Representations to the Harborough District Local Plan SCRAPTOFT EAST Connecting the City Links with the Countryside Delivering Sustainable Growth Creating New Places Scraptoft East 1 CONTENTS SECTION PAGE INTRODUCTION 5 THE VISION 6 MOVEMENT 8 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE 12 LAND USE 16 CONCEPT PLAN 18 CONCLUSION 22 Prepared by Scraptoft East 3 INTRODUCTION This promotional document has been prepared on behalf defined within what is termed as ‘Scraptoft East’, which of Parker Strategic Land Ltd, Jelson Ltd and Davidsons comprises the allocated land to the north of Scraptoft and KEYHAM Developments Ltd in connection with the ongoing further land to the east of Scraptof and Thurnby & Bushby. preparation of the new Harborough District Local Plan. The purpose of this document is to outline the clear benefits of The settlements of Thurnby & Bushby and Scraptoft allocating additional land on the east side of the Leicester are identified within the defined Leicester PUA and are KEYHAM LANE WEST Principal Urban Area (PUA) around the settlements of considered as settlements that are: - Scraptoft and Thurnby & Bushby in addition to the current allocation for 1,200 homes to the north of Scraptoft to ‘capable of sustaining expansion, infill and re-development meet the demand for housing growth in the District in the at a scale which reflects its level of access to services, most sustainable way. facilities and employment opportunities compared with NETHER HALL HALL other urban settlements in the District.’ NETHER ROAD The latest Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment (HEDNA) was published in January 2017. The incremental planning permissions of circa 500-600 This document forms part of the evidence base for the new homes north of Covert Lane around Scraptoft and a SCRAPTOFT SCRAPTOFT EAST Local Plans in the Leicestershire authorities, including similar amount east of Station Lane/north of Uppingham Harborough District. The HEDNA identifies an objectively Road around Thurnby & Bushby, and the allocation of SCRAPTOFT LANE assessed need for 117,900 dwellings between 2011-36 land for 1,200 new homes in the emerging Local Plan, across Leicester and Leicestershire (4,716 dwellings per highlight that this general area is considered a sustainable annum) with the Harborough District requirement rising location for growth. As such, a comprehensive strategy to from 447 to 514 dwellings per annum. deliver new residential communities with strong links to the City of Leicester is considered to be the most appropriate The objectively assessed housing need for the City of solution to meeting the District’s housing requirement and Leicester has also increased and it is likely that such potentially assist in meeting the City of Leicester’s housing growth will not be able to be accommodated on land needs. within the City boundaries and therefore neighbouring authorities such as Harborough District Council will, most A ‘high level’ masterplanning process has been likely, need to assist in meeting this requirement. This undertaken in order to set a vision for the Scraptoft East, makes the land around Scraptoft and Thurnby & Bushby a breaking the site down into key components in order to highly logical urban extension given its relationship to the create a well-planned new place. This document outlines Leicester PUA. the masterplanning process and is structured as follows: - THURNBY & BUSHBY In order to meet the housing need for the District, a • The Vision: Outlines the key objectives and features comprehensive and long-term strategy is required to of the proposals; allocate sufficient land for growth. The extension of • Movement Framework: Identifies the key vehicular existing, well-established, urban areas is considered to be and pedestrian/cycle connections and potential new the best approach in terms of: - routes; A47 • Green Infrastructure Framework: Illustrates the existing 1. Making best use of current infrastructure and services, landscape assets, the potential enhancements, new Scraptoft East allowing existing networks such as public transport movement corridors, open spaces and structure Context Plan to simply be extended rather than new routes being planting; created; • Land Use Framework: Quantifies the amount of 2. Improving the existing highway and transportation capacity of the site in terms of housing numbers as network to the benefit of existing communities; well as locations for other uses such as schools and 3. Delivering new and improved community facilities; local centres; 4. Expanding links into the countryside that are to the • Concept Plan: Illustrates the vision for the site and betterment of the wider community as a whole; how the movement, green infrastructure and land 5. Creating new housing to high-quality design standards use ‘layers’ can be brought together to create a well is also strengthened through a large-scale and well- -planned place. planned area of focus for growth. This document will outline the merits of focusing housing growth on the Leicester PUA by allocating land on the east side of Scraptoft in the first instance, with the remainder of the housing requirement then absorbed elsewhere in the District. The plan on the previous page highlights the land Scraptoft East 5 THE VISION Scraptoft East aims to deliver a further 2,700 new homes, in addition to the 1,200 homes proposed for allocation, new community facilities including a local centre and two new primary schools within a strong framework of green infrastructure with the overarching objectives of: - 1. Connecting the City 2. Links with the Countryside 3. Delivering Sustainable Growth 4. Creating New Places The vision for the proposals is to create new residential As will be illustrated later in this document, the eastern communities that: - edges of Leicester around Scraptoft and Thurnby & Bushby • realise the benefits of strong connections with the present opportunities to deliver places with distinctive City of Leicester in terms of access to the greatest characteristics to ensure that the delivery of large-scale concentration and widest variety of jobs, leisure and housing retains an emphasis on high-quality design and retail facilities via more sustainable modes of transport. the creation of places, rather than housing estates as has • deliver a new link road, which will benefit the wider been the case in other parts of the Harborough District/ highway network within the City, easing the pressure Leicester PUA. on lower-order residential streets and improving circulation. • create a place that also has the benefits of the countryside on its doorstep, with the opportunity to enhance some of the landscape assets in the area, extend footpath networks and expand access into the Scraptoft Hall countryside. 6 Scraptoft East 7 MOVEMENT Connecting the City A Sustainable Location: Access to Employment & Services proposals for Scraptoft East such as additional parking Existing Highway Network away from the main carriageway in the existing wide Unlike other proposals in the District, the proposals at grass verges, alongside other highway safety/public realm There are four main routes into and around Leicester when Scraptoft East have a strong foundation of well established improvements. travelling from the east, which then connect with other services and infrastructure including schools, shops, health key routes, primarily the Leicester Ring Road and the A6. care and major employers such as Samworth Brothers and The network of new routes creates vehicular access points These are: - Premier Foods. This is demonstrated by the fact that in the for the proposed development from: - • Keyham Lane West, which joins the Leicester Ring evidence base for the emerging Local Plan, the area to the • the Keyham Lane West/Hamilton Lane junction Road at Hamilton; east of Leicester was unsurprisingly identified as having • a road branching off Covert Lane south of Scraptoft; • Netherhall Road via New Romney Crescent, which the best access to employment via public transport, which • various junctions from the proposed new link road(s); joins the Leicester Ring Road at Hungarton Boulevard; is a key consideration in terms of allocating sustainable • the A47/Uppingham Road. • Scraptoft Lane which also joins the Leicester Ring locations for housing growth. Not only is Scraptoft East Road at Hungarton Boulevard; closest to the highest concentration of jobs, but also the A Sustainable Public Transport Network • The A47/Uppingham Road, which has three key greatest mix of employment opportunities, including B1 junctions in relation to the east of Leicester at Station Keyham Lane West employment uses with less reliance upon B2/B8 uses, A sustainable public transport network will be created by: - Lane (Thurnby & Bushby), the Leicester Ring Road unlike other proposals for growth in the District. • the extension of existing, frequent services in and northward towards Hungarton Boulevard and south on around the City into the proposed urban extension the A6030 linking to the A6 and the Ring Road to the Proposed Vehicular Links to create excellent public transport provision within south. walking distance for new residents. The Movement Framework proposes a new link road • designing the link road as a ‘through route’ (connecting Current pressures on the highway network exist as a result from the south, with a junction off the A47 and a north- with Keyham Lane West, Scraptoft Lane and the A47/ of north-to-south journeys along residential streets such westerly route meeting Scraptoft Lane at the southern Uppingham Road) allowing for the creation of circular as Station Lane, with congestion common at the junction edge of Scraptoft. A new roundabout will be created at extensions to the bus routes, rather than services that with the A47. Minor roads such as Hamilton Lane are also Scraptoft, which will aid the circulation of vehicles at this must double back, thus making them more efficient, used to make journeys north to south, with the Thurmaston junction and create more of a buffer between the highway more viable and increasing the scope and coverage of SUE adding further pressure on routes such as this.