Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

On behalf of Crystal Property and Land

Project Ref: 28589/002 | Rev: A | Date: October 2013

Office Address: 61 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EQ T: +44 (0)161 245 8900 F: +44 (0)161 245 8901 F: E: [email protected] Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Document Control Sheet

Project Name: Church Lane, Newchurch Project Ref: 28589/002 Report Title: Supporting Statement Date: October 2013

Name Position Signature Date

Amy Gregg, Senior Transport Michael Gilbert Planner, Principal Prepared by: AG/MG/MJ 16.10.2013 and Mark Planner and Johnston Associate Planner

Reviewed by: Bernard Greep LLP Director BG 16.10.2013

Approved by: Bernard Greep LLP Director BG 16.10.2013

For and on behalf of Peter Brett Associates LLP

Revision Date Description Prepared Reviewed Approved

Peter Brett Associates LLP disclaims any responsibility to the Client and others in respect of any matters outside the scope of this report. This report has been prepared with reasonable skill, care and diligence within the terms of the Contract with the Client and generally in accordance with the appropriate ACE Agreement and taking account of the manpower, resources, investigations and testing devoted to it by agreement with the Client. This report is confidential to the Client and Peter Brett Associates LLP accepts no responsibility of whatsoever nature to third parties to whom this report or any part thereof is made known. Any such party relies upon the report at their own risk.

© Peter Brett Associates LLP 2013

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Contents

1 Introduction ...... 1 1.1 Background ...... 1 1.2 The Application Site and Development Proposal ...... 2 1.3 Structure of this Statement ...... 3 2 Planning Policy ...... 4 2.1 National Planning Policy ...... 4 2.2 Local Planning Policy ...... 8 3 Open Space Assessment ...... 11 3.1 Previous Reason for Refusal ...... 11 3.2 Current status of the Bowling Green ...... 11 3.3 Planning Policy ...... 12 3.4 Provision for Bowling in the Area ...... 15 3.5 Conclusion in Relation to Bowling Green Provision ...... 17 4 Transport Issues ...... 18 4.1 Proposed Development ...... 18 4.2 Personal Injury Collision Data ...... 18 4.3 Site Visit ...... 19 4.4 Speed Survey ...... 19 4.5 Lancashire County Council ...... 20 4.6 Assessment of Key Transport Issues ...... 20 4.7 Conclusion in Relation to Highways ...... 20 5 Summary and Conclusions ...... 22 5.1 Overview ...... 22 5.2 Summary of Consistency with the NPPF ...... 22 5.3 Summary of Consistency with the Development Plan ...... 22 5.4 Bowling Green Provision ...... 23 5.5 Highways ...... 23 5.6 Overall Conclusion ...... 23

Figures Figure 1.1 Site Location Plan ...... 2 Figure 3.1 Photograph Showing the Bowling Green in its Current Condition ...... 12 Figure 3.2 Proposals Map Extract ...... 14 Figure 4.1 PIC Data for January 2008 to February 2013 ...... 19

Tables Table 3.1 Population and Bowling Green Provision ...... 16

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Appendices Appendix 1 – Bowling Greens in the Newchurch Area Appendix 2 – List of Bowling Greens Within 20km Appendix 3 – Speed Survey Results Appendix 4 – LCC Correspondence Appendix 5 – Swept Path Analysis

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1 Introduction

1.1 Background

1.1.1 This Supporting Statement has been prepared by Peter Brett Associates (PBA) on behalf of Crystal Property and Land, to support the resubmission of a planning application for six residential dwellings and a car parking area at land off Church Lane in Newchurch, Rossendale.

1.1.2 The applicant has previously submitted three planning applications for residential development at the site. The first application (Ref: 2010/0693) was withdrawn, and the second application (Ref: 2011/0397) was refused on 23 December 2011 for the following reasons:

i. The proposed development would result in the loss of an area of open space (the bowling green) regularly and continually used by the local community. It has not been adequately demonstrated that this open space is surplus to requirements. Accordingly, the scheme is contrary to the advice of the Sports Council and PPG17, Policies L1/EM3 of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West of England (2008) and Policy 7 of the Council's adopted Core Strategy DPD (2011).

ii. The proposed development by reason of the layout, scale, design/appearance and implications for trees the subject of a Tree Preservation Order is considered to constitute poor design that fails to protect or enhance the locally distinct character and appearance of the area and the adjacent listed buildings or their settings, most particularly the Grade ll* St Nicholas Church. The scheme is therefore considered to be contrary to PPS1/PPS3/PPS5/ PPG13, Policies DP1-9/RT2/RT4/EM1 of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West of England (2008) and Policies 1/8/9/16/18/23/24 of the Council's Core Strategy DPD (2011).

iii. The proposed development would result in inadequate visibility splays to the north and south of the proposed access point, would not provide the required parking spaces or provide for the adequate turning for refuse vehicles within the site and would result in the loss of a pub car park with no provision provided elsewhere. The scheme would therefore be detrimental to highway safety in the area, contrary to PPS1/PPS3/PPG13, Policies RT2/RT4 of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West of England (2008) and Policies 1/8/9/24 of the Council's Core Strategy DPD (2011).

iv. The proposed development, most particularly by reason of the dwellings to the east of the site would result in the loss of privacy to the garden areas of Bolton Street properties and loss of light/outlook to the garden areas of No's 59 and 61 Church Street. The scheme would therefore be contrary to PPS1/PPS3, and Policies 1/ 24 of the Council's Core Strategy DPD (2011).

1.1.3 The most recent planning application (Ref: 2013/0019) was also withdrawn following comments from Rossendale Borough Council that the application was likely to be refused for similar reasons as those described above. Crystal Property and Land has now carefully considered these comments, and is re-submitting a revised planning application that responds to the Council’s concerns and provides additional evidence that robustly addresses the issues raised.

1.1.4 In this Statement we demonstrate that the application scheme is consistent with current national planning policy and the development plan when taken as a whole, and specifically address the concerns raised by the Council in relation to the loss of the bowling green and access/parking (previous reasons for refusal 1 and 3). This Statement should be read in conjunction with the submitted Design & Access Statement prepared by Edge Architecture,

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

which covers issues in relation to layout, scale, design and residential amenity (previous reasons for refusal 2 and 4).

1.2 The Application Site and Development Proposal

1.2.1 The application site is located off Church Lane near the centre of Newchurch in Rossendale, and is situated to the south of the Boar’s Head public house which fronts onto Church Street (see Figure 1 below). The site was formerly a private bowling green and parking area which was used in connection with the public house. The application site is private land and completely separate from the public house, which is operating successfully under a new lease without the use of the parking area or bowling green. The land is currently fenced off to prevent trespassing.

1.2.2 The disused bowling green and car park are served by an existing priority controlled junction on Church Lane. A footway is located along the western frontage of Church Lane, providing convenient and safe pedestrian connections to the residential area to the south of the site and to Church Street to the north. Existing bus services run along Church Street providing public transport linkages to the wider area.

1.2.3 On the opposite side of Church Lane to the application site is St. Nicholas’ Church, which was built in 1826 and is Grade ll* listed. The application site is otherwise in a predominately residential area, with a care home directly to the south and mixed residential areas to the north and beyond. There is no single local vernacular or materials palette in the surrounding area, which includes traditional stone-built terraces alongside more recent red brick/grey tile social housing.

Figure 1.1 Site Location Plan

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

1.2.4 The planning application seeks consent for the erection of six 4 bedroom semi-detached town houses and 13 car parking spaces. The application scheme will also provide an additional community benefit in the form of a 5 space parking area for visitors to St. Nicholas’ Church, which will also serve as an informal overspill parking area for visitors to the new housing if this is needed (although as we demonstrate in Section 4, the formal parking provision within the site is more than sufficient for a development of this scale). Further details are provided in the Design & Access Statement.

1.3 Structure of this Statement

1.3.1 The remainder of this Statement is structured as follows:

. Section 2 sets out the relevant national and local planning policy context against which the application will be determined, and explains how the development proposal is in accordance with the development plan and current national planning guidance.

. Section 3 deals with the Council’s comments in relation to the loss of the bowling green, and demonstrates that there is no reasonable basis on which to seek the retention of this use.

. Section 4 addresses highways issues and demonstrates that the proposed access and parking arrangements are adequate to serve the development.

. Section 5 draws together the findings of the Statement and provides our conclusions.

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2 Planning Policy

2.1 National Planning Policy

National Planning Policy Framework

2.1.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published on 27 March 2012, and consolidates the guidance set out in preceding Planning Policy Statements, Planning Policy Guidance notes and a number of related circulars, into a single document. Following its publication, this document now forms the statement of national planning policy against which applications for new development must be assessed, and it is therefore an important material consideration.

2.1.2 At the outset we would therefore emphasise that the national planning policy context has moved on considerably since the refusal of application Ref: 2011/0397, and as we go on to explain below, current guidance places a great deal of importance on the delivery of new housing in sustainable locations such as the application site.

Achieving Sustainable Development

2.1.3 The very first sentence of the NPPF, in the Ministerial Foreword, makes clear that the purpose of planning is to help achieve sustainable development. The Ministerial Foreword then states that ‘sustainable development is about positive growth’ and that the planning system is about making this happen.

2.1.4 Paragraph 7 of the NPPF states that there are three dimensions to sustainable development:

. an economic role – contributing to building a strong, responsive and competitive economy, by ensuring that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right places and at the right time to support growth and innovation;

. a social role – supporting strong, vibrant and healthy communities, by providing the supply of housing required to meet the needs of present and future generations; and by creating a high quality built environment, with accessible local services that reflect the community’s needs and support its health, social and cultural well-being; and

. an environmental role – contributing to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic environment; and, as part of this, helping to improve biodiversity, use natural resources prudently, minimise waste and pollution, and mitigate and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon economy.

2.1.5 The application proposal embodies sustainable development. The site is previously developed, within the existing urban area, and is eminently suitable for residential development given the surrounding land uses. The application site is easily accessible by private and public transport, and will have no significant impacts on the natural or built environment. The development proposals will therefore contribute towards ensuring that there is sufficient land of the right type and in the right location for residential development, will assist in delivering the housing required to meet present and future needs, and makes best use of previously development land in a sustainable location.

The Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

2.1.6 Paragraph 14 makes clear that at the heart of the NPPF is a ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’, which is the ‘golden thread’ running through both plan-making and decision-taking. The NPPF goes on to confirm, in the third and fourth bullet points of paragraph 14, that this means:

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

. approving development proposals that accord with the development plan without delay; and

. where the development plan is absent, silent or relevant policies are out‑of‑date, granting permission unless any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole, or specific policies in the Framework indicate development should be restricted.

2.1.7 As we demonstrate in this Statement, the application scheme accords with the development plan and should be approved without delay in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development. Notwithstanding this, the application scheme will not result in any adverse impacts that could significantly and demonstrably outweigh the genuine benefits of brining the site back into active use to provide high quality new housing.

Core Planning Principles

2.1.8 Paragraph 17 of the NPPF sets out 12 core planning principles and advises that, amongst other things, planning should:

. proactively drive and support sustainable economic development to deliver the homes, business and industrial units, infrastructure and thriving local places that the country needs;

. always seek to secure high quality design and a good standard of amenity for all existing and future occupants of land and buildings;

. encourage the effective use of land by reusing land that has been previously developed, provided that it is not of high environmental value; and

. actively manage patterns of growth to make the fullest possible use of public transport, walking and cycling, and focus significant development in locations which are or can be made sustainable.

2.1.9 The proposed development is entirely consistent with the NPPF’s core planning principles. The application scheme will provide much needed housing in an appropriate and sustainable location with good access to public transport and the facilities in nearby centres such as Waterfoot and Rawtenstall. The proposal has been sensitively designed to a very high standard and responds to the particular characteristics of the site and surrounding area, and makes more effective use of the site.

Promoting Sustainable Transport

2.1.10 Section 4 of the NPPF makes clear that the decision making process should take account of whether:

. Opportunities for sustainable transport modes have been taken up depending on the nature and location of the site, to reduce the need for major transport infrastructure;

. Safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved for all people; and

. Mitigation measures can be undertaken within the transport network to cost effectively limits any significant impacts of the development. Development should only be prevented or refused on transport grounds where the residual cumulative impacts of development are severe.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

2.1.11 The NPPF indicates that the decision making process should ensure that developments that generate significant movements are located where the need to travel will be minimised and the use of sustainable transport modes can be maximised. The NPPF further indicates that development should protect and exploit opportunities for the use of sustainable transport modes for the movement of goods or people. Therefore, developments should be located and designed where practical to, inter alia:

. Give priority to pedestrian and cycle movements, and have access to high quality public transport facilities;

. Create safe and secure layouts which minimise conflicts between traffic and cyclists or pedestrians; and

. Consider the needs of people with disabilities by all modes of transport.

2.1.12 The NPPF indicates that planning policies should aim for a balance of land uses within their area so that people can be encouraged to minimise journey lengths for employment, shopping, leisure, education and other activities.

2.1.13 As we demonstrate in Section 4 of this Statement, the site is in an accessible location and benefits from an existing access which is acceptable for the scale of development proposed, particularly given the low speeds along Church Lane (as confirmed through a new speed survey). This position has been agreed through discussions with Lancashire County Council (LCC).

Delivering a Wide Choice of High Quality Homes

2.1.14 Paragraph 47 of the NPPF advises that, in order to significantly boost the supply of housing, LPAs should ensure that their Local Plan meets the full, objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing. The same paragraph requires councils to identify a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years’ worth of housing, but it goes further than the precursor PPS3 which it replaced, stating that LPAs should provide sufficient land for an additional 5 per cent ‘buffer’, or a 20 per cent ‘buffer’ where there has been a persistent record of under-delivery.

2.1.15 Paragraph 49 of the NPPF states that ‘Relevant policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up-to-date if the local planning authority cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites’. As mentioned earlier, paragraph 14 of the NPPF advises that, where the development plan is absent, silent or relevant policies are out-of-date, planning permission should be granted for development proposals unless ‘any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed in this Framework taken as a whole’ or where specified policies in the NPPF indicate that development should be restricted.

2.1.16 We also wish to highlight paragraph 50 of the NPPF, which advocates a mix of high-quality housing that is capable of meeting the needs of different groups in the community. The same paragraph also advises LPAs to ensure an adequate supply of housing in terms of size, type, tenure and range.

2.1.17 The development proposal is fully aligned with the aspirations and requirements of the NPPF insofar as it relates to the provision of new housing. The Council’s last five-year housing land supply report was published in September 2012, in which the Council claim to have a 7.9 year supply against the target set out in Policy 2 of the adopted Core Strategy (3,700 additional dwellings to be delivered over the 15 year plan period up to 2026). The Council identifies a five-year target of 1,482 dwellings (including a 20 per cent ‘buffer’ as per paragraph 47 of the NPPF) – to be delivered at an average rate of 296 dwellings per annum – and a supply of 2,376 dwellings.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

2.1.18 However, we note that this supply is heavily reliant on 1,379 units coming forward on sites considered to be ‘deliverable’ but which have no planning status. Including all these sites is extremely spurious and in our experience results in a highly exaggerated supply figure. These sites do not yet have planning permission and it could be some time before they come forward, if at all. Although it might be reasonable to expect some of these sites to be delivered within the next five years, in reality it is highly unlikely that all these sites will progress through the planning system and start to deliver anywhere close to the level of housing anticipated in the SHLAA.

2.1.19 Accordingly, the realistic five-year supply will be substantially less than the figure quoted by the Council – we note that removing these sites leaves just 967 units on sites under construction and/or with planning permission, which would equate to a 3.2 year supply. In these circumstances paragraph 49 of the NPPF is engaged and the Council is directed under paragraph 14 of the NPPF to grant planning permission for the development. There are no adverse impacts that would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the scheme and there are no other policies that would indicate the development should be resisted.

Requiring Good Design

2.1.20 Paragraph 58 of the NPPF states that planning policies and decisions should aim to ensure that developments:

. will function well and add to the overall quality of the area, not just for the short term but over the lifetime of the development;

. establish a strong sense of place, using streetscapes and buildings to create attractive and comfortable places to live, work and visit;

. optimise the potential of the site to accommodate development, create and sustain an appropriate mix of uses (including incorporation of green and other public space as part of developments) and support local facilities and transport networks;

. respond to local character and history, and reflect the identity of local surroundings and materials, while not preventing or discouraging appropriate innovation;

. create safe and accessible environments where crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine quality of life or community cohesion; and

. are visually attractive as a result of good architecture and appropriate landscaping.

2.1.21 The application proposal accords with the criteria listed above. The development has been carefully conceived to deliver a high quality scheme with an appropriate scale and layout which responds to the specific characteristics of the site and surrounding area. The proposed materials palette reflects the local vernacular, which in any case is mixed, and the proposed development will represent an improvement over the existing condition of the site. Further details are provided in the submitted Design & Access Statement.

Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment

2.1.22 Section 12 of the NPPF covers a wide range of issues relating to the conservation of the historic environment. Paragraph 128 explains that in determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting.

2.1.23 We can confirm that the application site contains no designated heritage assets. We recognise that the site is opposite a Grade II* listed church, and consider that the application

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scheme will have no material impact on the setting or significance of the building. As we have noted above, the proposed development will actually represent an improvement vis-à-vis the existing condition of the site, and will therefore improve the outlook from the church and enhance its setting.

2.1.24 Thus, the application scheme will not lead to the loss of any designated heritage assets and will have no impact on any other aspect of the historic environment in the area.

Summary of Consistency with the NPPF

2.1.25 The development proposal must be assessed against current national planning guidance, which has moved on considerably since the last application was refused. The NPPF places a firm emphasis on significantly boosting the supply of new housing, and makes clear that there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development. These factors weigh heavily in favour of approving the scheme, which will provide a genuine contribution towards meeting Rossendale’s dwelling targets and embodies sustainable development at an appropriate previously developed site within the urban area.

2.1.26 The application scheme therefore fully accords with the various relevant parts of the NPPF in that it will deliver new housing, is acceptable in highways terms, achieves a high level of design quality, and will have no significant adverse impact on the natural or historic environment. In light of this the application is consistent with the NPPF when taken as a whole and should be approved in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

2.2 Local Planning Policy

Rossendale Core Strategy

2.2.1 The Rossendale Core Strategy was adopted in November 2011 and is intended to guide development across the Borough to 2026. One of the eight Brough-wide Strategic Objectives under paragraph 95 is to meeting housing needs. We note that the application site is currently unallocated ‘white land’ on the adopted proposals map and is therefore not safeguarded or protected for any specific form of development or use.

2.2.2 The application site falls within the ‘Waterfoot, Cowpe, Water and Lumb Area Vision’ location, where Policy AVP3 seeks to ‘Actively encourage the re-use of derelict/underused sites and buildings’, and ‘Identify and allocate appropriate sites for new housing development in the Waterfoot area including affordable housing, providing a housing mix which encourages families and young people to stay in the Borough’. The application scheme accords with both of these objectives.

2.2.3 The Core Strategy identifies a number of issues in this area, including the amount of vacant and underused land and the decline in vitality and viability of Waterfoot Town Centre. The proposed development would make more efficient use of a currently underused previously developed site, and will provide housing to accommodate new residents that are likely to use the facilities in Waterfoot Town Centre.

2.2.4 The following Topic Planning Policies are relevant to the application scheme:

. Policy 1: General Development Locations and Principles - Development within Rossendale should take place within the defined urban boundary. The Council will seek to enhance the quality and sustainability of places and individual developments by taking into account the following criteria when considering planning applications:

o Make best use of under-used, vacant and derelict land and buildings.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

o Complement and enhance the surrounding area(s) of the development.

o Maximise access by public transport, walking and cycling.

o Contributes to maintaining and creating sustainable and inclusive communities

. Policy 2: Meeting Rossendale’s Housing Requirement – Providing at least 3700 net additional dwellings over the plan period 2011-2026, equating to 247 dwellings per year. Delivering an overall amount of 65 per cent of all new dwellings on previously developed land across the Borough. Encouraging higher density developments (50+ dwellings per hectare) in sustainable locations, such as within and adjacent to Rawtenstall, Bacup, Haslingden and Whitworth and where well served by public transport, with a minimum density of 30dph across the Borough. Safeguarding the character of established residential areas. Prioritising the development of previously developed land.

. Policy 9: Accessibility – New development within the urban boundary should be concentrated close to main public transport corridors or within 400 metres of a bus stop with regular services.

. Policy 16: Preserving and Enhancing Rossendale’s Built Environment – The Council will protect, conserve, preserve and enhance Rossendale’s historic built environment ensuring that all development is located in a way that respects the distinctive quality of the historic landscape and setting, and retains or enhances the character and context. Development should be of a high standard of design.

. Policy 19: Climate Change and Low and Zero Carbon Sources of Energy – The Council will promote mitigation of climate change by locating new development in sustainable, accessible locations which minimise the need for travel and length of journeys.

. Policy 23: Promoting High Quality Design and Spaces – The Council will ensure that all new developments:

o Are of the highest standard of design that respects and responds to local context, distinctiveness and character.

o Contribute positively to local identity and heritage in terms of scale, density, layout, materials and access.

o Use locally sourced sustainable, high quality and innovative materials appropriate for the development.

. Policy 24: Planning Application Requirements – Applications will be given positive consideration where they satisfy a number of requirements, including whether they:

o Have considered the on and off-site impacts.

o Make efficient use of land.

o Positively contribute to the townscape, historic environment, local distinctiveness, landscape, biodiversity and provision of Green Infrastructure

o Are compatible with surroundings in terms of style, siting, layout, orientation, visual impact, local context and views, scale, massing, height, density, materials and detailing.

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o Protect the amenity of the area, including residential amenity in terms of satisfactory daylight, sunlight, outlook, privacy, soft landscaping and by mitigating noise and light pollution

o Provide direct walking, cycling and public transport access and address parking (and servicing issues as part of overall design quality.

Summary of Consistency with the Development Plan

2.2.5 The application scheme is consistent with all the above Core Strategy policies. The proposal is within the urban area and will make more efficient use of an accessible under-used site, thus reducing the need to travel, in line with Policies 1 and 19. The scheme will provide a genuine contribution towards meeting the housing requirements set out in Policy 2, and satisfies the requirements of Policy 9 in relation to accessibility. The scheme has been designed to a high standard using appropriate materials, and will have no discernible impact on the setting or significance of the nearby listed building, thereby satisfying Policies 16 and 23. Finally, we consider that the scheme, taken as a whole, meets all the relevant requirements of Policy 24 in that the proposal will have no environmental impacts; makes efficient use of land; enhances the site vis-à-vis the existing condition; is fully compatible with the surrounding area which is predominantly residential; will have no significant impact on amenity, is accessible by foot and public transport; and includes adequate parking and servicing provision.

2.2.6 Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that planning applications be determined in accordance with the statutory development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The adopted development plan against which the application must be determined comprises the Rossendale Core Strategy. The North West of England Regional Spatial Strategy (‘RSS’) has been revoked and is no longer relevant to the consideration of this planning application.

2.2.7 We have demonstrated that the application proposal is in accordance with the development plan and should therefore be approved without delay.

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3 Open Space Assessment

3.1 Previous Reason for Refusal

3.1.1 As noted earlier in this Statement, the most recent planning decision1 for development at this site (Ref: 2011/0397) resulted in a refusal of planning permission. The first reason for refusal related to the loss of the bowling green to the rear of the Boar’s Head Pub:

i. The proposed development would result in the loss of an area of open space (the bowling green) regularly and continually used by the local community. It has not been adequately demonstrated that this open space is surplus to requirements. Accordingly, the scheme is contrary to the advice of the Sports Council and PPG17, Policies L1/EM3 of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West of England (2008) and Policy 7 of the Council's adopted Core Strategy DPD (2011).

3.1.2 The wording of this reason for refusal is significant for three reasons in the context of the current development proposal.

3.1.3 Firstly, the statement that the proposed development ‘would result in the loss of an area of open space (the bowling green) regularly and continually used by the local community.’ As we will demonstrate later in this section, the proposed development will not result in the loss of this area of open space, for the simple reason that the bowling green cased to be in active use from September 2010 and is not therefore ‘regularly and continually used by the local community’.

3.1.4 Secondly, the reason states that ‘it has not been adequately demonstrated that this open space is surplus to requirements’. In making this statement, the Council is conferring no value judgement on the proposal to remove the bowling green, but is rather commenting on the shortcomings of the case advanced for removal at that time. The sections below address this deficit in information and demonstrate that the loss of bowling green, even if it were still in regular use, would not result in a material deficit in recreational provision for this area.

3.1.5 Finally, the planning policy context has changed considerably in recent times with the result that the policies cited are no longer applicable.

3.2 Current status of the Bowling Green

3.2.1 The bowling green in question was a private green used in connection with the Boars Head pub. The pub was closed for a period in 2010. At that time, the bowling green also ceased being used as such and was left untended. The pub has since re-opened under a new lease, although this does not include the bowling green which remains private land and is not in active use.

1 Note that this section refers to the most recent planning decision. We acknowledge that there was a subsequent application (2013/0019), however this was withdrawn before it was determined.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Figure 3.1 Photograph Showing the Bowling Green in its Current Condition

3.3 Planning Policy

3.3.1 With regard to the reason cited for refusing the previous scheme, the various elements of policy are considered in turn below:

. PPG17 no longer applies and instead we have addressed the provisions of Paragraph 74 of the NPPF.

. The Regional Plan for the North West was revoked in April this year, and consequently the citied policies from that document (L1/EM3) are no longer applicable.

. The applicability of Policy 7 of the Adopted Core Strategy is considered below.

3.3.2 In short, this section of our Statement presents compelling evidence confirming that there is no sound policy basis on to require the land to be preserved free from development in the hope of securing the re-instatement of a bowling green.

NPPF Paragraph 74

3.3.3 Since the previous decision in 2011, there have been a number of changes to the context for assessments of open space. As noted above, PPG17 was replaced by the NPPF in March 2012. This has reduced the prescription of national policy in regard to undertaking assessments of open space. Paragraphs 73 and 74 of the NPPF, however, still require assessments of open space to be undertaken in order to guide planning policy and development management decisions. The guidance provided in Paragraph 74 of the NPPF is as follows:

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“Existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be built on unless:

. an assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space, buildings or land to be surplus to requirements; or

. the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location; or

. the development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the needs for which clearly outweigh the loss”

3.3.4 No distinction is made in the NPPF between public and private facilities, which suggests that there will be a requirement to satisfy one of the three exemptions listed above, before development can proceed even on privately held recreational land.

3.3.5 Notwithstanding that the site is not ‘existing’ open space or playing field, the assessment in this section demonstrates that the land is surplus to requirements, and that the cessation of its use as a bowling green had no material impact on the provision of bowling greens in the area. The proposal to build on this land therefore satisfies the first criterion from the list in Paragraph 74.

Local Planning Policy

3.3.6 The former bowling green is located within the urban area of Newchurch. No specific land use zoning designations apply to it, and it is not shown on any development plan document as being recreational land. As we have noted in Section 2, the site is unallocated ‘white land’ that has in the past been used as a bowling green although this use has now ceased.

3.3.7 The Rossendale Open Space Strategy 2007 sets out the Borough Council’s strategy for open space provision. Within that document, bowling greens are classified as ‘sports pitches’. The Strategy notes that ‘There are several key sites for formal organised outdoor recreation within the borough, some of which are now managed privately and are not within the scope of this strategy’. No further explanation of this statement is given, however there are other instances where ‘privately managed facilities’ are given consideration within the Strategy. It is clear from these that the Strategy is not intended to apply to the former private facility to the rear of the Boars Head.

3.3.8 The Council’s Core Strategy was adopted in 2011, and contains a proposals map, which is a replication of the saved policies from the Rossendale District Local Plan. An extract showing the central area of Newchurch is shown below, with the development site highlighted:

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Figure 3.2 Proposals Map Extract

3.3.9 The proposals map clearly shows that the site is not allocated for any specific use. Moreover the green areas shown elsewhere are those that are identified in the Local Plan as ‘Green lands E.1’, subject to Policy 17, which seeks to protect and enhance the Borough’s Green Infrastructure network. The development site carries neither this designation nor the ‘RA’ designation of ‘Recreational Area’. It is evident from this that the bowling green to the rear of the Boar’s Head has never formed part of the Council’s strategy on green infrastructure or recreation.

3.3.10 Notwithstanding this fact, the Council’s previous reason for refusal states that the proposal was considered to be contrary to Policy 7 of the Core Strategy. Policy 7 seeks to protect and enhance Social Infrastructure including ‘parks and open space’. We submit that this is not applicable as the Boar’s Head bowling green has not been included in any designation of park or open space. The development of a residential scheme in this location cannot be considered contrary to Policy 7 of the Core Strategy.

3.3.11 Notwithstanding the above, in the interest of completeness we have considered the factors set out in Policy 7 which will be taken into account when assessing applications:

The availability of alternatives within 15 minutes travelling time by non-car modes

3.3.12 There are two alternative bowling green locations within Newchurch. The first at Edgeside Park is 12mins walk or 6mins cycle. The second at Gaghills Road is 9mins walk or 5mins cycle. Additionally we have considered below, in paragraphs 1.22 to 1.32, the provision of bowling greens within 10, 15 and 20km of the development site. In summary, there are a great number of alternative bowling greens available within a short distance, which adequately provide for the needs of the area.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

The financial viability of the existing use

3.3.13 Notwithstanding that the use has ceased, it is notable that the former bowling green was a pub facility operated in conjunction with, and indivisibly from, the pub. The facility was never operated on a purely commercial basis.

The results of marketing the site for existing or other community uses for a minimum period of six months

3.3.14 The Boars Head was on the market for a period up to September 2010, when it was bought by our client. We have been unable to ascertain the length of time it was on the market prior to our clients buying it. Whilst the entire property, including the bowling green to the rear, was purchased, only the pub has been reopened. The former bowling green remains private property and is now separate from the public house.

Whether it is possible for the community facility to be retained in the same locality, but combined with another use.

3.3.15 The sport of bowling requires a specialist facility. A bowling green is highly manicured and is designed for the specific purpose of playing bowls. It does not lend itself to multiple sports in the way that rugby and football or tennis and basketball might share a surface through appropriate schedule management. Opportunities for combining it with another use in order to retain it in the locality are therefore limited if not impossible. In addition, there is no need to retain it in the locality when there are two other established facilities both within 15mins walk.

Significance of loss on the local community

3.3.16 For the reasons given in this section, most notably the widespread availability of other bowling greens in the area, it is not considered that the ‘loss’ has had a material impact on the community.

3.4 Provision for Bowling in the Area

Participation

3.4.1 Sport England’s Information Pack for Bowls indicates that ’72 per cent of participants are aged 65 and over’. Another 23 per cent are in the 45-64 age category. These statistics tell us that approximately 95 per cent of bowlers are aged 45 or over. It is a sport which attracts an older demographic.

3.4.2 Sport England’s Active People Survey2 shows that there is a significant decline in bowling participation rates across the country in recent years. Participation rates in the North West region also show a falling trend.

3.4.3 Active People Survey 6 reported sports participation in England for the period October 2011 to October 2012. The results of the survey are based on a sample sized of 163,400 adults and show a ‘statistically significant’3 decrease in bowls participation. In percentage terms this means a drop from 1.13% of the population of the North West in ‘08-‘09 to c. 0.66per cent of the population in 2011-2012.

2 http://www.sportengland.org/research/active_people_survey/active_people_survey_6/detailed_sport_results_aps 6.aspx 3 “‘Statistically significant’ increase means we [Sport England] are 95% certain that there has been a real change in the population (increase or decrease)”

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Provision of Bowling Greens in the Area

3.4.4 The previous reason for refusal stated that it has ‘not been adequately demonstrated that this open space is surplus to requirements’.

3.4.5 The plan at Appendix 1 shows the location of all the bowling clubs in the surrounding area. There are a large number of clubs, indicating that there is more than sufficient provision. The immediate area of Newchurch includes greens at:

. Edgeside Park, Newchurch,

. Lambert’s Mill Shop, Gaghills Road, Newchurch

. Stubbylee Park, Bacup

. Bacup Cricket Club,

. Rose n’ Bowl, Newchurch Road, Bacup

. Whitaker Park, Rawtenstall.

3.4.6 Within a 10km radius of the Boar’s Head site there are 25 bowling greens. Within a 15km radius, there are a further 41 bowling greens which gives a total of 66 greens. Within a 20 km radius, there are a further 44 bowling greens, giving a grand total of 110 bowling greens.

3.4.7 By combining population figures with participation rates for the North West Region and setting these against the number of bowling greens in the area, we can establish the provision rate for bowling within 10, 15 and 20km of the Boar’s Head in Newchurch. This is expressed as the average number of bowlers per green, and is shown in the table below.

Table 3.1 Population and Bowling Green Provision 10km radius = 25 Greens No of Bowlers Provision rate Population @ 0.66% (bowlers per green) All residents 174,405 1,151 46 Age 45+ 77,041 1,0934 43 15km radius = 66 Greens No. of Bowlers Provision rate Population @ 0.66% (bowlers per green) All residents 612,457 4,042 61 Age 45+ 255,841 3,8404 58 20km radius = 110 Greens No of Bowlers Provision rate Population @ 0.66% (bowlers per green) All residents 1,245,555 8,221 75 Age 45+ 504,882 7,8104 71 Source: Experian 2013, Sport England Active People Survey 2011-2012 and http://www.online-bowls.com

4 The figures given for the number of bowlers in the over 45 category are based on the survey result which shows that 95% of bowlers are aged 45+.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

3.4.8 The above table demonstrates that the immediate area of Newchurch (i.e. within 10km of the Boars Head) is well supplied with bowling greens. A total of 25 greens will give an average number of 46 bowlers per green (43 bowlers per green in the over 45s).

3.4.9 It is of note that if a bowling green were to be operational at the Boars Head then the average number of bowlers per green in the 10km area would only fall to 44, a difference of 2 members per club on average. This difference is not of a magnitude that could be considered material to the determination of this planning application.

3.4.10 Beyond 10km, the number of greens increases significantly, however this begins to incorporate portions of the metropolitan area of Manchester and, as a result the population also increases significantly, and increases the average number of bowlers per green.

3.4.11 There is no specific standard for the provision of bowling greens cited by any authority, national or local. Bowling greens fall into the general category of ‘sports pitches’. The Open Space Strategy for Rossendale identifies a shortage of land in use as sports pitches to meet the National Playing Fields Association standard of 1.6ha per 1,000 population. The same Strategy however is also explicit in stating that in calculating the totals, only sports pitches/ Multi-Use games areas managed by Rossendale Borough Council have been counted. Consequently it is not clear whether the NPFA standard would have been reached if private facilities had also been taken into account.

3.4.12 With regard to the former Boars Head bowling green, it is clear that when operational it was never counted in any reckoning of sports facilities in the Borough. When the evidence presented above is taken into account as well, it is impossible to sustain the argument that its closure has a material impact on the provision of sports facilities in the Borough.

3.5 Conclusion in Relation to Bowling Green Provision

3.5.1 The Council’s concerns with respect to the ‘loss’ of the bowling green at this location are unfounded. Furthermore, there is no policy context on which to base a reason for refusal relating to the use of this land as a bowling green.

3.5.2 We have comprehensively demonstrated:

. That the former bowling green is closed and has not operated since September 2010.

. That the former bowling green is not ‘regularly and continually’ used by the local community

. That the evidence missing from the previous application to ‘adequately demonstrate that this open space is surplus to requirements’ is available, and has now been demonstrated to the Council.

. That the policy reasons for refusal cited as being PPG17 and policies L1/EM3 of the Regional Spatial Strategy can no longer be applied.

. That the NPPF requirement for applicants to demonstrate that the land is surplus to requirements has been fulfilled.

. That there is no local plan designation or allocation which would require this land to be retained or reinstated as a bowling green.

3.5.3 There is consequently no material reason for withholding planning permission on the basis of a perceived reduction in the open space available to the area. Finally, whilst not a material planning consideration, it is nonetheless worth noting that a reason for refusal based on the use of the land as open space, will not result in the re-instatement of the bowling green.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

4 Transport Issues

4.1 Proposed Development

4.1.1 The proposed development is for six four-bedroom residential units for private sale. Thirteen car parking spaces are provided in association with the residential units which is within LCC’s maximum parking standards, as set out in the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan adopted in March 2005. Two dwellings include a garage and all dwellings will have at least two parking spaces specifically designated to them, as requested by LCC.

4.1.2 The access road carriageway width is 5.5m which accords with the Lancashire Residential Road Design Guide which states that for a Type 5C Housing Square of up to 20 dwellings, carriageways with direct access are to be a minimum of 4.5m wide.

4.1.3 A proposed new car park for use by St Nicholas’ church will provide five parking spaces, making the total on-site quantum of parking within LCC’s maximum standards. The carriageway width behind the car parking is proposed to be at least 6m in line with LCC requirements. As the site is currently fenced off and unused, this will provide additional parking for St Nicholas’ church to that currently available. All parking spaces are 2.4m x 4.8m as required by LCC.

4.1.4 The proposed access to the site is via the existing car park and bowling green access junction, which is an existing consented access.

4.1.5 In this section of our Statement we demonstrate that the current proposal is acceptable in highways terms, and that the issues raised in the third reason for refusal in relation to application Ref: 2011/0397 cannot be sustained and do not apply the current application scheme. To inform our assessment we have visited the site, analysed Personal Injury Collision (PIC) data, undertaken speed surveys, and consulted with officers at LCC.

4.2 Personal Injury Collision Data

4.2.1 PIC data was obtained from Lancashire County Council’s ‘mario’ online database, shown below in Figure 4.1. The data covers the period January 2008 to February 2013. It can be seen from the data that only one PIC occurred in the vicinity of the proposed site during this five year period and it resulted in slight injuries. The PIC occurred on Newchurch Road at the junction of Church Lane and involved three cars colliding in wet weather with one of the drivers receiving slight injuries. No PICs have been recorded along the site frontage or Church Lane during the last five years.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Figure 4.1 PIC Data for January 2008 to February 2013

Source: LCC’s Mario online database August 2013

4.2.2 It can therefore be concluded that there are no existing highway safety concerns in the vicinity of the proposed site or site access, including when the on-site car park and bowling green were operational and vehicles utilised the existing access.

4.3 Site Visit

4.3.1 A site visit was undertaken in June 2013 to assess the existing site and observe the current traffic and transportation environment in the vicinity of the site. It was observed that vehicle speeds in the northbound and southbound direction along Church Street were less than 30mph, and this has since been corroborated by speed surveys.

4.4 Speed Survey

4.4.1 Following the site visit observations, a speed survey was undertaken immediately adjacent to the site along Church Lane on Friday 5th July between the hours of 09:00 and 15:10 hours, obtaining 200 speeds in each direction. The full results of the speed survey are included as Appendix 3. It can be seen from the survey results that in the northbound direction an 85% percentile speed of 22mph was observed and in the southbound direction an 85% percentile speed of 20mph was observed.

4.4.2 The speed surveys show that the existing speeds along Church Lane, in both directions, are low and are well below the speed limit of 30mph. This is likely to be due to the existing width and visibility limitations along Church Lane which act as a natural traffic calming measure.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

4.5 Lancashire County Council

4.5.1 Discussions were carried out with Lancashire County Council (LCC) in August 2013 with regard to the proposed development to ensure the requirements of the highways authority are considered and included where practically possible.

4.5.2 LCC confirmed that although the existing site access does not conform with Manual for Streets visibility standards, LCC accept that it is an existing access point on a restricted site with the low vehicle speeds observed along Church Lane. Therefore the existing access location is acceptable for the quantum of development proposed on the site.

4.5.3 Correspondence with LCC is included within Appendix 4, which confirms that the site access visibility is accepted by the county council.

4.6 Assessment of Key Transport Issues

4.6.1 The proposed access is an existing, consented access for the former bowling green, car park and Boars Head pub servicing. As previously mentioned, discussions with LCC were undertaken in August 2013 and the Highways Officer confirmed that the site access visibility does not meet standards set out in guidance, however given the size of the development, the limited scope for improvement and the fact that it is a consented access, LCC have agreed to accept the access arrangement.

4.6.2 Although the proposed use of the site is changing, the quantum of proposed development (i.e. six residential dwellings) will not generate a large volume of traffic and, given that no PICs have been recorded in the vicinity of the site over the five years to February 2013, the proposed development is highly unlikely to cause any safety and congestion issues on the local road network.

4.6.3 The quantum of proposed car parking for the site is considered to be appropriate for the size and scale of development. LCC’s Residential Road Design Guide Rev 0 06/85 states that a Type 5C Housing Square with up to 20 dwellings should have, on average, 1.5 car spaces per dwelling and direct access onto a 4.5m wide carriageway. Therefore the provision of two parking spaces per dwelling accords with the design guidance and was requested by the Highway Officer. In addition to the specifically dedicated residential parking, it is anticipated that for the majority of the week the church car parking spaces will be unoccupied and therefore available for visitors to the site, if required.

4.6.4 Swept path analysis has also been undertaken and is presented in Appendix 5. It can be seen from Appendix 5 that a safe servicing arrangement has been provided on-site and that a large refuse vehicle can enter and exit the site in a forward gear therefore providing an acceptable servicing arrangement. In reality, for a residential area similar to this, a smaller refuse vehicle is likely to be used and therefore there is more than enough space onsite to facilitate refuse collection.

4.7 Conclusion in Relation to Highways

4.7.1 The proposed development is for six residential dwellings with associated parking and a five space car park for use by the church opposite the site. Access to the site is proposed via the existing, previously consented site access.

4.7.2 Although the visibility from the site access does not meet the requirements set out in Manual for Streets, the observed speeds along Church Lane have been recorded as being significantly lower than the 30mph speed limit along Church Lane and no PICs have been recorded along the site frontage over the last five years. Therefore the proposed site access is considered acceptable, particularly as the access is an existing site access that has previously been consented.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

4.7.3 It has been shown that a large refuse vehicle can access, turn and exit the site in a forward gear.

4.7.4 We would draw attention to paragraph 32 of the NPPF, which advises that development should only be prevented or refused on transport grounds where the residual cumulative impacts of the development are ‘severe’. This section of our Statement demonstrates that the proposed access is acceptable to LCC, that the application scheme will not generate any highway safety concerns and will not result in any significant impacts on the local highway network. Thus, the scheme will not give rise to any ‘severe’ impacts and therefore it cannot be refused on these grounds.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

5 Summary and Conclusions

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 This Statement has been prepared to support the resubmission of a planning application (original Ref: 2013/0019) for six residential dwellings and a car parking area at land off Church Lane in Newchurch, Rossendale. The application was withdrawn following comments from the Council that it was likely to be resisted for similar reasons to those given for the refusal of a previous application (Ref: 2011/0397) for residential development at the site.

5.1.2 In this Statement we describe the development proposals and consider the current scheme against the provisions of the development plan and national planning policy. The latter has moved on considerably since the last application was determined, and provides significant support to the proposal which represents exactly the type of sustainable development advocated in the NPPF.

5.1.3 Importantly, we also robustly address two of the previous reasons for refusal relating to the loss of the bowling green and access/visibility splays. We demonstrate that the Council is unable to resist the proposal on either ground, and also explain that the design, layout and appearance of the scheme is appropriate and that any refusal on this basis would be unjustified and could not be defended.

5.2 Summary of Consistency with the NPPF

5.2.1 The NPPF places a firm emphasis on significantly boosting the supply of new housing, and makes clear that there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development. These factors weigh heavily in favour of approving the scheme, which will provide a genuine contribution towards meeting Rossendale’s dwelling targets and embodies sustainable development at an appropriate previously developed site within the urban area.

5.2.2 The application scheme fully accords with the various relevant parts of the NPPF in that it will deliver new housing, is acceptable in highways terms, achieves a high level of design quality, and will have no significant adverse impact on the natural or historic environment. In light of this the application is consistent with the NPPF when taken as a whole and should be approved in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

5.3 Summary of Consistency with the Development Plan

5.3.1 The application scheme is consistent with the development plan when taken as a whole. The proposal is within the urban area and will make more efficient use of an accessible under-used site, thus reducing the need to travel, in line with Policies 1 and 19. The scheme will provide a genuine contribution towards meeting the housing requirements set out in Policy 2, and satisfies the requirements of Policy 9 in relation to accessibility. The scheme has been designed to a high standard using appropriate materials, and will have no discernible impact on the setting or significance of the nearby listed building, thereby satisfying Policies 16 and 23. Finally, we consider that the scheme, taken as a whole, meets all the relevant requirements of Policy 24 in that the proposal will have no environmental impacts; makes efficient use of land; enhances the site vis-à-vis the existing condition; is fully compatible with the surrounding area which is predominantly residential; will have no significant impact on amenity, is accessible by foot and public transport; and includes adequate parking and servicing provision.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

5.4 Bowling Green Provision

5.4.1 The Council’s concerns with respect to the ‘loss’ of the bowling green at this location are unfounded. Furthermore, there is no policy context on which to base a reason for refusal relating to the use of this land as a bowling green.

5.4.2 We have comprehensively demonstrated:

. That the former bowling green is closed and has not operated since September 2010.

. That the former bowling green is not ‘regularly and continually’ used by the local community

. That the evidence missing from the previous application to ‘adequately demonstrate that this open space is surplus to requirements’ is available, and has now been demonstrated to the Council.

. That the policy reasons for refusal cited as being PPG17 and policies L1/EM3 of the Regional Spatial Strategy can no longer be applied.

. That the NPPF requirement for applicants to demonstrate that the land is surplus to requirements has been fulfilled.

. That there is no local plan designation or allocation which would require this land to be retained or reinstated as a bowling green.

5.4.3 There is consequently no material reason for withholding planning permission on the basis of a perceived reduction in the open space available to the area.

5.5 Highways

5.5.1 Access to the site is proposed via the existing, previously consented site access. Although the visibility from the site access does not meet the requirements set out in Manual for Streets, the observed speeds along Church Lane have been recorded as being significantly lower than the 30mph speed limit along Church Lane and no PICs have been recorded along the site frontage over the last five years. Therefore the proposed site access is considered acceptable, particularly as the access is an existing site access that has previously been consented.

5.5.2 It has been shown that a large refuse vehicle can access, turn and exit the site in a forward gear. We would draw attention to paragraph 32 of the NPPF, which advises that development should only be prevented or refused on transport grounds where the residual cumulative impacts of the development are ‘severe’. We have demonstrated that the proposed access is acceptable to LCC, that the application scheme will not generate any highway safety concerns and will not result in any significant impacts on the local highway network. Thus, the scheme will not give rise to any ‘severe’ impacts and therefore it cannot be refused on these grounds.

5.6 Overall Conclusion

5.6.1 Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that planning applications be determined in accordance with the statutory development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The adopted development plan against which the application must be determined comprises the Rossendale Core Strategy. The North West of England Regional Spatial Strategy (‘RSS’) has been revoked and is no longer relevant to the consideration of this planning application.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

5.6.2 We have demonstrated that the application proposal represents sustainable development in an accessible location within the urban area. We have provided firm evidence that robustly addresses the key concerns raised by the Council, and therefore demonstrate that there are no reasonable or defensible grounds to resist the proposal. The application scheme accords with the development plan when taken as a whole, and will not give rise to any significant adverse impacts that would demonstrably outweigh the genuine benefits of bringing the land back into active use to provide a contribution towards local housing provision.

5.6.3 In accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development the application should be approved without delay.

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Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Appendix 1 – Bowling Greens in the Newchurch Area

Final Report - Appendices

Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Appendix 2 – List of Bowling Greens Within 20km

Final Report - Appendices

Name Description/Address 1. Untitled St. Georges’ Square, Chadderton 2. Untitled Coalshaw Green Road, Chadderton, 3. Alma Inn Manchester Road, Accrington, Lancashire BB5 2QG 4. Black Lane Higher Ainsworth Rod, Radcliffe 5. Buersil Fraser Street, Buersil 6. Bullough Moor Queen’s Park Road, Heywood 7. Chadderton Cottage Bowling Green Close, Chadderton 8. Crompton Glebe Streetshawoldham. Oldham Lancashire OL2 7SF 9. Hollinhurst Park Beech Street, Whitefield 10. Hopwood Recreation Manchester Road, Heywood 11. Hopwood Unionist Manchester Road, Heywood 12. Huntley Unionist Coppice Street, Bury 13. Middleton Cons Long Stmiddleton, Manchester, Lancashire M24 6UN 14. Norden Trinity St, Rochdale OL12 7RD 15. Openshaw Park Pimhole Road, Bury 16. Prestwich Cons Saint Mary's Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1GG 17. Royton Cricket Bransdale Avenue, Oldham OL2 5TX, 18. Sucess To The Plough Matthew Moss Lane, Rochdale, Greater Manchester OL11 3LU 19. Tonge Tongekenyon Lane, Middleton, Rochdale 20. Tottington Cons Royds Street, Tottington, Bury 21. Untitled Parliament Street, Bury 22. Untitled Farrow Street, Shaw, Oldham 23. Alexandra Hotel Dukes Brow, Blackburn BB2 6EX 24. Alkincoats Park Alkincoats Road, off Barrowford Road (B6247), Colne BB8 9PZ 25. Anchor Road (Darwen) Anchor Road, Darwen BB3 0BB 26. Antley Inn Accrington, Lancashire, United Kingdom 27. Audley House Audley Lane, Blackburn 28. Bacup Cricket 44 Lanehead Lane, Bacup OL13 9BT 29. Bacup Recreation Maden Road, Bankside Lane, Bacup OL13 8NR 30. Bar Lane Astley Bridge, Bolton. BL1 7JH 31. Barden Gardens Barden Lane, Burnley BB10 2AG 32. Blackburn Subscription Shear Bank Road, Blackburn BB1 8AP 33. Briercliffe Burnley Road, Briercliffe, Burnley. BB10 2JG 34. Brierfield Heyhead Park, Brierfield. BB9 5BX 35. Bullough Park off Willows Lane, Accrington BB5 0LP 36. Burnley Road Burnley Road, Blackburn BB1 3JT 37. Burnley Road Subscription Burnley Road, Accrington BB5 6DW 38. Butlers Arms Victoria Road, Pleasington, Blackburn BB2 5JH 39. Centre Vale Park Burnley Road, Todmorden. OL14 7DD 40. Colne Cricket Club The Horsefield, Byron Road (A6086), Colne BB8 0RF Name Description/Address 41. Colne Royal British Legion Keighley Road, Colne BB8 0JL 42. Corporation Park Preston New Road (A677), Blackburn BB1 8DN 43. Darwen Subscription Anyon Street, Darwen BB3 3AA 44. East Lancashire Club Alexandra Meadows, Dukes Brow, Blackburn BB2 6EX 45. Edgeside Park Wales Road, Edgeside BB4 9SX 46. Feniscowles Recreation Ground Livesey Branch Road, Feniscowles, Blackburn BB2 5EH 47. Gatty Park Hyndburn Road, Accrington BB5 4AD 48. Globe Bowling & Billiard Club Ltd Park Crescent, Willows Lane, Accrington BB5 0LW 49. Grants Arms 11 Market Place, Ramsbottom, Bury. BL0 9AJ 50. Great Harwood Cricket Club Cliffe Park, Cliffe Park Lane, Great Harwood BB6 7PG 51. Green Park Aqueduct Road, Blackburn BB2 4BH 52. Greenhill Social & Bowling Club 163 Manchester Road, Burnley BB11 4HR 53. Griffin Park Griffin Street, Blackburn BB2 2NZ 54. Hapton Recreation Ground Off Carter Avenue, Hapton BB11 5RE 55. Haslingden Ryefield Avenue West, Haslingden BB4 4BE 56. Hollins Inn Hollins Road, Todmorden, West Yorkshire OL14 6QF 57. Ighten Mount Bowling Club Ltd Romford Street, Burnley BB12 8AF 58. Immanuel Church Bowling Club New Lane, Oswaldtwistle BB5 3QY 59. Lamberts Mill Shop Gaghills Road, Waterfoot, Rossendale BB4 9BB 60. Loveclough Country Club [CPA] Commercial Street, Loveclough, Rossendale BB4 8QX 61. Loveclough Park Burnley Road, Loveclough, Rossendale BB4 8QY 62. Lower Darwen Memorial Higher Croft Road, Lower Darwen BB3 0QR 63. Lower Darwen Recreation Ground Sandy Lane, Lower Darwen BB3 0PP 64. Lowerfold Park Great Harwood BB6 7NS 65. Lowerhouse Lowerhouse Lane (A646), Burnley BB12 6JE 66. Marsden Park Walton Lane, Nelson. BB9 8BQ 67. Memorial Gardens Helmshore Road (B6214), Haslingden BB4 4BE 68. Mercer Park Grange Street, Clayton‐le‐Moors, Accrington BB5 5PL 69. Milnshaw Park Lancaster Avenue, Accrington BB5 4BZ 70. Nelson Cricket & Bowling Club Seedhill, Surrey Road, Nelson BB9 7TY 71. Nelson Old Brass Band Clifford House, Barkerhouse Road, Nelson BB9 9ES 72. Oakhill Park Hollins Lane, Accrington BB5 2LJ 73. Park Road Park Road, Padiham BB12 8EE 74. Peel Park Avenue Parade, Accrington BB5 6HH 75. Queens Park (Burnley) Queen Victoria Road, Burnley BB10 3AA 76. Railway Hotel (Pleasington) Pleasington Lane, Pleasington, Blackburn. BB2 5JQ 77. Rhyddings Park Park Lane, Accrington BB5 3AQ 78. Rishton Parker Street, Rishton, Blackburn. BB1 4NT 79. Rishton Conservative Working Cliffe Street, Rishton, Blackburn BB1 4EF Mens Club 80. Roe Lee Park Roe Lee Park, Blackburn BB1 9SA 81. Rose N Bowl 264 Newchurch Road (A681), Stacksteads, Bacup OL13 0UG 82. Rushton Street Rushton Street, Great Harwood, Blackburn BB6 7JQ Name Description/Address 83. Sabden Bowling Club Pendle Street East, Sabden, Clitheroe BB7 9EQ 84. Scott Park (Burnley) Scott Park Road, Burnley. BB11 4JN 85. Spring Hill Working Mens Club 124 Lonsdale Street, Accrington BB5 0HJ 86. St.Andrews Cricket & Bowling Club Abinger Street, Burnley BB10 3ED 87. St.Stephens Conservative Club Little Harwood Hall, Robinson Street, Blackburn BB1 5PE 88. Stubbylee Park Stubbylee Lane, Bacup OL13 0BT 89. Sunnybank Social Club Helmshore Road, Helmshore, Rossendale BB4 4LQ 90. Thomas Street Thomas Street, Nelson BB9 9BY 91. Towneley Park Towneley Hall Towneley Park Burnley BB11 3RG 92. Turton Off Wellington Road, Edgworth BL7 0EF 93. Victoria (Blackburn) Saint John's Street, Great Harwood, Blackburn 94. Victoria Park (Haslingden) Helmshore Road (B6214), Haslingden BB4 6PE 95. Victoria Park (Nelson) Carr Road, Nelson BB9 7TE 96. Walsden Cricket & Bowling Club Scott Street, Rochdale Road, Walsden, Todmorden OL14 7TB 97. Westfield (Nelson) Scott Street, Nelson BB9 7UE 98. Whalley Sports Club Mitton Road, Whalley, Clitheroe BB7 9RT 99. Whitaker Park Haslingden Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale BB4 8RX 100. Whitehall Park Bolton Road, Darwen BB3 2LN 101. Whitworth B.C. Rawstron Street, Whitworth, Rochdale. OL12 8BA 102. Witton Inn Pleasington Street, Blackburn 103. Worsley Park Blackburn Road (A680), Haslingden, Rossendale, BB4 5AN 104. Heptonstall Social & Bowling Acre La, Hebden Bridge 105. Billy Lane Billy Lane, Wadsworth, Hebden Bridge, Calderdale 106. Rawtenstall Wood Savile Road, Hebden Bridge 107. Hebden Royd Park Hebden Bridge 108. Hebden Bridge Lee Mill Road, Hebden Bridge 109. Mytholmroyd Working Mens Club Stocks Av, Hebden Bridge 110. Mytholmroyd North of Station, Mytholmroyd

Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Appendix 3 – Speed Survey Results

Final Report - Appendices

Church Lane, Newchurch - Speed Survey (Friday 5th July 2013)

Weather Conditions - Fine/Sunny

Northbound

21 23 19 11 22 20 19 27 15 21

15 21 16 22 19 23 18 17 21 13

15 18 18 26 22 18 19 17 13 19

20 19 20 16 22 16 13 22 17 17

21 20 15 23 21 15 20 19 12 20

24 19 17 20 19 14 18 23 18 21

18 23 15 13 23 18 21 16 18 20

14 18 16 23 18 16 18 22 18 24

16 13 19 18 25 14 19 14 19 20

20 20 16 16 20 16 18 12 22 16

21 12 16 18 13 18 26 16 14 16

19 16 18 16 15 20 16 23 15 17

15 24 18 15 22 19 14 21 25 15

20 16 19 21 16 17 11 21 16 20

17 19 13 17 19 23 17 28 20 11

21 17 24 21 14 25 23 15 12 21

13 22 20 15 21 16 17 24 21 19

14 18 22 16 27 17 19 22 17 20

21 23 19 24 22 15 18 20 17 22

18 20 18 22 14 17 23 17 16 14

Max - 28 Min - 11 85% - 22 Ave - 19 Sp. Limit - 30

Church Lane, Newchurch - Speed Survey (Friday 5th July 2013) Page 1 of 2 Weather Conditions - Fine/Sunny

Southbound

19 21 14 18 20 13 20 13 17 19

14 16 12 28 15 11 15 18 12 14

17 15 19 14 15 18 18 12 19 17

18 22 15 17 20 16 17 14 17 14

12 15 13 15 12 16 20 16 16 15

13 17 19 17 13 20 16 12 15 16

17 13 19 17 20 14 19 17 21 19

12 16 17 20 17 15 21 13 17 11

17 21 16 20 12 16 19 14 16 12

19 14 17 16 19 14 16 19 14 22

11 21 19 13 16 19 14 18 15 17

15 20 16 15 23 15 20 18 19 17

16 20 18 12 14 17 19 17 14 12

20 13 20 14 18 16 22 16 18 15

18 17 11 19 16 21 18 14 11 15

18 14 19 16 11 19 16 19 21 13

19 11 17 18 11 14 22 20 18 14

20 17 11 17 18 25 14 21 14 17

14 18 16 18 15 17 14 21 15 18

17 27 20 15 19 21 14 20 16 19

Max - 28 Min - 11 85% - 20 Ave - 17 Sp. Limit - 30

Page 2 of 2 Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Appendix 4 – LCC Correspondence

Final Report - Appendices

Land off Church Lane, Newchurch, Rossendale Supporting Statement

Appendix 5 – Swept Path Analysis

Final Report - Appendices