STCLOOPS f • 12.2 It is possible to establish a course on soil which is of insufficient quality to sustain agricultural or horticultural crops provided that areas on which greens and tees are constructed are adequately provided with a fertile, well-drained top soil of at • • least 25 cm {10 inches) depth. Fairways should also have a cover of good turf, again with natural or man­ provided good drainage. A well designed layout which encompasses planting and landscaping will be sought, and every effort to retain natural existing areas such as along the river banks and around the pool should be made. 12.3 A club house and associated facilities should be unobtrusive and complementary of the surrounding scene. No other buildings, such as per1,1anent spectator stands, will be per,1,itted. Similarly, a more urban orientated golf use of, say a golf driving range, would not be permitted. 12.4 Once again, prime location for such a building and the associated car parking space of about an acre is in the natural bend of the river near the main site access, and has the same requirements as previously mentioned. 13. ~ors_e-riding 13.1 There will be a presumption against horse riding activity and commercial stabling on this site, so as not to increase• pressure on existing• • equestrian• facilities in the North Cray area which are already suffering from over-use. (Policy OL.9). 14. Water based activities 14. 1 An extension of water based activities, besides those carried out on the River Cray and in the a.ng ling lake, would be an attractive proposition for part of the site and could provide for a variety of recreation uses and be an attractive site feature. Part of the Upper College Far,11 in the vicinity of the removed willow copse has been re-excavated and these works could be extended to provide a larger water­ filled hole with associated contouring from the • excavated material . As well as providing directly for water based activities, such a development would provide an interesting waterfowl habitat, and also a feature of, say, the golf course. 15. River Cray Walk: 15.1 Some 1,280 metres of the River Cray passes through or borders the site . In accordance with Policy Rl2 of • the Borough Plan, the Council is anxious to secure 20 • • STCLOOPS J • the extension of the River Cray walk for public access, with that already established in the adjoining Foots Cray Meadows area. Any opportunity for a development of this kind will pursued, and the Council will consider providing assistance where • • possible from such sources as the Environmental Improvement Fund, and in the fo:r11L of a positive Countryside Management project • • 15.2 East of Water Lane the path would have to either cross Thames t'later land on the north bank or follow the southern bank alongside Woollett Hall Farm to a point just east of the pumping station and ford and then cross the river via a new bridge to the land of Upper College Farin. 15.3 On Upper College Far1,1 the path would have to run north of the trees which grow on the river bank. To put the path alongside the river itself would result in the removal of a large number of trees, which would be environmentally undesirable. This positioning would also avoid entering a garden on the northern bank associated with a house in North Cray Road. The land is in a single ownership, making such a scheme quite practicable • • Once past Upper College Farm, the path could run ai--ongside the river into Bexley Village on the north bank to the car park at the rear of the "Old Mill" Restaurant. A difficulty may exist in routeing pedestrians through the grounds of the "Old Mill". There is an additional problem regarding this section of the River Cray (i.e. east of Upper College Farrct access from A223) in that the river bank is in a number of private ownerships, making an overall scheme more difficult to achieve than if in one ownership. However, it is in this- Mill Meadows area where the Southern By-Pass was proposed.. Al though dropped as a road scheme for the time being, consideration must be given to providing a suitable accessway if the road goes ahead in the future. This could enable the River Cray walk to be extended in the area. 15.5 The area of Upper College Farm in the vicinity of the • river and drainage ditches is quite densely wooded and is a haven for wildlife, including a heronry. The creation of a walk with an associated nature • trail would promote public access to this stretch of the River Cray, link up with Foots Cray Meadows and the Foots Cray activity centre, have an ed\,Jcational value and also provide an interesting leisure resource for all age groups.. Those areas where sensitive wildlife habitats exist should be safeguarded by preventing access al together in 21 STCLOOPS j • • certain places and careful s.1.g npos ting with associated infor1nation. 16. Other Open Recreation 16.l Infor11tal recreation, such as walking and jogging, • • should be a major consideration on this site and community benefits should be stressed in any proposed development. The River Cray Walk and associated nature trail is one scheme which the Council sees as highly desirable, and which could be incorporated with other site proposals. Access for such inforittdl activities would be from various points along the North Cray Road which currently serve the Foots Cray Meadows area and the main site access as described in para 8.2. 16.2 The Council would be pleased to consider any other suggestions on "open" recreational uses which have not been covered in this Brief. FARM.l/12(Disc 17)SDL ·- . • • • • • ' 22 r. ~ " t "o fll' I STCLOOPS I • • APPENDIX 1 SITE PLANNING HISTORY - Gravel working applications and related inforrnation. ( see r'1ap 7) . ' Upper Colleg~ Farm • This area was initially owned by Oxford University and was in active agricultural use until 1954 when it was sold to the Neuchatel Asphal te Co. Ltd. A planning application (Ref. WK/2/50/407) for gravel extraction over the whole site was refused in 1953, but granted on appeal in 1954 with two areas excluded. These were later granted permission for gravel extraction on appeal - one in 1958 (Ref. WK/2/57/326) and the other in 1966 (Ref. WK/2/65/106). The site was continuously operated by various companies for the extraction of sand and gravel after l:3 54, and was acquired by the Tarrctac Group in 1969 from the Cray River Sand and Gravel Co. Ltd. Tar1r1ac • s excavations ceased in 1979. However, restoration of the land as detailed in planning consents was not completed, and on 1st November 19 82 the • Greater London Council issued an Enforcement Notice in respect ,_of a large part of Upper College Farm ( see Map 3) requiring Tar1ctac to comply with the restoration conditions. Since 1983 the Greater London Council have been pursuing the terrus of the Enforcement Notice with a new owner and site contractor with a view to achieving a satisfactory standard of restoration. Mill Meadows Area Consent was granted to the Cray River Sand and Gravel Co. in 1967 {Ref. 66/748) for gravel extraction on Mill Meadows. This was subject to certain conditions for reinstatement afterwards and to prevent pollution of the River Cray. In 1968 the site was extended in the north-east (Ref. 68/131) and in the north-west (Ref. 68/592). All the consents were to expire in January 1971 but were later extended to January 1974 . • 23 . + ~•-•\;f>~• st~~•~' ...,.,..,. ,-<~~1' ~~Jt~'(~ " •-~':'~•~~~ it \ • {'S'• •''.i,. • .., ____. -...;.,.._...,,.,_~.,A,_.•_..-• - • :,\,r•?t ~ I • ,• ~~•. .. ... .. : ,.~~ ' .... ~ ..•=-;.~A,:,' J,.,.,__ .... ,,.. - ·--- STCLOOPS I . • • L lo o,1# --. ._ _. Ut .\.. • I • • • • 0 0 o , • 4 •' ' , ,.., .. ,., ,, ,,,,, . ,. ,. , ,, .,, , ; ,. ; , , ,, ,,, ,, , ., I •• • , .... , -- ,. .., , 1 - I , , - - , . - ., .,, -- ,. ,. ...... /,1 ,, , UlltJ~f / ':rr""-l.. ,.,, ,, - -- ,, ,,,. - .,.E ,, _o -- .... - -- -- 0 ,., ' , 2 --~(),.,, ,. ..,__ - I( ,.,1.. • • ,_ 'Q' I. - ~ . - ' . ( .,... I - "" • ~ .... : . '/1~ . I] ¥ - • • . Houl'IC M 11 11 f at ,,. ) I , • I , _:, ,I • • J I ~ • I I _c;p11r1 J C,u.,,.,f • • , . ' • . - . " ' ) • , . • • •• • . • I . .• .. ~ .· • -J, ,. I . .. , • • I 0( •• /'tv • •• • I ,rtJ I I f I Ii " ~ ---J The -~ l • Alder, ,,---- ( , . \ ~ ~ .. ) ' ', 1-4 ,II •• • ' I •, ... I \ ·, 1 • ·, • S1;;hl<1 8 ,,n k , r .1· Iµ..~ / • " \ I , \ . , • / ' • • I I ill • . ' ' .• \ ' · ' .. I ,.-/ \ . l "· " _.. ( -·- . .. • -, ~f-c=. .cL.:...::.=...::.:~:__·- :: i_:..::.~~-;;, - - --'--;,~,~.\ \,. : ;, ·. ,- .: : •- ------ , ,,,,,, I , .. ,, ,.l,. • f ·,,, ,.,.. • • • • • • ~ '. \ (. ' . I I I ·. • • .. - :: • • • • • • l • • • • • • ' . ' • \.\ \' t \ : :: •. •· • ' ' .. ... , ' .. ~, .... ... ' (\ "' .' . • • .. • • • rt"~ , . • ·\ ·, Ir f , \ • • • • . I • I , / • . UPPER COLLEGE FARM Map 7 Gravel Working Applications Ml LL MEADOWS Planning Applications 1 WK/2/50/ 40 7 5 68/131 2 WK/2/57/ 326 6 68/592 Scale approx . Sc ms. to 406 m . l Dale Ap,1I 1984 3 WK/2/651106 4 66/ 748 3 ••.0 -""'t)t.:.r' .,..._ 10,1(. 0-•l"t ""C • s....... ,. t 1QOr-,.')O - • D - •'"" t.-,,- 1 ~") , t 0.--•tl"°"' . _.. C.0,.,-1 t 0f •• • Of Mf " '-'•.-.1 • I ~• •••~ • •1 ,,, t o,,.,. C;o-,,> ~ ,toCJ..l'lf . ..... .. o - ~- STCLOOPS I a .._ • • • • - other applications Reference Proposal Dec1.s1.on• • Uppe_r College Farm • • 70/275 Use of 6 acres of land Refused •• (outline) in the north-east corner of tl1e site for a touring Appeal caravan and camping site. dismissed 9/9/71 82/11 Redevelopment of 72 acres Refused (outline) to provide residential 15/4/82 accom.modation, indoor and outdoor leisure facilities including rugby and cricket fields and a horticultural area. 83/1644 Two detached houses adjacent Refused to No. 4 Farin Cottages. 12/1/84 83/1700 Temporary mobile home. Refused 12/1/84 • An Article 4 Direction was made in March 1984 to remove any deemed rrights of development under Class IV.