Landscape Report
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LAND SOUTH OF OLD BATH ROAD, SONNING, WOKINGHAM PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE REPORT on behalf of Arlington Retirement Lifestyles October 2020 Enplan, Gloucester House, 399 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 2AH Offices also at Tunbridge Wells Directors: PG Russell-Vick DipLA CMLI • MA Carpenter BA(Hons) MRTPI • RJ Hodgetts BA(Hons) DipLA CMLI 01908 303701 [email protected] www.enplan.net Enplan is the trading name of Enplan UK Limited. Registered in England & Wales with Company Number 4608553. A list of directors is available at the registered office; Preston Park House, South Road, Brighton, BN1 6SB. THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 2 | Enplan ref 06-941 Land to the west of The Range Landscape Report September 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 5 2.0 LANDSCAPE RELATED PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT .................................. 7 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, February 2019): ............................. 7 Core Strategy (2010)............................................................................................. 8 Managing Development’ Delivery Local Plan (2014) ............................................ 9 Wokingham Local Plan ....................................................................................... 11 3.0 LANDSCAPE CONTEXT .................................................................................... 13 Landscape Character .......................................................................................... 13 National Context ................................................................................................. 13 Borough .............................................................................................................. 14 Site Context ........................................................................................................ 15 4.0 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT APPRAISAL........................................... 17 Outline Proposals ................................................................................................ 17 Visual Impact Assessment .................................................................................. 18 Landscape Character Effects .............................................................................. 21 5.0 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................. 25 Figures 1 Site Context (Location of Wider Viewpoints) 2 Topography Plan 3 Landscape Designation Plan 4 Zone of Theoretical Visibility (with buffers) 5 Landscape and Visual (Location of Viewpoints and Site Appraisal Views) 6 Landscape Character Areas 7 Views A and B 8 Views C and D 9 Views E and F 10 Views G and H 11 Views J 12 Viewpoint 1 | 3 13 Viewpoint 2 14 Viewpoint 3 15 Viewpoint 4 16 Viewpoint 5 17 Viewpoint 6 18 Viewpoint 7 19 Viewpoint 8 20 Viewpoint 9 21 Photomontage Viewpoint 2 Existing 22 Photomontage Viewpoint 2 Year 1 23 Photomontage Viewpoint 2 Year 15 24 Photomontage Viewpoint 7 Existing 25 Photomontage Viewpoint 7 Year 1 26 Photomontage Viewpoint 7 Year 15 27 Photomontage Viewpoint 9 Existing 28 Photomontage Viewpoint 9 Year 1 29 Photomontage Viewpoint 9 Year 15 30 Illustrative Landscape Masterplan Appendices Appendix A Landscape and Visual Appraisal Methodology Appendix B National Character Area Profile: Thames Valley (NCA115) Appendix C Wokingham Borough Council: Landscape Character Assessment (2004) Type J: Settled and Farmed Clay: Sub Category J4: Woodley-Earley Settled and Farmed Clay Appendix D Landscape Supporting Graphics 4 | Enplan ref 06-941 Land to the west of The Range Landscape Report September 2020 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Enplan is a multi-disciplinary practice of planners, landscape architects and environmental consultants. Enplan were appointed instructed by Arlington Retirement Lifestyles to produce a preliminary Landscape and Visual Impact Appraisal for Land to the west of The Range, Sonning to inform on the implications on the visibility and landscape character of the proposed Site for residential development. 1.2 This report sets out a preliminary assessment of the potential landscape and visual effects of developing the land for residential use at Land to the west of The Range. The report defines the existing landscape conditions, assesses the character and quality of the landscape and analyses the visual and landscape effects of the proposal. The report also considers a sketch concept of a potential site layout. 1.3 The baseline position against which this assessment has been undertaken is as per the current position on the ground. The site is located adjacent to the A4 Bath Road and off the Old Bath Road. Immediately to the north east is the Sunrise Senior Living Care Home and to the south Sonning Golf Course. Existing residential development is located to the west. 1.4 To the south west is located adjacent to the Sonning Golf Club car park is an approved development of 13 dwellings with associated highway works, public open space and landscaping. This was approved at Appeal in 2018 and the inspector noted the following: …..the encroachment into the countryside would be fairly limited given the relatively small size of the site. The development would also extend an area of existing built development and so would not appear as being unduly incongruous in relation to the overall pattern and built development in the area. Whilst likely to represent a greater intensity of built development in comparison to most of the surrounding development, the site would be capable of being developed for the number of dwellings proposed without it appearing as unacceptably cramped. The retention of the majority of the band of trees and landscaping adjacent to the front boundary would also provide good screening when viewed from Pound Lane and Duffield Road. Whilst some tree removal would be required for the proposed access this would be limited in its extent. This application proposes three blocks with 57 units contained on all its sides by mature trees and understorey planting along with a comprehensive mitigation strategy to further contain it and integrate it into the existing landscape and urban fabric. 1.5 There is an approved planning application ref no: 171424 on the site for the removal of ‘The Range’ and ‘Red Lodge’ and to replace them with 6 no dwellings and associated landscape. In the approval notice it stated: | 5 Overall the proposal seems to be sympathetic to the location and protected trees. Views into the site from public areas will be minimal. Within the approved scheme a similar number of trees were removed to accommodate the development as with this application. This application provides for considerably more trees as part of the landscape proposals to replace the ones being lost. 1.6 The Study Area for this assessment has been defined to incorporate all parts of the landscape that potentially may have a view of the proposals (referred to later in this chapter as the Zone of Theoretical Visibility or ZTV with buffers). 1.7 Assessments undertaken within this appraisal have been undertaken in accordance with the 3rd Edition of ‘Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (GLVIA3). The assessment and landscape design work has been led by Richard Hodgetts BA Hons DipLA CMLI, Landscape Director of Enplan and a Chartered Landscape Architect with over 27 years’ experience. 1.8 The proposal is to construct a development of high-quality retirement apartments. This will comprise up to 57 dwellings suitable for older persons accommodation (Use Class C3) with consideration of means of access, layout and scale. The application is submitted in outline form, with means of access, layout and scale subject to consideration with matters of appearance and landscaping reserved for future determination. The proposed illustrative plans have been prepared by Bowman Riley Architects and the Landscape Proposals by Enplan. 6 | Enplan ref 06-941 Land to the west of The Range Landscape Report September 2020 2.0 LANDSCAPE RELATED PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT 2.1 This section describes the background of relevant national and local planning policies, in so far as they relate to landscape matters, against which the development proposals will be determined. See Figure 3. National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, February 2019): 2.2 National Planning Policy Framework The NPPF sets out the Government’s economic, environmental and social planning policy and in combination these policies give the Government’s vision of sustainable development. The NPPF emphasises the need for well-designed places, promoting healthy and safe communities and conserving and enhancing the natural environment. 2.3 Regarding landscape and Green Infrastructure, the Natural Environment section of the NPPF provides a policy context for the countryside and Green Infrastructure. The key objectives include protecting and enhancing valued landscapes and, minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures. 2.4 Paragraph 145 relates to development in the Green Belt and states in part g) that limited infilling or the partial or complete redevelopment of previously developed land, whether redundant or in continuing use (excluding temporary buildings), which would: - not have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development; or - not