County Durham Plan Examination Matter 8 (f) - Hearing Statement Housing Allocations R. Stevenson & Sons (ID: 1014520) Friday, October 18, 2019 © 2019 Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Ltd, trading as Lichfields. All Rights Reserved. Registered in England, no. 2778116. 14 Regent’s Wharf, All Saints Street, London N1 9RL Formatted for double sided printing. Plans based upon Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright reserved. Licence number AL50684A 22757/02/NW/LN 17914396v1 County Durham Plan Examination : Matter 8 (f) - Hearing Statement Contents 1.0 Introduction 1 2.0 Land at Cook Avenue, Bearpark 2 3.0 The Industrial Estate 3 4.0 Accordance with the Plan’s Vision, Objectives and Overall Spatial Strategy 4 Vision 4 Objectives 4 Spatial Strategy 6 5.0 Availability 7 6.0 Viability and Market Interest 8 County Durham Plan Examination : Matter 8 (f) - Hearing Statement Appendices Appendix 1 Accessibility Credentials Appendix 2 Photos of the Industrial Units Appendix 3 Letter from JW Wood Appendix 4 Letter from H&H Appendix 5 Email from Taylor Wimpey County Durham Plan Examination : Matter 8 (f) - Hearing Statement 1.0 Introduction Are the housing allocations proposed in policy 4 (Table 7) and shown on the policies map justified? In particular, are they in suitable locations in the context of the Plan’s vision, objectives and overall spatial strategy, and is there a reasonable prospect that they will be available and could be viably developed at the point envisaged? Are the site specific requirements set out in Table 7 justified? 1.1 Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to submit a Hearing Statement in relation to Matter 8 ‘Housing Allocations’ on behalf of our client, R Stevenson & Sons, regarding their land holdings at Cook Avenue, Bearpark, which has a draft allocation for 200 dwellings (Ref: H7). 1.2 The Cook Avenue site is a most suitable and sustainable location for a residential development. It is developable, deliverable, available and viable. However, we consider that the Plan is unsound and does not provide the most appropriate strategy because the draft allocation does not include the neighbouring unsightly industrial site. 1.3 Figure 1.1 shows the site, including the industrial site. Figure 1.1 Cook Avenue Site, Bearpark (Including Industrial Units) Pg 1 County Durham Plan Examination : Matter 8 (f) - Hearing Statement 2.0 Land at Cook Avenue, Bearpark 2.1 A residential development on this site would provide a logical infill / extension which would round-off Bearpark. The site is extremely well related to the urban environment and does not encroach into the countryside, with the site being bound as follows: • To the south and west by the settlement of Bearpark; • To the east by a school playing field, with Bearpark Primary School lying to the north east; • Along the eastern half of the northern boundary by some aging and unsightly industrial units and a dwelling (which was a former chapel); and • Along the western half of the northern boundary by the draft housing allocation Cook Avenue North (Ref: H8). This land was a former yard associated with a former council depo. 2.2 The site has no physical, environmental or technical constraints which would prevent it from coming forward for a residential development. This was demonstrated through a recent planning application submitted by Taylor Wimpey for 170 dwellings (LPA reference DM/18/00129/FPA). The application boundary included the neighbouring industrial units and the residential development extended across this area. Following the withdrawal of this application in May 2019, several developers have submitted offers to purchase the site. This is discussed in Section 7. 2.3 The site lies within a sustainable location with good access to jobs, key services and infrastructure both within Bearpark, as well as within Durham City, as demonstrated in Appendix 1. 2.4 Importantly, Bearpark is one of the closest settlements to Durham City, being approximately 3 miles away. Given this close proximity, new development will support the City's role as sub- regional centre which will assist in driving forward its economic growth. Pg 2 County Durham Plan Examination : Matter 8 (f) - Hearing Statement 3.0 The Industrial Estate 3.1 The industrial site contains eleven small warehouse units and two offices which were built as the Council’s Contract Services Depot. in the 1960s. These units are ageing, deteriorating, are not insulated and have outdated electrics. Photos of the site are provided in Appendix 2. 3.2 Our client, consisting of two brothers who are both well into their 70s, has owned the industrial site for over 20 years (since 1997). Given their age, they are now in the process of retiring. They have found the units have become increasingly difficult to let, as they do not meet modern requirements. Over the last few years the majority of the units have become vacant or have been used for storage. Please see the attached letter from JW Wood Commercial from 2014 at Appendix 3. 3.3 Four business remain at the site, of these three businesses are in the process of relocating to alternative premises, whilst the lease for the final business terminates in March 2020. The remaining six warehouse units and two offices are vacant. As such the industrial site is available almost immediately. 3.4 The Council does not consider that there is a need for this industrial site. The Council’s ‘Employment Land Review Update Final Report’ (ELR) (June 2018) recognises that the units are of a poor quality, with much of the site being vacant. Relevant extracts from the ELR are now provided: “The existing developed area has a number of units that appear vacant. Overall the site was assessed by Council officers as being of poor quality”. (para 7.44) “The site is used by a limited number of small local firms. Over half the units appeared vacant or underused on visiting the site”. (p176) “Majority of the site vacant with limited jobs evident.” (p438) 3.5 A previous version of the Council’s ELR (dated June 2012) also advised that the units were of a poor quality. 3.6 The industrial units appear unsightly and are an incongruous use in the context of the local environment, lying between two proposed housing allocations (Cook Avenue and Cook Avenue North) and adjacent to Bearpark Primary School. Our client therefore respectfully requests that the industrial site is included within the proposed ‘Cook Avenue’ housing allocation for 200 dwellings. 3.7 The removal of the industrial units and their redevelopment for housing, alongside housing on the neighbouring land, would create a higher quality environment and a new finished edge to Bearpark. The redevelopment of this land would also make an efficient use of this part vacant site, in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (February 2019, amended June 2019) (NPPF) (paragraph 122), whilst the overall approach of re-using this site accords with the NPPF’s aim of encouraging the reuse of previously developed sites (paragraphs 84 and 117). Pg 3 County Durham Plan Examination : Matter 8 (f) - Hearing Statement 4.0 Accordance with the Plan’s Vision, Objectives and Overall Spatial Strategy Vision 4.1 A residential development at Cook Avenue in Bearpark, including the obsolete industrial site, fully accords with the Plan’s Vision through: • Delivering regeneration and environmental improvements through replacing obsolete industrial units with high quality new homes; • Assisting in driving forward the County’s economic growth through delivering new jobs during the construction phase, whilst also providing new homes for employees within 3 miles of Durham City where a wide range of employment opportunities are found. This will help support Durham as a sub-regional centre; • Securing a Targeted Recruitment and Training Plan, which would include new employment, work experience and training opportunities for local people which will help get people into work and reduce joblessness, as well as levels of deprivation; • Delivering new population and investment which will help secure the continued regeneration of Bearpark and will support its local shops, services and facilities, increasing their vibrancy and vitality; • Providing affordable homes, which will create a mixed tenure and inclusive development, helping reduce social exclusion; • Providing new homes in a location that has good access to public transport, as demonstrated in Appendix 1; and • Delivering new homes that are highly accessible to green infrastructure. Any development proposals on the site will include new green infrastructure, whilst the site has good access to a range of footpaths and cycle routes which run through the countryside and include walks along the River Browney. The site also lies next to the Bearpark Recreation Ground which includes sports pitches, a pavilion and a multi-use games area. Objectives 4.2 The Cook Avenue housing allocation fully accords with the CDP’s objectives as demonstrated in Table 4.1. Table 4.1 Compliance of the Cook Avenue Site Against the CDP Objectives Objective Matter Compliance 1 Economic Ambition • New construction phase jobs (on-site and in supply chain) • New population to support job growth in City Centre and at Aykley Heads (which lie within cycling distance) • Increased demand for local goods and services from additional population • Targeted Training and Recruitment Plan to help upskill the population and get people into work 2 Sustainable Communities • Wide range of amenities