Design & Access Statement On behalf of: Punch Taverns In respect of: The erection of 9 no. of dwellings with access, parking and associated works on land to the rear of The Festival Inn, Ilkeston Road, Trowell, Nottinghamshire NG9 3PX Date: March 2009 Reference: CC/07/0460/5 [email protected] Festival Inn Trowell – Design & Access Statement 1. Introduction 1.1. This document has been prepared on behalf of Punch Taverns in relation to their full planning application for the erection of 9 no. of dwellings on land to the rear of The Festival Inn, Ilkeston Road, Trowell, Nottinghamshire. 1.2. This statement includes a description of the development site and planning history, an evaluation of the context of the site, an appraisal of all relevant planning policies, followed by a Design and Access Statement to justify the design rationale behind the proposed development. The statement is concluded with a summary of the main planning considerations relevant to this case. 1.3. This statement should be read in conjunction with the proposal drawings: 5034/00 – Site location plan 5034/05 – Plots 1 -7 proposed plans 5034/06 revision A – Plots 1 -7 proposed elevations 5034/07 – Plots 8 & 9 proposed plans and elevations 5034/08 revision B – Proposed site layout 5034/09 revision B – Block plan STP/17070281/201 – Topo survey J/D0035/TT/SK01 – Swept path analysis 2. The Development Site 2.1. The Festival Inn is a substantial 2 storey public house fronting on Ilkeston Road (A609) at its junction with Nottingham Road and Stapleford Road (A6007) in the village of Trowell in Broxtowe Borough in western Nottinghamshire close to the River Erewash forming the Derbyshire boarder. The pub is named in recognition of Trowell being selected as the “Festival Village” for the 1951 Festival of Britain as a “typical example of British rural life”. 2 Festival Inn Trowell – Design & Access Statement 2.2. The pub sits within a 0.85 hectare site and is surrounded by extensive hardstanding with car parking for around 212 cars including 3 disabled spaces, however 91 of those spaces are disused and closed off in the northern section of the car park. The car park is accessed by a single point onto St Helen’s Crescent, there is a second disused access further along the St Helen’s Crescent frontage where a conifer hedge forms the boundary. Left – The Festival Inn Trowell Ilkeston Road frontage main entrance Right – Disused car park 2.3. The pub site is set on gently sloping ground rising to the north east away from the River Erewash which lies to the west of the village. Left – St Helen’s Crescent frontage Right – Disused car park looking towards north west boundary 2.4. The development site comprises the disused car park and the northern section of the existing car park, measuring around 0.3 hectares. The site is surrounded by existing development with Nos. 29 to 32 St Helen’s Crescent backing onto the disused car park on the north west side separated by a 1.8m high wooden close boarded fence and low brick wall around the back of 3 Festival Inn Trowell – Design & Access Statement No.32. To the north east beyond a 1.6m high wire mesh fence is an area of open land associated with St Helen’s Church Hall which is to the east of the site. The south eastern boundary is formed by a 1.8m high wooden close boarded fence with Nos. 7, 9 (Walkers of Trowell), 15 and 19 Nottingham Road beyond. 2.5. There is no relevant recent planning history at the development site. 3. Site Context 3.1. Trowell is a large village with a predominately suburban character and a mixture of building styles. The development site is located behind the historic village core spread along Nottingham Road on the south eastern side. These cottages are set within an informal layout to the road with a variation of building set back and orientation resulting in an organic development form, with small scale simple cottage proportions constructed of traditional materials not exceeding 2 storeys high, including two 20th century infill bungalows. Above – Cottages on northern side of Nottingham Road 3.2. Elsewhere on St Helen’s Crescent, the south east side of Nottingham Road, Ilkeston Road and Hill Rise are 20th century suburban developments of 2 storey high detached and semi-detached properties set within larger plots within in-curtilage parking and garaging. These properties date from the 1930s where bay windows dominate the frontages under hipped roofs 4 Festival Inn Trowell – Design & Access Statement Top – Semi-detached and detached properties on St Helen’s Crescent and Ilkeston Road Below – Detached properties on Hill Rise 3.3. The use of a red facing brick and white painted render to the elevations, under a plain tile or pantile roof is a consistent feature of all properties. 4. Planning Policy Context 4.1. The development plan for the area includes the East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy published March 2009 and saved policies from the Broxtowe Borough Local Plan adopted September 2004. The principal Local Plan Policy is H7 providing criteria to assess new windfall housing developments. H7 - Residential development on sites within existing built-up areas will be permitted provided that the following criteria are all satisfied: (a) Occupiers of the new dwelling(s) would have a satisfactory degree of privacy and amenity; 5 Festival Inn Trowell – Design & Access Statement (b) The development, by itself or by the precedent it would set, would not result in an undesirable change in the character or appearance of the area; (c) The development would not be piecemeal in character and likely to prejudice the potential for the satisfactory development of a larger area; (d) Satisfactory arrangements can be made for access and parking; (e) The development would not have an unacceptable effect on the privacy and amenity of the occupiers of nearby properties; (f) The site is not of significant value to nature conservation or local visual amenity; and (g) The site is not identified or required to be retained for another purpose within the local plan. 4.2. The advice contained within Planning Policy Statement 1 – Delivering Sustainable Development, Planning Policy Statement 3 - Housing, and Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 – Transport are also relevant to the proposal. 4.3. Relevant Supplementary Planning Guidance / Documents 4.3.1. County Parking Standards 4.3.2. Sustainable Developer Guidance for Nottinghamshire 4.3.3. Driveways and hard standing guidance note 4.3.4. Residential development on small infill sites guidance note 4.4. The Trowell Parish Design Statement was published by the Parish Council in 2006 and sets out the design principles for new development. 5. Design and Access Statement 5.1. The following sections seek to explain how the proposed development addresses the site context, planning policies and local characteristics in respect of its use, amount, layout, scale, landscaping, appearance and access. 6 Festival Inn Trowell – Design & Access Statement Use (Principle of development) 5.2. The development site comprises the curtilage of The Festival Inn and constitutes previously developed land in accordance with the PPS 3 definition. 5.3. Trowell village has been excluded from the Green Belt and as a sustainable built-up area both Local Plan and RSS polices strongly support further ‘windfall’ housing development through the reuse of suitable previously developed land and buildings in the built-up area, subject to detailed planning considerations of Local Plan Policies E1 and H7. 5.4. The car park is disused and overlarge (see Access), this vacant previously developed land is a resource which can be more effectively used for new housing, to contribute towards the Borough meeting is strategic housing requirement for 340 new dwellings per annum (East Midlands RSS 2009 – Policy 13a). PPS 1 and 3 strongly encourages the reuse of vacant and underused land in a sustainable location for new housing, thereby making use of existing services and infrastructure through developing on brownfield land. 5.5. The site lies within a predominately residential area and the proposed housing development will be compatible with neighbouring uses. The land has lain disused for several years and as it is poorly related to the pub and not overlooked from neighbouring properties has been a problem area with reports of anti-social behaviour and vandalism in the open car park where youths congregate. Amount of Development 5.6. Local Plan Policy H6 requires new developments to make an efficient reuse of land in accordance with PPS 3. The net developable area extends to 0.3 hectare and based on the proposed development for 9 dwellings this equates to 30 dwellings to the hectare. Having reviewed several layout concepts for the site we believe the scheme for 9 units makes the most efficient use of land without compromising the quality of the environment due to: 5.6.1. The backland location of the site surrounded by residential properties so suitable separation distances need to be provided to protect neighbouring amenities, 7 Festival Inn Trowell – Design & Access Statement 5.6.2. A large section of the 0.3 area is taken by the access road leading to the site from St Helen’s Crescent that effectively reduces the developable area, and 5.6.3. The units are all proposed to be 3 bedroom family housing which reflects the local suburban character, size of houses and gardens. Layout, Scale, Appearance & Landscaping 5.7. The houses are arranged to front onto the access road leading into the site providing a focus and street scene in a traditional arrangement reflecting the suburban pattern of housing in the locality.