EB/010 NORTH ESSEX GARDEN COMMUNITIES EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES: MONKS WOOD, BRAINTREE May 2017 North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree Braintree District Council and Essex County Council NORTH ESSEX GARDEN COMMUNITIES EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES: MONKS WOOD Quality information Document name Prepared for Prepared by Date Reviewed by Evaluation of CBC, TDC, BDC, ECC AECOM February 2017 JS / BC Alternatives: Monks Wood Revision history Revision Revision date Authorised Position Draft 1 April 2017 JS / BC Project Manager / Project Director Final May 2017 JS/BC Project Manager / Project Director This document has been prepared by AECOM Limited for the sole use of our client (the “Client”) and in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between AECOM Limited and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by AECOM Limited, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of AECOM Limited. 2 AECOM Braintree District Council and Essex County Council North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree Section 1.0 Section 2.0 Section 3.0 Introduction Monks Wood, Review Against the Braintree North Essex Garden Communities Charter 1.1 Introduction 2.1 Site Overview and 3.1 Criteria Landuse 3.2 Review 2.2 Call for Sites 2.3 Land Promoters and Development Agreements 2.4 Surrounding Settlement Hierarchy 2.5 Economic Context 2.6 Utilities 2.7 Landscape Character, Sensitivity and Condition 2.8 Agricultural Land Classifications 2.9 Ecological Designations 2.10 Parks, Recreation and Historic Environment 2.11 Water Cycle 2.12 Movement and Connectivity 2.13 Social Infrastructure 2.14 Development Capcity 2.15 Indicative Infrastructure Requirment AECOM 3 North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree Braintree District Council and Essex County Council 4 AECOM Braintree District Council and Essex County Council North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree 01 Introduction 1.1 Introduction AECOM 5 North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree Braintree District Council and Essex County Council 1.1 Introduction Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Context Legend Colchester Borough Council, Braintree District IIpswiich DSiiistett rSriitcudtt y ( (ABre))a Council and Tendring District Council are Site Study Area - collaborating, alongside Essex County Council, 5km Buffer North Essex Garden to identify an agreed strategicBa b e rrg h D iiapproachs ttrriic tt to the Communities Site allocation and distribution of large-scale housing North Essex Garden Communities Site - led mixed use development, including employment 5km Buffer District / Borough Boundary opportunities and infrastructure provision, in the 1. West of Braintree Urban Area form of potential “Garden Communities”. 2. Marks Tey Railway 3. North of Colchester (! 4. REastailw ofa yColchester Station Brra iin ttrre e D iis ttrriic tt There has been a resurgence in the interest and attention being paid to the potential 5. Monks Wood of Garden Communities and how they fit into the 21st Century Context. With the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) as strong advocates at the forefront of this 3. movement, many places have sought to appreciate how a modern interpretation of the original Garden City Principles might address the urgent need to increase the level of housing development in the UK. The intention of the Garden Communities 2. 4. Uttttlle s ffo rrd D iis ttrriictt programme is to provide high quality homes, new transport improvements, good 1. schools, jobs and community amenities to be delivered in a strategic and sustainable way. The four councils are in agreement that the TCPA’s Garden City PrinciplesT e n d rriin provideg D iis ttrriic tt a valuable initial framework for achieving new settlements that are inclusive and 5. provide genuinely affordable,C o llc h e s tt ewellrr B odesignedrro u g h C o uhomes,n c iill local jobs and schools, integrated transport systems, high standards of green infrastructure and promotion of health within and beyond the emerging local plan period for each authority of 2032/2033. In response the councils are exploring the potential to establish new settlements in the form of North Essex Garden Communities, for which broad search areas have been identified by the councils for further consideration. This is in the context of the duty placed under the Localism Act 2011 on neighbouring authorities to cooperate on key strategic cross boundary issues in the preparation of their local plans. As part of their investigation and analysis of the Garden Communities opportunity and its application and suitability to North Essex, the Councils commissioned AECOM to undertake a ‘Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study’. This was presented N across four volumes and completed in June 2016. C h e llm s ffo rrd Bo rro u g h SinceM thea lld o submissionn B o rro u g h of this work promoters of an additional site (herein referred to as 0 5 10 20 ‘Monks Wood’) have provided background evidence for consideration. Kilometers As a consequence this report provided baseline analysis to the same level of detail as Contains Ordnan²ce Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2016. that considered for other search areas and concludes with headline considerations on Figure 1: Study Area Context. development capacity, infrastructure requirement and overall assessment. 0 1.5 3 6 Kilometers 5km Site Study Area PATTISWICK 6 AECOM Braintree District Council and Essex County Council North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Legend Site Study Area Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. IIpswiich Diisttrriictt ((B)) District / Borough Boundary Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. LegendUrban Area A Road IIpswiich DSiiistett rSriitcudtt y (( ABre))a Legend B Road Legend IIpswiich DSiiistett rSriitcudtt y (( ABre))a Definitions SiteR aSitluwdayy Area - Baberrgh Diisttrriictt (!5km Buffer IIpswiich Diisttrriictt ((B)) Throughout this report the following key terms and definitions are used when referring Railway Station Site Study Area - Site Study Area 5km Buffer Zone to the Monks Wood Garden Community: North Essex Garden 5km Buffer Braintree Site Study Area - Ba b e rrg h D iis ttrriic tt Communities Site North Essex Garden East Colchester Site Study Area: Ba b e rrg h D iis ttrriic tt Communities Site NoMrtha rEksss Teexy Garden 5km Buffer The red line boundary as indicated by the site promoters in their submission CoNmomrtuhn Citioelsc hSeitset e- r North Essex Garden North Essex Garden ‘Expression of Interest’. 5km Buffer Communities Site - District / Borough Boundary B5kamb Buefferr g h D iis ttrriic tt Communities Site 5km Buffer Zone: Urban Area District / Borough Boundary This study area has been defined as a 5km buffer around each proposed site, shown North Essex Garden Braintree District Braintree District Railway Urban Area on Figure 2, which in the case of Monks Wood is indicated by a blue dashed line. Communities Site - (! Railway Station Railway Brra iin ttrre e D iis ttrriic tt 5km Buffer (! Railway Station Brra iin ttrre e D iis ttrriic tt District / Borough Boundary Urban Area Uttttllesfforrd Diisttrriictt Railway Uttttlle s ffo rrd D iis ttrriictt Tendrriing Diisttrriictt (! Railway Station Uttttlle s ffo rrd D iis ttrriictt Brra iin ttrre e D iis ttrriic tt Collchestterr Borrough Counciill T e n d rriin g D iis ttrriic tt T e n d rriin g D iis ttrriic tt C o llc h e s tte rr Bo rro u g h C o u n c iill C o llc h e s tte rr Bo rro u g h C o u n c iill Uttttlle s ffo rrd D iis ttrriictt T e n d rriin g D iis ttrriic tt Chellmsfforrd Borrough Maldon Borough Maldon Borough C o llc h e s tte rr Bo rro u g h C o u n c iill C h e llm s ffo rrd Bo rro u g h C h e llm s ffo rrd Bo rro u g h Ma lld o n B o rro u g h Ma lld o n B o rro u g h ² 0 ²1.5 3 6 Kilometers ² Figure 2: Study Area Definition 0 1.5 3 6 5km Site Study Area 0 1.5 3 6 Kilometers North Essex Garden Communities Kilometers 5km Site Study Area PATTISWICK 5km Site Study Area PATTISWICK AECOM C h e llm s ffo rrd Bo rro u g h 7 Ma lld o n B o rro u g h ² 0 1.5 3 6 Kilometers 5km Site Study Area PATTISWICK North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree Braintree District Council and Essex County Council This chapter provides baseline synthesis and key findings associated with the Monks Wood Garden Village proposal. It concludes with a high level assessment of development capacity and infrastructure requirement. 8 AECOM Braintree District Council and Essex County Council North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree 02 Monks Wood, Braintree 2.1 Site Overview and Landuse 2.2 Call for Sites 2.3 Surrounding Settlement Hierarchy 2.4 Economic Context 2.5 Utilities 2.6 Landscape Character, Sensitivity and Condition 2.7 Agricultural Land Classifications 2.8 Ecological Designations 2.9 Parks, Recreation and Historic Environment 2.10 Water Cycle 2.11 Movement and Connectivty 2.12 Social Infrastructure 2.13 Development Capacity 2.14 Infrastructure Requirement AECOM 9 North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Monks Wood, Braintree Braintree District Council and Essex County Council 2.1 Site Overview and Landuse Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016.