Chalk Arc Initiative Multi-functional Greenspace in Luton and Southern Bedfordshire Final Scoping Report December 2009 Chalk Arc Initiative MFGS Scoping Final report Contents Summary 5 Background 5 Our Brief 6 Methodology 6 The Spatial Policy Cascade 7 Existing Market Research 7 Initial Site Identification 8 Strategic Analysis 8 Key Issues 9 Delivery Objectives and Guiding Principles 10 Recommendations 12 Delivery Plan 13 1: Introduction 15 Interpretation 17 Acknowledgements 18 2: Our Brief 19 Introduction 19 Amendments to the Brief during the Work 20 The Main Purposes of this Report 22 3: Methodology 25 4: The Spatial Policy Cascade 27 Introduction 27 The Local Policy Cascade 27 This Report in the Policy Cascade 31 5: Existing Market Research 33 Introduction 33 Key Findings – Local Surveys 33 The Great Britain Day Visits Survey 35 Key Implications 35 6: Initial Site Identification 37 Introduction 37 Overview of the Opportunity Areas 37 Summary of Potential MFGS Sites 46 7: Strategic Analysis 49 Introduction 49 Complementing Existing Strategic Greenspaces 49 Kit Campbell Associates, Edinburgh: Chalk Arc Initiative 1 Quality of Place 53 Population Turnover 54 Access to and From Sustainable Transport Routes 55 Wildlife Interest 56 Health and Well-being 57 Bedfordshire and Luton Strategic GI Plan 58 Access to and From Housing Growth Areas 59 Summary 60 8: Key Issues 63 Introduction 63 Managing Hope Value 63 Planning for People 64 The Definition of Multi-functionality 65 Planning Obligations 67 Delivery Objectives and Capital Funding 69 Revenue Funding 69 Public Opinion 70 9: Delivery Objectives and Guiding Principles 73 Introduction 73 Delivery Objectives 73 Guiding Principles 77 Summary of the Guiding Principles 84 10: Recommendations 87 Introduction 87 Recommendations on Planning Policy and Land Allocation 88 Recommendations on Guidance for Developers 89 Recommendations on Masterplanning 90 Recommendations on Development Management 90 Recommendations on the Co-ordination of Delivery 91 Recommendations on Short Term Delivery 93 Recommendations on Public Sector Funding 97 11: Delivery Plan 99 Introduction 99 Overall Priorities 99 Delivery Plans 100 Appendix A: The Spatial Policy Context 103 Introduction 103 Our Luton in 2026 103 S Bedfordshire Sustainable Communities Strategy 103 Integrated Development Programme (IDP) 103 Luton Adopted Local Plan 2001-2011 104 South Bedfordshire Local Plan Review 105 Core Strategy: Preferred Options 106 Bedfordshire and Luton Strategic GI Plan 109 Draft Greenspace Strategy (2008) 110 Luton and South Bedfordshire GI Plan (2009) 111 Luton SPD on Planning Obligations 112 South Bedfordshire Planning Obligations SPD 113 Bedfordshire Outdoor Access Improvement Plan 113 Luton Rights of Way Improvement Plan, 2008 114 Appendix B: Market Research Findings 115 Introduction 115 Kit Campbell Associates, Edinburgh: Chalk Arc Initiative 2 Bedfordshire County Council Surveys 115 North Chilterns Trust 117 Tourism South East 118 Appendix C: Potential MFGS Sites 121 Introduction 121 Galley and Warden Hills 123 Existing GI 123 Characteristics 124 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 124 Deliverability 125 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 125 Sundon Quarry and Landfill 127 Existing GI 127 Characteristics 127 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 128 Deliverability 128 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 129 Sundon House 131 Existing GI 131 Characteristics 131 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 132 Deliverability 132 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 132 Sundon to Sharpenhoe Connection 135 Existing GI 135 Characteristics 135 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 136 Deliverability 136 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 137 Chalton Cross Farm Flood Plain 139 Existing GI 139 Characteristics 139 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 140 Deliverability 140 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 141 Houghton Quarry 143 Existing GI 143 Characteristics 143 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 144 Deliverability 145 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 145 Totternhoe Initiative 147 Existing GI 147 Characteristics 148 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 148 Deliverability 149 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 149 Heath and Reach SandScape 151 Existing GI 151 Characteristics 151 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 152 Kit Campbell Associates, Edinburgh: Chalk Arc Initiative 3 Deliverability 152 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 152 Clipstone Brook Flood Plain 155 Existing GI 155 Characteristics 155 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 156 Deliverability 156 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 157 Grovebury Quarry Area 159 Existing GI 159 Characteristics 159 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 160 Deliverability 160 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 161 Rushmere Park 163 Existing GI 163 Characteristics 163 Potential to Add Value to Existing GI 164 Deliverability 165 PPS12 Tests of Soundness 165 Appendix D: Case Studies 167 Introduction 167 Chafford Gorges 167 Great Notley Country Park 171 Lessons for Luton and Southern Bedfordshire 173 Appendix E: Spatial Policy 175 Introduction 175 Policy 1: The Strategic Green Infrastructure Network 175 Policy 2: New Strategic Green Infrastructure Network Sites 176 Policy 3: Linking Development to the Strategic Green Network 177 Policy 4: Management of the Green Infrastructure Network 178 Kit Campbell Associates Open Space, Sport and Recreation Consultants Chuckie Pend 24A Morrison Street Edinburgh EH3 8BJ In association with the Greensand Trust, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough December 2009 Kit Campbell Associates, Edinburgh: Chalk Arc Initiative 4 Summary Background The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-regional Strategy (MKSMSS) identifies much of Luton and southern Bedfordshire as a major housing and employment growth area. Overall, the area has to accommodate around 26,300 new homes by 2021 and an additional 15,400 by 2031. In addition, the Regional Spatial Strategy sets a target of around 23,000 new jobs by 2021. This planned growth will inevitably result in the development of large areas of what is now countryside. Therefore there is a need to maximise access to the remaining countryside and ensure that it is welcoming and accessible and, where possible, create new opportunities for informal open air recreation for both existing and the new planned communities. While the planning authorities can require housing developers to provide or fund the greeenspaces and other community infrastructure that the residents of their developments will require, they cannot expect developers to fund all the strategic green infrastructure that will be desirable. Planning Inspectors have repeatedly struck out attempts by councils to seek developer contributions to strategic provision unless they clearly satisfy the legal tests set out in Circular 5,2005, Planning Obligations. Ironically, one of the stated purposes of the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy is to allow councils to obtain funding for strategic provision from developers. Until CIL is in place, however – and at best this will take some years to achieve – the strategic green infrastructure needed to support this growth has to be planned and delivered primarily by other means. This is obviously part of the logic behind the provision of Growth Area funding to Luton and southern Bedfordshire. The former Bedfordshire County Council recognised this and promoted a county-wide Green Infrastructure Consortium (GIC) which developed the Bedfordshire and Luton Strategic Green Infrastructure Plan (February 2007). It sets out a vision for the future of green infrastructure: Kit Campbell Associates, Edinburgh: Chalk Arc Initiative 5 A strategically planned and managed network of accessible greenspace and access routes, landscapes, biodiversity and heritage which will meet the needs of existing and new communities in Bedfordshire and Luton by providing: • An essential environmental foundation and support system • A healthy and rich environment • Attractive places to live and visit and a good quality of life • A sustainable future The green infrastructure network will be protected, conserved, enhanced and widely known and valued. It will be of high quality and an example of best practice and innovation. The long term maintenance of the network and its constituent elements will be resourced sustainably. The network will be multi-functional and meet a wide range of social, environmental and economic needs. It will connect urban and rural settlements and the countryside and provide a spatial planning framework to guide sustainable development. Our Brief The main elements of the brief we were given by the Chalk Arc Initiative were: • To identify options for the delivery of at least 60 hectares of new strategic, multi-functional green space, concentrating on six identified “opportunity areas”; ideally this will take the form of one large site, although several smaller sites may be considered if this is deemed to be the more appropriate solution. • Identify options for financing the delivery of the new green space, through the Chalk Arc Initiative, including identifying match funding and utilising funding from Planning Obligations Strategies • Identify options for compiling land, from land acquisition to negotiated agreements, by working with existing partners rather than directly approaching land owners and prejudicing any future negotiations Roughly one third of the way through the study, it became apparent that Rushmere Park, a predominantly wooded area to the south of Stockgrove Country Park that is partly in Bedfordshire and partly in Buckinghamshire,