St Austell & Parishes Town Framework
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St Austell & Parishes Town Framework Urban Extension Assessment March 2014 Planning Delivery Team St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 2 Contents Introduction 4 Methodology 8 Step 1 - Mapping Review 8 Step 2 – Cell Identification 8 Step 3 – Environmental Constraints 11 Step 4 - Accessibility 13 Step 5 – Initial Review and Discount of Cells 15 Step 6 Landscape Character Assessments 16 Step 7 Urban Design Analysis 18 Step 8 Heat Mapping Assessment 20 Step 9 Qualitative Review and Discount Inappropriate Sites 21 Step 10 Stakeholder Discussions 37 Step 11 Informal Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Review 37 Figures and tables Figure 1: Urban Sites Assessment – Twelve Step Process. 6 Figure 2: St Austell Neighbourhoods Map 9 Figure 3: St Austell Original Cell Boundaries 10 Figure 4: The Environmental Constraint Map for St Austell 12 Figure 5: Overview Map of the Accessibility Assessment Results 13 Figure 6: Discounted and Remaining Cells Following Step 5 15 Figure 7: Overview Map of the Landscape Assessment Results 16 Figure 8: Overview Map of the Urban Design Results 18 Figure 10: The Map Resulting from Step 9 – The Agreed Consultation Growth Options 36 Table A: SA Screening results of the Original Cells 39 Table 1: SA Summary Results of the Remaining Cells after Screening 42 St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 3 Introduction Work is currently well under way on the preparation of the Local Plan for Cornwall as part of the Local Development Framework. The Local Plan sets out the long-term spatial vision for the County and the strategic policies and proposals that will deliver this vision. It also provides an indication of the broad locations for new development in Cornwall, through to 2030. To promote sustainable development a large proportion of the growth that will be identified within the Local Plan will be directed towards the existing main towns of the County. Town Framework Plans have being produced for most of Cornwall’s main towns, which will identify the most sustainable options to accommodate projected growth. The Town Framework Plan firstly identifies the town’s ability to accommodate growth within the urban area and on brownfield sites. It then goes on to assess the most suitable options of land which could extend the existing urban areas (to accommodate remaining growth requirements) and considers the impacts of developing these sites. (Sites identified in Town Frameworks will inform a Cornwall Site Allocations Document (DPD) which will allocate sites in Cornwall’s main towns). This paper has been produced to summarise the work undertaken to assess all of the land immediately adjoining the urban area of St Austell. The assessment follows a ‘twelve step process’, to ensure consistency in approach to identifying urban extensions across the majority of Cornwall’s main towns. Figure 1 illustrates the twelve step process undertaken as part of the Town Framework Plan process. Steps 1-5 seek to identify land that is either potentially appropriate for further detailed assessment, or land which should be discounted at an early stage for reasons based on significant environmental and/or accessibility grounds. Steps 6 to 9 involve a more detailed landscape character assessment and an urban design assessment. Inappropriate cells are discounted at Step 9 following a review. St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 4 All remaining cells are then assessed at Steps 10-12, as potential options for urban extension locations. These options are informally discussed with key stakeholders, including the Environment Agency, Highways Agency and Natural England, for views on the technical and infrastructure challenges of developing these areas. This stage also includes an informal Sustainability Appraisal of the final urban extension options. Once this has been completed the remaining urban extension options are consulted on in the Framework Plan as options for future growth. St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 5 Figure 1: Urban Sites Assessment – Twelve Step Process. St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 6 Local Member Steering Group The assessments that are set out in these twelve steps have been discussed throughout the process at officer workshop sessions and with a Local Member Steering Group for St Austell’s Town Framework process. The Steering Group comprises local Cornwall Council Members and representatives of the Town Council and neighbouring Parish Councils, and have met regularly since September 2012. The Steering Group has been working towards agreeing a draft Framework Plan for consultation and providing local input, context and endorsement. St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 7 Methodology Step 1 - Mapping Review This involved a desk based assessment to help understand the structure of St Austell and how the town currently functions, including what services and facilities are available for the communities within the town. The results of this exercise, including Figure 2, the Structures and Neighbourhoods Map, help to inform and guide the subsequent assessments throughout the process, but primarily the initial desk based urban extension assessments at Steps 2, 3, 4 and 5. This mapping exercise sought to identify the main movement corridors: A, B and local distributor roads and key services such as schools, health facilities, community buildings, and formal and informal open spaces - as well as identifying the neighbourhood centres. This work also helps to identify Green Infrastructure (GI) information such as public open space, and existing green corridors and networks (e.g. waterways, cycle routes and footpaths) and water elements (e.g. lakes, significant pond systems, wetlands etc) which will inform Step 7 in particular. Step 2 – Cell Identification This exercise reviewed all of the land surrounding the town to identify appropriate and workable study areas (referred to as ‘cells’) for further assessment. In determining the extent of the individual cells, consideration was given to features that would potentially create barriers between cells, such as significant transport corridors and landform features, for instance topography and watercourses. Once these features had been identified, it provided definition to the boundaries for the cells surrounding the town. The landscape cells identified for St Austell are illustrated below in Figure 3. It should be noted that these cell boundaries are amended and refined as the assessment and consultation progresses. St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 8 Figure 2: St Austell Neighbourhoods Map St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 9 Figure 3: St Austell Original Cell Boundaries St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 10 Step 3 – Environmental Constraints An assessment was carried out to record any environmental features within each of the cells. The intention was to identify land where significant environmental features (predominantly national designations e.g. SSSI; flood zone 3b; ancient woodland etc) would make future development highly unlikely due to the value of these assets. The step also identified areas where potential growth would not be constrained by significant environmental features. Each cell was analysed using the assessment criteria and a ‘traffic light system’, which are detailed at Appendix A. The environmental map for St Austell is presented at Figure 4. St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 11 Figure 4: The Environmental Constraint Map for St Austell St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 12 Step 4 - Accessibility A desk-based accessibility assessment was undertaken at the same time as Step 3. This assessed each cell for access to local facilities e.g. schools, health facilities, town centres etc. Accessibility was assessed for both pedestrians (Step 4a) and vehicles (Step 4b). Distances of 400m, 800m and 1200m representing 5, 10 and 15 minute walks respectively were used in the assessment (based on national planning and urban design good practice guidance). Each cell was assessed using a traffic light rating system, the maps used are attached at Appendix B. Potential shortfalls in the availability of local services and facilities were also highlighted. For vehicular accessibility (Step 4b), the assessment looked at whether the existing highway infrastructure had potential to provide existing or new vehicular access points / routes to the cells. Two key issues were considered: • Whether there was vehicular access to serve the cell; and • Whether there was possible vehicular connection from the cell to the nearest Town or Neighbourhood Centre. Figure 5: Overview Map of the Accessibility Assessment Results St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 13 The results of this assessment were considered along with Step 4a, to determine an overall accessibility rating for each cell. The results of the Accessibility Assessment are shown in Figure 5. St Austell & Parishes Town Framework: Urban Extensions Assessment 14 Step 5 – Initial Review and Discount of Cells Step 5 was a key stage to identify and discount those cells inappropriate for development on the grounds of environmental value and/or accessibility. Whereas this step resulted in the discounting some cells for many other Town Framework Plans under consideration there was not a sufficiently