Market Town General Description: Saffron Walden is the largest town in the District, and the administrative and commercial centre. This very attractive town is one of the finest preserved examples of a medieval market town with a wealth of listed buildings in a town centre which is a long-standing conservation area. The historic layout of the town centre results in problems with traffic flow through and around it particularly in peak times but because of the built-up nature of the town and its quality there is no scope to alleviate this by any alternative routing.

The town is situated in the attractive rolling landscape of the River Cam, two miles east of the main road and rail corridor between (about 40 miles) and Cambridge (about 15 miles). The Jacobean mansion of Audley End and its associated parkland is immediately to the west of the town.

The current character and scale of the town is doubtless influenced by the fact that the station is some distance from the town and it does not have ready access to the M11, despite its proximity (see below). However, the town has seen significant residential development during the last 30 years with new estates on greenfield sites, especially on its southern side, and the recycling and intensification of other uses. It remains the subject of on-going pressure for further such development on both brownfield and greenfield sites. The Further Preferred Options Consultation document for the Core Strategy suggested a scale of growth of around 250 homes for Saffron Walden.

Population Profile:

The Mid 2007 Population Estimate for the 2009 Saffron Walden Wards is 14,659 Saffron Walden Audley (4,605), Saffron Walden Castle (4,818), Saffron Walden Shire (5,236) (Source:ONS).

Population of SW Wards by Age Group

80-84

70-74

60-64

50-54 Saffron Wal den S hire Saffron Wal den Castle 40-44 Saffron Wal den A udl ey

A Group ge 30-34

20-24

10-14

0-4

0 1 00 2 00 30 0 40 0 50 0 No of People

Housing:

No of Households 2001: 6,297 No of Homes Completed 2001 – 2011: 388 No of Homes with Planning Permission 455 as at 1.4.11: Existing No of Affordable Homes: Local Authority Rented – 612. Between 2001 and 2007 79 affordable homes were built. A further 14 (10 rented and 4 shared ownership) were built in 2007/8 and 25 in 2010/11 (13 social and 12 intermediate rent).

A further 57 are in the programme for 2011/12 (47 affordable rented and 10 shared ownership).

Housing Needs Assessment: N/A

Potential Development Sites:

Sites assessed as being Suitable, Available and Achievable Site Ref. Address No. Timescale SAF 1 Land south of Road (with pp) 130 2011-2016 SAF 9 Kiln Court, Thaxted Road (with pp) 23 2011-2016 9 2016-2021 SAF 14 Land to the east of the former Bell 86 2011-2016 Language school, Peasland Road (with pp) SAF 16 Land at Friends School, Debden Road (with 76 2011-2016 pp) SAF 17 8 Station Street (with pp) 10 2011-2016 SAF 19 Transco Depot, Radwinter Road (with pp) 9 2011-2016 SAF 20 Paxtons Depot, Thaxted Road (with pp) 12 2011-2016 346 2011-2016 9 2016-2021

Sites assessed as being Suitable, Available and Achievable but with one or more conditional Y scores (Y) Site Ref. Address No. Reason for (Y) Score SAF 3 Former Willis & Gambier 79 Loss of employment land, 1 – 5 years premises, Radwinter Road highways, air quality and school capacity SAF 4 Land south of Radwinter 734 + Only suitable if developed in Road, east of Shire Hill conjunction with SAF6, Highways, Air Quality, School Capacity SAF 6 Land south of Rylestone 180 Topography, Highways, Air Way Quality, School Capacity SAF 8 Land rear of leisure 176 Highways, Air Quality, School centre, Capacity Thaxted Road SAF 13 Ashdon Road Commercial 184 Loss of employment land, Centre highways, air quality, school capacity, Total 1,353

Source: Strategic Land Availability Assessment, District Council , 2010

It will be apparent from the above that in the absence of any significant other potential sites coming forward, the scope for the reuse of previously developed urban sites is largely limited to that of existing, or currently vacant, commercial premises. The redevelopment of such sites for residential purposes would, if they were to be replaced, mean the allocation of greenfield sites on the edge of town or in or on the edge of other settlements.

The scope for greenfield residential development on the edge of the town is essentially limited to its eastern side. This is because:- • the topography on the south, with the land beyond the built-up area dropping away, means that development there would have an intrusive impact upon the landscape; • Audley Park (i.e. the Audley End estate) to the north-west features both Audley End and the Saffron Walden Golf Club where the prospect of development would not be accepted because of its existing historic and landscape value; and • access constraints to the north where the nature and layout of the existing road system effectively prevents any development between Ashdon and Little Walden Roads.

If there was to be any significant development on greenfield sites, the preferred location in terms of the potential impact upon the landscape would be on the eastern edge of the town.

A very similar conclusion is reached from an assessment of the quality and general function of landscape in and adjacent to the town done as part of the Saffron Walden Historic Settlement Character Assessment, 2007. It included a broad statement as to the effect of development in each sector. The findings are summarised below with what are considered to be the key conclusions in bold:-

(i) The Radwinter Road approach from Sewards End. Development in this location would have no detrimental effect on the historic core which is separated from it by modern development. The general effect would be loss of agricultural farmland and to spread urban development onto rising undulating arable farmland of visual quality, resulting in the loss of a rural approach road to the town and narrowing the already narrow gap with the village of Sewards End.

“……it is considered development in this sector would significantly dimin ish the sense of place and local distinctiveness of not only Saffron Walden but potentially also that of the nearby small village of Sewards End”. “However it is acknowledged that the large buildings that introduce the town in this location make this edge one of the least attractive….” .

(ii) Ashdon Road approach. The general effect of development would be to spread urban development onto undulating arable farmland of considerable visual quality resulting in the loss of a rural approach road to the town in this location.

“It is considered development in the rural part of this sector beyond the town edge would significantly diminish the sense of place and local distinctiveness. However it is acknowledged that the large buildings that form the edge of the town in this location make this edge one of the least attractive of Saffron Walden.“

(iii) The Little Walden Road approach. The effect of development would result in loss of open arable farmland and to spill out into the open countryside beyond the clearly defined northern edge. “It is considered development in this sector would significantly diminish the sense of place and local distinctiveness of this part of Saffron Walden”.

(iv) The approach via the B184 and Windmill Hill. Development in this location would have a seriously detrimental effect on the historic core immediately adjacent to the south. The effect of development would result in loss of well used allotments or woodlands and spill up the slope destroying an enclosed approach road of great quality. “It is considered development in this sector would very significantly diminish the sense of place and local distinctiveness of this part of Saffron Walden”.

(v) The B1383 approaches and Audley End Road. Development in this location would have profoundly detrimental effects on this part of the historic core and the general effect of urban development onto this historic landscape would be highly damaging. “ ……almost any development would very significantly diminish the sense of place and local distinctiveness of an area most would recognise as being of the very highest quality, not only of local, but also of regional and national importance”.

(vi) The approach from Wendens Ambo. The general effect of development would be loss of agricultural land and to spread urban development onto undulating arable farmland of considerable visual quality and resulting in the loss of a particularly rural approach road to the town. “…….it is considered development in this sector would significantly dimin ish the sense of place and local distinctiveness of this part of Saffron Walden”.

(vii) The Newport Road approach. The general effect of development would be loss of agricultural land and to spill urban development down a visually prominent slope onto rolling arable farmland of considerable visual quality and resulting in the loss of a rural approach road to the town. “…… it is considered development in this sector would significantly dimin ish the sense of place and local distinctiveness of this part of Saffron Walden.”

(viii) The Debden Road approach. The effect of development would result in loss of open arable farmland and to spill out into open countryside beyond very clearly defined edges. “……..it is considered development in this sector would significantly diminish the sense of place and local distinctiveness of this part of Saffron Walden”.

(ix) The Thaxted Road approach. The effect of development would result in loss of open arable farmland and spill out into open countryside beyond very clearly defined edges of the town. “….it is considered development in these locations would diminish the sense of place and local distinctiveness of this part of Saffron Walden.“ “However in respect of land between the Kilns development and Rylstone Way it is considered the effect of development would be neutral.”

When the findings of the planning assessment of landscape, conservation and access considerations are combined with findings of the Settlement Character Assessment, the only potentially acceptable greenfield site for housing which has not yet been formally allocated is that on the eastern side of Thaxted Road between the Kilns development and Rylstone Way. The site is identified as SAF 6 in the schedule of possible sites above with potential for some 180 dwellings over the next 5 years.

However, this may have implications for the sewerage infrastructure which does not have capacity for significant development (see below). This is despite the waste water treatment works having sufficient capacity. It may be that the sewerage capacity may effectively place a limit upon the number and type of units that could be built.

Town Council aspirations as set out in Town Plan/Design Statement: The Town Council has initiated the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan which is currently being progressed by a group of volunteers.

Town Council Representations on Further Preferred Options: The Town Council accepted that Saffron Walden could take up to a maximum of an additional 250 houses between 2010 and 2025 but that any further number would be resisted because:- • 3 air quality problem areas; • lack of road infrastructure and problems of traffic within the town centre; • over-demand for places at County High School and its inability to extend; • water and sewage problems.

Employment: There are a number of industrial estates in the town the sites are shown on the map below except the two Thaxted Road sites which are off the map to the south on the eastern side of Thaxted Road. Ashdon Road Commercial Centre An important estate featuring large units but currently experiencing high vacancy rates in warehousing units. Shire Hill An important estate comprising properties of mixed age and size which functions well. Features several “non employment” uses. Saffron Walden Business Centre Modern estate of small units which functions well Printpack Ltd Single-occupancy site which functions well Willis and Gambier Vacant former warehouse/distribution depot suitable for re-use. Adjacent to hospital which may inhibit future uses. Live-work units, Thaxted Road New development made up of live work units on part of larger redevelopment site. Granite Site, Thaxted Road Vacant former single user site. Re-use for employment would complement adjacent commercial uses.

The town’s key industrial areas are situated on its eastern side. This means that road traffic seeking access to or exit from the sites has to cross or effectively bypass the town centre to get to either the M11 or the A14.

It will also be apparent from the assessment of housing sites above that there is little or no scope for the development of further greenfield sites on the edge of the town for commercial uses without having an adverse impact upon the landscape so full regard should be given to the potential consequences of releasing any existing under- or unused commercial sites for other uses.

Existing major industrial/commercial sites/estates

The commercial property market in Saffron Walden is currently slow with little or no churn for the following reasons:- • difficulty in gaining access to/from the M11 as the nearest junctions to the north and south are 9 and 13 miles away respectively. A low bridge to the south of the town (at Newport) results in high vehicles either having to find an alternative, roundabout route or go to the northern junction (at Duxford) in order to travel south towards the M25 and London;

• all of the industrial sites/estates (i.e. Shire Hill, Ashdon Road, Printpack and Willis and Gambier) are situated on the eastern side of the town (see map), the structure of which is such that HGV traffic heading to the M11 has to travel either through the town centre or via a predominantly residential route around it; and

• 75 – 80% of the industrial stock is 20 or more years old and no longer fit for purpose.

The upshot of these accessibility issues is that the town’s industrial estates do not meet the modern day requirements of large, national firms. This is reflected in the rents currently achievable and the majority of the occupiers of the estates are local businesses rather than major national companies. There are nonetheless exceptions to this with the Ridgeons depot on Ashdon Road being one of over twenty in the eastern region and the Printpack plant on Radwinter Road being part of an international organisation.

There is also the issue of vacant premises and the scope they offer for either reoccupancy or redevelopment for other commercial users. This must be the preferred option unless the market demand is such that this is simply not viable within a reasonable period of time.

There is a shortage of good quality office accommodation but the cost of providing it is potentially problematic given the cost of construction and the rate of return over a reasonable period.

Views recently expressed by local agents as to the need for, and prospect of, commercial development and redevelopment in and around the town were as follows:- • there is currently an oversupply of industrial and warehouse accommodation at all levels of quality; • there will continue to be local companies that want to grow; • there is a lack of available commercial land supply in and around the town; • there should be more employment land opportunities as the existing estates are fully developed and a supply of land would create the demand for it; • an extension of Shire Hill, if there was the opportunity, would be taken up, even though it may take time; • existing large vacant buildings do not lend themselves to refurbishment and sub-division; • redevelopment of the vacant warehousing at the Ashdon Road Commercial Centre for commercial units would not be viable at today’s level of demand but this could change in the future when the market recovers; • there is no quality business park which is considered necessary in order to accommodate offices or research and development premises to meet the needs of those core office services already in the town that wish to expand but have no suitable accommodation by way of space, room size, lighting, adequacy of parking as well as accessibility. Whilst the existing industrial estates are suitable for industrial and warehouse uses, they would not attract the office users who require a different type of environment, particularly if it is for a headquarters building; and • the viability of office provision may be problematic, even on a greenfield site, because of construction costs and the associated rental requirement together with the attraction of nearby Cambridge to prospective occupiers.

Conclusions:- • there is an acute lack of modern office accommodation to meet the needs of Saffron Walden although potential sites in and around the town are both very limited and less than ideal and prime rental values may mean that it is not viable to build them; • there is a current surplus of industrial and particularly warehouse units resulting from a combination of the recession and, more importantly, the town’s relative remoteness from access to the M11; • the surplus of commercial floorspace may well dissipate in the foreseeable future when the economy recovers although the older, large warehousing units may warrant regeneration if they continue to remain vacant; • the release of any existing under- or unused commercial sites for other uses for whatever reason may well mean that it will not be possible to replace them on new greenfield sites on the edge of the town because of the excessive adverse affect that this would have upon the landscape.

Infrastructure

Education: School Net Capacity No. on Net Forecast No. 2010/11 roll 2011 Capacity on roll at 2016 Katherine Semar 173 172 173 147 (152*) Infant School Katherine Semar 237 198 237 219 (225*) Junior School R A Butler Infant 270 222 270 225 (243*) School R A Butler Junior 300 303 300 298 (322*) School St Mary's C of E 180 133 180 117 (120*) Primary School St Thomas More 210 205 210 210 Catholic Primary School Saffron Walden 1,882 2,002 1,882 1,998 County High School (2,029*) * Forecast including adjustment for new housing. Source: Commissioning School Places in 2011-2016, Essex County Council

There are two private schools in the town:- • The Friends’ School is a co-educational, Quaker day school for pupils aged between 3 and 18 with boarders from age 11; and • Dame Bradbury’s School – a co-educational prep school and nursery.

The nearest other state secondary school is the Newport Free Grammar School which is 3 miles away but has little capacity to accommodate additional pupils.

School Net Capacity No. on Net Forecast No. 2010/11 roll 2011 Capacity on roll at 2016 Newport Free 1030 1018 1030 1002 Grammar School Source: Commissioning School Places in Essex 2011-2016, Essex County Council

Shopping: The main shopping facilities in the town comprise the town centre, which features a Waitrose food store, and a Tesco superstore which is on the eastern edge of the town on the Radwinter Road.

The core of the shopping centre includes King Street, Market Place, George Street, High Street and Hill Street. Market Place has a high concentration of banks and building societies with national retailers dotted along King Street and High Street. The centre provides a good mix of multiple and independent retailers and is well known for its specialist shopping. The bulk of convenience shopping is provided by the Waitrose supermarket of 1,470 sq m net, which has 15 checkouts and integrates well with the town centre.

A recent retail study undertaken by consultants described the town centre as “an attractive and vibrant historic centre” which incorporates “a reasonable comparison goods offer including a range of national multiples supplemented by a bi-weekly market”. According to the report, the centre “exhibits low vacancy rates, improving yields, increasing retail rents and a high environmental quality” such that it is concluded that “it is evidently a centre in good economic health”.

The edge-of-town Tesco store is open 24 hours a day, has a sales area floorspace of 2,359 sq. m., with 16 checkouts, a 389 space car park and a petrol filling station. Only a small proportion of floorspace is devoted to non-food goods. A proposal to extend the Tesco store by 1,274 sq.m., to provide 338 sq.m. of convenience and 886 sq.m. of comparison floorspace, has recently been approved by the Council (subject to the possibility of it being “called in” for determination by the Government Office).

A proposal to build an out-of-town Sainsbury’s superstore was recently refused permission and an application to extend the existing Waitrose store, by of the order of 40% whilst retaining the same number of spaces in a new car park, has recently been submitted.

Two other stores of significance are Ridgeons Build ing Merchants, located within the Ashdon Road Commercial Centre, and Homebase which are both on the eastern edge of the town. Ridgeons is open to the public and offers shoppers a range of DIY products. The store has a net sales area of approximately 2,100 sq m as well as further sales areas for building trade professionals. Homebase is approximately 1,452 sq. m. in size and offers a relatively small se lection of bulky goods given the store’s limited size.

Leisure and Community Facilities: There is an extensive range of leisure and community features comprising:-

The Common Jubilee Gardens (+ day centre ‘The Garden Room’) Bridge End Gardens

Pubs/restaurants Cinema (Saffron Screen) Snooker Club

Lord Butler Leisure Centre (incl. swimming pool, squash courts, badminton courts, tennis courts, 5 a side football, indoor bowls, fitness gym. + skate-board park)

Herbert’s Farm Playing Fields Football Club Golf Club Ridgeon’s football field Sports facilities at Saffron Walden County High School Grove Tennis Club Castle Tennis Club Bowling Club Hockey and rugby clubs (based in Newport and Henham respectively)

Library Museum Town Hall Golden Acre Community Centre

Audley End is an English Heritage property where visitors can explore the house and gardens and outdoor concerts are held in the summer.

8 churches

Health: There is a Community Hospital but the nearest Accident & Emergency Department is in Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge 15 miles to the north.

There are 3 doctors’ surgeries and 3 dental surgeries.

Water, Drainage and Flood Risk: Water: Veolia Water Central (VWC) supply the District with water. Water companies have a duty to supply drinking water (i.e. ‘potable water’ – which is free of harmful chemicals and pathogens) to customers under Section 52 of the Water Industry Act 1991, and are hence obliged to connect developments to the network. Veolia are confident that adequate supply can be provided through the existing network and local boreholes. Connection of a site to the potable network will probably require the reinforcement of certain areas of the local network. It is assumed that this need will be addressed through the developer requisition process. Drainage: Saffron Walden is predominantly served by a separate surface water and foul water sewerage system. The foul water sewerage system operates primarily by gravity, conveying waste water to the waste water treatment works (WwTW) on the northwest edge of the town.

Regarding the scope for additional development, the view has previously been expressed that capacity for expansion/intensification is limited mainly to the south and east of the town – which is at the opposite side to the WwTW.

Anglia Water Services (AWS) have indicated that the existing sewerage network within the town is near capacity, and that the potential development sites would therefore require extensive upgrades to the network through the town. Not only would this be likely to be highly disruptive but, due to the relatively narrow streets, it may not be feasible to upsize the sewers through the town. That would result in the only viable sewerage solution being the creation of new strategic sewers linked directly from the potential development sites to the WwTW. This will require some network modelling in order that the constraints are fully understood.

Analysis has shown that the predicted total Dry Weather Flow(1) received by the Saffron Walden WwTW will not exceed its volumetric discharge consent, even for the worst-case scenario. According to AWS, the existing WwTW should be able to accommodate the increased flows from the new developments associated with all of the 3 options identified in the consultation on the core strategy. This is in line with their phasing and actual build rates, and providing that the flows remain within the current discharge consent limit.

The potential for expansion/intensification is limited mainly to the south and east of the town - the opposite side of the town to the WwTW. The existing sewerage network is at capacity such that extensive upgrades, or new direct sewers to the WwTW, may be required if significant development is proposed. Whilst the shortest route is approximately 2 km, a new sewer may be considerably longer dependant on the preferred route.

(Source: UDC Water Cycle Study, Stage 1 – Scoping and Outline Strategy, Hyder Consulting, 2010)

Flood Risk: The Uttlesford District Strategic Flood Risk Assessment notes several sewer flooding incidents within the town.

(Source: Uttlesford Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (JBA Consulting, March 2008)

(1) DWF - an estimation of the flow of wastewater to a WwTW during a period of dry weather based on the 20th percentile of daily flow through the works over a rolling three year period.

Transport

Road: Saffron Walden is at the focus of a radial road pattern with the most important routes being the north-bound B184 to Cambridge and the south-bound B1052 linking with the B1383 to Stansted Airport and Bishops Stortford. The M11 linking London to the south with Cambridge and the A14 to the north passes within a mile of the town on its western side. The nearest junctions are at Duxford for north-bound traffic and Bishops Stortford for south-bound traffic which are 9 and 13 miles away respectively.

However, HGVs have additional difficulty in gaining access to/from the M11 not only because of the distance on ‘B’ class roads, and therefore the time involved, but also because:- • a low bridge to the south, at Newport, results in high vehicles either having to find an alternative, roundabout route or go to the northern junction (at Duxford) in order to travel south towards the M25 and London; and

• all of the industrial sites/estates (i.e. Shire Hill, Ashdon Road, Printpack and Willis and Gambier) are situated on the eastern side of the town (see map), the structure of which is such that HGV traffic heading to or from the M11 has to travel either through the town centre or via a predominantly residential route around it.

In 2007, the Council designated 3 Air Quality Management Areas in Saffron Walden in relation to air pollution resulting from traffic congestion at the following points:- 1. an area centred on the junction of the High Street and George Street and extending 75 metres from that point (see map below);

2. an area centred on the junction of the High Street and Castle Street and extending 50 metres from that point (see map below);

3. an area centred on the junction of the Thaxted Road and East Street and Radwinter Road and extending 50 metres from that point (see map below);

The 2010 Air Quality Progress Report found the following:- • Air Quality in AQMA no. 1 (High Street junction with George Street) has dipped but is still at the exceedence level and continued monitoring is required. • Air Quality in AQMA no. 2 (High Street junction with Castle Street) is above the exceedence level and continued monitoring is required. • Air Quality in AQMA no. 3 (Thaxted Road junction with East Street and Radwinter Road) is substantially above the exceedence level and continued monitoring is required.

Rail: The nearest railway station is at Audley End, 2 miles to the south west. There are 2 trains per hour direct to London (Liverpool Street) with a fastest journey time of just less than an hour. There are from 3 to 5 trains in the opposite direction to Cambridge with the average journey time being 20 minutes. There is one train per hour direct to Stansted Airport with an average journey time of 20 minutes. Some of the north-bound services are on longer routes to Kings Lynn or Birmingham.

The station has recently been improved by the provision of a bridge which features a lift to enable those people with mobility difficulties easier access to and from the north-bound platform. The station car park has also recently been subject to a significant extension.

Access to the station is addressed under ‘Bus’ and ‘Cycle/Footpath Routes’ below.

Bus: There is an extensive range of bus routes radiating into the town. However, these appear to serve the surrounding villages, rather than the town, by providing access, if often relatively slow and infrequent, to the town as a place to work and shop. This is illustrated by the heavy reliance upon school buses to bring pupils from the villages to the County High School and the relative slowness of buses to Cambridge despite it being a major employment centre.

The railway station is poorly served by bus from Saffron Walden, with a very limited half hourly service during peak times with travel time of approximately 15 minutes.

Cycle/Footpath Routes: There is no specific provision for pedestrians and cyclists other than that which would normally be associated with a town of this scale. That results in a specific need for a designated cycleway from the town to Audley End Station in order to:- • separate bikes from traffic to improve safety; • provide a more gentle gradient, if possible, than the existing roads; and • attract more usage, to provide a healthier, cheaper and more sustainable option for train travellers living in the town. Minerals and Waste: The Essex County Council Minerals Local Plan, the policies of which have been ‘saved’ for an indefinite period, features no proposals which have a direct impact upon Saffron Walden or its immediate environment.

The Essex and Southend Waste Local Plan is the currently approved policy document to guide waste development and determine waste related planning applications within Essex and Southend. It too features no proposals which have a direct impact upon Saffron Walden or its immediate environment.

Historic Environment

Listed Buildings: There are about 400 individually listed buildings in the parish of Saffron Walden the great majority of which are in the designated conservation area. About 10 are listed Grade 1 including Audley End House, the former Sun Inn, the 11th century Castle Keep, St Mary’s Church and St. Mark’s College. Some 30 are listed Grade 11* and these include houses in the village street at Audley End and the 19th century bank (now Barclays) on the Market Place. The majority of listed buildings (40%) are from the 19th century although the 16th century is well represented with about 20% and the 17th century with about 10%. Other buildings of earlier dates are also represented as are several 20th century listed buildings including the water tower on Debden Road.

Conservation Areas: There are three conservation areas in the town - the Town Centre, Mount Pleasant and Audley End House and gardens including the hamlet of Audley End.

The unique aesthetic qualities of the town centre, together with its strong historical associations, have long been recognised and it was first designated as a conservation area in 1968. The Historic Buildings Council accorded the designation ‘Outstanding’ status and its boundaries have since been enlarged to include additional areas of aesthetic quality.

Mount Pleasant and West Roads together form the Mount Pleasant Conservation Area. It comprises an area of substantial 19th-century villas/houses and the Friends School built ¼ mile to the south overlooking the town.

Audley End house and gardens are owned, conserved and managed as a visitor attraction by English Heritage. Surrounding the house and gardens is a park landscaped by 'Capability' Brown from around 1760. The park is adorned with monuments and temples. The highlight of the gardens is the 19th century parterre.

Conservation Area Appraisal: The 3 will be carried out during 2012.

Uttlesford District Historic Environment Characterisation Project, Essex County Council 2009 divides Saffron Walden into the following zones with the following characteristics:

HECZ3.1 - The historic town core was on the crest of a spur of chalk, where the castle and church are sited, before expanding downhill. The historic core of Saffron Walden, contained within the earthworks of the late 11th to 12th-century castle and the subsequent enclosed planned town laid out in the early 13th century, covered an area of c. 20 hectares. The settlement grew up around the castle with two parallel streets, Castle Street and Church Street to the north and south respectively. The castle and the repell ditches are scheduled monuments.

A major feature of the historic core is the number and quality of surviving medieval and early post-medieval timber framed buildings built during a marked period of prosperity (c.1400-1700) founded on the wool trade and the cultivation of saffron. The main concentrations of historic buildings lie on the eastern side of the High Street toward the initial town enclosure around Bury Hill (castle) and in the area of the present market place. The survival of historic buildings along Castle Street, Church Street and the High Street is impressive as is the number of listed later post-medieval commercial, industrial, public and domestic buildings in the core area. The historic buildings, town layout, scheduled monuments and archaeological deposits are all highly sensitive to change.

HECZ3.2 – Includes the common, the turf maze and two discrete areas of post medieval housing (The Grove and Castle Hill House). The turf maze is the largest surviving example of its kind in . The Common has historically served as an important open space used for the grazing of the livestock, recreational activities and the holding of fairs – a tradition which continues today. The Common and the Maze have a high sensitivity to change.

HECZ3.3 - Bridge End Gardens is a series of seven interlinked gardens laid out in the 19th century which form a zone of public open space and compartmentalised themed gardens to the north and outside the medieval planned town. The gardens which are within the conservation area are included on the English Heritage register of parks and gardens, contain a number of listed buildings including a summerhouse, pavilion, gates and garden walls. Saffron Walden’s second maze – a yew hedge maze can also be found in the gardens. The registered park is highly sensitive to change.

HECZ3.4 - This zone to the south of the historic core and toward the former railway station contains 19th-century and later residential and commercial development with important historical industrial complexes The 19th-century development is located along both Thaxted and Radwinter Roads and includes an area of substantial 19th-century villas/houses built overlooking the town along Mount Pleasant and West Roads. Together they form the Mount Pleasant Conservation Area. It also includes some earlier interwar, post-war and modern housing and infill. The zone has later 20th-century residential redevelopment on the site of the former 19th-century industrial zone around the station and along the route of the railway line. Saffron Walden Cemetery is located within the zone and originally was on the edge of the built-up area. Public buildings include two 19th-century schools, Friends School (1877) and Bell Language College (1882), the Hospital (1864), now Uttlesford District Council offices, the former Saffron Walden Union Workhouse (1835) now residential apartments, and the present Saffron Walden Community Hospital.

HECZ3.5 This zone on the eastern edge of Saffron Walden is dominated by industrial development, in the form of modern factories and depots. Until the 1930s when industrial development began this zone remained open countryside, bisected by the 1865 Saffron Walden Branch railway line. Industrial development began in the 1930s with the construction of a very short railway spur to a fuel storage mound on the site of the modern fuel storage depot. The developed area of the zone is now covered by industrial structures dating to the 20th century.

HECZ3.6 - This is an area dominated by post-war and late 20th-century housing estates. It was largely under farmland until the second half of the 20th century. There was some small-scale late 19th-century development along Ashdon Road, but this was very limited in extent. The remainder of the area comprises post- war residential development in the southern half of the zone, and a late 20th- century housing estate in the northern half.

HECZ3.7 - This zone is located on the southern and western edge of Saffron Walden. It is an area dominated by late 20th century housing estates and the town’s public car-park. It was largely under farmland until the late 20th century. There were a few isolated buildings, including the Pest House and a windmill, with the remainder of the area subdivided into strip-fields. The area was developed in the late 20th century, largely under housing estate, but also including the High School and the Swan Meadow car-park.

Green Infrastructure

Open Space/Allotments: As well as the Parks and Gardens that comprise Bridge end Gardens, Jubilee Gardens and The Common, all of which are described as being in”good” condition, the recently-completed Uttlesford Open Space, Sport Facility and Playing Pitch Strategy identifies a range of sites that provide amenity greenspace and natural and semi-natural greenspace. Beeches Close, Elizabeth Way and the Museum grounds and castle ruin are Protected Open Spaces of Environmental Value and The Green is a Protected Open Space for Informal Recreation. However, Greenways is considered to have a very poor variety of vegetation and be poor in relation to fly tipping.

Audley End House and grounds are also available to the immediate west of the town. Saffron Walden also features 5 allotment sites.

Source : Uttlesford Open Space, Sport Facility and Playing Pitch Strategy, The Landscape Partnership, January 2012

Landscape Character: Saffron Walden is a key feature of the Cam Valley in which it is located. The area is characterised by a rolling, open landscape with dispersed settlements in a downland featuring a rectilinear field pattern with low hedges and few trees mainly in small copses. As outlined above, the Historic Settlement Character Assessment of 2007 concluded that, with the exception of a site on the Thaxted Road and that currently allocated on the Ashdon Road, the visual effect of development in all locations on the edge of the town would be damaging and would diminish the sense of place and local distinctiveness in their respective locations.

Agricultural Land: Most of the land around the town is grade 2 and in arable use.

Biodiversity: The River Cam is a UKBAP (U.K. Biodiversity Action Plan) priority habitat, with important habitats and species identified downstream, and is currently failing to comply with WFD due to phosphate and dissolved oxygen levels. It may be beneficial to water quality to limit development here (Option 4). There is a risk that tighter consents may be required in future cycles of the RBMP (post 2015).

All around Saffron Walden are groups of woodlands some of which are ancient woodlands. Many of these are also Local Wildlife Sites and there may be an opportunity to link these woodlands and other sites to form wildlife corridors.

Summary

Opportunities:

• high quality, historic built environment making an attractive market town within a rural setting; • potential to develop tourism; • administrative and commercial centre of district; • attractive shopping centre with low vacancy rate, good range of independent and high street stores and twice weekly market; • good access to green space within/adjoining the town centre e.g. the common, Bridge End Gardens etc; • motivated community with focus on making things happen, e.g. saffron screen, skate park etc.; • Audley End station giving rail access to London and Cambridge; • sites for around 1400 homes identified as suitable, available and achievable which could be delivered within first 5 years of plan period; • scope to engage existing residents and businesses in formulation of a Neighbourhood Plan which reflects their views on the needs of and aspirations for the town.

Key Issues:

• location, character and scale of growth; • the provision of adequate “affordable” housing to meet local needs; • development of brownfield sites for homes v’s potential loss of employment land; • industrial estates do not meet modern day requirements of large national firms resulting in surplus; • Shortage of good quality office accommodation; • competition from nearby centres like Cambridge, Haverhill; • access to the M11 motorway at nearest junction is limited to southward bound only; • railway station at Audley End is remote from town centre and public transport and footpath and cycle links are poor; • traffic congestion leading to; • poor air quality at key junctions; • sewerage infrastructure capacity is very limited; • localised flooding incidents; • there is very limited spare capacity in the existing state schools; • the population is likely to feature an increasing proportion of the elderly which will have particular needs; • shortage of play space.