BURNLEY RURAL MASTERPLANNING STUDY Produced with the Enabling Support of CABE February 2011

BURNLEY RURAL MASTERPLANNING STUDY Produced with the Enabling support of CABE February 2011

Introduction

This piece of work was carried out by Burnley Borough Council with the Enabling support of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) to inform the development of local planning policies in relation to the development and sustainability the Borough’s rural settlements. The work has been financed with the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) Rural Masterplanning Fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide resources to investigate where housing and other development could be located to support planning for growth and sustainability of rural settlements. In the Burnley area, this work has focused on issues of urban design and land use for clusters of small towns and villages, and detailed character and landscape appraisals to determine the physical capacity for development.

This piece of work has evolved against the background of seismic shifts to the national planning policy context and in anticipation of changes to the statutory system mooted in the Localism Bill. Although primarily this work will form part of the detailed evidence base for the Borough’s Local Development Framework, the study could also be used as a springboard for neighbourhood planning, driven by local rural communities.

Eight settlements were selected for examination under the study, each distinguished by individual identity in their form and relationship with Burnley’s hinterland landscape. Whilst they could be assessed individually their local governance favours grouping them into Parish Council clusters, within which the physical features of each are evaluated but their interdependence also taken into account when considering the case for development. The map below shows the broad locations of the settlements within Parish Council boundaries

Study Area Map

Chapter 1: Policy Framework 1.2 National Policy Context

National Planning Policy for rural areas is principally outlined in Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 7 with some detail on economic development issues within PPS 4. The key principle in PPS 7 is that “Good quality, carefully- sited accessible development within existing towns and villages should be allowed where it benefits the local economy and/or community (e.g affordable housing for identified local needs); maintains or enhances the local environment; and does not conflict with other planning policies.” (Para 1 (i)).

New development in the open countryside should be strictly controlled with the aim of protecting the countryside ‘for the sake of its intrinsic character and beauty’. As with urban development, previously developed brownfield sites should be prioritised over greenfield, except in cases where there are none available or there are considerations, such as remoteness from existing services and settlements which mean that they would perform poorly in terms of sustainability.

Development should be focused in or near to existing service centres where employment, housing, services and other facilities can be provided close together. Planning authorities should set out where limited development, in or next to rural settlements that are not designated as local service centres, could take place to meet local business and community needs. This pertains particularly to small-scale development in remote areas with poor public transport linkages to existing service centres. Mixed and multi-purpose developments that offer services and community uses and maintain vitality of settlements should be promoted. The Statement advocates the development of small-scale local facilities, such as the provision of childcare, outside existing service centres where this would benefit the residents of a settlement who would otherwise have to travel a significant distance to access these.

In terms of new housing, PPS 7 reiterates that the focus of housing development should be within existing towns and service centres. However, housing in rural areas should be developed based on up to date assessments of local need. Sufficient land should be made available to meet local need, however new housebuilding should be strictly controlled outside existing settlements and areas allocated for new housing.

PPS 4 outlines national policy in relation to economic development and tourism in rural areas. Of most relevance is the need to identify service centres and locate most new development in or on the edge of existing settlements where employment housing, services and other facilities can be provided close together. Conversion and re-use of existing buildings should be supported for

economic development where they are appropriately located and constructed. The planning system should seek to remedy any deficiencies in local shopping and other facilities to serve people’s day-to-day needs and help address social exclusion. Planning authorities should support sustainable rural tourism and leisure developments that benefit rural businesses, communities and visitors and which utilise and enrich, rather than harm, the character of the countryside, its towns, villages, buildings and other features.

Since the Coalition Government was elected in May 2010, several policy and statutory changes are mooted that will have a significant impact on planning and development of rural areas. The first of these is the Community Right to Build. As part of the wider ‘Big Society’ drive, the policy seeks to take some developments, predominantly within rural areas, outside the scope of planning control. The scheme is designed to facilitate more housing development in rural areas. However, other development such as village halls or sports facilities could come forward as part of the scheme. In brief, Right to Build offers communities, where there is overwhelming support for a development proposal, to bring forward development without applying for planning permission. This could include greenfield, and potentially greenbelt sites if the community is overwhelmingly in favour of this type of development. Some minimal criteria will have to be met by any new development, including that the proposals do not expand the size of the community by more than 10 percent over any 10 year period, and that sustainable development and environmental criteria are met.

The other policy shift is the authority to be conferred on parish councils or area committees to produce neighbourhood plans. These plans will be part of the statutory system and will be used to determine planning applications, direct development to particular sites and specify types of development within the neighbourhood that will not need formal planning permission.

1.2 Local Policies

Burnley’s adopted Local Plan sets the planning policy context for the Borough and contains policies pertaining to its rural settlements and areas.

General Policy 2 of the Plan is the overarching policy directing development in rural areas. Two elements of the policy are of particular relevance to rural areas, namely that new development will be limited to the use of infill sites (small gaps in otherwise built-up frontage) within named rural settlements; or proposals which contribute to the solution of a particular local housing, social, community or employment problem within named rural settlements. Re- use of existing buildings is encouraged.

Policy EW 11 promotes rural diversification and conversion of rural buildings for employment uses subject to criteria related to impact, design and accessibility.

Local plan policy relating to agricultural land is outlined in Policy E28, which promotes protection of agricultural land and businesses. The policy sets criteria to protect the best quality agricultural land (3a and above) and will permit development that does not detrimentally affect the local environment and or local landscape character, does not have a detrimental effect on farm operations, including that on adjoining farmland, and would not lead to the severance or fragmentation of farmholdings.

Policy CF12 relates to local and village shops. This policy permits small-scale development of this type if it meets purely local needs, does not impact adversely on the amenity of neighbouring properties and is accessible by a variety of transport modes.

In 2009, the Council began work on the Core Strategy of the Local Development Framework with an Issues & Options Consultation focusing on the housing elements of the plan. A series of options were consulted on, ranging from minimal growth, i.e. replacing only homes in the urban area cleared through the Housing Market Renewal programme, to more expansionist policies. Consultation indicated a preference for a phased approach, which would restrain residential growth to the urban areas in the early part of the plan period with scope for some expansion on more peripheral sites in the longer-term if regeneration activity is successful in arresting population decline, and creating housing demand.

The Burnley & Pendle Strategic Housing Market Assessment completed in April 2008 by Fordham Research states found that in the rural areas, in contrast to the urban part of the Boroughs, there was an overall shortfall of all sizes of both market and affordable housing.

Chapter 2: Parish Council framework

2.1 Dunnockshaw & Clowbridge Parish Profile

The Parish of Dunnockshaw and Clowbridge is located in the South of the Borough on the boundary with Rossendale, on the southern slopes of Hameldon Hill. Dunnockshaw is the principal settlement in the Parish, Clowbridge comprising more scattered rural dwellings. The settlement formed along ancient packhorse routes, and takes the form of fragmented ribbon development. Unlike some of the other rural settlements in the Borough, there is active industry within the Parish, in a number of industrial buildings, and a water treatment works.

The majority of the agricultural land was, and still is used as pasturage. Lancashire County Council’s Historic Landscape Character Assessment identifies the bulk of the land within the Parish as modern or post-medieval enclosure. The majority of agricultural land in the Parish is classified as grade 5 and is covered by entry-level stewardship agreements. Land to the east and south of the reservoir is subject to countryside stewardship agreements.

Clowbridge Reservoir and community woodland is a significant landscape and recreation asset. The reservoir is a popular location for orienteering, jogging and walking and the Rossendale Valley Sailing Club is based there. The Mary Towneley Loop, part of the Pennine Bridleway Trail, passes through the area making it popular with cyclists and horse-riders.

According to the 2001 Census, the Parish had a population of 212. It has strong linkages to both Burnley and Rossendale and is well placed to exploit linkages to the Greater Manchester City Region, including its location on the X43 bus route. However, Census statistics for the Coal Clough and Deerplay Ward suggest a more localised pattern of commuting with average distance travelled to work of 8.97 KM compared to a North West figure of 12.46 km. These figures should be treated with a degree of caution, though as the Dunnockshaw settlements constitute only a tiny proportion of the Ward.

The chart below shows the age profile of residents in the area compared with the Borough and national figures, according to the 2001 Census. This shows a greater proportion of people aged 25 - 64 than in the Borough and England as a whole, with a markedly smaller proportion of people over 65. There is also a greater proportion of school-aged children in the Parish. The median age of the population in the area in 2001 was 38.5, which is in line with the national average of 39.

According to the Census 26% of the working age population of Dunnockshaw are employed in higher managerial and professional occupations, which is significantly higher than the Borough figure of 20.1%. 22% of the working age population of Dunnockshaw are employed in semi-routine or routine occupations compared to 27% for the Borough as a whole.

Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) statistics for the Coal Clough with Deerplay ward indicate that, as at November 2010, 3.6% of people were claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance, just slightly above the national figure of 3.5%. The rate of claimants for all DWP benefits in the Ward is 19.9% compared to a national figure of 14.7%. Again as these a ward level figures they are only likely to give a partial reflection of conditions in Dunnockshaw.

According to the Census, there are 93 dwellings in the Parish. There is a very low vacancy rate with only 3 of these properties logged as empty on Census day. The vast majority of the housing stock is owner occupied 87%, with the remainder equally spread between social and private landlords (6.5% each). The median house price in the Coal Clough with Deerplay Ward in 2009 was £113,750 compared with a borough- wide figure of £75,000. This reflects the range of housing available in the ward, including suburban and rural properties, in contrast to the denser urban parts of Burnley.

Higher house prices in the area are a significant barrier in terms of affordability with the 2009 ratio of lower quartile house prices (£70,246) to lower earnings (£12,370.80 Source: ASHE 2009 for the Borough) standing at 5.7, which is marginally above the ratio of 3 which is considered to be affordable. The ratio of median incomes to earnings over the same period was 6.2.

There are a limited amount of services in the Parish, most notably the Bei Jing restaurant and a children’s playground. The site is well connected in terms of public transport with the frequent X43/44 services which connect Nelson, Burnley and Rossendale to Greater Manchester. Car ownership for the Coal Clough with Deerplay ward is is slightly higher than the national average, according to the census with 77% of households owning cars or vans.

The table below shows the distance from Dunnockshaw to a selection of key services, few of which are within convenient walking distance of the settlement.

Physical analysis

General description and landscape context Dunnockshaw sits in the bottom of the narrow valley of Limy Water, a small stream that gathers water from a considerable moorland catchment and drains eventually into the River Irwell. This valley is fairly continuously developed from Rawtenstall at its southern end to the northern extremity of the Rossendale Borough but then it thins out markedly as it enters the Burnley Borough at Dunnockshaw. This location also marks a subtle opening out of the valley enclosure and broadening of its bottom with shallower gradients. The valley narrows again as the main A682 road that runs through the settlement begins to climb through a further transition to open moorland and over the watershed before dropping down into the main urban area of Burnley town.

Vegetation is dominated by moorland grasses, with the valley floor containing slightly more managed but still marginal pasture enclosed by drystone walls.

There are few trees with the exception of a large conifer plantation on the slopes of Hameldon Hill.

Buildings are primarily of natural stone, some painted and some rendered and little of the development of recent construction. Short terraces of houses are the most common, interspersed with free-standing farmhouses, but there is also an uncommonly high proportion of industrial buildings: these include large agricultural buildings, water treatment works and a large textile mill now converted to other uses but only partly occupied.

Scope for new development The settlement has ample space with good access and suitable gradients for development, although much of it is in active agricultural use. Gradients steepen markedly some distance away from the road and the main watercourse will further constrain development.

Assessment of dependencies The valley situation limits interdependencies with other settlements and the sort of clustering evident elsewhere. Consequently the principal relationships are with major towns to the north and south. Main road access means that workers and customers for the employment in Dunnockshaw can come from some distance, whilst residents rely on Burnley or Rawtenstall for shopping and leisure, if not further afield.

Potential benefits of development Dunnockshaw is well positioned strategically, on a main road with a good bus service. It has a pleasant setting but with a somewhat inhospitable climate, so it could provide residential accommodation but benefits are few: there is no strong case in favour of extensive development to support local services or for essential local employee accommodation. Some localised infill development could strengthen the clustering effect of existing urban form around the centre and enhance sense of place but quantum would need to be restrained.

Potential threats of development The settlement is in a very sensitive landscape setting. The continuity of urban form northwards to the Rossendale boundary is relieved by the relative openness of Dunnockshaw and the even greater rurality north of the reservoir. Introduction of quantum in excess of localised consolidation would reduce this openness and reduce the sense of separation between Rossendale Borough and the town of Burnley. This effect would be most damaging if development were to be permitted north of the reservoir.

Conclusion Local services are scarce and therefore generate little need for population growth, whereas a considerable quantum of development would be necessary before becoming capable of supporting new local services. The landscape is not conducive to accommodating that quantum, so the overall conclusion must be to

exercise restraint in permitting small amounts of infill around existing clusters and in response to local demand.

1. View from Hameldon Hill shows Dunnockshaw sitting at the upper end of the Limy Water valley with Rawtenstall in the distance. The openness of the moorland north of the settlement is an important break in development density before encountering the urban edge of Burnley town. There is a second, even more important break by the reservoir, north of which development should be resisted.

2. Employment in the settlement shapes its 3. Clowbridge Reservoir sits just above character and contributes to its sustainability. Dunnockshaw and generates extensive water management infrastructure.

4. & 5. Small office conversion and Bei Jing Restaurant contribut e to a mixed use economic base in sympathy with the character of the landscape and predominantly terraced stone houses.

6. & 7. Compa ct centre, related closely to the old mill building and its associated terraced cottages, but the main road rifles through without any interruption and detracts from sense of place.

8. Sheep farming do minates the landscape and fields are reasonably well managed. Development would change this character and would need strong economic drivers to justify anything more than very restrained extension to the cluster around the centre.

9. & 10. Land suitable for development does exist close to the road and close to existing built form but extensive development would feel intrusive and lose the openness.

10. & 11. Isolated farmhouses and farm outbuildings are an important part of the landscape character and new development should respect their situation for the foreseeable future

Farm diversification is taking place and is a valuable contributor to sustainability but erosion of landscape character is a potential consequence.

5. Housing estate north of Halifax Road is completely out of character with the vill architecture but has mellowed as vegetation has grown and has only moderate presence onto the main road.

Any small scale development preferable to the south-west of this line to strengthen the central core and introduce incident along the main road. Building to the north-east will impair the openness that exists between Dunnockshaw and Burnley town

2.2 Cliviger

Parish profile

The Cliviger area is one of the largest administrative parishes in the country, covering some 2727 hectares. The Parish contains several rural settlements including Holme Chapel, Mereclough, Overtown and Walk Mill. It is located South East of Burnley on the River Irwell in a section of the valley known as Cliviger Gorge.

The majority of the agricultural land was and still is used as pasturage. Lancashire County Council’s Historic landscape Character Assessment identifies the bulk of the landscape within the Cliviger Parish as medieval or ancient enclosure, with moorland to the east of the settlements. The Parish is rich in built heritage with a number of buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The settlements, particularly Walk Mill, expanded in the 19th Century to serve the cotton mills, coal mines and quarries within the Parish, which at that time were served by a railway station at Holme Chapel. Significant residential expansion occurred in the latter part of the 20th century around Leaverholme Close and Thanet Lee Close.

Cliviger has a population of 2350, according to the 2001 Census. It serves a dormitory function to some extent with strong commuter linkages to the wider East Lancashire area The average distance travelled to work of 11.41 km is higher than the Burnley Average of 9.5km, but significantly less than the England figure of 13.31km, suggesting a reasonably localised commuter pattern. . Furthermore, the Parish is well placed to benefit from improved transport links to the Greater Manchester and Leeds City Regions via the railway services from Todmorden. Car ownership is high at the ward, with 89% of households having at least one car or van, according to the census. Cliviger is a popular area for walking, cycling and horse-riding, with significant attractions such as the Mary Towneley loop, a 47 mile circular bridleway which connects to the wider Pennine Bridleway National Trail.

The graph below shows that age profile of residents in the area compared to Borough and national figures, according to the 2001 Census. This shows that there is a greater proportion of people in the age ranges above 45 within the Parish when compared to the wider local or national picture, and a markedly lower proportion of younger residents.

The median age of Cliviger residents in 2001 was 47. Again this is significantly higher than the national average which in 2009 was 39. If the population of Cliviger reflects the national trend in terms of ageing, then this age profile is an issue for the future planning of the Parish in terms of targeting new services and maintaining existing ones, such as the school. It may also have an impact on the types and locations of any housing development.

According to the Census a higher proportion (29.9%) of the Parish’s residents are in higher managerial and professional occupations than in the Burnley Borough as a whole (20.16%). Unemployment and benefit uptake are both low within the Cliviger with Worsthorne Ward. Figures from DWP show that, as at November 2010 only 1.1% of working age people were claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance, compared to a figure of 4% for Burnley and 3.5% nationally. The rate of claimants for all DWP benefits in the Ward is 8.8% compared to a Burnley rate of 21.9% and a national figure of 14.7%.

According to the Census, there are 1022 dwellings within the Cliviger area. The rate of vacant properties was healthy, with only 27 dwellings empty equating to 2.6% of the stock. The vast majority of stock in the area (88.6%) was owner occupied, with a low level of social rented provision at 2.6% when compared to the national figure of around 20%. House prices within the Cliviger with Worsthorne Ward are generally among the highest in the Borough. According to HM Land Registry figures the median house price in the Cliviger with Worsthorne Ward in 2008 was £155,000 compared to a Borough figure of £75,000. This reflects the range and quality, as well as the environmental setting, of the ward’s housing stock in comparison with the more urban parts of Burnley.

excess of a ratio considered to be affordable. The ratio of median house prices to incomes in the Parish is 8.4.

Cliviger with Worsthorne has a greater proportion of larger dwellings than the Borough as a whole with 49% of the housing stock having more than 6 habitable rooms compared to a figure of 36%.

As stated above, the Parish contains a significant proportion of agricultural land, which, according to DEFRA’s agricultural land classification system, is predominantly grade 4. The vast majority of agricultural land in the parish is covered by entry level and entry level plus higher level stewardship agreements.

The Parish contains a number of services and facilities, including pubs in Holme Chapel and Mereclough, a petrol station which also serves as a grocery/ newsagents in Walk Mill, a hairdressers in Walk Mill, a Church of England Primary School, St John the Divine church, a Baptist Chapel, playing fields and a children’s playground. None of the settlements have a post office, and residents at the extreme ends of the Parish are not within easy walking distance of a local shop.

The Parish is reasonably served by public transport, with bus services provided by a number of operators providing a transpennine route between Rochdale/ Halifax/ Hebden Bridge and Burnley. The tables below show distances to key services from Cliviger’s four rural settlements:

Mereclough

Overtown

Holme Chapel

Walk Mill

Planning Considerations

Policy E1 protecting the nationally and internationally important site of the South Pennine Moors is also an issue which constrains development in the Parish. Development likely to have an impact on the Special Protection Area will not be permitted.

There are twenty-one landscape types identified by the Lancashire County Landscape Character Assessment of which three are found within the Cliviger Parish, namely the Moorland plateaux of the South Pennine Moors, the industrial foothills and valleys of the Cliviger Gorge, and the settled valleys of the Irwell. This shows that the Parish is rich in landscape character and any new development would be subject to Local Plan Policy E27. This policy seeks to safeguard landscape character and local distinctiveness in rural areas through ensuring that any development protects environmental capital and key features in the landscape, protects the setting of rural and urban settlements, protects enhances and restores archeological and historical features, protects prominent buildings and other man made features, protects historical field patterns walls and hedgerows, seeks use of local materials and vernacular styles, maintains views and avoids skyline development, protects, restores, enhances and creates habitats, reclaims derelict land, and conserves and enhances river corridors.

Physical analysis

General description Holme Chapel has evolved in the form of ribbon development alongside the A646. Settlement has a sharply defined edge at its southern extremity, marked by ancient stone buildings, notably the Ram Inn and St John’s C of E Church and School. This relatively dense development extends northwards, mainly in natural stone, before fragmenting into more isolated old terraces and more recent infill, mostly in brick and render. Settlement stops abruptly again in the north on the main road but merges with another relatively dense grouping of more recent housing development, known as Southward Bottom on Red Lees Road that climbs towards Town Head and Mereclough.

The distinctive topography of Cliviger Gorge is the principal defining landscape characteristic, with memorable views of the rock outcrops dominating the southern end of the village. The valley, cut by the River Calder, broadens out around Holme Chapel with extensive agricultural land mainly to the west of the main road and greater tree cover on the east. The railway runs along the foot of the western slopes without entering the urban boundary. The valley narrows again to the north and, after a short break of open country, Walk Mill is squeezed into a very narrow section of the valley where the road crosses the river and the railway is forced closer to and eventually over the main road.

Walk Mill shares with Holme Chapel the defining character of ancient stone buildings, generally in long terraces hugging the main A646 road, but with a substantial development of more recent housing on Park Road and its side roads. This housing is not reflective of the local character but is surprisingly well enclosed by the valley landform and maturing vegetation. Barcroft Hall is a distinctive seventeenth century mansion farmhouse set in parkland on the eastern edge of Walk Mill and with an interesting history.

There is abundant evidence of decay in the older property to the southern end of what is a hamlet rather than a village, with public conveniences closed and abandoned. There is however a small amount of economic activity with a petrol station and a hairdresser on the main road.

The two remaining settlements of Mereclough and Over Town are also little more than hamlets, situated on a ridge on the eastern valley side. Over Town has a dense centre at the junction of Red Lees Road and Mount Lane that climbs out of Walk Mill. There is little open land between these three minor settlements and they are all subordinate to Holme Chapel.

Scope for new development The fragmented nature of ribbon development in Holme Chapel, especially towards the northern end of the village, means that there is substantial scope for growth without extending the overall footprint but not without significant problems.

The main problems will include loss of lowland agricultural land, which may have adverse effect on the viability of farms and possible consequential impact on upland farming nearby, coupled with perceptions within the community that the village will lose its rural setting. There is no evidence at this time that such expansion is justified in meeting local housing need, and expansion of this scale would be much more significant than the restrained infill permitted by the adopted local plan.

There is less obvious scope for new development in the three other settlements without major extension of the footprint. Walk Mill has virtually no flat land left undeveloped and the gentle slopes around Barcroft would bring the settlement out of the valley floor. Mereclough has some flat land but it is actively farmed and is very prominent on the skyline. Over Town has virtually no available land that is suitable owing to the settlement being perched on a narrow terrace on an otherwise steep hillside. Expansion of any or all of these three would rapidly eliminate their sense of separation and they would merge into something with a less discernible identity.

Assessment of dependencies Holme Chapel gives an outward impression of being stable and self-sufficient but is evidently wholly dependent on other places for shopping and other essential services. Reliance is more likely to be placed on large towns such as Burnley or Todmorden for most of these services rather than neighbouring villages and transport connections are sufficiently good for this to be viable for most residents, especially those who work in the towns. Meanwhile, the village provides the wider Cliviger area with some important services, most notably the School but also including public houses, Church and outdoor recreation opportunities.

The remaining three villages have virtually no local services that are dependent on local trade and are unlikely to support such services in the future without a level of growth that the landscape could not support. They do however have the potential to contribute to a sustainable local economy in Holme Chapel.

Potential benefits of development An increase in population, of a broader spread of ages, could bring important sustainability benefits, especially in terms of the ongoing viability of school provision and the possible viability of a modest quantum of retail in Holme Chapel. It will be important to mix house types and tenures, to ensure that families with young children, for example, are able to live in the area and use the school.

The village has strong and distinctive character at its southern end but the more fragmented townscape at the northern end loses this distinction: more infilling with high quality townscape could, if skilfully designed, bolster the overall character and sense of place enjoyed by Holme Chapel and accentuate the contrast with open countryside that separates it from settlements to the north and south. Infill at the northern end could help to integrate Southward Bottom, which currently lacks any prospect of its own identity.

It is difficult to identify significant benefits in terms of place that would attach to development of Walk Mill and Over Town. Mereclough could enjoy some benefit from gradual and restrained infill, mainly by giving the ribbon development extra depth, but the quantum is unlikely to support the pubs which are more dependent on trade from further afield.

Potential threats of development Resistance to development can probably be expected from those already residing in Holme Chapel, who are likely to be fearful of losing their sense of intimacy with the countryside and, in some cases, direct views. This fear is not entirely emotive and unfounded because clumsy urban design and low-grade architecture could indeed impair the character of the village and bring an unwelcome taste of suburbia. Objective sensitivity to such threats is most prevalent at the southern end, where encroachment on the distinctive landscape of Cliviger Gorge would be harmful and the excellent gateway presence of the Ram Inn and St. John’s Church could be impaired.

Care is needed in evaluating the impact of further development on the balance of farming both in the valley and on the surrounding uplands. Visual impact of the settlement in its entirety must also be considered, especially in medium-range views from the valley sides and edge of the surrounding moorland: walking is popular here owing to the picturesque landscape and a harsh, urban townscape and little softening with trees would begin to change that wider landscape.

The landscape of the three other settlements is much less forgiving of further urban growth, with the prospect of visual impacts over much larger areas and loss of separation between them leading to loss of identity.

Conclusion As and when market forces can be identified to support growth in this Parish there is a strong case for concentrating it in the form of infill to Holme Chapel, including the integration of Southward Bottom. Thickening of the current ribbon form of development could be beneficial if carried out with sensitive and high quality design, with the possibility of sustaining local services such as the school, parish hall and maybe even new retail. However, extension southwards would be immediately damaging to the landscape of Cliviger Gorge and the gateway effect of the Ram Inn, church and school. Much more restraint is appropriate for the remaining three settlements, which would continue to function as components of the cluster whilst retaining their individual identity.

Holme Chapel photographs

1. Important to retain open land break at 2. Field east of A646 at northern end of northern end separating Holme Chapel from village could be infilled to connect Southward Walk Mill. Bottom.

3. Land west of A646 breaks up continuity of settlement pattern and infill may be possible subject to care in impact on farming viability and visibility from surrounding uplands, subject also to ecological and flooding assessments.

4. & 5. Southern gateway should be conserved owing to strong character of buildings and scenic views of Cliviger Gorge

6. Strong character of the townscape extends northwards from the southern gateway but then fragments and loses sense of place towards northern gateway.

Safeguard open country between Holme Chapel and Walk Mill

Safeguard open country and views towards Cliviger Gorge

Walk Mill, Over Town and Mereclough photographs

1. Stone terraces close to the main road define the 2. Infill behind and above existing terrace is character of the older part of Walk Mill. possible but would change the character and generate extensive visual impacts.

3. Narrowing of the valley brings the river 4. Modern development is out of character but channel closer and reduces development well contained by vegetation. opportunities.

5. Eastern slopes of the valley ar e relatively clear of development with the exception of the 17C Barcroft Hall. The development lower down is visible but not obtrusive, which would be difficult to replicate on the eastern slope, would impact on the setting of Barcroft Hall and erode the separation between Walk Mill and Over Town.

6. Compact centre with natural stone buildings 7. Village green is excessively large relative to clustered around junction gives Over Town a single storey buildings surrounding it but the strong sense of place but with little scope for green space would be valuable and probably growth owing to the gradients of surrounding bet ter used if larger buildings eventually replace land, visual prominence across the valley and the existing. narrow roads.

8. Narrow roads and sloping fields mean that 9. The slight ridge and narrow platform on the development would impose strain on Walk Mill valley side is not capable of accommodating a and would change its character. much bigger village than exists at present without generating sizeable impacts.

10. Open ground between Over Town and Mereclough is slender and the rural character would easily be lost if the gap was to be narrower.

11. The Long Causeway is a scenic road over the 12. School Lane affords a narrow route down the moortop to Todmorden and Hebden Bridge and hillside to Over Town through an attractive copse Mere clough presents a quaint and pleasant that forms decisive containment to Mereclough. gateway to this road as it drops down towards Development above this level would be harmful. Burnley town

13. Land suitable for development exists behind 14. Land to the west of Red Lees Road is the ribbon development on Red Lees Road but develop able but would take land out of active on ly a small quantum would begin to erode the agriculture and its very prominent position on the open ground separation from Over Town. brow of the hill would present significant visual impact over a large area.

West-facing slope very 7. Gradients of land to the eastern edge of Lane Bottom could easily accommodate development in sensitive to development technical terms but would greatly i imposing visual impacts to the west over a long distance and impairing the setting of Barcroft Farm. Development not favoured in the short term . Land between this line and the existing road could 13. The roadaccommodate between MerecloughSafeguard development and open Worsthorne barelythat might registers fund separationa the relief presence road between of the Hurstwood. thr ee constituents of the cluster, between the cluster and Holme Chapel to the South, 15. Relatively recent development Burnleyfails to respond town to to the the character of the vernacular buildings that typify Hurstwood, giving little valueNorth as precedent and openfor the small amount moorland to the east along Long Causeway.

2.3 Worsthorne with Hurstwood

Parish profile

Worsthorne with Hurstwood Parish comprises the two entirely distinct settlements in its title and also the newer development around Brownside Road to the West, as well as some parts of Pike Hill.

The two settlements which are the subject of this study are entirely different in character and function. Worsthorne is a thriving village, with a distinct centre and a number of services, Hurstwood is a small hamlet, largely 16 th century in origin but with some later and unsympathetic development dating from the mid- 20 th Century. Both settlements are rich in built heritage with concentrations of statutory and locally listed buildings in each.

According to the Census the Parish had a population of 2,986. Worsthorne is something of a rural service centre, with a primary school, local general store, chip shop, two pubs, a social club, the parish reading rooms, and St John the Evangelist Church. There are a number of small employment opportunities in the area, principally in Gorple Mill on Gordon Street , Cliff Lingard Upholsterers on Hope Street, and a water treatment works. The village is well connected to Burnley by public transport with frequent busses from the village square into town and beyond.

Hurstwood, by contrast is much more remote and rural in character than Worsthorne. There are no shops present in the settlement, and it is not served by public transport. The Church is a key service for the settlement with a range of activities during the week. The area is popular with walkers, cyclists and joggers to access woodland and moorland adjacent to Cant Clough Reservoir.

The tables below show distances to key services for each of the settlements:

Hurstwood

Worsthorne

For the Cliviger with Worsthorne Ward, the census indicates that the average distance travelled to work of 11.41 km is higher than that of Burnley (9.5km) but

significantly less than the England figure of 13.31km, suggesting a reasonably localised commuter pattern. Car ownership is high at the ward, with 89% of households having at least one car or van, according to the census.

Statistics for the Worsthorne Parish’s age structure are not available, so the graph below shows the figures for the Cliviger with Worsthorne Ward. This shows that there is a greater proportion of people in the age ranges above 45 within the area when compared to the wider local or national picture, and a markedly lower proportion of younger residents. The Median Age of the Ward’s residents was 44 which is markedly above the national figure of 38.6. The age profile of the Ward’s residents has implications for the types and locations of new housing development, and for future demands for services, which will need to be considered in forward planning. For example, there may be greater demand for public transport, and floating care and health services, particularly to remoter parts of the Parish in the future.

According to the Census a greater proportion (16.9%) of the population of the parish are employed in managerial and senior official occupations than in Burnley as a whole (12%). This is also higher than the national figure of 14.8%. Professional occupations accounted for 13.4% of the Ward’s working age population compared to a figure of 7.7% for the Borough as a whole. Unemployment and benefit uptake are both low within the Ward. Figures from DWP show that, as at November 2010 only 1.1% of working age people were claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance, compared to a figure of 4% for Burnley and 3.5% nationally. The rate of claimants for all DWP benefits in the Ward is 8.8% compared to a Burnley rate of 21.9% and a national figure of 14.7%.

The Census records no Parish level statistics on accommodation. Taking the Ward figures as a proxy, the proportion of empty properties is healthy at 2.6%. The vast majority of stock in the area was owner occupied (92%) with an extremely low level of private (4.5%) and socially rented ( accommodation 2.3%). House prices within the Cliviger with Worsthorne Ward are generally among the highest in the Borough. According to HM Land Registry figures the median house price in the Cliviger with Worsthorne Ward in 2008 was £155,000 compared to a Borough figure of £75,000. This reflects the range and quality, as well of the environmental setting, of the ward’s housing stock in comparison with the more urban parts of Burnley.

The higher house prices in the Parish are a significant barrier in terms of affordability with the lowest quartile house price (£117,000) to earnings (£12,370.80 Source ASHE 2009 for the Borough) ratio in 2009 being 9.4, far in excess of a ratio considered to be affordable. The ratio of median house prices to incomes in the Parish is 8.4.

The ward has a greater proportion of larger dwellings than the Borough as a whole with 49% of the housing stock having more than 6 habitable rooms compared to a figure of 36%.

The settlement of Worsthorne is surrounded by predominantly grade 4 agricultural land, subject to entry level stewardship agreements. Hurstwood has a more mixed land use pattern around its boundaries, including the reservoirs, and managed woodland to the South, the biological heritage site of Omerod and Gin Woods to the West, and agricultural land to the north.

Planning Considerations

Worsthorne and Hurstwood are captured by distinct Local Plan policies in relation to new development. For the purposes of the plan, Worsthorne is within the urban boundary, so could be a focus for development, although there is limited scope within the current boundary. Worsthorne is also a conservation area, so any development in its boundaries would have to respect the village’s character. Hurstwood is within the rural area, and thus is subject to general policy 2, that allows infill development within a built up frontage. Hurstwood is also a conservation area, and the presence of a number of listed buildings, alongside policies which protect adjacent biological heritage sites and wildlife corridors offer little scope for any further development, beyond the proposal for residential conversion of the Grade II* listed Great Barn.

Physical analysis

General description Both settlements are situated at the foot of the Pennine hills and share several distinctive features but they are radically different in overall character, so will require contrasting responses. The main shared feature is the presence of very

fine old buildings and interesting organic layouts but the main distinctions are size (Worsthorne much bigger), topography (Worsthorne perched high on a slope and Hurstwood nestling into a hollow), and accessibility (Worsthorne on through- roads connecting it to other places and Hurstwood on its own cul-de-sac without even a bus service).

Worsthorne has a very powerful sense of place, partly owing to its location where urban form gives way to the open moors but mainly owing to its varied collection of old buildings gathered around the church on a complex junction of roads and a fragmented but memorable village green. It has shops, pubs and community buildings contributing to the unique composition and atmosphere. However, the overall appeal of the village centre could be further improved by sensitive environmental improvement to its tired public realm..

Hurstwood also has distinctive old buildings but its reduced size and absence of pub or shop means that it has less attraction other than as a springing point for walks in the countryside. Its character has also been degraded by modern development that shows little sensitivity to the village’s vernacular.

Worsthorne still has a feeling of autonomy despite being almost swallowed up by urban expansion of Burnley town. This is partly attributable to the narrow green gap on its western side and much more extensive open land on all other sides but it is also a consequence of the marked age contrast between the property within the old village core and the suburban development creeping towards it from the west. Hurstwood, by contrast, feels completely isolated with the only threat of urbanisation coming from within.

Scope for new development Hurstwood has very little scope for development even if the case for it were to exist: the surrounding land is either too steep or in viable active uses. There is developable land on the western approach to the settlement but the case for it to be delivered is very difficult to make.

Worsthorne has seen recent renewal within the Conservation Area and expansion eastwards towards open moorland, which has consumed most of the available land that might be suitable for infill, so substantial new development would necessitate expansion and further erosion of the settlement’s identity. There is a small amount of infill land available on the south eastern flanks of the settlement if these parcels were to become available and there is an argument for permitting closure of the open land to the west, which has already become so degraded that its value is compromised: it could be argued that high quality contemporary development could mark a gateway to the Conservation Area more successfully than a mediocre strip of open land.

Assessment of dependencies Hurstwood is heavily reliant on other places for services but no surrounding small settlements are easily accessible either on foot or by public transport, so the option for clustering is negligible. Worsthorne is in a different situation in that it is

well connected to the main urban centre of Burnley, which would have much more pull than other local villages even if they were to exist nearby

Potential benefits of development Evidence of there being significant benefits is hard to find: Hurstwood would require massive expansion to support any new services and none exist now that would survive because of growth. Worsthorne may find that the more extensive local services flourish more successfully with a certain amount of growth but there is a risk that the new custom would go elsewhere anyway owing to the limited offer in the village and the better offer accessible farther afield.

The one benefit that does come to mind in Worsthorne is the potential for planning gain to support environmental improvements in the Conservation Area and especially around the central junction.

Potential threats of development Hurstwood’s capacity for growth is dependent on extension westwards, which would greatly increase the settlement’s visual impact on surrounding countryside and also tip the character of the settlement itself out of balance.

Worsthorne is already on the verge of being swallowed up by the urban expansion of Burnley town and low-grade infill of the remaining open land between the two would complete that absorption to the detriment of Worsthorne’s identity. Similarly, expansion towards the east, north or south by any significant degree would begin to erode the rural character of the whole surrounding area and also result in Worsthorne becoming much less clearly branded by its distinctive core.

Conclusion Hurstwood deserves great care in sustaining it as a distinctive and small hamlet, only considering very small and special one-off development where a locally generated case is clearly made. Even then quality of design and siting would be paramount.

Worsthorne is a more complex situation, in which a small amount of infill may be achievable within the existing character template but there would need to be a persuasive local case made for the benefit it might bring in terms of sustaining local services or funding public realm enhancements. The option of infilling the open land to the west is likely to be very contentious and, from an objective point of view, design quality must attach either to infill development or management of the retained landscape to a higher standard than currently evident.

Worsthorne photographs

1. The very distinctive arrangement of memorable buildings and areas of green give Worsthorne a strong sense of place but dominance of the road and general lack of upkeep erode the charm that ought to exist here.

2. & 3. The village core is rich in ancient buildings with great character and the local services contribute to it feeling like more than a desirable dormitory. Public realm quality falls short of the standard that the place deserves.

4. Recent renewal has been carried out sensitively 5. A modest opportunity for infill exists on the but not tackled the poor pedestrian provision. south eastern edge of the village without introducing extensive visual impact.

6. Approach from the south is through open countryside with views over sheep farming extending to the moors on the east. Quality of recent dev elopment is not at all sensitive to the character of Worsthorne and would benefit from better visual containment.

7. The settlement edge is well contained to the 8. Small amounts of in fill behind the north and further extension would begin to allotments on the eastern edge would be intrude into open countryside. possible but encroachment onto the moorland above should be restrained.

9. Open lan d to the west is already becoming squeezed to the extent that its value is compromised. Improvements are desirable and, though controversial, the inevitable long-term solution may be to introduce high quality new development as a gateway to Worsthorne.

Hurstwood photographs

10. The main reason for visits to Hurstwood by non-residents is to visit the picnic site and use the extensive country walks accessible from this car-park. This involves driving through the settlement but not engaging with it in a meaningful way.

11. The cluster of ancient buildings give 12. The church adds to the sense of place but Hurstwood considerable charm and a strong its sustainability is unlikely to be significantly sense of place but it is very small and w ould enhanced by the scale of new development easily be unbalanced by new development. that Hurstwood can accommodate.

13. The road between Mereclough and 14. Approach from the west reveals Worsthorne barely registers the presence of developable land but its impact would be Hurstwood. considerable and do little for the se ttlement’s sustainability.

15. Relatively recent development fails to respond to the character of the vernacular buildings that typify Hurstwood, giving little value as precedent for the small amount of developable land remaining nearby. Building of anything other than essential infill of a very high quality is best resisted.

Briercliffe with Extwistle

Parish Profile

Lane Bottom, one of the rural settlements as defined in the Local Plan, is within the Briercliffe Parish boundary. The Parish is on the north eastern edge of the Borough and comprises several distinct villages as well as agricultural and moorland to the east.

The majority of the agricultural land is pasturage with a significant proportion classed as grade 4, the majority of which is covered by entry level stewardship agreements, with some subject to higher level agreements. The Lancashire Historic Landscape Character assessment characterised the majority of the land as ancient historic enclosure, with some moorland on the eastern boundary, covered by the South Pennine Moors Special Protection Area.

The Parish is rich in built heritage, its settlements having varying characters and historic functions. In terms of Lane Bottom, the 18th Century Hill End House, is Grade II listed. The remainder of the historic part of the settlement comprises late 18 th century weavers’ cottages and nineteenth century mill workers’ houses, many of which are locally listed, and the Hill Lane Baptist Chapel. The settlement, as with the rest of the Briercliffe Parish, expanded in the 19 th Century to accommodate mill workers. Stirling Court in the late 20 th century is the most significant recent development constituting a significant residential expansion, though this is not particularly sensitive to the landscape or historic character of the settlement.

According to the 2001 Census Briercliffe with Extwistle has a population of 3,187. It has strong linkages both to Burnley and Pendle for employment and leisure. The Census indicates a localized pattern of commuting to work in the Briercliffe Parish, with an average distance travelled to work of 9.21km being slightly lower than the Burnley figure and considerably lower than the national average of 13.21km. Car ownership is high within the area- according to the Census 86% of households have at least one car or van.

The graph below shows the age profiles of residents in the Parish compared to Borough and national figures according to the ONS Census. This shows that the profile is fairly in line with national averages, although the proportion of working age people between 25- 44 is considerably higher, and that of residents over 65 is marginally lower. The more or less balanced age profile perhaps reflects the spread of house types that can be accessed across the Parish, and the good access to schools and employment opportunities.

The median age of residents in the Parish was 36, lower than the national figure of 39, showing relatively young age profile of the area.

According to the Census, the proportion of people employed in higher managerial and professional occupations in Briercliffe, at 27.4 % is significantly higher than that for the Borough as a whole. Unemployment and benefit uptake are both low within the Parish. In November 2010, only 1.6% of the working age population were claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance compared to a national figure of 3.5%. The total benefit claimant rate of 9.7% was considerably lower than the Borough (21.9%) or national (14.7%) figures.

According to the Census there were 1,352 dwellings within the Parish. The rate of empty dwellings was healthy with only around 3% of the stock recorded as vacant. 86% of the dwellings in the Parish were owner- occupied with only 4% socially rented, and 10% rented from private landlords. This constitutes a low level of social affordable provision when compared to the national figure of 20%. House prices in Briercliffe are generally higher than the Borough average. In 2009 HM Land Registry figures show that the Median house price in the Briercliffe Ward was £110,000 compared to a Borough figure of £75,000. The Parish as a whole is more affordable than some of the other rural settlements in The Borough with the ratio of lowest quartile house prices (£75,000) to earnings (£12,370.80 Source ASHE 2009 for the Borough) standing at 6, however this is still in excess of the ratio of 3 that is considered to be affordable.

The Parish has a thriving district centre with a number of local shops, pubs and services, although there are none in Lane Bottom itself, which does however benefit from a playground, Baptist Chapel and police station within its boundary. The table below shows distances to key services, showing that some of these services are at the limits of walkability, particularly for elderly residents.

Lane Bottom is served by the route 5 bus which connects Nelson and Burnley.

Planning Considerations

The Parish is rich in landscape character and any new development would be subject to Local Plan Policy E27. This policy seeks to safeguard landscape character and local distinctiveness in rural areas through ensuring that any development protects environmental capital and key features in the landscape, protects the setting of rural and urban settlements, protects enhances and restores archeological and historical features, protects prominent buildings and other man made features, protects historical field patterns walls and hedgerows, seeks use of local materials and vernacular styles, maintains views and avoids skyline development, protects, restores, enhances and creates habitats, reclaims derelict land, and conserves and enhances river corridors

Physical analysis

General description Lane Bottom began life as a small settlement in a distinctive hollow where Halifax Road descends from Haggate before climbing gradually again towards the Pennine hills of Forest of Trawden. The original stone terraces and chapel

formed a narrow ribbon that hugged tight to the roadside and, whilst having some distinctiveness and sense of place, this has become the settlement’s main drawback as traffic volumes have risen and vehicles got larger: the tortuous bends are unable to accommodate the vehicular traffic without depriving pedestrians of adequate space for safe and pleasant movement.

During the second half of the last century the ribbon development was thickened considerably with the development of an extensive housing estate north of the road, which does not intrude onto the road frontage but does impair the settlement’s relationship with the open countryside to the north and has consumed most of the developable land on that side. Very recent development on the south of the road is expensive and fortified in a manner seriously at odds with the character of the old village and detracting from a sense of community.

The steep hill from Haggate has had the effect of preventing development filling the gap and absorbing Lane Bottom into the urban fringe of Burnley town, ensuring that it still has its own identity despite the rigours of the road.

Scope for new development There is very little obvious land available for building without attempting to build on the steep hill to Haggate or extending the settlement eastwards onto higher ground and into open countryside. Access is difficult to land that could perhaps accommodate development on the south of Halifax Road but new road construction might open it up even if it necessitates loss of some existing property.

Assessment of dependencies The village is without meaningful local services at present apart from the church and its hall, so it is heavily dependent on retail and other services either in Burnley centre or in and around Haggate. Similarly other places are not reliant on Lane Bottom.

Potential benefits of development The settlement already feels to be as large as the hollow in the landscape it occupies seems ready to accept and there is no case for growth sustaining services, so there needs to be some other benefit if any development at all is to be considered. The only case that suggests itself is for a new length of road to be built that takes through traffic out of the tight bends in the centre, releasing space for a much improved pedestrian environment: this could only be justified if it opens up the land south of Halifax Road and this may involve loss of at least one existing property.

Potential threats of development As implied above, the landscape itself does not welcome further development as it would tend to lift the settlement out of the hollow it nestles into at present, putting the countryside east of Burnley under pressure of urbanisation from which it already suffers, and imposing visual impacts westward.

Conclusion The village seems able to sustain itself at present without supporting local services, so there is no strong case for accepting the harmful impacts unless the community feel that it is a reasonable price to pay for eliminating the serious traffic conflict in the centre, which will only get worse. If this option is to be considered the land south of Halifax Road should be the first and perhaps only area to be considered.

1. Steep slope has helped to maintain valuable 2. The Baptist Church and stone terraced and distinctive separation between Lane houses sit close to Halifax Road, giving the Bottom and the urban edge of Burnley town village a strong sense of place and character and Haggate. but unable to deal with through traffic well.

3. & 4. The conflict between vehicles and pedestrians is at its most serious on the section of road that winds tortuously through two right angle bends with property close on both sides, seriously depleting the value of the green space that could for m an attractive village green if it could connect with a calmed road.

5. Housing estate north of Halifax Road is 6. By contrast, Balnaguard does sit directly completely out of character with the vill age onto the road frontage and its design declares architecture but has mellowed as vegetation its elf not to be part of the community it has grown and has only moderate presence inhabits. onto the main road.

7. Gradients of land to the eastern edge of Lane Bottom could easily accommodate development in technical terms but would greatly increase the intrusion into open countryside.

8. Relatively flat land behind the police house could accommodate some new development and a road that would relieve the traffic conflict on the tortuous old road.

Land between this line and the existing road could accommodate development that might fund a relief road

Chapter 3: The Way Forward

As stated in the introduction, this work has evolved in the context of changes to the planning system which could have a profound effect on neighbourhood- level planning.

The primary purpose of this work is inform the development of Borough level planning policy in the Core Strategy and other related Development Plan Documents. However, the work could also be a springboard for parish and settlement level plans brought forward under the new powers proposed in the Localism Bill.

The work will be used to stimulate debate on the future development and conservation of the Borough’s Rural Areas and facilitate community involvement in statutory planning processes for the area.

i Data from the access to services tables was gleaned from the following sources: http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/pages/servicesearch.aspx http://www.schoolmap.org.uk/ http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/finder http://www.link.co.uk/atmlocator/Pages/ATMLocator.aspx http://www.parasec.net/bus/ Local Plan