Borough Local Plan Edge of Settlement Part 2 Constraints, Opportunities and Delivery Assessment July 2016 Edge of Settlement - Part 2 Constraints, Opportnities and Delivery Assessment 2016 Contents 1 Introduction 3 Purpose of the study 3 Edge of Settlement - Part 1 Green Belt Purpose Assessment 4 Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment 4 2 Policy context 7 National Planning Policy Framework 7 National Planning Practice Guidance 7 National Planning Policy for Waste 8 Borough Local Plan Preferred Options Consultation (January 2014) 8 Summary: policy context 11 3 Methodology 12 Stage 4: Constraints, opportunities and delivery considerations 13 4 Conclusions 15 Stage 5: Presenting the assessment 15 Appendicies A Glossary 17 B Consultation statement 19 C Summary of constraint considerations 28 D Summary of opportunity considerations 33 E Assessment pro-forma 36 F Parcel assessments 40 A3 - Heatherwood Hospital, London Road, Ascot 40 A6 - Land including Ascot Railway Station car park, Station Hill, Ascot 46 A7 - Land south of Hermitage Parade, High Street, Ascot 52 A8 - Land west of St. George's Lane, including Shorts Recycling, Ascot 59 A20 - Sacred Heart Church, London Road, Sunningdale 65 C9 - Land between Southwood Road and Lower Mount Farm, Long Lane, Cookham Rise 70 C12 - Land east of Strande Park Caravan Park, Cookham Rise 75 D3 - Land north of Eton Road, adjacent to St. Augustine's Church, Datchet 80 D4 - Land between Slough Road and the M4, south east of allotments, Datchet 86 D5 - Land north and east of Churchmede Secondary School, Priory Road, Datchet 91 D6 - Land enclosed by London Road, the M4 and Riding Court Road, Datchet 97 D7 - Land south of Austin Way, Langley 102 E4 - Land south of Eton Wick Road, comprising Eton College sports ground, Eton 107 Edge of Settlement - Part 2 Constraints, Opportnities and Delivery Assessment 2016 Contents H2 - Land west of Crown Meadow, Brands Hill 113 M2 - Land known as Spencer's Farm, north of Lutman Lane, Maidenhead 119 M5 - Land east of Whitebrook Park, Lower Cookham Road, north of Islet Park Drive, Maidenhead 125 M7 - Maidenhead Sailing Club, Summerleaze Road, Maidenhead 131 M8 - Summerlease office and workshop, Summerleaze Road, Maidenhead 136 M12 - Land north of Bradcroft Lane and south of the raiwlay line, Maidenhead 142 M16 - Land east of Woodlands Park Avenue, north of Woodlands Business Park Maidenhead 148 M20 - Land south of Manor Lane including Shoppenhangers Manor and Manor House, Maidenhead 154 M21 - Land enclosed by Kimbers Lane, Harvest Hill Road, A308(M) and A404(M), Maidenhead 160 M22 - Triangle enclosed by M4, A308(M) and Ascot Road, Maidenhead 166 M23 - Maidenhead Golf Course, Shoppenhangers Road, Maidenhead 172 M24 - Braywick Park extending to Hibbert Road, Maidenhead 179 M25 - Land south of Stafferton Way, Maidenhead 185 M35 - Land between Windsor Road and Bray Lake, Maidenhead 192 M38 - Land west of Monkey Island Lane, including water treatment works, Maidenhead 198 W1 - Land north of A308, south of Maidenhead Road, Windsor 204 W2 - Land south of A308, north of Dedworth Road, Windsor 210 WR1 - Land south of The Drve, Wraysbury 216 WR2 - Land south of Old Ferry Drive, Wraysbury 222 WR5 - Land including Tithe Farm, Tithe Lane, Wraysbury 228 Edge of Settlement - Part 2 Constraints, Opportnities and Delivery Assessment 2016 3 Introduction 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is preparing a new Borough Local Plan. This will set out the vision and framework for future development, addressing needs and opportunities in relation to housing, the economy, community facilities and infrastructure - as well as a basis for safeguarding the environment, adapting to climate change and securing good design. 1.2 It is important that the Borough Local Plan is based on a good understanding of future development needs and opportunities. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) says that: 1. Plans should positively seek opportunities to meet development needs, and 2. Plans should meet objectively assessed needs unless: - the impact of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole, or - specific policies in the Framework indicate that development should be restricted.(1) 1.3 Accordingly the Council is taking the detailed step of reviewing existing planning designations (for example employment land, retail need and Green Belt). It should be understood that the act of reviewing a designation does not in itself indicate that the designation will change, that is a review can find the existing designation remains valid. Purpose of the study 1.4 This assessment is the second half of a two stage process which considers the suitability of land on the edge of settlements which are themselves excluded from the Green Belt for development.(2) This process supersedes that undertaken in 2014.(3) 1.5 The purpose of this Part 2 assessment is to consider a wide range of factors including constraints, opportunities and matters which affect the suitability, availability and achievability of development. 1.6 In broad terms this Part 2 assessment will: Assess how individual parcels of land perform against a wider range of factors; and Identify those areas which are more or less suitable for development. 1.7 It is important to note that this Part 2 assessment does not allocate land for development nor does it imply that land is suitable for development. The NPPF makes it clear that in order to make changes to the Green Belt boundary there have to be "exceptional circumstances."(4) Such a consideration must be informed by a number of other documents and reports including those on future housing and economic development needs, decisions on spatial strategy and public consultation, in addition to this assessment. Study purpose at a glance What it will do What it won't do Identify areas which are more or less suitable, Set future development requirements available and achievable for development Amend the boundary of the Green Belt Indicate whether exceptional circumstances exist which support the alteration to the boundary of the Green Belt Allocate land for development 1 NPPF, paragraph 14. 2 See the below sub-section Edge of Settlement Analysis: Part 1 Green Belt Purpose Assessment. 3 Edge of Settlement Analysis January 2014. 4 NPPF, paragraph 83. 4 Edge of Settlement - Part 2 Constraints, Opportnities and Delivery Assessment 2016 1 Introduction Edge of Settlement - Part 1 Green Belt Purpose Assessment 1.8 The Edge of Settlement: Part 1 Green Belt Purpose Assessment constituted the first half of the two stage process which considered the suitability of land on the edge of settlements by specifically considering how land currently designated Green Belt performs against the purposes of Green Belt as defined in the NPPF.(5) 1.9 The outcome of the Part 1 assessment was the identification of parcels of land which perform less well against the purposes of the Green Belt. In summary: Fifteen parcels were found as making a none/limited or lower contribution to the purposes of the Green Belt. Three additional parcels were assessed as performing an important role but provided opportunities to support regeneration or community initiatives. Fifteen parcels were assessed as making a moderate performance to one or more purposes. Sixty five parcels were assessed as performing strongly or very strongly to the purposes of the Green Belt. 1.10 Maps showing these parcels are provided on the following pages. Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment 1.11 The outcome of the Edge of Settlement Analysis Part 1 and Part 2 studies will feed into the Council's Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA). The HELAA is a technical study of all potential housing, economic and retail sites. It performs the following functions: it identifies potential sites for housing, employment and retail from a variety of different sources; it gives an indication of the potential overall scale of land that may be available for development; it looks at their suitability for housing, employment and retail use, with likely timescales for deliverability; and it does not make policy decisions or allocate sites but informs plan making. 1.12 The requirement for a HELAA is set out in paragraph 159 of the Framework and in the Department for Community and Local Government (DCLG) Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) under the section ‘Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment’, which provides detailed guidance on how to carry out a HELAA. The HELAA presents a strategic picture of the availability and suitability of land for development, providing a key component of the evidence base to inform the preparation of the new Local Plan. It attempts to establish realistic assumptions about the number of homes, employment and retail floorspace that this land could yield and the timeframe within which this might come forward. 5 NPPF, paragraph 80 states that Green Belt serves the five purposes: to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another; to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Edge of Settlement - Part 2 Constraints, Opportnities and Delivery Assessment 2016 5 Introduction 1 Map 1 Parcels assessed as performing last well against the purpose of Green Belt and parcels which provided an opportunity to support regeneration initiatives. 6 Edge of Settlement - Part 2 Constraints, Opportnities and Delivery Assessment 2016 1 Introduction Map 2 Parcels assessed as making a moderate performance to one or more purposes of Green Belt. Edge of Settlement - Part 2 Constraints, Opportnities and Delivery Assessment 2016 7 Policy context 2 POLICY CONTEXT National Planning Policy Framework 2.1 In England, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the government’s policy on planning including the context in which Local Plans must be prepared.