Land at the Hill, Blunham
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Land at The Hill, Blunham Regulation 19 Representation on behalf of Key Land Estates OCL Ref: P602t CBC Client Ref: 1148 CBC Site Ref: ALP222 22 February 2018 Version F Representation no: 1148/ALP222 Contents 1.0 Introduction Part 1 – Site-Specific Considerations 2.0 Site Details 3.0 Proposals for the Site Part 2 – Representations to the Plan and Technical Documents 4.0 Representation to the Regulation 19 Draft Local Plan (January 2018) 5.0 Representation to the SHLAA (January 2018) 6.0 Representation to the Settlement Envelope Review (January 2018) Appendices Appendix A – Proposed Site Layout Appendix B – Site Allocations Review (Prepared by Optimis Consulting) 2 Representation no: 1148/ALP222 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Optimis Consulting (1148) presents this Representation on behalf of our client Key Land Estates. 1.2 This Representation is provided in two parts. Part 1 is a presentation of the qualities of the site in Blunham and Part 2 details the specific Representations to Regulation 19 Local Plan and supporting technical documents. 1.3 This Representation relates to the site shown below: 3 Representation no: 1148/ALP222 Part 1 – Site-Specific Considerations 2.0 Site Details 2.1 This site is located on northern side of The Hill in the centre of the village of Blunham. The site extends to approximately 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres). The location of the site is identified on the map below. Aerial image showing the site (Source: Promap) 2.2 The site currently consists of agricultural land. This land use continues beyond the northern boundary of the site. To the east is a small parcel of overgrown land and residential development. Residential development also lines the western boundary and beyond the road on the southern boundary. 2.3 The site is contained by a landscaped boundary on the eastern, southern and western edge and amounts to an infill parcel. 2.4 The site is undulating and is lowest in the south eastern corner, rising to the north and east. The properties to the south of The Hill are in an elevated position also. Accordingly, the site largely nestles into a low discreet parcel. 2.5 The established residential development running along the western and southern boundaries of the site comprises primarily of detached properties, nevertheless, terraced, semi-detached dwellings and bungalows can also be seen throughout the village. 2.6 There are footpaths to both sides of The Hill and a public footpath running along the eastern boundary of the site. Sustainable Location 2.7 Blunham is a Large Village, which is well served by a wide range of services and facilities. In terms of education, John Donne Church of England Lower School is located 0.16km from 4 Representation no: 1148/ALP222 the site. In addition to this, there are 4 lower schools and 2 upper schools located approximately 5.6km from the site in the adjacent town of Sandy. 2.8 The centre of the village, which is a short walk from the site, offers a variety of services and amenities, such as two churches, two public houses, two local shops, a village hall, a recreational area, a chip shop and a nursery. 2.9 The Hill links to the A421, 4.5km west of Blunham, and the A1, 1.9km north east. The A421 runs south to the M1 and north to the A1. 2.10 The nearest bus stops are within walking distance of the site, less than 0.1km away. The village is serviced by 7 bus routes that connect Blunham to Cambridge, Biggleswade, St Neots and Sandy, all major service hubs. 2.11 The closest train station is in Sandy, which is approximately 5.4km from the site. Sandy is served by train services to Peterborough, London Kings Cross and Huntingdon. 2.12 The Environment Agency Flood Risk Map demonstrates that the site is located within Flood Zone 1, with over 1 in 1000 annual probability of flooding from rivers, which is considered to be at the least risk of flooding. Landscape Considerations 2.13 The site lies within the ’Great Ouse Clay Valley’ (Area 4A) Landscape Character Area. 2.14 Paragraph 4A.6 of the assessment states that “the open, gently rising slopes of the Great Ouse Clay Valley have strong visual links with the surrounding higher ground of Clay Farmland to the north and within Bedford Borough and Clay Vales character areas particularly the large scale arable fields”. 5 Representation no: 1148/ALP222 2.15 The Landscape Character Assessment recognises “There is a considerable amount of modern development” in the area. It understands that “Settlements are typically small to medium scale, dispersed and linear with a mix of building age and style”, aspects that are evident in Blunham. 2.16 The landscape is within a low-lying area in the Great Ouse Clay Valley which results in the requirement for hedgerows and woodland, distinctive aspects of the landscape, to screen larger developments. Therefore, this should be considered in new proposals. The landscape character does not suggest that the site lies in a ‘valued landscape’ (Paragraph 109, NPPF). 6 Representation no: 1148/ALP222 3.0 Proposals for the Site 3.1 The site can be considered a potential area for infill within the village due to its contained location, surrounded by established residential areas on two sides. As mentioned in section 2 the site sits in a low parcel of land making potential development relatively discreet; in addition to this, careful design of the boundaries on the edge of the settlement can conceal development effectively, in line with the Central Bedfordshire Landscape Character Assessment. These factors contribute to making this site an ideal expansion area for the village of Blunham. Planning History 3.2 A pre-application was submitted for residential development comprising 29 dwellings on this site on the 12th February 2018. This development proposes a range of 2, 3 and 4- bedroom, 2 storey, detached and semi-detached houses (Appendix A). This is in keeping with the local area, where there is a wide range of housing type and tenure. 3.3 The proposed residential use of the site is in keeping with the existing character of this part of the settlement without having an adverse effect on existing amenities and living standards. 3.4 The proposal has used landscaping to minimise the visual impact of the development on both the village on the southern border and the landscape on the northern border. In addition to this it is sensitive of its surrounding area in terms of size and density. Both considerations are in conjunction with discussed landscape area considerations. 7 Representation no: 1148/ALP222 3.5 This site offers an ideal location for the expansion of a sustainable large village, such as Blunham, with an excellent public transport network, a range of services and facilities within walking and cycling distance, and good access to the existing highway network. As such, the site has high sustainability credentials and its loss would have limited impact on the local landscape. In addition, the site is not designated as an important countryside gap in the Plan and would not result in coalescence with any surrounding settlements. 3.6 The village of Blunham is an important location for growth due to its proximity to the A1. It is important that residential development is focussed in this location for both local and strategic reasons. 3.7 In our view, this site at The Hill, Blunham should be allocated because it represents a better choice for development than many other proposed sites in the Local Plan and the Plan has overestimated its ability to deliver the strategic sites. Accordingly, we consider that the site should be allocated as follows: HAS99 – Land at The Hill, Blunham Land at The Hill, Blunham as identified on the Proposals Map below, is allocated for a residential development consisting of up to 30 dwellings, including 35% affordable housing and appropriate landscaping. The Principles of Development are: 1) The development will form a well-designed sustainable extension to Blunham, integrate with existing adjoining land uses and facilitate a permanent edge to the village. The proposals will include: a. Residential development up to 30 dwellings; b. Affordable Housing, up to 30% of all dwellings will be provided to meet local needs. 2) The development will maximise the opportunity to deliver enhanced Green Infrastructure, including: a. Enhancement of the biodiversity of the site through the introduction of enhanced tree and hedgerow planting, a landscape buffer along the northern boundary of the site and improved habitat areas and features to support any existing protected species; b. Delivering a sustainable urban drainage solution that permeates through the site and offers the opportunity for future biodiversity gains; c. Consider enhancing the Conservation Area through careful considered design. 3) The development will also consider other improvements such as: a. Off-site highway provisions; 8 Representation no: 1148/ALP222 b. Incorporate measures to adapt to climate change, minimise energy use and include renewable energy technologies. 9 Representation no: 1148/ALP222 Part 2 – Representations to the Plan and Technical Documents 4.0 Representation to the Regulation 19 Draft Local Plan (January 2018) Section 2 – Key Themes 4.1 We support the intention of the Plan to direct development towards the most sustainable locations, such as those situated close to the A1 corridor (Para 2.4.2). We support the review of the Green Belt and the intention to find the most suitable sites for development along Transport Corridors and in areas that meet the wider growing needs of the District (Para 2.3.3). Section 5 – The Spatial Strategy 4.2 Paragraph 5.2 encourages “to grow existing communities across Central Bedfordshire, proportionate to their scale and environmental context, so that they are more sustainable through improved services, facilities and employment opportunities, leading to reduced travelling and outflows”.