Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012

Developing Uttlesford – Elsenham Draft Policy Options This document has been prepared on behalf of The Crown Estate, and is submitted in response to Uttlesford District Council’s (UDC) consultation on the Draft Local Plan, specifically in regards to development options around Elsenham.

The Draft Plan is currently proposing a minimum of 400 new homes in Elsenham, split between three housing areas (see plan, left):

Policy Area 1: minimum of 155 homes; 55-bed extra care unit; community centre; formal and informal open space

Policy Area 2: minimum of 115 homes; 5% older persons 1 and 2 bed bungalows; formal and informal open space; financial contributions to public transport, education, and community centre in Policy Area 1

Policy Area 3: minimum of 130 homes; 5% older persons 1 and 2 bed bungalows; formal and informal open space including allotments and strategic landscaping; financial contributions to public transport, education, and community centre in Policy Area 1

The Crown Estate owns land identified as Policy Area 1 and has recently achieved a Planning Committee resolution for outline planning approval subject to s.106. The outline application scheme is consistent with all of the elements contained within the Policy Area 1 description and therefore we support the identification of the site within the draft Local Plan.

A significant amount of pre and post-application consultation was carried out with the local community, planning officers and members of the Planning Committee, and other statutory and non-statutory consultees including County Highways, the Environment Agency, infrastructure providers (Anglian and Thames Water, gas, electricity, telecommunications), and the local school and doctors surgery.

Accordingly, The Crown Estate is fully aware of the opportunities and constraints of the village, the site and its adjoining land, and through provision of development on Policy Area 1 it will be providing new and improved infrastructure such as a new highways junction on to Stansted Road, links to Alsa Wood, and a range of improvements to community facilities.

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 1

Developing Uttlesford – Elsenham Alternative Policy Option = Expand Area 1

In addition to Policy Area 1 (as shown outlined in blue on the plan, left) The Crown Estate owns land immediately to the north-west, Alsa Wood and an area adjacent to the M11 (edged red).

Land which is within agricultural use to the north-west (red line) is considered appropriate for further housing development. Additionally, the owner of land to the south-west (edged pink), known as The Nursery, is willing to include his land with the promotion of The Crown Estate land. Consent for 53 homes Furthermore, the Crown Estate is committed to safeguarding and maintaining Alsa Wood and will be entering into a Management Plan as part of the S.106 Legal Agreement for the outline application. Consent for 155 homes + 55 Extra The proposal is to expand Policy Area 1 to make use of the remaining Care Units developable areas between Elsenham and the M11, effectively ‘finishing off’ the western side of the village.

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 2 Developing Uttlesford – Elsenham: Masterplan for Expanded Policy Area 1

A preliminary site layout (left), is shown to justify how a development for 130 additional homes could be brought forward. This would result in 285 of the 400 new homes in Elsenham being provided at an expanded Policy Area 1, and provides for an area of new allotments adjacent to the M11.

The scheme does not look to add to the 400 home growth projection for the village. Instead, we are proposing this as an alternative site option to Policy Area 3, which also proposes 130 homes and an area for allotments. As both schemes propose the same level of development on to Stansted Road, consideration of each option is neutral in terms of highway capacity.

However, the Crown Estate scheme will have the following advantages (to the Policy Area 3 site):

•Infrastructure requirements can be accommodated within the new and improved capacity that is being provided for the Phase 1 element – for instance, the proposed junction is considered to have adequate capacity for another 130 dwellings thereby avoiding the need for another principal vehicular access point along Stansted Road (although there is an opportunity to achieve a secondary access as shown by the arrow);

•Provision of over 1ha of allotments;

•Lower landscape impact, as Alsa Wood already provides the landscape buffer between the M11 and the village;

•Closer proximity to the village centre, its facilities, and the train station

•Technical work has already been carried out to satisfy deliverability requirements

•Neighbourhood employment, subject to consultation with the Parish Council on whether they consider this is beneficial. If the community view was that the including small scale neighbourhood employment provision was appropriate in view of the sustainability gains which would result, the site has the potential capacity to accommodate this subject to further highways investigation.

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 3 About the Site

A

B

A: View from northern boundary of expanded Policy Area 1. B: View from footbridge crossing M11 towards the land proposed for allotments

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 4 About the Surrounding Area – Alsa Wood + The Spinney

A B C

D E F

A –C: Alsa Wood D: View towards footbridge crossing M11 from Alsa Wood; E: view towards Orchard area north of Alsa Wood; F: The Spinney

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 5 About the Surrounding Area – Recreation Ground

A B C

D E F

A: Car park/basketball area; B: Tennis Courts; C: Car park at recreation ground D: View towards village hall/bowls club; E: children’s play area; F: football pitch from car park next to village hall

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 6 Understanding Elsenham – Built Context

Many of the buildings in Elsenham have distinct features including materials, roofs, doors and windows, which enhance their architectural design and help create the village’s character. Some of these are described and illustrated (right, below).

Materials Wide variety of building materials used; buildings originally constructed using locally available materials including timber framing, weatherboarding, brick and lime renders; historically, weatherboarding was painted white or off-white on dwellings. Black tar or naturally-weathered board was used on out buildings; painted facades tend to be pastel shades and are mainly pink or cream.

Roofs Traditionally, materials in the Essex countryside are handmade peg tiles, timber shingle and thatch; dormer windows on the roof line are unobtrusive; thatching in Essex is traditionally long straw; variations in the roofline provides interest and variety to the streetscape.

Doors The design of doorways provide identity and historic reference to the village’s dwellings; historically, panelled doors were popular, the arrangement and size of the panels could vary, as could the mouldings around them; unless doors were made from high quality wood they were painted.

Windows Casement windows are common place on historic dwellings; old iron casements with lead detailing provide unique character; dormer eye windows set within thatched roofs provide two storeys whilst maintaining chalet character; Victorian sash windows are present on bay windows on semi detached properties.

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 7 Sustainable Travel

Bus and Rail Bus stops are located in the vicinity of Leigh Drive, approximately 150m to the east of the development access road on Stansted Road, and on Station Road, in close proximity to Ridley Gardens. The bus stops on Station Road can be accessed via the Orchard at the north eastern boundary of the Phase 1 site. The bus stops are frequented by bus service 7/7A, operated by Roadrunner Coaches. The service provides links with Bishop’s Stortford and to the west, Elsenham Railway Station and to the north and Stansted Airport to the southeast.

Service Route Operator M-F Sat Sun

7/7A Bishop’s Stortford – Stansted Roadrunner Coaches Approx 1 Approx 1 bus every No service Mountfitchet - Elsenham – bus every hour 0707 to 2017 Henham – Stansted Airport hour 0707 to 2017

7/7A Stansted Airport – Henham – Roadrunner Coaches Approx 1 Approx 1 bus every No service Elsenham - Stansted bus every hour 0713 to 1913 Mountfitchet - Bishop’s Stortford hour 0713 to 1913

Elsenham Railway Station is located approximately 400m from the north eastern boundary of the proposed development. A direct link is provided to London Liverpool Street Station, with a half hourly service during peak periods. An hourly service operates during off peak periods.

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 8 Highways and Drainage

Highways In the vicinity of the Phase 2 sites, the B1051 Stansted Road is a single carriageway road subject to a 30mph speed limit. Approximately 140m from the western boundary, Stansted Road is subject to a speed limit increase to the National Speed Limit, beyond which the road extends towards Stansted Mountfitchet to the west. Approximately 300m to the east, Stansted Road connects with Station Road, High Street and Robin Hood Road in the form of a 4 arm double mini roundabout junction. Further afield to the east, High Street extends through the centre of the village of Elsenham.

Stansted Road benefits from a footway with a width of approximately 1.5m that runs adjacent to the carriageway on the northern side. Heading in an easterly direction towards Elsenham Village Centre the footway widens to an approximate width of 2.0m, with street lighting ensuring the footway is amenable for pedestrians to utilise during the hours of darkness.

The footway includes dropped kerbs at Leigh Drive, providing a safe opportunity to cross for pedestrians with reduced mobility.

Uncontrolled pedestrian crossing points with dropped kerbs are provided on the northern and southern approaches to the 4 arm double mini roundabout junction. The pedestrian footways then continue on either side of High Street through the centre of the village, providing access to

Elsenham Primary School, The Crown public house and the local garage. Pedestrian access to

Elsenham Rail Station to the north of the village can be gained via the footways on either side of Stansted Road, and through the Phase 1/The Orchard housing schemes.

No designated cycle routes currently exist in the immediate vicinity of the Phase 2 sites. The closest route to the site is Regional Route 50. It should be noted that the topography in the local

area is generally flat, and cycling is a valuable means of transport within the village.

We are confident that the core scheme of 285 homes (130 + the consented 155 homes scheme) and 55 extra care units is deliverable within the existing highways infrastructure, accessed solely from the Stansted Road via the access which will be constructed to serve the 155 house scheme which received resolution to grant. However a further secondary access (potentially emergency-only) could be provided further west along Stansted Road.

Flood Risk + Drainage The plan, right, identifies that all of Policy Area 1 and the additional land ( )being promoted in this document is at low risk of flooding, as defined by the Environment Agency. Accordingly, the principle of residential development is appropriate in this location.

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 9 About The Crown Estate

The Crown Estate’s property portfolio is diverse. In towns, it includes commercial and retail properties. In the country, there is agricultural land, parkland and forestry. The Crown Estate manages shopping centres, business parks, farms and housing, we are responsible for over half the foreshore and almost all of the seabed around the UK.

Our vision is to be the UK's most respected property business because of the way in which we manage this portfolio of assets on behalf of the nation. We conduct business in line with our core values of commercialism, integrity and stewardship.

Our approach to enhancing the value of our estate is through active asset management, first class design and sustainability. Every year we pay all of our surplus revenue to the Treasury for the benefit of the nation.

Whether protecting the old, or developing the new, our approach is consistent - we demand the best. We value quality architecture and excellence in design because we understand the impact they can have on quality of life. We do not subscribe to one particular form or style.

We work alongside development and construction partners ensuring they aspire to the same high standards we do. Our partners are required to work to our design briefs to deliver high quality buildings that respond to both the challenges of today and tomorrow, and that fit into and support the local environment.

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 10 About The Crown Estate

Our Commitment to Design The Crown Estate understands that development needs to respond to local sensitivities, including:

•The local landscape and setting of nearby neighbourhoods

•The historic environment, including conservation areas, listed buildings, archaeology and natural features such as hedgerows and woodland

•Wildlife, including valued habitats and protected species

•Local architectural styles and designs

•Other important local environmental priorities (e.g. flood risk and surface water drainage)

We believe that the most sustainable neighbourhoods have a mix of homes of different sizes, types and tenures that are within walking distance of key local services, including shops and community facilities.

Priority should be given to sustainable transport options including walking, cycling and bus routes to discourage the use of cars and to promote healthy lifestyles.

Stansted Road, Elsenham Response to Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2012 11