Chartered Surveyors Your Ref 46040/JC 6 Grosvenor Street London Rebecca Lord Our ref W1K 4DJ Environmental and Leisure Department Tel 020 7896 8000 Fax 020 7896 8001 Bracknell Forest Borough Council www.driversjonas.com Time Square Market Street Bracknell RG12 1JD 20 January 2006 Dear Rebecca Bracknell Town Centre Outline Planning Application Application Reference: 04/01129/OUT Development Plan Policies PE1i and PE1ii On behalf of our client, Bracknell Regeneration Limited Partnership (BRP), please find enclosed a copy of a report prepared in accordance with David Elvin QC's advice to Bracknell Forest Borough Council in relation to the anticipated use of its CPO powers under Section 226 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). The information set out in the report is provided to the Council in order to assist its assessment of the town centre redevelopment proposals against Proposals PE1i and PE1ii of the BFBC Local Plan. It does not form part of BRP's outline planning application (OPA) documentation. It has been prepared for the separate purpose of informing any future exercise by the Council of its CPO powers. If you have any questions please contact Julia Chowings (020 7896 8098) or Katie Fawn (0207 896 8115) at Drivers Jonas. Yours sincerely DRIVERS JONAS [email protected] Tel: 020 7896 8098 Fax: 020 7896 7911 C H Armon-Jones FRICS C R Davies MRICS M J Cuthbert MRICS D Green MCIOB P C Parnell MRICS O E L Saunders MRICS M Underwood MRTPI R D Jones FRICS N T Grice MRICS M W Elliott MRICS L Oliva MRICS S N Peers MRICS J C Pearson M Lodge FRICS J R Walley FRICS J S Milward MRICS MRTPI R W Smith G C Stock MRTPI G P Copeland ACA Partnership Secretary: J J Maguire FRICS R G Pike MRICS M J Young FRICS A J Bell MRICS J B Buchanan FRICS P J Gidman MRICS G A Thalassinos FCIS E J de Burgh Sidley FRICS R A Owen MRICS P D R Bickerstaff FRICS S R Fawcett MRICS I W T Lochhead FRICS P M McArthur MRICS M A Jones FRICS J D Adams MRICS E M Bray MRICS S R Burt MRICS M G Francké MRTPI I K Southall FRICS Consultants: R Joyce FRICS MRTPI M E Hull MRICS A G Russell MRICS B J Fallows MRICS D J Murdoch FRICS B D Thompson MRICS J F D Williams FRTPI FRICS A R Lomax MRICS T W Martin CEng MICE N S Taylor MRICS MRTPI A J P Bamford MRICS C R Baldwin MRICS M S West CEng P G Lewis FRICS G M Fryer MRICS C R Pane MRICS J R W Bulley MRICS J M Bodley MRICS A M Fuller MRICS P J Pickavance MRICS W A Black FICE H S Richards FRICS A S Ramsay MRICS G Cardin MRTPI A C J Harman MRICS E-J Glenn MRTPI B J Crichton MRICS C Bushell MCIOB N J Shepherd FRICS R G Petty MRICS R A Colley MRICS D R Mayes MRICS M P McChesney MRICS J C G Evans MRICS M E D de Styrcea FRICS S C Lynch MRICS G M Aucock MRICS A B Mace MRICS B G Thomson MRICS P M Morris S Hing MRICS R G De Barr FRICS G M Bunting MRTPI R P Wilkinson MRICS A R Lander MRICS J F Pargeter MIStructE A Kubski MRICS London h Paris h Frankfurt h Birmingham h Manchester h Glasgow h Edinburgh 1 January 2006 FINAL REPORT BRACKNELL REGENERATION LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION BRACKNELL TOWN CENTRE REGENERATION APPLICATION REF: RG1204/00129/OUT REPORT ON THE DELIVERY OF COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS PE1i AND Pe1ii JANUARY 2006 10/2618493_1 1 January 2006 FINAL REPORT OVERVIEW By way of background, Bracknell Regeneration Limited Partnership (BRP) submitted an application for outline planning permission (the OPA) to regenerate Bracknell Town Centre through a mixed use redevelopment scheme in November 2004. The OPA was prepared in partnership with Bracknell Forest Borough Council (BFBC) as a significant landowner in the town centre. This report sets out a clear statement in relation to following matters: • That the most significant phase of development to be delivered pursuant to the outline planning permission, “BRP Development A”, will deliver the principal infrastructure, public realm and other improvements thereby securing the framework for the comprehensive development of Bracknell Town Centre in accordance with Proposals PE1i and PE1ii detailed in the Council’s Adopted Local Plan 2002; and • "BRP Development A" will not inhibit the development of the individual other elements situated within Proposal areas PE1(i) and PE1(ii) delineated by the adopted Local Plan by leaving expensive infrastructure to be provided which makes those developments unviable. These matters are material to the determination of the planning application by BFBC in accordance with the requirements of Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. In order to demonstrate these matters, this report is arranged in the following sections: (1) Background – the need for regeneration of the town centre (Appendix 1); (2) A description of "BRP Development A" phase of the regeneration of the town centre, its relationship to the outline planning permission, and the public interest in securing the implementation of the scheme (Appendix 2); (3) An explanation of the compliance of the scheme with the development plan and other relevant policies (Appendix 3); (4) An explanation of how the delivery of "BRP Development A" will relate to the delivery of other elements permitted by the outline planning permission (Appendix 4); (5) An explanation of the mechanism to secure delivery not only of the development of new properties but the infrastructure, public realm and other elements of the outline masterplan permission which have to be provided by BRP Development A to ensure that the remaining elements of the scheme to be built either by BRP or other landowners are able to come forward without having to fund main infrastructure elements (Appendix 5); (6) An explanation of how "BRP Development A" will – (a) Have a positive effect on the rest of the town centre and provide encouragement for other developments under the outline permission. This is demonstrated by drawing on the experience of other recent town centre regeneration schemes elsewhere in the UK (Appendix 6); (7) Evidence to demonstrate that "BRP Development A" will not create difficulties or additional financial burdens for individual site owners seeking to bring forward later elements of the overall scheme. Such additional elements would be part of the comprehensive solution for the town centre able to meet the requirements of development plan policy (Appendix 7). 10/2618493_1 2 January 2006 FINAL REPORT APPENDIX 1 Background – The Need for Regeneration of the Town Centre It is well recognised by both planning policy, and planning decisions in relation to previously proposed schemes for the redevelopment of Bracknell Town Centre, that there is a clear need for the regeneration of the town centre. A summary of the relevant references documenting this recognition is set out in the Table below: Relevant Document Reference to Need for Regeneration Bracknell Forest Borough Para 3.12 BFBC aims to enhance the viability and vitality of Bracknell Town Centre by promoting the town centre as Council Local Plan the most appropriate location for major retail development (January 2002) Bracknell is identified as a failing town centre, with its Para 3.26 status as a shopping centre steadily declining over recent year. Parts of the built environment have become unattractive which has highlighted the fact that there is an urgent need for regeneration. For example, the town centre has a limited range of land uses, a poorly developed evening economy, and although being accessible has some pedestrian routes and open spaces which are unappealing. To secure sustainable development, create an evening Para 3.34 economy and enhance town centre vitality and viability there needs to be an encouragement of mixed use development, the provision of new housing development and the retention (and expansion) of key town centre uses in Bracknell Town Centre. Para 9.7 The redevelopment of land in the northern sector of Bracknell Town Centre, which is allocated for comprehensive mixed-use development, offers the single largest key element to bring about the rejuvenation and regeneration of Bracknell Town Centre sought by Policy E1 of the local plan. The Borough Council seeks mixed use development, that may include redevelopment, refurbishment and townscape enhancements, which will strengthen and improve the retail area, add to town centre diversity, improve environmental quality and strengthen the vitality and viability of the town centre. Para 9.16 The redevelopment of land at the south of Bracknell Town Centre is allocated for a comprehensive mixed use development which shall include a public transport 10/2618493_1 3 January 2006 FINAL REPORT Relevant Document Reference to Need for Regeneration interchange and make provision for public open space. This will contribute to the environmental enhancement of this area, an improved approach to the Town Centre from the south and the rejuvenation and regeneration of Bracknell Town Centre sought by Policy E1 of the local plan. Berkshire Structure Plan Para 3.13 The Structure Plan states that by 2016 Bracknell will be a culturally self-confident centre, hosting a wide range of (September 2005) shopping and leisure facilities. It will be home to a number of major national and international companies and will be a place where new businesses can easily grow and be located. Accessibility will be increased by connections to Heathrow as well as improved links to London and other areas. The town centre will be rebuilt which is easily reached by public transport and enabling a good standard of short-term access by car.