Carlisle Rural Masterplanning Settlement

Carlisle District: Rural Masterplanning DALSTON DALSTON Figure 1: Location of Dalston May 2013 Page 1 Carlisle District: Rural Masterplanning DALSTON Settlement Profile: Strategic position Dalston is situated just under 5 miles south southwest of Carlisle centre. It is on the north- south B5299 at junctions with three minor roads to west and east. It is important as a service centre for a wide area south of Carlisle. It has a railway station on the Cumbrian coastal line. It has significant employers and is situated on a long distance trail accessible from Carlisle. General description of settlement Dalston has developed incrementally from a ribbon linear settlement along the B5299 in two main areas (between the railway, Station Road and Carlisle Road and in the arc created by Townhead Road and Nook Lane). The railway line has acted as the settlement boundary for housing. The centre is at a pinch-point created by the river and its floodplain to the east and an area of market gardening to the west. The Square comprises an attractive mix of mainly 2 with some 3 storey buildings of sandstone and pastel coloured render with the distinctive church forming an important focal point at one end. Parking in The Square is uncontrolled, which may cause uncertainty, but avoids the need for painted white lines in this important historic centre. The Green forms an important oval-shaped open space south of The Square lying between the river and the B5299. It is attractive and inviting and contrasts with the denser historic fabric of The Square. The un-manned station is to the north west of the centre of the settlement, where a small level of random industrial development is located. The access to the station is via a steel fabrication business and is consequently unattractive for pedestrian use. The Nestlé factory is a dominant feature in views of the settlement from some directions. The Barras Lane industrial area is on the outskirts, adjacent to the oil storage depot to the west and is relatively low profile. There are a range of shops and services in the settlement with a primary and a secondary school as well as an independent school nearby. The main general store is a newly developed Co-op. A large veterinary practice serves the wider area. Topographical and landscape context Dalston is surrounded by a gently undulating agricultural, pastoral landscape with small copses, intact ancient hedgerows and some larger areas of woodland. The land slopes down to the river valley and from the north. The river valley is an important, attractive corridor with pedestrian and cycle access. The river floodplain covers much of the land to the east of the B5299 (including some land occupied by Nestlé, the secondary school playing fields and all the properties along The Green, the recreation ground and behind.) May 2013 Page 2 Carlisle District: Rural Masterplanning DALSTON Biodiversity The River Caldew forms a significant and attractive watercourse flowing in a south to north alignment to the east of the settlement. The river valley is a SSSI. There is good tree cover in the older parts of the settlement and the cemetery and gardens provide diversity. The school playing fields and recreation field (both partially in the river flood plain) provide areas of managed grassland in the settlement. There is variety in the wider area with intact ancient hedgerows, small copses and a larger area of woodland, Sowerby Wood to the north and woodland associated with the Dalston Hall and the contiguous Brow Nelson Wood. Tourist features/context The Cumbrian Way passes through the settlement, bringing walkers and cyclists to Dalston. There are good footpath connections and the river is an attraction. There is little obvious accommodation on offer other than the Dalston Hall Country House Hotel. This ancient building dating from the 15th Century is adjacent to a golf course, camp site and holiday caravan park. Rose Castle, home to the Bishops of Carlisle for over 800 years, is nearby and can be visited if permission is gained in advance. Settlement dependencies Nearest settlements include: Cardewlees (1.9 miles); Cummersdale (3.0 miles); Gaitsgill (3.1 miles); Durdar (3.3 miles), Raughton Head (3.4 miles); Great Orton (4.3 miles). Dalston provides services for a number of the surrounding smaller settlements and the wider agricultural community. It is relied upon by smaller settlements for services. Carlisle serves the area for a wider range of shops and services. The success of the secondary school is such that there is movement from South Carlisle to Dalston by some schoolchildren. CABE1 Pre-consultation Comments on Scope for new development A significant part of the settlement south of the primary school is covered by a conservation area. Land to the east of the B5299 and some further west along The Green falls in the river flood zone. These features add to the attractiveness of the settlement and provide constraints on development in some areas. There is potential from a landscape point of view of considering other areas, but it is recognised these will not be without controversy and they all would require further professional judgement. The station’s role should be considered, opportunities to create more of an entrance and pedestrian-friendly access should be taken if they arise. An area that could be considered for development from a landscape point of view is south of Station Road, across to Townhead Road. The land in the conservation area, currently down to market gardening may be less easy to develop because of current land-use but could also be considered (subject to Planning Application, April 2013). Community engagement will be critical to the furthering of proposals, especially as there is a well-developed community aspiration set out in the parish plan. May 2013 Page 3 Carlisle District: Rural Masterplanning DALSTON Community Consultation Focus group meetings with members of Dalston Parish Council were held on 3/10/12, 26/2/13 and on the 22/3/13. Of concern to all is the potential for urban sprawl to the south of Carlisle and the adverse impact on the rural character of Dalston if it were to encroach any further. It is of primary importance to the village that its rural nature is maintained, and that the open fields to the north from the railway line to Sowerby Wood and beyond to Peter Lane, are not developed, in order for there to be clear margin of separation between Dalston and Carlisle. This area of open countryside is fundamental in creating and maintaining the rurality of the Dalston. The views of the landscape travelling south from Carlisle and east from Cardewlees are very important and must be protected. This area also contains a scheduled listed monument, Bishop’s Dyke, which is a pre medieval defensive earthwork boundary that runs south from Dalston Hall to Barras Brow and beyond to Shalk Beck, it is well documented that other important archaeological remains are located within this area, such as Barras Gate. Development in this area would be unacceptable. Dalston representatives felt strongly that Peter Lane should be the barrier to development south of Carlisle. They also suggested that brown field sites should take precedence to building on green field sites. Dalston’s traffic problems are already set to be exacerbated by the planned development of South West Morton and the cumulative impact of other developments to the south and west of Carlisle, which will greatly increase traffic flows through Dalston to and from junction 42 of the M6. Priority should be given to the urgent need for a southern by-pass for Carlisle. It was strongly felt that the land currently designated for employment should be reserved for small businesses serving a local need. Businesses that serve the whole Carlisle District would be more sustainable placed in Carlisle’s industrial estates. The Barras Lane estate is accessed by difficult narrow roads and bridges, which create dangerous pinch points. A cement mixing company was cited as a recent example of an inappropriate occupant of the Barras Lane site, as it creates many heavy vehicle movements a day, delivering cement to the entire Carlisle District and beyond despite of the current weight restriction. Heavy vehicle movements seriously prejudice the amenity of the Dalston Conservation area. The Oil Depot, Nestle and the Barras Lane site relate poorly to the rest of the village. The Planning Authority should seek to place industrial development in areas of Carlisle City that have the required infrastructure to cope with it. Industrial development is inappropriate in a rural village such as Dalston. Services and shops that provide adequately for the needs of the village are located around the historic square of Dalston. The Parish Council has a long standing aspiration to improve the public realm of The Square by making it more pedestrian friendly, removing some of the parking spaces and enhancing its historic fabric. In order to achieve this the Parish Council has recently constructed a new car park to replace any spaces that may be lost in The Square. The focus group felt that Dalston might be able to accommodate some housing development for local needs over the local plan period, however it is fundamental that any development is of a scale and design appropriate to Dalston and its Conservation Area, with its essential historic and rural character. The focus group felt that if housing in the Carlisle District is required it should be focused in Carlisle. The focus group pointed out that the primary school was currently full and projected to be for at least the next five years, which may limit sustainable development in the village.

Load more