Land South of the B7062, Cardrona Representation to the Scottish Borders Local Development Plan 2 Main Issues Report Renwick Country Properties January 2019 2 Contents 1. Introduction 2. Cardrona Context 3. Housing Opportunity 4. Effective Land Supply Criteria 5. Conceptual Masterplan 6. Summary and Conclusions Author: Checked By: Date: TF TJ 30/1/19 Ferguson Planning 3 Introduction 1 Overview Scope and Structure 1.5 This statement reviews the current planning 1.1 We write on behalf of Renwick Country policy context and summarises the design Properties in response to the request for process which has led to the preparation of comments on the Scottish Borders a conceptual masterplan for the site. The Local Development Plan 2 Main Issues remainder of this report is broken down into Report (MIR). the following sections: • Section 2 - Cardrona Context: Provides 1.2 This site representation relates (in part) to background information to Cardrona and the site ACARD001 which, thus far, has been context of the proposed site. excluded from the Main Issues Report. • Section 3 - Housing Opportunity: Considers current proposals for housing land provision 1.3 The site was put forward as a potential set out within the MIR and discusses the housing site at the “Call for Sites” stage. This opportunity for the provision of housing on submission will make reference to the the subject site. Planning Department’s (PD) high level • Section 4 – Effective Land Supply Criteria: the assessment and address why the site is following section outlines the Scottish indeed worthy of allocation (in addition Government’s tests of site effectiveness and and/or instead of some proposed how the proposed Cardrona site meets those sites contained within the MIR). Evidence tests. provided will show the site’s acceptability • Section 5 - Conceptual Masterplan: and its assistance in meeting the housing Outlines some of the key built form, shortfall/need in Tweeddale. landscape and movement principles. Indicative plans are provided to help illustrate how 1.4 This submission is further supported by: housing numbers, roads, footpaths and • Landscape, Visual and Capacity Appraisal landscape could be accommodated. • Illustrative Masterplan • Section 6 - Summary and Conclusions: Sets out a review and reflection of the design development process and provides a link through to the next development stage process. Ferguson Planning 5 6 Cardrona Context 2 Cardrona 2.1 Cardrona is located approximately 3 miles 2.6 Cardrona is also a relatively small settlement 2.8 Cardrona is situated within an area of east of Peebles and 3 miles west of with a total population of 880 recorded In the sensitive landscape that requires Innerleithen, two key settlements within the 2011 census. As Cardrona has seen limited consideration. This includes the River Tweed Western Borders Strategic Growth Areas as expansion since its development in the late as a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) identified within SESPlan (Refer to Figure 1). 1990s it has experienced limited population and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) as growth. There is an opportunity for well as the wider landscape comprising the 2.2 The village is accessed via the A72 to the Cardrona to expand in a respectable and Tweed Valley and associated open north, or the B7062 to the south, both sustainable manner to the existing countryside. These matters are reviewed in offering good accessibility to Cardrona via settlement. detail by the Landscape, Visual and Capacity both the private car and public transport. Appraisal produced by Here + Now. 2.7 The village also boasts tourist facilities 2.3 Cardrona is approximately 15 miles or a 30 including the MacDonald Hotel and golf minute drive to Galashiels Train Interchange course bolstering local employment and which provides services to Edinburgh and facilities. The community is further serviced beyond. Travel time directly by car is by a local café. approximately 40 minutes to the Edinburgh Bypass and a further 20 minutes into the city centre. 2.4 Cardrona is situated in a sustainable location as it is regularly serviced by the local public transport network. The village is serviced by four bus routes, the 62B, 363, P32 and X62 providing regular services every 30 minutes to Melrose, Innerleithen, Peebles, Edinburgh and Galashiels. 2.5 As a relatively new settlement Cardrona has the capacity to allow for further housing growth in the Western Borders and to take pressure off constrained settlements such as Peebles. Figure 1. Site location in the Western Borders Strategic Growth Area. Source: Here + Now | urban design futures. Ferguson Planning 7 Historic Development 2.9 Cardrona is unique in the Scottish Borders as 2.11 Historically the only existence of Cardrona 2007 there are no other new settlements of its on maps included Cardrona Mains and kind. It was created through an award Cardrona Hill as shown on Figures 2 and 3. winning rural village design concept by leading Architects. 2.12 After development of Cardrona began in 1999, there has been minimal expansion to 2.10 Cardrona is the first settlement to be the settlement as its townscape has created in the Borders for over 200 years and stayed relatively similar to the aerial Google was initially a major intervention in the Earth image from 2007 (shown in figure 4). landscape. The village was developed as part Cardrona has not experienced significant of a tourism project comprising a hotel, golf expansion like other Borders settlements. Its course and village. An historic hamlet was development to the north and east is located at Cardrona Mains, where there is constrained by the Tweed River and the a cluster of C-listed buildings and which are south is constrained by the golf course. There now fully integrated within Cardrona village is therefore minimal opportunity available for and softened with boundary treatment and expansion to the settlement beyond that Figure 4 Aerial image Cardrona 2007. Source: Google Earth Pro open space. proposed on the subject site. 1883 1906 Figure 2 Historical map of Cardrona. Source: National Library Scotland Figure 3 Historical map of Cardrona. Source: National Library Scotland Ferguson Planning 8 2 Site Context 2.13 The subject site is located directly adjacent to the current Cardrona settlement on land south of the B7062. The site has the capacity to introduce circa 30-40 new housing units to Cardrona. It is within an area of agricultural land currently used for low level sheep grazing and contained by the hill to the south. Images of the site are shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. The proposed site is not identified as being in a Figure 5 north facing direction of site flood risk zone and sits low within the landscape. 2.14 Figure 8 and appended plans indicate the area shown in red is the area being considered for future housing development with the wider area retained under client control to enable any potential wider landscape measures. 2.15 The agricultural landform is restricted by the embankment which runs up from the rear of Figure 6 west facing direction of site the subject site to a dense woodland that sits at the top of the hill. This also acts as a form of containment for the proposed housing. 2.16 The site is bound to the north and east by the B7062 and existing housing, to the west by 2 existing residential dwellings and to the south by a embankment towards the summit of Cardrona Hills and a tree belt. Figure 8 Potential developable area on the site. Source: Here + Now Figure 7 east facing direction of site Ferguson Planning 9 Housing Opportunity 3 Overview Main Issues Report 3.9 In addition to being more suitable than the 3.1 The scale of housing required for the Scottish 3.5 The identification of a site to the north of above site, (in our opinion), it again should Borders area is set out within SESPlan and Cardrona (SCARD002) land at Nether also be seen as sequentially preferable to to be updated shortly once SESPlan2 has Horsburgh as a potential ‘’Longer Term’’ other local sites identified. In particular: been formerly adopted. mixed use site indicates that the Council recognise the opportunity for further - Ref. MESHI001-Eshiels-200 units 3.2 The proposed SESPlan Spatial Strategy development including housing to be located - Ref. MESHIE002-Eshiels-40 units identifies Cardrona within the Western in or near Cardrona. Borders as a Strategic Growth Area (SGA) and the Northern Housing Market Area (HMA). It 3.6 In our opinion, the allocation of land to the 3.10 Ferguson Planning have reviewed the Local is also identified, at the local level by LDP2 north of Cardrona, has not fully proven to be Development Plan 2 (LDP) and Main Issues Main Issues Report (MIR), as being within the in line within the associated SEA criteria nor Report (MIR). In particular the ‘Growing our Tweeddale Locality. be deliverable in the short to medium term. Economy’ and ‘Planning for Housing’ Chapters The same conclusion is also reached for the as they both relate to the potential allocation The Scottish Borders Local sites mentioned at Eshiels and sites identified of new housing lands for the LDP 2. Development Plan (2016) later in this report. 3.11 Prior to coming on to answering the related 3.3 Housing Supplementary Guidance 3.7 Subject site provides a strong opportunity to questions within the MIR we would make a accommodating the Scottish Borders Local provide an expansion of the settlement and at number of observations in terms of approach Development Plan identifies a total of 135 a scale which is in keeping. The opportunity is or structure of the MIR report and potential houses in the Northern Housing Area Markets deliverable in a short time-frame (ie.