Broadsands and Elbury

Neighbourhood Plan

A Draft Framework

Steve Freer

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ...... 2 RELEVANCE OF WRITING THE PLAN...... 2 THE NEOLITHIC TOMB...... 4 THE VICTORIAN FARM...... 5 LORD CHURSTON’S BATH HOUSE...... 6 THE BROADSANDS HOUSING SCHEME...... 7 ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION ...... 8 TRANSPORT ...... 8 HOUSING ...... 9 HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PLAN ...... 9 DESIGN GUIDELINES ...... 9 ECONOMY ...... 10 HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES ...... 11 LEISURE AND TOURISM...... 11 EDUCATION ...... 11 NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN PRINCIPLES ...... 11 STRUCTURE SHOWING HOW CONTRIBUTIONS ARE MADE TO THE PENINSULAR PLAN ...... 13 END...... 14

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Introduction This document has been written by the Broadsands and Elbury Resident’s Association (BERA). Its purpose and intention is to document through community engagement the aspirations for this area over the next 20 years. As a collaborative alliance it is anticipated that the findings and views expressed will be read in line with the contributions made by Churston and Galmpton.

Critically it plays to the areas unique strengths as identified by local people and balances the challenges, of economic development, the careful toning of jobs, housing and the environment.

BERA was established in 1958 operating now for the last 55 years, it played a key role in the formation of the Churston, Galmpton & Broadsands Community Partnership (CGBCP) and been a participant of the Brixham Peninsular Neighbourhood Forum (BPNF). BERA has an area of membership covering approximately 480 households.

Relevance of writing the plan. It is our desire that the coherent activities of the Community Partnership will reduce duplication of information and improve Integration of current knowledge with new knowledge. The process has developed strategic partnerships strengthening the information chain which can be further exploited delivering medium and long term actions and bringing about positive outcomes.

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History and Heritage of Broadsands and Elbury.

Broadsands/Elbury lies on the South coast between the villages of and Churston. The names refer particularly to the land that stretches from the sea up to the Brixham road, from Broadsands Avenue over to Brunel Road and the Long Wools and Stone Park houses. It is a place of great scenic beauty and provides habitats for a rich variety of wildlife, as well as being a wonderful place to live and visit for holidays.

Broadsands is a picturesque bucket-and-spade beach with soft, reddish sand and safe, shallow water that consistently wins a Blue Flag for its excellent quality. The sea here is not affected by South West Water overflows and has benefited from the Clean Sweep scheme in the 1990s, and the high standard of sewage treatment at nearby Brokenbury Quarry. When the first train travelled along the new line from to Churston on March 14th 1861, a reporter described the view from his carriage for the Western Morning News: “…as pretty a little bay at the Broadsands as the most timid swimmer could desire…” It is just as beautiful today.

Holiday makers share the beach with black-necked grebes and Cirl buntings as well as herring gulls. Buzzards and owls live in the woods behind, foxes and badgers saunter through the gardens of houses by Tor Rocks and seals regularly patrol near the shore, diving amongst the shoals of fish and socializing with people in canoes and pedalos. Across the headland of Elbury Common, with its superb views and woodland walk, lies Elbury Cove. Here the beach is bleached shingle and large areas of the sea bed are covered with seagrass. This is an important habitat and breeding ground for many species, notably native seahorses. Pipefish, spider crabs, sea hares, swimming crabs, sea slugs, shelled molluscs and sea worms are also found in the seagrass beds.

Although rich in beauty and wildlife, it would be easy to think that the area cannot compare with the neighbouring villages of Churston and Galmpton, which abound with ancient industries, stately homes, manor houses, cottages and old pubs. But nothing could be further from the truth; Broadsands and Elbury have a fascinating historical heritage of their own.

Above the beach at Broadsands, the gently sloping fields formed part of Lord Churston’s estate and had been farmed for hundreds of years. The tithe map of 1839 showed that fields were rented by different individuals, who probably travelled from Galmpton and Churston to tend them. But we know that people lived and farmed in this area long before there was a Lord of the Manor at Churston, for nestled in a hedge on a slope overlooking the bay is a Neolithic tomb.

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The Neolithic Tomb. Five and a half thousand years ago this must have been an impressive landmark, and would have needed a great deal of skill and effort to build. At that time it was a stone mound, about twelve metres in diameter, entered by a passage. The tomb chamber itself was constructed from eleven upright limestone orthostats with dry stone walling packed between them.

The tomb was discovered in 1956 by Guy Belleville, a local archaeologist. He had also found evidence that people had lived in the valley leading from Warborough Common to Broadsands during the late Paleolithic and Bronze Age. About half a mile from the tomb he had unearthed numbers of worked flints, arrowheads and fragments of polished flint axes. In 1958 an excavation of the tomb was carried out. This revealed that the chamber was an irregular polygonal shape and several bodies had been buried within it at the time of construction. It was difficult to determine the exact number as they had later been cleared to the sides of the chamber and trodden into the floor, but the archaeologists established that bones belonged to an adult male aged at least forty, a young adult male who was at least 5ft 6ins tall, and an infant. At a later period the tomb was used again, and it was at this time that the earlier bones were cleared away. There was evidence that several ritual fires had been lit before a new pavement was put in position. Above this pavement were the remains of a young male who had not reached the age of twenty. Neolithic pottery was found with the burials.

The tomb was a significant discovery because there were no other certain examples of a Passage Tomb in the south-west of and they are comparatively rare in Britain. Examples were much more common in Portugal and Brittany, suggesting that people had travelled from those areas and brought their burial traditions with them. Some stones and items from the tomb are in Torquay Museum and the bones have been analyzed since the original excavation. They date from 3768 to 3641 B.C. and reveal that, despite living so near to the sea, the people who were buried in the tomb ate very little fish. Clearly, the land around Broadsands was fertile enough to provide all the food they could want.

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The Warrener’s House.

We have other interesting buildings. Perched in the middle of Elbury Common was Warren House. It is a ruin today, but it was the home of Lord Churston’s warrener. He must have enjoyed spectacular views from his windows, although the sea breezes would have been extremely bracing in the winter. Elbury Common formed the warren for the estate, and the warrener was responsible for providing rabbits for Lord Churston’s kitchen.

The Victorian Farm. Elbury Farm, a short walk from the Common, is a testament to Lord Churston’s far-sightedness as a landlord. In the 1850s and 1860s the first Lord Churston had the farm and its outbuildings re-built and improved. No expense was spared and the finest and most hard-wearing materials were used. It was described in a local directory at the time as a “model farm” and stands today as an example of the best Victorian building skills. But Lord Churston expected a good return on his investment, and drew up contracts for his tenant farmers which made it clear how much farm produce had to be delivered to his kitchen. It was such a large amount that it must have been quite difficult for the farmers to make a profit for themselves.

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Lord Churston’s Bath House. Elbury Cove was used as a private bathing beach by Lord Churston and his family, and they rode down to it in their carriage across what is now the golf course. The building at the far end of the beach had probably been a smoke house for pilchards in previous centuries, but Lord Churston converted it into a bath house in the early 1800s, when sea bathing was extremely fashionable and many private estates were being equipped with bath houses. The structure was three storeys high and there was a plunge pool on the ground floor. The Yarde-Buller family later added a hot water system providing warm water, hot dry air and Image: Steve Freer steam, which was unusually luxurious. Succeeding generations of the family were always keen yachtsmen, and used the bath house for boats to board their yachts. On September 2nd 1879 the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, was moored off Brixham on board the schooner Hildegarde. John Yarde-Buller, the second Lord Churston, sailed out to meet him and brought the prince and his companions ashore at Elbury Cove. Presumably he treated the royal party to a sauna in the bath house. Lydia, Duchess of Bedford and daughter of the third Lord Churston, had very happy memories of the bath house: “… the loveliest little dream place where one went for picnics in the summer.”

The Great Western Railway. One of the most magical sights in Broadsands is the steam train, chugging and whistling above the sands and the beach huts. Extending the railway from Paignton to Churston was not without its problems as the landowners extracted large sums in compensation from the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway Company for having the line run through their property, and Goodrington proved to be a nightmare of marshy bogs which needed much filling and shoring up. But the two towering viaducts – Broadsands and Hookhills – were completed in 1861 and the railway reached Churston. The viaducts were built of Devonian limestone, and Lord Churston opened Brokenbury Quarry for the purpose as the stone there was of such good quality.

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The Broadsands Housing Scheme. Apart from medieval hedges, the viaducts and the train itself, the people who had worked flint on the valley sides and built the stone tomb would probably have had little difficulty in recognizing Broadsands and Elbury. But then, in 1932, Lord Churston sold the area to Staverton Builders Ltd., a subsidiary company of the Dartington Hall Trust. In his book “The Housing Scheme”, Daniel Jon Metcalfe explains, “The 188 acre segment of land cost £58100 and included a cove and beach, wooded slopes, farmland and Image: Steve Freer a 100 ft. high stone viaduct built by Brunel to carry the G.W.R. Brixham line. With limited building for miles in any direction the site was picturesque and those involved with its acquisition pointed out that it was worthy of something special.”

The Elmhirsts of Dartington had great ideas to build a vibrant community with buildings of architectural significance. The original design included a hotel, country club, teahouse, beach facilities and around five hundred houses. The Elmhirsts had been working with two architects on the Dartington Estate – Louis De Soissons from Montreal, who had worked in the office of Edwin Lutyens and already won the Tite prize for his designs, and William Lescaze from Geneva. Lescaze had just designed High Cross House for the Elmhirsts, and they were greatly impressed by his Modernist style. They considered both architects for the Churston project and finally decided to go with Lescaze’s asymmetrical, flat-roofed houses. The first houses were completed in Rock Close in early 1935. They had large gardens, and Beatrix Farrand was asked to provide a planting scheme for these. It was decided to postpone the hotel scheme until some of the houses had sold, so as to generate more capital. But the house buyers of south Devon were not ready for these Art-Deco style houses which were so different from the bay-fronted semis that were being built everywhere else, and the houses did not sell. Another issue was the price. Standard traditional houses could be bought for between £500 and £800, but the Broadsands houses were priced between £1295 and £1395 which was extremely expensive. One smaller house was built on North Rocks Road as it was felt this may be easier to sell. When just ten houses had been completed and sales were very slow, Lescaze was told that his contract had come to an end and, in 1936, Louis De Soissons was called in to rescue the scheme. He immediately reverted to traditional designs with pitched roofs and they were an instant success.

De Soissons designed both houses and bungalows for North Rocks Road and Broadsands Road. Building continued until the outbreak of war, when it had to stop. After the war forty-five new houses were built, designed in part by De Soissons using traditional styles.

Today the Lescarze houses stand out at the top of Broadsands Road, a symbol of the brave, modern vision that would have had all of us sipping cocktails on our sun terraces and admiring our superbly landscaped gardens, before strolling down to the Country Club for our meals. Taken as a whole, the Broadsands and Elbury area is beautiful place to live with its gentle Delabole roofs, unchanging farmland, far-reaching sea views and rich historical heritage.

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Environment and Conservation This topic is too broad to be accurately covered in this document but should be considered as an on- going and important theme for continuing consideration. I believe insufficient resource is available to fully study this, however the following list highlights some areas for consideration. The Broadsands region is rich in wildlife and should be prioritised while considering future development that may impact the landscape. Local residents see this as a high priority.

 Adaptive green planning  Working towards Green policy frameworks  Mobilising Investment in Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Infrastructure  Harmonising Climate Risk Management  Enhancing Developing access to Eco-Innovation  Green Transformation of Small Businesses

Transport Opportunity to impact the nature and performance of the transport system with the Broadsands area is limited, it is currently serviced by existing road links and feeder roads. What is clear from the results of questionnaires is the requirement to think through future integrated systems of connecting people. Transport has been one of Central Government’s themes for many years. The importance of reducing the need to travel and establishing effective integration of transport is very important as is planning and demand management, improving public affordable transport and reducing our dependence on the car.

Therefore sorting out traffic bottlenecks and reducing congestion is a desirable public need but it is clearly vital not to lose focus during the coming years for reducing car dependency. The prospect of widened roads simply filling up again with traffic is absurd and runs totally counter to the long-term objectives for a sustainable, integrated transport network only leading to greater car dependency.

The report on transport and social exclusion published by the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) in February 2003 clearly highlighted the fact that, historically, key services (such as hospitals, shopping centres, schools, etc.) have been developed with insufficient attention to accessibility (especially for non-car- owning households). And therefore integrated approach to this issue is very important.

It is difficult to cut traffic at a time of economic growth. This only serves to highlight the need to address the relationship between traffic growth and the need for economic growth, and for this reason significant attention needs to be placed on this subject that goes beyond this document. Gaining public acceptance to changes in modes of transport will take time and will not be easy.

 More action is needed to reduce emissions from vehicles.

 Locally we need to set challenging targets for reductions in road accidents and number of transport related fatalities.

 It is essential to consider the needs of vulnerable road users

 We need to see more emphasis on strategic thinking when considering modes of transport

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 Motorists need to be offered some attractive alternatives to using the car

 For effective take-up the easiest, cheapest and quickest solutions wins in transport.

 Local authority must display more visible leadership in the coming years.

 Secure improvements to the accessibility, punctuality and reliability of local public transport

 Improve air quality by meeting National Air Quality Strategy objectives

 Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

 Target an increase in the number of cycling trips

 Stop the Deterioration of Local Roads

 Improve bus services.

Housing As a direct result of public consultation and analysis we have identified some locations for new housing, the locations can be found in Map xxx

Housing Development Plan  In terms of future development and following extensive public consultation 3 key outcomes were clear, the following points signpost how local residents see future development.  Broadsands and Elbury retain its distinctive character preserved in any future building development.  Selective residential development on identified sites, to conform to the Guidelines set out below.  Improvement of tourist and leisure facilities at Broadsands beach (which remains a popular and important beach in Torbay’s tourist offering).

Design Guidelines This area is typified by the pre- and post-Dartington inspired architectural styles described above, and these are the character traits that any new development should in some measure have ambition for.

 New buildings should have design features and use materials found in the area that are typically associated with local styles.  New extensions and additions should be sympathetic in style and scale to the existing building using materials and designs characteristic of the fabric and that respect the setting of the village.

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 Roof pitch design particularly low or highly-pitched roofs should be avoided. The pitch of porch and garage roofs should mirror that of the main roof and gable ends  The height of houses should be in proportion to those prevalent in the area  Window shapes and sizes should reflect styles characteristic of the area.  To retain character, the size of new dwellings should be in proportion to those prevalent in the immediate area of the village, as should their relationship to, and within, the road.  Proposed development should strengthen the local landscape character by providing boundary lines of suitable material, e.g. trees along lanes in communal spaces. Trees planted should be of native varieties (e.g. beech) rather than decorative or non-indigenous species.  The typical use of low fencing enhances an open feel and often allows glimpses of the surrounding countryside. Front garden boundaries should be of low hedging or picket fencing. On Open Spaces and Vistas

 New developments should respect the sense of openness and seek to protect important views. On Roads and Footpaths

 The present network of footpaths should be maintained and where possible expanded.  The kerbs of pavements should reflect existing styles with a modest height.  Road signs and markings should be kept to a minimum.

On Street Lighting

 Street lighting in any new development should be minimised if possible to help maintain the existing low level of lighting. However where street lighting is a requirement, it should be sympathetic to the locality. General

 The rural unspoilt transition between the sea and the countryside is an important characteristic. This should be protected perpetually; again, this is supported by an overwhelming mandate from the public consultations’.  Developers are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposals at the earliest opportunity with the villagers and show how the details of their proposals reflect these points.

Economy This region is primarily residential with minimal opportunities for impacting or creating economic growth. Tourism is seen as an opportunity that is given woefully poor attention. Development of Broadsands beach in line with other beach type offerings is seen as something that should be realised in the coming years. Although this area attracts senior individuals often for retirement reasons the potential for home working offers an option as space and resource for commercial activities within Broadsands is not available. Local residents indicate that it is very important to

Page 10 preserve the character of Broadsands and Elbury and to attract potential growth primarily through leisure and tourism.

Health and Social Services Generally people are happy with local provision, it is the access to health and social amenities that needs attention which bonds-in with transport and the economy. This should be addressed through development of future sustainable strategies.

Leisure and Tourism The beach at Broadsands is universally seen as an opportunity that requires investment and vibrant high value attention. This has the potential to deliver a high quality facility delivering economic growth while preserving and augmenting the attractiveness and appeal for future generations and make positive contributions to the quality of lives for both tourist’s, residents of Torbay and importantly local residents in the future. This is seen as a priority to residents.

Education There is not an opportunity for this area to contribute to the quality of education however access and safety are considerations to which local people can respond through alternative use of transport.

Neighbourhood Plan Principles  The natural beauty of the area is seen as its greatest strength and must be preserved in perpetuity  Local services are seen as good and the level of offering and performance must be maintained  The peace and quiet of the region must been seen as a key asset and protected  Broadsands beach is seen as a great asset, and should be sensitively developed  Development on green spaces is viewed as a threat and must be avoided  We have allocated sites for potential new housing for the next 20 years. This means we have delivered the housing and other development needs of our area. Further development will be contrary to the plan and be resisted.  The rate at which allocated new housing sites are consented will be required to match the delivery of jobs, infrastructure and other community facilities.  Windfall sites (non-allocated sites for which development is sought during the plan period) will be considered on their merits as substitutes for any allocated site which may not come forward. In all events they must satisfy the same planning policies which have already been applied to the allocated sites in the plan.  More action is needed to reduce emissions from vehicles.  Locally we need to set challenging targets for reductions in road accidents and number of transport related fatalities.  It is essential to consider the needs of vulnerable road users  We need to see more emphasis on strategic thinking when considering modes of transport  Motorists need to be offered some attractive alternatives to using the car  For effective take-up the easiest, cheapest and quickest solutions wins in transport.

Page 11  Local authority must display more visible leadership in the coming years.  Secure improvements to the accessibility, punctuality and reliability of local public transport  Improve air quality by meeting National Air Quality Strategy objectives  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions  Target an increase in the number of cycling trips  Stop the Deterioration of Local Roads  Improve bus services.  Broadsands /Elbury and the coastal margins forms an important green wedge essential to separate the urban settlement boundaries of Paignton and Brixham from merging into one another. The protection and preservation of the Landscape Character of the area should be seen as a top priority.  We will carry forward into the plan all environmental policies in the Devon Structure Plan and previously Adopted Torbay Local Plan concerning particularly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Coastal Protection Areas, Countryside Zones, Areas of Great Landscape Value designated Conservation Areas and any other locally designated policies aimed at protecting or conserving landscape features and heritage structures including agricultural areas and any locally designated buildings of importance not on the Listed Building Register.  Large areas of green space, including the significant coverage of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB), conservation areas, countryside zones, coastal preservation areas, wildlife zones along with agricultural land, and the other green spaces both urban and rural as allocated in our plan are all important and will be given protection from any development.  Broadsands and Elbury has an important and diverse variety of wildlife and in some cases rare and protected species. Any form of development which threatens to disturb the wildlife or its habitat in any way will not be permitted.  Preservation of views and vistas, both to and from the sea, including horizons and skylines which give rise to the character of the area will be protected.  Developments which could generate unacceptable levels of noise and light pollution should be considered unacceptable and not allowed.  Local public footpaths, cycle routes and bridleways will be retained and improved. Appropriate new infrastructure will be created.

Page 12 Structure showing how contributions are made to the Brixham Peninsular Plan

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