Core Strategy & Placemaking Plan
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Bath and North East Somerset Local Plan VOLUME: CORE STRATEGY & PLACEMAKING PLAN Somer 4 Valley Core Strategy Placemaking Plan Adopted July 2014 Adopted July 2017 CONTENTS 1 SETTING THE AGENDA 37 RADSTOCK 2 Context 40 Strategic Policy Context 7 VISION AND SPATIAL STRATEGY 44 SITE ALLOCATIONS 13 POLICY SV1: Somer Valley Spatial Strategy 44 SSV14 – Charlton Timber Yard 14 Green Infrastructure, Open Space and Landscape 46 Ryman Engineering Services 47 SSV17 – Former Radstock County Infants 22 MIDSOMER NORTON TOWN CENTRE 27 POLICY SV2: Midsomer Norton Town Centre Strategic Policy 48 SSV20 – Former St Nicholas School 28 KEY DEVELOPMENT SITES 51 WESTFIELD 28 SSV2 – South Road Car Park and SSV1 – Central High Street Core including the 52 SSV18 – Bath College Somer Valley Campus Palladium and Brewery sites 54 SSV11 – St Peter’s Factory/Cobblers Way 30 SSV4 – Former Welton Manufacturing Site 57 PAULTON AND PEASEDOWN ST JOHN 32 SSV3 –Midsomer Norton Town Park 34 Former Sewage Works, Welton Hollow and Land West of Midsomer Enterprise Park 59 SITE ALLOCATIONS within Midsomer Enterprise Park 59 SSV9 – Old Mills Industrial Estate Land at Silver Street, Midsomer Norton 35 63 INFRASTRUCTURE 36 Local Green Space Designations in Midsomer Norton FORMAT NOTE The Local Plan 2011-2029 comprises two separate Development Plan Documents: the Core Strategy (adopted July 2014) and the Placemaking Plan (adopted July 2017). Core Strategy policies and strategic objectives are shown with a light yellow background and Placemaking Plan policies are shown with a light blue background. The latter includes those Core Strategy policies that have been superseded by the Placemaking Plan. Text which supports a Core Strategy policy is shown with a white background and text supporting a Placemaking Plan policy is shown with a light grey background. Please note that for those Core Strategy policies now superseded by the Placemaking Plan all supporting text is shown with a light grey background. Through the preparation of the Placemaking Plan only elements of the Core Strategy supporting text for these policies was amended or updated. The original Core Strategy supporting text can be viewed in the adopted Core Strategy. SETTING THE AGENDA 1 Context 1. The southern part of the District, with its range of distinctive characteristics, SOUTH identities, communities and history GLOUCESTERSHIRE makes a strong contribution to the overall character of the District. A46 Batheaston 2. KEYNSHAM BRISTOL A4 From medieval market town roots, the A4 A431 area was transformed during the industrial Saltford Ri Whitchurch ve r A revolution to exploit its mineral resources. von Once known as the ‘powerhouse’ for A37 A36 WILTSHIRE Bath, life in the area was dominated by Corston Newton St Loe Pensford BATH coal mining, leading to a proud heritage A3062 Stanton Drew of energy production. This relatively short Chew Magna A39 A368 lived but intense period of local history NORTH Chew Stoke Englishcombe SOMERSET has passed, with formerly industrial South Stoke A37 Farmborough landscapes having long returned to Chew Blagdon Valley beautiful countryside with some distinctive Clutton Freshford Lake Lake Bishop A367 Sutton landscape features. The strength of Timsbury High Littleton A36 community and identity borne out of this Camerton A368 Temple Peasedown Hinton heritage remains, as do the towns and West Cloud St John Charterhouse Harptree SOMER villages which developed in this period. Paulton VALLEY A367 Shoscombe A36 Farrington Radstock Gurney Midsomer Norton Westfield MENDIP Chilcompton Kilmersdon Stratton-on-the-Fosse A362 Holcombe A39 A37 Coleford DIAGRAM 1 Frome SOMER VALLEY Wells LOCATION Shepton KEY Mallet A361 Green Belt Somer Valley 2 © Crown copyright. All rights reserved (100023334) (2015) 3. 6. 8. The Somerset and Dorset Railway route Midsomer Norton is a market town Paulton and Peasedown St. John are the now forms part of the National Cycle dating back to medieval times. It became two largest villages in the Somer Valley. Network (Colliers Way) connecting Bath to an important coal-mining town in the Following the closure of the Somerset the South Coast. The loss of the railways, nineteenth century and continues to Coalfield, there have been periods of whilst providing green infrastructure, cater for key services, employment, substantial housing development in means that strategic links now rely entirely shopping and leisure facilities to the Peasedown during the 1960s and 70s, on the road network. wider communities. Its historic core runs and more recently in the late 1990s. A along the River Somer which remains an sizeable Business Park is also located on 4. attractive feature in the High Street. the south eastern edge of the village which Manufacturing industries including printing, is home to a number of major employers binding and packaging continue to provide 7. including the Circle Bath Hospital. Paulton important local employment opportunities. Radstock is located on the northern edge was originally an agricultural village which Despite closures and relocations of some of the Mendip Hills in the Wellow Brook grew significantly as a result of coal large scale manufacturing business, the Valley. The town lies at the confluence of mining. Following closure of the mines area presents positive opportunities five steep-sided valleys and the tributaries its economic base became industrial, to increase economic competitiveness of the Wellow Brook. Radstock has been including printing. In the last twenty years particularly with small and medium settled since the Iron Age and is one of the a number of the larger local employers scale local business and highly skilled best preserved former coal-mining towns including Polestar have closed resulting in entrepreneurs. in England, the basis of its Conservation reduced local employment opportunities, Area status. The Great Western Railway, 5. increased out- commuting, but also a and the Somerset and Dorset Railway The Somer Valley Area includes Midsomer number of redevelopment opportunities. established stations and marshalling yards Norton, Westfield, Radstock, Peasedown in the town. Radstock was at the heart 9. St John, Paulton, Shoscombe, Camerton, of the Somerset Coalfield and became The local population identifies itself as Timsbury, High Littleton and Farrington a central point for railway development. separate small communities, mainly Gurney. Radstock comprises distinctive based on the former mining settlements. communities of Coombend, Clandown, However, residents also recognise that Writhlington, Haydon and Radstock. new opportunities and projects need to bring about change and enable these separate communities to work together to benefit the Somer Valley as a whole. 3 Strengths Challenges • Competition with neighbouring towns in Strategic issues Somerset – mixed quality of Midsomer • High quality natural environment within • Vulnerable local economy dependent on 10. Norton town centre, dominance of road and surrounding the towns. a narrow range of industries and a few Recent incremental housing development network in Radstock centre. large employers. and a decline in the manufacturing sector • Mining heritage – basis for recreation • Access to community facilities has led to an imbalance between jobs (disused rail lines) and tourism (especially • A number of large vacant, underused or and homes. The area provides a high Radstock). ageing factory sites. • Maintaining and enhancing local village quality environment to live with good centres. accessibility to services, particularly highly • Critical mass of a combined Somer Valley • High levels of out-commuting due to lack successful schools and open countryside. area offers greater potential than towns of local employment opportunities. • High level of existing housing and villages individually. commitments of about 2,470 dwellings, However in order for the Somer Valley to • Perceived difficulty in attracting economic exacerbating imbalance of housing over continue to thrive, it is necessary to create • Active local communities and existing investment in the area. jobs. a more sustainable balance by enhancing community networks. • Limited broadband infrastructure economic activities and wealth creation. • Lack of formal open space. Tourism opportunities to build upon a • Good schools and a local hospital. capacity. • Poor town centre environments and mining and industrial heritage and rich • Existing engineering skills and expertise. • Transport congestion and limited insufficient retail offer. natural environment are not yet realised. opportunities for large scale transport • Potential for local small to medium size intervention. 11. companies to grow further. The Somer Valley has a number of • Poor public transport in rural areas • Relative lower cost of housing compared strengths and challenges which the Core leading to isolation for those without to elsewhere in the District. Strategy seeks to address in order to private transport. realise the area’s potential. • Basis of a good cycle network. 4 13. 14. Regeneration, Place and Engagement with local communities has Bristol, Bath and Somer Valley Enterprise Communities revealed an ambition to take advantage of Zone the critical mass of the various communities 12. The B&NES Economic Strategy seeks to The Somer Valley element of the Bristol, in the area and to become more self-reliant improve the prosperity and well-being of Bath & Somer Valley Enterprise Zone socially and economically. (EZ) will prioritize the establishment of