NORTH ESSEX GARDEN COMMUNITIES CONCEPT FEASIBILITY STUDY PART 2 VOLUME 1: BASELINE COMPENDIUM JUNE 2016 North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Baseline Compendium Colchester Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Tendring District Council and Essex County Council This chapter provides baseline synthesis and key findings associated to the North of Colchester area of investigation and the wider 5km buffer zone. 58 AECOM Colchester Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Tendring District Council and Essex County Council North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Baseline Compendium 03 North of Colchester 3.1 Site Overview and Landuse 3.2 Call for Sites 3.3 Land Ownership and Development Arrangements 3.4 Surrounding Settlement Hierarchy 3.5 Economic Context 3.6 Movement and Connectivity 3.7 Landscape and Strategic Networks 3.8 Agricultural Land Classifications and Mineral Safeguarding Areas 3.9 Ecological Designations 3.10 Parks, Recreation and Historic Environment 3.11 Water Cycle 3.12 Utilities 3.13 Social Infrastructure AECOM 59 North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Baseline Compendium Colchester Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Tendring District Council and Essex County Council 3.1 Site Overview and Landuse Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community Legend Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community LegendSite Study Area Legend Site Study Area DistrictSite Study / Borough Area Boundary The North of Colchester area of investigation is District / Borough Boxted District / Borough Urban Area Boundary predominantly situated on the site of a former Boundary A Road Urban Area Urban Area B Road A Road World War II Airfield which has since ceased A Road Minor Road B Road B Road operations and now comprises predominantly Railway Minor Road Minor Road Railway agricultural land. The Colchester / Tendring Local Railway Authority boundary runs adjacent to the area of Boxted Cross investigation to the east. The small rural villages of B1029 B1029 Langham and Langham Moor lie to the north and B1029 west of the Site, respectively. The main settlement is formed by the village of Langham. Some other residential properties are scattered throughout Langham the Site, most notably a small cluster of properties in the south east close to the A12. In addition,Colchester Borough Colchester Borough settlements along Straight Road are scatteredColchester but Borough Langham Garden Village continuous along the entire route. Expanded Scheme Area Boxted Airfield A12 Solar Farm Kiln Wood A12 Horkesley Heath TendringTendring DistrictDistrict Severalls Industrial Tendring Districttrict Northern Gateway Estate TendringTendring DistrictDistrict Regeneration Area A134 A12 Ardleigh Reservoir A134 A134 A12 A1232 A12 A1232 A1232 A120 A120 A120 ² A137 ² 00.2² 0.4 0.8 A137 A137 00.2 0.4 0.8 Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community 00.2Kilometers 0.4 0.8 Kilometers Legend Figure 50: North Colchester Context Kilometers Site Study Area 60 North Colchester - Site Overview AECOM North ColchesterNorth - Site Colchester Overview - Site Overview District / Borough North Essex Garden Communities Boundary North Essex Garden NorthCommunities Essex Garden Communities Urban Area A Road B Road Minor Road Railway B1029 Colchester Borough TendringTendring DistrictDistrict A134 A12 A1232 A120 ² A137 00.2 0.4 0.8 Kilometers North Colchester - Site Overview North Essex Garden Communities Colchester Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Tendring District Council and Essex County Council North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Baseline Compendium 3.2 Call forContains Sites Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community Legend BaberghBabergh DistrictDistrict Site Langham Garden Village Expanded Scheme Area District / Borough A134 Boundary Urban Area Key Findings A Road B Road − The Call for Sites process for Colchester undertaken to support the Minor Road development of the new Local Plan identified 10 sites associated with Railway the North of Colchester proposed development area which collectively (! Railway Station amount to an accumulative 607.4ha of potentially developable land − The individual site detail submitted for the Call for Sites is shown below in Table 12. − In late February 2016 the scheme promoters came forward with additional B1029 land to west which could be incorporated into a possible Langham Garden Village (1). 49 − It has been suggested by the providers of Langham Garden Village that 69 4,000 homes is possible from the main site (221) and a further 2,000 from 220 expansion west. 95 96 50 154 Call for Sites Location Proposed Use Site Area (ha) Reference 169 1 049 School Road, Langham 2.172 ResidentialColcheColchesterster BoroughBorough Motts Farm, Birchwood Road, 069 6.586 Residential Langham 221 096 Land adjacent A12, Langham 8.66 Employment 050 Wick Road, Langham 1.86 Residential 095 Park Road, Langham 38.24 Residential 221 Langham Garden Village 441.4 Mixed 14 Ruskins Farm, Langham Lane, 014 6.693 Residential Boxted 26 Northern Gateway, North Employment/ 026 101.018 Colchester Leisure 169 Ipswich Road, Langham 0.417 Mixed TendringTendring DiDistrictstrict 220 School Road, Langham 0.363 Employment Total Site Area: 607.409ha Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community Table 12: Colchester BC Call for Sites (2014/2015) Legend Figure 51: North Colchester Landuse Source: Colchester BC Call for Sites (2014/2015) Babergh District AECOM A1232 61 Site A12 Langham Garden Village Expanded Scheme Area District / Borough A134 Boundary Urban Area A Road A137 B Road A120 Minor Road Railway ²(! Railway Station 0 0.25 0.5 1 B1029 Kilometers North Colchester North Essex Garden Communities Colchester Borough Tendring District A1232 A12 A137 A120 ² 0 0.25 0.5 1 Kilometers North Colchester North Essex Garden Communities North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Baseline Compendium Colchester Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Tendring District Council and Essex County Council 3.3 Land Promoters and Development Agreements Key Findings − Ptarmigan Land Ltd. is representing 8 landowners on the main part of the site, with the land to the west (possible expansion area) in the ownership of a further 2 landowners, both known to Ptarmigan. − A revised scheme brought forward by the land promoters included land to the west of the original site. − The indicative capacities being considered are dependent on the proposed future of the very recently installed Solar Farm which covers approximately 26ha of land and is situated in the centre of the area of investigation. − The Solar Farm is understood to have an operating lease of 20 years − The solar farm could feasibly power a significant new residential development with renewable energy, however it may also present a major constraint to the co-ordinated delivery of residential development due to AECOM have not received landownership map for North Colchester its prominence at the centre of the area of investigation which may restrict internal connectivity and amenity if it remains. − At the time of writing this report it is understood that the developer would retain the solar farm up until the expiry of its current operation lease/ landowner agreement for planning permission, and thereafter remove the facilities to allow housing development. Table 13: Preparation Documents Commissioned by Promoter to Date Document Prepared By Langham Garden Village Vision Document Ptarmigan Land / Barton Willmore Environmental Audit Chris Blandford Associates Desk Study for Defence Related BAE Systems Environmental Contamination and German Air-Dropped UXO Educational Facilities Management Education Briefing Note Partnership (EFM) Ltd Archaeological Appraisal Cotswold Archaeology Utilities Report TriConnex Ltd Phase Environmental Assessment Delta-Simons Transport Strategy i-Transport 62 AECOM Colchester Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Tendring District Council and Essex County Council North Essex Garden Communities Concept Feasibility Study - Baseline Compendium 3.4 Surrounding Settlement Hierarchy Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Legend Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right © 2016. Legend LegendSite Study Area Site Study