Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016

We note below (highlighted in green) an update on the services/facilities, as we understand that many of these have been updated since this report was compiled

NB We request that a revised site assessment is carried out on a reduced number of units between 12- 20 units rather than the estimated capacity of 40 units originally assessed.

High Level Site Assessment Proforma

Site Reference SHL039 Site Name Fermoy, Farnham Road Parish Dogmersfield Site Address Fermoy, Farnham Road, Odiham

Capacity Assessment and Categorisation Site Size (ha) 2.23ha Estimated Capacity 40 Comments on capacity The capacity was calculated using an average density assumption of 30 dph (in accordance with gross-to-net ratio of 60%).

Housing Strategy Category(s) Strategy 5: SPA Avoidance Land Supply Category Category D: Sites not adjoining existing urban areas (potential rural exceptions sites, or exceptional allocations) Other: (small sites isolated in countryside)

Key to Site Assessments: No overriding constraint to development of the site

Constraint requiring further detailed assessment Major constraint undermining suitability of site

Site Assessment Assessment Criteria Assessment comments Coloured assessment

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016 Accessibility to Employment and Bus Stop – (Broad Oak Roundabout, Odiham, service 421) services Bus Service 408 The bus stops twice a day at the Broad Oak Roundabout although there is not a defined bus stop on East Bound Service. A new bus stop has been installed on the West Bound Service which appears to have coincided with the new development Montfort Place.

The bus then either turns left towards Basingstoke back to the Depot or continues past Fermoy on the left handside of the road towards Ewshot/Farnham on the A278 , the route then becomes the 494 Farnborough College.

It is understood that should a new bus stop be required a request could be submitted to The Local Council for their consideration, it is assumed this was the case for the Montfort Place development noted above

Bus Service 10 Stagecoach runs this route and it stops at Farnborough, Fleet Church Crookham and Bowling Alley (3.1km approx. from the site).

Hart Taxi Share – service 200A is available to a number of villages in the area Including Dogmersfield

Bus Service 13 - There is a Stagecoach bus No 13 that leaves from Odiham to Alton College.

Railway Station – (Winchfield) 5.51km The site has access to Hook Station also which is the same distance from the site as Winchfield, 5.51km

Employment Centre – (Blue Prior Business Park, Church Crookham) 5.12km There are a large number of Business Park facilities within an acceptable distance to the site

o Bartley Wood Business Park 5.95 km o Redfields Business Park 4.7 km o Bowenhurst Farm, Crondall, Surrey, GU10 5RP Industrial site - 2.9km o Regus Fleet Ancells Business Centre = 10.7km o Murrell Green Business Park = 5.8km o Bartley Wood Business Park = 6km o Winkworth Business Park = 7.3km

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016

a. Blue Prior Business Park = 5.0km b. Wanner International Business Park = 6.9km c. Romans Business Park = 10.8km d. Highview Business Park = 6.5km e. Granary Court Business Centre = 6.4km f. Working from home has become ever more popular and this should be a consideration

Public Open Space – (Croft Lane Recreation Ground) 4.9km The site has access to a number of open spaces

 John Pinkerton Canal Centre Odiham, 2.9 km, which has café facilities  Dogmersfield House 1.2km  Croft Lane Recreation Ground 5.8km  Crookham Allotments 5.3km  Oak Park Golf course 5.9 km  A new complex has been built - Hart Leisure Centre complete with recreational grounds 6.1km  Country Park surrounding the new Edenbrook Development 6.12km  A recreational area can be provided on the site, please see attached plan indicating the proposed space – 7300 sq m.

 Health Facility – (Odiham Health Centre) 2.61km A new surgery has opened at Redlands Lane,Crondall 4.34km

 Primary School – (Mayhill Junior School, Odiham) 2.45km Secondary School – (Robert May’s School) 3.26km Please see the note under education below

 Supermarket – (Tesco, Hook) 5.51km Additional supermarkets in the area

 Co-op in Odiham (2.574km)  M&S Simply Food at Crondall (2.574km)  Newlyns Farm Shop, Café and Off Licence at Lodge Farm (4.5km)

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016 Infrastructure  Education: There is pressure for places at Primary education level. Although there are no identified deficits in provision capacity at Primary, Junior or Infant schools within the Hook/Odiham area they are full or close to full. There are no planned expansions at the local Infant and Junior school but there are expansions planned at 4 Infant or Junior schools in the wider Hook/Odiham area. There are planned expansions at both Robert May’s School and Calthorpe Park Secondary School

Schools within the Area

Primary Schools  Dogmersfield Primary School (4km) (It is understood this is the catchment school for the site as Fermoy is part of the Dogmersfield Parish)

 Crondall Primary School (5.5km)

 Hook Infant school (6km)

Secondary Schools  Calthorpe Park Secondary School (6.0km), are planning to expand from 1080 pupils to 1480 and is the feeder school to Alton College, Alton. . There is a minibus service from Alton that passes by Fermoy on a daily basis. 

 Health: There is believed to be some available capacity at local doctor surgeries and dentists in the area.

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016

However, there are no planned expansions of health facilities in the Hook / Odiham area and it is likely that any significant level of development in the centre of the District will require additional provision.

 Retail: Odiham is preforming well as a small centre but has a limited offer of convenience and comparison units, with a higher than national average proportion of retail service uses. A number of supermarkets in the wider study area are overtrading including Tesco (located outside of Hook). Recent evidence suggests that there is potential for a new supermarket to be located within the centre of Hook. There is also a commitment for 263sqm of new convenience floorspace at Lodge Farm, Hook Road. A new Co-op has opened in Odiham High Street (2.574km) and Newlyns Farm Shop, Lodge Farm (4.5km) has expanded its premises, M&S Simply Food has opened at Crondall (2.574km)

 Transport (Road): The Hart Transport Assessment Mitigation Corridor Study Report proposes improvements to the B3349 Reading Road/Griffin Way (Hook) to A287 south of M3 Junction 5. The measures include an additional lane on the B3349 and A287 approach plus widening of the roundabout circulatory carriageway to 3 lanes throughout. This will improve access from the site to the M3 and Hook. There are no other specific projects identified in the HCC transport statement project schedule Highways were consulted and they advised that they would support a scheme to widen the entrance, should it be necessary, exact details would need to be confirmed following further consultation with Highways at Hart Planning Department.

 Transport (Other): The site is not well serviced by public transport. The 408 bus stops once a day (Mon-Fri) at the Broad Oak Roundabout, and runs via Hook Station to Yateley School and Farnborough College of Technology. See notes above under bus stop

 Green Infrastructure: The Hart Infrastructure Delivery Schedule highlights that this site could benefit from two strategic projects, which could help to address future deficit. These are the replacement of Hart Leisure Centre at Hitches Lane, and the Hitches Lane Country Park improvements. Hart Leisure Centre has been implemented. We understand the improvements to Hitches Lane Country Park surrounding the new Edenbrook Development have begun. A recreational area can be provided on the site, please see attached plan indicating the proposed space – 7,300 sq. m.  Current Use and The site currently has a mixed use of residential and light industry/storage use (B1(a), B1(c), and B8). There is no Relevant Planning relevantThere is planninga lack of historyschools/GI for this capacity site. in the area and the site suffers from very poor public transport connectivity. History The site is not considered large enough to provide new on-site infrastructure, small amenity space apart. Nature Conservation The site is outside of the Thames Basin Heaths SPA 5km Zone of Influence. This site does not form part of or contain any nature conservation areas or protected trees. However, to the west, the site is immediately adjacent to the Dogmersfield/Forest Park East, & Park Wall Copse SINC. The site is part-wooded, providing natural habitat, potentially to protected species.

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016 Minerals Resources The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan Policies Map indicates that there are no areas within the site that are subject to minerals safeguarding.

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016

Landscape HCC Landscape Character Assessment (2012) Landscape character area: Loddon Valley and Forest of Eversley West Landscape type: Lowland mosaic: medium scale

Hart Landscape Character Assessment (1997) Landscape character area: Dogmersfield Landscape type: Parkland or estate farmland

Main features of the Dogmersfield LCA: A strong landscape structure of woods and hedgerows that provide a backdrop to open fields. The LCA features the Basingstoke canal, which is attractively wooded along much of its length. The LCA has a quiet, rural character with few scattered settlements, a mostly rural road network and a network of power lines that intrude on this unspoilt area.

Summary Assessment: This site is part of Dogmersfield Park, a registered (Grade II) park and garden. The trees on site form the south-eastern tip of a swathe of continuous woodland that includes Forest Park, Odiham Common and Odiham Wood.

If the trees are retained as part of any future development, impact on landscape character is expected to be limited. If trees are removed, development would be to the landscape’s detriment: the site is prominently visible from the A287 and long distance views into the site are achievable from a range of vantage points within the registered park and garden.

Agricultural Land The site is located on non-agricultural land.

Heritage Assets This site is located within the historic grounds of Dogmersfield Park and King John’s Hunting Lodge. The site is already partially developed, but any intensification, or increase in the developed area might be found to harm the significance of the registered park and garden (especially if development results in the removal of trees (see landscape)). The site is also an area of significant archaeological interest, a factor that (subject to further assessment) may restrict options for development. The current visual impact of the site on the park could be vastly improved by the presence of housing to replace the existing industrial units which could be carefully designed to suit the setting. The shape/style of the buildings to be in scale with their surroundings and materials and elevations to be varied to create interest.

Additional screening on the north boundary of the site could be implemented to enhance the setting of the park and improve views across the site from the park. Water resources and There are no Groundwater Source Protection Zones or licensed water abstraction points in close proximity to the quality site.

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016 Air Quality There are not believed to be any Air Quality Management Areas in close proximity to this site. On the basis of evidence seen, none of the surrounding land uses would be likely to cause any air quality issues for the site.

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016

Flood risk This site is located in Flood Zone 1 and has minimal risk of groundwater and surface water flooding. No risk of flooding from artificial sources was identified.

Location and scale of This is a part-wooded, part previously developed site that forms part of a registered park and garden. If development development were to involve the removal of trees, it would harm the significance of the heritage asset and the character and distinctiveness of the wider landscape. A small development, retaining trees, would not necessarily be intrusive. The site is very isolated in the countryside; its remoteness would be an issue for accessing services and neighbouring communities. The intention is to remove very little indigenous trees, as the new proposal is to provide a smaller residential scheme and not the 40 units that the site was assessed on originally. Many of the trees on site are not native, they are self -seeded Ash, Pine Leylandii and Conifers and there are no TPO’s. The proposal would be designed to ensure that the tree screening is maintained. Un-neighbourly Uses No un-neighbourly land uses were identified in proximity to the site.

Availability The site is believed to be available and this is supported by the fact that the site was (re) submitted (with revised Assessment boundaries) to HDC for assessment in March 2016. The site provider’s previously expressed (2014) view (assumed unchanged) is that the site could deliver development within a 0-5 year timescale.

Site Access The site has an existing access onto the Farnham Road (A287). There is some evidence to suggest that the remainder of the site’s frontage is separated from the A287 by a strip of common land (further assessment required). There may be some additional safety features required along this section of the Farnham road such as a reduction in the speed limit around the site entrance, and more warning signage in place. There is currently inadequate provision for cyclists and pedestrians to safely access the site. There are no footpaths or pavements in close proximity to the site, and the Farnham Road is likely to be an unattractive route option for pedestrians and many cyclists wanting to reach neighbouring villages. The strip of common land either side of the A287 that extends down to the Broad Oak roundabout is sufficiently wide enough to create a footpath towards Odiham and is approximately 0.7km. In addition there would be the ability to create an area for a request bus stop at the entrance of the site. This gives some sustainable options to occupants.

If this plan was combined with a traffic calming system, of possible rumble strips, SLOW signs on the road surface and digital speed check signage the traffic would be reduced to an acceptable speed.

Summary of  The site is very isolated in the countryside; Constraints  Access to all key facilities and services is very poor;  Infrastructure deficiencies have been identified: particularly primary school capacity, public transport and GI;  Unsafe/unsuitable access for pedestrians and cyclists;  The site is part of Dogmersfield Park, a registered (Grade II) historic park and garden;  If trees are removed, development would be to the landscape’s detriment:  The trees on site provide habitat, potentially to protected species;  The site is part of an area of significant archaeological interest.

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016 Summary of This is a part-previously-developed site and its re-use would be beneficial. If the various constraints can be overcome, the site may Opportunities have the potential for a small residential development, albeit one entirely dependent on car transport.

Focus of further  Scope to avoid/mitigate impacts on landscape and biodiversity; assessment, should  Scope to avoid harming the significance of the registered park and garden;

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Hart District Council Local Plan Site Assessment: Stage 2 – High Level Site Assessment – SHL039 (Fermoy, Farnham Road) May 2016 the site be shortlisted  Safe access arrangements for pedestrians and cyclists need further consideration. by the Council Site Assessment Name: SP Completed by Date: 16/05/2016

HDC Conclusion and Shortlist the site: Do not shortlist the site: recommendation HDC Comments:

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± SHLAA Site 039 - Constraints Key SHLAA Site 039 Listed Buildings

! TPO - Individual SSSI SINC National Nature Reserve Local Nature Reserve Parish Boundaries Historic Parks and Gardens Conservation Areas Thames Basin Heaths SPA (5km zone of influence) Thames Basin Heaths SPA (400m exclusion zone) Thames Basin Heaths SPA Settlement Boundaries TPO - Groups Scheduled Ancient Monuments Strategic Gaps

1:10,000 0 50 100 200 300 400

Meters Contains Ordnance Survey Data Crown copyright and database right 2016

± SHLAA Site 039 - Flood Risk Key SHLAA Site 039 Flood Zone 3 Flood Zone 2 Reservoir Flood Outlines Surface Water Flooding (1 in 30 year AEP) Surface Water Flooding (1 in 100 year AEP) Groundwater Flooding (Limited) Groundwater Flooding (Potential flooding to basements) Groundwater Flooding (Potential flooding at surface)

1:10,000 0 50 100 200 300 400

Meters Contains Ordnance Survey Data Crown copyright and database right 2016