Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan – Evidence Base Master Summary
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Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan – Evidence Base Master Summary ASCOT, SUNNINGHILL AND SUNNINGDALE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN – EVIDENCE BASE MASTER SUMMARY ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES POLICY NP/EN1 – GREEN BELT INTRODUCTION & CONTEXT 66.5% of our NP area is in Green Belt and there is strong community support for protecting it, especially where it helps retain the separation between the villages and contributes to the semi-rural, green and leafy nature of our neighbourhood. We have a number of MDSs in our area, which include Heatherwood Hospital site, Silwood Park, Sunningdale Park and also some areas of Previously Developed Land (PDLs) in Green Belt, including Silwood Park and Shorts site and we recognise national and local plan policies which allow redevelopment of these (subject to constraints). During the development of the Plan, Ascot was identified as a centre which would benefit from improvement. Following The Prince’s Foundation ‘Enquiry by Design’ and further community consultations, it became clear that there was overall majority support from the local community for development in part of the Green Belt around Ascot Centre. We recognise that redrawing of GB boundaries can only be done by the local authority but we have been liaising very closely with RBWM and they are fully aware and supportive of our GB policy. The Ascot case however is seen as a very specific exception and the sentiment is strong that the rest of the Green Belt should be strongly protected. We recognise that there is provision in national government policy for development to be permitted in GB if there are “very special circumstances”. In view of the importance of GB in the eyes of the local community, there is a strong feeling that such “very special circumstances” must at the very least include a significant consideration that is for the benefit of the community and that the community is consulted about the development. Document Internal link External link Relevance (brief explanation) Map of Green Belt Map of Green Belt Shows extent of GB in NP area. Vision consultation Consultation • 89% of respondents were in favour of the key priorities in our Vision which included Statement & “Protect Green Belt land against development subject only to overarching Appendices community benefits and public support.” Some of the free text responses added to this by recognising that some GB land has been developed already and can be considered for sensitive redevelopment. • On a specific GB question, 83% of respondents said preserving the Green Belt was a high priority and just 2% said it was a low priority. Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan – Evidence Base Master Summary The Prince’s Foundation Ascot Centre The Prince’s Foundation Report of the ‘Enquiry by Design’ regarding developing a vision Ascot Report Community for the future of Ascot. Relevant to this policy as it includes development in an area of Workshop Report by GB south of Ascot High Street and at Ascot Station. This was supported by majority of The Prince's local community. Foundation Options consultation Consultation 57% supported the proposed vision for Ascot Centre and 22% did not (21% were Statement & neutral). Appendices RBWM LSP Consultation RBWM Local Plan Showed 83% support for development at Ascot Station and 93% support for Ascot Sites consultation rejuvenation. National Planning Policy NPPF Paragraphs 79-81, 83 and 87-89 in the NPPF relating to GB. Framework RBWM Local Plan RBWM Local Plan RBWM LP policies regarding GB. Our NP supports these. RBWM Green Belt RBWM GB Boundary Study Green Belt Boundary Study published by RBWM in March 2009. Boundary Study The Borough are currently conducting a new review of GB as part of the emerging LP. While the results are not yet known, the A, S & S NP has been liaising very closely with the Borough so that they are fully aware and supportive of the policies in our NP. SHLAA sites in GB RBWM SHLAA sites in List of SHLAA sites in our NP area that are in GB – last updated December 2011. Green Belt POLICY NP/EN2 – GAPS BETWEEN VILLAGES Document Internal link External link Relevance (brief explanation) Gaps between villages – NP team: Gaps Sets out the Criteria for selecting the gaps, issues relating to how to protect them and Methodology between villages definition and evaluation of the gaps. Methodology Options consultation Consultation Consultation showed all 6 gaps and asked respondents to state whether they supported Statement & or not each one. There was strong support for all six, ranging from 65% to 70% with only Appendices 13-17% not supporting (the balance were neutral) Green Belt map Map of Green Belt Shows that much of the area represented by the gaps is in Green Belt but not all. Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan – Evidence Base Master Summary POLICY NP/EN3 – TREES BACKGROUND NOTES We have (as at Spring 2013) the following trees and areas protected by TPO: 1084 individual trees in Ascot and Sunninghill 889 individual trees in Sunningdale 233 Area TPOs in Ascot and Sunninghill 263 Area TPOs in Sunningdale There are nonetheless many important and mature trees in the area which have no protection. Document Internal link External link Relevance (brief explanation) The Town and Country T&C Planning (Tree Regulatory framework Planning (Tree Preservation) Preservation)(England) Regulations 2012 RBWM Local Plan RBWM Local Plan Policy N6 re Trees RBWM Tree and RBWM Tree & Woodland The Borough’s strategy document which states it is firmly committed to maintaining and Woodland Strategy Strategy enhancing the Borough’s trees and woodland as a vital part of the environment of the 2010-2020 Borough. RBWM Landscape RBWM Landscape Character Adopted as SPG in September 2004, it provides a structured approach to identifying the Character Assessment Assessment character and distinctiveness of the landscape, so allowing these special qualities to be (LCA) better understood and reflected in decisionmaking. TPO map Sunninghill & RBWM TPO map Map of trees which have a Tree Preservation Order in Sunninghill & Ascot – as at 08-03- Ascot parish Sunninghill & Ascot 2013 parish TPO map Sunningdale RBWM TPO map Map of trees which have a Tree Preservation Order in Sunningdale – as at 08-03-2013 Parish Sunninghill & Ascot parish Sunningdale Sunningdale Statement highlights important trees Conservation Area Conservation Area Statement Statement Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan – Evidence Base Master Summary Statement of Consultation Strong and repeated feedback in all our consultations that the sylvan and leafy nature of consultation Statement & our area is a key aspect of the character of the area and important to retain. Appendices Vision consultation specifically 83% it was a high priority to retain. City of London Tree City of London Tree Highlighted sections helped inform the framing of aspects of our tree policy. Strategy Strategy SPD POLICY NP/EN4 – GARDENS Document Internal link External link Relevance (brief explanation) National Planning Policy NPPF Para 53: Suggests setting policies to resist inappropriate development of residential Framework gardens, for example where development would cause harm to the local area. RBWM Landscape RBWM Landscape Character Adopted as SPG in September 2004, it provides a structured approach to identifying the Character Assessment Assessment character and distinctiveness of the landscape, so allowing these special qualities to be (LCA) better understood and reflected in decisionmaking. RHS The Garden 2012 RHS The Garden Highlights the value of gardens as natural ecosystems. Gardens are ecosystems 2012 Housing Density, Government SN on A Government Standard Note from the Science and Environment Section setting out the Brownfield Sites and Housing Density, issues around garden development and government policy. Gardens Brownfield Sites and Gardens POLICY NP/EN5 – BIODIVERSITY AND POLICY NP/EN6 – GREEN CORRIDORS Document Internal link External link Relevance (brief explanation) Green corridor rationale NP team: Green Summarises the rationale and methodology for how the green corridors for our area and methodology corridor rationale were designated. and methodology Lawton Report Making Lawton Report A 2010 report commissioned by Natural England, “Making Space for Nature: A review of Space for Nature Making Space for England’s Wildlife Sites and Ecological Network”, chaired by Professor Sir John Lawton Nature compiled evidence demonstrating how our natural environment provides us with a range of life saving and enhancing benefits. These benefits are described as “ecosystem services” and include the provision of food, clean water, materials, flood defences and carbon sequestration. Biodiversity underpins most, if not all, of these crucial ecosystem services. Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan – Evidence Base Master Summary Vision consultation Consultation • Over-arching vision (which was supported by 86% of respondents) included “to Statement & preserve the green and leafy appearance of our surroundings …. to secure wildlife Appendices corridors to protect our flora and fauna”. • The creation and protection of wildlife corridors was specifically seen as a high priority by 83%. National Planning Policy NPPF Forward stresses importance of our natural environment including that habitats that have Framework been degraded can be restored and species that have been isolated can be reconnected. Paras 109, 113 117-119 all support the need to protect and