Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 2
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Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework Urban Extension Assessment December 2011 Planning Delivery Team (East) Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 2 December 2011. Contents Page Contents 3 Introduction 5 Methodology Step 1: Mapping Review 7 Step 2: Cell Identification 7 Step 3: Environmental Constraints 9 Step 4: Accessibility 11 Step 5: Initial Review and Discount of Cells 12 Step 6: Landscape Character Assessments 12 Step 7: Urban Design Analysis 13 Step 8: Heat Mapping Assessment 16 Step 9: Qualitative Review and Discount Inappropriate Sites 17 Step 10: Stakeholder Discussions 19 Step 11: Informal Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Review 19 Step 12: Submit Sites in Core Strategy Strategic Sites Consultation 20 Figures Figure 1: Urban Sites Assessment – Twelve Step Process 6 Figure 2: Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Structures and Neighbourhood Map 8 Figure 3: Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Original Cell Boundaries 9 Figure 4: The Environmental Constraint Map for Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill 10 Figure 5: Overview Map of the Accessibility Assessment Results 11 Figure 6: Overview Map of the Landscape Assessment Results 13 Figure 7: Overview Map of the Urban Design Results 14 Figure 8: The Merged Cells 15 Figure 9: Results of Heat Mapping Exercise 17 Figure 10: The Map Resulting from Step 9 18 Figure 11: The Agreed Sites for Inclusion in the Core Strategy Strategic Sites Consultation 22-26 Appendices Appendix A: Environmental Assessments Appendix B: Accessibility Assessments Appendix C: Landscape Character Assessment Methodology Appendix D: Landscape Character Assessment Results Appendix E: Urban Design Methodology Appendix F: Urban Design Results Appendix G: Heat Mapping Results Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 3 December 2011. Appendix H: Sustainability Appraisal Summary Tables Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 4 December 2011. Introduction Work is currently underway on the preparation of the Core Strategy for Cornwall as part of the Local Development Framework. The Core Strategy will set out the long- term spatial vision for the County and the strategic policies and proposals that will deliver this vision. It will also provide an indication of the broad locations for new development in Cornwall, through to 2030. To promote sustainable development a large proportion of the growth that will be identified within the Core Strategy will be directed towards the existing main towns of the County. Town Framework Plans are being produced for most of Cornwall’s main towns, which will identify the most sustainable options to accommodate projected growth. The Town Framework Plan firstly identifies the town’s ability to accommodate growth within the urban area and on brownfield sites. It then goes on to assess the most suitable options of land on which to extend the existing urban areas (to accommodate remaining growth requirements) and considers the impacts of developing these sites. This paper has been produced to summarise the work that has been undertaken to assess these predominantly greenfield areas, which adjoin the urban areas of Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill, in order to support the strategic vision for the county’s main towns, as set out within the Core Strategy. The investigation followed a twelve step assessment process, to ensure consistency in approach to urban extensions assessments across the majority of Cornwall’s main towns. Figure 1 illustrates the twelve step process undertaken as part of the Town Framework Plan process. Steps 1-5 seek to identify land that is either potentially appropriate for further detailed assessment, or land which should be discounted at an early stage for reasons based on significant environmental and/or accessibility grounds. Steps 6 to 9 involve a more detailed landscape character assessment; an urban design assessment and an assessment of the potential for renewable or low carbon energy to supply any potential development. Inappropriate cells are discounted at Step 9 following a review. All remaining cells are then assessed at Steps 10-12, as potential options for urban extension locations. These options are informally discussed with key stakeholders, including the Environment Agency, Highways Agency and Natural England, for views on the technical and infrastructure challenges of developing these areas. This stage also includes an informal Sustainability Appraisal of all cells and the final urban extension options. Once this has been completed the ‘preferred’ urban extension sites are consulted on through the Core Strategy process as options for future growth. Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 5 December 2011. Figure 1: Urban Sites Assessment – Twelve Step Process. Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 6 December 2011. The assessments that are set out in these twelve steps have been discussed throughout the process at officer workshop sessions and with the Steering Group for Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill’s Framework process. The Steering Group comprises local Cornwall Council Members, and representatives of the Town Council and neighbouring Parish Councils. Meeting regularly since August 2010, the Steering Group has been working towards an agreed approach to the future distribution and level of preferred growth for the town, providing local input, context and endorsement. Part of this work involved the analysis of the shape of the cells and which cells/sites would progress to more detailed assessment (detailed below i.e. from Step 6 onwards). The flow chart in Figure 1 illustrates the twelve step process undertaken to assess the suitability of land for urban extensions in order to accommodate growth as part of the Town Framework. Methodology Step 1 - Mapping Review This involved a desk based assessment to help understand the structure of Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill and how the areas currently function, including what services and facilities are available for the communities here. The results of this exercise, including Figure 2, the Structures and Neighbourhoods Map, help to inform and guide the subsequent assessments throughout the process, but primarily the initial desk based urban extension assessments at Steps 2, 3, 4 and 5. This mapping exercise sought to identify the main movement corridors: A, B and local distributor roads and key services such as schools, health facilities, community buildings, and formal and informal open spaces - as well as identifying the neighbourhood centres. This work also helps to identify Green Infrastructure (GI) information such as public open space, and existing green corridors and networks (e.g. waterways, cycle routes and footpaths) and water elements (e.g. lakes, significant pond systems, wetlands etc) which will inform Step 7 in particular. Step 2 – Cell Identification This exercise reviewed all of the land surrounding the town to identify appropriate and workable study areas (referred to as ‘cells’) for further assessment. In determining the extent of the individual cells, consideration was given to features that would potentially create barriers between cells, such as significant transport corridors and landform features, for instance topography and watercourses. Once these features had been identified, it provided definition to the boundaries for the cells surrounding the town. The landscape cells identified for Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill are illustrated below in Figure 3. It should be noted that these cell boundaries are amended and refined as the assessment and consultation progresses. Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 7 December 2011. Figure 2: Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughills Structures and Neighbourhoods Map Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions 8 Assessment December 2011. Figure 3: Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughills Original Cell Boundaries Step 3 – Environmental Constraints This involved an assessment to record the relationship of the different cells with significant and less significant environmental features. The main intention of this step was to identify any land where significant environmental features (predominantly national designations e.g. SSSI; flood zone 3b; ancient woodland etc) would mean that future development potential would be highly unlikely due to the obvious constraints. In the same way, the step identifies the areas where any potential growth would not be constrained by such significant environmental constraints. Each cell was analysed in this way based upon the assessment criteria and a ‘traffic light system’ which are detailed at Appendix A. The environmental map relating to Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill is presented as Figure 4. This step identified those cells which contained significant environmental features or assets. Consideration was made as to whether nationally/internationally significant sites should be discounted from any further study in the urban extension assessment process. Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions 9 Assessment December 2011. Figure 4: The Environmental Constraint Map for Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill. Bude, Stratton, Flexbury and Poughill Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 10 December 2011. Step 4 - Accessibility An initial desk based accessibility assessment was undertaken at the same time