Velindre Cancer Centre Environmental Statement Vol.1: Environmental Statement Text

Chapter 3: Site Description

Draft- March 2017 Prepared by: Mott McDonald, The Urbanists and HLM Address: The Urbanists, The Creative Quarter, 8A Morgan Arcade, , CF10 1AF, United Kingdom Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Website: www.theurbanists.net

Issue date March 2017 -

Drawing status DRAFT -

Revision 2 -

Author MF / LH -

Checked by MF / LH -

All plans within this document are reproduced from Ordnance Survey with permission of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office (C) Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution/civil proceedings. Licence No 100054593.

CHAPTER 3

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CHAPTER 3

SITE DESCRIPTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

3.1 INTRODUCTION 3:1

3.2 SITE LOCATION 3:1

3.3 SITE DESCRIPTION 3:1

3.4 SURROUNDING AREA DESCRIPTION 3:3

3.5 STATUTORY AND LOCAL DESIGNATIONS 3:5

3.6 RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY 3:6

3.7 CUMULATIVE ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW 3:7

Velindre NHS Trust Velindre Cancer Centre

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3 SITE DESCRIPTION

3.1 Introduction

3.1.1 This chapter describes the site location, the site itself, and the area surrounding the site. It also provides an overview of relevant planning history. The site location and key features of the site and surrounding area are identified in the Chapter 3 Figures.

3.2 Site Location

3.2.1 The site is situated in north Cardiff approximately 900 metres north-west of the centre of Whitchurch Village and 6 kilometres north of Cardiff City Centre. Coryton Interchange, which connects the M4, A470 and local highway network, is located approximately 400 metres north of the site. The site is not currently accessible by vehicle from the highway, although Pendwyallt Road and Park Road (A4054) passes in a north-west to south-east direction some 150m to the north-east of the site at its closest point, connecting Whitchurch Village to the Coryton Interchange. Prominent adjacent uses to the site include Whitchurch Hospital to the south-east, the Hollybush Estate (residential) and Coryton Railway Station terminus to the north-east, Asda supermarket and Coryton House / Tŷ Coryton specialist School and residential home to the north and GE Healthcare (industrial) to the north-west.

3.3 Site Description

Current Land Use 3.3.1 The total land within the planning application site boundary is 14.5 hectares. This comprises 7.8 hectares of undeveloped land that will accommodate the new cancer centre (landscape, open space, parking, Maggie’s Centre, energy centre etc.) and 6.7 hectares of land to deliver the access routes. The main site area is undeveloped land in private ownership that was formerly grazed. The site is no longer grazed by horses, but is crossed by informal and formal footpaths. Part of the application site is covered by an extant planning permission for residential development. The proposed access routes include land in the vicinity of the Asda supermarket, the Hollybush Estate, the local highway network and the former railway cutting that is immediately adjacent to the main site area’s north-east boundary.

Site Boundaries 3.3.2 The main site area boundaries are characterised by vegetation consisting of scrub, mature trees and shrubs. The vegetation is particularly dense along the north-east and south-west boundaries where it continues beyond the site to form woodland. The woodland to the north includes the former railway cutting, while the woodland to the south includes the Glamorganshire Canal. The vegetation along the north-west boundary separates the site from a further field that is also framed by vegetation. The vegetation along the south-east boundary separates the site from the Whitchurch Hospital grounds and is dissected by an adopted highway. This route is demarcated by dilapidated fencing, and is overgrown by the surrounding vegetation.

Access 3.3.3 The site is not currently accessible by vehicle from the local highway network, but is accessible via the footpath network surrounding the site. The site is accessible from the meeting of the north-west and south-west boundaries by a Public Right of Way (PRoW) (reference: Whitchurch 12) which follows approximately half way along the south-west boundary before becoming an informal route. The PRoW is connected to a series of other PRoWs which provide access north to Longwood Drive and south into

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the Long Wood Nature Reserve (reference: Whitchurch 13-16). The site is also accessible from the meeting of the south-west and south-east boundaries by a PRoW (reference: Whitchurch 11). The PRoW does not enter the site, but is connected to the informal route connected to PRoW Whitchurch 12. The PRoW connects to Forest Farm Road located south of the site.

3.3.4 An adopted highway (albeit overgrown) provides access into the site at the meeting of the north-east and south-east boundaries. The route is accessible from Park Road and approaches the site by skirting around the Hollybush Estate and crossing the former railway cutting. The route then follows the entirety of the site’s south-eastern boundary and connects to PRoW Whitchurch 11. A series of informal access routes cross the site from these main access points.

Topography 3.3.5 The highest point of the main site area is the north-west boundary which ranges between 51m AOD and 57m AOD. From the north-west boundary the site slopes down to the south-east boundary where the ground level is between 41m AOD and 43m AOD.

Ecology 3.3.6 Grassland constitutes most of the main site area and it is dominated by Cocksfoot and Yorkshire Fog with Creeping Thistle, Bramble, Creeping Bent, Buttercup, Hogweed, Ragwort, Ribwort Plantain, Sweet Vernal Grass, Crested Dog’s-tail, Red Clover, Black Medick and English Oak. Scrub and woodland characterise the proposed site access routes. The scrub is mostly bracken scrub, while the woodland consists of Cherry Laurel, Horse Chestnut, Sycamore, Hazel, Ash, Holly, Willow and Bramble. The ground flora, and beneath the woodland, is shaded and has limited species diversity. It includes Traveller’s Joy, Nettle and Wood Avens. Himalayan Balsam is located in the north of the site and beyond.

3.3.7 The site contains grassland fields, scrub and woodland areas that are considered suitable to support badger, breeding birds, reptiles, common invertebrates, Dormouse and commuting and foraging bats. There are no ponds located on the site, but the site does contain suitable habitat for foraging and hibernating Great Crested Newts. The site contains limited features to support otter and water vole.

3.3.8 Further details on the site ecology following is provided in the baseline section of the Ecology chapter. The chapter has been informed by targeted species surveys.

3.3.9 The site is the Whitchurch Green Fields Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. The site was designated for its neutral grassland.

Landscape 3.3.10 In local landscape studies and LANDMAP data the site would be part of the Corridor Character Area. However, while the site exhibits some of the key landscape characteristics of this area it does not exhibit all or most, since it is elevated above the river floodplain, lacks inter-visibility with the river, and interfaces with the adjacent high-rise Hollybush residential towers and the Whitchurch Hospital tower. Two local character areas have therefore been identified to define the landscape character of the site. These are the Whitchurch Hospital Remnant Pasture, which applies to the main site area, and the Mature Woodland, which is located north and south of the development’s north-east and south-west boundaries and defines the areas where the access routes are proposed.

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3.3.11 The Whitchurch Hospital Remnant Pasture area is characterised by rough grassland and scrub, enclosed by dense, broadleaved woodland and shrubs. The landform is gently undulating, former pastoral farmland subdivided into a network of fields of varying scales with some overgrown field hedgerows remaining. Landform and vegetation combine to reduce intervisibility between fields and create a sense of enclosure. The site is the largest field and is linear in nature and offers long views into the distance, most notably looking south to the Whitchurch Hospital tower and beyond to Cardiff City Centre. The field adjacent to the site’s north-west boundary is the most characterful and attractive and is managed as part of a larger nature reserve. The tranquillity of the area is compromised by sounds from neighbouring developments, most notably in the northern fields where the sound of vehicles using the M4 is particularly noticeable.

3.3.12 The Mature Woodland area is defined by the extent of steep-sided landform, with a land cover of dense, mature woodland. Land form within the area is either steeply sloping towards the River Taff floodplain or within the former railway cutting. The tranquillity of the area is compromised by traffic noise from the M4 and the adjacent, busy suburb of Whitchurch.

3.3.13 Further details on the landscape character of the site are provided in the Landscape Visual Impact Assessment chapter.

Cultural Heritage 3.3.14 The site is not part of a conservation area, world heritage site, historic battlefield site or archaeological priority area. There are no scheduled monuments, no grade I, grade 1* or grade II buildings and no locally listed buildings on the site. There is low potential to encounter buried remains on the site. The Whitchurch Hospital Park and Garden is located immediately southeast of the site and the Coryton House Historic Park and Garden is located to the north. Further detail on these designations is provided below in the description of the area surrounding the site and in the Cultural Heritage chapter.

3.4 Surrounding Area Description

Local Highway and Transport Network 3.4.1 The site is not currently accessible by vehicle. The closest main roads to the site are Longwood Drive to the north and Pendwyallt Road (A4054) and Park Road (A4054 to the north-east and south-east. Longwood Drive is connected to Pendwyallt Road and Park Road via the Coryton Interchange. The Interchange also provides access to the M4 and A470.

3.4.2 The nearest bus stop to the site is on Pendwyallt Road, approximately 100 metres northeast of the site. Services from the bus stop provide access to the city centre and wider Cardiff area. Further bus stops are located along Pendwyallt Road and Park Road. Coryton Railway Station is located approximately 200 metres east of the site. The station serves Coryton, Whitchurch and Pantmawr. It is the terminus of the and is located 8 kilometres north of Cardiff Central Railway Station via Cardiff Queen Street Railway Station.

Whitchurch Hospital Campus and Historic Park and Garden 3.4.3 The Whitchurch Hospital Campus is located beyond the site’s south-east boundary. Whitchurch Hospital is located in the centre of the campus. It was built in the early 1900s as a psychiatric asylum and became the main centre for mental health services in Cardiff. These services have now been transferred to a new facility in Llandough. The hospital buildings are accessible from Park Road via an access with a formal gatehouse. The northern frontage of the campus comprises an open area of green space laid out for bowls, football, rugby and cricket with associated facilities including a cricket

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pavilion and changing facilities for the bowls club. The hospital campus is located adjacent to the green space. The chapel is contemporary to Whitchurch Hospital and is derelict and in need of repair. A large car park is located to the front of the chapel

3.4.4 The George Thomas Hospice is located within the west of the campus. The hospice provides specialist home-based palliative care for patients and their families. The hospice occupies a modern building located to the west of the hospital campus and is accessed from Park Road via the internal road network. The existing Velindre Cancer Centre is located to the south-east of Whitchurch Hospital and is accessible from Velindre Road. Lletty Newydd Continuing Care Bungalow is also located in this area. A gatehouse is located southwest of Whitchurch Hospital. It is accessible from Velindre Road and disused. The gatehouse is located adjacent to a vacant brownfield site that is in the ownership of Velindre NHS Trust.

3.4.5 The Whitchurch Hospital land is designated as the Whitchurch Hospital Park and Gardens, which is grade II listed on the register of Landscape Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. There are also eight grade II listed buildings on the site.

Residential Development 3.4.6 Clos Coed Hir is located to the east of the application site adjacent to the Whitchurch recreational fields. It is a private residential estate that consists of detached properties (two storey) and a terrace of town housing (three storey). It is accessed from Park Road.

3.4.7 The Hollybush Estate is a residential development located to the north-east of the application site. The residential estate includes four ten-storey tower blocks that are prominent features on the local townscape and landscape, and four other smaller residential blocks (two-four storeys). One of the smaller blocks includes commercial units. Access to the estate is provided from Pendwyallt Road. Coryton Primary School is located north of the estate.

Coryton House Historic Park and Gardens 3.4.8 Coryton House is located north of the site. The House is a large Edwardian town house that was built in 1900 by John Cory, a prominent and wealthy Cardiff ship owner. Extensive gardens surrounded the house and included an orchard, walled garden, glasshouse and pond. Later in the century some of the gardens were cleared for redevelopment while other parts of the grounds were neglected. The house and gardens are grade II listed on the register of Landscape Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

3.4.9 In 2007 the house was converted into a children’s school and as a result the grounds were repaired and conserved. Part of the significance of the house and gardens derives from its survival. Most of the formal and informal gardens remain undeveloped from their original layout as commissioned by Cory. The gardens consist mainly of woodland, made of tall, dense trees and smaller areas of grass lawn. There are two significant views identified within the park, both extending from the house to the woodlands in the south of the garden and beyond its boundaries. The former railway cutting follows its south-west boundary.

Asda supermarket 3.4.10 An Asda retail store is located to the north of the application site. The store is accessible from Longwood Drive and is served by a large car park. An Asda petrol station is located north-west of the main store on the other side of Longwood Drive. A McDonald’s outlet is located in the west of the

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Asda site and is accessible from the same access that serves the superstore. The Village Hotel is located to the east of the Asda site.

Former Railway Cutting 3.4.11 A former railway cutting is located adjacent to the development’s north-east boundary. The wooded sides of the former railway cutting fall within a Local Nature Reserve designation. The cutting is steep and wooded. Public access is available along the floor of the cutting. Access into the cutting is provided from the south via the adopted highway / footpath that connects to Pendwyallt Road or from the north via a steep flight of steps that connect to the masonry bridge near Asda.

GE Healthcare 3.4.12 A GE Healthcare (industrial manufacturing) facility is located north-west of the site. The company provides medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance solutions services. The site consists of a series of operational buildings, parking areas and internal green amenity spaces. A mix of business and light industrial units are located south of GE Healthcare.

Glamorganshire Canal 3.4.13 A section of the Glamorganshire Canal is located south and north-west of the main site area. The Glamorganshire Canal was built between 1790-1794 to connect Merthyr Tydfil and the Rhondda Valley to Cardiff’s dock. The canal was an important feature in the industrial landscape but was closed in 1951 after decades of declining use. Today the canal and the footpaths that interface with it are used by walkers from the local community. The section of canal includes two locks (the Forest Lock and Middle Lock) which both remain working today. To the south the canal is separated from the main site area by a steep wooded slope, while to the north-west it is separated by fields and further areas of woodland. The Melingriffith Water Pump (a scheduled monument is located on this section of the canal), approximately 650 metres south of the site. The main site access is located to the east of the canal, and at its closest point would be approximately 76 metres from the canal.

3.5 Statutory and Local Designations

3.5.1 There are a number of statutory and local designated sites within close proximity to the site. Those closest to the site are identified below.

Glamorgan Canal / Long Wood SSSI 3.5.2 The SSSI is located south-west and north-west of the site and is legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). The SSSI is an artificial wetland ecosystem adjoining a river terrace woodland of considerable antiquity. Beech is a major constituent of the woodland. A range of habitats from open-water, Alder Carr, scrub and deciduous woodland are included within the designation. The Glamorganshire Canal is located within the designation, the eutrophic water from which supports a characteristic flora and fauna that includes a range of macrophytes and a number of macro-invertebrates that are locally important.

Glamorgan Canal LNR 3.5.3 The LNR is managed by Cardiff Council and includes the SSSI and land south-west of the SSSI, the former railway cutting north of the site, and the remaining area of open meadowland to the north-west of the site. The LNR was formed in 1967 but the designating features for the site are unknown. Friends of Forest Farm, which was formed in 1990, actively contribute to the protection of the LNR and promote the study of the flora and fauna located within it.

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Whitchurch Green Fields SINC 3.5.4 The site is designated as the Whitchurch Green Fields Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. It was designated for its neutral grassland.

Coryton Heronry Wood Site of Importance for Nature Conservation 3.5.5 The Coryton Heronry Wood Site of Importance for Nature Conservation is located some 100 metres north of the main site area, but adjacent to a section of the proposed northern access. The site is designated for birds and includes a mixed woodland containing conifers and ornamental trees.

Whitchurch Hospital Park and Garden 3.5.6 The Whitchurch Hospital Park and Garden is located to the southeast of the development site. It is grade II listed on the Register of Landscape Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. The historic park and garden includes the core of the Whitchurch Hospital Grounds and includes eight grade II listed buildings. The closest listed building to the site is the Grade II listed Whitchurch Hospital Chapel (180m from the site).

Coryton House Historic Park and Gardens 3.5.7 Coryton House Historic Park and Gardens is located north of the site. It is grade II listed in the Register of Landscape Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. Parts of the gardens are designated as the Coryton Heronry Wood SINC.

3.6 Relevant Planning History

3.6.1 The relevant planning history for the site is set out in detail in the Planning Statement, which accompanies the planning application. An overview of the key permissions is also provided here for convenience. There are the recent unimplemented permissions of relevance:

Table 3.1: Planning history Proposed Location Summary Development

Residential and mixed Application site, Original permission (LPA reference: use redevelopment Whitchurch Hospital area, 95/1195N) and was granted 30/07/01. including leisure, and adjacent sites Renewed further five years for submission employment, of reserved matters to 30/07/11 (LPA community, retail, and reference: 05/02689/W) approved 27/05/10. playing fields Renewed further three years for submission of reserved matters to 09/01/17 (LPA reference: 10/02301/DCO) approved 09/01/14. Application not yet determined for a further six years for submission of reserved matters (LPA reference: 16/01530/MJR) submitted 23/06/16 and approved subject to legal agreement.

Erection of drive-through Adjacent to Asda Fililng Planning permission granted 25/11/16 (LPA coffee shop with Station off Longwood Drive reference: 16/02186/MNR) associated parking and landscaping

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3.7 Cumulative Development

3.7.1 The cumulative assessment of impacts is set out in Chapter 12 and each subject chapter also considers the cumulative impact appropriately in relation to that subject area. The development assessed in the cumulative impact sections of each chapter is the extant outline planning permission for the redevelopment of Whitchurch Hospital (LPA reference: 95/115N), although noting the limited weight that can be given this permission.

3.7.2 The Whitchurch Green Masterplan that has been prepared by Velindre NHS Trust (VNHST) is also considered in the cumulative assessment. The proposals in the masterplan are not permitted development and have no land use planning status. Cardiff City Council and the Design Commission for Wales requested it, however,, since the delivery of the new Velindre Cancer Centre would alter the overall development that could be delivered on the Whitchurch Hospital site and adjoining land (as set out above). The masterplan was thus prepared to illustrate the type and form of development that could be progressed by the landowner (Cardiff and Vale University Health Board) subject to the grant of planning permission. Given that the development included in this masterplan is not permitted and has no land use status, it is uncertain whether it would be delivered within five years. It is considered that limited weight should therefore be afforded to the cumulative impacts identified in the assessments.

3.7.3 Finally, the cumulative assessment includes the proposed Starbucks Drive Through on land adjacent to the Asda petrol filling station. Planning permission was granted in November 2016 (16/02976/MNR).

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