EX HS066F

LAND AT SANDFORD PARK GREAT BADDOW

MASTERPLAN DOCUMENT | NOVEMBER 2018 SANDFORD PARK VISION

Our Vision is to create a place that offers residents a strong sense of belonging, a place they can be proud of and a positive sense of community. We will deliver a sustainable community serving the needs of all ages, positively integrated into the existing townscape and landscape fabric of Great Baddow and the wider conurbation of Chelmsford, and with strong connections to the natural assets surrounding it. The characteristics of the local landscape, the pattern of existing settlement and attractive green spaces, and the special history of the community of Great Baddow, combine to provide the context upon which the character of Sandford Park will take strong influence, providing continuity with the key design traits and historic rural patterns of development found locally.

The Vision is based on the following key objectives:

1. Deliver a landscape-led development with a diverse sequence of attractive spaces integrating retained and enhanced landscape features with a new framework of locally characteristic, high quality landscape elements. 2. Create a new country park focused on the river valley and its flood plain, protecting and enhancing the open landscape of the green wedge, and providing a recreational open space for existing and future residents. 3. Provide new housing at the right scale and of the right type to meet the existing and future needs of the community 4. Create an accessible and well-connected new neighbourhood where families can choose more sustainable ways to get to key facilities including schools, shops, the leisure centre and employment facilities. 5. Provide attractive pedestrian and cycle ways utilising green corridor routes and public spaces to create improved connections to the country park. 6. Protect and enhance existing habitats through strong Green Infrastructure principles including a focus on sustainable drainage measures. 7. Promote healthy lifestyles through sustainable transport measures, high quality placemaking, and access to green space, designed with the community in mind. 8. Create a new and attractive neighbourhood guided by robustly considered landscape and masterplanning principles.

Hopkins Homes is a leading UK home builder specialising in place making and urban regeneration.

Hopkins Homes have established an a number of prestigious awards for enviable reputation for developing design including The Daily Telegraph award winning homes, whether Award for Best House Design. Hopkins contemporary city centre apartments, Homes has also appeared twice in stunning riverside town houses, the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list traditional style homes in market of the UK's top 100 fastest growing towns or peaceful East Anglian companies. Hopkins Homes flexible villages, that harmonise with their approach to land purchase allows neighbours and surroundings whilst the opportunity to work closely creating homes of character and with landowners and their advisers individuality. From a start in 1992 to ensure that each purchase is Hopkins Homes, together with structured to suit the individual land Hopkins & Moore, has grown from a seller's needs. Our design team have small local company into a significant been able, in certain circumstances, builder of quality homes, being to incorporate land seller's particular recognised by the NHBC in their requirements in our final design for Quality Award Scheme, which is the the land. industry's benchmark for the quality of a development in terms of build The Hopkins Homes team of standard and overall site management. committed professionals, with skills which encompass planning, design, Hopkins Homes has become the construction and after sales, use largest independent property extensive research, experience and developer in East Anglia providing local knowledge to take a wholly fresh homes throughout Suffolk, Norfolk, approach to the design and building Cambridgeshire and Essex, and is of houses that reflect the traditional immensely proud of the significant character of their setting, be it contribution that the company has modern, contemporary or vernacular made to the regional and wider rural. economy through creating and supporting jobs, providing exceptional With a Hopkins Home you can be sure new homes and building sustainable that your home has been designed and communities. built to last. Architects work alongside Hopkins' in-house design team to Working with a number of leading ensure that the design and style of our regional and national architectural final product is perfect for the chosen practices, Hopkins Homes has won location.

Land at Sandford Park

All plans are reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Map with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. Crown copyright Reserved. Licence No. AR152684.

Barton Willmore The Blade, Abbey Square, Reading, Berkshire RG1 3BE T: 0118 943 0000 E: [email protected]

Desk Top Publishing by Barton Willmore

This artwork was printed on paper using fibre sourced from sustainable plantation wood from suppliers who practice sustainable management of forests in line with strict international standards. Pulp used in its manufacture is also Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF).

Barton Willmore Copyright

The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of Barton Willmore.

J:\28000 - 28999\28900 - 28999\28953 - Sandford Park, Great Baddow\A5 - Reports & Graphics\ Reports\Masterplanning

Issue Date November 2018 Job Number 28953 Document Status DRAFT Revision - Authors Various Checked By PN Authorised By NC

6 Masterplan Document

The Vision 1

Contents 7

1. Introduction to the Scheme 8 1.1 Purpose of Document 1.2 Site Location and Description 1.3 Site Context

2. Assessment & Evaluation 16 2.1 Policy Context & Analysis 2.2 Historical Context 2.3 Infrastructure & Amenities 2.4 Important Views 2.5 Site Appraisal 2.6 Local Built Character Study 2.7 Landscape Character 2.8 Site Topography 2.9 Site Constraints

3. Masterplan Strategy 38 3.1 Green Infrastructure Strategy 3.2 Landscape Development Principles 3.3 Landscape Character Zones 3.4 Production of a Masterplan Framework 3.5 Illustrative Street Sections 3.6 Landscape Concept Plan

4. Conclusion 58 4.1. Masterplan Conclusion

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Introduction to the Scheme Land at Sandford Park

1.1 PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT

This Masterplan Document has been The information contained within this prepared on behalf of Hopkins Homes Masterplan Document explains the in support of development on land to analysis that underpins the emerging the north of Great Baddow (Manor design of the proposed development, Farm) also known as Sandford Park. including the following key themes: The emerging Chelmsford Local • Site location and description Plan states that the development • Site context analysis of Strategic Growth site 3a East Chelmsford (Manor Farm), shown • Analysis of Local Plan policies and in Figure 1 opposite, will deliver designations “around” 250 new homes. This site is • Historical context and character allocated for a landscape-led, high- appraisals of neighbouring quality comprehensively-planned settlement areas new sustainable neighbourhood that maximises opportunities for • Strategic Green Infrastructure and sustainable travel as well as a new landscape development principles Country Park. • Development character zones and As part of the masterplanning process, associated design principles and with a robust underpinning • Street sections and typologies analysis of various site constraints and the landscape context, the capacity of • Landscape and masterplan layouts the site has been assessed with the aim including quantum of development of determining an objective quantum of development. This assessment pays due regard to the requirements of the emerging Local Plan, existing site constraints, landscape character, visual amenity and existing settlement pattern. This location represents an opportunity for a landscape-led development that maximises opportunities for travel by sustainable modes and this proposed development would provide Great Baddow with not only a positive contribution to the community but also a robust landscape and Green Infrastructure network that seeks to provide local residents with a high quality amenity environment.

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Figure 1 ILLUSTRATIVE SITE LOCATION

Key:

Site Application Boundary

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1.2 SITE LOCATION & DESCRIPTION

The site is approximately 4km to the south- east of the city centre, railway station and the city’s main employment area. Existing bus routes run along Maldon Road which forms the southern boundary of the site. Essex Yeomanry Way and Sandford Mill Lane make up the south-western and eastern boundaries respectively. The Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation and the River Chelmer form the northern site boundary. The overall allocation has an area of approximately 90 hectares (ha) however the developable area, once the flood plain is taken into account, is approximately 27 ha. The site comprises agricultural land, a network of hedgerows and tree belts, watercourses and waterbodies and agricultural tracks and is crossed by a network of Public Rights of Way. The residential neighbourhoods that sit around the site demonstrate the history of the area with some buildings dating as far back as the early 1900's. It is important that any future development relates strongly to the existing locally characteristic styles of built form. With good connections from east to west the site is strategically well-placed to provide a vibrant community which not only provides for future occupiers, but also existing residents to the south of the site and visitors to facilities to the north-west of the site, including the Sandford Mill Science and Education Centre, the Mill Museum and the Blackwater Boats boat touring agency. These facilities would benefit from increased accessibility as a result of the proposed development without negatively affecting the character of the Conservation Area. Figure 2 demonstrates how the site is Key: strategically placed within the existing urban Site Boundary and landscape context and illustrates how the site relates to existing infrastructure and River / Navigation settlement pattern. Primary Road The site is in close proximity to the city Secondary Road centre while still benefiting from a relatively peaceful, natural environment as a result Train Line of the strong corridor of existing Green Cycle Route Infrastructure following the Chelmer Valley. Developed Areas Existing Green Space 12 Masterplan Document

Figure 2 ILLUSTRATIVE SURROUNDING AREAS

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1.3 SITE CONTEXT

Site Information Vegetation The site is located within the administrative area of Chelmsford City Council, on The site forms part of the River Chelmer East and Chelmer and Blackwater Vegetation within the river valley comprises small blocks of woodland and lines of the western edge of Chelmsford between the settlements of Great Baddow to the Navigation Green Wedge, which follows the route of the watercourse on the trees that follow the watercourses and the major roads. Field boundaries, where south and Chelmer to the north. northern edge of the site, connecting the open countryside to the east with they occur, comprise hedgerows with trees. Settlement, particularly on the edge the centre of Chelmsford to the west. The flat, low-lying part of the site is also of Chelmsford and Great Baddow, is frequently accompanied by canopy trees and The site is adjoined by residential development immediately to the south and located within the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation Conservation Area. There hedgerows visible above and between the built form. west, by open landscape to the north and north-west, with further settlement is a farm shop within the southern boundary on the location of a Bronze Age beyond, and to the east by Manor Farm and a series of cottages with the wider monument and this has been incorporated into the proposed landscape strategy. agricultural landscape beyond.

Local Policy Allocated Areas Ecology Designations

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Rights of Way Designations Topography There is a dense network of Public Rights of Way (PRoW) extending along the There are no statutory landscape designations or listed buildings within the site. At a regional scale, the site is located in the valley of the River Chelmer, an valley of the River Chelmer. The Saffron Trail National Path runs along the However, there are Local Wildlife sites immediately adjacent the eastern and east flowing watercourse which rises in the vicinity of Debden, approximately northern side of the river in the wider landscape surrounding the site, with an western boundaries of the northern part of the site. 29km to the south-west and drains a wide area of Essex and is navigable, via the additional path extending along the southern side of the river and the northern Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation from Chelmsford to the Blackwater Estuary boundary of the site. A parallel footpath extends along the north-eastern approximately 14km to the east. The wider landscape is similarly characterised by boundary of the site from the A1114 and passes east to west through the northern gently undulating rising land and wide river valleys with extensive flood plains. part of the site towards Sandford Mill. A third footpath extends along the foot of the sloping southern section of the site between the A1114 in the west and Sandford Mill Road to the east.

Circulations Heritage Assets Topography

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Assessment & Evaluation Land at Sandford Park

2.1 POLICY CONTEXT & ANALYSIS

The site is allocated as Strategic The site forms part of the River Growth site 3A in the Strategic Policy Chelmer East and Chelmer and S9 of the emerging Chelmsford Blackwater Navigation Green Wedge Local Plan, with the following site allocation within the Chelmsford Core masterplanning principles required in Strategy 2008. As part of the emerging relation to landscape: Chelmsford Local Plan evidence base, the Council carried out a review of • Provide pedestrian and cycle Green Wedge parcels in the Green connections Wedges and Green Corridors: Defining • Provide a well-connected internal Chelmsford’s River Valleys document, road layout 2017. • Conserve and enhance the The review states that the rising land character and appearance of in the southern part of the site forms the Chelmer and Blackwater part of the valley side containing Conservation Area the floodplain of the River Chelmer • Protect the Bronze Age monument and that there is a visual connection and its setting between the two, particularly when viewed from the PRoW along the • Protect important views into and River Chelmer. It subsequently states through the site from across the that the connection between the Chelmer Valley land and the river corridor is one of • Enhance the historic and natural context, making an important but not environment significant contribution and that, on that basis, the land can be excluded • Create a network of Green from the Green Wedge. Infrastructure As a result, the review recommends • Provide suitable SuDS and flood that the southern section of the site risk management should be removed from the Green • Ensure appropriate habitat Wedge designation. Furthermore, the mitigation and creation is provided review states: • Retain the WWII pillbox in the eastern part of the site and provide “As with land adjacent to Green interpretation boards Wedges in this and other parts of • Provide a coherent network of the City, particular care would public open space, formal and need to be paid to the type and informal sport, recreation and quality of any development community space within the site proposed such that the character of the river valley in this location • Remove electricity lines and is not compromised.” pylons from the site and install electricity cables underground

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Figure 3 SITE CONTEXT AND BOUNDARY

Key:

Site Boundary

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2.2 HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The origins of the City of Chelmsford Following the end of the Second World lie in Roman times, when the War Chelmsford continued to benefit 1 2 3 4 settlement of Caesaromagus was from improved facilities including the established midway between London opening of the Civic Theatre in 1962 and Colchester, serving as a fortified and the extension of the County Hall market town which reached its peak in 1988, including a new library. In in the late second century. Following 2011, the population of Chelmsford the fall of the Roman Empire, the (administrative area) stood at over settlement fell into decline, and 168,000 residents having grown effectively disappeared until the over 7% in the first decade of the 21st Middle Ages when the modern town century. was established. Figures 4 and 5 overleaf demonstrate At the start of the 19th century the city the growth of the settlement in the had nearly 3,800 inhabitants which context of the site. The rich heritage was a relatively large market-town of the City of Chelmsford is also measured by contemporary standards illustrated with photographs of the and by the end of the 19th century following landmarks: the population had quadrupled. An 1:- Marconi Tower economic boom followed the arrival 5 6 7 8 of the railway in Chelmsford in 1843 2:- Anne Knight Building built in 1824 with growing industrial activity in (formally known as Quaker Meeting the settlement and a specialism in House) engineering and, in the late 19th 3:- Hylands House century, the manufacturing of electrical equipment. This period 4:- Chelmsford Police Station in 1910 also heralded the opening of the 5:- Marconi Factory Chelmsford and Essex hospital, the establishment of a network of sewers, 6:- Paper Mill Lock a central park and the founding of the 7:- Chelmsford Central Baptist Church museum. In 1899 the world's first radio 8:- Chelmsford Cathedral Church of St. factory was opened in Chelmsford by Mary the Marconi Company. 9:- Shire Hall At the turn of the 20th century, the population of Chelmsford stood at 10:- Sandford Mill Science Education almost 22,000 with rapid growth Centre leading to an improvement of the 11:- Chelmsford Museum amenities of the town including a 9 10 11 12 library in 1906 and the first cinemas 12:- Marconi Radio Tower (close) before the beginning of the First World War. During the Second World War, the city was a target for bombing raids as a result of its importance as a hub for the engineering industry.

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Figure 4 1888-1913 CHELMSFORD HISTORIC MAP

Figure 5 1930-1960 CHELMSFORD HISTORIC MAP

Key:

Site Boundary

21 Land at Sandford Park

2.3 INFRASTRUCTURE & AMENITIES

The location of the site is in close proximity to various existing amenities and services as shown in Figure 6, which demonstrates the number of existing schools and community facilities in the local area. As a result of this rich existing local provision, there is a sense of vibrancy in the community, with a safe and attractive environment for families and children. With a high level of accessibility to existing green spaces and a strong prevailing landscape structure the Manor Farm Shop Sandon Village Hall Meadows Shopping Centre importance of Green Infrastructure to the success of this area is palpable, and the benefits of respecting and enhancing the existing landscape and townscape context are clear. Chelmsford city centre is within easy reach by car or bicycle and access to local shopping centres is no further than 5mins walk away from parts of the site. The area also benefits from the presence of existing recreational facilities within the local area including Hamptons Sports and Leisure Centre, Baddow Hospital Chelmer High Street Hamptons Sport & Leisure Centre Great Baddow Lawn Tennis Club, and Chelmsford Rugby Football Club. This existing provision enhances the appeal of the site and creates the opportunity to provide a long-term healthy community, well integrated into the existing community.

Great Baddow Community Centre Moulsham Junior School Great Baddow Tennis Club

Chelmsford Rugby Football Club Chelmsford High Street Chelmsford Train Station 22 Masterplan Document

Figure 6 SITE AND SURROUNDING AMENITIES

Key:

Site Boundary Amenities 1 The Manor Farm Shop/Monument 2 Sandon Park & Ride 3 Sandford Mill Museum 4 Baddow Hall Infant/Junior School 5 The Sandon School 6 Meadgate Nursery/Primary School Great Baddow Community 7 Association Millennium Centre 8 Great Baddow Lawn Tennis Club 9 Sandon Village Hall 10 Chancellor Park Primary School Chelmer High Street/ 11 Asda Supermarket 12 Hamptons Sports and Leisure Centre 13 Larkrise Primary School 14 Baddow Hospital 15 Royal Mail Delivery Office 16 Chelmsford Rugby Football Club 17 Great Baddow High School 18 Aldi Supermarket 19 Meadows Shopping Centre Moulsham Infants School/John 20 Shennan Playing Field

21 Moulsham High School 22 Industrial Site

23 Land at Sandford Park

2.4 IMPORTANT VIEWS

A visual appraisal of the site and the Figure 7 SITE CONTEXT AND BOUNDARY wider area has identified a number of key views and important landmarks which will be protected as part of the proposed development. These include:

• Open, long distance views from the centre of the site towards the countryside to the east and medium distance views to landmarks, such as church spires and radio masts, within the built form of Great Baddow and Chelmsford. • Elevated views from the south- eastern part of the site across the valley towards the centre of Chelmsford. • Views south towards the existing built edge of Great Baddow and the proposed built form from the central part of the site and the Saffron Trail flanking the north side of the river.

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Important View 1

Important View 2

Important View 3

Important View 4

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