AGENDA PART A ITEM Report of: Development Manager Date of Committee: 6th December 2007 Site address : Leggatts Campus, Leggatts Way Ref. no.: 07/01268/FULM Description of development: Redevelopment of site, comprising 248 dwellings (172 2- bed flats, 17 3-bed houses and 59 4-bed houses) a neighbourhood centre, public open space and associated parking and landscaping Applicant: George Wimpey North Thames Ward: Leggatts Date received: 25.9.07 13 week date (major): 25.12.07 ________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY The proposal includes the redevelopment of the former Leggatts Campus site, comprising 248 dwellings (172 2-bed flats, 17 3-bed houses and 59 4-bed houses) a neighbourhood centre, public open space, a Locally Equipped Area of Play (LEAP) and associated parking and landscaping. The existing buildings on the site are to be demolished to make way for the new scheme. The proposal was advertised in the Watford Observer, signs placed around the site and neighbour letters sent out to all adjoining occupiers. The application was also referred to statutory, internal and external consultees, with a majority of the responses containing G 1 objections or concerns. There remain outstanding concerns in relation to highways, arboriculture, archaeology, urban design, crime prevention, drainage, noise, playing fields, flooding and ecology. In general, the proposed layout of the site is not considered to address the draft planning brief for the site, and neither does it follow sound planning principles with regards to the relationship between buildings, spaces and movement. The proposed tenure of units in the division between affordable housing and open market is unacceptable and does not comply with either Council or national policies. The proposal does not pay sufficient regard to the existing context of the site and surrounds and as a result unduly affects the residential properties to the west along Leggatts Way, the vistas along North Western Avenue and across the playing fields, and potentially prejudices the development of the BECC site immediately to the south. This site is an important opportunity to provide a high quality scheme with the potential to create as little impact upon the existing neighbourhood as possible. It is an opportunity to create an individual identity, whilst still respecting the housing and open spaces that surround it. However, in contrast to these aims, the current proposal fails to achieve compliance with many of the objectives in the draft planning brief, the Watford District Plan 2000 or national planning policy statements and guidance. The applicant was given detailed advice at pre-application stage on a proposal almost identical to the one currently before the Committee. It is disappointing that this advice was not taken on board, and that little justification has been provided for the many instances where the scheme departs from established policies and guidance. The proposal is considered to be an unacceptable development of the site, and the Development Manager therefore recommends the application be refused as set out in the report. G 2 BACKGROUND Site and surroundings Leggatts Campus is a former Sixth Form College owned by West Herts College and has been operational as an educational institution since the late 1930s. The application site covers an area of 7.89 hectares and can be most easily identified by two distinct parcels of land. The eastern part of the site contains a grassed open space of approximately 4.72ha comprising 7 playing pitches. This area is a designated wildlife corridor on the proposals map in the Watford District Plan 2000 and abuts Harebreak Woods to the south which is designated as a Wildlife Corridor, a Wildlife Site and a Local Nature Reserve on the Proposals Map. The western part of the site (approximately 3.17ha) is comprised of the now redundant College buildings and surrounding hardstanding and soft landscaping. The site is roughly rectangular in shape and is largely level. Apart from a limited number of trees within the core of the site, there is strong boundary demarcation to the north, comprised of a dense Hawthorn and Field Maple hedge and also second larger tree group (a mix of English Oak and Ash) to the west boundary between the site and Leggatts Way properties. There are smaller tree specimens planted at intervals along the access road and to the west of the playing fields. The submitted tree survey includes a plan indicating the precise location of the trees. The applicant provided the following further assessment of the surroundings: “The site is located in a primarily residential area, approximately 2.5km north of Watford town centre and Watford Junction railway station. To the west, the site is bounded by the rear gardens of inter-war housing fronting Leggatts Way. The style of these properties is generally two storey, detached, semi-detached or terraced dwellings set within regular sized plots. To the south of the built-up area of the site lies the Bill Everett Community Centre (BECC), a local community centre and leisure facility [owned by G 3 Hertfordshire County Council and managed by Watford Borough Council]. The older building on the BECC is consistent with the style of the original College buildings and this is currently used as a youth facility and a crèche. Sporting facilities, including a swimming pool are accommodated in the newer buildings. Beyond the eastern boundary of the playing fields lies Cherry Tree Junior Mixed Infants’ School and the Jamia Mosque. The A41 North Western Avenue extends along the length of the site’s northern boundary.” Proposed development Full planning permission is sought for the redevelopment of the site to provide 248 dwellings (172 2-bed flats, 17 3-bed houses and 59 4-bed houses), a neighbourhood centre, public open space and associated parking and landscaping. The proposal also incorporates a Locally Equipped Area of Play (LEAP). Vehicular access is to be provided off the A41 (North Western Avenue) and Heather Lane. A further vehicular access may be possible from Leggatts Way in the future. However, this relies on the redevelopment of the BECC centre and therefore presently does not form part of this application. The internal access road has been identified as a “Home Zone” and forms a U shape within the development. There are a number of paths through the development for pedestrians and cyclists. The layout of the site concentrates a majority of the flatted units along the A41, although there is also a considerable number throughout the rest of the development. The northern set of flats (Type K) is arranged over 4 storeys in a U shape with a further arm attached to each end of the U. There is a public courtyard located at the centre of the U, and car parking to either end of the arms and between the building and the road. To the east of this block is a rectangular block of flats (Type E), also 4 storeys in height, that abuts both the A41 and the edge of the playing fields. G 4 To the south of these flats, there are houses (Type F) fronting onto the playing fields which have been designed to address the exterior of the developable area. There are two blocks of flats (Type G) attached to the ends of these houses. The car parking for these houses and flats is located to the rear of the building, in a mixture of parking courts and garages which open directly onto the access road. To the south of this building is a further block of flats (also Type E). The Locally Equipped Area of Play (LEAP) is sited to the east of the flats and houses, and encroaches into one of the playing pitches. The Neighbourhood Centre (Type H) is located along the southern boundary of the site adjacent to the BECC site, with retail units at ground floor and residential flats above. This building is completely surrounded by car parking and access roads. The houses (Types B, C and J) located along the western boundary abut the rear gardens of existing properties in Leggatts Way. The proposed dwellings are 2 and 2.5 storeys high and run both parallel and perpendicular to these properties. There is a small strip of land between Nos. 122 and 124 Leggatts Way that has been closed off for a long time. The applicant proposes to re-open this access to provide a pedestrian link through to Leggatts Way. Completing the housing around the outside boundaries of the site are three houses (Type A) which abut the A41 and front onto the vehicular access from Heather Lane. The vehicular access through the development follows the units mentioned above in a U shape. On the opposite side of the access road there is a second ring of properties. There are four blocks of flats (Type E) that mark the corners of this ‘island’ of housing. It is important to note that the access road does not flow directly from the A41 into Heather Lane, and instead there is a pedestrian path and landscaping along the northern edge of the ‘island’. The infill units between the flats are 3 storeys high along the north (Type A), east (Type A) G 5 and south (Type D) edges, and 2-2.5 storeys high along the western edge (Types B, C and J). These properties all front onto the main vehicular access. The third ring of housing (Types B, C and J) fronts onto a central parking court. There is one further set of housing (Type A) which fronts onto the parking court for the Type E flats in the north-west corner of the ‘island’. There is currently a residential dwelling at No.