Strategy for delivery Greater Blindwells : Hoprig East Lothian Council : MIR Submission February 2015
1 SECTION 1
CONTENTS
SECTION 1 3 SECTION 3 27
CURRENT POSITION 4 DELIVERY 27
location 4 next steps 28
description 4 summary 29
ambition 6
WORKSHOP SUMMARY 7
PLACE-MAKING 9
wider landscape 11
AREA DESCRIPTION 11
analysis 12
designations 13
hydrology and vegetation 13
ACCESSIBILITY APPRAISAL 14
transport 15
PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTEXT 16
SECTION 2 18
CONCEPT 19
Hoprig : concepts for growth 20
OPPORTUNITIES 21
Hoprig : capacity 22
HOPRIG : DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 23
Hoprig : preliminary concept 24
MONTAGES 25
2 SECTION 1 SECTION INTRODUCTION This document forms part of the Taylor Wimpey submission to the East Lothian Council Main Issues Report consultation regarding Greater Blindwells, with specific focus in regard to supporting allocation of their own landholding at Hoprig Mains.
It reflects on the outcomes of the workshops held with ELC officers in January and February of 2014, and builds on some of the findings in starting to think about what Greater Blindwells should be. West Blindwells is currently being determined for a Planning Permission in Principle application so momentum on the Greater Blindwells area as a whole has already begun. How west will influence east in terms of design and delivery mechanisms is a matter which will need to be addressed once this consultation period has closed.
The focus for this document, therefore, is to demonstrate how a hierarchy of settlement could start to form, and with capacity at West Blindwells already established look at capacity and character for East Blindwells, at Hoprig, in order to enable the next stages 1 to begin. Designing a new settlement is a long and complex process, which we have only started, and yet this, in turn, will be only the beginning of building Greater Blindwells.
3 CURRENT POSITION
location
Greater Blindwells is supported as a location for a new settlement within the Main Issues Report. The Location plan sets out the general arrangement of the area highlighting the area of land involved and the sizes. The land area in total amounts to some 515Ha, allowing for removal of the land area covered by the proposed Countryside Around Towns policy.
description
The western Blindwells area is distinct from the rest of the land area; its history as an open cast site which has now been filled is readily traceable by the sterile grassland environment this has left behind, with gas monitoring stations providing further clue. The land to the east has been in agricultural use in perpetuity and consists of a field pattern supporting a wide range of crops with a north-south hydrology pattern and some copses of woodland. Field boundaries largely consist of hedgerows. There are three farm buildings within the Greater Blindwells area: Southfield Farm is out with the area of consideration and within the area providing separation from Longniddry, Hoprig Mains is within the south-east and has outbuildings and a couple of associated cottages and Greendykes is within the centre of the Greater Blindwells area. Greendykes is linked to Macmerry via a bridge over the A1 and consists of a farmhouse, outbuildings and a row of privately owned terraced cottages.
Hence whilst this is a partially settled landscape there are few features overall and the land area undulates with localised ridgelines within an overall area that slopes toward the Firth of Forth which is not far to the north of the area.
Greendykes Farm | Hoprig Mains | Southfield Farm
4 1. Blindwells West 2. Blindwells West expansion 3. Greendykes 4. Hoprig Mains 5. Alternative expansion : Hoprig Farm
1:10,000 @ A1 0km 0.5km 1km N
©2015 DigitalGlobe, Getmapping plc, Map data ©2015 Google.
5 ambition
The ambition is to create a sustainable new town for East Lothian. East Lothian is predicted as being one of the Council areas that will undergo the highest population growth in Scotland by 2035 and yet is also valued for the quality of its environment. Much of the East Lothian agricultural land is Prime, and proportionally the area has some of the highest numbers of scheduled ancient monuments, listed buildings, Conservation Areas and Historic Gardens and designed Landscapes in the country. It is clear that a new town in East Lothian must respond to this backdrop, adding rather than detracting from its unique sense of place which will attract people to the area in the first place.
A sustainable place will offer opportunity for all aspects of comfortable living within one place and will allow for all modes of transport, but especially ease of access to sustainable transport solutions, i.e. walking, cycling and public transport. As a place, it should be identifiable within the landscape, with distinctive features aiding place legibility. It should relate well to the East Lothian context but without being pastiche, and should be an exemplar for contemporary living.
Coming “home”, being “home” and what that means for all who live there should be at the heart of this development.
6 WORKSHOP SUMMARY
Taylor Wimpey facilitated a series of three workshops in January and February of 2014 exploring the potential for a new settlement in the Blindwells area. The workshops combined presentation, discussion, focus group work and preliminary masterplan design. The idea was to progress and build preliminary plans from starting with context, looking at place-making, considering technical constraints and then masterplanning through using templates setting out the land take and associated with different land uses.
The workshops were well attended by Council officers from a number of departments (including planning, education, housing, economic development, environment), land owners, infrastructure providers and government agencies. The findings of the workshops were subsequently presented to East Lothian Councillors and can be distilled as follows. • Importance of starting with the landscape, being guided by topography and ensuring adequate green space; • Employment opportunities should largely be located near Macmerry, capitalising on the easy access onto the Gladsmuir junction and co-location with the existing Industrial estate and business park; • Need for an iconic building and distinctive gateway, especially in Western Blindwells where the main signals to the settlement will be seen; and • Education provision, a big issue for East Lothian, should guide development.
7 Considering what a new settlement should “be,” it is worth noting other factors that were often touched on during the course of the three sessions but especially regarding how Greater Blindwells can best meet the need of East Lothian as a whole: • Facilities and opportunities should be available, and streetscapes and civic spaces designed, encourage mixed and integrated communities and foster a sense of community as a result; • Increased provision of health and well-being facilities should be responsive to the changing demographic of East Lothian. Whilst a new town will invariably attract a high number of families, the population of East Lothian as a whole is aging with a higher number of 40-54 year olds than the national average; • Housing needs to be affordable, of mixed tenure that can support contemporary living styles and encourage and enable a mixed demographic to live in the same community; • More and greater variety of job opportunities. East Lothian has an issue with land coming forward for economic development, and there needs to be a strategy for stimulating employment opportunities that will be unique to East Lothian and counter disquiet on East Lothian increasingly becoming a dormitory to Edinburgh; • An enhanced education system with provision at all levels, that considers education authority-wide and not just focussed on the new settlement; • Improved transport infrastructure and offer more variety in all modes; • Develop the existing East Lothian tourism offer, encouraging longer stays and increased expenditure.
All of these aspects are interlinked and will require multi-agency support to properly plan and implement the new settlement. Support from the Council for a new settlement being located at Greater Blindwells is the starting point.
8 PLACE-MAKING
9 The West Blindwells application for Planning Permission in Principle is for 1,774 new homes including affordable and private. The capacity of Hoprig is estimated in the region of around 2000+ depending on other masterplanning considerations that will become integral to the plan as it progresses.
Overall, taking into consideration the Blindwells expansion area and Greendykes this could ultimately be a settlement of some 6,000 new homes, together with all the facilities required, to giving a likely population in the region of 14,500 within an area of 515Ha.
How does this compare?
Within East Lothian, the largest settlement is Musselburgh which has a population of circa 22,000 with 9,600 households within an area of 535Ha.
Haddington, the county town, is smaller than Tranent (marginally) and has a population of circa 8,800 within 3,700 households over an area 231Ha. Haddington will grow by 30% as a result of the allocations proposed within the Main Issues Report.
Galashiels, principal town of the borders and home to a variety of employment, commercial and educational institutions as well as the forthcoming new rail line has a population of 14,000; Linlithgow, county town of Midlothian, also has a population of 14,000.
Creating towns of this size and complexity will never happen overnight. Many of our most valued places have grown organically over 1,000 years. Planning new towns is not a new art, however, although how we inhabit space and place has changed and will influence the form of new settlements. There are many precedents from which to learn however common factors which should be applied here and which are immediately apparent are: • Integrated working between the Council, landowners, developers, house builders, key agencies and surrounding communities; • Common understanding of what the ambitions will mean in influencing development form; • Common understanding of how the economics of place will work and how this influences phasing and funding opportunities; • Agreement as to what the masterplan will be, how flexible it should be and what it needs to contain in order to meet the aspirations of all parties. It is important to recognise at the outset that the masterplan should not be seen as a rigid blueprint for development and design. It will set the strategic context within which individual projects will come forward ensuring that land use is addressed from the outset and that the guiding principles against which to judge future development are established. • The success of Greater Blindwells will ultimately depend on the delivery of good design at a more detailed level and the appropriate infrastructure. The masterplan is just the start.
10 AREA DESCRIPTION wider landscape
Greater Blindwells is located within the western part of the Council area where approximately 40% of the population live. The land area is close to the coastline of the Firth of Forth although there is little visual connection with this. The western and eastern part of East Lothian share an inheritance of rich agricultural land although have different histories; the eastern part of the area has a more established history based in agriculture and use of the coast traditionally providing wealth. The west has a mining legacy, dating back as far as the 12th century when it was monks who mined coal and as far as recent times when Blindwells Opencast closed in the mid-1990s. Hence the outlying settlements to Greater Blindwells predominantly has an industrial past, but not exclusively so. Creating an identity for Greater Blindwells is critical in order for it to be defined as a place and not as urban sprawl. Traditionally this has arisen out of land use and historic events; at Greater Blindwells opportunities will need to be sought to achieve this whether through design or in the attraction of a distinctive land-use. How will the residents of this new settlement know when they are almost home?
11 analysis
The accompanying diagram gives a broad-brush analysis of the site area. There are four areas of discreet character. Blindwells west has an elevated, sterile appearance which reflects its industrial past and subsequent infilling. St Germains has an enclosed, richer character arising from small fields, pockets of woodland, and development hidden within the landscape. To the south the A1 influences character, urbanising the edge through noise and light. The remainder is established farmland, a character which continues over the Coal road and which is relatively open without feeling exposed, with trees along watercourses and around farm properties in the main and a medium scale field structure bounded by hedgerows.
1:10,000 @ A1 0km 0.5km 1km N
©2015 DigitalGlobe, Getmapping plc, Map data ©2015 Google.
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^_ accessibilityACCESSIBILITY appraisal APPRAISAL
1:10,000 @ A1 0km 0.5km 1km N
©2015 DigitalGlobe, Getmapping plc, Map data ©2015 Google.
14 KEY transport
01. Existing access point to Blindwells. Proposed Transport is discussed in more detail within the Planning Submission which this document accompanies, access to park + ride. including the difficulties in creating viable sustainable transport opportunities whilst the settlement is growing and the impacts of development on the strategic road network within East Lothian as a whole. 02. Bankton North Roundabout, access to Blindwells West new arm to access Blindwells. The diagram summarises the existing transport situation around Greater Blindwells. It highlights the two trunk road junction at either end of the Greater Blindwells area which offer opportunity to connect and 03. A1 Bankton Junction, believed to have capacity for create an alternative access through the site area. The Coal Road will become an important component of 2000 new homes. any transport strategy offering opportunity for access into Hoprig and an obvious alignment for creation of well-surfaced and lit access by foot and bike to Longniddry Station. It is hoped that a quantum of 04. Direct acccess limited by A1. development over the whole area will ultimately allow creation of a new stop on the railway line at Greater 05. Existing A1 underpass. Does not meet acceptable Blindwells. standards to be used for vehicular access. Access via the north is limited; the A198 and the railway line immediately next to it form an effective barrier; 06. Potential new split grade junction onto A1 (location residents of St Germains use a level crossing which is not suitable for additional movements and their only indicative only). Current Transport Scotland policy alternative access is via a minor road off the Coal Road. has presumption against new junctions. The Core Path network offers good opportunities for wider access, especially whilst the settlement is 07. Existing bridge over A1. Does not meet acceptable growing. The Core Path plan is shown here and allows good north-south links across the A1 and northwards standards to be used as a vehicular access for to the various settlements and to the John Muir Way along the East Lothian coast. Seeking opportunities to expand this, perhaps through ensuring the design of a cycle friendly new settlement as a guiding principle, development / core path. will encourage the use of sustainable travel whilst the settlement starts to develop. 08. Gladsmuir Junction, believed to have significant capacity.
09. Low bridge constrains access. Lack of footways along B6363 makes access to Longniddry Station along this route currently unattractive.
10. East Coast Mainline constrains access. New crossings either at grade, over or under railway believed to be unfeasible.
11. St Germain’s level crossing, not suitable for additional vehicular movements.
12. Existing railway siding. Safeguard for future station.
13. Core paths
14. Local access
15. Safeguarded for potential new rail halt
East Lothian council core path diagram
15 PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTEXT
There are currently no direct access points through the site; each farm has a separate access point from the existing network and these only connect with each other via the main roads. Hence photographing large area of the site from publicly assessable viewpoints is difficult to achieve. Below is a representative sample of the site area, demonstrating the landscape characteristics described previously within the text and highlighting some of the key features.
Long range views to Fife Farm buildings Access track to the coal road
Hoprig Mains farmhouse with associated agricultural outbuildings
Greendykes View toward Hoprig land Gladsmuir junction on the A1 Macmerry industrial business park Access to Macmerry
View looking east from the core path leading to Greendykes
View looking south down the coal road at the junction with the minor road to St Germains
16 Edge of the A1 Hoprig farmland beyond Elvingston science centre Cockenzie Power Station just Trabroun House Minor road north towards Redcoll
View looking west from the minor road leading from the A199 to Redcoll / Longniddry
Lagoons at Blindwells west Defensible edge formed by A198 and the east Railway overbridge at Longniddry junction of View over Hoprig land towards Southfield coast rail line Coal Road and A198
View looking south toward Hoprig Mains Farm View west towards Cockenzie Farm within View of southern area of land next to the A1; Access to Hoprig Mains and associated cottages knoll south of Southfield Hoprig Mains land flatter, less undulating
17 fig. 01:
concept SECTION STRATEGY Building a new settlement will take many decades. This begins with coordinating landowners and establishing agreements, engaging with all the relevant stakeholders, assembling financial packages and understanding both cross-funding opportunities and lever mechanisms for funding and will all be done in tandem with the preparation of the masterplan. The Council will need to resolve how detailed applications are determined against the masterplan and associated design guidance, as well as how the Section 75 monies arising from all development within Greater Blindwells will be both held and spent at the outset.
Much depends on how the Council determine the current application for Blindwells West. What is not clear is how much credence will be taken by the Council of the vision set out collectively at last year’s workshops in doing so, and how that ambition is to be assessed against the proposals that have been submitted. How should Blindwells West function in tandem with the rest of Greater Blindwells beyond providing a road link for and what flexibility will there be for future adjustment of Blindwells West if additional land uses are required within it or if land use within it would be better (in terms of 2 design or attraction to investors) elsewhere within the Greater Blindwells area.
18 fig. 01:
CONCEPT
1:10,000 @ A1 0km 0.5km 1km N
©2015 DigitalGlobe, Getmapping plc, Map data ©2015 Google.
19 Hoprig : concepts for growth Accordingly Hoprig will function as a small settlement on the east, around the size of Blindwells West, with a local centre comprising a The preferred approach, supported by Supplementary Guidance prepared in Primary School at its heart, employment land taking advantage of association with the land owners and other relevant parties, is predicated on the Gladsmuir junction, and with the potential for land to be set aside for delivery of a single settlement, single application and single Section 75 agreement, facilities that will support the Greater Blindwells area as a whole. Work although provision is made for the application for planning permission in principle has started on assessing the capacity of this land and is described within on the allocated site. this document.
It requires means and timescales for remediation of ground conditions to be The concept for growth in this circumstance would be more metropolitan specified. It goes on to describe the potential phasing of development in an west in approach with smaller settlements eventually coalescing into a larger to east direction, delivery of up to 1,600 dwellings prior to 2032 (but does not settlement; but unlike the organic growth that sometimes generates this exclude delivery of further housing prior to then), a new interchange with the form that eventuality will have been anticipated and land, and access, A1(T) or use of the existing underpass to the south of the site, potential for a new would have been safeguarded alongside an established fund to help higher order town centre, and potential for strategic employment opportunities. deliver a properly planned centre. It further states that if the A1 access solution is not deliverable an appropriate phasing from the east and/ or the west would be promoted. The Council has indicated uncertainty over the land at Greendykes and accordingly, how this will fail to deliver the Greater Blindwells district Whilst there is a certain logic to this, the reality of achieving that will be centre. The landowner currently is in favour of supporting Greater difficult. To reflect on the needs of a community of up to 6,000 new homes Blindwells however, and this preliminary agreement will have to be (plus settlements close by) and compare this to centres such as Galashiels, and legally confirmed, but it is right to consider alternative scenarios at this Linlithgow, a district level town centre is likely to comprise of major retail, a stage. sports centre, service centres and commercial space, a hospital, and a cultural quarter. In times of economic constraint the delivery of these, to the quality that In the shorter term the strategy mentioned above can support ongoing East Lothian deserves and that will be required in order to stop the flow of spend discussions over Greendykes, with the land continuing to be planned out of the Council area, is complex and will only be viable with a quantum of with the whole masterplan area until such time as that agreement goes population that can help support them, if there is retailer demand and on land through. that has raised capital to help secure funding. In the medium term the Blindwells West Expansion land can support The economics of delivery will be fundamental to the masterplanning of Greater many town centre facilities including a secondary school; a secondary Blindwells. The strategy promoted by this submission is that flexibility should school, for example, will be supported by housing numbers of around be maintained as long as possible in order to enable that process. By allowing 5,000. Blindwells West, the Blindwells West Expansion and Hoprig can Hoprig to come forward concurrently with Blindwells West the Council will: together deliver this.
• maximise the junction capacities identified at Bankton and Gladsmuir; In the longer term there is an alternative growth scenario as to where • accelerate the opportunity to allow additional pupils and funding to come Hoprig would go next, and that is eastwards over the Coal Road. This forward to support a new secondary school and the establishment of the was a conclusion made by some of the groups at the design session of Blindwells cluster area; last year’s workshops as shown on pages 61 and 65 of the “Workbook: • allow greater choice in attracting investors and possibly a higher education or Summary of event” that accompanies this representation. This is the blue-chip headquarters facility; Hoprig Farm land and the benefits of this scenario are: • offer housing choice; • open up an access through the Greater Blindwells area where there is currently • Flexibility in future-proofing planning needs; none; this will allow sustainable transport solutions to be considered, and will • Lack of land constraint; allow proper discussions to start at early stages over investment within the • Opportunities to connect with Macmerry Industrial and Business central area. Park; • A junction off the A1 with ample capacity.
20 OPPORTUNITIES
HOPRIG MAINS
1:10,000 @ A1 N
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21 Hoprig: capacity High density development would form around this central core with densities reducing toward the north but with green tourism/ green community leisure based facilities being located within the northern area of landscape quality. If the growth scenarios can be summarised as: Opportunities to exploit the views toward the coast, highlighted within the 1. Moving West to East and in the process forming Greater Blindwells; “photographic context”, should be designed into the masterplan. 2. West and East coming first being completed by central development to form Greater Blindwells; 3. West and East coming forward concurrently and complemented by Blindwells West Expansion;West and East being built in isolation, and East expanding over the Coal Road;
Then the common thread is Hoprig Mains. Preliminary technical studies have shown that Hoprig is free of constraint, with good opportunities for direct access from the A1. It is well-located to complement the existing settlements of Longniddry, Tranent, and Macmerry.
The masterplanning discussions which will form part of the next stages will formulate how the aim of a mixed community will be best served by development types and the sustainable use of land. Market conditions and housing need are fundamental to that discussion as well.
The alignment of the existing Coal Road has plenty of scope for direct access; a logical place to provide employment is close to the Gladsmuir Junction and across from existing facilities at Macmerry. (Equally, under the alternative scenario there is a good opportunity to forge employment linkages with the Elvingston Science Centre either in complement to or instead of).
Several access points off the Coal Road are envisaged but with clear legibility allowing easy navigation whether going to the Local Centre and through to Blindwells West, taking local access, or heading to the potential Business Park.
A well surfaced, well-lit and direct access route, which is divorced from the traffic of the Coal Road itself, should be built along the edge of the Coal Road allowing good walking and cycling linkages to Longniddry Station.
A local centre would be located around Hoprig Mains, building on the assets there already and allowing a good location from which to build the connecting road through to Blindwells West allowing for scope for development on both sides as it heads through the Greendykes land.
22 HOPRIG : DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
Leisure - based uses
Low density housing KEY
Local centre
1. Retirement and accessible housing 2. Community hall Principal route Access to 3. Shop connecting to west Longniddry 4. Commercial Blindwells 5. Primary School + nursery Station 6. Hotel / cafe (in old farmhouse) 7. Craft / community facility in converted outbuilding 5 2,3,4 8. Private nursery 1 9. Commercial / flats above 9 6
Residential development 8 7
Very low
Low
Medium Gladsmuir Medium - High junction
High
Business park in landscape setting A1 1:12,500 @ A3 N
23 Hoprig: preliminary concept
A preliminary concept has been drawn up as an illustrative development framework plan. Taking into account the whole land area, and with the caveat that densities have been applied without density testing the plan demonstrates capacity for the following:
• A Local Centre including 2.2 Ha for a Primary School, a hotel and café/restaurant (focussed around the existing farmhouse), a private nursery, community/craft building, local shops and services and retirement and assisted living development, civic space and parkland space; • Playing fields and pavilion • 5.8Ha of employment • Circa 2,000 new homes • A link to Longniddry Station • Weekend, allotment-style living within the northern area alongside more informal community growing areas with other possibilities to be further explored.
Three principal routes off the Coal Road will allow good bus penetration and allows direct access to the Local centre (and Blindwells West), the employment land, and the playing fields and the northern area. A connected street structure allows good connectivity, and a clear hierarchy of streets allows legibility. The plan has been drawn to retain field structures where possible and existing areas of planting.
This is only preliminary and as the planning of Greater Blindwells gets underway can be flexible in accommodating other land uses such as a tertiary education facility or a flagship development which will provide that “fix” within the landscape referred to earlier.
The accompanying montages start to create a sense of character that could be achieved within the plan.
The montage within the northern area shows allotment style living along the lines of those common in Denmark, Germany and the Russian dachas. These will be big enough to support large growing areas and small pavilion properties where owners can stay at the weekend or within the summer but are prohibited from doing so during the winter months. This supports an attractive life style and would aid increased densities within the Local Centres across Greater Blindwells.
The other montage is indicative of how the Local Centre could form with land uses all focussed around a central square and higher density around the edge providing better support of those facilities. ; 4. West and East being built in isolation, and East expanding over the Coal
24 MONTAGES
Typical potenital land-use for the northern area - weekend retreats with growing spaces
25 Local centre around primary school with open public space
26 SECTION
DELIVERY Once the development strategy for Greater Blindwells is supported by policy, and concurrent with establishing agreements between all parties, then the masterplanning 3 process can fully commence.
27 next steps
The first stage is to draw up a methodology for designing the new need resolution during the early stages of Council meetings. settlement and submit it to the Council for discussion. It will be Typically, a masterplan for a development of this size should based upon the following: include the following:
• Details of the proposed steering group and suggested reporting The Plan mechanisms to landowners and other Council officers and members, assuming that the Council will be represented on the Proposed heights, densities, grids and blocks without steering group; architectural detail • Suggested make-up of full masterplanning team encompassing all Movement routes the technical skills required to prepare the masterplan; Location and hierachy of open space • Methodologies for carrying out the next stage of technical analysis work that will shape the masterplan; The Written Document • A consultation strategy that relates to a programme and includes proposals for engaging with political and statutory bodies, Vision statement statutory consultees and agencies, community interest groups, Site and context appraisal local service providers, investors and funders, representatives of Policy review the development industry and utility and transport groups. Feasibility appraisals Planning and design principles By then, the Council may have the findings of the retail study Indicative design concepts and proposals currently underway and determination of the Blindwells West application will have taken place. Further agreements are anticipated Delivery Strategy to be reached with Greendykes Farm. These will influence how the masterplan starts to form. Mechanism for assessing detailed proposals against the masterplan With positive decision-making underway, this would be a good Mechanism for changing the masterplan if circumstances point at which to engage with and secure the backing of Councillors change and local politicians, ensuring a secure platform on which to begin Delivery strategy including costs, phasing, funding, timing, and masterplanning. partners Key partners and respective roles The masterplan should be seen as a working tool and should be Main steps for implementation flexible, contextual and three dimensional. How the masterplan will relate to Supplementary Guidance, Planning Permission in Principle and sets guidance for the assessment of detailed applications will
28 summary
This document is a response to the Main Issues Report, but is also a continuation of previous dialogue with the Council that reflects on the findings of the workshops last year.
The proposed allocation of Greater Blindwells new settlement within the MIR is welcomed, but greater flexibility on the means of reaching it are suggested, on the basis that developing from both ends will lead to a better outcome for planning Greendykes and will enable alternative access to come forward at an earlier stage. An alternative strategy is also available.
Critical to the planning of the new settlement will be keeping “vision”, “quality” and “context” at the forefront of proposals. Opinion at the workshops was universal in agreeing that East Lothian is a unique place where landscape and built form are integral to character and identity.
This will be a long process and Taylor Wimpey are committed to working closely with all other parties and the Council in ensuring the successful delivery of a new town for East Lothian.
29 Prepared by OPEN :
Optimised Environments Ltd 6th Floor | 24 Torphichen Street | Edinburgh | EH3 8JB t 0131 221 5920 | w optimisedenvironments.com on behalf of Taylor Wimpey in conjunction with Holder Planning and Transport Planning Ltd