Agenda Item No. 7 Committee: Regulatory Planning Committee Date: 16 May 2007 Report by: Director of Transport and Environment Proposal: Outline application for village green; residential development (class C3); residential care home (class C2) and employment space (class B1). Associated open space, landscaping, roads, footpaths / cycleways and infrastructure. Site Address: Former Grampian Country Food Group factory site, Five Ash Down, Uckfield. Application No: WD/2007/1075/MAO Applicant: Prem (Rooster) Ltd. Strategic Issues: Loss of employment land Residential development in the countryside Transport impact, including on Uckfield town centre Other infrastructure Waste minimisation RECOMMENDATION:- EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL STRATEGIC REPRESENTATIONS To resolve to inform Wealden District Council that:- 1. Although housing development on this site is contrary to Structure Plan policy S10, the principle of a mixed-use approach to its redevelopment is supported as a departure from the Structure Plan, provided:- a) Wealden District Council is satisfied that the market demand for wholly industrial re-use or redevelopment of this site has been suitably tested and shown not to be commercially viable, and that local business needs within the north Wealden area are generally being met; b) Wealden District Council is satisfied that the mix of residential and employment uses proposed in this development is appropriate, that B1 use will form part of the first phase of development and that existing areas of open space within the site are protected; c) that, in addition to access works, a Local Sustainable Accessibility Improvement Contribution (LSAIC) is made to transport improvements, including those required in Uckfield town centre; d) that contributions to other county council infrastructure are secured through S106 Agreement; and e) that any approval is conditioned to minimise waste (Structure Plan policy W10, Waste Local Plan policy WLP11 and Construction and Demolition Waste Supplementary Planning Document). SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS ON KEY ISSUES 1. Loss of Employment Land 1.1 This current outline application represents a loss of industrial land and buildings, although this is accommodation of a specialised nature not necessarily suitable, physically or commercially, for re-use. If Wealden District Council is satisfied that the market demand for industrial re-use of this accommodation has been suitably tested, that the redevelopment of the site purely for industrial use has been shown not to be commercially viable, and that local business needs within the north Wealden area are generally being met, then a mixed- use approach to the development of this site involving some loss of employment potential can be supported within the spirit of policy E6. The District Council should, however, take steps to ensure that the B1 development that is proposed takes place as part of the first phase of the overall development. 2. Residential development in the countryside 2.1 The application site lies outside the development boundary for Five Ash Down where there is a presumption against residential development under Structure Plan countryside policy (S10). However, the majority of the site is previously developed land and this gives some support to its reuse, as a departure from the structure plan, particularly if an element of residential use would support the redevelopment of the remainder of the site for employment uses (policy S1(e)). Nonetheless, as a rural brownfield site, any new development should generally respect local landscape character and protect undeveloped areas within the site which are important for landscape and ecology (policies S1(f), EN1 and EN17). The apportionment of land within the site for use as a residential care home could help meet an identified county council need, subject to the outcome of further negotiations. 3. Transport impact, including on Uckfield town centre 3.1 As well as local impacts, residential development on this site is likely to lead to an increase in traffic generation in Uckfield town centre. The Highway Authority has identified the need for a traffic scheme for Uckfield town centre to cater for the additional traffic generated by development that will add to the traffic load in the town and which will need to be funded by development contributions. The LSAIC required from the development will need to provide a proportionate contribution towards this scheme to avoid creating unacceptable traffic or transport conditions (policies S1(d), S3 and TR3). 4. Other infrastructure 4.1 The County Council’s Development Contributions Co-ordinator has provided advice on the County Council infrastructure contributions required from the residential element of this development (policy S3). 5. Waste minimisation 5.1 The redevelopment of this site will generate substantial amounts of waste. An appropriate waste minimisation condition should be imposed in line with Structure Plan policy S10 and Waste Local Plan policy WLP11 and the Construction and Demolition Waste supplementary planning document. BOB WILKINS Director of Transport and Environment 8 May 2007 Contact Officer: Graham Arr-Jones 01273 481615 Local Member: Councillor Tony Reid BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS 1. East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Structure Plan 1991-2011 2. Wealden Local Plan – adopted December 1998 3. Non Statutory Wealden Local Plan – December 2005 4. Submitted South East Plan – March 2006 APPENDIX CONSIDERATION OF THE ISSUES 1. Site 1.1 The application site consists of the 6ha of the former Grampian Country Food Group factory site immediately east of the A26 at the northern end of Five Ash Down village, together with some additional land to provide improved access. The site consists of a range of industrial buildings formerly used for chicken processing but now closed. The southern part of the site is undeveloped, having been used as a cricket ground. The site lies outside the development boundary for Five Ash Down set out in the statutory Wealden Local Plan (December 1998). 2. The Proposal 2.1 The proposal is in outline for a mixed use development on land formerly occupied by Grampian Country Foods at Five Ash Down, just north of Uckfield. A total of 100 dwellings are proposed on the site, along with up to 5,000 sq.m. of B1 employment floorspace and up to 3,000 sq.m. of floorspace for a residential care home. An illustrative development layout (to be determined as reserved matters) shows 2.2 ha of public open space in the form of a ‘village green’, to serve both the existing village and the new development, a woodland walk on eastern and western edges of the site and children’s play areas. Full details are submitted of access to the development, via an improvement to the existing site access direct from the A26, with an additional footpath / cycleway to the south giving access to Five Ash Down village. It is intended that the employment use would be provided in a range of flexible units to meet the needs of local small businesses. The residential care home would provide for elderly care and 30% of the remaining housing provided would be affordable. 2.2 The application is for a revised scheme following refusal of planning permission in 2006. The principal changes from the previous application are a reduction in the number of dwellings proposed from 140 to 100 and their replacement with a residential care home, and an increase in open space from 2ha to 2.2ha. 3. Comments / Appraisal 3.1 The application site lies outside any development boundary in either the adopted Wealden Local Plan 1998 or the non-statutory Wealden Local Plan 2005 and, although largely previously developed employment land, its development for residential purposes would be a departure from Structure Plan policy for the countryside (policy S10). 3.2 The strategic issues raised by this application are:- - loss of employment land - residential development in the countryside - transport impact, including on Uckfield Town centre - other infrastructure - waste minimisation 3.3 The Development Plan policy context for this proposal is set by RPG9, the East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Structure Plan 1991 – 2011, the Wealden Local Plan (1998) and the non- statutory Wealden Local Plan (2005). Although non-statutory, the 2005 Plan is a significant material consideration because of the substantial amount of work and public consultation that Wealden District Council has undertaken in producing it. The emerging South East Plan (submitted March 2006) is also a material policy consideration. a) Loss of Employment Land 3.4 Structure Plan policy seeks to protect the existing stock of industrial and commercial premises in order to reduce the extent of new land allocations but allows for reallocation of redundant sites where other sites are available to achieve the amount of employment development required. Proposals which assist the re-use of vacant employment sites will be supported (policies E5, E6, E7). 3.5 Table 2 in the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying Structure Plan policies identifies the requirement for B1 – B8 floorspace for 1996 to 2011. Provided existing commitments are implemented, the north Wealden area is not identified as needing additional strategic provision, However, the need for further provision to meet local needs, as part of any future expansion of Uckfield, was acknowledged (policy E13). The non-statutory Wealden Local Plan has chosen to rely upon the implementation of the Ashdown Business Park site at Maresfield to meet the employment needs of planned housing growth at Uckfield