Ashford Borough Council - Report of Head of Development Management and Strategic Sites Planning Committee 31st July 2019 Application Number 18/000644/AS Location Land to the north of St Mary’s Close and east of Ashford Road, Hamstreet, Kent TN26 2DX Grid Reference 00129/34042 Parish Council Orlestone Ward Weald South Application Outline application to consider the access from Ashford Description Road only and the construction of up to 80 new homes, an up to 60 bed care home, approx. 60 car parking spaces adjacent to Ashford Road, SuDS, wetland and associated education centre/events space, pedestrian and cycle linkages, associated open space and football pitch and covered shelter, drainage infrastructure and new landscaping. Applicant Hallam Land Management Ltd, 3rd Floor, Portland Place, London W1B 1QH Agent Mr Owen Jones, LRM Planning Ltd, 22 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 8LJ Site Area 8.8 hectares (a) 53/29R/1S (b) Orlestone - R (c) KH&T – X; KCC BIO – X; SW – X, KCC SuDS – X; PO (Drainage) – X; KCCDC Warehorne - R – X; KCC Heritage - X; NHS – X; KWT – X, EP – X; SSoS – X; Kent Police – X; EA – X; NE – X; NWR – X; KCC PROW – X; ABC Housing – X; SE – X; FC – X; WT – R; Ramblers -; CPRE - X Introduction 1. This application is reported to the Planning Committee because it involves the erection of more than 9 dwellings and therefore is classified as a major Ashford Borough Council - Report of Head of Development Management and Strategic Sites Planning Committee 31st July 2019 development that requires determination by the Planning Committee under the scheme of delegation. Site and Surroundings 2. The application site covers an area of approximately 8.8 hectares immediately to the north of St Mary’s close, a small cul-de-sac of residential properties. To the west is Ashford Road, a B classified road which would provide vehicular access into the site and beyond this is Hamstreet Primary School. To the east of the site is the Ashford to Hastings railway (raised above the site on a bund / embankment). To the north is Huntbourne Wood which is an area of ancient woodland and beyond this the A2070. A slither of this ancient woodland extends into the site along the western boundary. There are 3 trees to the southern boundary with St Mary’s Close that are protected by virtue of a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). The southern boundary is also identified as a contaminated land buffer. The site lies within flood zone 1. 3. The site is used for arable farming and is Grade 3 agricultural land. The site comprises a single field that slopes from the North West down to the south west. The overall change in levels across the entire site is approx.10m. 4. There is a public right of way (AE585) that runs through the north eastern corner of the site. This is the only public right of way that affords views into the site. There are no designated wildlife sites / nature reserves within the application site or immediately adjoining it. The Dungeness, Romney & Rye Bay SSSI lies approx. 900m to the south of the site. The far north eastern part of the site falls within an area of Ground Water Vulnerability. 5. The site lies immediately adjacent to the northern edge of the village of Hamstreet. The site is well served by both public and private transport infrastructure and is well related to local amenities. The application site lies wholly within the parish of Orlestone and close to the boundary with Warehorne. 6. The site comprises land within the countryside described in the Landscape Character Area SPD as the Shadoxhurst Wooded Farmlands. The key characteristics of this area are: • Mixed farmland and field patterns influenced by an extensive woodland framework • Strong sense of enclosure with woodland and hedgerows. • Field ponds and narrow streams / narrow ditch lined roads. Ashford Borough Council - Report of Head of Development Management and Strategic Sites Planning Committee 31st July 2019 7. The landscape analysis states that the condition is good and sensitivity moderate with the guidelines to conserve and reinforce. Detracting features are the A2070 and the railway line. Figure 1 – Site location plan Ashford Borough Council - Report of Head of Development Management and Strategic Sites Planning Committee 31st July 2019 Figure 2 - Aerial photo of the site and site as existing Proposal 8. Outline planning permission is sought for the erection of up to 80 dwellings, an up to 60 bed care home, approx. 60 car parking spaces adjacent to Ashford Road, SuDS, wetland and associated education centre/events space, pedestrian and cycle linkages, associated open space and football pitch with covered shelter, drainage infrastructure and new landscaping with revised access to Hamstreet Academy Primary School. The only matters for consideration at this stage are the principle of the development, the quantum of development and uses proposed and the access to the site from Ashford Road. All other matters relating to landscaping, layout, scale, appearance and access ways through the site are all reserved Ashford Borough Council - Report of Head of Development Management and Strategic Sites Planning Committee 31st July 2019 matters for consideration at a later date should outline planning permission be granted. 9. In respect of the indicative layout that has been provided, to the front / centre of the site it is proposed there be the additional parking for the school opposite as well as a designated ‘common / green’ which can accommodate a juniors football pitch. 10. The parking would be in 2 sections, the first being a designated parents drop off / pick up point positioned close to the proposed pelican crossing and the second adjacent to this providing parking for staff of the school. The ‘common / green’ would be for use by the school during school hours and local residents of the development outside of school hours. Adjacent to the common would be a standalone contemporary timber shelter building. 11. The care home (up to 60 beds), with its dedicated parking and private gardens, is proposed along part of the eastern boundary of the site. There would then be essentially 3 clusters of residential development with the bulk of this to the north of the site along with a wetland area. The care home along with the housing would be a maximum of two storeys in height. The dwellings would comprise 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 bed units with the majority being 3 – 3 bed units. The care home would be within Class C2 of the use classes order (residential institutions) and would not contain individual dwelling units within Class C3. 12. The wetland area would be located in the area designated as Ground Water Vulnerability and the only built form of development proposed in this area would be a pathway to go around the wetland area. A 30m wide buffer is shown to the north and part of the west of the site in order to avoid adverse impacts on the areas of designated ancient woodland. It is proposed all boundary planting will be retained with the exception of that which has to be removed to allow access and the necessary sightlines. 13. Traffic calming, with a raised table along with vehicle activated speed signs and road markings are proposed to slow traffic. A pelican crossing is proposed to provide safe access to the school / village. Ashford Road would also be narrowed along the length of the raised table to 6.2m to slow traffic and alert them to the crossing. It would also enable wider pedestrian footpaths to be provided around the school. The speed limit outside of the school is 30mph. 14. There is an existing PROW which runs through the site that would be upgraded and signage and street furniture provided. Ashford Borough Council - Report of Head of Development Management and Strategic Sites Planning Committee 31st July 2019 15. Finally there is a new woodland discovery centre / classroom to the north of the site adjacent to the public footpath and an equipped area of play space to the west of the site between the two main clusters of residential development. 16. The indicative layout is shown below: . Figure 3 – Indicative layout 17. The residential development of 80 houses would equate to 9 units per hectare. In terms of the actual developable area for housing which is just under 4 hectares then the density based on 80 units rises to 21 units per hectare. The 60 bed care home would be in addition to this. Ashford Borough Council - Report of Head of Development Management and Strategic Sites Planning Committee 31st July 2019 18. In support of the application, a number of documents have been submitted which set out the applicant’s position and have been summarised below:- Planning Statement • Site is identified in the emerging Local Plan for residential development to contribute to meeting the requirement of approx. 16,000 homes between 2011- 2031. • The Local Plan is now at an advanced stage. The housing strategy identifies this site coming forward for development in 2019/2020 hence the submission of the application at this stage. • The application has been prepared to address policy S31 of the emerging plan. • The benefits of this proposal are: 1. Range / choice of market housing to meet current shortfall in housing supply 2. The provision of 40% affordable housing to meet local needs 3. New youth football pitch and changing rooms / storage facility for use by the school and community 4. Provision of a common / green 5. 60 space car park for use by the school and to serve the green / sports pitch 6. Traffic calming along Ashford Road to create a pedestrian priority zone and new crossing point from the parking to the school 7.