Site Assessment Evidence Report Final Report - November 2017 1 OS Map – Copyright Note The maps in this document are reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. 100023279. 2017. 2 Contents Table of Contents Final Report - November 2017 ................................................................................................ 1 Contents ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 5 2. Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 6 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 6 General approach .................................................................................................................................... 7 Assumptions ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Site Assessment Criteria .................................................................................................................. 9 Scoring Matrices ................................................................................................................................. 9 Assessment criteria ............................................................................................................................. 11 Major Criteria.................................................................................................................................... 11 Assessment criteria 1: Compliance with National and Local Policy ............................ 11 Criterion 1a - Settlement type ............................................................................................... 11 Criterion 1b - Site availability ................................................................................................ 11 Criterion 1c - Minerals and Waste: professional assessment ................................... 12 Assessment Criteria 2: Flood Risk ............................................................................................ 12 Criterion 2a – Flood Zone ........................................................................................................ 12 Criterion 2b – Surface water flood risk .............................................................................. 13 Assessment Criteria 3: Proximity to hazardous pipelines and gas compressor stations ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Assessment criterion 4: Impact on International and National Wildlife Sites ........ 13 Impact on designated sites: professional advice ............................................................ 14 Minor criteria .................................................................................................................................... 15 Site suitability – Assessment Criteria 5 .................................................................................. 15 Assessment criteria 5a – Contaminated land .................................................................. 15 Assessment criterion 5b – Local road impact ................................................................. 15 Access to services – Assessment criteria 6 (a – h) ............................................................. 16 Impact on the environment – Assessment criteria 7 ........................................................ 17 Assessment criterion 7a – Proximity to County Wildlife Sites ................................. 17 Assessment criterion 7c – Groundwater protection zones and aquifers ............. 18 3 Assessment criterion 7d – Agricultural land classification ........................................ 18 Assessment criterion 7e – Public Rights of Way ............................................................ 18 Assessment criteria 7f(i) to (iv) – Historic environment ........................................... 19 Assessment criterion 7g – Heritage / archaeology: Professional advice.............. 19 Assessment criterion 7h – Landscape impacts ............................................................... 19 Additional criterion 7i – Proximity to TPOs ..................................................................... 20 3. Other Considerations ............................................................................................................ 21 Spatial Distribution ............................................................................................................................. 21 Parish Council Comments (Form E & Form G exercise) ....................................................... 23 Public Consultation – Further Draft Local Plan ........................................................................ 23 Site visits ................................................................................................................................................. 24 Site allocations ...................................................................................................................................... 24 4. Results of Site Assessment .................................................................................................. 25 Relationship between Site Submissions and Site Allocations ....................................... 25 Report Format ....................................................................................................................................... 37 Report Header .................................................................................................................................. 37 Summary of Findings and Recommendations ..................................................................... 37 Site information ............................................................................................................................... 37 Major Criteria & Minor Criteria ................................................................................................. 39 Parish Council Support and Rank ............................................................................................. 39 FDLP Consultation (Jan-Feb ’17) – Summary of comments received ......................... 39 5. Site Record Reports ................................................................................................................ 40 4 1. Introduction 1.1. To meet East Cambridgeshire’s development needs, the Local Plan identifies sites that are suitable and available to accommodate new development. Sites proposed for development in the Local Plan are referred to as “site allocations”. 1.2. Sites submitted during two rounds of Local Plan consultation, along with other suitable and available sites known to the Council, provided a ‘pool’ of potential sites from which the Council could select site allocations for inclusion in the Local Plan. Section 2 provides a summary of the methodology used in assessing sites. Section 3 discusses the role of other relevant considerations in assessing sites, such as the overall spatial distribution of growth. 1.3. The primary purpose of this report is to outline the Council’s assessment of sites, and present the reasons for each site’s selection or rejection from the Local Plan process. Section 4 is organised alphabetically by parish and presents site assessment findings for each site considered. Each site assessment report includes a map to identify the site’s location, and scoring against the assessment criteria. 5 2. Methodology Background ‘Pool’ of sites 2.1. In February and March 2016, the Council published the Preliminary Draft Local Plan (PDLP) for consultation. As part of this public consultation, individuals and organisation were invited to suggest sites for potential inclusion in the Local Plan. 2.2. To ensure the process of submitting sites was straight-forward, respondents were encouraged to complete a short form, titled Form B: Site Suggestion Form. The Call for Sites exercise generated a good deal of interest. Principally, responses were received from local landowners, agents, developers and house- builders, and also parish councils. 2.3. During consultation on the Further Draft Local Plan (Jan – Feb 2017), the Council invited further site submissions (referred to as Additional Site Suggestions). 2.4. In addition to sites received during the consultation exercise, the Strategic Planning Team also considered the following sites: Existing Local Plan 2015 site allocations which are undeveloped and do not have planning permission; Sites with extant planning permission, or resolution to grant planning permission, for 10 or more dwellings; and Existing business parks / areas of employment not currently allocated by the Local Plan 2015. 2.5. There was a general presumption that existing Local Plan 2015 site allocations would be carried forward as they have previously been tested through the planning process and demonstrated to be suitable.