North West Market Harborough Strategic Development Area Master Plan December 2013 This document was prepared by: in association with: Midlands: Icon Business Centre, Lake View Drive, Sherwood Park, Nottingham, NG15 0DT Chelmsford: Croxton’s Mill, Little Waltham, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 3PJ London: Level 7, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, Belgravia, London, SW1W 0AU Switchboard: +44 (0)1245 361611 Fax: +44 (0)1245 362423 Email: [email protected] URL: www.capitasymonds.co.uk ECL FINANCI North West Market Harborough - Strategic Development Area CONTENTS TITLE PAGE FIGURE PAGE Introduction 1 Figure 1: Location of the Strategic Development Area 1 Figure 2: SDA Options 2 Planning Policy 3 Figure 3: Site Context Plan 5 SDA Masterplan Aims and Objectives 4 Figure 4: Transport Context Plan 6 Context 5 Figure 5: Contour Plan 7 • Location Figure 6: Photo View Points Plan 9 • Access / Connectivity Figure 7: Opportunities Plan 19 Figure 8: Constraints Plan 20 • Landscape and Topography Figure 9: Development Concept Plan 21 • Landscape Figure 10: SDA Master Plan 22 • Local Character Figure 11: Higher density section of the link road 25 • Opportunities and Constraints Figure 12: Lower density section of the link road to the south 25 Design 21 Figure 13: Potential development related to the southern ridge 26 Figure 14: Illustrative view of the southern local centre 26 • Concept Figure 15: Illustrative view across the country park 27 • Masterplan and Vision Figure 16: Illustrative view along the countryside edge 27 • Landscape Figure 17: Illustrative view along a secondary street 28 • Access Figure 18: Illustrative view from within the circus 28 • Phasing Figure 19: Illustrative view looking towards the marina 28 Figure 20: Landscape Strategy Plan 30 Submission requirements 43 Figure 21: Section A-A1 31 Figure 22: Section B-B1 31 Figure 23: Open Space Plan 32 Figure 24: Access Plan 34 Figure 25: Section A-A: Long section from Leicester Road to edge of housing 35 Figure 26: Artist’s impression of bridge elevation 36 Figure 27: Densities and Buildings and Heights Plan 39 Figure 28: Illustrative edge treatment to Fieldhead Close 40 Figure 29: Phasing Plan 41 Figure 30: Phasing Progression and Triggers 42 Figure 31: SDA Infrastructure and Community Facilities 43 North West Market Harborough - Strategic Development Area INTRODUCTION STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AREAMASTER PLAN STRATEGIC 1.0 The Harborough Core Strategy (adopted November 2011) seeks to community consultation work, which helped shape options for the 1.8 It is intended that this Master plan document for the SDA, will provide enable the development of at least 7,700 dwellings across the District development of the SDA. An options appraisal exercise had also been an informed basis for the preparation of relevant Local Plan polices as during the period 2006 to 2028. It seeks to bring forward a Strategic carried out which balanced community views with a range of other well as providing a framework to inform the design of both existing and Development Area (‘SDA’) immediately to the north west of Market material considerations. subsequent planning applications for the development of the SDA. It Harborough to help meet the requirement for new dwellings, and can be regarded as a material consideration when the current planning to provide access to new employment, educational and recreational 1.7 There are two planning applications before the Council awaiting applications are presented to the Council’s Planning Committee. opportunities. determination on land within the SDA. These include an outline application for 1000 dwellings at Airfi eld Farm, and a detailed 1.9 The Master plan document sets out relevant planning policy, the 1.1 There are multiple ownerships within the SDA. The Council has application for 126 dwellings on land off Lubenham Hill. It is likely a overall aims and objectives of the SDA, and assesses the context for recognised that a mechanism is required to ensure development in decision on these applications will need to be made before the new development and local characteristics. A masterplan is presented the SDA is co-ordinated and avoids piecemeal development, with the Local Plan is in place, which is a fundamental arguement as to why the along with design principles and other matters with which development infrastructure necessary to support new development provided at the masterplan exercise has to precede the Local Plan process. would be expected to comply. The type of contributions that would right time and in the right place. Co-ordination will help to ensure that be sought towards new and improved community facilities and benefi ts from new development are maximised and adverse impacts infrastructure are identifi ed. are minimised. 1.2 The parameters for preparation of a masterplan, and defi nition of the SDA boundary for the purposes of future masterplan study, were agreed at the meeting of the Council’s Executive on 13th February 2012. Key 1.3 This Masterplan sets out guidelines for new development within the SDA Options Boundary SDA, which draws upon the fi ndings of the Landscape and Visual Assessment prepared for the Council by the Landscape Partnership in Development June 2012, along with other relevant technical evidence. The guidelines Town Centre will help to ensure that individual development proposals within the SDA contribute to the overall objectives for the area. The Masterplan Signifi cant Vegetation will support local planning policy. Although the SDA will be progressed as a strategic allocation as part of the emerging Local Plan, in the interim County and District Boundary it is intended to be a material consideration in the determination of the current (and future) planning applications on the SDA. Railway Grand Union Canal 1.4 This draft document has been prepared by the Council in partnership with landowners and developers, for consultation with the local Railway Station community and other stakeholders. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF MASTER PLAN 1.5 The Core Strategy confi rms the principle of the Strategic Development Area providing at least 1,000 dwellings. The Council is about to embark on a review of its Core Strategy, which will also include the provision of some strategic allocations in lieu of a separate Allocations document. The new document will be known as the Harborough District Local Plan. It is intended that the Strategic Development Area will be retained as part of this process. 1.6 On the 19th September 2012, the Council’s Executive, having taken account of the results of public consultation, approved Council policy relating to the SDA to provide some context in taking it forward as part of the Core Strategy review/Local plan process. This included agreeing to a scale of development of between 1,500 and 1,800 houses and 13.4 Hectares of employment land. The existence of Policy CS13 of the Core Strategy was a signifi cant factor in decision. There had also been earlier Figure 1: Location of the Strategic Development Area PAGE 1 North West Market Harborough - Strategic Development Area INTRODUCTION DEVELOPMENTAREAMASTERPLAN STRATEGIC OPTIONS APPRAISAL 1.10 The Council produced 4 residential options and 2 employment options for consultation purposes as part of Stage 1 of the Master Plan Project Plan. The residential options included 1,000 homes based on the Airfi eld Farm Planning application (Option A), a composite plan submitted by promoters for 1,739 homes (Option B), an option that came from the community action workshop for 1,800 homes (Option C), and a landscape option for a maximum of 1,500 homes (Option D). The boundaries for each option are shown in the plans above. As three of these options were similar in area, in assessing the merits of each, it was considered that Options B, C and D should be treated as one larger approach for between 1,500 and 1,800 homes, and that this should be assessed against a smaller approach for 1,000 homes (Option A). On 19th September 2012 the Executive decided to go with the larger approach. In doing so the Executive took into consideration a wide range of issues and risks, which it considered counterbalanced public opinion. 1.11 On 9th July 2013 the Project Board recommended that the housing numbers for the SDA be reduced to a maximum of 1,500 dwellings in response to comments raised during public consultation on the draft Masterplan. Figure 2: SDA Options North West Market Harborough - Strategic Development Area PAGE 2 PLANNING POLICY STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AREAMASTER PLAN STRATEGIC 2.0 The Core Strategy is the key document within the Local Development 10. To minimise waste production and maximise re-use and iii) Not prejudice the provision of a future link road to enable transport Framework (‘LDF’) for Harborough District. It sets out a long term recycling of waste. movements between A4304 (Lubenham Hill) and B6047 (Leicester Road) spatial plan for the District and its communities to 2028 and beyond as part of a wider package of measures that seek to deal with transport and explains how change will happen. It is in general conformity with 11. To minimise energy demand and maximise the use of issues predicted to arise in and around the town during the Core Strategy the East Midlands Regional Plan (March 2009). The Regional Plan sets renewable energy resources. period; out the quantity and broad locations of housing growth in Leicester and Leicestershire at a district level to 2026. The Core Strategy explains 12. To promote sustainable growth of tourism and access iv) Provide high quality walking, cycling and public transport links to this at a more local level. to the countryside within the district. Market Harborough and to other relevant destinations; 2.1 To help implement the Core Strategy’s Strategic Objectives (see box) 13. To locate new development in areas which will not put v) Have a distinctive identity that maximises the opportunities provided it sets out a number of policies.