Former Rearsby Roses Site, Melton Road, East Goscote
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Former Rearsby Roses Site, Melton Road, East Goscote Landscape Statement by Jonathan Golby BA Hons Dip LA MA CMLI Appeal Ref: APP/X2410/A/12/2187470 Prepared on behalf of: GEG Properties Pegasus Ref: EMS.2351 Date: January 2013 Pegasus Planning Group 5 The Priory Old London Road Canwell Sutton Coldfield B75 5SH Former Rearsby Roses Site, Melton Road, East Goscote – Landscape Statement Cleint: GEG PROPERTIES CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 SUMMARY OF THE SITE AND CONTEXT 4 3 LANDSCAPE PLANNING CONTEXT 6 4 BASELINE ASSESSMENT 18 5 SUMMARY OF LANDSCAPE STRATEGY 25 6 ISSUE 1 – THE LIKELY EFFECT OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE LANDSCAPE 27 7 ISSUE 2 – THE LIKELY EFFECT OF DEVELOPMENT ON VISUAL AMENITY 30 8 ISSUE 3 – THE LIKELY EFFECT OF DEVELOPMENT ON SEPARATION 34 9 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 37 FIGURES Figure 1 Site Context Figure 2 Site Location Figure 3 Topography Figure 4 Aerial Plan and Photographic View Locations Figure 5 Photographic Views 1, 2 and 3 Figure 6 Photographic Views 4, 5 and 6 Figure 7 Photographic Views 7, 8 and 9 Figure 8 Photographic Views 10, 11 and 12 Figure 9 Photographic Views 13 and 14 Figure 10 Area of Separation Analysis APPENDICES Appendix 1 Landscape and Visual Assessment Methodology Appendix 2 Summary of Landscape and Visual Effects Appendix 3 Countryside Agency’s Countryside Character Area 74: Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire Wolds; and Character Area 93: High Leicestershire January 2013 i EMS.2351 Former Rearsby Roses Site, Melton Road, East Goscote – Landscape Statement Cleint: GEG PROPERTIES Appendix 4 Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Landscape and Woodland Management Strategy: Wreake Valley Landscape Character Area Appendix 5 Borough of Charnwood Landscape Character Assessment: Wreake Valley Landscape Character Area Appendix 6 Rearsby Village Design Statement 2002 January 2013 ii EMS.2351 Former Rearsby Roses Site, Melton Road, East Goscote – Landscape Statement Cleint: GEG PROPERTIES 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 My name is Jonathan Golby. I have a First Class Bachelor of Arts with Honours Degree, Post Graduate Diploma with Distinction and Master of Arts Degree in Landscape Architecture from Leeds Metropolitan University. I am a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (Design), and I am currently a Director of Pegasus Landscape Design, part of the Pegasus Group. The Company undertakes all aspects of urban and landscape design and environmental planning. I am involved in all these areas of work and have specific expertise in landscape and visual assessment and landscape design. 1.2 I have over 15 years experience based in the UK, gained in private practice and working for national development companies. Through my experience I have been involved in the detailed design and delivery of residential development schemes throughout the country. My experience in detailed landscape design of residential schemes is extensive and I have been involved in the delivery of new housing on sensitive green field sites, urban regeneration projects and major urban extensions. In my career I have won both regional and national landscape design awards, including awards for residential schemes in Charnwood Borough Council. I regularly represent my clients as a landscape expert witness. 1.3 My recent experience in the delivery of major new housing development in Charnwood Borough Council on green field sites includes Groby Road, Anstey; Maynell Road, Quorn; Brookfield Farm, Rothley (APP/X2410/A/11/2161715/NNF); Oakley Road, Shepshed; and Bramcote Road, Loughborough (APP/X2410/A/12/2177036). 1.4 This Landscape Statement relates to an appeal by GEG Properties supported by David Wilson Homes East Midlands to the decision by Charnwood Borough Council to refuse planning permission for the residential development of 60 dwellings on the former site of Rearsby Roses Ltd (the Site) to the east of Melton Road in East Goscote (Application reference P/12/1709/2). Officers at Charnwood Borough Council recommended the refusal of this application to Members at Planning Committee on the 9th August 2012. Members refused the scheme stating one reason for refusal. My evidence considers the landscape issues that are relevant to this reason for refusal that states: January 2013 1 EMS.2351 Former Rearsby Roses Site, Melton Road, East Goscote – Landscape Statement Cleint: GEG PROPERTIES “The application site is located in the Countryside and within an Area of Local Separation. The development would be contrary to the intentions of the development plan, as set out in policies ST/1, CT/1, and CT/4 of the Borough of Charnwood Local Plan 2004, which indicates that this type of development would not be allowed in this countryside location. It is also contrary to the vision of the Sub Regional Strategy as identified within the East Midlands Regional Plan 2009 as the proposal would fail to minimise the impact of development on the coalescence of settlements, in this instance East Goscote and Rearsby, and fail to protect this area of strategic importance. It is acknowledged that the Council does not have a five year supply of housing land and that in the context of the National Planning Policy Framework there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development. However by virtue of failing to retain this strategic resource, the development would fail to be considered sustainable development. It is considered that in compliance with paragraph 14 of the NPPF, the proposed development would significantly and demonstrably fail to protect the open and undeveloped nature of this separation land and separate identities of the settlements of East Goscote and Rearsby and to protect the open and undeveloped character of site, which is particularly valued by local residents, and has been a long standing objective of the local planning authority. The proposal would be contrary to the aims of protecting ‘Green Infrastructure’ and contrary to one of the aims of The Framework to protect valued landscapes at paragraph109 and fail to contribute to conserving and enhancing the natural environment, and failing to protect the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, one of the core planning principles identified in paragraph 17. It is therefore considered that the adverse environmental impact of the development would outweigh the benefit afforded by the relatively modest contribution to the supply of housing land that the development would represent.” 1.5 As part of this application a number of landscape documents were produced and submitted; these include: − Influence – Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (December 2011 – revised July 2012); − Influence – Landscape Design Strategy (INCLA N0113.901 Rev A); and − Influence – Landscape Strategy Plan (INCLA N0113.101 Rev A) January 2013 2 EMS.2351 Former Rearsby Roses Site, Melton Road, East Goscote – Landscape Statement Cleint: GEG PROPERTIES 1.6 A landscape and visual impact assessment (LVIA) was submitted as part of the planning application. This Statement carries out an independent assessment in order to confirm the findings of this original assessment and confirm the suitability of the Site and development proposal in landscape and visual terms. 1.7 A series of representative views have been agreed with the Local Authority and are included in Appendix 1 of the Statement of Common Ground (SoCG). Therefore, for the purposes of this Landscape Statement these views have been considered in the baseline assessment, and the likely visual effect of development assessed following the methodology set out in Appendix 1. 1.8 This Statement considers the following issues in response to the landscape reason for refusal: − Issue 1 – The likely effect of development on existing landscape resources and local landscape character; − Issue 2 – The likely effect of development on local visual amenity; and − Issue 3 – The likely effect of development on the designated Area of Local Separation. 1.9 I will conclude that the Site provides an appropriate opportunity in landscape and visual terms to accommodate development within an urban fringe setting that will not result in significant or demonstrable harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding countryside and settlement, and will not significantly compromise the physical or perceived function of the designated Area of Local Separation (AoS) between East Goscote and Rearsby. January 2013 3 EMS.2351 Former Rearsby Roses Site, Melton Road, East Goscote – Landscape Statement Cleint: GEG PROPERTIES 2 SUMMARY OF THE SITE AND CONTEXT 2.1 A detailed description of the Site and its local context is set out in Section 4 of the LVIA submitted with the application. The key elements of the Site and its local context can be summarised as follows: • The Site is not subject to any form of landscape designation seeking to protect its natural beauty or landscape features considered sensitive to change. The AoS policy (Policy CT/4) is a functional planning designation seeking to protect the open and undeveloped character of land between settlements. • The Site comprises open grassland maintained as rough grazing for horses; • The Site and its immediate surroundings are relatively flat, falling slightly to the west towards the River Wreake; • The boundaries of the Site are defined by mature native hedgerows with intermittent tree cover; • Internal features to the Site include the former nursery buildings and access track with associated tree cover; • The western boundary of the Site is defined by the Melton Road, beyond which the established modern residential edge of East Goscote extends