Design and Access Statement Former Westbury Hospital Site Development March 2016

Contents

Document Structure 6 5. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY 55 Project Team 7 5.1. Design Development 56 5.2. Layout Development 60 1. INTRODUCTION 9 1.1. Overview 10 6. DESIGN & ACCESS 63 1.2. Community Engagement 12 6.1. Use 64 1.3. Pre-application Advice 13 6.2. Amount of Development 66 6.3. Indicative Layout 68 2. ANALYSIS 15 6.4. Scale Parameters 70 2.1. The Site and its Location 16 6.5. Landscape 72 2.2. The Site in Westbury 18 6.6. Access 74 2.3. Connectivity 20 6.7 Sustainability 76 2.4. Facilities 22 6.8 Visuals 77 2.5. Driving Times 24 2.6. Walking Distances 26 APPENDIX 81 2.7. Green Spaces 28

3. CONSTRAINTS & OPPORTUNITIES 31 3.1. Constraints and Opportunities 32 3.2. Long Distance Views and Visual Impact 34 3.3. Topography 36 3.4. Trees and Landscape 38 3.5. Transport and Access 40 3.6. Current Built Form 42 3.7. Site Photos 44

4. CHARACTER AREAS 47 4.1. Westbury Town Centre 48 4.2. Neighbouring Streets 50 4.3. Surrounding Area 52

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Foreword

This Design and Access Statement has been prepared by Keep Architecture Limited in conjunction with the consultant team listed on the following page. This document has been prepared to support the outline planning application submitted to Council in respect of the proposed redevelopment of the former Westbury Hospital Site. The outline application is for all matters reserved except access and therefore the proposed design and layout information provided in this document are for illustrative purposes only. Document Structure

The document is structured into six chapters:

1. Introduction The frst chapter introduces the scheme and reason for the development. It discusses the planning context, as well as consultations with the public. It further discusses and analyses pre- application advice received for the scheme.

2. Analysis The second chapter analyses the site’s location within Westbury, exploring the existing settlement boundary, access and connectivity to the site and facilities within Westbury.

3. Constraints and Opportunities This chapter investigates the site in more detail, presenting the constraints and analysing them in order to create opportunities for the scheme.

4. Character Areas

This chapter studies the characters of various areas in and around Westbury, specifcally Westbury Town Centre, the site’s neighbouring streets, and the surrounding landscape.

5. Design Development and Strategy Further to the analysis, this chapter presents the design strategy that has resulted from various iterations of the scheme, and shows some of the earlier design solutions.

6. Design and Access This chapter explains the design elements of the scheme, specifcally identifying the uses on the site, the amount of development, the indicative layout of buildings and open space on the site, the scale of buildings, and the landscape strategy within the site. This chapter also explains the access strategy.

6 Project Team

NHS Property Services Planning Sphere Keep Architecture Site Owner and Client Planning Consultants Architects and Masterplanners www.property.nhs.uk www.planningsphere.co.uk www.keeparchitecture.co.uk

Carter Jonas Kavanaghs Jubb Consulting Engineers Property Consultants Residential and Commercial Agents Transport Consultants www.carterjonas.co.uk www.kavanaghs.co.uk www.kavanaghs.co.uk

Engain Greenhalgh Landscape Architecture Ecologists Landscape Architects www.engain.com

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1. Introduction 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Overview

Overview The proposals for the application site have been informed by a technical evidence base, contextual studies, and a process of pre- application engagement. The fnalised proposals seek outline planning permission, with full details of access, for up to 60 dwellings, on site public open space and associated access and landscaping works. Full details of ‘access’ are included in the application submission with ‘layout’, ‘scale’, ‘landscaping’ and ‘external appearance’ reserved for subsequent determination. The layout shown in this document is for illustrative purposes only.

Development Principles The design has been developed to produce a scheme that is appropriate for the site and meets with the requirements for residential developers. A layout that has a suitable mix of accommodation, good ‘fronts and backs’, aspect, access, service routes, public open space, private gardens, and parking has been provided. The illustrative layout indicates a preferred layout however this layout may change when the scheme is progressed at reserved matters stage.

Planning Context A full planning assessment of the application proposal is set out in the accompanying Planning Statement prepared by PlanningSphere. The Planning Context Plan illustrates the location of the Westbury settlement boundary and the area of the site allocated for housing under saved Policy H13A of the West Wiltshire District Plan 1st Alternation (2004). Wiltshire Council are currently reviewing all settlement boundaries pursuant to the emerging Site Allocation DPD which will be published for consultation in September 2015.

10 1. INTRODUCTION

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Settlement Limit Boundary

8 Site Boundary

Site allocated for housing under saved Policy H13A of the WWDP 1 1st Alt (2004) = 0.73ha

2 Existing hospital site lying within the settlement boundary = 1.19ha

3 Residual area excluded from settlement boundary = 0.40ha Planning Context Plan

11 1. INTRODUCTION

1.2. Community Engagement

Public Consultations 11th February 2015 A drop-in community engagement event took place from 4:30 to

7:30pm on Wednesday 11th February 2015. The event was publicised Quality Quality Healthcare in advance via a leafet drop, a news release, notifcations sent to Healthcare TopographyEnvironments and access he site itself is elevated above the local access road with the main site set at m O Environments bove Ordnance atum. From the ospital oad access on the western edge of the site there is approximately a 10m rise in level to the eastern boundary. From the site the landscape town and local Wiltshire Council members and via NHS Property then rises to a ridgeline approximately m east at m O. he landscape then falls to a meet a historic feld boundary and trac at m O. he landscape then steps up further to the alisbury lain plateau at m O. he intermediate ridge at m is very Services’ website and Twitter feed. Articles mentioning the session Site context prominent in the3 wider landscape screen containing views from the east. The former hospital is situatedConstraints on the south east side of Westbury and is set in an established and opportunitiesThere is no public accessMasterplan across the site. However, there are several paths and bridleways proposal residential area.2 The site is accessed from the A350 along Hospital Road via a short section adjacent to the site from the residential streets and into the wider surrounding countryside. of one way street. The main vehicular and pedestrian access point is from the junction of These routesA and scheme the respective views for are 72 explored homes in the following section of this report. appeared in the Wiltshire Times and White Horse News newspapers. Hospital Road and The Butts. On thePlanning north and west boundaries context there are areas of established low level residential development. To the south lies the Leighton Recreational Centre which comprises a large sportsThe hall former with adjacent hospital sports site pitches extends and tennis to courts.2.3ha The and aspect is surrounded to the east opens by onto existing housing on three Design strategy agriculturalsides. Approximately felds. 52% of the site area accommodates the former hospital buildings and Visual appraisal associatedApproaching thehard site surfacedfrom the west, areas. along theThe local site roads bridges there is the little existingevidence of built the extent up area of Westbury and theof transitionthe hospital siteinto or thethe main countryside buildings. The to sitethe is south. very well contained with mature planting Because of the steep gradient of the topography between the site boundary and even though it is elevated from the road. Plain, careful consideration must be made as to the visual impact of the site. The site is The siteThe is site not can covered be divided by intoany twoheritage character designations areas; the old with hospital the buildings, nearest ancillarylisted buildings some approximately 100m below the plateau of the Salisbury Plain. The long distance view of the 100m away,accommodation and the and boundary associated of hard the standing Westbury to the conservation west, and the ‘L’ area shaped more grassland than 400m from the site will mean that the relationship to the green edge will have to be addressed sensitively, as The event took place at The Laverton, Westbury and members of the to the north and east. Within the old hospital area there are several groups of mature trees site entrance. art of the site is classifed as rade b agricultural land. o the east of the well as its relationship to the built surroundings. site are threeand sections ites ofof maturepecial boundary cientifc planting. nterest Most of this is limited pton to the ow entrance own area ratton and owns boundaries. Similarly, in the more open grassland areas there is no vegetation of any real PEDESTRIAN and alisbury lain. n addition to this the alisbury lain is designated as a pecial rea of AND CYCLIST Quality note in this area expect for the boundary planting. ACCESS client and consultant team were present to discuss the proposals with onservation . Frontages and green spaces Healthcare VEHICLE ACCESS The two main green areas, one at the entrance to the site, and the The Council adopted the Wiltshire Core Strategy in January 2015, which provides a strategic RETAIN EXISTING Environments Bratton Downs (SSSI) PEDESTRIAN second to the south-west corner, will be retained. The dwellings will planning policy framework to 2026. The Core Strategy makes provision for further housing GREEN AND CYCLIST and employment growth in Westbury. The Council is now commencing work on a second ACCESS face away from the boundary into the site, with the back gardens

attendees. VEHICLE ACCESS facing the back gardens of the existing surrounding houses. tier plan nown as the ite llocations evelopment lan ocument. his plan will review GARDENS PROVIDE GREEN BUFFER Introduction settlement boundaries and provide more detailed development management polices to replace the ‘saved’ Local Plan policies. Massing and Scale FRONTS ensity of the dwellings will be ept low around the boundary to We have initiated a preapplication process with Wiltshire ouncil ocers to discuss the 1 the south-east of the site in order to minimise visual impact from possibility of progressing a planning application proposal for the whole site later this year, the surrounding countryside and Salisbury Plain. The density can A scheme for 72 homes as it is recognised that the vacant site is not fulflling any benefcial purpose at present and MAINTAIN ‘GREEN’ BOUNDARY LOWER DENSITY DENSER EXISTING AREAS be increased near the entrance of the site, and within the centre of MINIMISE is no longer needed for healthcare provision. Wiltshire Council has acknowledged that the TO BE GREEN USED FOR PUBLIC VISUAL IMPACT BUILT ON the site, around the former hospital building footprint. site could assist in providing additional open maret and afordable homes to meet the ore OPENPLAY SPACE AREA AND CHILDREN’S Approximately 100 people attended. Welcome Ordnance Surve FOOTPRINT y, (c) Crown Copyright 2014. O O OF Strategy housing requirement for the Westbury community area. Landscape AllStrategy rights reserved. Licence number 100022432 back gardens EXISTING Thank you for attending this drop-in information event. HOSPITAL Landscape Representatives of NHS Property Services and their team are here today to explain and discuss The existing green to the south-west of the site would be retained draft proposals for the vacant former Westbury Community Hospital site. The hospital ceased Ordnance Surve and used as public open space for the development and wider operation in 2012 after the opening of the new, purpose-built White Horse Health Centre in y, (c) Crown Copyright 2014. Westbury Leigh. Other public bodies have been ofered the building but have not expressed ‘green’ Massing Strategy All rights reserved. Licence number 100022432 community. A children’s play area will also be located in this green any interest in the property. The site has been declared surplus to NHS requirements by The existing site Draft illustrative masterplan area. green bufer will be maintained around the boundary of the healthcare commissioners. YOU ARE site. HERE Please note: This draft site layout has been prepared for A full overview of all pre-application engagement, including the The purpose of this consultation event is to seek the community’s views on the scope and Lanham’s Close content of the draft masterplan proposals. Following the event the proposals will be fnalised discussion purposes only as part of a pre-application pedestrians and submitted as a formal outline planning application to Wiltshire Council later this year. You process of community engagement. The next phase of the vehicles will then have a further opportunity to engage directly with the formal planning process. b visual impact consideration proect is to fnalise these draft proposals and we hope to Salisbury Plain (SSSI) The reason we are seeking outline planning permission is to maximise the return on the sale N feedback from the ‘drop-in’ consultation event, is set out in the of this surplus site for the public purse, and to set some parameters for the basic details of submit an outline planning application to Wiltshire Council the scheme. We are therefore keen to hear the thoughts of local people – please feel free to later this year. Firm plans for a site layout may difer from The Stables complete a feedback form after you have taken a look at the proposals. the ones shown here. hard Statement of Community Engagement that has been prepared by Leighton Recreational‘green’ Centre

Hospital Road 100m PlanningSphere. Wider context plan back gardens soft

Studland Park

Hospital Road back gardens White Horse Health Centre Uptown(SSSI) Cow The Butts A350

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e 3 4 Train Station 3 pedestrians Conservation Area

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Settlement Boundary 4

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site boundary e 2 2 a. principal vehicular access n 2 Former Westbury Community Hospital Site e b e 2 . secondary pedestrian and r Google Maps Image cyclist access Residential Allocation n o t d c h . pedestrian link to Leighton ig ecreation round e L

f d. proposed children’s play area e. detention basin area for ood storage 10m 20m c f. 30m amenity pond forming part of 40m the public open space 50m 1 one bedroom ats 2 = two bedroom house 3 = three bedroom house 4 = four bedroom house

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Public Consultation Information Boards

12 1. DEVELOPMENT1. INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW

1.3. Pre-application Advice

A proposal for 72 dwellings with on-site open space was submitted Highways The proposals in this Design and Access Statement address the to Wiltshire Council. This proposal was also presented to the local comments that were raised during the public consultation event and community at the 11th February 2015 informal ‘drop-in’ event, from the pre application advice. • Road must have minimum width of 5.5m with a 2m pavement to and discussed with Wiltshire Council offcers at a meeting on 16th both sides (can be reduced to 0.5m margin around turning heads) February 2015. • Layout to accommodate a large refuse vehicle • Secondary/emergency access required Written Pre-application advice was received from the Council dated • 1 bedroom homes must have minimum 1 parking space 12th March 2015. This advice is summarised as follows: • 2 to 3 bedroom homes must have minimum 2 parking spaces • 4+ bedroom homes must have minimum 3 parking spaces Housing • 0.2 spaces of visitor’s parking must be provided per dwelling • Residents should be able to access key destinations within the • Affordable housing provision requirement is 30%, but less after town safely and conveniently on foot and by bicycle the application of Vacant Building Credit • A mix of 1, 2 & 3 bed affordable homes to be provided with some 4/4+ bed homes Fire & Rescue • Affordable housing to be split into 80% affordable rented and 20% shared ownership tenures • Majority of shared ownership homes to be approximately 65% 2 • Access to the site, for the purpose of fre fghting should be bed houses and 35% 3 bed houses adequate for the size and nature of the development • Affordable homes must at least meet the minimum sizes and Homes and Community Agency Design Quality Standards/ Scheme Development Standards • 10% of affordable homes should be Lifetime Homes Ecology • Affordable homes should be dispersed throughout the scheme in clusters of no more than 10 units • Boundary hedgerows should not form the curtilages of dwellings if they are of great ecological value Arboriculture

• Attenuation pond near to large Cedar tree on site should be Open Space moved • Public open space requirement (for 72 dwellings) is 2642m2 and Landscape should include a LEAP (Local Equipped Area for Play).

• A more generous landscape buffer should be provided between the housing and the Special Landscape Area site boundary • Some houses pressed against the edge of the site will be overshadowed by boundary planting • Any planting for landscape mitigation should be in public open space (rather than within the curtilage of private residences) so there is no risk of it being removed in the future.

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2. Analysis 2. ANALYSIS

2.1. The Site and its Location

The Location of Westbury

Westbury is in the west of Wiltshire, near the border with Somerset. The town lies at the north-western edge of Salisbury Plain, and has a population of around 14,700. The two nearest towns are 1 (5 miles south) and (5 miles north).

The town has good rail links as it acts as an intersection point between the popular Wessex Main Line and Reading to Taunton line. Nearby cities include , Bath and Salisbury.

A full description of site location, and its accessibility, is set out in the accompanying Transport Statement prepared by Jubb.

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1. Westbury White Horse 2. The Laverton 3 3. The Old Town Hall

16 2. ANALYSIS

GLOUCESTER GLOUCESTERSHIRE OXFORSHIRE Newport AVON Cardif Bristol BERKSHIRE Bath WILTSHIRE

Westbury

SOMERSET Salisbury Taunton Wiltshire Yeovil

DORSET DEVON

CORNWALL

Bradford-On-Avon

Trowbridge

Westbury

Warminster

WEST WILTSHIRE

Location of Westbury

17 2. ANALYSIS

2.2. The Site in Westbury

Salisbury Plain

The south-west of the town is visible from the higher ground of Salisbury Plain, making the site a visually sensitive area. The plain is the largest remaining area of calcareous grassland in north-west 1 Europe, and is a rich wildlife habitat and therefore designated as a SSSI (Site of Special Scientifc Interest).

The Settlement Limit Boundary

The Settlement Limit Boundary around Westbury does not include the undeveloped areas of the site.

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1. View of south east side of site 2. Neighbouring Leighton Green 3 3. View of The Butts

18 2. ANALYSIS

Key

Site Boundary

Settlement Limit Boundary

Site of Special Scientifc Interest1

Steep Slope

1 Information from

Westbury

0 5 3 A 3 1 2 Visible Site

Salisbury Plain

The Site in Westbury

19 2. ANALYSIS

2.3. Connectivity

Rail and Bus Links

The main train station servicing the town is Westbury Station, which provides good links to nearby cities. The main lines in service at the station are the Reading to Taunton Line, the Wessex Main Line 1 between Cardiff and , and the with services from Bristol to Weymouth.

There nearest bus stop is approximately 350m away from the site on Warminster Road.

Road Network

The A350 runs through Westbury starting north of and ending in Poole, and passes just north of the Site.

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1. Bus stop near site on A350 2. A350 by Hospital Road turning 3 3. Westbury Station

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