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Home , Churchstanton, Cotford St Luke, Langford Budville, Lydeard St Lawrence, Norton Fitzwarren, Orchard Portman

Review of Urban Open Space and Recreation Open Space:

Context: The National Planning Policy Framework recognises the importance of existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land. It states that planning policies and decisions should deliver the social, recreational and cultural facilities and services that the community needs, and guard against the unnecessary loss of valued and established facilities.

Planning Policy can protect and enhance these facilities where it is economically viable. Core Strategy Policy CP5 (Inclusive Communities) establishes a framework for the Council’s policies on protection of these facilities and encourages provision of new to meet identified need.

The Council has recently reviewed the green spaces recorded in Planning Policy and Leisure Development documents as part of the 2013 Green Space Strategy Review. Concurrently a review of the Borough’s Green Wedges, which some sites sit within, was being undertaken by The Council’s Landscape Lead. Together these reviews have informed the Council’s emerging Site Allocation and Development Management Plan (SADMP).

The TDBC Local Plan (2004) has Urban Open Space (UOS) and Recreation Open Space (ROS) designations but it does not contain a definition for them. The Plan acknowledges the importance of open space in performing multiple functions; including informal recreation, visually attractive amenity areas, breaking up/greening urban areas, wildlife habitats – as well as in protecting land with recreational value; such as allotments, playing fields, sports grounds and children’s play areas. It also states that it was intended to rigorously review the designations when resources permitted. It was therefore important to review all the UOS and ROS designations.

Classification: Whilst it is no longer national policy the companion guide to Planning Policy Guidance 17: Assessing Needs and Opportunities is still widely used to define the typologies for establishing local authority Green Space classifications.

The Green Space Strategy Review took the PPG17 as its base and defined recreational space as usable areas of formal and informal green space (above 0.4 hectares), which include: allotments, children’s play area's, provision for teenagers, parks and recreation grounds, outdoor sports facilities (i.e. playing pitches, courts and tracks), cemeteries and church yards, amenity open space, indoor and recreation facilities, woodlands, orchards, and semi-natural open space.

Accessible countryside has been considered as part of the study and where appropriate sites that have some recreational or biodiversity value have been mapped. Agricultural land and that used for commercial food production has not been included in the strategy. Sites included on the final list all have some public access. Private gardens of residential properties are therefore excluded.

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The typologies defined and used for the Green Space Strategy Review are:

Typology Primary Purpose Allotments Opportunities for those people who wish to do so to grow their own produce as part of the long term promotion of sustainability, health and social inclusion Amenity Open Space Opportunities for informal activities close to home or work or enhancement of the appearance of residential or other areas Cemeteries and Parish Church Yards Quiet contemplation and burial of the dead; often linked to the promotion of wildlife conservation and biodiversity. Also includes closed burial grounds, which may be used for informal recreation. Outdoor Sports Facilities Participation in outdoor sports, such as pitch sports, tennis, bowls, athletics or countryside and water sports Parks and Recreation Grounds Accessible, high quality opportunities for informal recreation and community events Children's Play Areas Areas designed primarily for play and social interaction involving children often with a range of equipped play provision. Semi-natural Open Spaces Wildlife conservation, bio-diversity and (including orchards and woodland) environmental education and awareness.

Provision for Teenagers Areas designed primarily for play and social interaction involving teenagers, such as ball courts, skateboard areas and teenage shelters.

Local Plan The adopted Local Plan has 3 designations ROS, UOS and ROS/UOS. These designations may be contain 1 use or be made up of a number of uses (i.e. a recreation ground with a children’s play area and a skate park).

All the 140 ROS sites are still in active use for outdoor sports and/or recreation. These are proposed to be carried forward to the new Recreation/Green Space designation in the Site Allocation and Development Management Plan.

Out of the 70 UOS sites; 45 fall into one of the green space typologies and are proposed to be carried forward to the new Recreation/Green Space designation in the Site Allocation and Development Management Plan.

The remaining sites have no public access and do not meet the typologies in the Green Space Assessment by the nature of being private garden (21), private car park and storage area (1) or agricultural land (3), and therefore it is not proposed to carry these forward to the SADMP.

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It is important to ensure that private spaces of social or environmental value are afforded some protected. A number of the remaining 25 designation fall under one or more national or local designation (e.g. Listed Building, Green Wedge, Conservation Area).

Sites within the curtilage of a Listed Building are designated for their archaeological or social importance. The Listing covers everything within the curtilage - the grounds, as well as attached or curtilage structures - which were part of the estate at date of listing unless the description specifies excluded elements. The local planning authority are obliged to consider the effect of development on the importance and value of the Listing. Listed Building Consent will be required for alterations or changes of use which fall within the designation/s.

Sites within a Conservation Area are designated for their special architectural and historic interest. Conservation Area Assessments are a material consideration in the planning application process and show the important elements, including Important Green Spaces, which make up the designation. The local planning authority are obliged to consider the effect of development on the Conservation Area. Conservation Area Consent will be required for alterations to buildings and land which falls within the designation. The Conservation Area boundaries are shown on Planning Policy Maps.

Sites within the Green Wedge, or proposed to be as part of the Green Wedge Review, are designated for their environmental and social importance. The local planning authority is obliged to consider the effect of development on these designations in the planning application process.

A site falls within the Monkton Heathfield Urban Extension boundary as defined in the adopted Core Strategy. The location of open space within the Monkton Heathfield Urban Extension will be determined as part of the masterplanning process.

A number of sites fall beyond the settlement limit and therefore are subject to policies restricting development and potential uses.

There are 7 UOS sites which are not protected by the designations above. They private gardens and a commercial building. As such they should not be designated in the SADMP.

Name Location OS Grid Reference Reason for proposed removal storage area and Bishopswood 325964 / 112768 Private car park car park behind and storage area No.1 Brook Cottage and The Candlelight Public House Quantock Rise 317161 / 129550 Private gardens Garage in Mount Bishops Lydeard 316853 / 129539 Commercial Street, properties Building and Herons Reach and private gardens

3 Little Acorns at Lydeard Meed Tilia, Rock and Halse 313991 / 128023 Private gardens Longbourn House Stoke House 334807 / 127200 Private garden Suilven, The Green 322120 / 119350 Private garden Orchard Rise 326182 / 125050 Private garden

ROS/UOS: Of the 63 ROS/UOS sites, 62 sites fall into one of the green space typologies in the Green Space Review and are proposed to be carried forward to the new Recreation/Green Space designation in the Site Allocation and Development Management Plan.

The remaining site is within the settlement limit and is a private garden. As such it should not be designated in the SADMP.

Name Location OS Grid Reference Reason for proposed removal Orchard Lodge* 317067 / 127186 Private garden

* Note: Cotford St Luke was not completed when the Local Plan Maps were compiled, designations were compiled with the information available at the time and subsequently a number of ROS/UOS designations need to be amended.

Amended Sites: As part of the review the boundaries of the 30 ROS, UOS or ROS/UOS designations have been amended. Either because land has been added, or the boundary was incorrectly drawn. It is proposed to reflect these amendment’s in the new Recreation/Green Space designation in the Site Allocation and Development Management Plan.

Name Location OS Grid Reference Reason for revision St John the Baptist Wellington 314110 / 120890 Incorrectly drawn churchyard Norton Fitzwarren 319740 / 126000 Incorrectly drawn School Grounds Rockwell Green Rockwell Green 312620 / 119870 Land added Allotments Lillebonne Close Wellington 314560 / 120940 Incorrectly drawn Housing Open Space School Staplegrove 321880 / 125710 Land added Playing Fields Taunton School Staplegrove 322070 / 126160 Land added Upper Playing Fields Wellesley Park Wellington 314060 / 119830 Incorrectly drawn School Grounds Wellington School Wellington 313950 / 120250 Land added Grounds West Bagborough 316420 / 133550 Land added

4 Cricket Club Dobree Park Rockwell Green 312440 / 120210 Land added Playing Field Gordon Hawkins Taunton 324992 / 123951 Incorrectly drawn Playing Field (Blackbrook & Holway) Langford Budville 310660 / 122460 Incorrectly drawn Recreation Ground Priorswood Playing Taunton 323969 / 126160 Incorrectly drawn Fields (Priorswood) Showell Park Open Staplegrove 321022 / 126245 Incorrectly drawn Space Tonedale Parish Wellington 313040 / 121540 Land added Council Land Open Space West Monkton 326340 / 128510 cemetery extension Parish Church Yard Parish Ashbrittle 303480 / 118850 Incorrectly drawn Church Yard Castle Green Taunton Town 322600 / 124620 New green space Centre C of E North Curry 331760 / 124900 Incorrectly drawn Primary School Grounds Kings College Taunton 323280 / 124030 Incorrectly drawn (Covent Site) Grounds Courtfields Wellington 313200 / 120420 Land added Community School Grounds Heathfield School Monkton Heathfield 325670 / 126690 Incorrectly drawn Grounds Burge Crescent Cotford St Luke* 316590 / 127402 Incorrectly drawn Amenity Space Healy's Meadow Cotford St Luke* 316909 / 127489 Incorrectly drawn Amenity Space South Cotford Cotford St Luke* 316663 / 127000 Incorrectly drawn Amenity Space Cotford St Luke Cotford St Luke* 316800 / 127030 Incorrectly drawn Primary School Grounds Ashbrittle Village Ashbrittle 305280 / 121400 Removal of private Green garden Halse Parish Halse 313960 / 127750 Incorrectly drawn; Church Yard remove private dwellings Glebe House and The Rectory Grenville View Cotford St Luke* 316785 / 127251 Incorrectly drawn; Amenity Space remove Chapel Public House car

5 park Cotford Primary Cotford St Luke* 316960 / 127040 Incorrectly drawn; School Playing removal of NHS Field land east of Playing Field

* Note: Cotford St Luke was not completed when the Local Plan Maps were compiled. As a result a number of ROS/UOS designations need to be amended.

New Sites: As part of the review 83 sites over 0.4ha were identified (5 Allotments, 2 Amenity Green Space, 13 Cemeteries and Churchyards, 33 Outdoor sports Facilities, 18 Parks and Recreation, 12 Semi-natural Space) which met the green space typologies and whilst these were mapped on the Leisure Development GIS had not been translated to the Planning Policy Maps.

Name Location OS Grid Reference Northdown Churchstanton 320970 / 113840 Allotments Milverton (Courtfield) Milverton 311580 / 125360 Allotments Stoke Road Allotments Taunton, Killams & 323932 / 123454 Mountfield Wellington (the basins) Wellington 312840 / 120700 Allotments (Northgate) Wiveliscombe 308170 / 128330 Allotments Maidenbrook Open Space Taunton, Waterleaze 324460 / 126190 Avenue West 320780 / 123720 Open Ground Bradford on Tone Church Bradford-on-Tone 317290 / 122960 Yard Churchstanton Parish Churchstanton 319580 / 114560 Church Yard Parish Church Fitzhead 311980 / 128380 Yard Church Kingston St Mary 322360 / 129690 Yard (opposite church) Lydeard St Lawrence 312830 / 132150 Parish Church Yard Milverton Parish Church Milverton 312170 / 125910 Yard Norton Fitzwarren Parish Norton Fitzwarren 319670 / 126000 Church Yard Parish Church Otterford 322260 / 114330 Yard Staplegrove Parish Church Staplegrove 321220 / 126410 Yard Wellington Cemetery Wellington 313060 / 120040 West Bagborough Parish West Bagborough 316820 / 133720 Church Yard Parish West Buckland 317350 / 120490

6 Church Yard Wiveliscombe Parish Wiveliscombe 308260 / 127640 Church Yard Appley Cricket Ground 307200 / 120900 Beech Grove Primary Wellington 313480 / 120700 School Grounds Bishops Lydeard Cricket Bishops Lydeard 316460 / 130620 Club Bishops Lydeard Football Bishops Lydeard 317120 / 130460 Club Bishops Lydeard Football Bishops Lydeard 316960 / 130360 Club Additional Ground Bishops Lydeard Primary Bishops Lydeard 316980 / 129620 School Grounds Churchstanton Cricket Churchstanton 320680 / 113400 Club Fitzhead Cricket Club Fitzhead 312240 / 128270 Halcon Primary School Taunton, Halcon 324490 / 124950 Grounds Hill View Football Ground West Bagborough 316150 / 133210 Holway Park Primary Taunton, Blackbrook & 324330 / 124030 School Grounds Holway

Kingsmead Community Wiveliscombe 308290 / 127440 School Grounds Milverton Community Milverton 311870 / 125570 Primary School Grounds North Town Primary Taunton, Fairwater 322400 / 124960 School Grounds Cricket Club Ham 315780 / 121650 Nynehead School Playing Nynehead 313900 / 122820 Field Cricket Orchard Portman 324650 / 121910 Club Rockwell Green Primary Rockwell Green 312610 / 120490 School Grounds St George's RC Primary Taunton, Manor & Wilton 323050 / 124190 School Grounds St James Primary School Taunton, Eastgate 323340 / 124870 Grounds Staplegrove School Staplegrove 321080 / 126030 Grounds Staplegrove Sports Club Staplegrove 321510 / 126710 Stawley Primary School Stawley 307000 / 121000 Grounds Stoke St Gregory C of E Stoke St Gregory 334680 / 127120 Primary School Grounds Cricket Stoke St Mary 326390 / 122540 Club Taunton Rugby Club West Monkton 325880 / 125680 Taunton Town Football Taunton, Halcon 323970 / 124700 Ground

7 Thurlbear C of E Primary Thurlbear 326580 / 121290 School Grounds Cricket Club Trull 320990 / 122180 Trull School Grounds Trull 321560 / 122120 Wellington Junior School Wellington 314080 / 120490 Grounds White Street North Curry 332420 / 125390 Wiveliscombe Primary Wiveliscombe 307830 / 128060 School Playing Field Wiveliscombe Rugby Wiveliscombe 308250 / 128330 Ground - 2nd 11 Allington Close Open Taunton, Halcon 325250 / 125180 Space Bishops Lydeard Playing Bishops Lydeard 316970 / 130370 Field Comeytrowe Park Comeytrowe 321020 / 122840 Farriers Green Open West Monkton 325557 / 126316 Space South Ham Recreation Field Ham 315990 / 121310 Kingsway Open Space Taunton, Killams & 323563 / 122948 Mountfield Longrun Meadows Taunton, Killams & 321600 / 125100 Mountfield Maidenbrook Large West Monkton 324730 / 126340 Playing Field Newberrys Parch Churchstanton 321170 / 112830 Recreation Ground Nordans Meadow Playing Wiveliscombe 308750 / 127920 Field Recreation Ground Oake 315350 / 125970 Parkfield Walk Taunton, Manor & Wilton 321640 / 124100 Queens Drive Open Space Taunton, Manor & Wilton 322090 / 122880 Stoney Furlong 323982 / 126736 The Grove - Staplegrove Staplegrove 321060 / 126304 Parish Council Wedlands Open Space Taunton, Lyngford 323082 / 125985 West Monkton Cricket West Monkton 326140 / 127180 Club Common Bishops Lydeard 315320 / 128780 Children's Wood Taunton 324800 / 125500 Hill Bishops Lydeard & 319100 / 132600 Cothelstone Creechbarrow Hill Open Taunton, Halcon 324720 / 125560 Space Hankridge Open Space West Monkton 325340 / 125540 Henlade Wood Stoke St Mary 327340 / 122540 Langford Budville Langford Budville 310150 / 123220 Common Lydeard Hill Bishops Lydeard 318000 / 134200 Ruishton Riverside Walk Ruishton 326760 / 125130 Shutland's Copse Pitminster 321700 / 118900

8 St Andrew's Meadow Neroche, 328600 / 120960 The Spinney St. Mary 322200 / 129300

It is proposed to add these to the new Recreation/Green Space designation in the Site Allocation and Development Management Plan. Areas below 0.4ha which fall within the green space typologies will also be afforded designation and the same principles of protection and disposal.

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