NOCTON & NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 2016 – 2036 SUBMISSION DRAFT

REPRESENTATIONS ON BEHALF OF

LEDA PROPERTIES LIMITED

JANUARY 2017

Leda Properties Limited

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. This representation is made in response to Nocton & Potterhanworth Parish Councils’ (“the Parish Councils”) Neighbourhood Plan 2016 – 2036 Submission Draft (“the Plan”) consultation and is submitted on behalf of Leda Properties Limited (“Leda”). Leda is the owner of Nocton Hall, Nocton. The site is outlined in red on the plan at Appendix 1. The site comprises the Grade II listed Nocton Hall and its grounds and a former RAF hospital.

1.2. Leda has for some time been in active discussions with North Kestevan District Council about a comprehensive residential redevelopment scheme for the Nocton Hall site, the driver for which is to provide the funds necessary to stabilise Nocton Hall, which has been damaged by fire and an earthquake, and to remediate the former RAF hospital, which has become derelict.

1.3. Leda is delighted to see that the Plan includes a policy (Policy 3) which allows the redevelopment of the former RAF hospital to enable the stabilisation work at Nocton Hall.

1.4. This submission supports Policy 3 and updates the Parish Councils on work carried out to date on the site.

2. THE SITE

2.1. The Nocton Hall site extends to some 29ha and is located in the village of Nocton, approximately 12km south of Lincoln and 16km north of . Nocton has a number of key services and facilities including a village hall, primary school, village post office, playing field and tennis courts. There is also a regular bus service running to and from the village.

2.2. The Nocton Hall site is made up of two key areas:

Nocton Hall Grade II listed and associated grounds (approx. 12ha) – an exceptional and attractive building which was last in use as a residential home in the mid-1990’s. It was gutted by fire in 2004 and structurally damaged by an earthquake in 2008.

Former RAF Hospital (approx. 17ha) – a previously developed site, including up to 30 ward buildings, ancillary offices and buildings, which are now vacant and derelict.

3. BACKGROUND

3.1. An Options Appraisal (October 2011) for Nocton Hall was funded by North District Council and English Heritage (now Historic ) and contained a number of alternative options for its future use.

3.2. Project Viability and Funding Opportunities were assessed by Heritage for District Council (April 2012). That report complemented the October 2011 appraisal and considered two main options for Nocton Hall:

Full residential restoration of the hall – unlikely to be funded by charitable and public sources due to private ownership. A commercial ‘enabling development’

Nocton & Potterhanworth: Neighbourhood Plan 2016 – 2036 Submission Draft 1 Leda Properties Limited

development could be financially viable. The costs to be funded through enabling development - around 200 homes would be required.

Partial restoration - retaining the main hall as a ruin and restore service wing, potentially for community use or as a visitor centre, with public access to the ruin and grounds.

4. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 2016 – 2036: POLICY 3

4.1. Policy 3 in the Plan states that:

“Proposals for the sustainable development of the former RAF Hospital Nocton Hall site should:

 deliver an appropriate solution for Nocton Hall, in line with the agreed outcome of the 2011 Options Appraisal (or subsequent updated reports) to restore the main house as a ruin and fully restore the service wing, with an agreed management plan to ensure the proposals for the Hall are sustainable; and…”

4.2. The Policy also requires:

 A comprehensive masterplan.  Solutions for the currently empty outbuildings in Nocton Hall grounds.  Restoration of the ‘Pleasure Gardens’.  Proposals to clear the RAF Hospital site.  The provision of a safe and suitable vehicular and pedestrian access.  Measures to ensure that increased traffic can be safely accommodated on the local road network.  Development to be proportional to the character of the surrounding village and not place additional burdens on the limited local infrastructure.  Development that is ‘enabling’ only.

4.3. Leda is supportive of Policy 3 and welcomes the recognition in the policy of the appraisal work carried out so far.

4.4. The policy recognises that due to the fire and earthquake mentioned above, Nocton Hall (a Grade II listed building) is currently in a very unstable and potentially dangerous condition. The buildings on the former RAF hospital site are also in very poor condition and are the subject of ongoing and extensive vandalism.

4.5. It is common ground among the various stakeholders that the Hall needs to be stabilised; that the former RAF hospital site needs to be remediated; and that a long- term solution needs to be found for the site as a whole. The stabilisation works and site remediation will cost some millions of pounds. Monies also need to be found to restore and thereafter maintain the Hall’s historic gardens.

4.6. Against this background, Leda has been working up an ‘enabling’ residential scheme for the former RAF hospital site.

4.7. A ‘Constraints and Opportunities Plan’ has been prepared for the site which can be found at Appendix 2 of this submission.

Nocton & Potterhanworth: Neighbourhood Plan 2016 – 2036 Submission Draft 2 Leda Properties Limited

4.8. Leda has also collected baseline information on bats, Great Crested Newts, reptiles and birds to feed into a final ‘Ecological Impact Assessment’ report which will inform an ecology mitigation strategy. A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment is due to be carried out on the site this winter. Transport Assessment work is also ongoing on the site.

4.9. Leda looks forward to working with the Parish Councils on a scheme which will deliver on the Councils’ aspirations for the site and provide a well-designed and appropriate development in respect of which the local community can be proud and can enjoy.

Nocton & Potterhanworth: Neighbourhood Plan 2016 – 2036 Submission Draft 3 Appendix 1 – Site Location Plan

Appendix 2 – Constraints and Opportunities Plan Opportunities and Constraints plan N SITE BOUNDARY Access required to STW SITE BOUNDARY Access required to STW EXISTING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIESEXISTING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES EXISTING KEY FEATURES TO BE RETAINEDEXISTING KEY FEATURES TO BE RETAINED

GROUNDS OF NOCTON HALL GROUNDS OF NOCTON HALL

EXISTING PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY/BRIDLEWAYEXISTING PUBLIC RIGHTS OF 1 WAY/BRIDLEWAY EXISTING FOOTPATHS WITHIN THE SITE (NOTEXISTING PUBLICLY FOOTPATHS ACCESSIBLE) WITHIN THE SITE (NOT PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE)

EXISTING ROADS EXISTING ROADS

Walled Garden PROPOSED VEHICULAR / Walled Garden PEDESTRIANPROPOSED ACCESS VEHICULAR / PEDESTRIAN ACCESS PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL Nocton Hall AREASPROPOSED (11.94ha) RESIDENTIAL Nocton Hall (in ruin) AREAS (11.94ha) (in ruin) EXISTING TREES/WOODLAND TO EXISTINGBE RETAINED TREES/WOODLAND 7 Former military buildings TO BE RETAINED to beFormer demolished military buildings 4 to be demolished FORMER RECREATION AREA FORMER RECREATION AREA 2 KEY INTERNAL SITE VIEWS KEY INTERNAL SITE VIEWS

Nocton Community PrimaryNocton School Community Primary School

All Saints Church All Saints Church 1 7 3

Former military buildings Former military buildings to be demolished to be demolished

2 6

5

Water Tower Water Tower 6

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