5 Item No: 1 Reference: B/12/00500/FUL Parish: SHOTLEY Ward Members: Cllrs J Deacon and C a Roberts Location: Former HMS Gange
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Item No: 1 Reference: B/12/00500/FUL Parish: SHOTLEY Ward Members: Cllr s J Deacon and C A Roberts Location: Former HMS Ganges Site, Shotley Gate, Shotley Proposal: The full and partial demolition of buildings associated with the redevelopment of the site to provide: 285 dwellings; a 60 bed nursing home; 400 sq. m convenience retail; a building containing 400 sq.m flexible dentist/doctor's surgery/veterinary surgery/r etail offices (B1/A2 or D1 uses); and 600 sq. m of offices (B1 use); the use of Nelson Hall for estate offices, changing rooms, dry sports, workshops (use class B1B/C), community use & cafe; the use of Vincent House as a hotel (C2 use) together with parkin g and landscaping to form a linear park and landscaped gardens together with associated further landscaping and lighting (as amended). The full and partial demolition of buildings associated with the redevelopment of the site to provide 285 dwellings and associated development. Applicant: Haylink Ltd Case Officer: Graham Chamberlain Date for Determination: 20/09/2012 RECOMMENDATION: Grant Planning Permission - subject to completion of a Section 106 Obligation; otherwise refuse planning permission. A Panel of Members inspected the site on 6th November 2013. There are three Appendices which accompany the report which are:- Appendix 1 – Abbreviation Sheet (to assist Members with Abbreviated text in the report) Appendix 2 – Non Technical Summary Appendix 3 – Appropriate Assessment THE SITE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS 1. The application site comprises of 23.6ha of land adjacent to Shotley Gate, a small settlement located at the eastern tip of the Shotley peninsula and is defined in the Local Plan as an unsustainable settlement due to its lack of, and distance from everyday facilities. Shotley Gate lies within Shotley Parish, which is centred on the village of Shotley approximately 1.1miles to the northwest of the site. Felixstowe and Harwich ports are located to the south and east across the estuary. Due to the sites proximity to Felixstowe port, it is partially located in the Health and Safety Executive consultation zone for explosions. 2. The site lies outside of but abutting the built-up area of Shotley Gate as defined in the Local Plan 2006 (Alteration No 2). 3. The main road to the site is the B1456; this road is called ‘Bristol Hill’ in Shotley Gate and ‘The Street’ in Shotley. The road continues northwest through Chelmondiston, Woolverstone (designated as a Conservation Area), Freston and Wherstead before passing under the A14 close to the Orwell Bridge and joining up with the A137 on the outskirts of Ipswich. 4. A second route out of Shotley exists via Erwarton. This route runs along the south of the peninsular and takes in Lower Holbrook before joining the B1080 which in turn takes in Stutton before joining the A137 at Brantham. This route links with Manningtree where there is a rail service. Planning Committee 27 November 2013 5 5. There is a public footpath running along the eastern boundary of the site linking Shotley Gate with the Orwell Estuary and the landscape of the Suffolk Coast and Heath Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 6. The character of the area surrounding the site is predominantly residential with a mixture of architectural styles and layouts. The scale is mainly two story properties dating from the mid to late 20 th Century (an estate character). The housing becomes older (19 th Century) and more traditional as one approaches the river estuary along Bristol Hill. The context of the site and character of the area, and how the applicant has attempted to respond to this with the proposed design and layout, is discussed in more detail in the ‘Design and Layout’ section of this report. 7. The site is the former HMS Ganges Royal Navy Training Establishment (RNTE), opened in 1905. The naval training base closed in 1976. Since then several of the buildings have been demolished with those remaining used as a police training college between 1988 and 2001. The site has slowly deteriorated since the naval use ceased. The site is now derelict and over grown adversely impacting on the amenity of Shotley Gate. 8. The site falls within Use Class C2, ‘Residential Institutions’ (as confirmed by a Lawful Development Certificate – see Site History section later in this report). The site is currently accessed from the B1456 via a pair of listed gates off Caledonia Road. 9. The remaining institutional buildings amount to approximately 25,000 square meters. The buildings are unlisted but given their age and local historic significance most are considered to be undesignated ‘Heritage Assets’ within the meaning of the National Planning Policy Framework. Given the special historic character of the site, it was designated as a Conservation Area in June 2011. 10. The main buildings currently on site are:- • Central Mess and Galleys - located on the western boundary overlooking the overgrown and unused playing fields which makes up much of the north western part of the site • Nelson Hall, Vincent House and a former swimming pool flanking the north and western sides of the central parade ground. • Drake, Hawkes and Practical Suite - three buildings located to the east of the site creating a formal streetscape. • The Signals School – located towards the south of the site • Ganges, Anson, and Admin Buildings – A complex of buildings located towards the centre of the HMS Ganges site. These buildings are read as part of the HMS Ganges site but do not form part of the application site area. 11. Other notable structures and spaces on site include:- • The former central parade ground arranged around a ceremonial mast, a Grade II listed building. • A Martello Tower (Martello L) towards the southern tip of the site, which is both a Grade II listed building and ancient monument - a further Martello Tower (Martello M) lies just outside the site boundary to the east, this is also both a SAM and Grade II Listed. • A mid-19th Century fort that straddles the eastern boundary, this is also designated as a SAM (Scheduled Ancient Monument). Planning Committee 27 November 2013 6 • The gates, piers, railings and lamp stands at the site entrance in Caledonia Road are also Grade II listed. 12. The application site consists of mainly level land on top of steep banking/cliffs rising up from the east and north. The site is bounded to the west by the B1456 and existing residential (mainly 20 th Century) estate development and a residential caravan park. To the north, the site is bounded by a public footpath and open land (including a small recreational caravan site) and the dwellings of Gate Farm Road. To the east and south, the site is bounded by Shotley Cliff and Shotley Marina. 13. The Shotley Marina site benefits from a number of extant planning permissions:- • Shotley Lodge, located to the south of the site – 8 Apartments • The Boatyard Development, located to the south of the site - 12 homes and 4 business units • Marinna Frontage, east of the fort built into the cliff – 67 apartments • Peninsula Housing, located to the north east of the site – 83 houses and apartments (The above permissions have commenced and are extant but not complete). 14. The cumulative impact of the development now proposed, along with these extant permissions has been considered in the applicants Environmental Statement, especially the Transport Assessment. 15. Along the northern boundary of the site, there is an area of trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO BT 211). The Order was made in 1991. A second Tree Preservation Order covering other trees within the Ganges site was made in 2006 (TPO BT00401). 16. The Shotley peninsular and the adjacent Orwell and Stour estuaries are subject to national and international designations, although none of these includes any part of the application site itself. These include part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (which abuts the site on its northern boundary), the Orwell and Stour Ramsar Site (wetland of international importance), which occupies land below or slightly above high-tide mark, the Orwell and Stour Special Protection Area (SPA), and the Orwell and Stour Site of Special Scientific Interest, which has similar boundaries to the Ramsar Site. THE PROPOSAL 17. The proposal is a full planning application for a phased development of the site. The proposal is based on a master plan which is focussed on the retention and conversion of a number of the key buildings. The master plan has attempted to create 6 character areas within the development (which are discussed further below in the Design and Layout section of this report) • The ‘Entrance’ off the B1456 (that would be located on the former playing fields) • A ‘Commercial Area’ (that would be located in the position of the Central Mess and Galley building, which is proposed for demolition). • The ‘Parade Ground’ which is located in the centre of the site • Development around Hawkes 1, 2, 3 and Drake in the north east corner of the site, west of the fort • Anson and Martello Tower area to the south of the spine road • A linear park which commences south of the commercial area where there is an existing tree belt fronting Caledonia Road and then stretches east along the spine road. Planning Committee 27 November 2013 7 18. In summary, the main elements of the proposal are as follows, • 285 dwelling (57 of which would be retirement homes, restricted to the over 55’s). No affordable housing is proposed. The detailed mix of housing is discussed in the Health, Well Being and Community Cohesion section of this report. • 60 bedroom new build nursing home • New build flexible retail/office building 364sqm of A1/A2/A3/A4 and 796sqm of B1 • New flexible use building comprising of 439sqm D1 and 437 of B1 • Flexible hostel or 30 bedroom hotel (with public bar and restaurant) C1/C2 in a converted Vincent House • A range of community uses (D1) within a converted Nelson Hall including 160sqm community facility, 288sqm clubhouse and changing rooms and 339sqm indoor sports area.