EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

MAIN ISSUES REPORT CONSULTATION

REPRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF MANSELL HOMES

LAND AT ADNISTON FARM, MACMERRY NORTH (PREFERRED SITE - PREF–T8 - SITE REFERENCE- PM/TT/HSG053)

TMS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES LTD "Balclune", 32 Clune Road, Gowkhall, Fife, KY12 9NZ Tel: (01383) 853066 Mob: E-mail: [email protected] PURPOSE OF REPORT

This report has been prepared on behalf of Mansell Homes, a Balfour Beatty company. The report seeks to address relevant issues arising in the MIR related to the preferred site at Macmerry North (PREF – T8 site ref PM/TT/HSG053) and to support this allocation as an appropriate location for new residential development within the Cluster in order to meet relevant SESplan and emerging Local Development Plan housing requirements.

1.0 LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND STRATEGY

1.1 In order to comply with the requirements set out in NPF3, Scottish Planning Policy, and SESplan it is essential that the East Lothian Local Development Plan (LDP) provides for the delivery of sustainable development in accessible locations. Key to the delivery of the LDP development strategy will be promoting a range of new housing development throughout the area with the concentration of new development in the most accessible parts of the district. The preferred approach set out in the Main Issues Report (MIR), that related to the Compact Growth Strategy Option, appears a reasoned response to the identified delivery needs and on this basis is fully supported. In effect, the majority of new development will be focussed on land in/around the main settlements within the west of the SESplan East Lothian Strategic Development Area (focussed on the A1 and East Coast Main Line), that closest to the origin of demand.

1.2 Blindwells is a key component of the emerging preferred strategy (as it has been over an extended period) and can only be relied on, no matter the scale of development supported at this location through the LDP process, for a modest percentage of the new house completions required by SESplan in the LDP area during the plan period. The SESplan housing requirement for East Lothian equate with the need to identify land capable of delivering 10,050 homes in the period up to 2024, with an interim requirement of land capable of delivering 6,250 homes up to 2019 and thereafter, the residual requirement of 3800 units. A five year effective housing land supply is also to be maintained at all times.

1.3 The MIR identifies a range of potential delivery constraints including infrastructure and underlying demand (e.g. requiring a higher level of completions than ever recorded in the district). No matter, to comply with SESplan the set targets have to be met and sufficient effective land allocated to address the requirements.

1.4 The MIR identifies that Trunk road and local road network capacity as already an acute problem, particularly in the west of East Lothian. Existing constraints have been highlighted on the A1(T), in particular at Old Craighall Junction and generally at all interchanges west of the Interchange. Transport is of the view that these capacity constraints alone will constrain any further development from being delivered in the area until solutions are found and are committed to be put in place. Transport Scotland is currently conducting a regional study to establish these solutions. However, funding and delivery mechanisms need to be identified and it is expected that developer contributions will have a significant role to play. It is anticipated that the findings of the regional study and others will inform the LDP on trunk road and local road network interventions and the need for interventions/developer contributions.

1.5 Education capacity is also a significant issue impacting on a number of settlements with solutions, in each case, requiring to be developer led.

1.6 The MIR confirms that an important consideration relevant to the delivery of the spatial strategy will be the availability of resources/infrastructure and the extent to which there is a willingness and clear ability to make development happen on a site (or part(s) of a site) within the required timeframe. These issues will apply when selecting new sites intended to form part of any spatial strategy going forward in order to ensure that the selected strategy can deliver the SDP’s development requirements for East Lothian in the most appropriate locations. The MIR specifically requires, in accordance with SPP, that “Parties promoting potential development sites must prove the effectiveness of their sites to the Council’s satisfaction before any site may be included in the Proposed LDP”, e.g. demonstrate deliverability.

2.0 THE TRANENT CLUSTER (Including Macmerry)

2.1 The Tranent Cluster is centred around Tranent, the second largest town in East Lothian with a population of circa 11,565 persons. The defined area includes Tranent in the north and a range of smaller settlements and villages including , Macmerry, Elphinstone, and , among others. Tranent contains a range of commercial, educational and leisure facilities commensurate with its scale/function. The Tranent Cluster lies within the area covered by the preferred MIR spatial strategy (as per SESplan), and is readily accessed from the main A1(T). Macmerry is also a very accessible settlement on the A1(T) corridor containing a Primary School, shop, bowling green, public open space, a community hall and the largest concentration of employment uses in the Tranent Cluster. It is readily accessed from the A1(T) from the Gladsmuir junction to the east and through Tranent from the Bankton Junction. Public transport services are readily available. The preferred sites in the Tranent Cluster going forward, as presently identified in the MIR, propose 1,350 additional homes and 24 hectares of additional employment land.

2.2 A number of local issues related to Tranent Cluster are identified in the MIR. These include:

 Education capacity;  A1(T) junction capacity; and  Air quality in High Street, Tranent (and the need to improve this and/or ensure new development does not exacerbate this). Education capacity

2.3 Ross High, Tranent presently has additional accommodation committed to provide further capacity related to current housing commitments. There is potential for a further expansion of this school’s capacity, albeit while the full scope of this remains to be determined, the level of new allocations currently proposed within the MIR, circa 1,350 units, would appear an acceptable scale of additional development to East Lothian Council. With respect to the non-denominational primary schools in the town, Windygoul Primary has significant capacity issues with Sanderson’s Wynd Primary School, along with Macmerry Primary School in neighbouring Macmerry, having the most potential for provision of additional capacity. Elsewhere in the Ross High catchment area (the Tranent Cluster), available primary school capacity and expansion potential is considered limited.

2.4 No matter the favoured approach for new residential development within the Tranent Cluster, additional primary and secondary education capacity will require to be provided through a carefully planned and deliverable development strategy. As outlined in the MIR and following recent discussions with East Lothian Council’s Education Service, it is clear that Macmerry Primary School could be expanded to meet the indicative development level of circa 200 units being proposed for the subject site at Adniston Farm, Macmerry. The expansion would be delivered as part of the related residential development.

A1(T) junction capacity

2.5 It is noted that each of the A1(T) junctions to the west of the Gladsmuir Junction are considered to have some potential capacity constraints. The MIR identifies the need to look comprehensively at traffic issues including consideration of impacts on the local road network and on the A1(T) and the relevant junctions. Additional development in Macmerry has the benefit of good access to 2 separate A1(T) junctions, with access to the Gladsmuir Junction being an attractive option from much, if not all, of the village in light of the ability to avoid central Tranent and the traffic lights and related delays. Development in Macmerry is likely therefore to have very limited impact on the pressurised Bankton Junction.

Air quality in High Street, Tranent

2.7 Air quality in High Street, Tranent (a designated Air Quality Management Area) is a long standing issue with no easy fix. Removing traffic from High Street, or at the very least, not increasing traffic movements from new development will be key. The option for a Tranent By-pass is looked at in the MIR Transport Appraisal but this is not considered to be a fundable/deliverable option and therefore cannot be seen as a potential solution. 2.8 It is understood that a development option to the east of Tranent is presently being promoted, this providing an eastern and southern By-pass of the town centre thereby facilitating additional traffic movements in the town/to the A1(T) corridor without additional impacts on the High Street. Whether or not this is a preferred option going forward, development in Macmerry will result in more dispersed traffic movements than development of a similar scale in Tranent, and with the accessibility of Macmerry to the A1(T) Gladsmuir Junction, any potential impacts on Air quality in Tranent High Street arsing from the development in Macmerry is likely to be limited.

3.0 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN MACMERRY

3.1 The MIR preferred site at Adniston Farm, Macmerry (PREF T8) relates to land directly adjacent to and forming a logical extension to the village. The main part of the site is being promoted by Mansell Homes (Refer Plan 1 – Location Plan) with the remainder not being actively promoted by the present landowner. Development of the Mansell Homes site will be designed in order to allow future connections through the residual land, where required, to Greendykes Road and Chesterhall Avenue to the east (Refer Plan 2 – Indicative Layout) as referred to in the MIR.

3.2 The development presently being promoted is one of modest density with significant amenity space public open space and structural landscaping. The development area will be in the region of 10 hectares, with approximately 2.8 hectares of structural landscaping along the northern and western edges. In addition to providing an attractive and defensible village boundary, this area will have an amenity function providing accessible woodland walkways adjacent to the existing burn and linking directly to the existing Core Path network. Initial details of the proposed boundary treatment are shown on Plan 3 - Woodland Planting Proposals.

3.3 The development could contain up to 200 units, 150 market homes and 50 affordable units. The development concept seeks to embrace the East Lothian Council’s design guidance and best practice at national planning level (including SPP). In addition to the structural planting, areas of integral open space would be incorporated throughout the development, effectively delivering modest density with an array of different spaces, aesthetic and functional, as part of the overall level of residential amenity being created.

3.4 The potential to develop this site has also been discussed actively with Macmerry and Gladsmuir Community Council over a number of years culminating in an event last year in Macmerry as part of a pre-application consultation exercise. Significant support for the residential development was noted along with the landowner’s proposals for a new community hall in the village. The latter, while not directly part of any planning proposal for the site, remains a commitment from the landowners, Messrs R and A Kennedy, and would be addressed by a separate planning application at the appropriate stage. For information, the new community hall is proposed for the area adjacent to the existing hall (refer PLAN 4) and in a form similar to that outlined on PLAN 5.

3.5 Recent dialogue with East Lothian Council’s Education Service has confirmed that the scale of development being proposed (circa 200 units) can be accommodated by extension to Macmerry Primary School (there is the accepted potential to deliver this extension as part of the development – which is accepted by Mansell Homes) and by a contribution to a planned extension to Ross High. The education issues related to this site can be fully addressed for this development (at the developer’s cost) and therefore this is not a constraint on the development. It has also been confirmed that water and drainage capacity is available and that access provision from the A199 can be readily achieved.

3.6 In the MIR assessment of the site it is accepted that: -

 It is well related to Macmerry and would represent a fairly logical expansion of the village in landscape terms;  It is within 400m of bus stops on Main Road, with regular services to Edinburgh via Tranent and and to Haddington and , and within 1600m of a range of local services including the primary school and shop. The site is well positioned to access public transport, active travel routes, as well as local facilities and services. In effect, development of this site would help focus development in an accessible and sustainable location;  It is physically suitable for the proposed use. Adjacent land uses are agricultural and residential. There may be noise impacts arising from the proximity of the A1 to the north of the site and mitigation measures may be required;  It is within the East Lothian SDA as identified within SESplan. Its development generally would align well with strategic and local policy objectives including meeting housing need in the most sustainable locations that minimise the need to travel;  suitable access to the site could be achieved;  The site would provide housing, including an element of affordable housing to help meet local need. Its development may make a contribution to the regeneration of the comparatively disadvantaged western part of Macmerry. The site has reasonable access to facilities, services, and employment opportunities by active travel or public transport;  No detrimental habitat impacts should arise;  The site has good access to the core path network and to open space within Macmerry;  The site is not shown to be at risk of river or coastal flooding on SEPA’s flood map; and  Development on the site would not be affected by existing sources of air pollution. 3.7 The negatives arising from the MIR assessment include the statements that (1) the site is north facing and relatively exposed, (2) prime agricultural land would be lost, (3) the houses may be affected by noise from the A1(T), and (4) that the development may lead to coalescence with Tranent.

3.8 Taking these issues in order it is considered that:

1. The design of the development in conjunction with the extensive landscape belt proposed to the north and west will allow the potential for solar gain to be maximised and wind exposure to be reduced over time; 2. All development in this area (Tranent Cluster) is likely to impact on prime agricultural land. The loss of such land will be a direct consequence of most residential land allocations and is required in order to meet the identified development strategy/targets along the A1(T) corridor; 3. In addition to the structural landscaping, where required noise attenuation measures can be incorporated. The closest part of the site sits remote from the A1(T) and therefore, where required, a design solution will be achievable; and 4. While reducing the gap between Macmerry and Tranent to a small extent, the development would have little impact on the gap between the 2 settlements. In addition, the new landscape edge will reinforce the boundary of Macmerry and provide a more attractive and defined settlement edge that will more than compensate for any reductions in physical separation.

3.9 The preferred status of the development site at Adniston Farm, Macmerry is therefore fully merited as it represents an accessible and connected site within the East Lothian SDA and a logical extension to Macmerry. In addition, the required infrastructure to serve the development is either available or will be provided as part of the development. Finally, the development would unlock the provision of a new community hall in the village.

3.10 An initial assessment of the engineering and infrastructure issues relevant to the development of the site had been prepared by Scott Bennett Associates (SBA) (copy attached). This Engineering Deliverability Statement confirms that there are no known constraints to the development of the site.

4.0 DELIVERABILITY

4.1 With respect to the assessment of site effectiveness set out in paragraph 55 of PAN 2/2010 the following assessment related to the site at Adniston Farm, Macmerry (PREF-T8 -PLAN 1), as informed by the SBA report, is appropriate at this stage: -

 ownership: the site is in the ownership/control of parties who are actively promoting the site for development. Mansell Homes presently have an option to purchase the site;  physical: the site is free from constraints related to slope, aspect, flood risk, ground stability or vehicular access which would preclude their development;  contamination: previous use has not resulted in contamination of the site;  deficit funding: public funding is not presently required to make residential development economically viable;  marketability: the site can be extensively developed within the LDP period. It is anticipated that development could commence within 12 months of the LDP being adopted subject to securing the required permissions;  infrastructure: Education infrastructure can be addressed by an extension to Macmerry Primary School (as discussed with East Lothian Council Education Service) and off-site contributions for the expansion of Ross High; water and drainage infrastructure is readily available, and access is available; and  land use: housing is the sole preferred use of the land in planning terms.

4.2 Therefore, it can be concluded that all issues related to the development of the Adniston Farm site can be addressed. The development is fully marketable/deliverable with a developer already in place. In the event that any additional information/assessment(s) is required in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the sites then this can be provided in further discussion with East Lothian Council.

5.0 CONCLUSIONS

5.1 The MIR preferred status of the site at Adniston Farm, Macmerry is fully merited as it represents an accessible and connected site within the East Lothian SDA and a logical extension to the village of Macmerry. In addition, the required infrastructure to serve the development is either available or will be provided as part of the development. Education provision can be secured, the impact on pressurised A1(T) junctions would be less than a similar allocation in Tranent, and, in light of dispersed traffic flows from the site (including use of the A1 Gladsmuir junction) any impact on Tranent High Street would be minimised.

5.2 The site is in the preferred strategic location and its development can be integrated within the existing village and make an important contribution to the local area. The Council can therefore be confident that the allocation of this site for residential development would be fully effective and positively contribute to meeting strategic and local requirements.

DOCUMENTS

PLAN 1 – Location Plan PLAN 2 – Indicative Site Layout Plan PLAN 3 - Woodland Planting Proposals PLAN 4 – New Community Hall Location PLAN 5 – New Community Hall Indicative Details Engineering Deliverability Statement - Scott Bennett Associates