LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE
VISION DOCUMENT / JANUARY 2018 THE DESIGN TEAM
Masterplanning, Landscape, Ecology, Archaeology and Heritage
Planning
Transport, Drainage, Flood Risk
FOR EDP USE
Report no. edp4137_r002a Author RMC Peer Review CG Formatted MC Proofed JM
© The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of The Environmental Dimension Partnership (. All plans are reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital map data.© The Environmental Dimension Partnership Ltd. © Crown copyright and database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey 0100031673
2 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 4 1.2 Planning Context 5
2. THE SITE 2.1 Site Description 6
3. CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES 3.1 Green Belt 8 3.2 Local Facilities 9 3.3 Access and Transport 9 3.4 Ecology 10 3.5 Landscape Character 12 3.6 Visual Amenity 14 3.7 Heritage and Archaeology 17 3.8 Topography 18 3.9 Flood Risk and Drainage 19 3.10 Noise 19 3.11 Utilities 19 3.12 Summary Opportunities 20 3.13 Summary Constraints 21
4. VISION & OBJECTIVES 4.1 Vision and Objectives 22
5. CONCEPT PLAN 5.1 Design Principles 24 5.2 Development Quantum 24
6. CONCLUSION 6.1 Objectives of this Vision Document 26 6.2 Delivering a Sustainable Development 26
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 3 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
To ensure that growth is properly managed and delivered, Calderdale Council (‘the Council’) is preparing a new Local Plan that will provide the framework for development in the Borough up to 2032. This emerging Local Plan is ambitious and aims to deliver a minimum of 16,871 new homes and 60 hectares of new employment land to deliver nearly 6,000 new jobs.
Calderdale is a special area, with much of western Calderdale dominated by designated landscapes and Green Belt that place considerable constraints on development and where it is located. Consequently, given the level of growth planned, difficult decisions will need to be made. In particular, the tightly drawn Green Belt boundaries mean that the release of Green Belt is inevitable.
The latest iteration of the emerging Local Plan includes an allocation of land adjacent to Exley Lane to the north of Elland (Site No. LP1567), hereafter referred to as ‘the site’. The site location is shown in Figure 1 – Site Location Plan opposite. This allocation is a key component of the Local Plan going forward since it can deliver a considerable quantum (up to 450) of new homes and supporting infrastructure in a highly sustainable location.
Calderdale Council has a vision – in 2032, Calderdale will be a great place to live, work, invest and visit, which has capitalised in its strategic position between Leeds and Manchester within metropolitan northern England, managing growth, change and the needs of its people within its precious Pennine environment. We share this vision and this document demonstrates effectively that development at land the site is an appropriate, sustainable and deliverable location.
This document has been prepared by The Environmental Dimension Partnership Ltd. (EDP), McLoughlin Planning and cTc Group on behalf of J.S Morton & Sons Ltd (hereafter referred to as ‘the client’). The document sets out an ambitious vision for the site and how this can be realised through the provision of a concept masterplan. Figure 1. SITE LOCATION PLAN (EDP4137_02)
4 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT This housing figure represents a significant increase over the 1.2 Planning Context previous Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) requirement of 500 dwellings per annum, stepping up to 670 dwellings per annum. It Calderdale’s development plan is currently the Replacement is also significantly more than the RCUPD figure of 450 dwellings Calderdale Unitary Development Plan (RCUDP). However, this per annum. This increases the challenges of delivering the plan’s was only intended to guide development up until 2016 and is housing requirement with delivery much higher than ever before now time expired. Therefore, in order to ensure that there is an over a sustained period of time. The allocation of land adjacent appropriate framework in place to deliver the growth planned for to Exley Lane for housing can help meet this challenge. Calderdale, the Council is currently preparing the new local plan, which will eventually supersede the RCUDP when it is adopted. Opportunities for allocating land are not evenly spread across The Council intends that this will be a single document that the Borough due to the constraints of topography, environmental combines the functions of a Core Strategy and Land Allocations capacity and the Green Belt. Whilst the settlement hierarchy and Designations Plan. has been the starting point for the distribution of new growth, the assessment of sites through the Local Plan process has The site has been continually identified for residential clearly shown that certain parts of the Borough do not have the development during the Council’s preceding stages of their supply of suitable sites, which would enable this distribution to plan-making process. In November and December 2015, the be achieved. Halifax is a notable example of this. Furthermore, Council consulted on aspects of the new Calderdale Local Plan the Council wishes that as much new development as possible and published its consultation document: Potential Sites and should be located on brownfield land. However, there is simply other Aspects of the Local Plan consultation document (Autumn not enough suitable brownfield land available to accommodate 2015). Following that work, the site was identified as a draft the housing requirement in full. allocation (Site No. LP1567) for circa 690 dwellings in the Draft Local Plan. This was published for consultation between 04 August and 02 October 2017.
The Council’s Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) has informed the Draft Local Plan and sets out that Calderdale represents an appropriate area for the assessment of housing needs, given that it operates as a single self-contained housing market area. It notes that a high proportion of people migrate within the Borough when moving home, whilst there is a relative containment of labour. The Draft Local Plan currently states that the SHMA results in a range from 872 dwellings per annum at the lower end to 1,169 dwellings per annum at the higher end within which the Objectively Assessed Needs (OAN) for the Local Plan are to be determined. For the Local Plan, the figure of 946 dwellings per annum has been taken as the most appropriate requirement figure to meet the Borough’s housing need up until 2031/2032. This is close to the lower figure identified in the SHMA. However, when the current housing shortfall is added, this requirement rises to 1,125 dwellings per annum. Site LP1567
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 5 2. THE SITE
2.1 Site Description Figure 2. SITE CONTEXT (EDP4137_13) The site is located just to the north of the town of Elland, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire and is well located to established transport corridors as shown in Figure 2 – Site Context. Given the planning constraints noted in the previous section, the importance of Elland as a focus for growth should not be underestimated. Elland is ideally located to support the needs of Halifax, which sits at the top of the settlement hierarchy as a sub-regional town. Moreover, development at Elland would support the development of a new passenger railway station, which would further improve its accessibility credentials.
The site location and its immediate context are shown in Figure 3 – Aerial View of The Site. The site lies on the northern bank of the River Calder opposite the town. Although the river, the canal (the Calder and Hebble Navigation) and the Calderdale Way (A629) all lie between the site and the town centre, the entire site lies within a short walk (400 to 800m) of the historic core, which is a tangible benefit for sustainable development. To the north west lies Elland Cemetery, but further north lies open agricultural land all within the Green Belt. There are detracting elements within this Green Belt including overhead power lines and pylons, evidence of tipping or waste recycling and flood lighting associated with a sports and games fields at the Park Lane Academy towards Exley. To the north- east lies the landscaped grounds of Park Wood Crematorium. Further to the south east is the large industrial area including Lowfields Business Park, south of the canal.
Land within the site encompasses a total area of 21.8 hectares (ha), divided into two roughly equal parts, bisected by Exley Lane and the Calder Valley railway line, which runs through Elland Tunnel and then opens into a deep wooded cutting.
The North Site comprises a very large field and a smaller field both under pasture, separated by a dry stone wall. It is bounded to the north by a native thorn hedge and to the south by the wooded tunnel/cutting of the railway line and a tall retaining wall/embankment to an industrial estate. To the east is a low dry stone wall along Woodlands Road and to the west is the rear of terraced housing, and further north a hedge, along Plains Lane.
The South Site comprises Elland Hall Farm, another farm dwelling; a static caravan park; a touring caravan park; two open fields of pasture; and a woodland block with a telecoms mast. It is bound to the south by a steep wooded slope, falling to the A629 below. The static caravan park is currently excluded from these development proposals. To the north is the rear of a row of semi-detached properties on Exley Lane, with the remainder of the boundary comprising the fenced and wooded top to the Elland Tunnel. The land within the site falls generally from north-west to south-east or east.
6 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT Figure 3. AERIAL VIEW OF THE SITE (EDP4137_16)
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 7 3. CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
3.1 Green Belt Figure 4. GREEN BELT The Green Belt within Calderdale is extensive and covers an area of around 23,000 ha. It surrounds the existing settlements of Calderdale with the boundaries drawn tightly around the urban areas. The site is located entirely within the Halifax Green Belt that separates Elland from Halifax (Exley) as shown in Figure 4 – Green Belt, which demonstrates how the Green Belt boundaries are drawn very tightly around the urban areas, limiting opportunities for growth.
As it will not be possible for Calderdale to accommodate its full housing requirement within the existing urban areas of the Exley Borough in a sustainable manner, the release of greenfield and Green Belt land will be inevitable through the Local Plan process.
The Council is undertaking a review of the Green Belt that identified that the site (Local Plan Site Ref LP1567) performs“ poorly when assessed against five Green Belt purposes.” Although the site performs an important role in safeguarding Elland the countryside from encroachment, it does not fulfil three of the other purposes: development: • Has low potential to create unrestricted sprawl; • Would not result in the merging of towns; and • Would have no effect on the setting and special character of historic features.
A closer inspection of Figure 4 reveals that: • The site is conjoined with the Elland urban area and forms an indent between the development along Exley Lane and that along Woodlands Road and Plains Lane; • Due to topography, there is no intervisibility between the site and Halifax (Exley) to the north, giving the perception that the two urban areas would remain quite separate; and Site Boundary • The semi-urbanised sequential journey along Exley Lane Green Belt means that the viewers cannot readily appreciate any role the site may have in preventing coalescence
In light of this analysis, there are sound planning reasons for DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Maintain visual separation of built form between the site and Halifax (Exley) removing this land from the Green Belt. to the north.
8 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT 3.2 Local Facilities Figure 5. FACILITIES PLAN (EDP4137_08) The location of facilities relative to the site is shown in Figure 5 – Facilities Plan. This plan shows that the site is located very sustainably within 400 to 800m (10-15 minute walk) of the town centre, which has a range of facilities available including a Morrisons supermarket, restaurants and pubs. The site is also within easy walking distance of several primary schools with a secondary school just over 800m away along Exley Lane at Exley.
3.3 Access and Transport
Initial investigations have indicated that a safe and suitable access can be provided to the site from both Exley Lane and Plains Lane with no apparent transportation or highways capacity constraints.
The Council is required to support a pattern of development that, where reasonable, facilitates the use of sustainable modes of transport and that maximises the use of sustainable transport modes. For longer journeys, the site is close to several bus stops, which provide access to destinations including Brighouse, Barkisland and Greetland. In addition, key local centres and other destinations can be accessed from Elland town centre, including Huddersfield (including the hospital and bus station), Halifax Bus Station, Stainland, Brighouse, Barkisland, and Greetland.
Elland Train Station The Council has a published aim to open a passenger railway station to serve Elland, and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) have given indicative approval to the Elland Station Package with funding in place to further develop the Outline Business Case. This scheme would provide a new station on the Calder Valley Line at Elland (approximate location shown on Figure 5) along with pedestrian, cycle and public realm improvements to link to Elland town centre and surrounding • Leverage this highly accessible location. areas of planned employment and housing growth. The scheme DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Develop dwellings close to the proposed Elland railway station with its will also incorporate bus infrastructure as well as a dedicated excellent access links. car park and associated highway access arrangements to enable the station to serve as a Park and Ride facility.
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 9 3.4 Ecology Figure 6. ECOLOGY CONTEXT (EDP4137_10) The wider ecological context of the site is shown in Figure 6 – Ecology Context. The preliminary ecological review performed by qualified ecologists at EDP (in the summer of 2017) has not identified any ‘in principle’ constraints to development on ecological grounds, such as statutory and non-statutory designations, or habitats of notable importance. Elland Park Wood On Site As shown in Figure 3 – Aerial View of the Site, the North Site is dominated by semi-improved/improved grassland grazed by sheep. The grassland is bordered by an area of broadleaved North Dean Wood Potential Habitat Link woodland to the south along the railway, with ‘gappy’ and redundant hedgerows along the other field boundaries. The South Site contains an area of broadleaved woodland, a caravan park, residential and industrial/commercial buildings and grazed semi-improved grassland. There are no on-site waterbodies and, subject to further investigation, there do not appear to be any waterbodies within 500m that are ecologically connected to the site.
Subject to further site survey, the grassland is anticipated to be of negligible to ‘site-level’ ecological value. Habitats of higher intrinsic ecological value include the woodland, hedgerows and scattered mature trees. Surveys for species/species-groups including bats, breeding birds and badger are likely to be required. The higher value habitat could easily be retained and enhanced within any site masterplan with further opportunities to create habitats, such as species-rich grassland within public open space and sustainable drainage features.
Wider Context The site does not lie within or immediately adjacent to any area designated for nature conservation value at either international or national level. There are no statutory designated sites of national importance within 5km of the site. Subject to further investigation, it is considered that the site could incorporate DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • No ‘in principle’ constraints to development. sufficient public open space to mitigate any additional • Good potential to ensure a net gain in on-site biodiversity through provision recreational disturbance on the more distant ‘South Pennine of public open space and sustainable drainage features. • Ensure that development proposals maintain the continuity of the network Moors’ Special Area of Conservation (SAC)/Special Protection and protect the nature conservation of the land affected, e.g. create new Area (SPA). woodland habitat to link existing areas of isolated Green Infrastructure (GI).
10 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT There are two designated sites of local importance within 2km North Site Looking North-east to Elland Wood and four non-statutory designated eco-sites within 2km of the Elland Wood Gappy hedges bounding pasture site, but on-site public open space would be integrated into of little ecological value the existing Public Rights of Way (PRoW), to provide accessible community green spaces resource, which would be used by residents in preference to the more sensitive off-site areas.
Wildlife Habitat Network and Wildlife Connectivity The Wildlife Habitat Network (WHN) (shown in pink in Figure 6) is a local ecological designation and connects designated sites of biodiversity and geological importance and notable habitat links within the Borough, such as woodlands, watercourses, natural and semi-natural areas. The WHN is intended to protect and strengthen ecological links within the county and enable species populations to be sustained by protecting and enhancing the ecological corridors and linkages. The Council’s policy is to seek to ensure that development proposals South Site Looking North-west maintain the continuity of the network and protect the nature conservation of the land affected.
The site is situated strategically in a gap in an east-west corridor Woodland on top of of the WHN, north of the River Calder and Calder and Hebble Elland Tunnel Navigation. The site’s location provides a rare opportunity to link the baseline habitat within the WHN by planting an area of native, broadleaved woodland east-west to connect Elland Park Wood to the east towards North Dean Wood further west as shown by the large green dashed arrow in Figure 6.
This opportunity would be consistent with RUDP Policy NE17, which seeks to “create new wildlife habitats, especially where they link Wildlife Corridors or isolated habitats or create buffers zones”. It would also support draft Policy GN2, which: seeks to “ensure that the GI network is joined up”; suggests that “existing spaces should be interlinked”; and encourages the “integration of otherwise isolated areas of wildlife interest”.
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 11 3.5 Landscape Character Figure 7. LANDSCAPE CONTEXT (EDP4137_04) The immediate landscape context of the site is shown in Figure 7 – Landscape Context. The site is neither designated nationally nor locally. It is an urban fringe landscape with many urbanising and detracting landscape elements. The site fills an indent between two fingers of development: Exley Lane and Plains Lane. The site is not currently accessible to the public, having no public rights of way crossing it.
The local Landscape Character has been described within the Calderdale District Landscape Character Assessment and Review of Special Landscape Area (SLA) Designations (October 2016). The site is not directly influenced by the SLA, but falls into two landscape character areas (LCA):
• The North Site generally lies within the K1: Coalfield Edge Urban Fringe Farmland (Thornton-Queensbury) LCA. The perceptual qualities of the ‘K1’ LCA are described as “an urban fringe character with a mixed land use and features such as pylons, golf courses and modern development, although there are some more rural and tranquil areas found further away from the main settlements, which surround the LCA. Strong visual connections with the district’s upland landscapes evoke contrasting feelings of remoteness”; and
• The South Site falls within the F2: Calder (Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd) LCA. The perceptual qualities of the ‘F2’ LCA are described as follows: “in the upper parts of the valley there is a sense of enclosure and naturalistic character due to the steep valley sides with dense woodland cover, although this becomes less apparent in the east of the LCA as the valley widens. Around the urban areas…the landscape becomes very busy with main trunk roads, urban development and industrial buildings”.
The conclusions of an assessment by a chartered Landscape DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Development will inevitably result in a landscape harm, but landscape Architect from EDP are given on the following page. sensitivity is not high. • Opportunity to plant woodland to assimilate development into landscape
12 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT North Site Site View 1: Within North Site Looking East The North Site shares many of the qualities of the ‘K1’ LCA and the following elements are worth emphasising: • The site has an urban fringe character and is influenced Terraces on Lowfields Plains Lane Business Park Converted Mill Elland on three sides by Victorian industrial and residential development, mostly of terraced form; • Other urbanising influences include pylons with overhead cables to the north and the Calder Vale rail line to the south; • Although the pastoral land opens to the north, the tranquillity here is compromised by off-site tipping or land- fill and the floodlighting of the sports/games pitches of Park Lane Academy towards Exley; • There is a strong visual connection from the higher, northern parts of the site to the upland area beyond Elland to the south and to Elland Park Wood to the east; and • The large mill (converted to flats) is a distinctive building and a local landmark.
South Site Site View 2: Within South Site Looking South-East The South Site shares some of the qualities of the ‘F2’ LCA, but the following points should be noted: Semi-detached Elland • It possesses some sense of enclosure and naturalistic Dwellings on Exley Lane Farm/Commercial Buildings Morrisons Town Centre character due to the rising topography and woodland to the north-west; • It lies high above the steep River Calder valley side (although the river and canal are not visible) and there is visual connection from the higher parts to the west and south (across and beyond Elland) and to the east towards Elland Park Wood; • The open parts possess an urban fringe character due to be being bounded on two sides by residential development, farm buildings (some in commercial use) and a static caravan park; and • Other urbanising influences include the telecoms mast and the background hum of the Calderdale Way (A629) below, along the river valley bottom.
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 13 3.6 Visual Amenity Figure 8. VISUAL APPRAISAL (EDP4137_06) The yellow hatching in Figure 8 – Visual Appraisal shows the areas from where the site is theoretically visible based upon computer modelling. Field survey along publicly accessible routes demonstrates, however, that the site is screened or heavily filtered by topography, built form and woodland from most of the 2km study area. The solid yellow wash shows the zone of primary visibility (ZPV), i.e. areas from where the site appears to the casual observer as an obvious element of the landscape in normally open and close-ranging views. The location of nine representative photoviewpoints is also shown.
The site is not widely visible and the ZPV is limited mainly to the immediate surroundings of the site (being predominantly overlooked by adjacent residencies and businesses) and from a limited area to the north from the footpath that runs northwards from Plains Lane. Here the site appears close and open as represented by Photoviewpoint EDP 1).
Visibility then quickly reduces, being restricted by urban development and woodland. It is only then clearly visible in more distant views over the town from the footpaths and roads on higher ground south of Elland, e.g. along Dewsbury Road (B6114). From here, the site forms an obvious, albeit distant and small element of these panoramas. This is demonstrated by Photoviewpoint EDP 9.
From the town itself, there will be views from elevated residences (over the top of intervening rooflines and tree canopies) in which the site is an obvious element, as indicated by Photoviewpoint EDP 7. It is also possible to get an occasional glimpse of the site from streets towards the northern edge of Elland. However, these views already have a strongly urban context.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Consider use of structural planting to help assimilate development into landscape, in views from the south
14 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT Photoviewpoint EDP 1 - At Eastern Edge of North Site (From Footpath North of Plains Lane) Looking South-west
Terraces on Plains Lane Converted Mill Industrial Units Dwellings along Exley Lane
Photoviewpoint EDP 9 - Dewsbury Road
South Site Converted Mill North Site
Photoviewpoint EDP 7 - Long Wall Approximate Extent of Site
Only northern extreme of Dwellings on North Site mostly South Site visible Exley Lane screened by vegetation
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 15 Proposed Woodland Link Dense woodland cover is a key characteristic of the surrounding landscape. The ecology-led opportunity (described in Section 3.4) to create new native woodland as part of the WHN (linking Elland Park Wood with North Dean Wood) also creates a great landscape opportunity, which would: • Be in keeping with the local landscape character as existing development is often seen nestled into a backdrop of trees on the hillsides, which readily assimilates the built form; • Form a natural shelter from cold north-easterly winter winds; • Form a structural element to help the remaining Green Belt fulfil its purposes to contain urban sprawl and prevent the perceived coalescence of Halifax (Exley) with Elland; and • Help assimilate any development into the landscape.
Proposed Converted Proposed Proposed dwellings Mill Dwellings Woodland Belt
Elland Park Wood
Sketch of Site Looking North-west From Dewsbury Road
16 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT 3.7 Heritage and Archaeology
Built Heritage Archaeological Potential EDP conducted a desk-based heritage assessment in the There is no current evidence that archaeological remains would represent a barrier to the delivery of the site, or that these would impact summer of 2017. The site and surrounding area, and an on the capacity of the site for development. However, the archaeological potential of the site has not been tested and investigation would overview of recorded heritage assets and features of interest, be required to confirm this at a later stage. are shown in Figure 9 – Heritage Assets. There are 57 listed buildings within 1km of the site, and the historic core of Figure 9. HERITAGE ASSETS (EDP4137_17) Elland is designated as conservation area. A formal heritage assessment by EDP has shown that the agricultural character of land within the site would not have any bearing on the setting of any of these assets, including the Grade II listed Exley Hall.
Exley Hall (Ref: 1133898) The heritage significance of the house derives primarily from its architectural interest. Although the surrounding agricultural land provides an appropriate historical setting, this does not extend to land within the site, with which the house has no historical or functional relationship and a negligible visual connection. It is likely that development within the site would be substantially hidden from view.
Elland Conservation Area Elland Conservation Area lies some 50m to the south of the site at its nearest point, where this encompasses Park Road and Elland Bridge, and a small section of the Calder and Hebble Navigation. Land within the site has no bearing on the character and appearance of the conservation area and potential effects relate solely to its setting. Although development would be visible in a proportion of views from the conservation area, it would not change the ability of the viewer to look out over the surrounding landscape and so the character and appearance of Elland Conservation Area would be preserved.
St Mary’s Church (Ref: 1184393) Any perceived harm to the church’s setting would be negligible: the potential for development to impact views of St Mary’s church tower is minimal and development would not be visible in views from the vicinity of the church. Although the church is clearly visible from the site, this land is not currently publicly DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Potential to create and enhance views toward the church and the town from accessible and development offers the opportunity to create within the site. new accessible vistas of the tower.
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 17 3.8 Topography Figure 10. GRADIENT ANALYSIS (EDP4137_07) The site falls generally from north-west to south-east or east; Back Lane however there are local changes in the gradient across the site. This fall is shown by the contour lines in Figure 10 – Gradient Analysis.
A study of the gradients (colour-coded on Figure 10) will inform the layout of any concept masterplan. For example, the gradient at or shallower than 1:20 (5%) (shown as white) would provide accessible development without any material engineering works. However, some of these shallower areas are located at the bottom of slopes and surface water attenuation features are likely to be required here (see Section 3.9).
The steepest gradients on site (shown in orange) are steeper than 1:8 (12.5%) and would be too steep for adoptable streets without significant engineering works that may fundamentally alter the topography. Construction of accessible dwellings might also require split-level buildings, which may prove financially unviable. For these reasons, these areas should, in general, be kept free of built development if possible. That being said, the Borough is characterised by a highly undulating topography and development has historically taken place successfully on land as steep if not steeper than this.
This creates an opportunity to use these steepest gradients for GI purposes.
The general south-easterly aspect offers opportunities to align dwellings to optimise solar gain.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Consider locating built development on shallower slopes, with GI on slopes too steep to develop without significant engineering works.
18 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT 3.9 Flood Risk and Drainage Foul Drainage Public combined sewers lie along Exley lane and along Back As shown in Figure 8 – Landscape Context, the site itself is located within Flood Zone 1 (i.e. outside Flood Zones 2 and 3) as designated Lane, Plains Lane and Park Road. It is intended that foul water by the Environment Agency, and is therefore at a low risk of flooding. However, due to the size of the site (over 1ha in Flood Zone 1), any will be collected by a piped system within each parcel of land future application would require a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA). CTC carried out a preliminary report on flood risk and drainage on the and connections made to the public foul sewage system. site in September 2017. Discussion will be had with Yorkshire Water to agree connection points and any reinforcement of the existing system that may North Site South Site be required to accommodate the proposed flows. An extract from the Environment Agency’s Surface Water Flood An extract from the Environment Agency’s Surface Water Flood Risk Map is shown below. Risk Map is shown below. 3.10 Noise
Back Lane Immediately to the south and south-east of the site is a primary employment area, which includes B2 uses (General Industrial Uses). To the south of the site are also the busy A629 Halifax Road and a busy passenger railway line. All of these will generate a level of noise that will impact on the site to varying degrees.
The Council has identified noise as a potential constraint to the site. However, the Council’s Local Plan evidence base does not include any relevant information on this matter. It will be important to understand the potential impact of noise and disturbance on the site and therefore a noise impact A watercourse sinks on the northern boundary of the site and The map identifies the possibility of a surface water flow along assessment will be required. This will identify all relevant noise crosses the site towards Back Lane, the alleyway at the rear of the backs of the residential properties fronting Exley Lane. sources, the levels of noise, and any mitigation required. This the residential properties fronting Plains Lane. Surface water will subsequently inform the masterplanning of the site. is also identified as flowing across the site at times of peak The site has a general fall to the east. The geology is understood rainfall. to be freely draining slightly acid loamy soils and the bedrock 3.11 Utilities to be sandstone. (Elland Hall Farm Caravan site, excluded from Two outfall chambers are identified adjacent to Back Lane that the developable area, is located in a former sandstone quarry.) The proposed development land is well serviced by all the local take the flow from the watercourse and any surface water flows utility companies and there should be no issues servicing a that may occur across the site. A surface water drainage culvert runs to the east along Exley residential site at this location, although some reinforcement Lane. Surface water runoff from the existing buildings on of services may be required. The site has a general fall to the east. The geology is understood the existing site is drained by an onsite drainage system that to be slowly permeable seasonally wet acid loamy soils that connects to this culvert. The local area is serviced from utilities plant and equipment that would not be conducive to infiltration. runs along Exley Lane, Plains Lane and Park Road. Yorkshire Surface water runoff from the proposed development would Water, Northern Gas, Northern Powergrid, BT Openreach and A surface water drainage strategy for the proposed development introduce attenuation within the site to ensure surface water is Virgin Media are all present. would introduce attenuation within the site and, specifically, in controlled to pre-development runoff rates, allowing infiltration the area of land adjacent to Back Lane to ensure surface water where possible. There are no services that cross the north and south parts of is controlled to pre-development runoff rates. the site other than a BT Openreach network that crosses the southern site to service the caravan park.
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 19 3.12 Summary Opportunities Figure 11. CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES (WIDER CONTEXT) (EDP4127_03a) The site provides a very sustainable location for environmentally- led residential development. A graphic representation of the wider design consideration highlighted in this section is mapped in Figure 12 – Constraint and Opportunities (Wider Context) with the more local on-site points noted in Figure 13 – Constraint and Opportunities (Site). The key opportunities maybe summerised as follows:
• The site could have safe and suitable access provided with no apparent transportation or highways capacity constraints via Exley Lane;
• The site Is highly-accessible and very closely located to local facilities, being within a 10-15 minute walk of the town centre and within walking distance of key employment areas;
• The site is close to several bus stops, which provide access to destinations including Brighouse, Barkisland and Greetland;
• The site Is also convenient for the proposed new passenger railway station at Elland on the Calder Valley Line.
• The site provides a rare opportunity to link the existing woodland habitats (by planting an area of native, broadleaved woodland) to fill a strategic gap in an east- west corridor of the Wildlife Habitat Network (as shown in Figure 6);
• The site offers opportunities for healthy living by providing significant new areas of Public Open Space (POS) linked into the wider footpath and cycleway network; and
• The site has the potential to create and enhance views towards St Mary’s church tower from that new POS.
20 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT 3.13 Summary Constraints Figure 12. CONSTRAINT AND OPPORTUNITIES (SITE) (EDP4137_15) The key constraints in this section are set out below: none of these items cannot be mitigated and none pose an ‘in principle’ constraint to residential development of the site:
• The Green Belt should not bee seen as a constraint and the site should be removed from the Green Belt: the Council’s own assessment indicates the site “performs poorly when assessed against five Green Belt purposes”.It is possible to maintain the visual separation of built form between the site and Halifax (Exley) to the north (when viewed from Dewsbury Road) by planting a new band of native woodland;
• There are no ‘in principle’ ecological constraints to development and there is good potential to ensure a net gain in on-site biodiversity through provision of public open space and sustainable drainage features;
• Although development will inevitably result in some landscape harm (an unavoidable consequence of any greenfield development) the landscape sensitivity is not high and the development would be readily assimilated into the landscape by the proposed belt of native woodland;
• The site has a general fall north-west to south-east, but the gradients do vary. Built development should be focussed on the shallower slopes, whilst GI should be located on the steeper areas where possible;
• The site is not at risk of flooding, being in Flood Zone 1, and surface water run-off can be maintained at existing green field rates through on site attenuation; and
• Although the Council has identified noise as a potential constraint a future noise impact assessment will identify all relevant noise sources, the levels of noise, and any mitigation required (if necessary) to inform the site masterplan.
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 21 4. VISION & OBJECTIVES
4.1 Vision and Objectives
The vision for the site is summarised in the adjacent box. The specific development objectives are listed on the facing page. VISION
The site would make an attractive contribution to sustainable development in Calderdale by delivering a range of high-quality dwellings of varying types, sizes and tenures in a location close to the town centre with safe access by pedestrians and cyclists.
The location is close to the anticipated railway station at Elland and proposals could include an extensive network of public open space connected by new footpaths and cycleways to support the health, safety and well-being of the local community.
Extensive new woodland would enhance regionally important Green Infrastructure, by creating a link within the existing Wildlife Habitat Network. In addition to amenity and ecological benefits, this structural planting would improve the landscape character and the efficacy of the Green Belt, by containing further development and preventing potential sprawl and coalescence.
The site’s south-facing aspect would be exploited for solar gain and the higher and steeper land would be planted and kept free of dwellings to enhance natural shelter. The lower slopes would include sustainable drainage so as not to increase local flood risk.
Local character will be celebrated through reference to local and adjacent building form and scale. Development would be constructed using sustainable construction methods and with locally sourced materials, including vernacular stone for key buildings. Future residents would have a sense of pride and belonging living here.
22 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT Build New Homes for Local Needs Support a Vibrant Town Centre Deliver up to 450 desirable and high-quality dwellings of varying Utilise the location close to the town centre with its safe access for types, sizes, tenures and prices in a sustainable location to meet pedestrians and cyclists. the Borough’s housing needs.
Leverage Strategic Connections Strengthen Green Infrastructure Use the location close to the new passenger railway station for Protect and enhance the GI that contributes to regional biodiversity sustainable residential development. and local landscape character. Plant significant native woodland to contribute to regional biodiversity within the wider Wildlife Habitat Network.
Work With The Landscape Support Health and Well-Being Exploit solar opportunities on south-east sloping land. Set dwellings within a well-maintained, beautiful green space Shelter dwellings from north-easterly winter winds by planting network to provide residents with a sense of pride and belonging. woodland on the higher and steeper land. Connect public open space with new footpaths and cycleways to Attenuate rainwater in grassland on the lower slopes. support a safe lifestyle and well-being.
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 23 5. CONCEPT PLAN
5.1 Design Principles 5.2 Development Quantum
1• Vehicular access point taken off Exley Lane and Plains Lane. The Net Developable Area is 11.3 ha. This is conservative measurement and likely to increase as the drainage solution is refined. 2• New sustainable links connect into existing footpaths and cycleways to provide easy access to local facilities. There would be a range of densities across the site corresponding both to the landscape constraints and to neighbouring uses. The surrounding residential areas are typified by terraced housing and 3• Steepest slopes, that might prove unviable for development, used for Green Infrastructure. semi-detached dwellings, which typically are built out at higher densities than detached properties. There is also an opportunity for taller building, including apartments, that relate well in mass and 4• Land at lowest points on site used for surface water attenuation. scale to the converted mill. Here, densities could approach 50 dwellings per hectare (dph).
5• Proposed strategic native woodland planted to: create link in Wildlife Habitat Network; contain Assuming an overall density across the site of 40 dph, the number of dwellings provided could be development and so strengthen the value of remaining Green Belt land; and assimilate up to 450. development into landscape.
6• Significant areas of new public open space connected by new footpaths and cycleways offer opportunities for healthy living.
7• Formal open space provides setting to converted mill.
8• Street pattern oriented to provide views of landmark building to help navigation and to create powerful sense of place.
9• Street pattern oriented to allow new publicly-accessible view of St Mary’s church tower.
10• Development fronts onto site edge to leverage views out over the River Calder Valley.
11• Dry stone wall retained and extended with niches for seating to enjoy views.
12• Opportunity for larger scale building to relate well to the proportions of the converted mill.
13• Static caravan park retained.
24 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT Figure 13. CONCEPT MASTERPLAN (EDP4137_12)
6 1 5 11 8 3
4
1 12
7
2 3 1 2
10
9
13
PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 25 6. CONCLUSION
6.1 Objectives of this Vision Document 6.2 Delivering a Sustainable Development
Calderdale is changing. Calderdale differs from the Borough of twenty years ago and will be This vision document has demonstrated the deliverability of the site with a comprehensive analysis different in twenty years from now. The growth planned for Calderdale is significant and poses many of the contextual, planning and technical parameters. challenges in the coming years. However, with these challenges comes opportunity – a tangible opportunity to shape Calderdale for the better. Green Belt covers much of the Borough outside the urban areas and places considerable constraints on development. Release of Green Belt is inevitable and this vision document confirms that there To support the emerging Local Plan, this vision document has been prepared to assist with the is no strong reason why the site should not be released from the Green Belt, provided the proposed site’s promotion. It has been prepared by The Environmental Dimension Partnership Ltd (EDP), landscape mitigation is delivered. McLoughlin Planning and cTc Group on behalf of J.S Morton & Sons Ltd. It sets out an ambitious vision for the site and how this can be realised through the provision of a concept masterplan. Apart from minor topographical and surface water drainage considerations, the site has few physical constraints and would be able to accommodate at least 11.3 ha of residential development.
The site offers a unique opportunity to create an attractive sustainable development in Calderdale delivering up to 450 high-quality dwellings of varying types, sizes, tenures and process.
The site’s location is close to the town centre with safe access by pedestrians and cyclists. The town has a good range of services and facilities. There are no issues with site access; however, an assessment of slip-road junctions around Halifax Road (A629) and Exley Lane will be required.
The proposed development would celebrate local built form and character and would be well-related to the existing settlement edge. It would provide new and high-quality public open green spaces. These would include extensive new native woodland and new walking and cycling routes connecting to the existing links to Elland town centre and to a new passenger railway station.
The proposed new woodland would be in keeping with the landscape character and would strengthen the efficacy of the remaining Green Belt by containing development. It would help assimilate the development into the landscape and provide valuable habitat as part of the existing WHN.
Calderdale Council has a vision – “in 2032 Calderdale will be a great place to live, work, invest wand visit”, which has capitalised on its strategic position between Leeds and Manchester within metropolitan northern England, managing growth, change and the needs of its people within its precious Pennine Environment. We share this vision and this document demonstrates effectively that the site is an appropriate, sustainable and deliverable location for residential development.
26 LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENT LAND ADJACENT TO EXLEY LANE / ELLAND / CALDERDALE 27 The Environmental Dimension Partnership, Tithe Barn, Barnsley Park Estate, Barnsley, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5EG
t 01285 740427 e [email protected] w www.edp-uk.co.uk