scotia homes village community engagement 09/14

Foveran Village - A new addition to Scotia Homes commitment to local developments within the Energetica Corridor and .

SCOTIA HOMES MEADOWS 354 NO. HOMES

SCOTIA HOMES CASTLETON 130 NO. HOMES

SCOTIA HOMES CROMLEYBANK 980 NO. HOMES + MIXED USE

SCOTIA HOMES KNOCKHALL ROAD 49 NO. HOMES

ENERFIELD BUSINESS UNITS (by another) SCOTIA HOMES FOVERAN VILLAGE FOVERAN 50 NO. HOMES + MIXED USE

SCOTIA HOMES DUBFORD 550 NO. HOMES + MIXED USE

Scotia Homes Ltd.

Scotia Homes is a privately owned, multi-award winning property developer based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. Scotia has set itself apart by adopting a flexible approach to its developments, having the ability to create both suburban and innovative urban “townbuilding” ENERFIELD style developments which prioritise placemaking.

The Company was founded in 1990 and its prudent approach to risk management has ensured continued successful trading, even through the years following the world wide financial crisis of 2008.

In order to differentiate itself from other developers Scotia identified urban design principles as the way forward by creating sustainable FOVERAN neighbourhoods, providing better places for people to live and work. VILLAGE Scotia’s first mixed use urban development at Glenside, was awarded Overall Winner in the Scottish Government Awards for Quality in Planning in 2010 and the company has continued to develop urban design led developments within the City and Shire.

Scotia have recently completed a successful and award winning LDP Allocation Phase 1 Housing scheme at Drumrossie Incsh. Current developments under construction along the Energetica/A90 corridor include Castleton Phase 1 Housing Ellon, Knockhall Newburgh, Dubford Bridge of Don and Charleston Phase 2 Housing / Mixed Use Cove. Phase 1 Employment Phase 2 Employment

Location Map for Foveran Village and Enerfield Phasing plan of Foveran Village from the Westfield Foveran Masterplan 2013 prepared by Halliday Fraser Munro and Harper Cochrane Ltd. process foveran village community engagement 09/14

Your Views

We seek your comments to help inform and shape the proposals for Foveran Village. Stakeholders and the local community are invited to express their views through dialogue with the team and through written feedback forms.

Background Planning Process & Timescales for Phase 1 Professional Team

The M1 site is currently allocated for 50 houses, alongside 5ha of A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for Foveran Village was Developer SCOTIA HOMES employment land (2ha employment & 3ha strategic reserve) in the submitted in May 2014 with the intention of submitting a detailed Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan (LDP). The LDP also allocated Planning Application in October 2014. Urban Design and Architecture AREA the EH2 site for 6 houses. Landscape Architecture IAN WHITE ASSOCIATES The outcomes of the consultation event and feedback received, will The Westfield Foveran Masterplan prepared by Halliday Fraser Munro be collated and reviewed by Scotia Homes team in order to inform Engineering FAIRHURST and Harper Cochrane Ltd in Sept 2013, received Aberdeenshire the design development in preparation for the detailed planning Council Area Committee Approval on 24th September application. 2013. PLEASE NOTE: No detailed application has been submitted to To date the Westfield Foveran Masterplan as presently approved was Aberdeenshire Council in relation to this proposal. Any comments subject to a programme of extensive public consultation as follows: made at this time are not formal representations to the Council and • Attendance and presentation at Foveran Community Council would not be considered as part of any future application. When a Meetings (25th February 2009, 26th January 2011 and 27th March formal application for detailed planning permission is submitted by 2013). Scotia Homes there will be an opportunity to make statutory • Public Consultation event in Foveran (31st January 2011) representations on the application to the Aberdeenshire Council. • Public Consultation event in Foveran (25th March 2013) M1

Scotia Homes have an agreement with the landowner to develop 50 PAN boundary housing units with a potential mix of uses and to co-ordinate the associated masterplan footpath connections and movement links to The PAN area is significantly larger than that required for the the wider subjects and existing Foveran settlement. proposed 50 units application. The identified area encompasses the allocated site EH2 (6 units) and part of FM060, the whole of M1 employment land (2ha) and potential future development bid land EH2 FM061 (50 units + 3ha Strategic Reserve Land) in order to provide sufficient scope within this application for the 50 units to be designed with full consideration of the wider Approved Masterplan subjects and associated linkages to existing settlement. Proposal of Application Notice Plan

1. Panorama of the eastern part of M1 site from the Cultercullen Road.

2. View along field boundary towards Foveran Primary School, with a backdrop of woodland surrounding Foveran House, to the right is the A90 Pitgersie bridge, 3. Looking west up-stream of the Foveran Burn, at the heart of the site. 4. View over existing woodland to Hill of Minnes. crossing the Foveran Burn.

5. Panorama of the western part of M1 site from the Cultercullen Road. The recent Cala Homes development is visible on the left of the photo.

6. Housing at McBey Way with private garden boundaries facing towards the Foveran Burn valley. 7. The Mill of Foveran is 1.5storey with a narrow gable. 8.The Mill of Foveran’s Outbuilding, lies long and linear, parallel to the lade which was channelled between outbuilding and the road. A large slab and long stones formed a bridge crossing (in the foreground). place foveran village community engagement 09/14

to Newburgh

New Mill structure planting to Udny perpendicular to Station Westfield contours Home steading Farm

Old Mill Foveran Linnhead House steading Church

Mill of a sinuous avenue source school Foveran of trees, follows of lade the contours lade leading to Foveran House Pitgersie Bridge Foveran Burn

Pitgersie steading

Historical morphology of Foveran c.1867

Place and Historical Patterns

Each settlement has a unique urban form and character determined Linear mill buildings were aligned to the watercourse and generated Foveran House has a sinuous avenue of trees, following the contours by the physical, political and economic climate in which it developed. east-west movement routes, whilst the majority of agricultural field and connect with Foveran Church. This valley and movement line Through historical research and context analysis we aim to identify boundaries ran perpendicular to the burn to provide irrigation and continues west on an informal axis to Foveran School. Historically and enhance the specific qualities of place that make Foveran. drainage. pedestrian and connections to this were truncated by the A90. To the northern edge of Foveran House and gardens, structure planting Water and topography have historically shaped the local context of Following the line of the valley the movement route followed the belts were designed perpendicular to the contours. Foveran. Movement north-south was dependent on the location of Foveran Burn and was populated by several mills. This route the Pitgersie Bridge to cross the burn. People sought to harness the connected , Westfield, Mill of Foveran, the Foveran Traditional built form is a combination of long thin mill/weaving potential of the burn for both irrigation and powering mills, leading Church and Newburgh. To the south of the M1 site, water was buildings and farm steading cluster groups, such as Westfield, to the formation of man-made lades. attenuated in a pond and diverted to form the Foveran lade, which Linnhead and Home Farm, expressing the two main historic forms the northern boundary of the flood plain. industries of the Formartine area.

A90 to Ellon

to Udny Station historical and existing field boundaries run north/south Westfield ‘The Store’

oad Cultercullen R hedge hedge potential high culvert Old Quarry, point low point with overhead power lin overhead power line possible standing water

existing agricultural land Foveran Primary school to Foveran

e bus stop House School Mill of Foveran steep contours lade existing woodland on steep slopes that follow the sinuous flood plain Foveran Burn route for the burn. bus stop

existing Pitgersie agricultural Bridge land errace Ardgill Farm is bus stop Key power line prominent on d Blairythan T overhead power lines higher ground. park, erhea hall 0.5m contours ov playing field & recycling builtform woodland burnside vegetation dispersed trees and hedges hedge playing fields possible flood area A90 to

Existing Site Plan Crown copyright 2014. All rights reserved. License number 100044679.

The Site

The northern site (M1) is bounded by the A90 and the Cultercullen The burn was historically diverted to form a northern lade. The Existing houses on McBey Way and Blairythan Terrace have private Road. The remainder of the site, also agriculture land is south of the floodplain between the two watercourses is currently used for cattle boundaries to the burn landscape. Apart from houses that front onto burn and includes the EH1 site. grazing. Blairythan Terrace the majority of existing housing is in cul-de-sac format offering no opportunities to connect to landscape. The land falls gently towards the east and is steeply intersected by Existing woodland follows the burn valley, with the majority of the Foveran Burn valley running west to east, separating the northern woodland on the northern slopes, to the west of the M1 site. On the Foveran Primary School is to the south-east of the M1 site. Currently site and Foveran Primary School from the neighbouring people southern slopes planting is less substantial and includes isolated a safe walking route to the school is impaired by the traffic on the across the valley. trees and hedges associated with rear garden boundaries. A90 and children are bussed to and from the playing fields on Blairythan Terrace. framework foveran village community engagement 09/14

Implementation Masterplan

These following spatial proposals are a response to the intrinsic qualities of Foveran. They intend to root the settlement into the wider landscape and through a layout of intimate and attractive new streets, generate a strong sense of place and local identity.

potential for culverted tributary (dotted blue) to be integrated with Westfield ‘The surface water swale Store’

the gateway swale ‘Square’ park old pond quarry

swale

swale swale Mill of Foveran open sp ace

lade

Foveran Burn point igh

dgill on h swale r le oA

wa view t s

Ardgill

gateway

Water and Topography Open Space

Recognising the potential of the Foveran Burn and lade as a landscape asset, the Implementation The linear swales form linkages between proposed open spaces including the new ‘Square’ at The Store, Masterplan takes as its starting point a series of new watercourses that form part of the approach to the gateways, the ‘old quarry’ and open spaces to the south that overlook the burn. sustainable management of storm water on the site. These swales are linear soft landscape elements that follow the gentler topography of the site from high to lower gradients. They are designed integral to the The Square is proposed as a new gateway space framed by woodland and anchored by the existing uses at streetscape, run parallel with movement and echo the historical relationship of builtform to lade that was The Store. Other spaces will vary in character appropriate to their location within the masterplan. They are once typical of Foveran. The swales also provide valuable habitat connections to existing woodland and fronted by new housing which provides enclosure and passive surveillance. Children’s play will be informal burnside landscape. in character, designed in response to the topography and integrated with the landscape.

A90 leading new woodland to Ellon planting relating to Westfield existing tree belt ‘The Store’ frames the ‘Square’ Westfield ‘The Store’ oad strategic Cultercullen R reserve (future potential for the the connection in future existing hedge employment) ‘Square’ ‘Square’ to de-trunked A90 new retained where woodland possible future planting residential along new grid of land/ western planting connecting streets school edge A90 dualling with overbridge and existing school associated new trees by bus stop tree planting the school overbridge

school footpath

n footbridge ew woodland potential future fo parallel to llows st eep Foveran Burn footbridge contours water main existing bus stop Fovera n Burn

ss e

dge acc McBey streets race m er follow o ng he EH2 ay an T fr yth orced contours W ir existing f a footpa Bl park, playing xisti bus stop E rein hall field & community th te recycling u new woodland ng ro planting A90

along ualli western

edge 90 d A

A90 leading to Aberdeen

Woodland Movement

Existing woodland following the valley is retained and reinforced with new tree planting on steeper slopes. The M1 site will be accessed from the Cultercullen Road with the potential for future connections from the de-trunked A90. A clear hierarchy of streets and lanes are designed to fit with existing contours. New tree tree lines will form strong linear elements, taking their cue from the orientation of historic field patterns that run perpendicular to the burn. These will provide attractive edges to development Following national placemaking and street design policy, Designing Places and Designing Streets, the boundaries. They connect with the network of swales and existing woodland to provide wildlife corridors. streets will be based on shared space principles. These types of pedestrian friendly streets already exist in These wooded belts will be managed to provide visual permeability and potential connections through to many historic towns in . Enclosure of the street, proximity of front doors and minimal private future phases of development. front gardens encouraging activity within the street and reduce vehicle speeds.

Housing fronting on to swales and accessed by bridges at Textured and robust natural materials. Housing addressing the landscape and integrated SUDS ponds, Planted thresholds and front doors onto a footpath, overlooking Housing within mature woodland, Finland. Scotland’s Housing Expo, Inverness Finland. landscape at Accordia, Cambridge. phase 1 foveran village community engagement 09/14

Vision and Aims for Phase 1

The creation of a 50 house residential area based on best practice Urban Design and Designing Streets principles, with local vernacular oad house designs that are a contemporary re-interpretation of historic Cultercullen R rural architecture designed to compliment the local area and existing hedge contribute positively to the creation of a new ‘sense of place’ within retained where the existing settlement of Foveran. possible

The proposals provide walking and cycling routes towards new parks Westfield potential for existing and open space that anticipate a framework for Foveran to expand, footpath to Cottage culverted tributary creating an attractive parkland setting and enhancing existing Cultercullen (dotted blue) to be watercourses associated with the former Mill of Foveran. Road, leading integrated with to the Store surface swale. swale park footpath SUDS pond

new woodland new tree line planting forming a permeable forming an edge to future edge to residential land phase1 housing

future residential land or school site

swale s w landscape a le edge to existing existing bus stop

Phase 1 Layout Sequence

The layout is inspired by landscape. At the entrance, walled gardens potential will link to detached houses to form a gateway at the Cultercullen school Road, extending the existing hedge line to form a well defined edge. open space expansion incorporating SUDS pond Beyond the entrance, housing in linear terrace format will create a play calm and restful frontage, typical of rural buildings, facing a linear tree belt typical of tree patterns in the wider landscape and framing a route south to school. footpath leading Foveran to footbridge new tree planting Primary Likewise, further terraced houses with pend parking frame a new School

connects with A90 riparian landscape opening towards a small park, the swale existing trees by the continuing the line of historic mill lades. school The remaining housing forms a simple network of streets and lanes characterised by hedged garden boundaries, a further riparian swale and by detached houses facing outwards. Gardens are contained between buildings for privacy and security, creating an intimate and Lade sheltered living environment. Foveran Burn Valley At key locations corner windows and components such as glass bays and dormers are carefully placed to overlook the street and help define a sense of place and character. 0 100 Phase 1 Layout

Phase1Key Safe Routes to School

2 bed terrace High quality pedestrian and cycle routes (shown red in the diagram) will connect with the existing wider network including:

2 bed semi-detached • Pedestrian access to the western edge of the existing Foveran Phase 1 School. 2 bed semi-detached • A new footpath on the south side of the Cultercullen road linking School the A90 footpath to the extent of phase 1 development boundary. 3 bed terrace pend • A new footpath within the Foveran Burn valley connecting the 3 bed detached northern and southern sites by a footbridge (dotted red in diagram).

3/4 bed detached Additionally:

4 bed detached EH2 • Following the down grading of the current A90 to a 30mph road a safe route to school will be possible from Blairythan Terrace 4 bed detached (dotted purple in diagram).

Phase 1 - Housing mix Phase 1 - Safe route to school diagram

A small mixed use square St. Andrews. Foot and cycle path through a meadow. Glass bay and minimal front gardens, Accordia, Cambridge. On-street parking integrated with landscape, swales and play. Stepping stones and swales can be incorporated with the informal play. phase 1 foveran village community engagement 09/14

Aerial view of Phase 1 proposal

Architecture and Streetscape

The architecture will be a response to rural scale and local character:

• The scale of building is carefully considered so that the proportion, gable width and roof pitch has a cohesive character fitting to the rural character of Foveran.

• A mix of house types is proposed with a 20% affordable which will be indistinguishable.

• 1.5-2 storey houses are proposed, the scale of rural buildings and creating intimate streets.

• The materials palette will provide a reference to local character.

• Passive low energy design through good day-lighting, solar shading, careful orientation of large windows, natural ventilation.

• Kitchen windows are orientated to overlook the streets.

• Externally rainwater would be collected or used in gardens. Permeable surface materials such as permeable paving or gravel will be used in non-adoptable parking areas.

• A simple palette of materials will unify streetscape and landscape design with the architecture.

• Building elevations, garden walls and hedges are used to define spaces and create enclosure.

• Car parking will be integral to the design of the pubic realm. In View east from the open space south of Westfield Cottage. curtilage parking and garages will be designed to be discreet so as not to dominate the street. (Car parking levels will be provided in accordance with Aberdeenshire standards).

• The layout of housing is integrated with the landscape elements such as swales and designed to address the landscape and maximise views.

• Management and maintenance of streets spaces, parks and woodland is being considered at each stage of the design process.

Typical street section through a riparian swale and street.

Terrace housing with minimal threshold fronting a tree-lined Architecture, street and landscape designed as a single Play area set within trees and overlooked by housing. Planted swales appropriate to the scale of the street, Upton. Play and art incorporated within the landscape. street. composition.