Proposed residential development
Land at the former William Blythe works Manchester Road, Hapton
Planning Statement on behalf of Gleeson Homes and Temple Fields 523 Ltd
January 2016 Contents
Page
1. Introduction 1 2. Application site and surrounding area 2 3. Development proposals 6 4. Planning policy 9 5. Planning appraisal 18 6. Summary and conclusion 36
Prepared by: Graham Love MRTPI
Smith Love Planning Consultants Ltd Unit 5, Albert Edward House The Pavilions, Port Way Preston, PR2 2YB Tel. 07769 332697 www.smithlove.co.uk
Land at the former William Blythe Chemicals site, Manchester Road, Hapton January 2016 Gleeson Homes and Temple Fields 523 Ltd
1 Introduction
1.1 This Planning Statement has been prepared on behalf of Gleeson Homes and Temple Fields 523 Ltd in support of their full planning application for residential redevelopment of the former William Blythe Chemical Works site at Manchester Road, Hapton, comprising 202 no. dwellings with associated access, public open space and landscaping.
1.2 The statement provides a description of the application site and the proposed development, together with a summary of its planning history, and appraises the planning merits of the scheme against the relevant up-to-date development plan, national planning policy framework and other material considerations. It demonstrates that the application site is a suitable and appropriate location for new housing, and that the proposed scheme will create a high quality sustainable development that will make a valuable contribution to meeting housing needs in Burnley for several years. It will provide a range of family homes, including a number of larger ‘aspirational’ detached properties, at locally affordable prices and will deliver significant social, economic and environmental benefits to the local community and wider economy.
1.3 The proposed development is fully compliant with the relevant policies of the development plan and national policy and guidance, and there is a compelling case for planning permission to be granted in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development. It is also demonstrated that very special circumstances exist to justify inappropriate development on part of the application site located within the Green Belt.
Supporting documents
1.4 This Planning Statement should be read in conjunction with the following plans, drawings and supporting documents. These were agreed in pre-application discussions with officers at Burnley Council as being necessary to ensure the planning application can be validated;
Location plan Topographical survey plan Proposed site masterplan (site wide) Proposed residential site layout plan (black and white and colour) Proposed housetype elevation and floorplan drawings Street scene drawing Landscape and visual impact assessment Extended Phase 1 habitat survey and bat roost potential report Tree survey and assessment Geo-environmental appraisal and remediation strategy (including Coal Mining Report) Transport assessment and interim travel plan Flood risk assessment and drainage report Air quality assessment Socio-economic benefits report
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Land at the former William Blythe Chemicals site, Manchester Road, Hapton January 2016 Gleeson Homes and Temple Fields 523 Ltd
2 Application site and surrounding area
The site
2.1 The application site lies in a sustainable location on the northern edge of Hapton, approximately 4km west of Burnley and 2km south of Padiham.
2.2 It comprises an irregularly shaped area of land of approximately 15ha, and is the site of the former William Blythe Chemical Works which closed in 2008. It contains three distinct areas as described and shown on Figure 1 below;
A) The developed footprint of the former chemical works buildings and manager’s house:
This covers the southwest part of the site with a frontage onto Manchester Road and the canal. It is 5 ha in area and contains the level remains of concrete bases, building foundations, roads and hard standings, and is crossed by the culverted Shaw Brook;
B) The former landfill facility associated with the chemical manufacturing process:
This lies east of the former chemical works buildings and forms a 10m high ‘mounded’ landform covering an area of 5.5 ha. The landfill was a licensed industrial facility serving the works and is now closed and capped, and the site has been restored and landscaped;
C) Undeveloped land:
The remaining northern part of the site comprises approximately 4.6 ha of unused rough grassland and copse. It is crossed by Shaw Brook and contains the remains of a water treatment plant / settlement tank and a service road and secondary access.
Figure 1: Site composition plan
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2.3 The site of former chemical works buildings (Area A) will require remediation before it can be redeveloped for the proposed housing, but no further remediation is required on the former landfill and the undeveloped part of the site (Areas B and C). The overall site is not constrained by any ecological designations or areas of flood risk, and there are no infrastructure or ownership constraints. The eastern fringe is crossed by an overhead power line and the site contains two pylons, but these are sufficiently clear of the proposed housing development.
2.4 There are no public rights of way crossing the site although new connections will be provided to the Stone Moor public access land which adjoins the norther perimeter and the local network of public footpaths to the east and west, as well as the canal towpath. The remains of a local heritage asset (a WWII spigot mortar emplacement) are also located on the northern boundary of the proposed housing site and will be preserved in the scheme proposals. The adjacent Manchester Road canal bridge (no. 121) is also a designated heritage asset (Grade II listed).
The surrounding area
2.5 The application site is bounded by Manchester Road on its western side, from which it is accessed, and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal (and M65 motorway beyond) along its southern boundary. Open countryside (Green Belt) lies to the north, east and west, with the recently redeveloped Burnley Bridge Business Park (former Hepworth works), further to the east.
Figure 2: Site location plan
2.6 The site lies approximately 350m from the centre of Hapton and the railway station, and is easily accessed via Manchester Road which is lit and provided with footpaths, apart from crossing the canal bridge, which the proposed development will provide. Hapton offers a range of community services and facilities, including a primary school, shops, pubs, places of worship, recreation areas and a community centre, together with bus stops and the railway station.
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Relevant planning history
2.7 There are two relevant pieces of planning history, namely the approved Development Brief for the redevelopment of the site, and the planning permission (county matter) for the closure and restoration of the former landfill facility.
a) Development Brief
2.8 The Development Brief for the redevelopment of the former William Blythe Chemical Works site was prepared in early 2011 in liaison with Burnley Council officers, and was formally endorsed by members of the Council’s Executive at its meeting on 26th July 2011. The illustrative Development Framework is shown below and identifies a number of development principles.
Figure 3: Development Framework
2.9 The Development Brief establishes the following planning matters and development principles;
i) The principle of redeveloping the site for residential use and no longer protecting it as an employment site;
ii) The area of the site considered suitable for housing development (Area A on the Development Framework plan) and its principal development guidelines in respect of access, form, layout and density, indicating a potential yield of up to 280 no. dwellings;
iii) The principle of a ‘land swap’ to develop land in the Green Belt within the site (shown as Area B on the Development Framework plan), in substitution for the area of sterilised brownfield land (Area C) within the settlement boundary for Hapton that cannot be developed due to the capping and closure engineering works associated with the former landfill, and on which all future built development is permanently prohibited;
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iv) The treatment and aftercare of the restored landfill facility and the area of undeveloped land within the site (Area D on the Development Framework plan), and the provision of controlled public access to the land for informal / countryside recreation.
b) Planning permission
2.10 The Environment Agency issued a formal Closure Notice for the hazardous landfill facility in 2006, in parallel with the closure of the chemical works and the end of chemical manufacturing. A planning application (ref. 12/10/0552) was submitted to Lancashire County Council in August 2010 and approved subject to conditions on 23rd May 2011, for the remediation, closure engineering and barrier containment works of the licensed landfill facility, together with the re- profiling of the capped landform and its landscaped restoration (grassland and tree planting).
2.11 The landscaping scheme replicates the former planting on the north and south sloping flanks of the landform and leaves the capping layer as managed grassland free of tree roots. A surface water cut-off trench was also installed around the perimeter of the cap and drains to a balancing pond in the open grassland in the northern part of the site. The closure works were completed in spring 2012 and the sequence is shown in the photographs in Figure 4 below.
1. The site prior to demolition of the buildings - 2007 2. The site during remediation - 2011
3. The site after completion of remediation - 2012 4. The restored site today - 2014
Figure 4: Sequence of photographs showing the clearance of the site and closure engineering and landscaped restoration of the former landfill facility
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3 Development proposals
3.1 The application seeks full planning permission for residential redevelopment, comprising a range of 202 no. family dwellings with associated landscaping, informal public open space, site infrastructure and means of access. Details of the proposal are provided in the accompanying Design and Access Statement and application plans, elevations and supporting documents.
Figure 5: Proposed housing layout and site masterplan
3.2 The above plan shows the overall arrangement of development and open space on the site, with the proposed housing occupying the previously developed site of the former chemical works, together with some development (51 no. dwellings) extending north into the Green Belt. The blue line indicates the extent of the site that is within the Hapton urban area and the undeveloped part that is sterilised by the landfill capping works and cannot be developed.
3.3 The masterplan also shows the proposed treatment of the balance of the site comprising the restored and landscaped former landfill facility, and the grassland / copse extending around the northern edge. These areas lie in Green Belt and will be made available to provide public access and will serve as the informal recreation area and open space for the proposed housing.
3.4 The proposed housing comprises a mix of 202 no. detached, semi-detached and linked units. The schedule of accommodation is;
42 no. x 2 bedroom dwellings (21%) 132 no. x 3 bedroom dwellings (65%) 28 no. x 4 bedroom dwellings (14%)
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3.5 A range of 14 no. individual house-type designs are proposed as follows;
2 no. x two bedroom semi-detached designs; 8 no. x three bedroom semi-detached and detached designs, with both integral and freestanding garages, and; 4 no. x four bedroom semi-detached and detached designs, with both integral and freestanding garages.
3.6 The house types feature a range of brick and tile materials and are provided with front and rear gardens and a combination of integral and detached garages and off-road parking spaces. The development is arranged around a hierarchy of cul-de-sac roads featuring different surface treatments and new landscaping, amenity space and tree planting is provided throughout.
3.7 The housing is designed to provide active frontage onto Manchester Road and the canal, and to face onto the surrounding Green Belt countryside on the northern boundary of the site where possible. Trees on the edge of the former manufacturing area will be retained and incorporated into the development in over-sized rear gardens and an area of amenity space. The WWII spigot mortar emplacement located among these trees will also be retained and restored as part of the development (between plots 175 and 176) as a non-designated heritage feature.
3.8 Vehicular access will be provided from the existing site entrance on Manchester Road. Adequate visibility is available to the north from this point but is limited to the south by the Leeds and Liverpool canal bridge. A package of off-site highway works is proposed to address this, comprising the installation of traffic signals on the bridge and an advisory pedestrian footway and crossing on Manchester Road, giving safe, direct access to Hapton centre and the railway station, together with a traffic calming ‘gateway feature’ at the approach to the village.
3.9 The remainder of the site within the Green Belt outside the housing development area, will be made available as public open space for residents’ informal recreation and will remain undeveloped. This includes the restored former landfill facility and the open grassland / copse in the northern part of the site. A number of footpath links will connect the housing development to the public open space and the Stone Moor access land, public footpaths and canal towpath.
Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Opinion
3.10 An EIA screening request was submitted to Burnley Council on 21st September 2015 under Regulation 5 of the Town and Country (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 (as Amended), and its formal Screening Opinion was received on 27th October 2015.
3.11 In this, the Council confirms that the proposed scheme is not EIA development and it would not be likely to result in a significant effect on the environment, as its construction and operational effects will be localised and can be properly addressed through the consideration and determination of the planning application. For this reason, the development does not comprise ‘EIA Development’ and consequently an Environmental Statement has not been prepared.
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Pre-application engagement
3.12 The proposed development has been discussed with planning and regeneration officers at Burnley Council on a number of occasions, and at meetings on 29th January 2015 and 25th August 2015. A written response was provided by the Council planning officer confirming the principle of development and the material considerations to be taken into account, and informal comments were received from a number of Council services and statutory consultees. Written comments were also received from Lancashire County Council confirming the scope of off-site highway works required to Manchester Road and other potential planning obligations and contributions to be agreed subject to development viability. The scope of the Transport Assessment and the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment accompanying the planning application have also been agreed with Burnley Council and Lancashire County Council officers
Statement of community involvement
3.13 Gleeson Homes has publicised the details of the proposed development and planning application within the local community in Hapton. An information sheet (see below) was delivered to 370 no. households in the vicinity of the site on 12th November 2015, and to Hapton Parish Council and local Elected Members, and all members of the Burnley Council planning committee were informed of the proposed application. The purpose of the information sheet was to make people aware of the proposal and to provide details of the scheme and timetable for the submission of the planning application. It was circulated to residents on Manchester Road, Water Street, East Street, Cobden Street, Church Street, Norton Street, Bridgefield Street, Castle Street, Whitefield Street, Wordsworth Street, Dell Lane and Simpson Street.
Figure 6: Information distributed to local residents and stakeholders
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4 Planning policy
4.1 Relevant policy is provided at national level by the National Planning Policy Framework and associated Planning Practice Guidance, and local policy is provided in the adopted Development Plan for Burnley. Preparation of the replacement Burnley Local Plan to 2030 has begun but is not advanced beyond its initial Issues and Options stage.
Development Plan
4.2 For the purposes of this application, the adopted development plan comprises the saved version of the Burnley Local Plan (Second Review) of April 2006 which sets out the Council’s strategy for the use of land for the period to 2016.
4.3 Whilst the saved Local Plan remains in force until it is replaced by the emerging Local Plan, it is becoming increasingly out of date and the degree of weight that can be attached to its saved policies depends on their consistency with the Framework. This is particularly relevant to the policies relating to the supply of housing land to meet objectively assessed needs.
4.4 The Local Plan (Second Review) identifies 40% (approximately 6ha) of the 15ha application site as ‘white land’ within the settlement boundary of Hapton, and the balance within the Green Belt. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is identified as a Wildlife Corridor (Policy E3) and part of the walking and horse riding network (Policy TM6) and cycle network (Policy TM7) in the Borough.
Figure 7: Extract from the Burnley Local Plan (Second Review) Proposals Map
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4.5 Saved Policy GP1 permits new development within defined settlement boundaries (the urban area) subject to;
a) making efficient use of land and buildings by following a sequential approach to meeting development needs, by considering: i) the re-use of existing buildings and infrastructure: then ii) the use of previously developed land; and then iii) the use of previously undeveloped land well located to houses, jobs, other services and infrastructure and accessible to public transport, walking or cycling; b) minimising the use of natural resources; c) exploiting existing services and facilities; d) reducing the need to travel; e) being accessible or potentially accessible by walking, cycling and public transport; f) being accessible to all and not leading to social exclusion; g) not impacting residential amenity by reason of noise or other nuisance; h) not impacting the safe and efficient operation of transport and highway infrastructure; i) not resulting in the loss of an area which makes a significant contribution to public amenity by virtue of its open space character, appearance and function, and; j) not impacting built heritage and the natural environment.
4.6 Saved Policy E26 controls development within the Green Belt and confirms that inappropriate development will only be permitted if very special circumstances exist.
4.7 Of the saved housing policies, Policy H1 (strategic requirement) is now time-expired and Policy H2 (sequential release of non-allocated housing land) is not consistent with the Framework, albeit the majority of the area of the application site proposed for development, comprises previously-developed land and does not offend the brownfield preference of the policy. Parts of the body of Policy H2 remain relevant however and explain that housing development on un- allocated (windfall) brownfield sites within the urban area, will be supported when development;
would bring previously developed land back into use; is close to local facilities and services and is, or can be, served by public transport; satisfies the criteria of Policy GP1 and GP3
4.8 Policy H3 seeks to achieve high quality and design in new housing development in terms of;
materials, size, scale and siting relative to its context and landscape setting; creating a sense of place; providing a range of house types and designs; protecting amenity and providing adequate amenity space and landscaping; providing safe pedestrian access incorporating traffic calming measures, and; providing off-street car parking in accordance with Council standards.
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4.9 This is supplemented by the general design requirements of saved Policy GP3 - Design and Quality and saved Policy GP6 - Landscaping and Incidental Open Space.
4.10 Saved Policy H4 seeks to ensure adequate choice is provided in new housing development in terms of a mix of types, sizes and tenures. Saved Policy H5 seeks the provision of affordable and/or special needs housing in developments of 25 or more dwellings, or sites of 1ha or more, of at least 10%. Need will be assessed in conjunction with an applicant on a site by site basis, taking account of a) the type and character of housing in the local area; b) proximity to local services, and c) the latest housing needs assessment information.
4.11 Policy H6 seeks to achieve a net site density that makes the most efficient use of land. A target density of 30 - 50 dwellings per ha. is sought on windfall housing sites in locations with good public transport accessibility, subject to any site-specific exceptional circumstances. Policy H7 requires on-site recreational public open space to be provided in accordance with Council standards. This should be usable, safe and easily accessible to all future residents.
4.12 Saved Policy EW7 protects existing employment land and premises from redevelopment to non-employment uses unless it is evident that; a) continued employment use will harm the character and amenity of the surrounding area; or b) a site is no longer suited in land use terms, for continued employment use.
4.13 A number of other saved policies concern amenity and environmental considerations but do not need to be repeated in detail for the purposes of this statement. These include;
Policy GP9 crime prevention Policy E4/5 ecology and protected species Policy E6 trees and hedgerows Policy E8 flood risk Policy E15 historic environment Policy E19 archaeology Policy E27 landscape character and rural distinctiveness Policy E34 derelict and contaminated land
Emerging Local Plan
4.14 The Council is preparing a new Burnley Local Plan to cover the period to 2030 and has so far consulted on an Issues and Options paper in spring 2014, and an Additional Sites paper in autumn 2014. It is anticipated the new Local Plan will be adopted in 2017.
4.15 The Issues and Options paper puts forward three spatial development options for the Borough and a ‘do nothing’ approach, together with prospective site allocations for housing, employment and other land uses.
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4.16 Housing growth at Hapton is supported by two of the draft spatial options; i) focusing growth around transport corridors / hubs (M65 and Hapton Station), and ii) focusing growth to support economic development given its proximity to Burnley Bridge and other key employment sites within the M65 corridor. The housing objectives of these options are to deliver new housing on;
i) “peripheral sites outside the urban boundary as there is likely to be more limited provision within the existing urban area. A wider range of locations could help deliver sufficient housing to meet the Borough's housing need, improve housing choice and deliver aspirations for economic growth as increasing housing choice may produce a larger and more diverse local workforce and attract investment in the local economy”; and on,
ii) “a wider range of sites in different locations. This will help improve housing choice and deliver a wider range of housing, possibly sufficient to change the Borough’s challenging housing market situation. New housing in the rural area could also provide the opportunity to meet the demand for the type of housing that would attract the population required to support economic growth.”
4.17 The application site is included in the schedule of potential housing allocations in the Issues and Options paper. It confirms that a development brief has been prepared for the site and the estimated yield is 280 dwellings. The prospective allocation is shown on the extract of the Issues and Options proposals map below.
Figure 8: Extract from the draft Burnley Local Plan: Issues and Options Proposals Map
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4.18 In addition, to the north of the application site, the Issues and Options proposals map shows a prospective western extension of the Burnley Bridge Business Park employment site, via the removal of land from the Green Belt, together with an extension of the Lowerhouse Lodges Local Nature Reserve.
Emerging Local Plan Evidence Base
4.19 A number of Evidence Base documents have been prepared to inform the emerging Local Plan. Those produced to date and relevant to the application site and proposed development, are;
Burnley and Pendle Strategic Housing Market Assessment (2013)
4.20 This identifies the strategic housing market issues facing Burnley and provides the Council’s most up to date evidence informing the objective assessment of housing needs, and the emerging housing requirement for the Borough. Its conclusions and recommendations to inform the emerging Local Plan are;
1) there is a compelling need to improve the housing offer in Burnley, in terms of both the quantity and quality (i.e. choice of type, size and location) of new homes to be delivered in the plan period. New housing is critical to attracting investment into the local economy to create new jobs and improve community infrastructure;
2) a net new dwelling requirement of between 60 and 100 dpa is (currently) considered to be a realistic level of housing for Burnley, and will deliver some economic growth whilst recognising the major viability challenges that exist across the Borough;
3) the housing offer must be designed to retain and attract younger and economically active households to Burnley, to counter the decline in the working-age population and the repercussions of an ageing population. To do this, the Local Plan must enable a suitable mix of new housing to be developed that will help to create economically mixed communities and diversify the historically imbalanced housing stock to meet identified needs and aspirations;
4) there is a predominant (50.1%) stock and oversupply of two-bedroom Victorian terraced properties in Burnley, compared to 28% semi-detached stock and just 13% detached properties. The provision of modern, better quality detached and semi-detached homes will help to redress this imbalance and help to retain and attract higher-earning families to the area, and improve overall job growth prospects;
5) there is a continuing need for new dwellings of all types and sizes, including an increased number of homes for smaller households, alongside the continued provision of larger and more ‘aspirational’ family houses, and;
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6) new family homes and ‘aspirational’ housing must be delivered in a variety of suitable and sustainable locations, including sites on the edge of the urban area. However, the draft 2013 SHLAA update and viability assessment indicates that much of the identified housing land supply outside settlement boundaries is dependent upon unconfirmed Green Belt release.
4.21 The SHMA also points out that due to the underlying viability and affordability issues in Burnley, it is important that the Local Plan allocates housing sites that are commercially attractive to housebuilders and developers, and can deliver housing that local people can afford.
4.22 It is similarly recommended that the Council adopts a flexible approach to applying this advice when dealing with planning applications for new housing development, as the very low level of housing viability can be compromised by an unsuitable (i.e. undeliverable) housing mix.
Burnley Housing and Employment Land Study (2013)
4.23 This concludes that in addition to making new employment land allocations in the new Local Plan, the Council should take a proactive and rational approach to managing and improving the portfolio of existing employment sites in Burnley to facilitate future growth. Renewal and intensification of older sites with available land should be encouraged where they can help to meet identified employment needs, whilst also taking account of the particular constraints that apply to individual sites and releasing some poorer-quality employment sites for housing redevelopment and/or other higher-value and more beneficial, alternative uses.
Burnley and Pendle Growth Corridor
4.24 The Burnley and Pendle Growth Corridor is a strategic highway and economic development initiative promoted by the two Councils, Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
4.25 It is one of five individual components of the East Lancashire Connectivity Study, itself a key priority for the East Lancashire Highways and Transport Masterplan 2015, and comprises a £12m Corridor Improvements Scheme to provide and enhance access to a number of existing and future strategic employment sites across Burnley, Pendle and Hyndburn in close proximity to the M65. Highway improvements will be carried out at 18 no. junctions on the M65 with associated transport and rail improvements, to provide additional capacity on the highway network and to reduce congestion, in support of economic growth across the corridor area.
4.26 The map extract from the Lancashire County Council assessment work at Figure 9 on the following page, shows the Growth Corridor (shaded blue) and a number of the key economic development sites across Burnley, together with the emerging Local Plan housing option sites. This shows the location of the application site (Site H1) in the centre of the Growth Corridor and its proximity to existing employment sites and proposed options.
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Figure 10: Burnley Pendle Growth Corridor Investment Sites and Housing Options
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
4.27 The National Planning Policy Framework (“the Framework”) sets out the Government’s policies for the planning system and how it expects them to be applied positively and pro-actively to deliver sustainable growth and new development to meet objectively assessed needs.
4.28 It confirms that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations including the Framework indicate otherwise, and that due weight should be given to development plan policies according to their consistency with the Framework. Weight can also be afforded to emerging development plans according to their stage of preparation, the number of unresolved objections against them and the degree of consistency with the Framework.
4.29 The Ministerial foreword states the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, and that development which is sustainable, should go ahead without delay. Paragraph 7 confirms the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and states these are inter-dependent and should not be treated in isolation in the consideration of planning issues.
4.30 Paragraph 14 explains that a presumption in favour of sustainable development lies at the heart of the Framework, which for decision taking means;
“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 planning permission unless any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and
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demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole; or its specific policies indicate development should be restricted.”
4.31 Paragraph 17 of the Framework also sets out twelve Core Planning Principles underpinning plan-making and decision-taking. These are intended to shape and influence the sustainable attributes of development proposals, but are also aimed at the process, requiring the operation of the planning system by local planning authorities to;
not simply be about scrutiny, but to be a creative exercise finding ways to enhance and improve places; and to, pro-actively drive and support sustainable economic development to deliver the homes, development and places the country needs.
4.32 Paragraph 18 confirms the Government is committed to securing economic growth and that the planning system should do everything it can to support sustainable economic growth. It should encourage and not impede sustainable growth and this includes the contribution new housing development can make to the local labour force and helping to facilitate economic inward investment.
4.33 A key objective of the Framework is to ensure delivery of a wide choice of high quality homes and “boost significantly” the supply of housing (paragraphs 47 - 50 and 159). To do this, local planning authorities must;
use their evidence base to ensure that their Local Plan meets the full, objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in the Framework;
identify and maintain a deliverable1 five year supply of housing sites with an additional buffer of 5% or 20% so there is a realistic prospect of achieving the planned supply and to ensure choice and competition in the market;
consider all planning applications for housing development in the context of the presumption in favour of sustainable development. Relevant policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up to date if a local planning authority cannot demonstrate a deliverable five year supply of housing; and,
deliver a wide choice of quality homes, widen opportunities for ownership and create sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities by;
1 Footnote 11 of the Framework confirms that for a site to be considered deliverable, it should be available now, offer a suitable location for development now, and be achievable, with a realistic prospect that housing will be delivered on the site within five years and that development of the site is viable.
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- planning for a mix of housing based on current and future demographic trends, market trends and the needs of different groups in the community;
- identifying the size, type, tenure and range of housing that is required in particular locations, reflecting local demand; and,
- setting policies to meet the need for affordable housing.
4.34 In respect of existing employment land, paragraph 22 of the Framework advises planning authorities that;
“Planning policies should avoid the long term protection of sites allocated for employment use where there is no reasonable prospect of a site being used for that purpose. Land allocations should be regularly reviewed. Where there is no reasonable prospect of a site being used for the allocated employment use, applications for alternative uses of land or buildings should be treated on their merits having regard to market signals and the relative need for different land uses to support sustainable local communities.”
4.35 In respect of Green Belt, paragraphs 87 and 88 confirm the established approach that inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances, and that these will not exist unless the potential harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations.
4.36 Finally, paragraphs 186, 187 and 197 of the Framework expect local planning authorities to approach decision-taking in a positive and pro-active way and apply the presumption in favour of sustainable development to help foster its delivery.
4.37 The thematic chapters of the Framework concerning technical and environmental topics do not need to be repeated in detail for the purposes of this statement.
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5 Planning appraisal
Introduction
5.1 Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 refers to the development plan as a whole and requires planning applications to be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
5.2 This is complemented by the presumption in favour of sustainable development set out in National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 14), which requires planning applications to be determined on the basis of;
i) Whether a proposed development is in accordance with the relevant saved policies of an up to date development plan - in which case planning permission should be granted without delay;
and, if relevant development plan policies are absent, silent or not up to date, on the basis that;
ii) Planning permission should be granted, unless any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the Framework as a whole, or specific policies in the Framework indicate that development should be restricted.
5.3 On this basis, the planning issues to be considered in determining the planning application are as follows;
The principle and benefits of housing development Affordable housing and viability Development in the Green Belt and very special circumstances Effect on the character and appearance of the local area Heritage considerations Technical and environmental matters
5.4 These are considered in below.
The principle and benefits of housing development
5.5 The majority, i.e. 151 no. dwellings (75%), of the proposed development occupies previously developed land within the settlement boundary of Hapton, where windfall housing development is supported in principle subject to meeting the up-to-date criteria of saved Policies GP1 and H2 of the Local Plan (Second Review) to which full weight can be attached. This element of the proposed development is fully compliant with these policy criteria as demonstrated below.
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5.6 Compliance with saved Policy GP1 assessment criteria;
a) Making efficient use of land and buildings by following a sequential approach to meeting development needs:
Although the Framework does not require a sequential approach to be taken to prioritise the recycling of brownfield land ahead of greenfield release for new housing development, the proposed scheme will nevertheless make full and effective use of the deliverable areas of previously developed land within the application site, and which occupies a sustainable location that is well related to Hapton and local jobs, services and facilities, and is accessible to public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure;
b) Minimising the use of natural resources;
The proposed development will be constructed using conventional building products and materials and will not result in an unacceptable use of natural resources or an excessive need for new infrastructure. It also fully reclaims the natural land resource within the site by remediating the brownfield land where the majority of the housing development is proposed, and reusing the balance of the application site, including the former landfill facility, as public open space and a new informal countryside natural recreation resource;
c) Exploiting existing services and facilities;
The site is provided with mains sewer, water and power service connections and will reuse these wherever possible. It is located within walking distance of Hapton village centre and the railway station, and it will help to sustain local services and facilities, minimise the need to travel and encourage the use of sustainable modes of travel;
d) Reducing the need to travel;
The site is located within walking distance of the village centre and the railway station and bus stops. Development will help to minimise the need to travel and encourage the use of sustainable modes of travel including walking, cycle and public transport (bus and rail);
e) Being accessible or potentially accessible by walking, cycling and public transport;
As above;
f) Being accessible to all and not leading to social exclusion;
The development will be designed to be accessible to all and incorporates a range of different house types, sizes and designs that Gleeson Homes can adapt to individual household requirements for residents with physical and/or sensory impairments.
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g) Not impacting residential amenity by reason of noise or other nuisance;
The development is separated from adjacent housing by roads and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and it will not adversely affect the residential amenity of neighbours by overlooking, overshadowing, noise, traffic, lighting, pollution or other nuisance;
h) Not impacting the safe and efficient operation of transport and highway infrastructure;
The planning application is supported by a Transport Assessment (see Technical Matters below) which confirms the development can be provided with safe and suitable access and will not adversely affect the safe and efficient operation of the local highway network;
i) Not resulting in the loss of an area which makes a significant contribution to public amenity by virtue of its open space character, appearance and function;
The development will not result in the loss of any public open space or recreational land, and will instead create a new opportunity for informal / countryside recreation by providing public access to previously inaccessible parts of the application site. The development will also connect the site to the adjacent Stone Moor public access land and surrounding public footpaths and the canal towpath;
j) Not impacting built heritage and the natural environment.
The development will not adversely affect the significance and setting of any designated heritage assets (see Heritage Matters below) and it will also enhance and ‘better reveal’ the non-designated heritage asset (WWII spigot mortar emplacement) within the site.
5.7 Compliance with saved Policy H2 assessment criteria, to which full weight can be attached and not repeating those set out above in connection with saved Policy GP1;
a) Bringing previously developed land back into use;
The application site has been derelict and vacant, and has blighted the local area since 2009 when chemical production was relocated to the parent company plant in Hyndburn (Church) and the buildings and structures were demolished. The site has been advertised for sale since that time for over 6 years without success, and the proposed redeveloped by Gleeson Homes is a major and timely opportunity to bring both the brownfield land and the wider site back into beneficial use for the local community and to meet local needs;
b) Development must satisfy the criteria of Policy GP3;
The development proposes a high quality layout and design that is fully compliant with the criteria of saved Policy GP3 of the Local Plan (see ‘effect on the character and appearance of the local area’ section later in this statement).
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5.8 The proposal is also compliant with saved Policy H4 and provides a suitable mix and choice of housing types, sizes and designs, and makes efficient use of the land, achieving an appropriate average net density of 36 dwellings per hectare, in accordance with saved Policy H6 and falling within the Council’s target range for windfall housing development in accessible locations.
5.9 The site is therefore highly suitable for appropriate and sustainable new housing development and this is acknowledged by its successful nomination and inclusion as a prospective housing allocation option in the emerging Local Plan Issues and Options paper. This recognises that housing development at Hapton will help to address a number of the strategic housing issues facing the Burnley market and improve the housing offer, including;
Boosting significantly the supply of new housing land to meet objectively assessed needs (Paragraph 47, NPPF). This objective is given added weight following the introduction of the Housing and Planning Bill on 13th October 2015, as part of what David Cameron described as a ‘national crusade to get homes built’ and deliver the Government’s target to build one million new homes by 2020 at an average of 200,000 a year;
Diversifying the existing housing stock and widening choice by providing a range of quality detached and semi-detached dwellings of different types and sizes, that will be locally affordable and will appeal to younger, working-age smaller households and families, and;
Diversifying the geographical choice of new housing sites in Burnley by utilising previously developed land in a semi-rural and more ‘aspirational’ village location outside the core urban area and regeneration areas, that will appeal to economically-active households from within and outside Burnley and will help to support an efficient labour market by retaining skilled labour and attracting new skills, new employers and inward investment
5.10 In this context, the application site is highly suited to Gleeson Homes as a specialist regeneration housebuilder, expert and experienced in delivering successful quality development in adverse market conditions. The average age of a Gleeson Homes homeowner is 31 years and 96% of buyers are of working age and economically active. Typically, 26.5% of purchasers are single households requiring semi-detached small dwellings, 49% are couples with no children requiring semi-detached and detached larger units, and 24.5% are households with children requiring detached family housing, including some larger detached ‘executive / aspirational’ style housing.
Affordable housing and viability
5.11 The accompanying Socio-Economic Benefits Report explains that Gleeson Homes provides a range of lower cost market homes for local people on mostly lower incomes, in generally disadvantaged and/or former industrial areas. It provides low cost new homes for sale to people who would otherwise not be able to purchase their own house and thereby helps people to access the housing market and property ladder.
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5.12 To successfully do this in challenging market conditions, Gleeson Homes very carefully scrutinizes the demographic profile of its purchasers. This shows that;
approximately 80% are first time buyers, and; approximately 80% relocate from social housing or private rented properties.
5.13 The Gleeson Homes model provides homes that are truly ‘affordable’ to local people. It provides opportunity for aspirational first time buyers to enter property ownership which is an aspiration for many, and the Company offers a wide range of financial incentives and support to help people become home owners. These are described in the Socio-Economic Benefits Report submitted with the planning application and include;
Save and Build - this provides the security of a fixed price proposal. No other house builder offers this to their customers;
Parents Invest - this is aimed at first time buyers without a deposit;
Aspire to Own - Gleeson Homes contributes towards a homeowner’s deposit, mortgage valuation fee and purchase fee;
Advance to Buy- this is for those people aspiring to a better home with a house to sell;
Help to Buy - is the Government 5 year interest free 20% loan scheme.
5.14 Based upon the take-up of incentives at similar Gleeson Homes’ sites in 2015, the direct cost of providing these incentives for the proposed development at Hapton, is likely to be £826,000. In addition, once a home is purchased, a restrictive covenant will also ensure it cannot be re-sold to a private landlord for future letting.
5.15 On this basis, the proposed development is tailored to deliver a wide range of locally-affordable homes and financial ownership schemes. It will provide a significant number of social benefits in terms of meeting market and intermediate housing needs, and it therefore supports the overall purpose and housing objectives of saved Policy H5 of the Local Plan.
5.16 Whilst the scheme does not directly provide at least 10% of the proposed housing to meet local affordable needs (on or off-site), the provision of a range of new homes for sale in this manner, which local people and new residents will aspire to own and can afford, will result in the release of existing social (Registered Provider) and private rented housing stock elsewhere in Burnley to meet affordable needs. This is estimated to be up to 161 affordable units.
5.17 In addition to affordable housing provision being unnecessary, due to the type of market housing products and support packages Gleeson Homes will deliver, it is also the case that affordable housing or any other planning obligations, cannot be delivered due to the marginal viability of redeveloping the application site.
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5.18 It is widely recognised that underlying viability and affordability issues affect and impede new housing delivery in the Burnley housing market area. The SHMA emphasises the need to identify housing sites that are both commercially attractive to developers and can deliver housing that local people want and can afford, but acknowledges sites of this kind are in limited supply in sustainable locations outside the Green Belt. For this reason, the SHMA advocates that a flexible approach is taken to the consideration of planning applications for beneficial new housing development so that the low levels of commercial viability are not compromised by unsuitable (i.e. undeliverable) housing mix requirements and obligations.
5.19 The application site at Hapton has many of the attributes needed to help address the strategic issues supressing the housing market in Burnley and diversify the housing offer, and particularly its ‘aspirational’ qualities of occupying an attractive and sustainable semi-rural location on previously developed land (mostly) outside the Green Belt.
5.20 The site has been historically mined and is heavily contaminated however, and exhibits the typical issues associated with its industrial legacy and use for the manufacture of hazardous chemicals for more than 150 years. In addition to the standard development costs of roads, drainage and infrastructure, there are significant abnormal development costs associated with;
Abnormal foundation design and construction, comprising piled foundations to 101 no. dwellings due to the depth of made ground across the site (and opposed to excavation and import of new soil which is not viable); deep strip footings to 26 no. plots and suspended floor slabs (beam and block) and gas membranes fitted to all dwellings; Comprehensive ground investigation and remediation works; Environmental insurance; Noise attenuation fitted to the properties closest to the M65, and; Improvements to the canal boundary retaining wall.
5.21 As a result of these costs, redevelopment of the site is only viable if the proposed mix of house types and sizes is provided without alteration, and at the required ratios, so an overall yield of 202 no. dwellings is provided. This produces a development that;
is financially viable and deliverable for Gleeson Homes and the landowner; remediates the whole of the previously developed and blighted land within the site; brings the remediated site and wider derelict Green Belt land back into beneficial and publicly accessible use, and; provides a range of quality, semi-detached and detached new market housing aimed at younger economically-active and aspiring smaller households and families, at locally affordable prices, in an attractive and sustainable location.
5.22 The proposed scale of development is the minimum needed to ensure a basic level of viability without increasing the proposed amount of development within the Green Belt. This means that aside from funding essential off-site highway works including the signalisation of the canal
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bridge and the installation of a pedestrian crossing and advisory footway, the proposed development cannot subsidise on-site affordable housing and/or contribute to off-site provision. Likewise, the scheme is unable to contribute to any other planning obligations including sustainability measures and school place provision.
5.23 The proposed development is therefore compliant with paragraphs 111, 173 and 205 of the NPPF and Planning Practice Guidance (para: 026 ref ID: 10-016-20140306) and (para: 026 ref ID: 10-026-20140306), confirming that a flexible approach must be taken to planning obligations and contributions to ensure that the redevelopment of brownfield land remains viable and is sufficiently incentivised.
Loss of employment land
5.24 Although the former chemical manufacturing area within the site is technically subject to saved Policy EW7 of the Local Plan, a blanket protection approach is increasingly out of date and cannot be afforded full weight in determining the planning application. This is reflected in the NPPF (paragraph 22) and the Local Plan evidence base Housing and Employment Land Study (2013), which advocates a proactive and rational approach to managing the stock of existing employment land and encouraging the release of under-performing / non-viable sites for beneficial alternative use.
5.25 These circumstances apply fully to the application site and when assessed against Policy EW7 criteria (notwithstanding its limited weight), it is evident that;
a) Re-use of the site for employment use, and particularly heavy industrial, logistics or intensive office use, will create varying nuisance/s and traffic generation in Hapton to the detriment of local residents’ amenity and the village environment. Although William Blythe Ltd had been a longstanding local employer, the reaction of local residents to the closure of the site and demolition of the unattractive buildings was conclusively positive;
b) The site is located at Hapton as a legacy of the industrial revolution and is no longer suited in land use terms and in respect of its geographical location, to continued employment use.
The site was marketed for employment use and mixed use for over 5 years and no interest was received. This was confirmed by the opinion sought from local commercial agents which highlighted that the site was effectively redundant for commercial use, and especially compared to the larger, nearby Burnley Bridge Business Park redevelopment which offers unconstrained direct access to the M65. The only commercial potential would be for lower value and standalone / undesirable uses that cannot be accommodated on high quality industrial land such as open storage, scrap metal, waste operations and materials recycling etc. These are incompatible with the surrounding area and would clearly harm local amenity.
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5.26 The conclusion that the site is therefore redundant as a viable, modern employment site is also reached in the approved Development Brief for the site which recognises the site has no potential for beneficial and high-quality employment use, compared to modern facilities and the offers available at the Network 65, Shuttleworth Mead and Burnley Bridge Business Parks.
5.27 In light of the above and compared to the wide ranging benefits of housing development and the proposed remediation, restoration and re-use of the wider site, there is no justification or benefit to be gained by protecting the former employment use of the site. The proposed housing redevelopment is therefore in accordance with saved Policy EW7 of the Local Plan.
Development in the Green Belt and very special circumstances
5.28 Saved Policy E26 controls development within the Green Belt and confirms that inappropriate development will only be permitted if very special circumstances exist. This is broadly consistent with the Framework which confirms that inappropriate development is not justified except in very special circumstances and these will not exist unless the harm to the Green Belt and other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations.
a) Green Belt harm
5.29 The Green Belt in the west of Burnley and extending into the adjacent borough of Hyndburn and the southern part of Ribble Valley, is characterised by a number of inset and washed-over settlements and hamlets, limiting the amount of extensive, unobstructed open land and exhibiting a number of gap narrows and small, irregular areas of Green Belt around and between settlements.
5.30 Hapton is inset within the area of Green Belt separating Accrington and Burnley. From the boundary of the proposed housing development, the Green Belt extends 490m north to the edge of Padiham, and 250m east to the edge of Burnley, and in this context, it serves four purposes;
It checks the unrestricted sprawl of Burnley; It maintains the identity of Hapton as a freestanding settlement and prevents its merger with Burnley and Padiham; It assists in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment, and; It assists urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict land within the adjacent urban areas.
5.31 Aside from causing harm to openness and harm by reason of inappropriateness, to which substantial weight must be attached, the proposed development has nevertheless been designed to limit the degree of harm caused to each of these Green Belt purposes and to deliver a number of Green Belt benefits.
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5.32 Figure 11 below shows the area of proposed development within the Green Belt (green hatched), measures 1.17 ha and accommodates 51 no. dwellings. This is the minimum area required to achieve the total site yield of 202 dwellings that is necessary to ensure the overall development is financially viable. It represents a 25% addition to the proposed housing development area (4.53 ha) in the urban area and 25% of the total number of dwellings.
Figure 11: Proposed Green Belt and non-Green Belt development areas
5.33 On this basis, the assessed harm to Green Belt purposes is as follows;
The area of proposed development within the Green Belt is limited and does not amount to unrestricted sprawl and does not compromise the continued ability of the Green Belt to prevent the unrestricted sprawl of Burnley;
The area of proposed development within the Green Belt will not result in the merger of Hapton with either Padiham or Burnley. It is contained to the northwest boundary of the urban area within the site and extends 74m north along Manchester Road. This maintains a gap of 416m (15% reduction) between the site and the edge of Padiham. This degree of separation is sufficient to maintain the identity of Hapton and Padiham as separate settlements and does not cause actual or visual / perceived coalescence. By locating the additional development in this location there is no conflict with the purpose of preventing the merger of Hapton and Burnley;
The area of development within the Green Belt will conflict with the purpose of safeguarding the countryside from encroachment, insofar as the land within the application site is considered to be countryside. It is nevertheless limited in area and contained by existing boundary features.
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5.34 In respect of the remaining Green Belt purpose of assisting urban regeneration, whilst the limited extent of proposed inappropriate development within the Green Belt will result in some harm, it nevertheless enables the wider area of derelict, previously developed land within the application site and lying with the settlement boundary of Hapton, to be remediated and beneficially reused. This would not be possible if the additional Green Belt development area was not proposed and the necessary development yield of 202 no. dwellings was not achieved.
b) Other harm
5.35 Other harm resulting from the proposed development in addition to definitional harm and harm to openness and Green Belt purposes, is limited as the remainder of this Planning Statement explains. The identified additional harms are confined to minor residual landscape and visual impact and traffic generation, including a slight (worst case) adverse effect on local air quality.
c) Green Belt benefit
5.36 Whilst it is necessary to locate a minimum amount of the proposed development within the Green Belt, the application recognises the opportunity to deliver a number of significant Green Belt benefits in accordance with paragraph 81 of the NPPF. These are;
1) Figure 11 (see previous page) shows in red hatching, the area of land within the application site that is located within the urban area of Hapton but which cannot be developed because it has been sterilised by the containment works associated with the closure, capping and landscaped restoration of the former landfill facility within the site. These works carried out by the applicant in 2011/12 delivered a Green Belt benefit by improving the damaged and derelict land and making it visually attractive and environmentally safe for human use and enjoyment.
As this 1.4 ha area of land cannot be developed, the edge of the proposed housing development is 65m further west than the full extent of the urban area as defined in the Local Plan and which could have been developed in the absence of the landfill closure engineering works. As this land cannot be developed, the applicants propose that the urban boundary should be redrawn to include the land within the Green Belt in the forthcoming Local Plan and/or associated Site Allocations DPD. The land is capable of serving a Green Belt purpose and will deliver a Green Belt benefit in terms of widening the separation between the edges of Hapton and Burnley, from 250m to over 300m.
2) Outside the proposed housing development area, the application site contains 8 ha of neglected and inaccessible rough grassland within the Green Belt. The application proposes to make this land accessible and to provide footpaths / trails and connections to adjacent access land (Stone Moor), public footpaths and the canal towpath. These opportunities to provide access, provide informal outdoor sport and recreation, and to
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enhance the landscape, visual amenity and bio-diversity, are significant benefits of the proposed development for the local community as well as the future residents, and should be given significant weight.
d) Other considerations capable of clearly outweighing Green Belt and other harm
5.37 Although limited, the overall harm to the Green Belt as a result of the proposed development must be afforded substantial weight in accordance with paragraph 88 of the NPPF. All other harms are minor and given only limited weight.
5.38 Gleeson Homes consider that very special circumstances exist to clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and other harm, and justify the proposed element of inappropriate development in the application proposals, within the Green Belt. The following grounds are proposed and do not rely expressly upon housing need, given the advice in Planning Practice Guidance (Para: 034 Ref. ID: 3-034-20141006) that unmet need is unlikely to outweigh harm to the Green Belt and other harm, to constitute the ‘very special circumstances’ justifying inappropriate development on a site within the Green Belt;
Very Special Circumstance 1
The majority (75%) of the proposed housing development is wholly compliant with the up to date policies of the saved Local Plan to which full weight can be attached. It is also in full accordance with the NPPF objectives of promoting sustainable development wherever possible; of boosting significantly the supply of new housing and widening housing choice, and encouraging the effective and beneficial reuse, remediation and recycling of previously developed redundant employment land.
It is acknowledged in the emerging Local Plan evidence base that housing development, and particularly on brownfield sites, is not viable in many parts of the Burnley market area, and there are very few viable sites in commercially-attractive semi-rural locations outside the core urban area and regeneration areas, that are not in Green Belt and which can be developed for housing that local people can afford. The application site broadly meets these criteria, and after many years of unsuccessful marketing, Gleeson Homes is willing to deliver its long-awaited redevelopment.
Successful delivery depends on a viable planning permission however, and for the reasons explained earlier in this Planning Statement regarding the abnormal development costs and the available development value in the prevailing market conditions, a specific mix and yield of 202 no. dwellings is necessary.
Prior to the beneficial capping and restoration of the former hazardous landfill facility, which was key to unlocking the development potential of the site and its successful marketing, it was expected that sufficient development value could be generated by a dwelling yield accommodated within the urban area. However, the necessary extent of
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the landfill capping and closure engineering works required by the Environment Agency safety case, has meant the proposed housing cannot be located any further east than proposed. Similarly, market research confirms that a different form and density of housing and schedule of accommodation, so that development is contained to the available urban area, will not achieve the same minimum required development value (sales revenue) as the proposed scheme.
Additional net development area and sales value is therefore required to ensure the contaminated brownfield site can be fully remediated and re-used, and viable sustainable development can be delivered. As the proposed housing area can only be extended to the north due to the Leeds and Liverpool canal and Manchester Road boundary, it inevitably means a limited amount of development is required in the Green Belt within the site.
Very Special Circumstance 2
The approved Development Brief for the application site was prepared at the time it became clear the landfill closure and capping works would reduce the size of the available net-developable area within the Hapton settlement boundary. One of its purposes was therefore to endorse the principle of a substitution between the sterilised land within the urban area and a compensatory minimum area of land in the Green Belt within the application site, to maintain viability. This will allow the proposed reduction in Green Belt land to be off-set by the undevelopable land within the urban area which can subsequently be incorporated into the Green Belt when a revised boundary is defined in the emerging Local Plan site allocations and proposals map.
Very Special Circumstance 3
The proposed development will provide a range of substantial and compelling socio- economic and other benefits, including the;
i) generation of increased household expenditure within the local economy from a resident population of approximately 370 people, which will help to support new jobs and investment and sustain businesses supplying goods and services to the local community; ii) generation of significant Council Tax revenue and new homes bonus for investment in the community; iii) creation of direct and indirect job and training opportunities for local people in the construction sector and supply chain employment and opportunities for local businesses and suppliers, and the generation of construction-related expenditure in the local economy; iv) community benefits provided by the Gleeson Homes ‘Community Matters’ scheme;
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These are set out in full in the accompanying Socio-Economic Benefits Report and are summarised in the graphic below.
£18.3M 303 808
Total local construction Direct full time employment Indirect full time employment expenditure on labour, sustained or created sustained or created supplies and services job/years job/years
Enhanced Health £1.4M £825,776 and Wellbeing
Direct financial assistance to By the application of the New Homes Bonus payable purchasers from Gleeson Gleeson Community Matters to Burnley Council over 6 Homes Programme years
£235,203 161
Additional annual Council Expected social and private Tax payable per annum rented houses vacated by following completion people relocating
v) creation and provision of public access to 8 ha of neglected and inaccessible rough grassland and the restored former landfill area within the application site, providing opportunities for access and informal outdoor sport and recreation, and enhancing the landscape, visual amenity and bio-diversity value of the land within the Green Belt.
Very Special Circumstance 4
In the event that the proposed development is rejected, such that the necessary minimum yield of 202 no. dwellings to ensure a viable scheme cannot be provided, no development would be undertaken at the site. It is unreasonable and incorrect to assume that development can simply be proportionately scaled down to avoid the need for development in the Green Belt and still remain viable and deliverable.
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This is because it is not realistic or appropriate to attempt to remediate a smaller area of brownfield land so that development cost is reduced and less development value i.e. fewer houses, are required. Beneficial ground remediation has to be undertaken comprehensively across the site as a whole or not at all, and this is predicated upon and incentivised by, sufficient development value being generated. In the absence of planning permission, it is unlikely that another housebuilder would be willing to redevelop the site and it would remain vacant and derelict indefinitely. The current opportunity presented by Gleeson Homes in partnership with the landowner has very considerable merit and should therefore not be overlooked.
5.39 The considerations set out above present a set of compelling factors and benefits that individually or in combination, clearly outweigh the total harm to the Green Belt and other harm. Very special circumstances therefore exist to justify the limited amount of inappropriate development within the Green Belt as part of the overall proposal and the scheme complies with saved Policy E26 of the Local Plan and paragraph 88 of the NPPF on this basis.
Effect on the character and appearance of the local area
5.40 The planning application is accompanied by a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and a Landscape Mitigation Plan, and a Design and Access Statement.
5.41 The LVIA illustrates how the application site lies at the interface between urban development characterising land within Hapton to the south, and undeveloped rough grassland and scrub, characterising the countryside to the north. The layout of the proposed development is designed to respect this mixed character within the site, and will not adversely harm the character and appearance of the surrounding townscape and landscape as a result.
5.42 Existing vegetation in the north of the site and the raised (10m high) landform of the capped landfill site to the east, also contains and physically separates the proposed housing area from the wider landscape and limits its visual envelope and available views. Views from the north are restricted to Manchester Road and public footpath receptors and with the benefit of proposed structural landscape mitigation to stop-up gaps on the northern boundary, residual visual impact after completion will be minor to negligible. Similarly, whilst the development will be visible from the canal towpath and to a small number of residential properties and business receptors facing the site across the canal, residual visual impact will be minor to negligible due to proposed screen planting on the southern boundary and retention of the canal boundary wall. There is also some benefit in the improvement of the present view of derelict land at this location.
5.43 In terms of layout and design, the proposed development will be a high-quality, safe and sustainable residential environment, provided with extensive informal open space and recreation land and comprehensive landscaping designed to retain and supplement existing tree cover within the site. The development presents an acceptable relationship with the
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Manchester Road frontage and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and maintains tree cover and a softer edge facing onto the open countryside and Green Belt. The internal layout provides a hierarchy of streets and a permeable development with connections to adjacent footpaths and the proposed open space, and a good level of amenity and privacy for residents. A suitable mix of house types and sizes are provided and a wide range of individual designs and styles are proposed using suitable brick and tile materials. The development complies with saved Policies GP3, GP6, GP9, H3, H7 and E27 of the Local Plan on this basis.
Heritage matters
5.44 The proposed development will not affect the significance of the Grade II listed Manchester Road canal bridge adjacent to the site. The bridge carries the modern highway and its original fabric has been repaired on several occasions, and its eastern parapet and coping has been completely rebuilt. Nevertheless, the proposed installation of traffic signals, a pedestrian crossing and advisory footway ‘white line’ painting, will not affect its historic fabric and will not affect its character as a highway structure.
5.45 The bridge also occupies a former industrial, urban setting and until the clearance of the application site, was surrounded by adjoining built development at three of its corners. The proposed dwellings within the application site closest to the bridge (plots 9 - 11), will be positioned slightly further from the bridge than the former William Blythe office building and set behind the stone boundary wall. This will provide greater space around the bridge and will improve its setting and significance when viewed from the canal towpath below.
5.46 The development also provides for the unlisted WWII spigot motar emplacement to be preserved and restored as an accessible local heritage feature within the site. The proposal therefore complies with saved Policies E10 and E15 of the Local Plan and paragraphs 131, 134, 135 and 137 of the NPPF and should be treated favourably, as it will benefit the setting of the heritage assets within and adjacent to the site and will enhance and help to ‘better reveal’ and interpret understanding of their significance.
Technical and environmental matters
Accessibility and traffic generation
5.47 The accompanying Transport Assessment and Travel Plan considers the available opportunities for travel to and from the application site by sustainable transport, and the impact of the proposed development on the operation of the local highway network. It confirms;
the application site occupies a sustainable location within walking distance of local services and facilities in Hapton, including a convenience store, Hapton primary school, places of worship, church halls, public houses and a hot food takeaway, and within cycling distance of the wider range of shops, employment, health services, education
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and community facilities in Padiham. Burnley Bridge Business Park and western Burnley are also accessible by cycle from the site via the canal towpath;
there are bus stops on Manchester Road within 100m of the site providing 30 minute daytime services to Padiham, Burnley and Accrington, and an hourly evening service. Hapton railway station is located 350m from the site and provides a 1 hour service to Colne, Burnley, Accrington, Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool and the national network;
the proposed development can be provided with safe and suitable vehicular access from the existing highway network at Manchester Road and it will not result in an adverse impact upon the safe and efficient operation of the network.
5.48 AM and PM peak time traffic surveys were undertaken on 17th March 2015 at the Manchester Road / Accrington Road junction in Hapton, and the Green Lane / A671 junction in Padiham, together with traffic counts at the site entrance and a video survey of pedestrians crossing the canal bridge. The expected traffic movements generated by the completed development, added to the surveyed base flows, confirm that the combined traffic is well within the design capacity of the Manchester Road highway, and both assessed junctions will continue to operate safely and efficiently with reserve capacity, such that no improvements are required.
5.49 The off-site works and traffic signals to be fitted to the canal bridge, and traffic calming measures in Manchester Road, will provide a net benefit for pedestrians and will encourage increased safe access between the site and Hapton village centre and railway station. Overall it is considered that the application site is a suitable and sustainable location for the proposed development and there are no highway or transport reasons to prevent planning permission being granted in accordance with Policies TM1, TM5, TM6 and TM7 of the Local Plan and paragraph 32 of the NPPF.
Ecology and trees
5.50 The Phase 1 Habitat Assessment confirms the application site is of limited ecological interest and contains widespread, common habitat. The tree groups and scattered trees to be removed on the southern boundary and in the northern part of the housing area, are of low ecological value and only the retained tree belt on the northern boundary adjacent to the Green Belt has greater value. Proposed new tree planting will also provide new habitat.
5.51 The housing area also provides limited potential for protected species. There is limited habitat for foraging and roosting bats and the open nature of the site is likely to discourage bats from crossing it. There is some potential for bats to roost in the trees on the site and in the southern boundary wall and further surveys will be undertaken prior to any works to the wall and/or the removal of trees with the potential to support bats. Construction will be undertaken in accordance with best practice and all retained trees, hedgerows and vegetation will be protected. Site clearance works will also be undertaken to avoid the bird nesting season (March
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to August inclusive) unless it is confirmed by a survey that no breeding birds are present and this can be secured by a planning condition.
5.52 On this basis, there will be no adverse effect on ecology and some net gain from proposed new planting. Development is compliant with saved Policies E3, E4, E5 and E6 of the Local Plan and paragraphs 109 and 118 of the NPPF.
Air quality
5.53 The proposed development is not located within or adjacent to an Air Quality Management Area and will not result in a significant adverse impact on air quality. The accompanying Air Quality Assessment demonstrates that traffic generated by the development will have a negligible
effect on local air quality with the exception of a slight increase in worst case NO2 concentrations where Manchester Road bridges the M65. It also demonstrates the site is safe and suitable for residential development and none of the proposed houses will be subject to poor air quality as a result of traffic emissions from adjacent roads including the M65 motorway.
5.54 The proposed development therefore complies with saved Policy GP7 of the Local Plan and paragraphs 109 and 124 of the NPPF.
Flood risk and drainage
5.55 The accompanying Flood Risk Assessment confirms that the site is located within a flood zone 1 area of lowest flood risk of less than 0.1% probability. There is no historic record of flooding and the risk of surface water flooding is assessed as extremely low, and the risk of groundwater flooding is negligible.
5.56 Investigation has confirmed that surface water infiltration drainage is not feasible due to the presence of made ground and contamination within the site, and a sustainable drainage strategy will therefore be designed to discharge run-off to Shaw Brook as it flows under the site, including underground attenuation storage. Foul drainage will be discharged to the existing mains sewer in Manchester Road. The development therefore complies with saved Policies E8 and E9 of the Local Plan and paragraphs 100 to 103 of the NPPF.
Ground conditions and remediation
5.57 A geo-environmental site investigation has been carried out, including chemical analysis of trial pit and borehole samples, and a Remediation Strategy has been prepared to ensure the development is safe and suitable for human occupation. It confirms that comprehensive ground remediation and geo-technical works are required across the site and will include;
stabilisation and capping of coal mine shaft/s and grouting of former mine workings; treatment, re-profiling and compaction of made ground to depths of between 0.2m and 6m across the site;
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removal and treatment of localised areas of hydrocarbon, heavy metals, asbestos and other soil contamination and shallow ground water contamination; provision of a 1m deep ‘clean’ top soil cover within the proposed housing area; construction of piled and deep strip foundations, suspended floor slab designs and gas membranes to all houses in areas of ‘made ground’, and; maintaining a watching brief during the construction phase of development.
5.58 Subject to ground works and remediation the proposed development complies with saved Policies GP7, E9 and E34 of the Local Plan and paragraphs 109 and 121 of the NPPF.
Utilities
5.59 Suitable connections to mains utilities and infrastructure are available at the application site and there is sufficient capacity to serve the proposed housing development. It therefore complies with paragraph 173 of the NPPF.
The planning balance
5.60 The presumption in favour of sustainable development at Paragraph 14 of the NPPF, clearly states that a development proposal which accords with the relevant development plan should be approved without delay.
5.61 This Planning Statement and the supporting environmental and technical reports submitted with the planning application, clearly demonstrate that the proposed residential development and associated ground remediation and provision of informal public open space, is in accordance with the relevant saved policies of the Burnley Local Plan (Second Review) to which full weight can be afforded, and there are no specific policy reasons why the proposed development should not proceed.
5.62 The predominantly brownfield site is a suitable and appropriate location for new housing, and the proposed scheme will create a high quality sustainable development that will make a valuable contribution to meeting housing needs in Burnley over several years. It will provide a range of family homes, including a number of larger ‘aspirational’ properties, at locally affordable prices and will deliver significant and compelling social, economic and environmental benefits to the local community and wider economy.
5.63 The proposed housing is sustainable development and in the absence of any material considerations to the contrary, planning permission should therefore be granted in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development in relation to the part of the proposed development within the settlement boundary of Hapton.
5.64 It is also demonstrated that very special circumstances exist to justify inappropriate development on the part of the application site located within the Green Belt.
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6 Summary and conclusion
6.1 This Planning Statement has been prepared on behalf of Gleeson Homes and Temple Fields 523 Ltd in support of their full planning application for residential redevelopment of the former William Blythe Chemical Works site at Manchester Road, Hapton, comprising 202 no. dwellings with associated access, public open space and landscaping.
6.2 The predominantly brownfield site is a suitable and appropriate location for new housing, and the proposed scheme will create a high quality sustainable development that will make a valuable contribution to meeting housing needs in Burnley over several years. It will provide a range of family homes, including a number of larger ‘aspirational’ detached properties, at locally affordable prices and will deliver significant social, economic and environmental benefits to the local community and wider economy.
6.3 The proposed development is fully compliant with the relevant policies of the saved Burnley Local Plan (Second Review) and national policy objective of ‘boosting significantly’ the supply of housing and promoting sustainable development and economic growth. The scheme will deliver a wide range of compelling economic, social and environmental benefits and planning permission should therefore be granted in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development in relation to the part of the proposed development outside the Green Belt. It is also demonstrated that very special circumstances exist to justify inappropriate development on the part of the application site located within the Green Belt.
6.4 In conclusion, the proposed housing is sustainable development and in the absence of any material considerations to the contrary, planning permission should therefore be granted.
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