Report-Rugeley 'B' Power Station Site Planning Application
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Application No: CH/19/201 ITEM NO. 6.1 Location: Rugeley B Power Station, Power Station Road, Rugeley, WS15 2HS Proposal: Outline planning application for the creation of development platform and the demolition of existing office building and environmental centre, site clearance, remediation and mixed-use development comprising: Up to 2,300 new dwellings and residential units (Use Classes C3 and C2); up to 1.2ha of mixed use (Use Classes A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, C1, C2, C3, D1 & D2) up to 5ha of employment (Use Classes B1a,b,c &,B2); 1 No. 2 Form Entry Primary School (Use Class D1); Formal and Informal Publicly Accessible Open Space; Key Infrastructure including new adoptable roads within the site and the provision of a new primary access junction on to the A513; ground mounted solar panels and 2 No. existing electricity substations (132 kV & 400 kV) retained (All matters reserved except access) PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK ITEM NO. 6.2 Contact Officer: David O’Connor Telephone No: 01543 464 515 PLANNING CONTROL COMMITTEE 15 JANUARY 2020 Application No: CH/19/201 Received: 28-May-2019 Location: Rugeley ‘B’ Power Station, Power Station Road, Rugeley, WS15 2HS Parishes: Brereton and Ravenhill Rugeley Description: Outline Planning Application with the points of access included for the creation of a development platform and the demolition of existing office building and environmental centre, site clearance, remediation and mixed-use development of land at the former Rugeley Power Station comprising: up to 2,300 new dwellings and residential units (Use Classes C3 and C2), up to 1.2 ha of mixed-use (Use Class A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, C1, C2, C3, D1 & D2) up to 5ha of employment (Use Classes B1(a, b and c) and B2), 1 No. 2 form entry primary school (Use Class D1), formal and informal Publicly Accessible Open Space, key infrastructure including new adoptable roads within the site and the provision of a new primary access junction on to the A513, ground mounted solar panels with 2 No. existing electricity substations (132 kV & 400 kV) retained Application Type: Full Planning Application Major with ES RECOMMENDATION: Approve subject to the conditions within this report and: (1) Subject to the owners/applicants first entering into a Section 106 Legal Agreement under the Town and Country Planning Act (as amended) to secure contributions/planning obligations towards:- 1. On-site affordable housing provision equivalent to 17.6% spread evenly across the site (approx. 405 dwellings total) 2. On-site Sports Provision (including changing facilities and management). 3. On-site Public Open Space Provision (including delivery of Riverside Park, retained and new allotments and public art) ITEM NO. 6.3 4. Delivery of 2 form of entry primary school on site or £7.9 Million contribution and secondary school contribution of £8 Million 5. Highways and Transport Contributions (Off-site Highway Works costed to approximately £4.6 Million), off site linkage improvements, Trent Valley Station Improvements and canal towpath improvements 6. Public Transport Contribution (approx. £3.345 Million) or equivalent similar provision of public transport 7. Travel Plan Monitoring Sum £50,000 8. Air Quality Mitigation Contribution towards Cannock Chase SAC (£2.387 Million) 9. Provision of on-site Community Building and Healthcare Contribution (between £430-736K) Note a separate Unilateral Undertaking relating to the payment of £221 per dwelling for the mitigation of visitor pressure on the Cannock Chase SAC is also required. (2) If the S106 legal agreement / Unilateral Undertaking are not signed/completed by the 13th April 2020 or the expiration of any further agreed extension of time, then powers be delegated to officers to refuse planning permission based on the unacceptability of the development, without the required contributions and undertakings, as outlined. (3) And delegated approval to Officers to make minor changes to conditions as may be required Executive Summary Figure 1: Rugeley Power Station Design and Access Statement Extract (Pg 8) 1.1 The revised application seeks outline planning permission with the points of access included for the development of up to 2,300 dwellings, 1.2 ha of mixed- uses and up to 5ha of employment land. The proposal is cross boundary, affecting land within both Lichfield and Cannock Chase Districts. The submissions include a high level illustrative master plan showing how the ITEM NO. 6.4 resultant site could appear. Matters relating to appearance, the precise layout of the site, landscaping and the scale/ height of the buildings are reserved for subsequent approval and as such do not fall for full determination at this time. However the applicant has provided details for approval in the form of Parameters Plans which convey the broad site layout, density, intended movement framework and building heights amongst others features. Environmental Statement 1.2 By virtue of the size and scale of the proposed development and the potential for significant effects during the construction and operational phases of the development, an Environmental Statement has been submitted with the application. The Environmental Statement (ES) describes and assesses the likely environmental impacts of the proposed development and proposes various mitigation measures to avoid, remedy or reduce impacts where appropriate. 1.3 In terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment, it is considered that the implementation of the mitigation measures referenced within the ES will prevent the proposed development from having any significant adverse environmental effects. However this is not the same as concluding the development would not have any impacts on the local area from a planning perspective. These are explored and explained later in this report. 1.4 Therefore, a key issue in the determination of this application is whether the proposed development is acceptable, or can be made acceptable in planning terms with due regard to the relevant local and national planning policies and all other relevant planning considerations, including the proposed planning conditions and Section 106 obligations. Principle of Development 1.5 The application site straddles the boundary between Cannock Chase District Council and Lichfield District Council. The site as a whole is not identified or allocated for any purpose within the current adopted Local Plan (Part 1) in Cannock Chase District. The closure and redevelopment of the Power Station site was not envisaged in the processes that lead to the production of the Local Plan (Part 1) prior to 2014. Although the Council is working to progress a Local Plan Review, this work is in its early stages and cannot be given substantial weight in determining the current application. The site is also subject to the Rugeley Power Station Development Brief SPD that was jointly produced between the respective Council’s and this provides guidance about the wider redevelopment of the site. 1.6 The site is allocated for residential development of a minimum of 800 dwellings within the development plan governing the land within Lichfield District Council’s administrative area. The Armitage with Handsacre Neighbourhood Plan applies to the area of land around the Borrow Pit Lake, suggesting this should be Protected Open Space. A small development parcel is proposed within the application to the north of the Borrow Pit Lake. This portion of the development runs in conflict with Policy AH4 in the Armitage with Handsacre Neighbourhood Plan, although the general thrust and purpose of AH4 reflects the ambitions of the Rugeley Power Station SPD to retain the Borrow Pit as a landscape/water ITEM NO. 6.5 feature and promote improved access and recreational use of such assets, which the proposed development achieves. 1.7 Spatially the site is located on the edge of Rugeley town and is in part previously developed land (aka Brownfield). The development proposed is considered to be sustainably located with good access to public transport and day to day facilities, which could be further improved as part of the development. Accordingly, in spatial planning policy terms the development is considered acceptable. Design Concept 1.8 The site will include a new link to Rugeley town centre via the former rail link into the site. This will provide access from the town to a new neighbourhood centre inclusive of a convenience retail store (up to 500sqm), a community building and other mixed uses, closely associated with the proposed primary school, employment uses, formal sports provision and the proposed 25Ha Riverside Park. Also proposed is a smaller neighbourhood centre close to the Borrow Pit Lake with a more recreation related focus as well as links interconnecting with neighbouring land. Additional sports facilities are to be provided around the location of the former Power Station Social Club. The features will be linked by extensive walkable routes including the ‘Riverside Walk’ spanning much of the length of the site. The density and scale of development would be up to 4 and 5 storeys in the more accessible western portion of the site and would be largely up to 2.5 to 3 storeys to the eastern portion. Transport 1.9 Detailed transport modelling has been carried out to predict the uplift of traffic associated with the site. The predicted uplifts require certain improvements to offsite junctions and the wider pedestrian, cycle and canal towpath network. These improvements would be secured by conditions and S106 as would improvements to access to Rugeley Town and Trent Valley