Stroud Local Plan Examination Statement Stage 2 Matter 8 – Omission Sites (8.7 Cloverlea, Wickwar Road, Kingswood)
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Examination Statement Report Bilfinger GVA St Catherine’s Court Berkeley Place Bristol BS8 1BQ Stroud Local Plan Examination Statement Stage 2 Matter 8 – Omission Sites (8.7 Cloverlea, Wickwar Road, Kingswood). (R39 / R47) May 2015 gva.co.uk Stroud Local Plan Examination - Stage 2 Matter 8 Berkeley - Bilfinger GVA for Charles Church Ltd/Persimmon (R39/R47) Statement for the Stroud Local Plan Examination in Public May 2015 Stage 2 Matter 8 Omission Sites – Land at Cloverlea, Wickwar Road, Kingswood (8.7) Submitted on behalf of Charles Church Ltd / Persimmon Homes (R39/R47) May 2015 gva.co.uk Stroud Local Plan Examination - Stage 2 Matter 8 Berkeley - Bilfinger GVA for Charles Church Ltd/Persimmon (R39/R47) 1.0 Introduction Persimmon/Charles Church have a controlling interest in land at Cloverlea, Wickwar Road, Kingswood through an assignment of an option from Cotswold Homes. Bovis homes previously submitted comments on the plan in relation to this site buy=t they had no legal interest in the land at the time, as confirmed in the email from Cotswold Homes attached as Appendix 1. Kingswood was identified by the previous Local Plan Inspector as a sustainable location for accommodating additional development and Cloverlea is a proportionate and logical extension to the village. The comments should also be read in conjunction with our statements for Matters 2 and 3 and further statement in April and January 2015 for the resumed Examination Matter 1, and the previous statements for the April 2014 sessions; and representations submitted in response to the Core Strategy / Local Plan in March 2012, May and October 2013. 2.0 MATTER 8: OMISSION SITES 8.7 LAND AT CLOVERLEA, KINGSWOOD Key issue: If there is a need to identify additional or alternative sites for housing development to meet the identified housing requirement or replace proposed site allocations because they are undeliverable, unviable or otherwise unsound, which sites should be considered, and are such sites suitable, sustainable, available, deliverable, developable, viable and consistent with the development strategy? 2.1 Justification for Consideration of Land at Cloverlea, Kingswood We have set out within our Statements for Matters 1, 2 and 3 the justification for the need to consider additional sites within the District based on an OAN of at least 12,200, and also the need for alternative sites for housing development based on concerns regarding deliverability and rationale for allocations made within the Plan. Therefore we will not repeat all of the issues here. This statement is therefore provided on the basis that the previous statements have provided the justification as to why there is a need to consider Land East of Berkeley as an allocation within the Plan. However, as requested by the Inspector (and subsequently clarfied by the Programme Officer’s email of 8th May 2015) this May 2015 gva.co.uk Stroud Local Plan Examination - Stage 2 Matter 8 Berkeley - Bilfinger GVA for Charles Church Ltd/Persimmon (R39/R47) statement does not provide a detailed and technical appraisal of the performance of the site with inclusion of the current planning application package documentation. However we can provide this information should the Inspector request it in due course. Alternatively the full application package and correspondence is available to view on the Council’s planning application website. The statement therefore seeks to provide an overview of the site’s history, general planning performance and key aspects of the current application proposals. 2.2 Why Land at Cloverlea? Context and Current Application The proposed site comprises approximately 4.86 acres located off Wickwar Road outside, but immediately adjoining, the settlement boundary of Kingswood. The site is in agricultural use and there is an existing residential development on the northern and eastern boundaries. The site is close to the village hall and playing fields and is within walking distance of the centre of the village. Kingswood has a population of 1389 but with an above average for the district of people aged 0 – 19, many of whom are likely to need housing in the near future. The projected population increase at 10% is below the district average. However the trend for reducing household size means unless new homes are built the population will decrease. This in turn will lead to a reduction of economically active population and a decision needs to be taken on which settlements should have their employment role supported by additional accommodation for new economically active people. Given its location close to a cluster of existing employment facilities, it is important that Kingswood is supported by additional accommodation which this development site would contribute to. Kingswood is one of 5 villages outside the main settlements which provide over a 1000 jobs each. The biggest employment sector is manufacturing (influenced by the location of Renishaw) and with a high proportion of associate professional and technical workers and above the district average for professional occupations. Commuting patterns in Kingswood are significant. It has a below average percentage of residents travelling less than 2km and between 2km and 5km and, a higher proportion (above average) travelling further than 60km. It also has a high May 2015 gva.co.uk Stroud Local Plan Examination - Stage 2 Matter 8 Berkeley - Bilfinger GVA for Charles Church Ltd/Persimmon (R39/R47) proportion of workers travelling in from outside the district and above distance travelled out of the district to work by local residents. All of this suggests there is potential to provide more housing development to support the local employment and reduce the impacts of commuting. Kingswood has a Post Office, community hall, sports field and primary school that was assessed as ‘good’ in terms of overall accessibility. All of the above suggests Kingswood should accommodate more housing to support its role and function, take advantage of employment facilities nearby and support the use of its good range of facilities and services. We consider the site is suitable for residential development of up to 61 new dwellings (use class C3) with supporting infrastructure and facilities including: new vehicular access from the A46 Painswick Road/Beeches Green, public open space, landscaping and drainage infrastructure and demolition of no. 24 Wickwar Road and one derelict barn. In respect of the land at Cloverlea Barn the Inspector at the Local Plan Inquiry endorsed the suitability of Kingswood for residential development in accordance with the Structure Plan Guidance. Firstly the Inspector summarised the position in Kingswood as follows: “Kingswood is a substantial village, having a relationship to nearby Wotton and an importance in employment terms. For these reasons…….. Kingswood rightly come(s) within the category of Small Towns and Larger Villages”. Secondly he expanded on the position in Wotton/Kingswood (and Berkeley/Sharpness in paragraph 2.6.1q: “Development in the context Wotton/Kingswood (joint population of about 7,000) and Berkeley/Sharpness (joint population of about 3,000) would support the roles of these communities in serving their immediate rural areas. It would help to protect existing services and facilities in the face of declining household sizes. It would provide better opportunities for reducing travel demands between existing and proposed employment opportunities and the nearby settlements. In this way development May 2015 gva.co.uk Stroud Local Plan Examination - Stage 2 Matter 8 Berkeley - Bilfinger GVA for Charles Church Ltd/Persimmon (R39/R47) would improve their level of self-containment and prove sustainable at the local level. At the same time it would respect the environmental constraints around Wotton and Berkeley. These four settlements are therefore considered suitable for a low level of growth commensurate with their character and role”. In consideration of an objection site on the north western edge of Kingswood which the Inspector did not support, nevertheless he said that “the village could accommodate a limited amount of further development as its location has several benefits. However, I believe a site better related to the form of the village and to its facilities can be found”. As this Planning Statement and other documents supporting this application demonstrates land at Cloverlea Barn is a sustainable location for residential development in Kingswood. Finally in supporting the Council’s proposed allocated site in Kingswood, the Inspector said “although set in a rural location I did not find Kingswood to be isolated. It is close to Wotton-under-Edge and to an important employment base”. The adopted, time expired Local Plan was prepared in accordance with the strategy set out above in the Gloucestershire Structure Plan, which supports a role for Kingswood in meeting development needs. The Local Plan sets out a sequential approach to housing development in Section 5.3, with Kingswood included in priority 1, in a 6 level hierarchy: “1. Previously developed land within the Gloucester PUA at Hardwicke, the Stroud urban area, the principle settlement of Cam/Dursley and the smaller settlements of Berkeley, Eastington, Kings Stanley, Kingswood, Leonard Stanley, Minchinhampton, Newtown/Sharpness, Painswick and Wotton-Under-Edge.” The Local Plan aims to concentrate development in Stroud and Cam/Dursley to enable regeneration. However, more modest allocations for development are made within and adjacent to the Small Towns