Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

January 2008 Contents

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Planning context

3.0 Site context and analysis

Landscape character Site analysis Flooding Noise Ecology

4.0 Sustainability & integration

5.0 Transport & movement

6.0 Opportunities

7.0 Development concept

8.0 Summary

Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

© Crown copyright licence number 759198 Savills Ltd. Published for the purposes of identification only and although believed to be correct, accuracy is not guaranteed © Savills plc. No dimensions are to be scaled from this drawing. All dimensions to be checked on site. All measurements are for indicative purposes only 00 St James Church, High Street Introduction 1.0 Page 1 January 08 Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton Introduction

1.1 This document has been produced on behalf of Lands Im- provement and Oxford University Chest in order to promote land at Little Paxton as a sustainable residential extension to the west of the village.

1.2 This document accompanies separate representations that are made on behalf of Lands Improvement to the ‘Hunting- donshire Core Strategy 2007 – Preferred Options’. The Pre- ferred Options were published for consultation until 11 Janu- ary 2008.

1.3 Whilst the separate representations respond directly to the Preferred Options, this complementary, promotional docu- ment seeks to demonstrate how development might be ac- commodated and delivered on land west of Little Paxton.

1.4 The remainder of this document looks at issues relating to ecology, landscape and transport in connection with the site’s suitability for development.

1.5 Little Paxton lies to the north of the market town of . Little Paxton is a medium sized village which is designated as a Key Service Centre in the Core Strategy Preferred Options.

1.6 Little Paxton has a relatively small historic core centred around the church. Much of the rest of the village consists of modern residential estates.

St James Church, High Street

Page 1 Page 2 1.0 January 08 Introduction Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

1.7 Little Paxton is bounded to the west by the A1 and there is a nar- row belt of open countryside to the south which separates the village from the market town of St Neots. To the east of Little Paxton is the , whilst to the north are a number of former gravel pits. Some of the pits are still being worked. The Paxton Pits Nature Reserve is located to the north of the village and has been formed as a result of gravel extraction in this area. As a result of the narrow belt of countryside and floodplain be- tween St Neots and Little Paxton, both have been able to retain their clear and distinct identity.

1.8 Lands Improvement and Oxford University Chest owns a site to the west of the existing built up area of Little Paxton and the A1 which is currently used as agricultural land. The eastern bound- ary is formed by the Great North Road and the western boundary is formed by the A1. The site area is 22 hectares (54 acres).

1.9 This document seeks to present the planning merits of develop- ing the site in relation to Little Paxton. Lands Improvement have also commissioned background work to support this document and in particular these consider:

• The landscape, character and setting of the site • Transport and highways issues • The ecological value of the site • A broad land-use masterplan and a vision for the site

1.10 This document accompanies representations that are being made separately to the Core Strategy Preferred Op- tions.

1.0 Page 3 The ‘Island’ site

Planning context Page 3 Page 4 2.0 January 08 Planning context Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

Draft East of Plan

2.1 The Draft Plan covers the period to 2021 and sets out a spatial strategy for the Eastern Region. The Plan is not site specific but identifies areas and general locations where strategic development should be considered.

2.2 This document is nearing adoption and sets out the housing requirements for each district in the East of England. Policy H1 of the draft East of England Plan sets out the housing requirements for the districts and states that Huntingdonshire should accommodate 11,200 dwellings in the period 2001 to 2021. It also states that this should be treated as a minimum figure.

2.3 Additionally, the Government have advised in PPS3 that there should be a 15 year supply of housing identified in the Core Strategy and for Huntingdonshire this means rolling forward the annual requirement of 560 dwellings through to 2026. This will result in a further 2,800 dwellings being required.

Huntingdonshire Local Plan 1995 and Huntingdonshire Local Plan Alteration 2002

2.4 Since 27 September 2007 only parts of the above policy document are still in force, however, the settlement hier- archy contained in Policy STR1 still applies. Under Policy STR5 Little Paxton is identified as a Group Village where limited development will be acceptable.

2.5 These two documents are now in the process of being reviewed in the context of the Huntingdonshire Local Devel- opment Framework which is examined below in more detail.

2.0 Page 5 January 08 Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton Planning context

Huntingdonshire Local Development Framework

2.6 Huntingdonshire District Council is currently consulting on its Core Strategy Preferred Options document which sets out the development strategy for the district for the period to 2021.

2.7 Policy wording 3 in the Preferred Options identifies Little Paxton as a ‘Key Service Centre’ where development schemes of moderate and minor scale will be appropriate. The reason for this designation is that Little Paxton benefits from a good level of services including a primary school, a GP surgery and good access to public trans- port. Similarly, Little Paxton benefits from being extremely close to the services that are available in St Neots which is a much higher order settlement and provides for more than day to day needs including employment provision and excellent public transport links. It also provides secondary school facilities and consequently de- velopment at Little Paxton would be able to take advantage of these facilities.

2.8 The site at Little Paxton measures approximately 22 hectares and could support approximately 350 dwellings subject to further investigation and having regard to consideration of an appropriate development concept. This figure is taken from the Housing Land Availability Assessment produced by Huntingdonshire District Council and its conclusion states that:

“This large field is available for development. It is however separated from the rest of Little Paxton by the Great North Road, and this together with the sheer scale of the site, would make it difficult to integrate with the rest of Little Paxton. Should these issues of integration be addressed, this location could be regarded as a suitable site for a sustainable urban extension.”

2.9 This document goes on to set out in more detail the landscape, transport and ecological issues associated with the site and also demonstrates that the issue of integration referred to above and therefore this site should be regarded as a sustainable urban extension.

Page 5 Page 6 2.0 January 08 Planning context Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

Huntingdonshire Land Availability Assessment

2.10 The adjoining extract is taken from the - shire Land Availability Assessment. It provides a base- Extract from Huntingdonshire Land Availability Assessment line analysis of the site which identifies its principal characteristics and potential points of access. It is also interesting in that is identifies the relationship of the site with the remainder of Little Paxton, also including the site at Riversfield Mill (shown in red) now under construction.

2.11 The inset drawing shows a potential development form promoted by the Council as a possible solution should the issues of integration be resolved. Al- though it is acknowledged that this is only a sketch provided to help determine the potential quantum of development on the site, it is nevertheless interest- ing to note the preference to retain development on the eastern half of the site, hugging the reaminder of the village, and the creation of a structural buffer strip along the western edge adjoining the A1.

2.0 Page 7 Site context & analysis Page 7 Page 8 3.0 January 08 Landscape character Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

Landscape and Townscape Assessment

3.1 The Huntingdonshire Landscape and Townscape Assessment was first pub- lished in 2004 but has recently been updated and re-published this year. Huntingdon The document helps to characterise the different landscape and urban areas within the district and also provides guidance on how development should take account of each area’s distinctive qualities.

3.2 The Little Paxton site is located on the western edge of the Ouse Valley character area. Immediately to the west (on the other side of the A1) the

land falls within the Southern Wolds character area. Buckden

3.3 Advice on the Ouse Valley character area stresses the importance of re- taining the ‘green’ nature of the corridor running through the district but also notes the ‘mosaic’ of uses which have generated as a result of the river’s use and its related settle- Little Paxton ments. In terms of the future of the Ouse Valley, the document makes clear the need to properly manage the flood plain, and the need to ensure St Neots that uses and development do not reduce the special quality of the area.

1 The Fens The site 2 Fen Margin 3 Central Claylands 4 Ouse Valley 5 South East Claylands 6 Northern Wolds 7 8 Southern Wolds 9 Nene Valley

3.0 Page 9 January 08 Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton Site context & analysis

Visual assessment

3.4 In order to take into account the potential visual impact of any de- velopment on this site, a visual assessment has been made from the surrounding landscape. This is presented in the following pages.

3.5 Essentially, the site is enclosed on its eastern side by the existing village. As a result, there are very few short views of the site from this side. Even from positions on high ground to the north of St Neots and on Paxton Hill to the east, the site remains enclosed by existing built form and foliage.

3.6 The land becomes most visible from positions to the west, par- ticularly along the A1 and from viewpoints within the Southern Wolds area further to the west. Although there are no footpaths or rights of way across the farmland which offer these views, but long distance views are possible from the minor road connecting to the A1 North interchange. From these positions, the open landscape slopes gradually down towards the Ouse Valley with very little existing vegetation to screen views. The course of the A1 is visible from these positions, and the northern half of the site is also clearly in view. That said, as a result of the A1 forming a breach in the landscape, the site itself appears to adjoin the set- tlement - particularly at the north end where the flyover and slip roads bring a more developed appearance.

Page 9 Page 10 3.0 January 08 Site context & analysis Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

Island site (Bloors) The Crofts / Gordon Close

01 View from Priory Hill, St Neots. The Bloors Development on the eastern edge of the village is visible but neither the site nor the A1 can be seen beyond the ma- ture trees.

Island site (Bloors)

02 View from Priory Hill Road, St Neots. This lower viewpoint can again identify the Bloors Development but the remainder of the village is screened.

3.0 Page 11 January 08 Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton Site context & analysis

03

View from Paxton Hill, . This view towards Little Paxton, with the east coast mainline in the foreground, shows how well screened the village has become from the north-west.

Gravel workings Lakefield Avenue

04

View from Paxton Hill, Great Paxton. This view looks towards the gravel plant in the centre of the image. Once again, the remainder of the village is very well screened from this side.

Page 12 3.0 January 08 Site context & analysis Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

Little Paxton Lane A1 The site

05 This view looks directly towards the site from higher ground to the west and shows how, beyond the A1, it relates to the village.

Little Paxton Lane The site A1

06

This view looks directly towards the northern half of the site, showing how the A1 disects the arable fields from the site and village beyond.

3.0 Page 13 January 08 Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton Site context & analysis

Flyover A1 Flyover The site

07 This view looks across the A1 towards the site. It shows the flyover at the north of the site.

Hire or Buy St Mary’sChurch Power Station

08 A view due south across the site identified the church of St. Mary in Eynesbury and the power station at Great Barford beyond.

Page 14 3.0 January 08 Analysis Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

3.7 The site analysis presents the information which sets the context for the development of a design concept. It shows the existing location of the site in relation to adjoining land, and also information about levels, vistas and landscaping in a generalised manner.

3.8 The analysis diagram tends to indicate how the site lies alongside the existing village which is now all to the east of the A1. The current development at Riversfield Mill will extend the development of the village southwards.

3.9 The many access points into the village from the old Great North Road show how permeable the settle- ment is from the west and the potential for the site to link in at these points.

Key:

The site Potential linkage points

A1 Long range viewpoints

Existing settlement

Gradient

3.0 Page 15 January 08 Flooding

3.10 Flooding is a material planning consideration and the Govern- ment’s policy is set out in PPS25: Development and Flood Risk. When new development is being planned it is imperative to as- certain, firstly, whether the site is in the floodplain, and sec- ondly if it is, what mitigation would be required.

3.11 It is clear from the Environment Agency’s flood maps that the site at Little Paxton is not within the floodplain. Therefore it is unlikely that any flood compensation measures will be required, however, further work on this issue will be carried out in due course.

3.12 When considering locations for development in Little Paxton the only realistic option is to the west of the village as a result of the expansive floodplain of the River Great Ouse. The detail of this is shown on the adjoining floodplain map (based on Environment Agency data).

Page 16 3.0 January 08 Noise Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

3.13 In view of the site’s location adjacent to the A1, any development will have to address the issue of noise. Noise is a planning consideration and guidance is set out in PPG24 on the levels of noise that are acceptable when dealing with residential development.

3.14 There are a number of ways in which noise levels can be mitigated when design- ing new development. These include providing acoustic fencing along sensitive boundaries or simply providing an earth bund which deflects noise. Alterna- tively, increasing the distance between the noise source and the development can be effective in minimising noise impact on a development.

3.15 Other methods include designing dwellings such that the habitable rooms are located on the side of the house which is away from the noise source. This, in conjunction with increasing window specifications, can be extremely effective in reducing noise impact.

3.16 Any development on this site would take into account the impact of noise and would be specifically designed to avoid any adverse noise impact. Lands Im- provement have experience in dealing with potential noise issues on sites such as Arbury Camp, , which lies adjacent to the A14.

Key: The site

A1

A1 cutting

Major routes

3.0 Page 17 January 08 Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton Ecology [

Legend 2 Lands Improvement have had an initial ecological survey 3.17Target note ! Scattecarriedred Broadle aoutved T ronee the site. Scattered Scrub 3 3.18Dry DThereitch are no designated ecological areas within the site 12 Arablebut there are three Sites of Special Scientific Interest with- A Densein S cr2kmub of the site boundary. These are Little Paxton Pits,

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Sustainability & integration 4.0 Page 19 January 08 Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton Sustainability & integration

4.1 As described previously, the site is located adjacent to the western edge of Little Paxton between the A1 and the Great North Road. Little Paxton is designated as a Key Service Centre in the Huntingdonshire Core Strategy Preferred Options in recognition of the facilities that exist in the village.

4.2 These services and facilities are located within the village itself and provide for the everyday needs of its residents. This would allow fur- ther development to occur in a sustainable manner by reducing the need to travel through the accessibility of the services and facilities.

4.3 Little Paxton is also located close to St Neots town centre where there are numerous services and facilities within walking distance of Little Paxton. Therefore, in relation to the services and facilities, further development at Little Paxton would not result in people having to travel for everyday needs.

4.4 In terms of the broader consideration of environment impact, any development on this site would take full account of the requirements to meet targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy. It would also harness the site’s potential for sustainable urban drainage.

Key: The site Primary school Post office/shop

400m walking Bus route Village hall

800m walking Surgery

Page 20 4.0 Transport & movement 5.0 Page 21 January 08 Transport & movement

5.1 The site is situated within walking distance of existing and proposed shop- ping, education, health and community facilities within Little Paxton and the northern periphery of St.Neots. The accepted 5km cycling distance en- compasses virtually the entirety of St.Neots, including the rail station/ bus interchanges and the main employment/ education/ health facilities and shopping areas.

5.2 To integrate the site into the existing village of Little Paxton and facilitate non-car borne access to local shops, services and schools, it will be necessary to alter and enhance the character of Great North Road, including the provi- sion of a street lighting system and the reduction in the existing speed limit from 40 to 30mph. A main site access that creates a traffic calming feature on Great North Road broadly centrally along the site frontage should be consid- ered, i.e. a roundabout. The provision of a secondary point of access direct to Great North Road should be considered to disperse traffic throughout the development and provide for emergency access.

5.3 Proposals within the St.Neots Market Town Transport Strategy include the provision of new dedicated cycleways between Little Paxton and St.Neots, east along Mill Lane to the railway station and Longsands Community Col- lege and, secondly, directly south toward St.Neots Town centre. The strategy also includes improved public transport infrastructure. The development will contribute towards the achievement of this sustainable transport infrastruc- ture by means of S106 Planning Obligations.

Page 21 Page 22 5.0 January 08 Transport & movement Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

5.4 The site benefits from access to existing local bus routes within walking distance of the site, which provide reasonable daily shopping and commut- ing services to Huntingdon and St.Neots, including a commuting service to St.Neots Rail Station. Bus stop siting will be examined in detail as part of any Transport Assessment, with additional stops and infrastructure proposed as necessary to ensure maximum accessibility to the available services and encourage non-car usage. Services to St.Neots and Huntingdon are broadly hourly throughout the day, with respective journey times of around 10 min- utes and 30 minutes respectively.

5.5 The development of the site will accord with the key objectives of Local and National Transport Policy in terms of achieving a form of development which provides real sustainable transport choices for people, promoting ac- cessibility to jobs, shopping, leisure facilities and services by public trans- port, walking and cycling, thereby reducing the need to travel, especially by car.

5.0 Page 23 St James’ Road

Opportunities Page 24 6.0 January 08 Opportunities Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

6.1 The opportunities diagram builds upon the foregoing analysis and evidence to suggest a potential development form and foot- print.

6.2 In response to the position of the site and its relationship with the existing village, development has been concentrated within the northern half of the site, aligning with development in progress at Riversfield Mill.

6.3 The principal aim of the scheme is to achieve physical and per- ceived links with the village so that it feels and operates as a integral part of it. To this end, as many opportunites to provide connections are taken, both by way of pedestrian and vehicle linkages but also by reinforcing the active frontage and land- marking along the old Great North Road, forming a new distinc- tive identity to this route. This can also be achieved by reinforc- ing existing landscaping and providing new appropriate landscape edges.

6.4 The existing structural planting alongside the A1 is reinforced and extended to provide a suitable acoustic screen for the de- velopment, but this will further enhance the grouping of built form to the east of the site, linking it further with the existing settlement.

6.5 In summary, the diagram indicates the potential for the site to deliver a development which can feel part of the existing village, whilst still protecting the open edges to the west and south.

6.0 Page 25 Concept

Development concept Page 26 7.0 January 08 Development concept Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

7.1 The development concept moves a step forward from the oppor- tunities diagram to show how the scheme might emerge. It is par- ticularly useful to advance the concept for this site as it begins to show how the layout can take best account of the potential physical linkages into the existing village. Along Great North Road, the layout shows a series of entrance points which align with links into the village. It also shows a reinforcement of the ‘avenue’ concept along the Great North Road and also indicates a potential greenspace to provide a focus and identity at the northern tip of the development.

7.2 The concept also clearly shows where the ‘active’ edges of the scheme would be located, generating a new and interesting streetscene along the west side of Great North Road. In addition, it shows the potential location of landmark buildings which will further enhance the identity of the scheme - and that identity of Little Paxton. The style of these buildings can either reinforce existing traditional characteristics or be more forward-looking in their design - but either approach will help to reinforce the dis- tinctiveness of the development and help set it into context.

Key: Development blocks Active frontage

Landmark building Structural landscaping

Potential linkage points Employment

7.0 Page 27 January 08 Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton Development concept

Built character

7.2 This page illustrates the potential for the development of this site to contribute positively to the distinctive- ness of Huntingdonshire but also to the identity of Little Paxton. Located at one of the principal approaches, the design and character of the scheme would have the potential to re-define the quality of this side of the village. The ideas illustrated here are show a use of materials and styles which could form the basis for further design studies in consultation with local people.

Page 28 7.0 January 08 Summary Land west of Great North Road Little Paxton

Summary

8.1 This document demonstrates the potential of this site to accom- modate development in a sustainable manner and in accordance with government guidance. Little Paxton is a settlement which can accommodate further development given its good range of services and facilities and its proximity to St Neots where employ- ment opportunities are prevalent.

8.2 The site can be incorporated into the settlement pattern of Little Paxton through good urban design and can provide an opportunity to create a new gateway to Little Paxton. It will also allow fur- ther development to support the existing services and facilities in the area.

8.0 Page 29