Calne Area Board Profile

2014 – 2026

(Draft_V1)

Report produced on behalf of Council by Ethos Environmental Planning

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1.0 AREA PROFILE

1.1 Introduction

The Wiltshire Open Space and Play Area Study is presented in two parts. The first part comprises an overview of the whole study and includes details on local needs, methodology, open space typologies and analysis of provision which combine to make recommendations for future provision and policies for open space in the district. The second part of the study comprises 18 Area Board profiles which provides more localised information. The Area Board profiles should be read in conjunction with the main report (part 1). Each profile includes:

 Map of the parish showing open space;

 Quantity statistics of provision of open spaces with standards by parish;

 Map showing access to open spaces with standards across the parish;

 Map showing access to open spaces across the main settlement;

 Assessment of quality issues;

 Summary of issues and priorities for the Area Board. All of the maps provided within this section of the report are intended to be used for indicative purposes only. Larger scale maps have been provided as a separate database to the council.

1.2 Calne Area Board

Calne Area Board is made up of 7 parishes, which include:

 Compton Bassett   Calne  Heddington

The Wiltshire Core Strategy places settlements within the Calne Area Board in the following hierarchical structure:

 Market Towns: Calne  Large Villages: / Studley  Small Villages: Bremhill, Cherhill, Compton Bassett, Heddington and Hilmarton.

Figure 1 below shows the area map of Calne Area Board with parish boundaries and main transport routes mapped.

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Figure 1: Parishes in Calne

1.3 Calne Market Town

The Calne Community Area is located to the north of Wiltshire and is characterised by a high quality rural landscape which includes areas of the North Wessex Downs AONB. The area contains the Market Town of Calne which is surrounded by a number of smaller rural settlements.

Calne provides an important centre for the surrounding area, it features many historic buildings and has benefited from re-generation projects, including provision of a new library. There are further opportunities for re-generation in Calne which the WCS believes should be focussed on supporting investment in services and improvements in the town centre. There is some pressure on community health facilities in the town, with GP surgeries at or near capacity. In addition, the emergency services are looking for new or additional sites and additional cemetery capacity is required.

The close proximity of the area to the M4 has attracted key employers to Calne in the past and it is identified as a strategic employment location in Wiltshire. This close proximity to the M4, Swindon and does however mean that the town has a low level of economic self-containment. Calne is one of the more affordable settlements in the county.

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1.4 Population

Figure 2: Parishes and their populations in Calne Area Board

Parish Name Size (Ha) Population Calne Without CP 4307.351 2807 Bremhill CP 3008.485 942 Hilmarton CP 2062.107 746 Heddington CP 686.429 456 Cherhill CP 1633.579 727 Compton Bassett CP 940.592 227 Calne CP 533.979 17263 7 13172.522 23168

As the table shows there is a total population of 23,168 inhabitants in Calne and the Area Board covers 13,172 hectares of land.

1.5 Calne Community Area Board Joint Strategic Assessment

The JSA provides local data about the area and plays a key role in ensuring informed decisions are made about the community. The data presented consists from a range of community level data and have contributed to the CAJSA for 2013- 2015.

The current CAJSA includes new chapters on culture and leisure giving a broader picture of the community. Updated population figures are included as well as a result of a local survey which asked residents about some of the most important issues facing the council and its partners.

Through the area boards is a growing level of community involvement in decision making and the information presented in the CAJSA will allow for focusing on creating healthy and vibrant communities. There are many opportunities to make the community stronger, including the community campus programme.

Key features within Calne are;  There are four managed play areas in this community area. There are six additional play areas across the Calne Community Area that are managed by the various parish councils.  The 2012 Rural Facilities Survey records six recreation fields available for informal use across the 13 rural settlements in the community area. However, eight of the 13 settlements have no recreation fields and 11 of the 13 settlements have no outdoor sports fields.  The overall coverage of wildlife rich areas is amongst the lowest in the county, the vast majority of the area is either farmland or urban. Of the areas classified as SSSI most is calcareous grassland, of which some 43% is classified as unfavourable recovering.

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1.6 Core Strategy in Calne

The strategy for Calne is to ensure that housing growth is carefully balanced with job creation and town centre improvement. A relatively high level of growth has been suggested for Calne in the past to help facilitate the delivery of an eastern distributor road to alleviate town centre traffic. However the scale of growth needed to deliver such a new road now would be higher than is appropriate for the town. The actual level of growth proposed is on a more organic scale and would not support the provision of this significant infrastructure. As a large proportion of development has already come forward in the plan period, future development during the remainder of the plan period should be phased to ensure that infrastructure and employment provision appropriately supports development in the town.

The strategy for Calne will help to maintain the economic base in the town with mixed growth of employment alongside housing, thus improving the self-containment of the settlement. Any proposed strategic housing and employment allocations to be identified to the east of Chippenham will support the spatial strategy for Chippenham but may be located within the Calne Community Area. The strategy will respond to the Community Area’s location (in full or part) within a nationally designated landscape. In the Calne Community Area this includes the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It will deliver, within the overall objective of conserving the designated landscape, a modest and sustainable level of development.

The WCS also explores some of the issues currently facing Calne Area Board:

 traffic and congestion need to be addressed, and methods to improve public transport links to the town centre must be considered;  consideration is needed for making greater use of the , running through the town centre. The river could be utilised more successfully as an attractive feature of future re-generation projects, while also protecting and enhancing the important ecological value and landscape character of the river corridor;  developer contributions from future housing growth should also help to deliver infrastructure necessary in the town, which has not been delivered at an appropriate rate through historic development. In particular, there is a lack of cultural and entertainment facilities on offer in Calne compared to other towns of a similar size;  services such as GP surgeries and retail outlets need to be improved;  the delivery of a proposed leisure campus in Calne will provide enhanced community facilities and could help to strengthen the overall offer of the town. It is very important that such facilities are also directed towards the town centre, where this is practicable;  non-strategic growth should be brought forward in accordance with Core Policy 2 and phased throughout the plan period;  all development within the Community Area will need to conserve the designated landscape of the North Wessex Downs AONB and its setting, and where possible enhance its locally distinctive characteristics;  the eastern part of the Calne Community Area borders the Avebury section of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site. It is therefore important that future development is sensitive to the setting of the World Heritage Site and,

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 the historic alignment of the Wilts and Berks canal passes through Calne Community Area and will be safeguarded in accordance with Core Policy 53.

1.7 Development Potential

New housing targets for the Calne Area Board as identified in the Wiltshire Core Strategy are as follows:

Figure 3: Delivery of Housing (2006-2026) Devizes Area Board

As stated in Core Policy 8 of the WCS, over the plan period there will be at least 1,380 new homes provided in the Calne Area Board. The majority; 1,605 dwellings should occur at Calne and 165 homes will be provided in the rest of the community area. There will be no strategic housing sites allocated in Calne. Non-strategic development in the Calne Community Area over the plan period may consist of a range of sites in accordance with Core Policies 1 and 2.

The Calne Community Plan (updated 2010) notes the assessment of the most sustainable location for new housing pinpoints land to the east of Calne, possibly for up to 500 dwellings.

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2.0 Map of Community Area Board

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3.0 Quantity of Open Space

3.1 Introduction

The figures for ‘Park and Recreation Ground (combined)’ comprise the sum of the following typologies:

• Park and Recreation Ground; • Outdoor Sports Space (Pitches); • Outdoor Sports Space (Other); • Outdoor Sports Space (Private).

It is the ‘combined’ figure that is used for the purpose of analysing quantity, as such it is only this figure where required provision and supply is relevant. Figures have been provided for the individual typologies which make up the combined figure for information only, however, there is no supply assessment for these, hence an ‘NA’ (Not Applicable) is provided. Existing quantity figures are also provided for a number of typologies where there are no standards, as such these also do not show figures for required provision (a figure of 0.00 is provided) and supply is ‘NA’, these typologies are:

• Education; • Churchyard and Cemetery.

3.2 Urban Area Analysis

Table 1 Provision in Calne Existing Existing Required Required Provision Provision Provision Provision Supply Supply Sufficiency of Typology (Ha) (Ha/1000) (Ha) (Ha/1000) (Ha) (Ha/1000) provision Allotments 0.44 0.03 3.45 0.20 -3.01 -0.17 UNDER SUPPLY Amenity Green Space 7.86 0.46 25.89 1.50 -18.03 -1.04 UNDER SUPPLY Park and Recreation Ground (combined) 7.45 0.42 20.72 1.20 -13.27 -0.78 UNDER SUPPLY Park and Recreation Ground 3.78 0.22 20.72 1.20 -16.94 -0.98 N/A Outdoor Sport (Pitches) 3.00 0.17 0.00 0.00 3.00 0.17 N/A Outdoor Sport (Fixed) 0.24 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.24 0.01 N/A Outdoor Sport (Private) 0.43 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.43 0.02 N/A Play Space (Children) 0.78 0.05 0.86 0.05 -0.08 0.00 UNDER SUPPLY Play Space (Youth) 0.26 0.02 0.35 0.02 -0.09 0.00 UNDER SUPPLY Education 17.72 1.03 0.00 0.00 17.72 1.03 N/A Churchyards and Cemeteries 3.26 0.19 0.00 0.00 3.26 0.19 N/A

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3.3 Rural Area Analysis

Table 2 Provision across the Community Area Board (Rural Area) Existing Existing Required Required Provision Provision Provision Provision Supply Sufficiency Typology (Ha) (Ha/1000) (Ha) (Ha/1000) Supply (Ha) (Ha/1000) of provision UNDER Allotments 1.28 0.22 1.48 0.25 -0.20 -0.03 SUPPLY Recreation Space SUFFICIENT (public and private) 41.55 7.04 17.72 3.00 23.84 4.04 SUPPLY Recreation Space 33.63 5.70 17.72 3.00 15.92 2.70 N/A Recreation Space (Private) 7.92 1.34 0.00 0.00 7.92 1.34 N/A UNDER Play Space 0.18 0.03 0.41 0.07 -0.23 -0.04 SUPPLY Education 10.32 1.75 0.00 0.00 10.32 1.75 N/A Churchyards and Cemeteries 3.90 0.66 0.00 0.00 3.90 0.66 N/A

Table 3 Summary of requirements (hectares) for each parish in rural area Recreation Churchyards Accessible Natural Recreation Space and Natural Green Green PARISH CAB Allotments Space (Private) Play Space Education Cemeteries Space Space BremhillCP Calne -0.24 7.14 0.00 -0.07 0.00 1.32 1.68 0.00

CalneWithoutCP Calne 0.58 13.34 0.39 -0.13 8.35 0.84 155.65 0.00 CherhillCP Calne -0.18 -1.91 0.00 -0.05 1.07 0.54 117.68 0.00

ComptonBassettCP Calne -0.06 0.25 0.00 -0.02 0.00 0.24 0.00 0.00 HeddingtonCP Calne -0.11 -1.37 0.00 -0.03 0.00 0.53 4.25 0.00 HilmartonCP Calne -0.19 -1.53 0.00 0.01 0.73 0.43 0.00 0.00

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4.0 Access Analysis

4.1 Access to open space in urban areas

Allotments

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Amenity Green Space

Parks, Sport and Recreation Grounds

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Play Space (Children & Youth)

4.2 Access to open space in rural areas of Community Area Board

The following maps show access to different typologies of open space within the rural areas of the community area boards. Due to the scale of the areas, the maps are intended to be indicative. Maps have been produced for each of the parishes for each typology, and these are held in a separate database for reference for assessment of individual parishes as required.

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Allotments

Park and recreation

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Play space

5.0 Quality

Within Calne, an assessment was made of five multi-functional park and recreation facilities, three stand-alone play spaces and a private football club.

Anchor Road Recreation Ground is located within Calne town centre. This park and recreation ground is managed at the highest standard. There are a wide range of facilities for all ages, including a MUGA, separate basketball court, table tennis, fitness equipment, junior/toddler mixed play space and rugby, football and cricket pitch. In addition, there is a private bowling green, cricket pavilion and tennis courts. All the equipment is in excellent condition and has a high value for play. The only improvement to this site would be a reduction in the amount of dog fouling and preventing dogs from running over the playing pitches.

There are two large complexes of playing pitches; Stanley Park which is located in Bremhill on the edge of the Calne Area Board, and Beaversbrook Sports Facility which is located in Calne Without, on the northern edge of the town of Calne. Stanley Park is a complex of 14 football pitches, 1 AGP (in excellent condition), a bmx track and a leisure centre. Generally the site was in very good condition, however the grass paths to access the football pitches were very muddy and also, there is potential to provide more information for the local community. Beaversbrook Sports Facility is a complex of 15 grass football pitches, a floodlit MUGA (in excellent condition with markings for netball, football goals and street snooker), two cricket

14 | P a g e pitches and cricket nets (for use of Calne Cricket Club only), a tennis court, archery field and leisure centre. All of the facilities were well managed and in excellent condition. In both Stanley Park and Beaversbrook Sports Facility, there is currently no provision for toddlers and juniors and it is assessed that any play equipment introduced into these sites would be well- used by younger children attending the sports facilities when siblings/friends are using the sports pitches.

Wessington Park has a bright, colourful play space for toddlers and juniors, informal mini football pitch and basketball hoop with tarmac surface. The setting is very nice, with lovely scenery and overall the park is well managed. However, there is some litter and evidence of dog fouling and more bins and signage for both are required. Installation of a welcome sign with information for the community would also be beneficial.

Calne Youth and Community Centre is located in the south of the town of Calne and consists of a senior football pitch and a floodlit MUGA with basketball hoops and football goals. The fencing around the MUGA is rusty and although it is not yet dangerous, it is in need of replacing. This site lacks play for juniors and toddlers and requires dog bins and increased provision of litter bins.

North End Play Area is a play space located in the north of the town of Calne. This play space contains a huge range of equipment for all ages of children; including sandpit, multiple sizes of climbing frame, fitness equipment, zip-line and basketball hoop. The equipment appears new and is in excellent condition, unusual and interesting. There are a large number of benches, bins, dog bins and a welcome sign. Overall, the play value of this play space is good and there are no recommendations for improvements.

Calne Town Football Club has a private senior football pitch adjacent to the North End Play Area. The ground is secured with tall fencing all round and a locked gate. The pitch is floodlit, there is a small covered stand, and overall it appears well managed.

Duncan Street Play Area is located in the north of the town of Calne and consists of two separate fenced play areas, one with climbing frame and swings suitable for toddlers and the other with a large swing suitable for juniors. There is also amenity grass with a very informal mini football pitch, and bins, dog bins and benches are all provided. Although the play area is well maintained, it lacks provision for teens and the provision for juniors is very limited. The site would also benefit from a welcome sign with information for the local community.

Tommy Crocker Memorial Playing Field is located in the parish of Cherhill. The play equipment in this play space is of a very high standard, with complex apparatus for juniors/teens, zip line, swings, kick wall and basketball hoop. The view from the play space is lovely and there are plenty of bins and benches, however dogs are not excluded from the play space. Access to the play space is difficult as it is at the end of a narrow lane with no parking and there are no signs directing people to it. The play space is not overlooked by any housing and is at the end of a dead end, so safety is potentially an issue here.

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Overall, the park and recreation grounds, play spaces and playing pitches were of a good standard across the Area Board, with generally minor improvements recommended in each case. The most common problems areas were dog fouling and lack of a welcome sign.

6.0 Priorities for the area

This section draws on the analysis of quality, quantity and access within this area profile and highlights a number of key issues and priorities, and makes recommendations, where appropriate of how these may be addressed. It is intended that this information would be used as the starting point to inform other strategies, neighbourhood plans which could be taken forward by the Council, Town/Parish Council or the local community.

Issues Recommendation Who Allotments: With approximately 1600 Wiltshire Council  There is an under supply in both dwellings planned for this area Planning urban and rural analysis areas; there is opportunity for providing  Access to allotments is limited to additional facilities through new Developers the central area of Calne; provision development to meet shortfalls in in rural areas is lacking and the area. Local Community sporadic. Consideration should also be Town and Parish given to encouraging community Council’s growing areas and/or community orchards in existing open spaces. Amenity Green Space: Again, on site provision of amenity Wiltshire Council  There is an under supply in the green space should be sought Planning urban analysis area. through new development in  In the urban access to amenity areas of under provision. Developers space is good. Town Council Park & Recreation Grounds: Larger new development should Wiltshire Council  There is an overall under supply in seek to provide recreation space Planning/Economic the urban analysis area, but in line with the Wiltshire Development/Open sufficient provision overall in rural standards. Spaces analysis areas;  Access in the urban areas is lacking There is a need for additional in the north of the town, access in provision, particularly in the north Developers rural areas is generally good. of Calne.  A number of facilities have potential Town Council for improvement (see section 5). Children and Youth Facilities: Where development Wiltshire Council  There is a small under supply of opportunities arise, new on site Planning both children’s and youth play provision, particularly in rural facilities in the urban analysis area. areas should be sought. In the rural areas there is also an under provision. The priority should be for fewer,  Access to children’s play space in larger and higher quality play the urban area is generally good, spaces as opposed to a although there is a gap in access to proliferation of smaller play youth facilities in the north of Calne; spaces.

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 Provision in rural areas is sporadic.

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