every three weeks (High Street and Desborough Road) Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 0.95 Mb

7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Rushton Village Hall and Parish Rooms Places of Worship All Saints Church

Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Rushton Cricket Club, Rushton & Pipewell Women’s and toddlers and after school activities Institute, some after school activities, including a clubs dance club and a Tae Kwando class

2. Summary of Parish Plan

There is no Parish Plan for Rushton.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Rushton Conservation Area was designated by Kettering Borough Council on 10th June, 1986. A most important feature of the village is its setting which is provided by the contours of the land and the adjoining areas of open fields. The mid 19th century Midland Cottages and the post- war development fronting Desborough Road stand apart from the village proper as does Rushton Hall a Listed Grade I building, which is separated from the village by Desborough Road.

Within the village, there are a number of stone-built buildings of considerable individual merit, most notably All Saints Church, most of which dates from the 14th century, The Old Rectory, Manor Farm, Thornhill Arms and Rushton Manor dating from the 17th century. These buildings make an important contribution to the special character of the village, but of equal importance are the smaller 18th century stone built properties, many of which front the greater part of the High Street and give rise to the pleasing intimate character of the village. The attractive rural character of the

195 village is reinforced by the presence of stone-built agricultural buildings, the external appearance of which had been little altered.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been quantified at individual settlement level for every settlement. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough of 148 units per annum. Additionally, KBC’s Housing Strategy team can evidence a lack of affordable housing delivery in rural settlements which is failing to meet local needs. Some settlements have had settlement-specific Housing Needs Surveys completed and KBC’s Housing Strategy team are currently in the process of producing a study for Rushton which should be complete in November 2011. This study will inform later development of policies for the village.

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Rushton were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation Meeting

General Observations: Has been in-filled a lot over recent years. Concern over railway cottages – unfinished road, boarded up houses. Would like to see things finished in an appropriate timeframe. Noted that some considered that there is no scope to expand village boundary but some would like to extend conservation boundary. No more development in village envelope. Suggested that existing housing at railway sidings (unfinished/unoccupied) could be reallocated to provide land for commercial development. Suggested that landfill/tip could be redeveloped for commercial use (7 acres). Land that could be in-filled has poor access opportunities off Desborough Road. There is a big chunk in the middle of village (outside boundary) that is in single ownership. It was suggested (by landowner) that the site provided a ‘logical’ extension / infill of the village and could improve the setting and accessibility to the adjoining play area. Community Centre needed - Village Hall exists but would like a new one – with landfill tax grant aid? Traffic – is rat run between Desborough and Corby /Desborough and Rothwell. Speed calming humps haven’t been effective. Further growth may not be sustainable considering existing road congestion. Bypass might be needed, as existing traffic calming measures do not work well. Parking problems because of success of pub.

Aspirations: Would like Pocket park in centre to be protected open space (has access problems, would like solution identified) Would like cycle path to link to Desborough – preferably with hard standing Would like policy to protect pub Would like policy to protect views from/of church Would like policy to protect views from Glendon into village

196 Parish Council update November 2011 There is also a possible development site on land next to the Cricket Club. The speed calming measures have slowed the traffic but have not altered the volume of traffic. A weight restriction imposed a few years ago has almost eliminated heavy lorries coming through the village.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network Rushton is located on a valley side overlooking the River Ise corridor. The main streets run parallel to the contours. The village sits well within the attractive rural landscape and with the contours of the land and the adjoining areas of open fields.

Desborough Road is a main route which practically bypasses the village, only passing a small number of properties contained within the village boundary. This route links Rushton to Desborough to the west and Kettering to the south. The primary route through Rushton is Station Road and this links to Corby to the north east. Secondary routes include High street which loops and connects to Station Road at either end of the village. Other tertiary routes within the village link to residential properties. Traffic using the village as a cut-through is reportedly a problem at peak times.

Footpaths and bridleways run north, east and south out of the village.

Pavements exist on both sides of the street along parts of Station Road but are limited to one side of the road along a number of sections of this street. Pavements are limited to one side of the road along High Street and along other tertiary streets. On some of these streets pavements are non- existent. Pavements tend to be standard highways and do suit the historic character of this village.

Ground levels within the village slope upwards from south to north.

Character The general character of the village is a historic settlement based around the views to the church which is surrounded by open space further demonstrating its important historic setting. Modern development has occurred throughout the village and tends to be interspersed between more historic red brick and stone properties. Characterful stone cottages of an intimate scale predominate and are set within frequent examples of individual stone built buildings which make an important contribution to the special character of the village, including the Old Rectory, Manor Farm, Thornhill Arms and Rushton Manor dating from the 17th century.

The diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Rushton. The built form diagram clearly shows the clustering of development to the east of the village and also the stand-alone church and the surrounding open space. The route structure analysis shown below clearly shows the main route through the village and also the loop which the High Street forms.

197 Rushton Built Form Rushton Street Pattern

Partly due to the large area of the open space which surrounds the church and the rural character of the southern side of the village views to open countryside are prominent along the whole of the southern edge of the village. Station Road is much more enclosed as are the eastern elements of High Street where development is featured on both side of the road.

Properties along Desborough Road are physically detached from the village and almost do not feel part of the village for this reason.

Character Areas

Station Road/Historic Core From the west the gateway entrance to the village consists of large stone properties set behind stone boundary walls. At the junction of Station Road and High Street as you carry along Station Road, this area of the village begins to feel very enclosed and consists primarily of stone buildings abutting the highway. Modern Infill along Station Road is of varying quality, some constructed of stone which better suits this area of the village. The majority of this development is set back from the public highway and has a different feel to that of the older property in terms of materials and the creation of a new building line.

Properties surrounding the school and including this building are constructed of traditional red brick with gable ends fronting the highway, painted brick detailing and bay window features. Buildings in this area are red brick until you reach the gateway entrance village to the east where properties are ironstone.

High Street Along high street the majority of properties to the southern side of the street abut the highway but to the northern side properties tend to be set back at varying distances, with those to the east closer to the highway and gradually becoming further away to the west. Properties on this side of the public highway are at a raised ground level to those on the southern side.

The majority of properties along this street are rows of stone cottages with slate roofs, some more modern and less sympathetic infill has occurred.

Boundary treatments in this location are limited and properties remain open contributing to the rural character of the village.

198 Midland Cottages Modern infill has occurred towards the village but at the end of the lane Midland cottages are small traditional terrace properties set in small plots but with impressive views to the open countryside to the front elevations.

Desborough Road Properties are single and two storey buff brick and semi-detached/terrace. Previously council owned properties. These residential dwellings feel detached from the main village and are poorly linked to the rest of the village. Properties are set back from the public highway or based around a pleasant green space and predominantly face onto the public highway. There are some pleasant views in between properties to the open countryside beyond.

The main route past these properties is a busy route to Desborough.

Manor Lane Is primary characterised by large properties set in large plots, set back from the public highway. To the northern side of the street properties are modern and not in character with the rest of the village, however, due to their location they are not really visible from many parts of the village other than this part of the Manor Road.

Rushton Manor sits at the end of Manor Road and is a Grade II Listed Building, dating from 1694 and 1856. It is an H-shaped building, constructed of squared coursed ironstone with limestone dressings and Collyweston stone slate and plain tile roofs.

Public realm and landscape

199 Key buildings in the village include All Saints Church, which is a Grade II* Listed Building, Norman origin, largely rebuilt early C14 and restored 1853 and 1869. It is constructed of coursed squared ironstone with limestone dressings and lead and Collyweston stone slate roof.

Opposite the church are large grandly designed historic stone properties, set behind attractive stone boundary walls; some large more modern infill; and some more modest attractive stone cottages providing an impressive gateway into the village from the west. The entrance into the village from the east is under a small railway bridge and is less impressive although this presents an interesting entrance from this direction. Some improvements would enhance this gateway to the village. This also feels like a natural end to the village and development should not be encouraged beyond this bridge.

Behind the church is the cricket club and social room. On the apex of Station Road and High Street is the Thornhill Arms Public House, another key building within the village. This is a Grade II Listed, early 19th Century and constructed of coursed limestone rubble with ironstone quoins and hipped slate roof.

Although screened somewhat from the road, the Grade II Station house at the eastern entrance of the village is a particularly attractive former station house and station-master's house. Constructed in mid C19 and built of pale squared coursed limestone with red and blue brick dressings, slate roofs with decorative barge boards and brick ridge and lateral stacks. Development around the Station House, off Beswick Close, has somewhat undermined its setting as the proportions of buildings and scale of development directly adjacent to this Listed Building are intrusive and undermine the special interest of this building. These new properties are also out of character with the neighbouring Midland Cottages which comprise of rows of small terrace cottages primarily constructed of red brick.

The village primary school is located off Station Road with an access footpath off High Street.

Open Space

200 Areas of open space are extremely important in the village especially around the church as they provide a special setting for this key building. This open space includes the Cricket Ground to the south, which provides a key sporting opportunity within the village. Other areas of important open space include the two green spaces either side of the road at the western end of the village. These are important open spaces within the conservation area and also provide a setting for the church and an impressive gateway to Rushton Hall. There is a significant area of open space, including children’s play facilities and field behind the homes on Desborough Road, though this space is accessed only via a very narrow rough pathway, is not overlooked by development and feels isolated from the remainder of the village. A pocket part provides a green backdrop to Midland cottages and an important area for wildlife.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

Better access to Pocket park. Better access and overlooking of open space / play area behind Desborough Road. A new village hall. The majority of the properties located along the railway, off of Station Road, are currently unoccupied / unfinished, these may provide an opportunity to either meet housing needs within the village or as a site to be allocated for an alternative use.

Housing site assessments Following public consultation on the Site Specific Proposals LDD a site in Rushton was put forward as a potential new housing site - land in between the properties off Desborough Road and the east of the village. This has been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/161 - The scale of development if the whole site was developed would not be appropriate in this location. Development of the site would have an impact on the historic form of the village and on the setting of the conservation area. Site performs poorly in terms of accessibility. Development of this site could improve the link with properties off Desborough Road and the play area. However access to the site does not appear possible.

9. Draft Design Principles

New development in Rushton is likely to be limited. The following principles have been drafted to apply to any development proposals that may come forward. Development should: Not take place beyond the railway bridge; Take design, character and materials cues from the Historic Core and High Street character areas – ironstone, limestone and slate should predominate; Follow the built line of surrounding development and either abut the highway or be set back with attractive front gardens; Bring definition and enclosure to the street through the built line or stone wall boundary treatments; Protect views of the church and views out to the open countryside from the High Street and Station Road;

201 Have a positive impact on views into the village from the wider area reflecting the prominence of the settlement from the landscape; and Provide ‘soft’ edges around the village boundary, with gaps and good views through and into the countryside, and avoid new development with high close-boarded fencing or brick walls which marks boundaries with the open countryside or at gateways to the village.

202 Rushton landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

203 Rushton character areas map

204 Rushton public realm & landscape map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

205 Rushton assessed housing sites map

206 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Stoke Albany

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 319 Demographic Split Tenure: Owned outright 32.1% Owned with a mortgage or loan 46.9% Shared ownership 1.9% Rented from Council 3.1% Rented from Housing Association/ RSL 2.5% Rented from private landlord or letting agency 5.5% Rented other 8%

Age: Under 16 – 16.6%, 16-24 – 8.5%, 25-59 – 52.1%, 60+ - 22.8% No. of Jobs Unknown Businesses / employers Public house / agriculture/ Stoke Albany Golf Course 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Regional Centre: Leicester Other centres: Corby, Kettering and Market Harborough Primary Movement Infrastructure Average distance travelled to work 19.25km (Census 2001) Nearest major employment centre Market Harborough – 5.2 miles to edge, 5.4 miles to town centre Corby – 5.8 miles to town centre, 6.9 miles Earlstrees Industrial Estate Kettering – 8.4 miles to Telford Way Industrial Estate, 9 miles to town centre Leicester – 19 miles to centre Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more cars 93.8% Public Transport Provision Bus services: Route 67 – Gretton – Market Harborough, hourly, mon-sat, approx 5 a day, Centrebus Nearest train station 5.3 miles Market Harborough; 6.2 miles Corby 10.2 miles Kettering; 19.1 miles Leicester Foot / cycle path links to other settlements No foot / cycle link to Wilbarston along B669 (0.5m to the school). No off-road hard surfaced link between the 2 settlements. Rights of way: Footpath to Wilbarston Footpaths to Desborough Footpath to Braybrooke (& Macmillan Way) Footpath to Corby Bridleway to Ashley

207 Footpath to Weston-by-Welland (& Midshires Way) Footpath to Pipewell Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. The White Horse public house & B&B visitor attractions or accommodation Stoke Albany Golf Club 3. Quantum Total Area 11.5ha No. Houses 187 (GIS) Residential Density 16 dph Land Use Split Largely residential No. of affordable housing units & tenure Total of 13 affordable homes, 6 social rent, 2 shared split ownership, 5 KBC ownership, 8 RSL No. of elderly / supported housing units None No. of bungalows Unknown Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. Mostly detached 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Yes, covering most of the village No. Listed Buildings 10 Flood Plain Flood zones 2 and 3 occur to the north-west of the village, off Ashley Road, though this is outside of the village boundary. Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment –Undulating Hills & Valleys Environmental Character Assessment - West Northamptonshire Uplands Biodiversity Character Assessment – Liassic Slopes 5. Landscape Setting Extensive undulating and productive rural landscape stretching across the west of the county; Cohesive and recognisable unity of character despite scale and extent; Watercourses form part of three principal river catchments of the Cherwell, Nene and Welland; Numerous small deciduous woodlands, copses and shelterbelts punctuate the rural landscape; Hedgerow trees, within the strong hedgerow network, contribute to the perception of a well treed landscape and combine with other landscape and landform features to create an intimate, human scale landscape; Strong historic character underlies this deeply rural landscape; Numerous villages linked by winding country lanes contribute to rural character; and Communication routes, urban influences and infrastructure have, where present, eroded local rural landscape character where present. (Landscape Character Assessment) Agricultural Uses Mixed farming predominates across the landscape although local land use and field patterns are strongly

208 influenced by changes in landform. Ecology 1 pocket park Watercourses 2 small watercourses run in the gap between Stoke Albany and Wilbarston. A larger tributary of the River Welland runs to the north and west of Stoke Albany. 6. Amenities Shops No Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub 1 public house Restaurant/café No Takeaway No Other Together with Stoke Albany, Wilbarston has a Community Care Scheme, a voluntary service whereby people without access to a car can call on someone to take them to hospital, a medical centre or dentist, or to collect an urgent prescription (Parish Plan) Pre-school provision Busy Bees Pre-School Schools, primary, secondary etc. None School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors CSS GI local corridor 12b Stoke Albany - Little Oakley Natural and semi-natural green space Stoke Albany War Memorial and Stoke Albany Pocket 0.58ha (433) Amenity green space Chapel Lane 0.01ha (701), Top Green 0.07ha (490) Outdoor sports facilities Middle Lane Recreation Ground 0.72 (487), Stoke Albany Golf Course 46.68ha (430) Cemeteries and churchyards St Botolph's Church 0.32ha (432) Children's play areas Stoke Albany Recreation Ground Play Area 0.03ha (58) Allotments Yes Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library service - Thursday every three weeks Broadband facilities / speed Unknown 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall Places of Worship St Botolph's Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums A number of local organisations/ groups meet at the and toddlers and after school activities village hall, these include Cubs, Brownies etc clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan

There is no Parish Plan or Village Design Statement for Stoke Albany.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

209 The Stoke Albany Conservation Area study dates back to 1982/3 and is somewhat limited in its scope and analytical content. The basic appraisal is provided below.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

A settlement-specific Housing Needs Survey for Stoke Albany was completed in March 2011. The key findings from this study are detailed below: A potential need exists for 8 new affordable homes. Suggested mix based on the housing needs survey findings using the Keyways allocation Matrix (Keyways Allocations Policy v3 Sept 2010) would be the following: o 6 x 1 or 2 bed homes for rent o 2 x 1 or 2 bed homes for shared ownership It is also apparent from the survey findings that there is a need for smaller units of accommodation in the private market, for instance for elderly people to downsize to.

5. SHLAA findings

1 site in Stoke Albany was assessed in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) as being a Category 3 (least achievable/deliverable & most constrained) site. The site in question is shown on the map below (green Category 2 and orange Category 3).

210 6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation Meeting

Approve of the village boundary being split into two sections because it provides more protection Do not want any coalescence with Wilbarston Would like a safer footpath between Stoke Albany and Wilbarston, but are concerned that if this is provided that NCC will use this as an excuse to stop running the school bus. Concerns were raised about the amount of traffic, including lorries, that goes through the village, as Corby and Desborough get bigger. Public transport links are not good. The village has a good pub – The White Horse. They would like to explore options for developing a policy to protect it from change of use. Affordable housing was not seen as a priority for the village. Concerns were raised about the number and size of traveller sites in proximity to the village. Concerns were raised about two existing sites becoming one large site They were worried that the area was seen as a good location for traveller sites because several already exist and that therefore more may be permitted The new play area (funded by KBC) is very well used. They would like to ensure that it is protected either through retaining it as open country side (as presently) or protected open space.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network There is one primary street through the settlement which leads from the main A road to Wilbarston – Harborough Road / Wilbarston Road. Typical geometry on Harborough road – Carriageway 8m plus 2m footpaths either side. Front to front 17-18m.

The settlement is generally characterised by relatively wide rural lanes with built form enclosing one or both sides. Where there is no built form, hedgerows provide enclosure.

211 Secondary roads include ‘Ashley Road South’ which is narrower with narrower pavements which aren’t on both sides and has a similar carriageway width of about 6-7m but the built form is less set back with front to front distances of about 10m.

Streets are well related to the topography which is higher in the west than the east and falls away quite steeply to the north. Ashley Road North is a wide street running along the contour parallel with the stream in the valley below and terminating at the Church, similar to Wilbarston. Few historic buildings front onto the street instead of facing into the small side streets, with Manor house ‘gable on’ to the street. This combined with the expansive views over the valley and lack of built form on the eastern side (apart from walls), make the road feel quiet and very open.

The lane ‘Ashley Road South’ descends the slope and tree cover increases, buildings are set back, but the sense of enclosure is greater due to tree cover and topography.

Tertiary Streets run at right angles to the main north-south route Ashley Road. These back lanes run up the contour to join a further linking footpath route which runs parallel with Ashley Road. These lanes create something very special to Stoke Albany as small lanes peter out into tiny alleys and link to the footpath network. They are very intimate, with built form fronting onto the lane, and then alleys. The street geometry is tight, with no pavements and a shared carriageway space of about 4-6m, reducing down to 1-2m footpaths. However, the building front to fronts vary, creating small spaces to park cars and allowing the building lines to step in and out. Buildings run parallel to the street and at 90 degrees creating variety, but also allowing for corner buildings to address the main and side street. Continuity and enclosure is maintained, despite the varied building line, by continuous stone walls and hedges.

Isochrones: The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that all of Stoke Albany is well within 400m of the historic centre of the village highlighting that the settlement is compact and walkable and well linked pedestrian routes are intuitive and legible.

Stoke Albany Isochrone

Footpath connections are good with numerous connections with the open countryside/ towards other settlements, particularly Wilbarston.

212 Buildings generally sit very well within the landscape and are well related to the countryside and topography. This is especially the case in the historic areas. Edges are almost exclusively soft with excellent transition to the open countryside with frequent views and vistas to the village’s rural setting. Views to the east are especially important with the important open space which separates the village from Wilbarston performing an important role and contribution to Stoke Albany’s special character. The only example of hard edges occurs on the more modern developments around Harborough Road which generally present the rear of buildings and harsh boundary treatments to the countryside.

Character The overall character of the village is rural, open and green and Stoke Albany’s agricultural setting is a key ingredient in its character. A limited palette of materials exists – ironstone, slate, clay pantiles, soft red brick, thatch and small areas of cream render are found with limited instances of buff brick. There is a mix of streets with tight enclosure, rural lanes and rear alley/lanes all interspersed with open spaces which contribute to a very high quality environment in general.

The street pattern shows a simple linear form of development with properties developing down lanes at right angles from the main street. The figure ground diagram shows generally low density development which is markedly more scattered in the cluster to the north. In the south development is more organised and arranged in a distinct linear form.

Stoke Albany – Built form Stoke Albany– Street pattern

This differentiation in character marks the distinction between the 2 dominant character areas which form the overarching character of the settlement.

Character areas

Historic linear development Predominantly ironstone and slate roofed historic cottages, some red brick and thatch arranged around linear back lanes which run at right angles to the main street.

The lanes create something very special to Stoke Albany as small lanes peter out into tiny alleys and link to the footpath network. They are very intimate, with built form fronting onto the lane, and then alleys. Buildings run parallel to the street and at 90 degrees creating variety, but also allowing

213 for corner buildings to address the main and side street. Continuity and enclosure is maintained, despite the varied building line, by continuous stone walls and hedges. Unlike larger towns and villages, there is a real feeling of openness and inter-visibility between public and private areas with footpaths weaving between buildings and private gardens. However, since the routes are well used and well surveilled, security does not feel compromised.

Historic radial development Predominantly ironstone and slate roofed, historic, large buildings in large plots arranged around the focal point crossroads and green.

At the lower end of the village, much looser development is formed around the crossroads. Buildings are well set back and elevated from the street as well as being in much larger plots. The street continues to feel enclosed by trees, hedges, the topography and stone walls and the church forms an end stop to views.

The character is very open, spacious and green and characterised by distinctive historic buildings including the church.

Rural edge The southern extent of the village is marked by a greater mix of buildings and materials. There is continuous enclosure of the road, with buildings or boundary treatments. Buildings are not set back from the street edge, and most front onto the street. There are occasional glimpses to long views over the valley to the east and to some paddock and grazing land.

214 Edge suburbs More modern development is found at the western extent of the village which has developed along Harborough Road including a post-war council housing scheme. Development here is not reflective of the character, materials or street pattern of the more historic areas of the village. With materials dominated by standard red or buff brick and concrete tile roofs. Continuity of street enclosure and boundary treatments break down. Buildings are set back and frontage car parking separates the proprieties from the streetscene. Permeability is destroyed by cul-de-sac developments.

Public realm and landscape

Public realm Public realm in the historic areas of the village is very good and characterised throughout by an open and rural feel. The public realm is less successful in the edge suburbs character areas which are less distinctive and incongruous with the historic part of the village in terms of structure, enclosure, definition, materials and boundary treatments.

Comparison of public realm in historic character areas and modern developments

Views There exists a lovely juxtaposition of long open views down the valley and into the landscape, along with short, intimate views along the back lanes. Panoramic vistas on the countryside which separate Stoke Albany and Wilbarston can be enjoyed from Ashley Road.

Open spaces There are several important open spaces throughout the village which each contribute to its unique character. There is a well maintained and well used play space and a network of small pocket parks which bring open spaces into the settlement, but also the informal network of paths and routes allow views into large front and side gardens. These add to the sense of greenery and the

215 merging of the countryside into the village’s built form. The open aspect onto private gardens allows private open space to contribute to the street’s quality. Typically open edges are presented to the countryside.

Streetscape Despite their small scale, the lanes accommodate pedestrians, vehicle movements and parking. Speeds are very low and the spaces feel well overlooked and safe. Cars are not dominant despite the small spaces, since they are generally tucked away and partially obscured by planting or the built form.

Speeding is clearly an issue on Harborough Road, lower Ashley Road and Wilbarston road. These are also the places where there are problems with parking and the highway dominates and detracts from the character of the village. Crossing the road at the main crossroads junction is difficult for pedestrians both because of speeds of traffic and limited sightlines. Indeed the pub no longer has a front door onto the street since presumably this is too inhospitable an environment.

The crossroads in front of the pub appears over engineered, presents a poor gateway to the village and is a barrier to intuitive and safe pedestrian movement.

Crossroads in front of the White Horse

Parking is an issue for the post war Council estate. While there is a rear garage court, it is not surveilled and poorly maintained so instead people park on the street at the front of their property or on the grass verges, which leads to cars dominating the streetscene.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

Dingley Discussion at the Dingley Parish Council Meeting identified a paddock off Braybrooke Road as having some potential to accommodate development of approximately 7 dwellings. However, due to the lack of services and facilities within the village and its isolated and scattered form, any new development of this nature would be considered unsustainable at this time. The site therefore, will not be taken forward as an option for redevelopment in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

216 Stoke Albany

Housing site assessments Following public consultation on the Site Specific Proposals LDD, 3 sites in Stoke Albany were put forward as potential new housing sites. These sites have been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of the assessments are summarised as follows:

Site RA/120 - Farm and land at Stoke Farm, Ashley Road - Development of this site could improve its appearance to the benefit of the village. However, development of this site may have a negative impact on the setting of neighbouring Listed Buildings and the character and appearance of the Stoke Albany Conservation Area. The site is located in a minerals consultation area. Highways trees and verge are to be retained. Overall the site scores well and a high quality well designed scheme could make a positive contribution to the built environment through replacement of the large mass agricultural buildings with domestic scale dwellings in keeping with the historic character of the village. The site is therefore taken forward as an option for redevelopment in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Site RA/160 - Land to rear of 6 Bottom Lane - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and is sensitive to new development due to existing planting, elevated position and its potential impact on the neighbouring Conservation Area and Listed Buildings. The gap between the two elements of the village boundary is an important aspect of the village’s unique character and development of this site would be to the detriment of this. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Site RA/147 - Land to the North of Harborough Road - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and the village has limited facilities to support new growth i.e. a school. Any future development would need to be carefully designed due to the elevated position of the site and should consider the potential impacts on the neighbouring Conservation Area and Listed Buildings. Access to the site is also a problem. For these reasons, unless need or desire for more significant growth in the village is identified, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

8. Opportunities for enhancement

The following potential opportunities for improvement within the village were identified: 20mph zone throughout – and all the way to Wilbarston Reduce carriageway size, tighten junction geometry and design in on street parking to create pinch points on Harborough Road and the southern end of Ashley Road. Remove centre lines and resurface in gravel dressing. Narrow carriageway with lining under bridge to increase sense of gateway and reduce speeds. Improve junction with speed table, create front garden space with planting for pub, reduce carriageway Create a paved footpath to Wilbarston alongside road. There is a potential redevelopment site / opportunity for barn conversion at 6 Desborough Road. There is a potential redevelopment of a farm site (part of submitted SHLAA site RA/120) at the intersection of Ashley Road and Lower Road. This site has the potential, through a high quality development, to enhance the streetscene with a mixed use or residential development. Ideally this should retain some employment within the village perhaps through conversion of smaller historic units at the front.

217 Potential redevelopment site at Ashley Road / Lower Road

9. Draft Design Principles

Any redevelopment of site RA/120 (part of SHLAA site RA/120) at Ashley Road / Lower Road will: Seek to provide a mixed use scheme and retain some employment within the village; Be constructed primarily of ironstone with slate roof and limited red brick. Proposals involving contemporary materials outside of this palette may be considered where they are of an exceptionally high standard in terms of design, materials and positive impact on the character of the village; Retain and convert the existing smaller historic stone and brick barns and outbuildings; Retain the existing stone wall and tree frontage on Ashley Road; Create a development with a rural, farmyard character Reflect the local character of large dwellings in large plots, set well back from the road with substantial landscaping between; Ensure new buildings face out onto and appropriately address the attractive intersection space at Ashley Road / Lower Road; Provide for a rear lane footpath to connect southwards and carry on the existing lanes footpath northwards; Use the buildings on Lower Road as a template for clusters of buildings (residential and non residential) around shared courtyards; and Replace the large coniferous trees with more appropriate indigenous species.

Elsewhere, new development in Stoke Albany is likely to be extremely limited. The following principles will apply to any development proposals that may come forward. Development will:

Use a limited palette of materials reflecting the historic buildings within the village: o Ironstone; o Slate; o Clay pantiles; o Soft red brick; o Thatch; o Small areas of cream render. o Proposals involving contemporary materials outside of this palette may be considered where they are of an exceptionally high standard in terms of design, materials and positive impact on the character of the village. If north of the built line of Bottom Lane, development will: o Be reflective of the character of the Historic Radial character area; o Be well set-back and slightly elevated from the street; o Comprise large footprint buildings in large plots arranged around the focal point crossroads and green; o Continue street enclosure with stone boundary treatments, trees or hedges. Elsewhere, development will: o Be reflective of the character of the Historic Linear character area;

218 o Maintain the linear form of development – buildings will run parallel to the street and at 90 degrees creating variety, but ensuring corner buildings address the main and side streets appropriately. o Be of an intimate scale and reflect the mass and height of surrounding buildings; o Create tight enclosure to streets and space, with built form fronting directly onto the streets, lanes, or alleys; o Ensure continuity and enclosure is maintained, despite the varied building line, by continuous stone walls and hedges; o Reflect the rural lanes and rear alley/lanes characteristics – interconnected footpaths and footpaths weaving between buildings and private gardens are encouraged; o Ensure that buildings are interspersed with open spaces; and o Ensure a feeling of openness is maintained with inter-visibility between public and private areas.

219 Stoke Albany landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

220 Stoke Albany character areas map

221 Stoke Albany public realm & landscape map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

222 Stoke Albany assessed housing sites map

223 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Sutton Bassett

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 43 (electoral roll) Figure supplied by Parish Meeting is 69 excluding children Demographic Split Tenure: Owned Outright: 39.3% Owned with a mortgage or loan: 40.2% Shared Ownership: 0% Rented from Council: 14.7% Rented from Housing Association or RSL: 0% Private rented: 2.9% Rented other: 2.9%

Age: Under 16 – 14.8% , 16-24 – 7.4% , 25-59 – 50.7%, 60+ - 27.1%

(Census 2001 figures for Sutton Bassett and Weston by Welland) No. of Jobs Unknown Employment is located at Sutton Lodge Farm south Businesses / employers east of the village. There are 6 self employed people based in the village. 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre: Leicester Residents look to Market Harborough for the majority of services and facilities. Primary Movement Infrastructure Nearest main roads are the A6 and A427 which provide access to Leicester, Corby and Kettering. Average distance travelled to a fixed place of work 30.44(Census 2001 figures for Sutton Bassett and Weston by Welland) Nearest major employment centre Market Harborough – 3.4km to industrial estate Corby – 10.7km to town centre Modal Split Number of people who own one or more car – 88.9% (Census 2001 figure for Sutton Bassett and Weston by Welland) Public Transport Provision Bus services: x Service 67 runs once per day from Sutton Basset to Market Harborough x RR7 and RR9 – SUTTON BASSETT – Market Harborough, Tues and Sat Foot / cycle path links to other settlements x Footpath links to Weston by Welland, Ashley, Stoke Albany, Wilbarston, Dingley, Great Bowden and Welham x Footpath links to Desborough although a short section of this is along Hermitage Road south of Brampton Ash Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Sutton Lodge B&B, The Queens Head Inn visitor attractions or accommodation 3. Quantum Total Area 55011m2/ 5.5ha

224 No. Houses 43 (electoral roll) Residential Density 7.8 dph Land Use Split Predominantly residential

No. of affordable housing units & tenure 3 x 3bed properties split No. of elderly / supported housing units Unknown No. of bungalows 3 Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- 20% semi detached and 80% detached detached, detached etc. 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage No conservation area No. Listed Buildings 4 Listed Buildings, All grade II Flood Plain No Flood Plain Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Undulating Hills and Valleys Environmental Character Assessment – Welland Valley Biodiversity Character Assessment 5. Landscape Setting Sutton Bassett is roughly 14 miles north-west of Kettering, 12 miles west of Corby, 7 miles north-east of Desborough and roughly 4 miles from Market Harborough. Agricultural Uses Mainly grazing land surrounding the village Ecology None Watercourses None in the village but the River Welland forms the western boundary of the Parish 6. Amenities Shops No Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub The Queens Head Inn Restaurant/café No Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors No – nearest = local corridor 20 – Welland Valley Natural and semi-natural green space None Amenity green space The large area around the Church is maintained by the village as an amenity Outdoor sports facilities None Cemeteries and churchyards None Children's play areas None Allotments None Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc No mobile library service

225 Broadband facilities / speed Yes 0.8 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings None Places of Worship All Saints’ Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Sutton Bassett Social Group and toddlers and after school activities clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan

There is no Parish Plan for Sutton Bassett.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

None

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at every individual settlement level. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough. No settlement-specific assessment has been conducted for Sutton Bassett.

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Sutton Bassett were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Meeting

Aspirations Majority of the village wanted it to stay as it is at the moment but some individuals felt the village should have some small scale growth to help keep facilities Residents would like a new path from the village to Dingley Lane (estimated at approximately 200m in length). This would link to footpaths in the wider area. The new footpath would run along side the B664, on the grass verge, and can be seen as a safety enhancement as currently all pedestrians, which can include children and the elderly, have to walk in the road which can be busy at times. An aspiration for a play area was expressed however there were concerns that this would not be feasible due to initial cost and cost of maintenance Residents were happy that employment development remained at Lodge Farm The village pub should be protected, in the future there may be a need to extend the pub car park The village is ribbon development and this is an important part of its character and should be protected Open space protected in the Local Plan should continue to be protected

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network

226 Sutton Bassett has a single primary street (Main Street/Weston Road) running through the entire length of the village with properties either side. There are no other streets that come off this single primary street.

To the south, roads link to Dingley and to the north Weston by Welland. To the west of the settlement, roads link to Market Harborough.

Footpaths run out the village to the west and east and connect to the larger network which runs north, south and east, this includes the Midshires Way, a long distance footpath, which runs through the Parish.

Pavements run along both sides of the road providing pedestrians and drivers ample room, these pavements are edged with brick curb.

A bus stop connecting to a daily bus service stops in the centre of the village.

Isochrones:

The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that all of Sutton Bassett is well within 400m of the historic centre of the village.

Sutton Bassett Isochrone

Character Sutton Bassett is a relatively small linear village with development running either side of one main street. The village largely comprises of a mix of modern and historic buildings. Historic development is largely ironstone, Collyweston Stone or Northamptonshire red brick with either thatched or slate roofs, there is also a building made on Northamptonshire Sand Stone. A mix of modern development constructed in varying styles using a variety of brick colours, is dispersed throughout the village. Development is generally set behind red brick walls. However, the more modern properties by All Saints Church and the neighbouring farmstead sit behind stone boundary walls. A significant proportion of more modern properties are fronted by a historic stone wall which runs down both sites of Main Street from the historic centre of the village virtually to the southern boundary. This contributes considerable to the character of the village.

The figure diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Sutton Bassett. These show the simple street pattern and the form of development along this street. These show clearly the spaced out nature of development which characterises this village. Also, the farmstead is clearly identifiable.

227 Sutton Bassett – Built form Sutton Bassett – Street pattern

There are sporadic views in between properties but development along the main street is fairly compact until you reach the gateways of the village. To the north, development is only on one side of the street. To the south, small open spaces interrupt the building line.

Public realm and landscape

Gateways On both gateway entrances to the village (north and south) there exists some opportunity for improvements. Notably on the Weston Road (northern gateway) modern buildings, from no. 46 onwards, mark the entrance/exit to this otherwise historic village. The modern houses are set in reasonably sized plots with a mix of close board fencing and rectangular stone walling and so opportunity exists for gateway enhancement. No. 1 and No. 2, are located at the southern edge of the village, and mark the other entrance to the village. This end of the village is again modern in character, mainly comprising of newer properties outside of the historic core of the centre of the village.

Key buildings Key buildings located within the village include the Grade II Listed All Saints Church, built of squared coursed and regular coursed limestone and lias with Collyweston slate roof (C12 to C14, partly rebuilt 1856). As the village does not have a formal meeting room, the church provides a community as well as religious function. The Queens Head Inn, although not particularly striking in appearance, it does have an important function within Sutton Bassett and a remarkable vista to the rear of the site from the garden.

228 All Saints Church | Queens Head Inn

Views Important vistas are present opposite the All Saints Church and at both the north and south gateways to village. Some views to open countryside exist across important open spaces within the village. There is an important view out to the countryside from the area of green space by the pumping station / pub. Where there are gaps in the built form the views out to the west are panoramic vistas of the Welland Valley. There is also an important view to the south of the village over farm land to Dingley Park.

Open Space Small areas of open space break up the form of the village and are mainly located around the Church and to the south of the village. These are shown on the public realm and landscape map. Green verges outside the front of properties are particularly important and add a character to this village that not many other linear style villages would have. These should be retained.

Open spaces | Setting of Church | Green Verges

Character Areas The dominant character area is the Historic Core though within this other Character Areas are very inter-dispersed and varied and this is clearly visible on the public realm and landscape map. A summary of these areas has been included below:

Historic Core The historic core comprises of: Linear development Ironstone buildings with thatched or slate roofs Traditional red brick properties with slate roofs Stone and red brick boundary walls Stone barns and farm buildings

229 Modern Infill Modern infill largely comprises of: Large properties set in large plots A variance of building styles and materials comprising of different coloured bricks, concrete roof tiles and render Modern properties in some places have been set behind traditional red brick boundary walls but others are set behind landscaping and close boarded fencing

Farmsteads x There are two farmsteads in the village. These are historic farmsteads although there are modern agricultural buildings which have been added to these.

Other comments There are some examples of attractive and historic street furniture contained within the village including lamp-posts; a red letterbox and phone box; and a timber bus shelter and notice board which should be retained.

230 8. Opportunities/ Issues

Given the size of Sutton Bassett the opportunities for development are slim, with any new development likely to be in the form of barn or farmstead conversions. Other land that could potentially be considered for development is still agricultural use or considered to be green open spaces important to the village.

Any subsequent development of barns or farmsteads should be in the form of conversion only, for residential or for small business uses. Some consideration may need to be given to positioning and opportunities for outdoor space and further openings should be limited to maintain the character of these historic barns.

The softening and improvement of the car park of the Queens Head Inn could improve the overall appearance of this area of the village.

9. Draft Design Principles

Development in Sutton Basset should be extremely limited but any new development should be in the form of carefully planned conversions consisting of limited new openings to maintain the character of these buildings. Any new development should:

x Follow the linear, ribbon development form of the village with buildings almost exclusively fronting onto or facing Main Street. Any infill development will continue this character with buildings orientated towards Main Street and new dwellings in rear gardens will not be permitted; x Be set behind stone or red brick boundary walls where present and not involve the punching of any additional openings within existing boundary walls; x Be constructed of traditional red brick or stone with slate roofs; x Respect the historic character of the village and the setting of the Church; and x Contribute towards the identified new footpath link to Dingley Lane (ensure consistency with GI Policy) x Maintain open spaces and the wide tree lined grass verges in the village

231 Sutton Bassett Rural Masterplanning analysis map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

232 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Thorpe Malsor

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 146 (Census 2001) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership 20%, Ownership mortgage/ loan 30%, Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 22%, Rented from housing association/ RSL 0%, Rented from private landlord 14%, Rented from other 14%

Age: Under 16 14.4%, 16-24 7.5%, 25-59 38.4%, 60+ 39.7% (Census 2001) No. of Jobs Unknown No major employers Businesses / employers Farm related employment, Care Home 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre - Northampton Primary Movement Infrastructure Roads into & out of settlement & their classification: Thorpe Malsor is linked to Kettering and Loddington by a C class road. All other roads into and out of the village are unclassified.

Distance to nearest town: 1.5 miles (2.5 km) to Kettering Town Centre

Distance travelled to work: 12 miles (19.68km) (Census 2001) Nearest major employment centre Kettering Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more cars 88.2% (Census 2001) Public Transport Provision Bus services: x Shared Taxi Bus – Great Cransley – Loddington – Thorpe Malsor – Kettering, Mon to Sat, Daily Nearest Train Station: Kettering 1.7 miles (2.8 km) Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Footpath links to Cransley reservoir Links to other settlements require some on-road walking Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. visitor attractions or accommodation None 3. Quantum Total Area 64769m2 6.47ha No. Houses 57 (electoral roll) Residential Density 8.8 dph

233 Land Use Split Predominantly residential No. of affordable housing units & tenure 2 x 1 Bed Bungalow split 8 x 2 Bed Bungalow 1 x 3 Bed House No. of elderly / supported housing units Residential and Retirement Homes: Rookery Cottage No. of bungalows 10 (affordable) Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. N/A 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage The conservation area covers the majority of the village with the exception of more modern development in the north east of the village No. Listed Buildings There are 11 Listed buildings or structures in the village with significant listed curtilages Flood Plain No areas of flood plain in the village Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) No designated sites near to the settlement Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Rolling Ironstone Valley Slopes – Kettering and Wellingborough Slopes Environmental Character Assessment – Central Northamptonshire Plateaux and Valleys Biodiversity Character Assessment – Liassic Slopes – Ise Valley Liassic Slopes Historic Landscape Character – Pre 19th Century non Parliamentary enclosure – Brampton Brooke – River Ise Watershed and 19th Century Parliamentary enclosure – Thorpe Malsor – Braybrooke Uplands 5. Landscape Setting The setting to the village is provided by the extensive grounds of Thorpe Malsor Hall located on the southern edge of the village. Agricultural Uses Some arable and pasture land around the village Ecology No designated wildlife sites Watercourses Cransley Reservoir is 650m south of the village 6. Amenities Shops No Post office No Bank / cash machine No Pub Social club Restaurant/café No Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription No Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors No Natural and semi-natural green space No Amenity green space Thorpe Malsor village green (Id 852) 0.05ha, Eagle Lane AGS (Id 853) 0.02ha Outdoor sports facilities No

234 Cemeteries and churchyards All Saints Church (Id 568) 0.21ha Children's play areas The Square Play Area (Id 851) 0.06ha Allotments Short Lane Allotments (Id 117) 1.5ha Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library every three weeks on a Mon Broadband facilities / speed Unknown 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall Places of Worship All Saints Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums None identified and toddlers and after school activities clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan No Parish Plan exists for Thorpe Malsor.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Thorpe Malsor Conservation Area was designated by Kettering Borough Council on 24th March 1982. The bulk of the village has a linear form, astride Church Way, the main thoroughfare. Most of the built-up areas of the village are located to the north of Church Way, Thorpe Malsor Hall and its related parkland occupying the area immediately to the south. Although linear in form, the village is quite compact, most of the houses being near either to the grounds of Thorpe Malsor Hall or All Saints Church. The essential character of the village is formed by the grouping of dwellings fronting onto the northern side of Church Way, and by the continuous stone wall backed by a dense and imposing tree screen, to the south. However, the appearance of the Conservation Area is considerably enhanced by a number of individual buildings such as Lancefield House and The Old Rectory. Apart from more recent brick-built additions to the village, the main building materials are limestone and ironstone, with slate roofs. A number of buildings date from the 18th century, although there are some earlier examples, notably All Saints Church, parts of which date from the 13th and 15th centuries, and Thorpe Malsor Hall, which dates from the early 17th century. These buildings, together with the 18th cottage at 24, Church Way, are listed as being of architectural and historic interest, the church forming an obvious focal point. A large proportion of the remaining building stock is regarded as significantly contributing to the character of the village. This character is further enhanced by the planted open spaces and tree belts in and around the village. The boundary of the Conservation Area for Thorpe Malsor, indicated on the plan attached to this document has been drawn so as to include all the buildings and significant features which contribute to the character of the village. In addition, the importance of open land and its contribution to village character and appearance is demonstrated by the inclusion within the boundary of several peripheral open spaces which are considered to be of particular importance to the setting of the village, particularly when approached from Loddington.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at every individual settlement level. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough. No settlement-specific assessment has been conducted for Thorpe Malsor.

235 5. SHLAA findings

No sites were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) in Thorpe Malsor.

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network The primary route through the settlement is Church Way/ Short Lane. This route is bypassed by the Loddington to Kettering Road so does not have a significant amount of through traffic. The primary route links with routes to Kettering and Loddington.

There is one secondary route, Eagle Lane, which links the village to routes to Great Cransley and an alternative route to Kettering.

The remaining routes in the village are tertiary streets. These routes are all located off Church Way and Short Street and provide access to residential properties.

There were no visible issues with speeding or parking in the village.

The village is easy to navigate around as all streets link to the main street. Along the tertiary streets there is less definition between public and private space and streets are informal. There are footpath links out of the village which provide access to Cransley reservoir and the wider countryside. Pedestrian links to other settlements would require some on-road walking.

A footpath runs along the length of Church Way until you reach Thorpe Malsor Village Hall which virtually marks the edge of the village. Footpath stops short of the edge of the village, at the end of Church Way to the north-east. Small paths lead to new residential development behind the main street and this combined with the shared spaces make the village easy to navigate and walk around.

Isochrones The diagram below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the whole village is within 400m walking distance of the centre.

236 Landform Thorpe Malsor is located in a valley which slopes up to the west of the village.

Character Church Way is the main street in the village. The Church and Village Hall are located on this street.

The below figure ground diagrams show the built form and street patterns in Thorpe Malsor. The majority of development fronts onto Church Way. However to the north of this street development is located off a number of more informal streets.

Thorpe Malsor Built Form Thorpe Malsor Street Pattern

Historic Core With the exception of Church Way which is the main route through the village there is little distinction between public and private space Materials are limestone and ironstone with slate roofs The previously linear nature of the village is clearly visible in the historic core, with only 19 the Square, Lancefield House and Thorpe Malsor Hall not having street frontage onto Church Way. Modern development behind the historic core has undermined this element of the character of the village although the variance of the building materials and new building lines make the old and new clearly distinguishable.

237 Within this part of the village there is a significant variance in building lines with some properties abutting the highway and others set back. Also, some properties fronting onto the highway and others having more a side elevation aspect.

Farmsteads Historic farm buildings located within the village with more modern agricultural buildings located on the edge of the village These sites comprise of a stone farmhouse with red brick barns scattered either adjacent to or behind.

The Square Semi-detached houses and bungalows Brick built One ironstone Grade II Listed building, Number 19 sits on the square behind an attractive green space and tree. This property is now 1 house but was previously a barn and 5 adjoining cottages, dating back to 1652.

Modern Development Brick built Generally out of character with the rest of the historic village due to the use of the materials, it’s positioning in the village (not fronting onto Church Way or respecting the historic linear form of the village) and the style of design of properties.

Short Lane Large properties, set in large plots, set well back from the public highway.

238 Opposite open space creating an open and rural gateway to an historic village from the north- east.

Public realm and landscape The village is principally historic in character and primarily consists of attractive ironstone buildings with slate roofs abutting the public highway. Small green spaces within the village add significantly to its character but the later additions to the village somewhat undermine its historic character and form. Despite this the prevalent character of the village is particularly attractive and much that undermines this is hidden from view, away from the main street.

Key landmarks in the village are All Saints Church, the Grade II* Listed, C13 Ironstone building, set on a higher ground level behind an attractive stone boundary wall. Views to the Church are visible from most of the village increasing the prominence of the church in the village. Little new development has taken place around the church which has protected the setting of this particularly special historic building.

Other key buildings to the function of the village are the village hall and social club.

239 Open spaces Green open corners and spaces in front of dwellings significantly add to the character of the village and frame elevations of key buildings village within the village. These include:

Two green spaces within The Square A green space in front of 42 and 44 Church Way A green space in front of 26 and 28 Church Way The green corner opposite the grand entrance to Thorpe Malsor Hall and where Church Way meets Short Lane. The cemetery around the Church

Allotments to the north-east of the village provide a rural gateway into the village from this direction and should also be protected.

Dense vegetation to the southern boundary of Church Way adds to the rural character of the village and protects the setting of Thorpe Malsor Hall.

Other comments There is some attractive street furniture contained within the village including benches, street lamps and a red telephone box. Features like this should be retained and enhanced where possible.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

There are no development sites which have been promoted in Thorpe Malsor. Farmsteads – there are two farmsteads within the village. These play an important economic role in the village. Should these become available, redevelopment should include an element of small scale employment development to retain this function within the village. Where buildings are suitable they should be converted rather than redeveloped. Any development should reflect the existing form and character of the farmsteads. There are several historic barns in front of the Old Rectory and one adjacent to the village hall, fronting Church Way. These barns could provide an opportunity for conversion development

240 only. This conversion could take the form of residential or for small business uses. Some consideration may need to be given to positioning and opportunities for outdoor space. Further openings should be limited to maintain the character of these historic barns.

There are surprisingly few Listed Buildings within the village. There may be potential to create a Local List which protects those buildings which have a particularly unique character which adds significantly to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area or adds to the setting of a Listed Building

9. Draft Design Principles

Development in Thorpe Malsor should be extremely limited but any new development should be in the form of carefully planned conversions consisting of limited new openings to maintain the character of these buildings. Any new development should:

Provide the addition of a small extension to the public footpath to include the north-east edge of the village, along Short Lane, which would allow easy walking access from this end of the village; Retain historic buildings and features; Gateways into the village should be improved to create an enhanced entrance into Thorpe Malsor; and No new development should take place to the south of Church Way (other than conversions of existing buildings) to protect the open space and setting of the Church and Thorpe Malsor Hall

241 Thorpe Malsor landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

242 Thorpe Malsor character areas map

243 Thorpe Malsor public realm & landscape map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

244 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Warkton

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 147 (2001 Census) Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership 17%, Ownership mortgage/ loan 28.8%, Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 0%, Rented from housing association/ RSL 5.1%, Rented from private landlord 40.7%, Rented from other 6.7% Age: Under 16 17%, 16-24 8.8%, 25-59 56.5%, 60+ 17.7% (Census 2001) No. of Jobs Unknown – farms, some light industrial units and farm shop at Moorfield farm Businesses / employers 3-4 businesses at Moorfield farm 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest Regional Centre: Northampton Other regional centres: Peterborough, Leicester Primary Movement Infrastructure Roads into & out of settlement & their classification: Close to A4300 Minor roads link to nearby villages e.g. Grafton Underwood and Weekley Distance to nearest town: Kettering: 1.4 miles to centre to centre; 0.3 miles edge to edge; Distance travelled to work: 8.3 miles (census 2001); Nearest major employment centre Kettering: 1.8 miles to North Kettering Business Park Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more cars 89.7% (Census 2001) Public Transport Provision No Bus Service Nearest Train Station 2 miles to Kettering Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Footpath to Grafton Underwood Footpath and Bridleway links to Kettering Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. None visitor attractions or accommodation 3. Quantum Total Area 8.2ha No. Houses 61 Residential Density 7dph Land Use Split Predominately residential and agricultural, some employment No. of affordable housing units & tenure 0 split No. of elderly / supported housing units 0 No. of bungalows 0

245 Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- Mostly detached, some semi-detached, terraced runs detached, detached etc. of cottages. 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage 100% No. Listed Buildings 29 Flood Plain Very small part of the village is in Flood Zone 2 Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment: Rolling Ironstone Valley Slopes – Irthlingborough Slopes and River Valley Floodplain – River Ise Floodplain Environmental Character Assessment – Rockingham Forest Biodiversity Character Assessment – Limestone Slopes – Ise Valley Limestone Slopes and Minor Floodplain – River Ise Historic Landscape Character – Fragmented Parliamentary Enclosure – Grafton – Warkton Clay Plateau 5. Landscape Setting Warkton is set in rising ground aside the River Ise. Warkton is a village that can be comprehended in one glance from vantage points along the A43, yet within the village there is a fine combination of enclosure with outward views especially to the west. (Conservation Area Appraisal) Agricultural Uses The medieval open field system around the village survives well. The village is primarily Grade III agricultural land. Ecology Bridge’s Northamptonshire, 1724, mentions two quarries; one of ‘soft red stone’ – probably ironstone – and one to the east ‘a very hard an excellent stone’ – almost certainly limestone, but their site is uncertain. (Conservation Area Appraisal) Watercourses River Ise. 6. Amenities Shops Farm Shop Post office Open Monday morning only Bank / cash machine No Pub No Restaurant/café Café at farm shop Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors Local Corridor – Wicksteed Park – Thrapston (10b) Sub-regional corridor 10 – Ise Valley Natural and semi-natural green space 0 Amenity green space Warkton Village Green 0.1(806) Warkton Village Hall 0.04 (807) Outdoor sports facilities 0 Cemeteries and churchyards Warkton Churchyard 0.34 (693)

246 Children's play areas 0 Allotments 0 Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile Library: Fridays (every 3 weeks) Broadband facilities / speed Unknown 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Warkton Village Hall Places of Worship Warkton Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Craft Fair once a month and toddlers and after school activities clubs

2. Summary of Parish Plan

There is no Parish Plan for Warkton

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Warkton Conservation Area was reviewed in March 2007. Warkton is set in rising ground aside the River Ise. Warkton is a fine example of an estate village which has benefited from centuries of care by the Boughton Estate. The size and shape of the village has remained remarkably constant, with most properties being set along the main street and its southern loop, the church forming a very strong focus with open paddocks on its north and south sides. There are very few buildings later than the 19th century. The village plan, together with almost consistent use of vernacular building materials and the existence of significant groups of trees, gives Warkton its very special character. Indigenous building materials are locally quarried limestone and locally grown wheat straw thatch. The older cottages are built in this way, but reconstructions have produced tiled roofs, with Welsh slate also appearing in the 19th century.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Warkton were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network

Movement

247 Warkton is a small village with a compact form and few streets. There is one primary route through the village, which experiences moderate traffic during the day as a main route into Kettering from the rural area to the east, at peak times traffic is heavy as the route is used by traffic travelling to and from the Barton Seagrave/ Ise Lodge direction. Traffic calming helps to slow the speed of this traffic. Elsewhere in the village streets are tertiary in nature and there are no through routes, meaning traffic is limited to that accessing homes and facilities in the village.

There was little on street parking during our visit but this may become more evident in the evenings and at weekends.

Warkton Isochrone

Pedestrian routes within the village are well linked and intuitive owing to the compact nature of the settlement. As shown by the isochrone diagram, the whole village is well within a 400m radius of the centre. A pleasant pedestrian circuit exists around the village, although the pedestrian environment is not pleasant on the narrow footways of the main road when traffic is heavy.

There are several public footpaths or bridleways around the village into the surrounding countryside, including a route along the River Ise and a path to neighbouring Weekley. There is also an off-road pedestrian path up the hill of the main road to Stamford Road which links to the well used off road shared pedestrian and cycle way which links to Kettering and Weekley. A new potential pedestrian route is suggested which would link the centre of the village with the path along the Ise, as shown on the Landform and Movement map

A historic settlement centre is evident around the church, village hall and associated green space. Though there is no ‘High Street’ evident and no facilities such as a Post Office or shop (though a farm shop operates at weekends). There is no public transport provision for the village.

Buildings sit very well in the landscape and are very well related to the countryside. Almost the whole village has soft edges with excellent physical and visual connections with the surrounding countryside. It is hard to find a spot in Warkton where a rural vista is not visible or just around the corner.

The settlement is very shallow with only a tertiary street of one depth extending south. Development generally limited to the extent of these few streets, with the exception of farms which meander out into the countryside, resulting in a shallow settlement overall.

Landform The topography is generally fairly flat within the village. It lies on elevated land, in relation to the land to the west. Outside of the village the landscape slopes westward distinctly down to the River

248 Ise valley meaning the village enjoys splendid vistas out to the countryside. To the east the land is more elevated meaning a fairly steep slope leads into Warkton from this direction.

Character The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and simple street pattern in Warkton. The built form diagram clearly shows the form of development arranged around the streets at low density, generally on large plots with lots of space between buildings. Development generally fronts on to the street with buildings set back with large gardens to the front, and often sides, adding to the overall green and rural feel.

Warkton – Built form Warkton – Street pattern

The character of Warkton is more or less consistent throughout – Historic Rural, being a fine example of an estate village, the size and shape of which has remained remarkably constant. Buildings have almost consistent use of vernacular building materials - locally quarried limestone and thatch. The older cottages are built in this way, but reconstructions have produced tiled roofs, with Welsh slate also appearing in the 19th century. Perhaps uniquely in the Borough, Warkton is almost entirely free of modern or post war development.

The church forms a very strong focus with open paddocks on its north and south sides. Frequent open spaces, fields and paddocks, between buildings together and the existence of significant groups of trees, gives Warkton its very special rural character.

Within this distinct character, however, some small sub-character areas are evident:

249 Historic church based – A small group of buildings close to the church and around, and including, the village hall have a slightly different character with gable features and latticed windows suggesting an older vintage and an original role linked to the church; Central open space – the large, leafy expanse of open space around the church and village hall generally used for grazing animals, is central to Warkton’s rural and open character; Old Rectory and Grounds – the area around the imposing stone Old Rectory is marked by spacious and attractive grounds, manicured lawns and gardens; and Agricultural – 3 working farms extend out of the village to the north and south-west underlining the rural character and bringing an agricultural vibrancy to the village.

Buildings not in residential use include farms, the church and village hall and some light industrial, workshop and farmshop enterprise units at Moorfield farm on the western entrance to the village.

Public realm and landscape: There are two clear gateways into the village, both forming attractive green entrances to the village. In particular the descent from the east forms a beautiful and distinctive point of arrival.

Public spaces are soft and green and numerous important trees and hedgerows exist throughout the settlement. Public realm throughout the village is good quality and the whole village has an attractive, green and rural ambiance. Attractive gardens make a positive contribution to the streetscene. Only the moderately heavy passing traffic at peak times on the main road detracts from the pedestrian experience.

Landmarks include the central green paddocks, the church and grounds, the Village Hall, the small green and tree at the eastern gateway to the village, and the old Rectory (now a private residence). Though it could be argued all of the attractive cottages within the village are landmarks in their own right.

Boundary treatments are generally consistent and create an enclosed streetscene with limestone walls. Walls are typically around 1m in height though there are some examples of 2m walls in places. Hedges are another common boundary treatment particularly around fields and paddocks.

There are several important vistas out to the countryside, particularly in the west, each of which is important to the village’s rural and open character. Within the village there are important views along the main road from the west to the village hall area and its environs and from the east down the hill into the village and its attractive thatched cottages.

There are three small designated open spaces within the village – the Village Green amenity Greenspace, the Village Hall amenity Greenspace and the Churchyard. There are several other important, non-designated, open spaces and green areas within the village and on its periphery which make an important contribution to its overall green, rural feel and maintain important visual connections with the countryside. These areas are indicated on the Public Realm and Landscape map.

250 8. Opportunities/ Issues

Consideration should be given to designating the central paddocks by the church and village hall as open space to afford it certainty of non development.

Potentially allocating the area of business use which has started up around Moorfield Farm in the Site Specific LDD as within the Village Boundary for employment / commercial use, may help this economic activity to continue and expand modestly. This could help the vitality of the village and boost and diversify the rural economy.

An opportunity for a potential pedestrian route east to the Ise from within the village, would negate the need to walk along the busy road and increase connectivity between existing footpaths, as shown on the Landform and Movement map.

No sites in or around Warkton were put forward for assessment as potential new housing sites.

Draft Design Principles

New development in Warkton is likely to be extremely limited. The following principles will apply to any development proposals that may come forward. Development will: Take their design and materials cues from the Historic Rural character area, as identified in the Rural Masterplanning study; Be constructed predominantly of local limestone and thatch. Within this there is scope for very limited red brick, slate or tiles, for example on outbuildings or barn conversions; Ensure a good sense of street enclosure with buildings fronting on to streets with either minimal set backs, or large set-backs with front and side gardens combined with a strong boundary treatment to the street to give a good sense of enclosure; Include 1m high stone walls or hedgerows as boundary treatments; Sit well within the landscape and provide soft edges and good visual links with the countryside; Not result in the infill or loss of the frequent open fields, paddocks and gardens which make a positive contribution to the village’s green and rural character, with either development or hardstanding for cars; Not block important views and vistas of the countryside; and New paving, and street furniture should be designed or selected to enhance the unique character of the Conservation Area, for example incorporate traditional features – such as setts for kerbs and bonded pea shingle for path and road surfaces.

251 Warkton landform & movement map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

252 Warkton character areas map

253 Warkton public realm & landscape map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

254 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Weekley

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 242 (2001 Census). Demographic Split Tenure: Outright ownership 11%, Ownership mortgage / loan 15%, Shared ownership 0%, Rented from local authority 6%, Rented from housing association/ RSL 0%, Rented from private landlord 38%, Rented from other 30% Tenure is dominated by ownership of Boughton Estates who own the properties and rent them out.

Age: Under 16 11%, 16-24 5%, 25-59 46%, 60+ 38% (Census 2001) No. of Jobs Unknown Farming, Boughton Estate offices, tea room, working mens Businesses / employers club, retirement home. 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest Regional Centre: Northampton Other regional centres: Peterborough, Leicester Primary Movement Infrastructure Roads into & out of settlement & their classification: A4300 Stamford Road runs through centre of village to Kettering and Geddington and links with A43 bypass. Remainder of minor roads serve the village only and there are no through routes or links to nearby villages Distance to nearest town: Kettering: 1.4 miles to centre to centre; 0.4 miles edge to edge; Distance travelled to work: 8.3 miles (census 2001); Nearest major employment centre Kettering: 1.1 miles to North Kettering Business Park Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more cars 85% (Census 2001) Public Transport Provision Bus service – route 8 Kettering – Corby approximately hourly Nearest Train Station 2 miles to Kettering Foot / cycle path links to other Good bridleway and footpaths to countryside (and villages settlements thereafter) Off road footpath and cycleway link to Kettering Leisure / tourism features / attractors, Cricket club; e.g. visitor attractions or Team shop; accommodation 3. Quantum Total Area 9.5ha No. Houses 82 Residential Density 11dph

255 Land Use Split Predominately residential and agricultural. No. of affordable housing units & 0 tenure split No. of elderly / supported housing units 0 (private residential retirement home) No. of bungalows 8 Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi-detached, detached etc. Predominantly detached. Some linked runs of cottages. 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage 100% - covers the whole of the village boundary and some surrounding land. No. Listed Buildings 27 and a wall. Flood Plain Flood zone 1. River Ise flood zones lie approx 100m to the east of the village boundary. Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment: Rolling Ironstone Valley Slopes – Irthlingborough Slopes and River Valley Floodplain – River Ise Floodplain Environmental Character Assessment – Rockingham Forest Biodiversity Character Assessment – Limestone Slopes – Ise Valley Limestone Slopes and Minor Floodplain – River Ise Historic Landscape Character – Fragmented Parliamentary Enclosure – Grafton – Warkton Clay Plateau 5. Landscape Setting Weekley is set on higher ground to the east of the River Ise valley.

The parish is bisected by the River Ise flowing from north to south along an undulating course in a broad open valley. For part of its course, the river has been diverted to form the three canals running through Boughton Park.

(Conservation Area Appraisal) Agricultural Uses Mixed agricultural uses surround the settlement mostly grazing land. Ecology No wildlife sites Watercourses River Ise runs to the east. 6. Amenities Shops Village post office & shop, tea room. Post office Yes Bank / cash machine No Pub Working men’s club Restaurant/café Tea room Takeaway No Other No Pre-school provision No Schools, primary, secondary etc. No School capacity / subscription N/A Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors Nearby:

256 Local Corridor – Wicksteed Park – Thrapston (10b) Sub-regional corridor 10 – Ise Valley Natural and semi-natural green space 0 Amenity green space War memorial 0.05ha

Outdoor sports facilities Cricket ground 1.2ha Cemeteries and churchyards Weekley Churchyard 0.45ha Children's play areas 0 Allotments Some allotments lie approx 400m from the edge of the village (1.6ha). Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile Library: Fridays (every 3 weeks) Broadband facilities / speed Unknown 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Weekley Village Hall Places of Worship St Marys Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. None that we know of. Mums and toddlers and after school activities clubs Weekley and Warkton Cricket Club competes in various County leagues and has a junior section. The club is very active and also holds social events.

2. Summary of Parish Plan

There is no Parish Plan for Weekley.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Weekley Conservation Area was reviewed in March 2007. Weekley is a fine example of an estate village which has benefited from centuries of care by the Boughton Estate. Weekley falls into that category of villages that have a nucleated (c.f. Warkton) as opposed to a linear plan (c.f. Grafton Underwood). Weekley is rich in archaeology from the iron age to the eighteenth century. The partially surviving avenues and rides created by the second Duke of Montagu have left significant and impressive landscape traces.

The village possesses a good selection of buildings including a substantial collection of seventeenth and eighteenth century cottages. In addition to the mediaeval Parish Church here are two buildings which are of primary architectural importance: the Montagu Hospital (1611); and Parson Latham’s School (1624).

The size and shape of the village has remained remarkably constant, with most properties being set along the main street and its southern loop, the church forming a very strong focus with open paddocks on its north and south sides. There are few buildings later than the 19th century. The village plan, together with almost consistent use of vernacular building materials and the existence of significant groups of trees, gives Weekley its very special character. Indigenous building materials are locally quarried limestone and locally grown wheat straw thatch. The older cottages are built in this way, but reconstructions have produced tiled roofs, with Welsh slate also appearing in the 19th century.

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

257 There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at every individual settlement level. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough of 148 units per annum. No settlement-specific assessment has been conducted for Weekley.

5. SHLAA findings No sites in Weekley were assessed in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment SHLAA.

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network

Movement There is one strategic route through the village, the A4300 / Stamford Road which experiences quite heavy traffic as a main route into Kettering. However, freight from the north typically diverts west on the A43 bypass sparing the village the very heavy HGV through traffic experienced by its neighbour Geddingon.

However, the road does act as a barrier to pedestrian movement and there is no crossing.

Elsewhere in the village streets are tertiary in nature and there are no through routes, meaning traffic is limited to that accessing homes and facilities in the village.

There is virtually no formal car parking in the public realm with most car parking on plot to the fronts or sides of residences or informal. There was little on street parking during our visit but this may become more evident in the evenings and at weekends. Some informal car parking occurs in Wash Well Lane to the south of the village.

Pedestrian routes within the village are well linked and intuitive. Several public footpaths or bridleways radiate out of the village into the surrounding countryside. Two further potential pedestrian routes north-south are suggested which would increase connectivity between these paths, as shown on the Landform and Movement map. Along the main Stamford Road there is a well used off road shared pedestrian and cycle way which links the village with Kettering.

A central ‘hub’ or settlement centre is evident around the village green on Stamford Road, and a ‘High Street’ of sorts is evident here with a small focus of facilities including a Post Office, tea room, working men’s club, and two bus stops.

Generally buildings sit very well in the landscape and are well related to the countryside. Generally the village has soft edges with excellent physical and visual connections with the surrounding countryside. Exceptions to this are the area around the retirement home and more recent development to the north of Weekley Wood Lane and in the bungalows to the south east of Wash Well Lane.

The settlement is shallow with only three ‘main’ (tertiary) streets radiating out from Stamford Road around the green, which meander out to the west, east and south-east respectively with development generally limited to the extent of these streets. Two further short streets run from Main Street to the north, the church marking the northern most extent of the village which then decreases in extent to the east, resulting in a shallow settlement overall.

258 Isochrones The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that the whole of the village is located within 400m of the centre of Weekley, making it an extremely walkable compact settlement.

Weekley isochrone

Landform The topography is generally flat across the village though Stamford Road and Wash Well Lane slope gently away to the south and Main Street down to the east. Outside of the village the landscape slopes more distinctly down to the River Ise valley meaning the village enjoys splendid vistas out to the countryside.

Character The settlement centre is evident around the village green where the small focus of facilities occurs, including a Post Office, tea room, working men’s club and bus stops. Though the area around the church and imposing former Almshouse, Montagu's Hospital (now a private residence) is likely to have been a historical centre and this area remains an important focal point.

The figure ground diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Weekley. The built form diagram clearly shows the fairly informal patterns of scattered, low density, development on large plots in the Historic Core and the way buildings are generally aligned with the streets. More modern developments are more uniform and, in the case of the bungalows in Wash Well Lane more dense. Development generally fronts on to the street though buildings tend to be set back with large gardens to the front, and often sides, adding to the green feel.

259 Weekley – Built form Weekley – Street pattern

Character Areas

Historic Core The dominant character of the village is historic with a substantial collection of seventeenth and eighteenth century cottages. This is reflected by the settlement’s 27 listed buildings and listed wall. The majority of the village falls within the Historic Core character area where buildings generally display distinct character traits: Buildings front on to streets and have an intimate character, and despite large set backs with front and side gardens, combine with boundary treatments to give a good sense of enclosure; Building materials are almost exclusively limestone with occasional use of red brick; The predominant roof material is thatch, combined with a pepper potted mix of slate and red tile roofs, the latter predominates on outbuildings; Stone walls or hedgerows create a more or less continuous line which adds to the sense of enclosure; Predominant thatched stone cottages are occasionally interspersed with large, grand detached buildings, such as the Old Vicarage (now a retirement home) and (former) Montagu Hospital; Streets are informal often with single sided pavements; Numerous open spaces, significant trees and hedgerows and large domestic gardens, coupled with the prominent surrounding countryside give the village a very green feel. Soft edges predominate with frequent gaps creating visual and physical links with the countryside, particularly to the south.

260 Other character areas are limited in extent and include: 2 pockets of post war residential development; Scattered isolated dwellings more related to the open countryside than the village; Historic farmsteads – 2 farms and associated scattered buildings are present within the village or its environs. Modern linear – an area of more recent detached residential dwellings have been developed linear to the street in Weekley Wood Lane.

These areas are generally less successful than the character of the Historic Core with principles such as soft edges, relationship with the street, and consistency of boundary treatments eroded.

Numerous buildings not in residential use exist and these are shown on the Character Areas map.

Public realm and landscape There are two clear gateways into the village, the area around the green forming an attractive entrance to the village for those travelling by car and the green area around the church forming a beautiful and distinctive arrival point for those arriving on foot from the north or east. Public spaces are generally soft and green and numerous important trees and hedgerows exist throughout the settlement.

Public realm throughout the village is good quality and the whole village has an attractive, green and rural ambiance. Attractive gardens make a positive contribution to the streetscene.

Landmarks include the village green and area around the Post Office, the church and grounds and the former Almshouse, Montagu's Hospital (now a private residence). Though it could be argued all of the attractive cottages within the village are landmarks in their own right.

Boundary treatments are generally consistent and create an enclosed streetscene. Materials are typically limestone, or limestone with red tile capping with some occasional red brick walls. Walls are typically around 1m in height though there are some examples of 2-2.5m walls in places. Hedges are another common boundary treatment particularly around fields and paddocks.

There are several important vistas out to the countryside, particularly in the south and east, each of which is important to the village’s rural and open character. Within the village there are important views to the green and post office from Stamford Road and to the church and its environs along Church Lane.

There are three designated open spaces within the village – the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, an area of amenity green space around the war memorial and the cricket ground. There are several other important open spaces and green areas within the village and on its periphery which make an important contribution to its overall green, rural feel and maintain important visual connections with the countryside. These areas are indicated on the Public Realm and Landscape map. Consideration should be given to designating some of these spaces which fall within the village envelope (including any modifications to the boundary) as open spaces in the Site Specific LDD to ensure their protection.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

A potential development site exists at the end of Wash Well Lane, as noted on the Character Areas map. The site includes a group of small barns and associated hardstanding. The barns are currently not in use and in varying degrees of dereliction. The site suffers from poor natural surveillance and could become an area where antisocial behaviour may occur. It currently makes a poor edge to the village to the south-east and a poor relationship with the surrounding countryside. This site is put forward as a potential allocation of this site in the Site Specific LDD for small scale

261 redevelopment which could improve this situation, subject to the design of the scheme reflecting the positive character traits of the Historic Core, seeking to re-use the existing buildings, defining and improving the streetscene and enjoying a positive relationship with the countryside, including provision of a soft edge.

Potential development site at Wash Well Lane

Two opportunities for potential pedestrian routes north-south are suggested which would increase connectivity between existing footpaths, as shown on the Landform and Movement map.

A pedestrian zebra crossing around the village green area may help link the 2 sides of the village across the main A4300 and help to slow traffic.

Measures to further reduce traffic speeds and the dominance of the highway in this area may also be beneficial. For example: a reduced carriageway size; tightened junction geometry and design; on street perpendicular parking; removal of centre lines; resurfacing in gravel dressing; and soft landscaping.

Housing Sites Assessments

Following public consultation on the Site Specific Proposals LDD Issues paper, 3 sites in Weekley were put forward for assessment as potential new housing sites. These sites were assessed in accordance with criteria outlined the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/121 - Weekley Builders Yard Barns - This site scores relatively well. Any development of the site should involve conversion of the existing buildings as loss of these would be unacceptable. Access to the site is an issue that would need to be resolved and should not result in demolition of the existing buildings. Lack of space to provide gardens may also be an issue. This site is taken forward as an option for appropriate small scale redevelopment in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Site RA/149 - Weekley Builders Yard - Site scores relatively well. Main issues are access to the site which is substandard and has limited capacity and impact on surrounding development. Impact on Listed Buildings and Conservation Area would be an important consideration if the site was developed. Subject to these considerations, this site is taken forward as an option for appropriate small scale redevelopment in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

Site RA/129 – Upper Farm - Although this site scores relatively well there are significant constraints that would be difficult to overcome. It is not possible to gain safe access to the site - access is onto a blind corner and is not safe for a more intensified use of the site; the capacity of the access is also limited due to its location. Development would also have a detrimental impact on the character of this gateway to the settlement. For these reasons, this site should not be taken forward for consideration in the Site Specific Proposals LDD Options Paper.

262 9 Draft Design Principles

Draft development principles for the potential development sites outlined above are shown below: Any redevelopment of site RA/121 will: Sympathetically convert the existing historic farm buildings; Retain the current materials, or replace with like for like; Be of an intimate scale, courtyard style development; and Maintain the consistent street definition and enclosure on the edges of the site.

Any redevelopment of site RA/149 will: Not negatively impact on nearby Listed Buildings; Have a positive impact on the Conservation Area; Use traditional materials of local limestone and thatch or slate; and Reflect the surrounding scale, density and layout including sizeable gardens, thereby avoiding over-development.

Any redevelopment of the Wash Well Lane barn site will: Improve the streetscene and public realm; Reflect the character and materials of the Historic Core character area, as identified in the Rural Masterplanning study; Re-use the existing buildings; and Create a positive relationship with the countryside, including a soft edge with strong visual links.

Elsewhere, new development in Weekley is likely to be extremely limited. The following principles will apply to any development proposals that may come forward. Development will: Take their design and materials cues from the Historic Core character area, as identified in the Rural Masterplanning study; Be constructed predominantly of local limestone and thatch. Within this there is scope for some red brick, slate or red tiles, for example on outbuildings or barn conversions; Ensure a good sense of street enclosure with buildings fronting on to streets with either minimal set backs, or in large set-backs with front and side gardens combined with a strong boundary treatment to the street to give a good sense of enclosure; Use 1m high stone walls or hedgerows as boundary treatments; Where historic stone walls are present new development should be avoided where this may involve making new openings in the wall; Sit well within the landscape and provide soft edges to the rural landscape, with good visual and physical connections out to the countryside. New development will not present high close- boarded fencing or brick walls to boundaries with the open countryside or at gateways to the village; Not result in the subdivision or infill of gardens which make a positive contribution to the streetscene with either development or hardstanding for cars; and Not result in the development of important field / paddock sites to the south or block important views and vistas of the countryside; New paving, and street furniture should be designed or selected to enhance the unique character of the Conservation Area, for example incorporate traditional features – such as setts for kerbs and bonded pea shingle for path and road surfaces.

263 Weekley landform & movement map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

264 Weekley character areas map

265 Weekley public realm & landscape map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

266 Weekley assessed housing sites map

267 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Weston by Welland

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 130 (Parish Plan) Demographic Split Tenure: Owned Outright 39.3% Owned with a mortgage or loan 40.2% Shared Ownership 0% Rented from Council 14.7% Rented from Housing Association or RSL 0% Private rented 2.9% Rented other 2.9%

Age: Under 16 – 14.8% , 16-24 – 7.4% , 25-59 – 50.7%, 60+ - 27.1%

(Census 2001 figures for Sutton Bassett and Weston by Welland) No. of Jobs Unknown Pub At present the only commercial activity in the village is that of farming. A cottage industry started in the Businesses / employers village some years ago and became successful. It has now expanded and relocated to an industrial estate some ten miles distant. 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Nearest regional centre: Leicester Other regional centres: Peterborough, Northampton Primary Movement Infrastructure Nearest main roads are the A6 and A427 which provide access to Leicester, Corby and Kettering. Average distance travelled to a fixed place of work 30.44km (Census 2001 figures for Sutton Bassett and Weston by Welland) Nearest major employment centre Market Harborough – 2.1m to industrial estate Corby – 6.7m to town centre 15.5m to Kettering. Modal Split Number of people who own one or more car – 88.9% (Census 2001 figure for Sutton Bassett and Weston by Welland) Public Transport Provision Bus services: RR7 & RR9 Tues & Sat Service 67 (Gretton – Corby – Market Harborough) Mon – Sat Daily Foot / cycle path links to other settlements Few. Public footpath to Sutton Bassett. Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. Nearby Welland Valley and Jurassic Way popular with visitor attractions or accommodation walkers. 3. Quantum Total Area 8.8ha No. Houses 69 (Electoral Roll) Residential Density 8dph

268 Land Use Split Almost wholly residential. Some agriculture, open space and church. No. of affordable housing units & tenure split 12, Local Authority owned No. of elderly / supported housing units None No. of bungalows Unknown Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. Mix of detached, semi-detached and terraces. 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Covers most of the village with the exception of more recent development. No. Listed Buildings 10 listed buildings or structures, including the Bridge over River Welland - Welham Road Flood Plain Flood Zone 1. Land to the north in the Welland Valley is in flood zones 2 and 3 – approx 550m from village boundary. Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) No designated ecological sites. Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Partially Broad River Valley Flood Plain; partially Undulating Hills and Valleys Environmental Character Assessment – Welland Valley Biodiversity Character Assessment – Partially Major Floodplain (to the west), partially Liassic Slopes (to the east) Historic Character Assessment – Earlier Parliamentary Enclosure 5. Landscape Setting Weston by Welland sits at the foot of Sutton Hill, an outlying spur of the domed limestone plateau on which lies Rockingham Forest. This undulating ridge accounts for the southern half of the parish, although the village itself looks north from the spring line, over the sinuous Welland Valley floodplain, which lies flat before the ‘foothills’ of High Leicestershire. Agricultural Uses Very rural setting. Arable and grazing agriculture. Ecology No designated ecological sites. Watercourses As its name suggests the village lies near the upper reaches of the River Welland, which flows approximately 500 metres to the north, where it serves to demarcate the parish and county boundary with Leicestershire. 6. Amenities Shops None Post office None Bank / cash machine None Pub The Wheel & Compass, pub & restaurant Restaurant/café None Takeaway None Other None Pre-school provision None Schools, primary, secondary etc. None

269 School capacity / subscription NA Healthcare provision, inc dentists None Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors Close to the Jurassic Way sub-regional GI corridor Natural and semi-natural green space None Amenity green space The Green 0.06ha Outdoor sports facilities None Cemeteries and churchyards St Mary's Church Churchyard 0.32ha Children's play areas None Allotments None Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile Library Thursday every 3 weeks. Broadband facilities / speed Yes 0.34Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings No village hall but use of a section of the Church, which is well used for Community Group meetings, Coffee mornings, etc.

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin. The Church is linked to four other parishes, Ashley, Sutton Basset, Stoke Albany and Wilbarston. With the absence of a Village Hall, changes and additional facilities have been installed to make it possible to increase its use as a community facility. Places of Worship The Church of St. Mary the Virgin Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums Parish Council and toddlers and after school activities Bell ringing clubs Parochial Church Council Women’s Institute Neighbourhood Watch Community Group (http://westonbywelland.co.uk)

2. Summary of Weston by Welland Village Design Statement

The Weston by Welland Village Design Statement contains detailed information on the village’s setting, landscape, character, streetscape, traffic, buildings and spaces. For example:

Weston by Welland is a small linear village with its Grade II listed church located almost centrally. There is a mix of properties, some of which have been given Listed Building status. The older properties are built in Northamptonshire ironstone, some with Mullioned Windows.

The Parish Plan sets out a series of recommendations, including:

Settlement Pattern Character: 1. No new-build development should be permitted outside the village boundary, other than the conversion or re-use of existing buildings. 2. All new developments should be sympathetic to the existing heritage and character of the village, to retain its rural nature. 3. The current Village and Conservation Area boundaries should be retained.

Buildings and Spaces in the Village:

270 1. Future development should favour smaller, more affordable, dwellings (circa 3 bedroom) however, any such development, including alterations to existing buildings, should preserve the existing pattern of the village and blend with the surroundings. 2. A majority of villagers felt that the subdivision of gardens for developments should be discouraged particularly where it results in a material alteration in the appearance of the site or where views or vistas would be affected detrimentally. 3. New buildings and extensions should be constructed in a style and with materials that are consistent and in keeping with current properties with building lines being maintained and in sympathy with existing rooflines. A majority of residents favoured materials being used which were in keeping with the older elements of the village. 4. The telephone box, which is listed, should be retained for the future. 5. Any development should take into account the nature of the village and should retain some open space areas in order to preserve the rural aspects.

Trees: 1. Encourage the planting of new native species in any new development. 2. Maintain existing mature tree and copses, which are close to the village. 3. Traditional hedgerows should be retained, and incorporated within any new development wherever possible.

Highways, Traffic, Lighting. Street Signs & Furniture: 1. All new development within the village must have adequate off-road parking 2. As there is a high level of speeding traffic through the village an effective form of traffic calming is required. However, some methods – i.e. speed humps - would be inappropriate to a rural village because of the essential agricultural traffic. 3. In view of the heavy and speeding traffic volume, additional street lighting should be installed at the junction of Valley Road and Ashley Road. 4. All road alterations, repairs, kerbs, surface finishes, signage, fences, litter bins etc should be of traditional design and in-keeping with the architecture of the area. 5. All Public Rights of Way should be properly maintained and preserved. 6. All Highway drains and gullies should be regularly cleaned and maintained.

Commercial Activities. Any business activity must consider the local residents in this rural area and address the problems of noise and must provide off road parking for vehicles.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal No Conservation Area Appraisal has been carried out for Weston by Welland

4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments No recent needs settlement-specific assessments to report. There is an identified need for affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough, though this has not recently been identified at every individual settlement level. The North Northamptonshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies a shortfall in provision of affordable housing in the rural areas of the Borough.

5. SHLAA findings No sites were within the village were assessed in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation

Landform and Movement network Weston by Welland is formed around one primary route running through the centre of the village, Ashley Road/The Green/Sutton Road. This route links the village with Sutton Bassett to the south

271 and Ashley to the east. Traffic through the village and along this route is an issue as the route is quite heavily trafficked at times as it can form a commuter route to Market Harborough.

A secondary route off The Green runs to the north to Leicester. There are many tertiary streets making up the developed area.

Footpaths run out the village to the south and east. There are no connections to the north and west.

There is one pavement along most of the main street comprising The Green and Ashley Road, with a section in front of Mickleborough Close where there is one on both sides of the road. Valley Road has one as far as the pub. Mickleborough Close and Hall close have pavements all around. The Lane, North Lea and Green Lane have none.

Character Areas The village retains a traditional character at its heart with historic stone and brick buildings and farmsteads. Development to the south of village is denser and tightly packed than that to the north which has a more rural feel to it and is more spaced out with vistas to the open countryside beyond. The village retains an open rural character with working farms and frequent open spaces and soft edges to the countryside. The green area around the church forms an attractive and distinctive heart to the village.

The diagrams below show the built form and street patterns in Weston by Welland. The built form diagram clearly shows the dispersed nature of the village and the clusters of development throughout the varying streets. The farmstead is clearly identifiable from this map.

Weston by Welland Built Form Weston by Welland Street Pattern

Development throughout the village is dispersed due to the street pattern and number of tertiary streets. Modern development is mixed amongst historic buildings and the village as a whole is quite poorly integrated.

Ground levels are raised to the south of the village and development on this side of the street sits on a raised ground level to that to the north of the village. This gives those particularly attractive historic buildings more presence in the street scene.

Key Buildings The key buildings in the village include:

272 x The C14 St Mary’s Church, which sits in a large area of open space behind a stone wall constructed of squared coursed lias and limestone with lead and slate roofs; and x The Wheel and Compass Public House located outside the village boundary to the far north of the settlement. The latter does feel detached from the village and would benefit from being enclosed within the village boundary and having a footpath link to it.

Gateways Due to the busy nature of Ashley Road/The Green/Sutton Road the gateways to the village have been undermined somewhat and there is limited sense of arrival to the village from the east or south-west. To the south-west a large new property fronts onto raised open space and to the east a row of modern terrace properties face open countryside.

The Wheel and Compass Public House marks the entrance to the village from the north and provides a good sense of arrival but the remainder of the village is detached from this key building. As it is surrounded by car park, some softening would improve this gateway to the village.

Open Space The area around the church is particularly important and creates an attractive setting for the church and a distinctive heart to the village. There are frequent views and glimpes of the church throughout the village. A small triangle at the top of Valley Road and the green in front of 1 The Green, contribute to the setting of St Marys Church. Development to the north of the village is slightly more spaced out and the green spaces along North Lea are particularly important as open space is limited within the village boundary.

The green spaces in the front of set back properties also provide visually important open spaces and contribute to the character of the village.

Character Areas

Historic Core To the north of the village, buildings front onto the main street but tend to be slightly set back behind green spaces, although some do directly abut the highway. The historic core consists of many attractive stone and red brick properties, with slate roofs, of a grand nature and style.

Properties to the south of the village

273 Properties along ‘The Lane’ are not as grand as those to the south of the village but are constructed of stone and have a typical rural cottage feel to them. The spaces and views to the open countryside between these buildings to the north of the village significantly add to the character of this part of the village which is distinctly different from the character of the village to the south.

Cottage to the north of the village

Modern Development Clusters of modern development exist throughout the village. Some individual properties are more in character with the historic core and use similar building materials although tend to be on a larger scale than the existing. Where clusters have been built at the same time i.e. Mickleborough Close these tend not to be in character with the existing historic core as they are constructed of a buff brick, in clusters, not fronting onto the public highway and set back behind the traditional building line.

Mickleborough Close | The Valley | Sutton Road

Farmsteads There are three farmsteads in the village. These are historic farmsteads comprising of stone and red brick buildings although there are modern agricultural buildings which have been added to these.

274 8. Opportunities/ Issues

Traditional barns fronting onto Valley Road could offer an interesting conversion only opportunities at this end of the village. This conversion could take the form of residential or for small business uses. Some consideration may need to be given to positioning and opportunities for outdoor space. Further openings should be limited to maintain the character of these historic barns.

There is a garage site behind number 10 Ashley Road, which is a potential development site for a small scale residential development which could improve the outlook and gateway of the village to the east, subject to the current ownership and level of use of the garages.

Housing site assessments

Following public consultation on the Kettering Site Specific Proposals LDD 2 sites in Weston by Welland, were put forward as potential new housing sites. These sites have been assessed in accordance with criteria outlined in the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of the assessments have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/136, Land at Home Farm – the agent has suggested that the southern part of the site would be suitable for residential development with the potential for a community use/ open space/ play area to be provided on the northern section of the site. The site scores poorly in terms of accessibility and the village has limited facilities to support new growth i.e. a school/shop. However, this is a brownfield site where development could improve an otherwise unattractive gateway into the village. For this reason the site is taken forward as an option in the next stage of the Site Specific Proposals LDD. The site is sensitive and new development would require careful design but some limited residential and a community facility may be appropriate in this location. The impact on the Weston by Welland Conservation Area and neighbouring Listed Buildings needs to be carefully considered.

Site RA/168, Land to the east of Valley Road – The site scores extremely poorly in terms of accessibility. This site is considered to be a historically important open space within the Conservation Area and its presence, including the dense hedgerow contribute to the rural character of the village as well as help to assimilate the village with the open countryside. Due to the undulating nature of the site it is possible the site has some archaeological significance. Access to the site would involve the removal of an important hedgerow and development may affect the public footpaths which run through the site. For the reasons given about site RA/168 should not be allocated for development.

9. Draft Design Principles

Notwithstanding the above potential development opportunity sites, elsewhere development in Weston by Welland will be limited. However, it is important that any future proposals for development which may come forward respect the village’s character and setting. For this reason some draft design principles have been outlined, below.

Any new development which may come forward in Weston by Welland should: Reflect the character and materials of the Historic Core or Farmstead character areas; Use a materials palette limited to Northamptonshire ironstone and Collyweston or Welsh slate, with very limited red brick; Front directly onto streets or be slightly set-back behind green spaces; Be consistent with existing building lines and rooflines;

275 Preserve the rural aspects, setting and environment of the village, including views out into the countryside; Not involve the subdivision of gardens for development where it results in a material alteration in the appearance of the site or where views or vistas would be affected detrimentally; If involving the conversion or replacement of traditional farm buildings seek to retain the historic form and character of the building, including openings; Seek to provide smaller, more affordable, dwellings, of 2-3 bedrooms; Include, where appropriate, tree planting with native species; and Facilitate the following improvements: o Introduction of an effective form of traffic calming appropriate to the rural setting (not speed humps); o Gateways to the village should be improved to create a better sense of arrival and a softening of The Wheel and Compass Public House car park would suit the rural character of this part of the village. o Footpath connections to the wider footpath network and open countryside should be improved as well as public footpaths within the village to aid walkability throughout; and

All street furniture road alterations, repairs, kerbs, surface finishes, signage, fences, litter bins etc. should be of traditional design and in-keeping with the rural character of the area.

276 Weston by Welland landform & movement map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

277 Weston by Welland character areas map

278 Weston by Welland public realm & landscape map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

279 Weston by Welland assessed housing sites map

280 Rural Masterplanning Village Evaluation: Wilbarston & Pipewell

Pipewell Pipewell is a settlement that consists of a small number of dwellings, at low density in the open countryside. These dwellings are currently considered, in planning terms, as scattered dwellings in the open countryside, rather than a place defined by a village boundary, and given the small number of dwellings it is considered that this remains the most appropriate designation for Pipewell. It has therefore been decided that it is not appropriate to apply the Rural Masterplanning methodology to Pipewell or to develop settlement specific design principles. Any future development is likely to be extremely limited and will be controlled in design terms by the general design principles for the Borough’s rural area, which were informed by the Rural Masterplanning project.

Wilbarston

1. Evaluation Matrix

1. Profile Population 767 Demographic Split Tenure: Owned Outright 37.3% Owned with a mortgage or loan 45.7% Shared Ownership 1% Rented from Council 9% Rented from Housing Association or RSL 1% Private rented 3.7% Rented other 2.3%

Age: Under 16 – 20.1% , 16-24 – 9.2% , 25-59 – 50.5%, 60+ - 20.2% No. of Jobs One working farm. The main employers are How’s Racesafe; Corby Graphix and the school. A number of small enterprises are situated at Dallacre Farm, and the parish council recently supported a planning application to increase the number of units there. Businesses / employers There are number of self-employed people within the village, increasingly providing a range of services and businesses from home. There are also a number of skilled artisans operating as small builders, carpenters, painters and decorators. (Parish Plan) 2. Functional Relationships Regional Catchment Located close to Market Harborough and Leicester Primary Movement Infrastructure Average distance travelled to a fixed place of work 17.82km (Census 2001) Nearest major employment centre Market Harborough – 5.2 miles to edge, 5.4 miles to town centre Corby – 5.8 miles to town centre, 6.9 miles Earlstrees Industrial Estate Kettering – 8.4 miles to Telford Way Industrial Estate, 9 miles to town centre

281 Leicester – 19 miles to centre Modal Split Number of people who own 1 or more Well over 50% of the journeys to work are made by cars car (Parish Plan) - 89.5% Public Transport Provision Bus services: Centre Bus 67 (Gretton – Corby - Market Harborough) Mon-Fri and Sat County Connect Service Nearest train station 5.3 miles Market Harborough; 6.2 miles Corby 10.2 miles Kettering; 19.1 miles Leicester Foot / cycle path links to other settlements No foot / cycle link to Stoke Albany along B669 (0.5m). No off-road hard surfaced link between the 2 settlements. Rights of way: Footpath to Stoke Albany Bridleway to Ashley Footpath to East Carlton & Middleton (& Jurassic Way) Indirect / not continuous footpath to Desborough Indirect / not continuous footpath to Pipewell Leisure / tourism features / attractors, e.g. The Fox Inn pub & B&B visitor attractions or accommodation Because of its situation (Wilbarston lies on the Jurassic Way, a popular route for walkers), Wilbarston has considerable potential for leisure and tourism activities. (Parish Plan) 3. Quantum Total Area 21.7ha No. Houses 345 (GIS) Parish Council estimate the number of houses to be 310 Residential Density 16 dph Land Use Split Largely residential No. of affordable housing units & tenure Total of 30 affordable homes, 5 social rent, 2 shared split ownership, 23 KBC ownership & 7 RSL No. of elderly / supported housing units There are some bungalows for the elderly on Queens Road and All Saints Terrace No. of bungalows Housing type split, e.g. terraced, semi- detached, detached etc. 4. Planning Designations / Constraints Conservation Areas coverage Yes, covering a large area of the village No. Listed Buildings 17 Flood Plain None Ecological (SSSI, RAMSAR etc.) None Landscape Designation / typology Landscape Character Assessment – Undulating Hills & Valleys Environmental Character Assessment - West Northamptonshire Uplands Biodiversity Character Assessment – Limestone Slopes / Liassic Slopes

282 5. Landscape Setting Extensive undulating and productive rural landscape stretching across the west of the county; Cohesive and recognisable unity of character despite scale and extent; Watercourses form part of three principal river catchments of the Cherwell, Nene and Welland; Numerous small deciduous woodlands, copses and shelterbelts punctuate the rural landscape; Hedgerow trees, within the strong hedgerow network, contribute to the perception of a well treed landscape and combine with other landscape and landform features to create an intimate, human scale landscape; Strong historic character underlies this deeply rural landscape; Numerous villages linked by winding country lanes contribute to rural character; and Communication routes and urban influences and infrastructure have, where present, eroded local rural landscape character where present. (Landscape Character Assessment) Agricultural Uses Mixed farming predominates across the landscape although local land use and field patterns are strongly influenced by changes in landform. Ecology No LWS, PWS, SSSIs etc. Watercourses 2 small watercourses run in the gap between Stoke Albany and Wilbarston. 6. Amenities Shops Non-food shop and food shop Post office Yes Bank / cash machine Pub 1 pub Restaurant/café No Takeaway No Other Together with Stoke Albany, Wilbarston has a Community Care Scheme, a voluntary service whereby people without access to a car can call on someone to take them to hospital, a medical centre or dentist, or to collect an urgent prescription (Parish Plan) Pre-school provision Nothing formal but a mothers and toddlers group meets weekly Schools, primary, secondary etc. Primary school School capacity / subscription Estimated number of pupils: 106 (JPU 2009 survey) This has now risen to 145. Healthcare provision, inc dentists No Green Infrastructure Sub-regional & local GI corridors CSS GI local corridor 12b Stoke Albany - Little Oakley Natural and semi-natural green space Amenity green space Queens Road AGS 0.04ha (703), Old Manor Village Green & Youth Centre 0.1ha (412)

283 Outdoor sports facilities Carlton Road Tennis Courts 0.11ha (452), Carlton Road Playing Fields 2.64ha (438), Wilbarston School playing fields 0.47ha (436) The recreational facilities adjacent to the village hall comprise a fenced children’s play area, a fenced and floodlit all weather surface used variously for 5 a side football, tennis and basketball, a skate ramp, a football pitch, a practice pitch and open space. (Parish Plan) Cemeteries and churchyards All Saints Church 0.43ha (435) Children's play areas Carlton Road Playgrounds 0.13ha (439) Allotments Allotments & Community gardens 0.18ha (494) Museum/library (inc mobile libraries) etc Mobile library service every three weeks Broadband facilities / speed Yes, 1.57 Mb 7. Social Infrastructure Community Buildings Village Hall Places of Worship All Saints Church Local Organisations/Groups, e.g. Mums and toddlers and after school activities Youth groups (but no youth club) such as the Cubs, clubs the Tuesday Club and a music group, ‘Brass 2000’, as well as adult groups interested in fitness and health, art classes, and short mat bowls. (Parish Plan)

2. Summary of Parish Plan The following key issues of relevance can be drawn from the Wilbarston Parish Plan: Key objectives: To ensure that the present facilities within the village are maintained and where possible enhanced. To ensure that the village envelope remains in place. Only the highest standards of development should be promoted within the conservation area. To ensure the long term future of the village public house. To promote small scale employment opportunities within the village. To reduce wherever possible the dependence on the car for work and other journeys. To improve safety at the entrance to the village outside the school by introducing traffic restrictions and improving parking arrangements. To encourage solutions to parking problems in the village. To consider ways and means by which the broadband service could be improved as quickly as possible.

Other points of note: Wilbarston dates from Anglo Saxon times. An attractive village, its spine runs south from the church with some high quality older stone buildings to the west and forms the major part of the conservation area established in the 1980s.

Wilbarston village has grown considerably since World War Two, with a local authority estate built in the 1950s and two sizable private estates being added in the 1960s and 1980s. Additionally, there has been building on meadow and waste land within the village. More recently, there has been some very limited ‘back garden’ development, since there is little land left within the village envelope.

Any development should be carefully considered in terms of its effect on both the village character and the local environment - characteristics seen as particularly important include its rural location and the adjacent countryside, the old stone walls and warm stone buildings, the conservation area, and the layout of the village and mix of housing types.

284 The overall feeling was that the village envelope should be maintained - doing so leaves little room for development as nearly all the ground within the village envelope has been developed.

Nevertheless, some particular types of properties were required, for which currently there is under provision for in the village. These are affordable homes for local people, particularly for the young (who need starter homes, including properties to rent), and the elderly (for whom bungalows and sheltered accommodation is required). Currently there is under provision for both groups in the village.

There is a need for the Parish Council to engage the villagers in further debate to try to resolve the conflict between these different objectives and determine a strategy which will meet the desire for homes whilst minimizing the impact on the local environment. The strategy should then be taken up with the Borough Council for adoption within the local plan.

It will become increasingly important that the village enjoys first class electronic communications.

There is a desire to increase both the frequency of bus services and the number of routes. The current service is mainly aimed at retired people who may be flexible in their journey times. If villagers in full-time employment elsewhere are to be persuaded to leave their cars at home, then there needs to be more services able to deliver them to work on time. In particular, a route via Desborough to Kettering was one which many people suggested. A village car sharing scheme for workers could also be investigated.

A desire amongst local residents for a paved footpath between Wilbarston and Stoke Albany. Over 85% of survey respondents indicated a wish for such a facility.

3. Summary of Conservation Area Appraisal

The Wilbarston Conservation Area study dates back to 1982/3 and is somewhat limited in its scope and analytical content. The basic appraisal is provided below.

285 4. Summary of Housing Need Assessments

A Housing Needs Survey was completed for Wilbarston in December 2010. The headline finding being a need for 6 affordable homes in the village, the other main findings from this report are summarised below:

278 surveys were distributed to households and 95 were returned (34% response) Of these, 15 households indicated a need to move within the next five years Only 8 households wished to remain within the village and of those only 6 had a genuine need for affordable housing The most frequent reason given for needing to move was to set up home for the first time. The lower quartile property price for Wilbarston is £167,500, the average lower quartile household income for households within Wilbarston is £26,436. Only 42% of households within Wilbarston could afford to buy a property at lower quartile prices There is an affordable housing requirement for 2 bed room accommodation, including some bungalows suitable for older people. Analysis of Keyways data also indicates a need for 2 beds, only 3 properties have become available for re-let since Feb 2009 (the launch of CBL) and all 3 received a high number of bids. 43% respondents to the survey said they would support a small affordable housing development, 37% said maybe and 20% said no. Main concerns raised about any new development included: x not wanting further expansion of the village x properties going to people without a local connection x impact on the environment

286 x the location and size of any development x enough new build elsewhere

5. SHLAA findings

No sites in Wilbarston were put forward for assessment in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

6. Summary of Parish Council Consultation Meeting

There was a general view that the village had been developed quite tightly within the defined envelope. There was no desire to expand the envelope around Wilbarston, although the affordable housing built outside of the envelope at Kendals Close was suggested as needing inclusion this time. Pipewell has no defined boundary, as it is open country, and there is no desire to change this designation. There is a recognition that demand for affordable housing for the elderly and young families is needed. A general difficulty with negotiating land release was noted, due to the lower price of land outside of the village envelope. A couple of sites for affordable housing were mentioned. A separate follow up meeting on affordable housing took place on the 14th July 2011 where specific sites were suggested. Parish Council subsequently wrote to KBC Housing Strategy team and indicated their preferred site was land at Kendals Close. This site was then assessed as part of our Housing Site Assessments, see below. The loss of the working clapper bridge on the path (northerly one HH018) between Wilbarston and Stoke Albany was noted as an improvement that could be made with any funding available for rights of way work. The desire to promote the RoW network to visitors was expressed. In connection with this, it would be useful to have more car parking in the village near the start of paths. Again a possible RoW improvement.

7. Village Assessment

Landform and Movement network

There is one primary street, Carlton Road/School Lane, through the settlement which leads to Stoke Albany and to the more strategic A427 which runs to the south of the village. Another primary route, exists north-south along Main Street/Rushton Road, though this is based not on what transport function the main road has now but rather on the enduring character of the road. As its name suggests, this was the historic main road in Wilbarston though its role has become less important, as it is no longer the main road in, being disconnected from the later A427. However, it still has the geometry and characteristics (width, role of buildings, historic status etc.) of a main road, even though it has effectively been bypassed.

Elsewhere streets are tertiary and narrower than the primary routes identified. The way the streets vary fairly dramatically can be evidenced with some simple facts: Carlton Road: Carriageway width - approx 8-12m Pavements - 2m footpaths either side Building to building width - 17-18m Rushton Road: Carriageway width - approx 6-7m Pavements - one or both sides (2m one side) Building to building width - 10-16m Barlow’s lane:

287 Carriageway width - approx 5-6m Pavements - No pavements – shared surface Building to building width - 12m – one side set close to pavement, one side set back and alternating

Wilbarston is a small scale settlement which is easy and pleasant to walk around. The map below shows the 400m isochrone. This shows that all of Wilbarston is within 400m of the historic centre of the village highlighting that the settlement is compact and walkable.

Wilbarston Isochrone

Pedestrian links within the village are good with wide pavements generally available. Where back lanes have no pavements they are safe to walk in as traffic flow is light. Well linked pedestrian routes are intuitive and legible. Several pedestrian only alleyways and cut-throughs provide further permeability and choice of routes. Cross country footpath links into the wider countryside are good with routes to Stoke Albany and the west, to the east, the north and to the south. The A427 forms a barrier to movement in this direction; however, there is a pedestrian link under the road alongside a narrow tertiary vehicular route.

Wilbarston is set on elevated land, most pronounced along Carlton Road which runs along a ridge providing excellent panoramic vistas of the valley landscape to the north. Within the village, topography and development slopes from the east to the lower valley to the west which separates the settlement from Stoke Albany.

Development generally sits well within the landscape, especially in the north and west where the expansive views help to set the streets in the wider landscape context. Here the transition from built form to rurality is marked by soft edges whereas more recent development along Springfield Road and Queens Road enjoy a les successful relationship with the countryside and generally present hard edges. However, to the south this is in part due to the raised bund associated with the A427.

Character Wilbarston retains a distinct historical core of traditional buildings which characterise the majority of the village. However, the village as a whole comprises a fairly jumbled mix of development styles and phases.

288 The ‘High Street’ area of the village remains around Main Street and its intersection with School Lane (where there remains a school) and Carlton Road. This area is a focus for the village’s facilities including the shop / Post Office, pub and bus stops.

The following main character areas were identified:

Historic core Common to all historic areas is a limited palette of materials – ironstone and limestone, often in coursed bands with limited areas of render. Brick buildings are less common but are in soft reds. Buff coloured bricks are atypical. Roofs are generally of slate or stone slate, and thatch.

Streets closely lined with continuous built form (buildings or boundary walls) giving a strong sense of enclosure. Densely packed frontages, with long ranges and gardens behind. Typically the built form tightly encloses the street on one side, and is set back on the other in a staggered arrangement. Most buildings are parallel to the street, but more are gable end on around the crossroads. Evidence of former variety of uses – shops, agricultural, and industrial add to variety. Rushton Road, Church Street and Main road - run along the contours which create long sinuous streets. Roads are quite wide, signifying their former status. The side streets, for example Scotts Lane and Barlow’s Lane, run up the contour with relatively straight streets, although again built form steps in and out.

Historic farmsteads, barns and outbuildings Working or old farm houses and outbuildings. Outbuildings often hard up to street edge, while farmhouses are set back, together often creating a cluster of buildings. Some outbuildings have since been converted to ancillary or domestic use. Buildings usually set in linear ranges running parallel or at 90 degrees to street, forming small linear yards.

Rural mews Semi public courtyards and cul-de-sacs associated with old industries or farming.

289 Buildings grouped informally on narrow shared spaces. No formal road markings, well planted, small private spaces.

Rural edge Less dense. Buildings not continuous, only one side of the street with expansive views over countryside. Buildings front onto street, with countryside opposite, whereas in the modern developments, the houses gardens tend to back onto the open spaces. Buildings often set further back from street edge, but still follow a broad building line or are one off building types, set in expansive grounds, such as the Church and primary school.

Edge suburbs Post-war expansion Detached and semi-detached houses on linear and cul-de-sac layouts Standardised street layout and building types do not reflect the specific character of Wilbarston.

The street pattern diagram, below, shows the street arrangement, primarily defined by the crossroads intersection of the primary streets and linear back lanes, described in the movement section, above. The figure ground diagram, below, shows how development is aligned around the main streets either parallel or at right angles. The plan shows a fairly high density for a rural settlement partially reflecting the high amount of infill which has occurred over time. Historic development is generally better related to the streetscene with buildings fronting onto and defining the streets, whereas more recent developments tend to be set back and arranged in inward looking cul-de-sacs.

290 Wilbarston– Built form | Wilbarston– Street pattern

Public realm and landscape Streets are simple with limited road markings and signage, few pavements and simple cobbled kerbs or soft grass verges. However, on School Lane and Carlton Road, highways start to dominate more with centre line markings and a less enclosed street. There is a problem of vehicles travelling too fast and concerns over parking, although this can help to reduce speeds of traffic. There is scope for simple enhancements to reduce speed and add to the village’s rural character. Public realm is more successful in the historic core where streets are defined and overlooked by buildings or consistent runs of boundary treatments.

Views in Wilbarston combine an interplay between open expansive views of the landscape, particularly to the north and west, and tight controlled views along historic streets, for example Barlows Lane.

Important open spaces include the village green; allotments; the unusual and welcome dual use of school playground/park with an oak tree acting as a lovely sun canopy; and the good range of recreational facilities on the playing fields adjacent to the village hall which comprise a fenced children’s play area, a fenced and floodlit all-weather surface used variously for 5-a-side football, tennis and basketball, a skate ramp, a football pitch, a practice pitch and open space. Hedgerows form important boundaries to the countryside and open spaces.

8. Opportunities/ Issues

The following potential opportunities were identified:

Opportunity to create a hard-surfaced footpath link between Wilbarston and Stoke Albany along the course of the road. This could perhaps be done through removing street lines and adding in pedestrian / cycle lanes at the sides of the road creating a single carriage way route.

291 There is a garage site adjacent to number 1 Queens Road, which is a potential development site for 1 or 2 dwellings which could improve the streetscene if sympathetic to the character and appearance of the rest of the village, subject to the ownership and level of use of the garages. Tree planting to create a greater sense of enclosure on Carlton Road, so that there is a greater sense of a gateway to the village. 20mph speed limit throughout. Removal of centre line markings and top dressing with gravel on primary streets. Junction works to crossroads on Carlton Road to create a more of a central square. Remove incongruous Leylandii to school grounds and replace with traditional hedgerow, stone wall or even single storey stone buildings for school/workspaces.

Affordable Housing Site Following publication of the Wilbarston Housing Needs Survey and consultation with the Parish Council (See above for details) a preferred site was put forward for assessment as a potential new housing site, particularly affordable housing. This site was assessed in accordance with criteria outlined the 'Background Paper - Housing Allocations'. The findings of this assessment have been summarised as follows:

Site RA/172 – Land east of Kendals Close: The site scores very well and has no major constraints to development. Location is well placed for accessing the village’s facilities. Good access. Low landscape sensitivity. Landowner interest in development.

It is noted that the site is suitable for either a small scale affordable housing development of 4-6 dwellings upwards or potentially more moderately sized development of up to 15 dwellings. This site will be taken forward as an option in the Site Specific Proposals Local Development Document.

Employment Sites

RA19 – Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility but is relatively close to the village centre. Development of the site for employment uses may cause detriment to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and thereby impact on cultural heritage within the village. Access to the site via Barlows Lane is limited and would impact on the type and scale of employment uses that could be considered in this location.

RA20 - Site scores poorly in terms of accessibility but is relatively close to the village centre. The site has few constraints and has good access to the wider road network via Carlton Lane. The site could provide a good opportunity for some small scale employment subject to appropriate screening that protects neighbouring residential units and minimises the visual impact of any future development.

9. Draft Design Principles

If any development was to take place on potential affordable housing Site RA/172, Land east of Kendals Close, then the draft principles below should apply.

This site falls within the Edge Suburbs character area, where the character is generally less reflective of the traditional local vernacular. Any development here, therefore, will not necessarily need to attempt to be in keeping with the characteristics of the Historic Core character area. Development at Kendals Close will: Front the highway with consistent or stepped set-backs; Use a limited palette of materials of red brick, render or high quality contemporary materials;

292 Provide a safe and overlooked link to the public footpath which links Kendal Close with Carlton Road; Include ‘soft’ edges with the countryside to the south and south-east, with development either facing or enjoying a positive relationship with the countryside, avoiding high close-boarded fencing or brick walls addressing the countryside; Maintain an access point for any future potential incremental development beyond the scope of this development; and Consider orientating the development to be outward looking, rather than inward, and face out to the fields to the south and east; or Be spaced sufficiently to allow views to the countryside from the highway.

Elsewhere, new development in Wilbarston would need to represent the local street variety and geometry to represent the local character.

New development should follow the local characteristics of continuous enclosure of buildings, boundary walls, stepped frontage, local variety of street forms and limited palette of materials to reflect local character: Ironstone and limestone, often in coursed bands with limited areas of render. Less common brick buildings in soft reds. Roofs of slate or stone slate, and thatch.

Any potential moderate village expansion for small scale employment and residential, would need to link to the centre of the Village in several places and not just be a series of cul-de-sacs off Carlton Road.

Springfield farm is an important activity in the village. Any redevelopment should seek to retain a mix of residential and work space uses to retain employment. Built form should continue the rural edge character of Barlow’s Lane along the western boundary, so that the existing footpath link to Springfield Road develops into a simple lane. Any new development should pick up on the local cues of farmsteads and rural mews, with buildings arranged in tight groups, avoiding standard highways layouts.

293 Wilbarston landform & movement map

NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

294 Wilbarston character areas map

295 Wilbarston public realm & landscape map NB the keys to the maps are provided in Part 1, Introduction on page 8

296 Wilbarston assessed housing sites map

297 Wilbarston assessed employment sites

298