LittleportMasterplan 26 What is the plan? Development Principles These development principles reflect the issues and challenges which the local community have indicated that the Littleport Masterplan needs to address. They provide the guidelines for the development frameworks and proposals which are set out in subsequent chapters of this plan. Embracing Littleport’s Promoting healthy and rural character enjoyable lifestyles To ensure that new development is set To ensure that Littleport has the facilities within a ‘green’ rural framework, and services necessary to tackle the so everyone can access and enjoy green deprivation around health and skills, open spaces, both within the town and and that new development promotes a the surrounding countryside. To enhance healthy and enjoyable lifestyle for all. existing spaces and create linkages to open up new areas. To increase activity Achieving sustainable along the riverside – one of Littleport’s growth key assets. To make sure that growth is appropriate for the character of the town – ensuring Supporting business the necessary facilities and infrastructure and employment to accommodate the new population To ensure any housing growth is linked are in place. To manage flood risk to growth in jobs in order to reduce proactively and mitigate climate change. out commuting and support the town economy. To provide adequate space Serving the wider and support for businesses to develop hinterland and grow in Littleport. To enhance To strengthen linkages between the Littleport’s tourism offer to attract town and hinterland and ensure that additional visitors to the town. the town can supply the goods and services people require. To ensure Boosting the town that walkways, cycle routes and other centre developments extend out beyond the To strengthen the town centre by town to these communities where encouraging a mix of uses and services possible. which will increase the usage and vitality of the town. To couple this with physical Creating better improvements to make the town centre movement and linkages an attractive place to visit. To improve To ensure that facilities are located within Littleport walking and cycling links to the town easy reach, and to actively encourage a centre to enable easy access. walking and cycling network to facilitate access, promote a healthy lifestyle and Masterplan minimise car usage. To link up different areas of the town and make the most of the railway links. 27 What is the plan? Development Framework 1 Proposals: Green fingers connecting town Embracing the Natural Landscape to countryside – routes which enable people to access and enjoy the Objectives: surrounding countryside and the river area. p To ensure that Littleport is thoroughly connected to its unique natural surroundings. Linking the green fingers – routes which connect up the existing green p To provide opportunities for all residents to benefit from the setting of the spaces within the town creating an town, taking advantage of the river and the fenland. integrated network of green spaces and a p To create a network of green spaces that meet the edge of the town and softer landscape edge to the town. extend throughout it. Improve existing green spaces – to p To use landscape to improve Littleport’s image, increase land values, provide a maximise their attractiveness and usage focus for education, health and well being. and provide additional green areas in p To improve flood resilience and support biodiversity, habitat viability, healthy the town centre and on new estates, to soils, water and air. create informal green spaces, allotments p To connect people with nature as the fabric for sustainable living. and play areas. Examples include: p The Paddocks – bring this area into Commentary: public use to provide opportunities for informal leisure and recreation. One of the most distinctive features of Littleport is its setting, rising above the Ideas include use as allotments, a dog surrounding fenland. But although Littleport is set in the countryside, access directly to exercise area and an area for a youth it from the town is limited, and there is no real rationale to the location of green spaces shelter. within the town. In considering the impact of the growth of the town, visual concerns will be very significant. Fenland settlements can be seen from many miles across flat p Riverside – add features to the landscapes and the scale and treatment of the edges, where growth is likely to take river area to make it a destination for place, is critical. both boating and non-boating leisure use. Ideas for improvements include Although Littleport has no official park, it does have established green spaces through enhancing the existing marina and and around the town, including the River Great Ouse and the national walking trail adding picnic and play areas. along its bank, the playing fields at the sports centre, the mature trees and green at p The Moors – establish area as a St George’s church, various pockets of traditional orchards and a county wildlife site. nature reserve to create a haven for There are also other routes that people use for walking and cycling, and still more that wildlife. Potential to build on the fen residents have identified that they would like to use. skating link to attract tourists. However, there is a deficit of local green infrastructure and open space provision and developers will be required to provide provision in line with the standards identified in the Cambridgeshire Green Infrastructure Strategy. This landscape and public realm framework seeks to consolidate the existing green assets into a network consisting of two parts; green ‘fingers’, pathways that connect the town to the surrounding landscape, and routes that connect between these fingers, creating an integrated network of green spaces. Littleport Green infrastructure is important as it can provide functions and benefits beyond recreational space, such as improved flood resilience, sustainable drainage, Masterplan urban cooling and links for biodiversity. 28 Train station River Great Ouse C o u n t r y s Key views id e Existing housing site allocations Existing employment site allocations Area of search for potential new access into development area Potential informal leisure use Environment Agency Flood Zone 3 1 in 100 or greater chance of happening each year Environment Agency Flood Zone 2 1 in 1000 chance of happening each year Public Open Space Existing Cemetery County Wildlife Site Proposed Community Orchard National Inventory of Woodland and Trees Traditional Orchards Green ‘fingers’ connecting town to countryside Green connectors between ‘fingers’ 400m (5 min walk) and 800m (10 min walk) radius Conservation area boundary Listed buildings New Primary School (3rd) option Preferred site for new Secondary School Area of existing employment Walking/cycling areas Existing Primary School New cemetery site Community centre Medical centre Littleport Wastewater Tr eatment Works Safeguarding Area (400m) Cleanaway Depot Waste Management Consultation Area (250m) What is the plan? A10 Library A10 Main roads into and through Littleport Existing secondary roads Possible improvements to permeability of existingMildenhall networ Rk Wisbech R oad oad Camel Rd Potential new road network Potential walking and cycling routes Sites for potential new housing development A10 Existing housing site locations The MoorsCycle spine route River Great Ouse Ouse Great Great River River Frontages with potential for The Paddocks improvement oad Existing key frontages Major street oodfen R Train station W Street planting improvements River Great Ouse C River Great Ouse o C u o Secondary street n u t n r t y r s Key views y i s d GreenKey views enhancements to route ide e Grange Lane ExistingPedestrian housing route site allocations adnal PExistingossible employmentproposed green site linkallocations P Existing employment site allocations AreaPublic of spaces; search opportunities for potential newfor accessimproved into layout, development surface materialsarea and pedestrian priority areas Potential informal leisure use Existing landmark building Environment Agency Flood Zone 3 1Opportunity in 100 or greater for landmark chance featur of e happening each year Existinghappening car each parking year Environment Agency Flood Zone 2 PEnvironmentossible car and Agency bicycle Flood parking Zone 2 This map is reproduced from Ordnance1 inSurvey 1000 material chance with ofthe happeningpermission A10 Ely Ro of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controllereach year of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown copyright. UnauthorisedContoureach reproduction year Heights infringes Crown copyright ad and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings.Public Open East CambridgeshireSpace District Council Licence LA100023279. 20mPublic Open Space 0 500 Existing Cemetery 15mExisting Cemetery County Wildlife Site 10mCounty Wildlife Site Proposed Community Orchard The uniqueness of Littleport depends Key 5mProposed Community Orchard National Inventory of Woodland and0m Trees on many characteristics, but as strong Tandrain T reesstation T-5mraditional Orchards as any is the contrast of the urban RiverTraditional Great Orchards Ouse C C o o u u Sewage Works n n Green ‘fingers’ connecting t t r Green ‘fingers’ connecting r character of the town within the fenland y s Key views s Key views i town to countryside id e town to countryside Cleanaway Depot landscape in which it is situated. GreenExisting connectors housing site allocations between ‘fingers’