Mersey Warrington Flood Risk Management Scheme – Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Design and Access Statement September 2015
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Mersey Warrington Flood Risk Management Scheme – Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Design and Access Statement September 2015 Design and Access Statement_V2 We are the Environment Agency. We protect and improve the environment and make it a better place for people and wildlife. We operate at the place where environmental change has its greatest impact on people’s lives. We reduce the risks to people and properties from flooding; make sure there is enough water for people and wildlife; protect and improve air, land and water quality and apply the environmental standards within which industry can operate. Acting to reduce climate change and helping people and wildlife adapt to its consequences are at the heart of all that we do. We cannot do this alone. We work closely with a wide range of partners including government, business, local authorities, other agencies, civil society groups and the communities we serve. Published by: Environment Agency Further copies of this report are available Horizon house, Deanery Road from our publications catalogue: Bristol BS1 5AH http://publications.environment- Email: enquiries@environment- agency.gov.uk or our National Customer agency.gov.uk Contact Centre: T: 03708 506506 www.environment-agency.gov.uk Email: enquiries@environment- agency.gov.uk. © Environment Agency 2011 All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. Mersey Warrington FRMS Mersey Warrington FRMS Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Design and Access Statement Quality Assurance Project name Mersey Warrington Flood Risk Management Scheme – Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Project 1B1S reference Date September 2015 Version number 2 Author M Halsall Design and Access Statement_V2 Mersey Warrington FRMS Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Design and Access Statement CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 3 1.1 Purpose and Scope ................................................................................................ 3 1.2 The Site and its Surroundings ................................................................................. 4 2.0 DESIGN STATEMENT ............................................................................................... 6 2.1 Use ......................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Layout, Amount, Appearance and Scale ................................................................. 6 2.3 Landscaping ......................................................................................................... 12 3.0 ACCESS AND ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT ........................................................ 13 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 13 3.2 Access .................................................................................................................. 13 3.3 Accessibility .......................................................................................................... 15 3.4 Warrington Local Plan Core Strategy (2014) - Access Planning Policies .............. 17 4.0 CONSULTATION ..................................................................................................... 18 4.1 Consultation .......................................................................................................... 18 5.0 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................... 21 FIGURES Figure 1 – Site Location Plan Figure 2 – Statutory Plan Figure 3 – General Arrangement Figure 4 - ML1 General Arrangement Figure 5 - ML2 General Arrangement Figure 6 - ML3 General Arrangement Figure 7 - Site Sections Sheet 1 Figure 8 - Site Sections Sheet 2 Figure 9 - ML1 Landscape Reinstatement Figure 10 - ML2 Landscape Reinstatement Figure 11 - ML3 Landscape Reinstatement Figure 12 - Photomontage Figure 13 - Public Rights of Way Design and Access Statement_V2 2 Mersey Warrington FRMS Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Design and Access Statement 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose and Scope 1.1.1 This Design and Access Statement (DAS) has been prepared, on behalf of the Environment Agency (EA), in support of a planning application for Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) of the Mersey Warrington Flood Risk Management Scheme (FRMS). 1.1.2 The requirement to prepare a DAS was introduced by Section 42 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and came into force in August 2006. Government advice is contained within The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 and Article 9 (4)(c) explicitly states that DAS’s are not required to accompany planning applications for engineering operations. Whilst not strictly required for this development, it is considered that a DAS will assist Warrington Borough Council (WBC) in understanding the evolution of the scheme’s design. 1.1.3 Article 9 (3) of the Order states that a design and access statement should : a. explain the design principles and concepts that have been applied to the development; b. demonstrate the steps taken to appraise the context of the development and how the design of the development takes that context into account; c. explain the policy adopted as to access, and how policies relating to access in relevant local development documents have been taken into account; d. state what, if any, consultation has been undertaken on issues relating to access to the development and what account has been taken of the outcome of any such consultation; and e. explain how any specific issues which might affect access to the development have been addressed.” 1.1.4 In addition to the above, ‘Design and Access Statements – How to read, write and use them’ published in 2006 by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has been used to prepare this statement. This guidance identifies a number of design and access considerations that should be employed when describing the proposal. 1.1.5 The CABE guidance suggests that the design element should show the process that has been gone through and explain the scheme in terms of the following: Design and Access Statement_V2 3 Mersey Warrington FRMS Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Design and Access Statement Use; Layout; Amount; Scale; Appearance; and Landscaping. 1.1.6 The access element should include the following details: Vehicular and transport links; and Inclusive access. 1.2 The Site and its Surroundings 1.2.1 The site location and geographical context is provided in Figure 1. The site lies adjacent to Westy Point, one of a series of large meanders to the River Mersey between Thelwall and Cuerdley to the east of Warrington town centre. 1.2.2 The linear site extends along the edge of Latchford East (Westy) enclosing low rise housing and the Cardinal Newman Roman Catholic High School. A large area of overgrown land lies to the north of the site, enclosed to the east, north and west by the River Mersey. The whole meander is crossed by a set of high voltage power lines supported on pylons. 1.2.3 A disused channel, referred to as ‘The Feeder’, runs down the west side of Westy Point. The channel formerly supplied water to the disused Runcorn & Latchford Canal. The Feeder no longer holds water in normal conditions and terminates near A50 Kingsway South with no connection to the canal network. 1.2.4 The proposed scheme has been subdivided into 3 sections referred to as ML1, ML2 and ML3 (ML referring in the overall scheme to Mersey Left bank). Broadly speaking, ML1 runs along Mersey Walk; ML2 cuts across the neck of the meander north of Cardinal Newman High School; and ML3 returns along the west side of the school and Westy housing before tying into high ground near Bridge Avenue and Kingsway South. 1.2.5 At its upstream end, ML1 commences at higher ground in the public open space at Westy Park, enclosed by residential development to the west and south and a mature woodland belt to the east. ML1 continues along the north eastern edge of Design and Access Statement_V2 4 Mersey Warrington FRMS Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Design and Access Statement Mersey Walk, bounding the area of linear amenity space between Mersey Walk and the river. This amenity space includes a large number of mature deciduous trees and is bounded along Mersey Walk by 1.8m high close board timber fencing. Residential properties line the west side of Mersey Walk and adjoining side streets. 1.2.6 ML2 is located across Westy Point, north of Cardinal Newman Roman Catholic High School. The alignment crosses through the compound of Westy Pumping Station. This part of Westy Point is an area of semi-derelict land formerly a wastewater treatment works but currently characterised by dense self-seeded vegetation including trees, scrub and bramble. 1.2.7 ML3 is located between the western boundary of the high school site and The Feeder. Design and Access Statement_V2 5 Mersey Warrington FRMS Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Design and Access Statement 2.0 DESIGN STATEMENT 2.1 Use 2.1.1 A map of the planning application boundary is provided within Figure 2. The proposals relate to the construction of a flood wall on a linear corridor of land on the inside of a meander loop of the River Mersey known as Westy Point. 2.1.2 Westy Point itself is a former wastewater treatment works with only the pumping station remaining in the south eastern part