Fen Drayton Former Land Settlement Association Estate SPD: A Short Guide for Applicants

www.scambs.gov.uk/ldf/spds Fen Drayton Former LSA Estate SPD Short Guide for Applicants Background (see Chapters 1 & 2) The Fen Drayton former LSA estate is located to the south west of the village of Fen Drayton, immediately north of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon. In January 2010, the Council adopted its Site Specific Policies DPD that contains an innovative planning policy for the Fen Drayton former LSA estate. Policy SP/11 allows the reuse or redevelopment of former agricultural buildings (excluding glasshouses) for experimental and groundbreaking forms of sustainable living, provided that the development does not occupy a larger footprint than the existing buildings. To provide practical advice and guidance for applicants on how to meet the requirements of the policy, the Council has prepared a Supplementary Planning Document. The Fen Drayton Former LSA Estate SPD was adopted in May 2011.

Identifying Eligible Buildings for Reuse or Redevelopment (see Chapter 4) All new development proposed must be able to be incorporated within the footprint of the eligible buildings.

Building Footprint The footprint of a building is the area of land physically occupied by the building but excluding any temporary buildings or hardstandings. It does not take account of the number of storeys.

Eligible Buildings (see Appendices 2 & 3) The Council has undertaken a survey of buildings and structures within the former LSA estate and has categorised each building as eligible, non- eligible or not surveyed. For a building to be eligible, it must:  be a structure that has a roof and 3 or more walls, has a physical attachment to the ground and cannot easily be moved from the site or around the site;  have been erected for agricultural purposes or have been formally changed to an agricultural use;  not have been formally changed to a non-agricultural use; and  have been standing on 28 January 2010. Eligible buildings include: piggeries, general purpose agricultural buildings, packing sheds, agricultural workshops, boiler houses and pump houses. The SPD shows the eligible buildings on 51 out of 55 former LSA small holdings (see Appendices 2 & 3). Buildings and structures that are not eligible include temporary structures, such as containers, and any hardstandings.

Development and Design Principles for Sustainable Living (see Chapter 5) Sustainable living can be defined as a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s use of resources and therefore their carbon footprint. Any new development must be zero carbon, innovative and ahead of the times by achieving standards significantly above those required and achieved elsewhere. This means that any new dwellings must achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6 (or Level 5 in some circumstances) and any new non-residential buildings must achieve BREEAM non- residential outstanding standard. The following principles will need to be considered in all development proposals:  Design and construction of highly energy efficient buildings.  Provision of renewable energy technologies to provide heat and power e.g. solar thermal panels.  Inclusion of a garden and allotment for each dwelling to encourage food production.  Inclusion of either rainwater harvesting or greywater recycling (capturing rainwater or waste water for reuse by the occupiers).  Inclusion of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) which naturally manage surface water run-off through the use of permeable surfaces and ponds.  Minimisation of waste and inclusion of suitable storage for waste and recycling.  Enhancement of the biodiversity and ecology of the site.  Promotion and facilitation of opportunities that would allow an increase in the use of sustainable forms of transport and a reduction in car use. Siting and Scale of New Buildings (see Chapter 5) Any new buildings must be designed having regard to their impact on the surrounding landscape and character, by respecting the height, massing, scale, rhythm and style of the existing buildings. It is important that any new development does not have a greater impact on its surroundings than the existing development. The footprint of one or more eligible buildings can be combined or divided within a plot or between one or more plots. Any new dwellings or non-residential buildings should have a maximum building height of 9 metres. This is equivalent to two residential storeys plus a roof. a. Cootes Lane, Middleton Way & Mill Road  Any new buildings should be located away from the road frontages and should be set back a minimum of 10m from the rear of the existing dwelling.  Any new buildings proposed in the existing large open areas should not visually intrude on the landscape – where necessary existing trees and hedges should be strengthened. b. Oaktree Road & Springhill Road  Infill development along the road frontage will be permitted subject to any new buildings being designed to respect the existing character of the road. What to Consider when Submitting a Planning Application Any planning application submitted should consider the guidance in the SPD, as well as relevant planning policies and guidance included in the Core Strategy DPD, Development Control Policies DPD, District Design Guide SPD and any other relevant SPDs. All development proposals will be required to make provision to meet their needs and prevent unacceptable adverse impacts (see Policies DP/3 and DP/4). To achieve this, it may be necessary to provide infrastructure such as affordable housing, public open space, community facilities, or a financial contribution towards off-site provision. Applicants may wish to discuss their proposals with the Council prior to submitting a planning application; for detailed information on the Council’s pre-application planning advice procedures, visit: www.scambs.gov.uk/ environment/planning/pre-appadvice.htm. Any planning application must include the required information to meet the Council’s validation checklist and in addition must:

 Identify the eligible building(s) that will provide the footprint for reuse or redevelopment [see paragraphs 4.12 & 5.9 and Appendices 2 & 3].  Include a supporting statement demonstrating that the agricultural use of the building has ceased and therefore that the building is no longer required for agricultural purposes [see paragraph 4.13].  Be accompanied by a Design & Access Statement that sets out how the development and design principles in Chapter 5 of the SPD have been considered [see paragraph 5.3].  Clearly identify the land, buildings and floorspace to be demolished as part of the planning permission, and in addition to this, if residential development is proposed, the site layout plans should clearly define the dedicated garden area and the dedicated dual use allotment / garden area for each dwelling [see paragraphs 5.18 – 5.21].  Be accompanied by the relevant certificates and assessments showing that any proposed new building(s) meet the required Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) level or BREEAM non-residential standard at the detailed design stage [see paragraphs 5.22 – 5.27].

As a result of these detailed requirements the Council would expect a full planning application to be submitted. For further information contact:

Planning Policy South Cambridgeshire Hall Cambourne Business Park Cambourne Cambridge CB23 6EA t. (01954) 713183 e. [email protected]