ESSEX ROAD GATEWAY DEVELOPMENT BRIEF

APRIL 2011

planningpolicy@.gov.uk 01992 785559 1 CONTENTS

Introduction pg 3 Vision and development objectives for the Gateway Area pg 6 Road proposed improvement scheme pg 7 Redevelopment opportunity sites: Appropriate uses and development principles pg 8 Planning application requirements pg 12 Planning obligations pg 12 Useful contacts pg 13 Useful documents pg 13 Appendix 1: Planning framework pg 14 Appendix 2: Services and environmental constraints pg 16

2 INTRODUCTION

Hoddesdon Business Park extends from Town Centre to the and is the largest area of employment within Broxbourne Borough. It incorporates a mixture of industrial and warehouse uses. Essex Road Gateway is the primary entrance point to Hoddesdon Business Park. It is an area of largely undeveloped land at the Essex Road entrance into the employment area. It is shown in figure 1 below.

Figure 1: The Essex Road Gateway Area has been circled in the above image

The Gateway is bisected by Essex Road which is the only vehicular access into the business park. It connects the Dinant Link Road town centre by-pass and the A10 to the employment area. The Gateway is also traversed by the New River, an artificial waterway opened to run fresh drinking water to London.

Essex Road is congested during peak hours. This congestion is intensified by the narrow bridged crossing of the New River. A feasibility study, produced by County Council as Highway Authority in 2006, proposed several options for improving the entrance to the employment area. Broxbourne Council has concluded that the most practically deliverable option is to retain, widen and improve the existing Essex Road alignment (see page 7). This has important implications for the various land parcels around the road (see following section).

This development brief establishes the requirements for the improvements to Essex Road and sets out a vision and development objectives for the Gateway as a whole. It identifies two separate development sites for housing and commercial use and establishes the Council’s proposals for these. The brief sets out what will be required 3 of prospective developers to pursue planning applications for these sites including the requirements for section 106 contributions.

LAND PARCELS WITHIN ESSEX ROAD GATEWAY

Figure 2: Individual land parcels in the Gateway Area

Land parcel 1 – Oaklands development site This site is 1.2 hectares. It is enclosed by residential units to the north and west and the New River to the east. Oaklands itself is used for storage and distribution and takes direct vehicular access from Essex Road. It is in private ownership but the site owner has indicated interest in redeveloping the site. Residential properties to the north east and garages to the north west, which are owned by Broxbourne Housing Association, have been included in the site boundary due to their redevelopment potential.

Land parcel 2 – Dinant roundabout development site Dinant roundabout development site is an area of scrubland that slopes from the Lampits southwards towards Woollens Brook. It is 0.77 hectares in extent. The site is predominantly owned by the Highways Agency but was declared surplus to requirements in 1995. Broxbourne Council owns a small area to the north. It is accessed solely by pedestrians via a public right of way which runs through the site to the east across land parcel 5. This runs from the south along the New River to the north. There is currently no vehicle access into this area. However, this site is considered to be suitable for development.

4 Land parcel 3 – Woollens Brook floodplain Parcel 3 is an area of floodplain enclosed by Essex Road and Woollens Brook. The site is 0.67 hectares in size and owned by Broxbourne Council. As floodplain, it is not considered to be suitable for development.

Land parcel 4 – Thames Water pumping station site Parcel 4 is an area of floodplain between Essex Road and the New River. The site is owned by Thames Water. As floodplain, it is not considered to be suitable for development.

Land parcel 5 - Allotments The allotment gardens are owned by Broxbourne Council and are 0.5 hectares in size. They are to be retained in their current use.

5 VISION AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES FOR THE GATEWAY AREA

The Council’s vision for the Gateway Area

Essex Road Gateway will be a high quality mixed use gateway development at the primary entrance into the Hoddesdon Business Park.

Development objectives for the Gateway Area The following objectives have been developed to help guide the development principles on page 8:

1. Enhance the Essex Road gateway into the Hoddesdon Business Park through road widening, bridge enhancement, footway, cycleway and signage improvements 2. Deliver an attractive and high quality housing redevelopment on the Oaklands site 3. Retain the allotments in their current use 4. Deliver a landmark business/commercial development on the site south of Dinant roundabout 5. Protect and enhance the floodplain

Exemplar office development

6 ESSEX ROAD PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT SCHEME

Figure 3 below shows the Council’s preferred scheme for the enhancement of Essex Road. It involves widening of the existing road over the New River and construction of a separate structure for pedestrians and cyclists south of the road. Implementation of this scheme will alleviate congestion, enable the free flow of traffic entering and exiting the Hoddesdon Business Park and improve highway safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

The cost of these proposals was estimated to be £850,000 in 2006. Funding for these improvements will be derived from existing section 106 funds, from prospective developments within Hoddesdon Business Park and from income from planning obligations attached to the Oaklands and Dinant roundabout development sites in this brief (see page 8).

Figure 3: Widening of existing Essex Road and construction of new footway/ cycleway facilities to the south

7 REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY SITES: APPROPRIATE USES AND DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES

Land parcel 1 – Oaklands Development Site

• Appropriate uses Housing is the Council’s preferred use for the Oaklands site. This presupposes relocation of PCL Transport.

• Access The existing access into the Oaklands site is not considered to be appropriate for the housing redevelopment of this site and closure is sought. There are three potential alternatives:

1. Extension of Essex Road/Stortford Road to the north west with a new residential access running alongside the upgraded Essex Road Gateway entrance road.

A new access for the northern site could be created by continuing Essex/ Stortford Road to the north

2. Widening of a garage court access from Stortford Road to the north. This would require acquisition of properties along this road. It is understood that number 24 Stortford Road has already been purchased by Broxbourne Housing Association to help facilitate this.

3. A new entrance and exit point at the rear of New River Close.

8 To provide appropriate access and movement for pedestrians and ensuring connectivity the site will need to provide a new footpath system connecting the development to the designated footpath. Access points must be able to accommodate refuse trucks and emergency services and a suitable turning area must be provided within the site.

The redevelopment boundary includes garages at Stortford Road to the north. They have been circled and highlighted in yellow in the aerial image below. Provision will therefore be required for any displaced parking and could either be within the redevelopment itself or within the wider area. This will form part of a planning application.

The Oaklands site boundary includes existing Stortford garages as highlighted in yellow

• Layout, design and landscaping Layout must respect residential units to the north and west. It is therefore envisaged that this will be a development of detached and semi detached housing/ town housing with a direct outlook over the New River. Housing will be a maximum of three storeys.

The development is to be fully landscaped – both within the development and along its boundaries. Particular regard is to be paid to the New River and Essex Road frontages.

9 Land parcel 2 – Dinant roundabout development site

• Appropriate uses The Council’s preferred approach is to develop land south of Dinant roundabout as a landmark B1 office scheme facing the roundabout and the link road.

Prior to releasing this site for development, the Councils will consider the potential of this site to re-house the fire station which could enable the comprehensive development of the Tower Shopping Centre within Hoddesdon Town Centre.

• Access Access to the Dinant roundabout development site will be taken directly from the roundabout. A through route to Lampits would not be acceptable. In order to provide appropriate access and movement for pedestrians ensuring connectivity between the development and services, development will need to connect internal routes to footways outside the site. The existing footpath through the site that connects Lampits with the New River is to be retained. A safety audit will be required as part of the planning application.

• Layout, design and landscaping Commercial development will require the creation of a gateway building(s) facing the Dinant roundabout. Given the elevation of the site, the eastern and southern aspects of any commercial development will also be critical.

The development is to be set within a high quality landscaped setting, reflecting its gateway status.

Other Development Considerations

• General design considerations - Design and detail of land parcels 1 and 2 must be of the highest quality as they are located in the North East Hoddesdon Gateway Area, the only entrance point to the employment site. Scale, density and massing must be respectful of surrounding uses. Specific design elements including roof shape, architectural style and materials should consider their visual impact upon the character and context of the surrounding area.

10 • Parking standards - Car parking requirements will be assessed against the Council’s maximum car parking standards as set out in Policy T11 and Section 9.7 of the Local Plan: • B1 Offices – 1 space per 30 square metres gross floorspace; • C3 Residential – 1 bedroom dwellings – 1.5 spaces per dwelling 2 bedroom dwellings – 2 spaces per dwelling 3 bedroom dwellings – 2.5 spaces per dwelling 4 or more bedroom dwellings – 3.0 spaces per dwelling • Cycle standards - Provision should also be made for cyclists under the same policy criteria. • Refuse collection - Development must enable adequate servicing and vehicle manoeuvring space for refuse vehicles. • Designing out crime - Development on both the northern and southern redevelopment sites must consider the connection between the design of the site and prevention of crime, “designing out crime” wherever possible. The Council’s Supplementary Planning Guidance provides advice on the matter. Consultation with the Police Crime Prevention Design Advisor must be held at the earliest opportunity. • Waste reduction and recycling – Facilities to enable maximum recycling by residents/ occupants will need to be incorporated into the design. • Boundary elevations - All boundary elevations must be finished to the highest quality. • Sustainability and carbon reduction – Development must consider sustainable construction methods and ways of reducing carbon emissions. • Water, wastewater and drainage – Developers will be required to demonstrate that there is adequate water and wastewater supply capacity on sites ahead of occupation. Consideration should also be given to surface water and drainage including the use of Greenfield runoff rates, on-site attenuation and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems.

FLOODPLAIN SITES

Land parcel 3 – Woollens Brook floodplain The Council will seek to implement a high quality landscaping scheme on this site. This will be completed at the same time as the Essex Road Improvement Scheme. This will create a pleasant outlook for occupants of the Dinant roundabout development site and those entering Hoddesdon Business Park. The landscaping scheme must respect and where possible enhance and conserve the existing natural 11 environment of the site. To help publicise the Business Park further, this site will also provide signage appropriate to a gateway area.

Land parcel 4 – Thames Water pumping station site The Council will seek to improve the frontage of this site by upgrading worn away fencing providing a pleasing environment for users of Essex Road

PLANNING APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Applications for both development sites will need to be accompanied by the following: • A Design and Access Statement and drawings showing contextual plans, layouts, elevation diagrams, sections, materials, landscaping and access, parking, servicing and provision for the loss of the Stortford garage court; • A Noise Impact Assessment, in particular to examine the impact of noise levels from Essex Road; • A Flood Risk Assessment for the Dinant roundabout development site if development is within 20 metres of Woollens Brook and a Preliminary Risk Assessment to examine issues of groundwater; • When incorporating sustainability principles, applicants must note the sustainability checklist in the Council’s adopted Local Plan; • A Transport Assessment to consider in particular access into the respective sites and impact on the primary road network; • Travel Plan for any proposed business development on the Dinant roundabout development site; • An Environmental Impact Assessment to determine any impacts on local flora and fauna; • An Archaeological Evaluation to assess implications of development on any archaeological remains.

PLANNING OBLIGATIONS

In accordance with the requirements of the Broxbourne Local Plan Policy IMP2 the following obligations will be sought from the developments of the Oakland site and the Dinant roundabout site:

• For residential development, payment equivalent to £3,000 per bedroom; • For commercial development, a negotiated sum;

12 • Residential development for 15 units or above will be required to provide 40% affordable housing as per Policy H13 of the Broxbourne Local Plan.

Financial contributions will be allocated to:

1. The Essex Road improvement scheme set out on page 7 of this brief; 2. Gateway improvements to the Hoddesdon Business Park including a high quality landscaping scheme and appropriate signage on the Woollens Brook site and environmental enhancements at the Thames Water pumping station site; 3. The enhancement of Hoddesdon Town Centre through projects set out within the Hoddesdon Town Centre Strategy and implementation plan.

USEFUL CONTACTS

If you require further information on the content of this brief please contact: Vicky Carter Colin Haigh Planning Policy Officer Planning Policy Manager Environmental Services Department Environmental Services Department Broxbourne Borough Council Broxbourne Borough Council 01992 785555 ext 5952 01992 785555 ext 5951 [email protected] [email protected]

USEFUL DOCUMENTS

Local Plan Second Review 2001-2011 Borough Wide Supplementary Planning Guidance Adopted 2004: Core Strategy Pre-Submission August 2010 Core Strategy Submission December 2010

13 APPENDIX 1: PLANNING FRAMEWORK

The Development Plan

Neither of the prospective development sites within this brief is zoned within the Local Plan for a specific use.

Policy EMP3 of the Broxbourne Local Plan 2001-2011 identifies the North East Hoddesdon Industrial Area as a key employment site. It was also recognised in the Hertfordshire Structure Plan as one of the six key employment sites in the County. The Local Plan acknowledges the major capacity constraints at Essex Road and as a result Policy EMP4 seeks to secure financial contributions from developments within the employment area for Essex Road improvements.

The Local Plan can be found here: Local Plan Second Review

The Council is in the course of producing its Core Strategy with adoption anticipated in the first half of 2011. The development brief is consistent with the Core Strategy Submission document which was submitted to the Secretary of State in December 2010.

The Submission Core Strategy can be found here: Core Strategy Submission

2008 Planning Brief

The May 2008 Planning Brief for the Gateway Area will be superseded by this Brief.

Planning application history

A planning application for housing on the Oaklands site was refused in 1990 on the basis that the site should be retained in employment use and that there was sufficient land for housing within the Borough.

There is no history of planning applications for the Dinant roundabout development site.

14 Hertfordshire County Council Local Transport Plan and Hoddesdon and Broxbourne Urban Transport Plan (UTP)

Broxbourne Council will work closely with the County Council on bringing forward an improvement scheme at Essex Road. The scheme will be identified as an important element in the County’s Local Transport Plan (LTP3), which sets out the long term development of transport in the County, and the Hoddesdon and Broxbourne UTP which will develop a transport strategy for the area including prioritised measures for the short, medium and longer term.

Corporate Strategies

The Broxbourne Sustainable Community Strategy identifies the importance of providing and investing in infrastructure including transport links in order to support existing businesses and those wishing to locate in the Borough.

The Strategy can be found here: Sustainable Community Strategy

Priority two of Broxbourne’s Economic Development Strategy also encourages investment in local infrastructure and improvements in transport and specifically identifies the development of priority infrastructure projects at Essex Road.

The Strategy can be found here: Economic Development Strategy

The Hoddesdon Town Centre Strategy looks to increase signage and support accessibility in and around the town centre. Connectivity between Hoddesdon Business Park and Hoddesdon town centre is therefore important in supporting this objective.

The Strategy can be found here: Hoddesdon Town Centre Strategy

15 APPENDIX 2: SERVICES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS

Services Figure 4 shows the location of services and other environmental constraints. There are high and low pressure gas mains to and through the Gateway Area. In addition to this there are foul water sewers located at the Thames Water pumping station site and Woollens Brook Floodplain (land parcels 3 and 4). There is a surface water sewer located to the west of the allotment area and just south outside Oaklands development site (land parcels 5 and 1). The location of these mains will not impact on development proposals within this brief.

There are high voltage power lines to the south of the Dinant roundabout site, close to the Lampits. Development directly under the power lines is not acceptable to the Council which requires a 5 metre wide buffer zone either side of the outer cables to be maintained free from built development.

Environmental Constraints

Land parcel 1 – Oaklands development site Oaklands is not constrained by any environmental restrictions.

Land parcel 2 – Dinant roundabout development site This parcel of land is not constrained by any environmental restrictions.

Land parcel 3 – Woollens Brook floodplain The land immediately north of the brook is floodplain and will not therefore be considered for development. The site has steep slopes that are not suited to development. These are indicated on the constraints plan below.

Land parcel 4 – Thames Water pumping station site The land is within the floodplain and will not therefore be considered for development.

Land parcel 5 - Allotments The allotment area is not constrained by any environmental restrictions.

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Figure 4: Location of services and environmental constraints

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