Pewsham with the Disused Pewsham Locks and Wider Countryside to the South
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Forest Farm, Chippenham Environmental Statement Non-technical summary April 2016 Forest Farm, Chippenham ES Gleeson Developments Limited Non-technical summary Non-technical summary Introduction NTS.1 Gleeson Developments Limited (Gleeson) is applying to Wiltshire Council for outline planning permission for a mixed use development on land to the east of Chippenham. This application seeks the approval: a) in outline for up to 200 new family homes (including affordable housing), up to 4,645 square metres (50,000 square feet) of B1 office and light industrial floor space, up to 465 square metres (5,005 square feet) for a D1 community building, public open space, landscape planting, children’s play areas, footpaths, cyclepaths, surface water attenuation facilities, sewage pumping station, car parking, infrastructure works and bus stop lay-bys on either side of the A4 London Road; and b) in full for a new junction on the A4 London Road, providing vehicular access into the application site. NTS.2 While the scale of development being proposed in this application would not ordinarily need to be subject to environmental impact assessment (EIA), there is the potential for significant cumulative effects with a second phase of development that could come forward on the wider site (see area outlined in black on figure NTS1). This area is being promoted for up to a further 500 homes, land for a primary school, a local centre potentially incorporating a petrol filling station and food store (around 1,000 square metres), the potential reinstatement of part of the former Wilts and Berks Canal, additional public open space, children’s play areas, landscape planting, surface water attenuation facilities, footpaths, cyclepaths, car parking and utilities / infrastructure. In this context, it was considered that an EIA should be undertaken. NTS.3 An environmental statement (ES) has been prepared to report the findings of the EIA and its key elements are summarised in this non-technical summary (NTS). The proposed development site NTS.4 The Forest Farm application site extends to 15.86 hectares (ha) and lies to the south east of Chippenham. The centre of the application site is approximately 2.4 km south east of Chippenham town centre. NTS.5 The entire application site is currently in agricultural (grazing) use, with species- poor hedgerows bordering its west and north west sides. Overhead electricity pylons cross the site in a north east to south west direction. An aviation fuel pipeline and a rising sewer cross the northern part of the site in an east west direction. Part of the former Wilts and Berks Canal lies within the southern part of the site. Footpath CHIP16/CALW83 also crosses the western part of the site, linking Pewsham with the disused Pewsham Locks and wider countryside to the south. NTS.6 The site is bordered to the west by woodland and Pewsham Way, beyond which lies the residential suburb of Pewsham, which developed in the 1980s and 1990s. To the north of the site lie a number of residential dwellings and the A4 London Road. The Stanley Park Sports Ground lies immediately opposite the site to the north east, beyond the A4 London Road. To the east lies the former Wilts and Berks Canal. To the south hedgerows adjoining part of the April 2016 NTS-1 Forest Farm, Chippenham ES Gleeson Developments Limited Non-technical summary Avon Valley Walk and fields can be found. Figure NTS2 shows the location of sensitive receptors and key local features in relation to Forest Farm. The proposed development NTS.7 Figure NTS3 illustrates the proposed distribution of land uses across the application site. The main land use will be residential development and this will accommodate up to 200 dwellings of a range of sizes, types and tenures, including affordable housing. The amount and type of affordable housing are to be agreed with Wiltshire Council. NTS.8 Up to 4,645 square metres of office and light industrial floorspace and associated car parking is proposed, together with a 465 square metre community building and associated car parking. It is envisaged that the community building could be used as a health centre, a community building, a children’s nursery or a combination of all three if designed appropriately. A foul water pumping station is included within the employment site. Most of the pumping station will be below ground, with a small control kiosk being the only above ground feature. NTS.9 4 hectares of public open space will be provided, primarily located in the south and south east of the site with a number of smaller areas located throughout the residential area. The landscape strategy for Forest Farm has been designed to: • Provide containment on the south eastern boundary to help integrate the development in raised views from the east and south east and provide long term filtering of raised views by including lines of tree planting throughout the development • Retain views from the development to the ridge and countryside to the south east / east to enhance a sense of place • Retain and enhance the network of hedgerows within and bounding the site, to reinforce the landscape structure, improve wildlife value and provide containment and filtering of views • Provide a buffer along the existing woodland edge in the west of the site, with areas of grassland / wildflower meadow to provide suitable habitat for great crested newts NTS.10 The building heights plan is shown on figure NTS4. For the most part, buildings will be up to two storeys high with a maximum ridge height of 10 m. Buildings up to 2.5 storeys high, with a maximum ridge height of 11.5 m are proposed in the north and east of Forest Farm. The proposed non- residential uses will be up to two storeys, with a 10 m maximum ridge height. NTS.11 The new junction on the A4 London Road will be a roundabout with two lane approaches from three arms. A fourth arm will be a ‘stub’ that will provide the opportunity for future access into the Stanley Park Sports Ground to the north of the A4 London Road. A new 2.5 m wide shared use footway / cycleway is proposed on the western side of the street within the development. A new shared use footway / cycleway will also be provided along the northern side of the A4 London Road. NTS.12 Additional pedestrian accesses will be provided onto the A4 London Road to the north west of the proposed roundabout and from the south west corner of the development onto the A4 Pewsham Way using the existing public footpath April 2016 NTS-2 Forest Farm, Chippenham ES Gleeson Developments Limited Non-technical summary (CHIP 16). The existing bus stops on the A4 London Road will be relocated to the north west of the proposed roundabout. Bus lay-bys will be provided and both stops will have raised kerbs, bus stop flags and bus shelters. NTS.13 Surface water runoff from the proposed development will be controlled through a combination of permeable paving, swales and attenuation ponds. A series of ponds will be provided that will discharge at a controlled rate into the existing stream 200 m to the south of the site. This will ensure that there will be no increase in runoff rates as a result of the proposal. Wetland planting, such as reedbeds, will be put in place within the ponds and this, together with the swales and permeable paving, will improve the quality of the runoff. If necessary, measures such as trapped gullies and petrol interceptors will also be incorporated into the drainage system to prevent pollution. Alternatives NTS.14 Gleeson has not considered alternative sites because the application site is the only parcel of land in the area under its control. The master plan has evolved over time and has been subject to a number of changes following consultation and the findings of baseline environmental studies. The main aspects of the master plan where alternatives were considered are: • Vehicular access junction – the design and scale of the junction were given careful consideration and several alternatives were considered through the design of the master plan. Earlier options tested a priority turn junction into Forest Farm, but it was deemed inadequate. The chosen option also provides for a potential fourth arm into Stanley Park Sports Ground • Attenuation ponds – the location of the attenuation ponds was determined by the extent of the proposed built development, existing ground levels and the location of the proposed open space Assessment methodology NTS.15 The initial stage of the EIA involved carrying out an informal scoping exercise that identified the potential environmental effects to be addressed during the process. NTS.16 The various specialist assessments, discussed in more detail below, followed generally similar methodologies. All methodologies were undertaken in accordance with current guidance and best practice. Desk and / or field studies were undertaken to establish the existing situation (the baseline) at and surrounding the application site. The effects of the proposed development were established using a method that compares the sensitivity and importance of receptors(1) with the likely size of the predicted change to establish the degree of the effects. If the combination of the above factors result in a degree of effect that is moderate or above then the effect is considered to be significant. Significant effects can be either beneficial or adverse. Slight or negligible effects are not considered to be significant. NTS.17 The degree of an effect determines the resources that should be put in place to avoid or reduce (mitigate) an adverse significant effect and identifies the actual value of a beneficial significant effect.