Gladman Developments Ltd

Land off Westbury Road, Great Cheverell, .

Wiltshire Council

Statement of Community Involvement

November 2013

Land off Westbury Road, Great Cheverell. Statement of Community Involvement

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

1.1.1 This statement sets out the proactive approach of community engagement that has been undertaken by Gladman Developments Ltd to inform a planning application for a proposed residential development on land off Westbury Road, Great Cheverell, Wiltshire.

1.2 Policy Background

1.2.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) encourages a positive and proactive problem solving and solution approach to decision taking. It encourages pre-application engagement with stakeholders and the community to foster efficiency and effectiveness in the planning application process and improved outcomes for the community.

1.2.2 The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) was formally adopted in February 2010 and sets out the Council’s approach to stakeholder engagement for planning applications within the District. The Statement of Community Involvement is a statutory document which details how and when the Council will involve the community in the preparation of the planning policy documents that make up its Local Plan. It also provides information on the Council’s approach to engaging the wider community in the process of determining planning applications, particularly those involving major development proposals. The aim is to strengthen community involvement in planning over time and to achieve a widespread level of support for the policies that will shape development and the future use of land in Wiltshire.

1.2.3 The adopted SCI encourages pre-application discussions. The SCI recognises that there are significant benefits from developing partnerships and developers will be encouraged to carry out pre-application consultation with interested local parties and community bodies. This should allow any issues to be addressed early in the planning process, and hopefully prior to the submission of a planning application, to reduce the potential for delays in the decision making process and improve the quality of applications. The content and method of any pre- application consultation exercise should accompany the submitted planning application.

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1.3 Gladman’s Approach

1.4.1 Gladman take a proactive approach to pre-application consultation and engagement with statutory bodies, Councils and the local community in order to fully understand and consider relevant planning factors which could influence the nature of the proposed development or approach to the site’s development. Gladman have completed a comprehensive programme of community engagement which is considered appropriate for the proposed development on this site.

1.4.2 This report details the programme and results of the consultation.

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2.0 ENGAGEMENT WITH WILTSHIRE COUNCIL & STAKEHOLDERS

2.1 Discussions with Council Officers

2.1.1 GDL sought to engage with Officers during the pre-application stage. A request for a Pre- Application meeting was sent to Wiltshire Council on 5th July, with the meeting taking place on 15th August. From this meeting, a formal response from the Planning Officer, Ruaridh O’Donoghue was received, dated 30th September reference 13/01731/PREAPP. This is attached in Appendix A.

2.1.2 A Screening Request (reference 13/04914/SCR) was submitted to Wiltshire Council on 4th October 2013 seeking confirmation that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not required for the development. A response was received from Ruaridh O’Donoghue, Planning Officer, on 10th October 2013 stating that an EIA would not be required to be submitted with the planning application. This is attached in Appendix B.

2.2 Engagement with other Local Stakeholders

2.2.1 GDL both directly and through consultants have proactively engaged with a range of stakeholders during the pre-application stage including amongst others:

 Wiltshire Council as Highway Authority  Wiltshire Council as Planning Authority  Cheverell Magna Council (comments requested but not received)  Wiltshire Council Education Department  Wiltshire Council - Archaeology  Environment Agency  Wessex Water  Utility Providers

2.2.2 Detailed comments from statutory consultees are explained further and addressed in our supporting technical documents submitted with the application.

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2.3 Engagement with the Local Community

2.3.1 Initial Consultation Leaflet

2.3.2 A leaflet outlining the development principles and seeking comments were distributed on Friday 18th October 2013 to 178 households and businesses within a general proximity of the site. A copy of the leaflet is included at Appendix C.

2.3.3 A copy of the leaflet was sent by email to the Clerk and Parish Councillors of Cheverell Magna Parish Council as well as the Ward Councillor for The Lavingtons and Ward, prior to the main mailshot on 16th October 2013.

2.3.4 There has been fourteen responses to this leaflet to date, by post and via email.

2.3.5 All Copies of feedback received are included at Appendix D.

2.4 Your-views Website

2.4.1 GDL have a dedicated website for each of its projects. These contain details of the project, information boards and other information about the particular scheme. The website also allows feedback to be sent via email to GDL. The Great Cheverell website is www.your- views.co.uk/greatcheverell and was operational from 16th October 2013 to coincide with the distribution of the leaflet. Which remains operational.

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3.0 CONSULTATION REVIEW

3.1 Consultation Outcomes

3.1.1 GDL is pleased that a number of people engaged with the consultation process for the proposed site and provided comments during the pre-application process. Whilst many respondents objected to residential development within Great Cheverell, others expressed support whilst some offered constructive comments.

3.1 Summary of Comments and Responses

3.2.1 Responses to issues which emerged from the various forms of community engagement are detailed in the table below, together with the applicant’s response.

Summary of Comments Response

. HOUSING NUMBERS Please refer to Planning Statement, Affordable . Great Cheverell does not need more Housing and Socio‐Economic reports houses. accompanying this application . No room in Village . Not certain whether housing required. In order to deliver the level of housing that is . Increase on the village will be too great. needed some greenfield sites on the edge of . Great Cheverell already has had a existing setlements will be required to be considerable amount of development. developed

. AFFORDABLE HOUSING A proportion of the total number of houses will . Does Gladman’s view of affordable be ‘affordable’ with a mix of tenures i.e. let or match that of local people. sold in part at below market value. The level of . Build more social/ affordable houses. affordable housing will be provided in . The village already has adequate accordance with District Council policy “affordable housing” of mixed ownership. Please refer to the supporting document accompanying this application

. ARCHITECTURE/ HOUSE TYPES The design and access statement that . Village character based on a wide accompanies the application will look broadly variety of individual houses. at the design aspects of the site. . Experience shows that house will be designed in some office miles away to The finalised design will be determined as part national pastiche style with no of a reserved matters planning application. appreciation for the local vernacular.

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. TRAFFIC /SAFETY/ ACCESS A Transport Assessment has been prepared and . Access roads are not suitable. is submitted with the application in accordance . Traffic already bad due to high sided with a scope agreed with the County Highway vehicles being diverted through village. Authority. . Limited footpaths/ no footpaths in areas of village. The Transport Assessment provides a full . Road and access from Bell to school is justification for the proposed development in difficult especially if cars double parked. highway access and sustainable travel terms. . Hillcorner through to Garston is a single Wiltshire Council Highways were contacted at track road not suitable for heavy goods an early stage to discuss the principles of how vehicles or amounts of traffic. access would be provided to the site. . Increased road traffic caused by extra houses cause danger pollution and congestion. . Allow plenty of parking. At least 3 spaces for each 3‐ 4 bedroomed house. . Highways Authority requirements will urbanise the section of Westbury Rd. . Additional traffic will use Westbury Rd. . Object on access. . Access will be off a small road. . 50 cars will be too many for the village . There is one car per adult in the rural community.

. INFRASTRUCTURE . Not certain whether infrastructure can Utility companies have been contacted to cope. discuss the relevant capacity issues within the . Village has poor infrastructure. village. . Village has poor water supply and A utility report accompanies the application. pressure, inadequate and outdated electricity supply and poor telephone and broadband speed. . HISTORICAL CONTEXT/LOCATION Please refer to Landscape and Visual . Greenfields to be preserved not Assessment and Design and Access Statement destroyed. In order to deliver the level of housing that is . Underground streams and brooks required to meet needs some greenfield sites through land and must be maintained. on the edge of existing urban areas will be . Object on the impact on the required to be developed. conservation area. The illustrative master plan is sympathetic,

retaining existing landscaping, trees, hedgerows and providing new planting.

. GENERAL COMMENTS In the current adopted LDF Great Cheverell is a . Great Cheverell to stay as a small village. large Village. . Build on proposed Budgens store in The re‐categorisation of the village is currently West Lavington proposed within the emerging Core Strategy . Great Cheverell is not a large village. which is, at the moment, being consulted upon, and as yet is unadopted.

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. Large pleasant area complete with There is no evidence that new housing playground is next to village hall. No development detracts from village life and that need for more. new residents do not integrate within the . No problem with scheme need to village. confirm access. Development of this nature can contribute to . Proposal will dramatically and the security and safeguarding to the vibrancy of detrimentally change the character of the community and potentially safeguard the village existing services. . Get facts right. It is not a large village has been downgraded to a small village by the council. . Large estate is excessive, not sustainable, not required and not welcomed by the village. . Sustainable development means building two to four houses per year. . Need for generous sized family homes.

4.0 Potential for Community Benefits

4.01 Throughout the consultation process, Gladman encouraged suggestions as to how the local community could benefit from the proposed development.

4.02 Potential suggestions must be tested against Government rules which limit what those seeking planning permission can offer (which exist to ensure developers cannot ‘buy’ permissions). However, the applicant will discuss the ideas put forward with the District and/ or Parish Council.

4.03 Implementation of the agreed community benefits and development mitigations will be guaranteed through their inclusion within a Section 106 agreement.

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