Green Belt Boundary Study December 2013

Royal Borough of Windsor and Planning & Property Services Town Hall St Ives Road Maidenhead SL6 1RF

Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 Contents

Body

1 Introduction 2

2 Context 3

3 Boundary Assessment Methodology 5

4 Conclusion 6

Appendices

A area 10

B Maidenhead area 12

C Windsor area 19

D Eton area 24

E area 27

F and area 30

G Ascot and Sunninghill area 33

H area 36 2 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 1 Introduction

1.1 The Council is committed to protecting the role and importance of the Green Belt. Notwithstanding this, the Council faces increased development pressures and will be seeking to have an open debate with our community on how to address these.

1.2 The Council must review all constraints as part of the work on the Borough Local Plan and part of this is reviewing the Green Belt boundary and the purposes of the Green Belt. This report only deals with the review of the Green Belt boundary and not the review of the Green Belt purposes, and is not considering whether land should be used for development. It focuses on ensuring that the Green Belt boundaries in all locations are strong and that they will be permanent beyond the plan period.

1.3 This process also involves a holistic review of the methodology set out in the Green Belt Local Plan for . It includes recommendations for potential Green Belt boundary amendments which would be subject to public consultation and to examination by a Government Inspector in the Borough Local Plan.

1.4 This report sets out the context, and study approach and methodology that was followed in assessing areas of Green Belt potential.

1.5 This report is an update of the 2009 published report "Green Belt Boundary Review (Proposals for new Green Belt land)". Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 3 Context 2

2.1 National Policy on Green Belts is contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which outlines five purposes of including land in the Green Belt, namely:

To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas; To prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another; To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and To assist urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other land.

2.2 It also states that:

Local planning authorities with Green Belts in their area should establish Green Belt boundaries in their Local Plans which set the framework for Green Belt and settlement policy. Once established, Green Belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances, through the preparation or review of the Local Plan. At that time, authorities should consider the Green Belt boundaries having regard to their intended permanence in the long term, so that they should be capable of enduring beyond the plan period.

2.3 The Council must define Green Belt boundaries clearly, using physical features that are likely to be to be permanent wherever appropriate. Furthermore, the Council must be satisfied that the Green Belt boundaries will not need to be altered again at the end of the plan period.

2.4 Green Belt was first included within the Borough as part of the Berkshire County Development Plan (1962) as part of the “proposed Green Belt.” This was not formally adopted but was treated, with the approval of Whitehall, as if it had been approved. The area of Metropolitan Green Belt in East Berkshire received the formal approval of the Secretary of State for the Environment in 1974.

2.5 Precise boundaries were originally established by the Green Belt Local Plan for Berkshire, which was adopted in 1985. These boundaries have been retained in the Royal Borough except for correcting minor inconsistencies through the RBWM Local Plan that was adopted in 1999.

2.6 Section 4 of the Green Belt Local Plan for Berkshire utilised four criteria for defining boundaries around Excluded Settlements. These were:

1. The existing planning boundaries of the settlements should be used as the starting point in defining the Green Belt boundaries around the Excluded Settlements(1); 2. Changes to the established planning boundaries should only be made where those boundaries are unsatisfactory either because development, or a commitment to development, has spread beyond the established boundary, or because the present boundary does not accurately reflect the true boundary of the wholly urban area; 3. The Green Belt boundaries should be drawn tightly against the edge of the developed area (actual or committed) of the Excluded Settlements; 4. The Green Belt boundaries should be clear on the ground and defensible.

2.7 Paragraph 4.3.7 of the Green Belt Local Plan clarifies that criteria 3 for defining the boundaries was included on the basis that new ‘white areas,’ or undesignated areas on the edge of Excluded Settlements, would not be needed for future housing growth to take place as adequate provision existed elsewhere to accommodate the housing needs of the area for the foreseeable future. This rationale is no longer relevant as the Council is now expected to provide high levels of housing locally that is putting pressure on undeveloped areas at the edge of settlements. The accompanying explanation for the third criteria also stated that:

"…small sites on the edges of settlements which, although not built on, relate more closely to the adjoining settlement than to its open or rural surroundings have been included within the Excluded Settlements."

2.8 On a number of occasions these open spaces at the edge of settlements result in a lack of definition between the areas in the Green Belt and areas in the settlement. By including these areas within the Green Belt, where appropriate, a more defensible and recognisable boundary would be created.

1 Excluded Settlements are the towns and larger villages of the Borough that are not washed over by the Green Belt 4 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 2 Context

2.9 The Council considers that the explanation accompanying the fourth criteria is now out of kilter in relation to the current Green Belt boundaries. In the Royal Borough there are inconsistencies in the Green Belt boundary such that they may not be as defensible as they could be. The accompanying explanation from paragraph 4.3.9 of the Green Belt Local Plan for Berkshire states that:

"…boundaries around the Excluded Settlements should, so far as possible, be clear on the ground, and follow recognisable and permanent features. However, since the main aim is to ensure that these boundaries correspond to the edge of the built-up areas, they may sometimes have to follow features – such as fence lines or other plot boundaries – whose accessibility and permanence may not seem to be quite as assured…Such features…are considered to be satisfactory for defining Green Belt boundaries around the Excluded Settlement."

2.10 This explains how it was intended to mark the Green Belt boundary. The Council now considers that it lacks a clear order of priority to show how a boundary should be drawn.

2.11 As further commentary on criteria 4, Paragraph 4.3.10 of the Green Belt Local Plan for Berkshire addresses sites adjoined to the Excluded Settlements that are in non-rural use, such as:

Short or fragmented ribbons of development straggling along main roads leading out of towns; or Small groups of houses on the ‘far’ side of a road where the road itself marks the clear limit of the main solidly built-up area.

2.12 These factors have not been followed on a number of occasions around the Borough.

2.13 The problem of how to deal with open land uses on the edge of the Excluded Settlements is discussed in paragraph 4.3.11 of the Green Belt Local Plan for Berkshire. The decision about whether or not to include these areas was dealt with on a case by case basis, with each considered on its own merit in terms of contribution to the Green Belt or to the urban character of the settlement.

2.14 According to the Green Belt Local Plan for Berkshire it was the aim to strike a balance between the above four criteria. The plan states that the aim of Green Belt policy in preventing the spread of development into open or undeveloped areas has been taken as the guiding principle in boundary definition. Paragraph 4.3.12 of the plan states that on occasions:

"…it has been necessary to make the boundary follow no clear feature on the ground, where to do otherwise would either misrepresent the true boundary of the area of wholly urban character, or would involve the exclusion from the Green Belt of substantial areas of open or undeveloped land."

2.15 There are now considered to be a number of inconsistencies that need to be addressed in order to strengthen the RBWM Green Belt boundary. Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 5 Boundary Assessment Methodology 3

3.1 The Council has identified a number of locations where the boundary may need review. The suggestions of these locations came from:

land owners who felt that specific amendments were needed; officer review of the boundary from map-based technical exercises; and officer or Councillor notifications of inconsistencies as a result of other technical work or during planning applications.

3.2 Once a list of potential locations were identified, a list of criteria for the definition of where the boundary should go was established to ensure a consistent approach to the assessment. The methodology used in the Green Belt Local Plan for Berkshire was reviewed and it was decided that a more robust and clear methodology should be drawn up in order to regularise Green Belt boundaries.

3.3 The methodology used for the purpose of recommending potential Green Belt boundary amendments followed 2 key principles:

PRINCIPLE 1) Boundaries should always try to follow a permanent physical feature on the ground that creates a logical, strong, defensible and permanent boundary. The order of preference of these features are:

a. A road edge, typically the road should be included within the settlement unless a more logical line would include the road in the Green Belt; b. A building line that provides a straight logical line and clearly represents the edge of the urban area; c. A pathway, stream, ridge, car park, playground or other physical feature; d. An ownership boundary marked by physical features such as hedgerow or a fence-line; or e. In the absence of any physical features to follow on the ground to provide a straight line between two permanent physical features.

Where a lower preference is chosen for the boundary there must be a logical reasoning for this; for example the higher preferences fail to protect open spaces, or create irregularities in the overall boundary of an Excluded Settlement, or a change would unnecessarily remove large areas of Green Belt.

PRINCIPLE 2) Where there is an open space at the edge of a settlement it will generally be incorporated into the Green Belt, but only where a new logical boundary can be drawn using the features in STEP 1 of the methodology. If the space is dominated by a building or would replace a strong, logical boundary with a weak, illogical one this change would not be appropriate.

3.4 These factors have been chosen as they will only seek to amend minor irregularities to the boundary, and will not alter large areas. They will also ensure that areas that would not be suitable for inclusion in the Green Belt will not be designated as such.

3.5 The sites were analysed using both aerial photographs and ordnance survey maps to assess the potential for further inclusion in the study. Visits were made to a number of sites where it was unclear from maps and photographs whether or not they would be suitable to be placed in the Green Belt.

3.6 Once the situation was assessed, a suggested amended boundary was mapped against the preferred boundary or where no preferred boundary was identified, the location did not continue in the study. Other Council departments and land owners were consulted to ensure that any Green Belt designation would not hinder any aspirations for the future. 6 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 4 Conclusion

4.1 Table 1 identifies the locations where there is a proposed change using the methodology outlined in chapter 3. The table also includes the amount of land proposed to go in or out of the Green Belt and a map reference number which relates to the maps in the appendix.

Location of proposed change Remove / Add Area Map from Green Belt Reference

Open space next to Holy Trinity Church Add Cookham 1

Land at Cookham House, Berries Lane Add Cookham 1

Land at Odney Lane Remove Cookham 2

Land at the Odney Club Remove Cookham 2

Pumping Station, Whyteladyes Lane Add Cookham 3

Boulters Island Add Maidenhead 4

Bridge Gardens Add Maidenhead 5

Guards Club Park Add Maidenhead 5

Gardens west of Maidenhead Court Park Remove Maidenhead 6

Land at the junction of Cookham Road and Add Maidenhead 7 Aldebury Road

Gardens at Aldebury Road Remove Maidenhead 7

Land north of Aldebury Road Add Maidenhead 7

Land east of Aldebury Road Add Maidenhead 7

Junction at the corner of Cannon Lane and Add and remove Maidenhead 8 Altwood Road

Breadcroft Lane allotments Add Maidenhead 9

Woodlands Park industrial estate Remove Maidenhead 10

Land north of Ockwells Road Add Maidenhead 11

Open space at Thurlby Way Add Maidenhead 12

Eastern end of Ockwells Road Add Maidenhead 12

Recreation ground east of Greenfields Add Maidenhead 13

12 Kingswood Court Remove Maidenhead 14

Braywick House Add Maidenhead 15

Recreation ground at Aysgarth Park Add Maidenhead 16

Land south of Huxtable Gardens Add Maidenhead 17

Land south of Witchford Gate Remove Maidenhead 17

Alexandra First School playing fields Add Windsor 18 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 7 Conclusion 4

Location of proposed change Remove / Add Area Map from Green Belt Reference

Land south of Maidenhead Road Add Windsor 19

Land south of Dower Park Add Windsor 20

Windsor Cemetery Add Windsor 21

Allotments and Trevelyan School playing Add Windsor 22 fields

Kings Road roundabout Add Windsor 23

Kings Road Add Windsor 24

Land east of Sheet Street Add Windsor 25

Baths Island Add Windsor 26

Gardens east of Bell Lane Remove Eton 27

Bell Lane and Common Road Add and remove Eton 27

East of Princes Close Add Eton 27

Haywards Mead Add Eton 27

Eton Wick C of E School Add Eton 27

Land north of Common Road Add Eton 28

Headmaster's garden Add Eton 29

South of Keats Lane Add Eton 30

Land east of Tangiers Lane Add Eton 31

Car park and grounds, Eton End School, Add and remove Datchet 32 Eton Road

Junction of Southlea Road and Beaulieu Add Datchet 33 Close

Datchet recreation ground Add Datchet 34

Garden of Datchet House Remove Datchet 35

Junction of Road and Riding Court Add Datchet 35 Road

Datchet cemetery Add Datchet 36

Land east of Penn Road Add Datchet 36

Gardens to the west of Horton Road Remove Datchet 37

Mill Place, west of Horton Road Add Datchet 37

Church Road junction Add Old Windsor and Wraysbury 38

Land east of Meadow Close Add Old Windsor and Wraysbury 38 8 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 4 Conclusion

Location of proposed change Remove / Add Area Map from Green Belt Reference

Land west of Tyle Place Add Old Windsor and Wraysbury 39

Land south of Burfield Road Add Old Windsor and Wraysbury 40

Land to the west of Pelling Hill Remove Old Windsor and Wraysbury 40

Land to the east of Pelling Hill Add Old Windsor and Wraysbury 40

Garden to the south of Burfield Road Remove Old Windsor and Wraysbury 40

Land between Burfield Road and Wraysbury Add Old Windsor and Wraysbury 41

Gardens to the east of The Embankment Remove Old Windsor and Wraysbury 41

The Green Add Old Windsor and Wraysbury 42

Garden, west of Staines Road Add Old Windsor and Wraysbury 43

Ascot racecourse Add and remove Ascot and Sunninghill 44

North of Lyndhurst Road Add Ascot and Sunninghill 45

Land south of Kinross Avenue Add Ascot and Sunninghill 46

South Ascot School playing fields Add Ascot and Sunninghill 46

North of Francis Chichester Close Add Ascot and Sunninghill 47

Gardens north of Lower Village Road Remove Ascot and Sunninghill 48

Gardens south of The Covert Remove Ascot and Sunninghill 49

Holy Trinity School playing fields and Add Sunningdale 50 allotments south of Church Road

West of Sunningdale Station Add Sunningdale 51

4.2 The Borough's Edge of Settlement Analysis document is considering possible locations for development in the Green Belt. Allocation of some of these sites may impact on proposed boundary amendments at some of the locations identified. This report will be updated to accompany the Council's Submission Borough Local Plan, identifying the final proposed Green Belt boundary. - Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 9 Appendices 10 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 A Cookham area

Map 1 North Cookham Village

Map 2 East Cookham Villlage Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 11 Cookham area A

Map 3 South Cookham Rise 12 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 B Maidenhead area

Map 4 Boulters Island

Map 5 Parks at Maidenhead Riverside Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 13 Maidenhead area B

Map 6 Gardens west of Maidenhead Court Park

Map 7 Gardens on Aldebury Road 14 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 B Maidenhead area

Map 8 Corner of Cannon Lane and Altwood Road

Map 9 Breadcroft Lane allotments Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 15 Maidenhead area B

Map 10 Woodlands Park business park

Map 11 North of Ockwells Road 16 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 B Maidenhead area

Map 12 Eastern Ockwells Road

Map 13 East of Greenfields Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 17 Maidenhead area B

Map 14 Kingswood Court

Map 15 Braywick House 18 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 B Maidenhead area

Map 16 Aysgarth Park

Map 17 South of Windsor Road Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 19 Windsor area C

Map 18 Alexandra First School

Map 19 Land south of Maidenhead Road 20 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 C Windsor area

Map 20 South of Dower Park

Map 21 Cemetery south of St Leonards Road Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 21 Windsor area C

Map 22 Allotments and playing fields south of St Leonards Road

Map 23 Kings Road roundabout 22 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 C Windsor area

Map 24 Kings Road

Map 25 East of Sheet Street Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 23 Windsor area C

Map 26 Baths Island 24 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 D Eton area

Map 27

Map 28 North of Common Lane Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 25 Eton area D

Map 29 Headmaster's garden

Map 30 South of Keats Lane 26 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 D Eton area

Map 31 Tangiers Lane Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 27 Datchet area E

Map 32 West of Eton Road

Map 33 Southlea Road 28 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 E Datchet area

Map 34 Datchet recreation ground

Map 35 North of London Road Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 29 Datchet area E

Map 36 East of Ditton Road

Map 37 Mill Place, west of Horton Road 30 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 F Old Windsor and Wraysbury area

Map 38 East of Church Road and Meadow Close

Map 39 West of Tyle Place Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 31 Old Windsor and Wraysbury area F

Map 40 Pelling Hill

Map 41 The Embankment and Straight Road 32 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 F Old Windsor and Wraysbury area

Map 42 The Green

Map 43 West of Staines Road Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 33 Ascot and Sunninghill area G

Map 44 Ascot Racecourse

Map 45 North of Lyndhurst Road 34 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 G Ascot and Sunninghill area

Map 46 South of Liddell Way, South Ascot

Map 47 North of Francis Chichester Close Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 35 Ascot and Sunninghill area G

Map 48 Gardens north of Lower Village Road

Map 49 South of The Covert 36 Green Belt Boundary Study 2013 H Sunningdale area

Map 50 South of Church Road

Map 51 West of Sunningdale Station