Municipal Buildings, Greenock PA15 1LY Ref: RMcG/AI Date: 25 February 2019 A meeting of the Planning Board will be held on Wednesday 6 March 2019 at 3pm within the Municipal Buildings, Greenock. GERARD MALONE Head of Legal & Property Services BUSINESS 1. Apologies, Substitutions and Declarations of Interest 2. Planning Application Report by Head of Regeneration & Planning on application for planning permission by Link Group for construction of 198 residential homes with road, all associated infrastructure, levels changes, amenity open space and landscaping provision including retention of key existing landscaping features at Ravenscraig Hospital Grounds, Ravenscraig Hospital, Inverkip Road, Greenock (18/0205/IC) Enquiries to – Rona McGhee – Tel 01475 712113 00 Calling Notice and List of Items Agenda Item No. 2 Report To: The Planning Board Date: 6 March 2019 Report By: Head of Regeneration and Planning Report No: 18/0205/IC Plan 03/19 Major Application Development Contact David Ashman Contact No: 01475 712416 Officer: Subject: Construction of 198 residential homes with road, all associated infrastructure, levels changes, amenity open space and landscaping provision including retention of key existing landscaping features at Ravenscraig Hospital Grounds, Ravenscraig Hospital, Inverkip Road, Greenock SUMMARY • The proposal accords with the Inverclyde Development Plan. • Ninety objections have been received raising concern over a number of issues including traffic, land contamination, impact on built and natural heritage, design and layout and loss of open space. • Consultees present no impediment to development. • The recommendation is to GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION subject to conditions. Drawings may be viewed at: https://planning.inverclyde.gov.uk/Online/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=PBNW74IMHUA00 SITE DESCRIPTION The application site comprises approximately 14.4 hectares of the grounds of the former Ravenscraig Hospital at Inverkip Road in Greenock. The site includes the vacant buildings and development platforms and the internal road network and open space, but not most of the plantation to the south and east. The site currently has two access points; from Inverkip Road over the railway bridge close to the junction with Neil Street at the north-eastern part of the site, and from Branchton Road to the north-west. The site varies in level and gradient; from Inverkip Road and the adjacent Glasgow to Wemyss Bay railway line it rises steeply to a relatively level platform which contains the more contemporary former hospital buildings. The former original, sandstone hospital building was located on a higher platform to the south. Within the eastern part of the site there is an historical topographical feature (Bunston Knowe) which sits within a soft landscaped framework. The site is bound to the north by the Glasgow-Wemyss Bay railway line, with Inverkip Road beyond; to the west by Branchton Road and housing at Dunnet Place and Golspie Drive; and to the south and east by the plantation. PROPOSAL Planning permission is sought for the construction of 198 dwellings, comprised of 48 flats and 150 houses, with associated roads and infrastructure, amenity open space and landscaping which retains key existing features. To facilitate development there will be a number of site levels changes. Supporting documents indicate that it is anticipated the development will take place in two phases, with the first aimed at providing 149 homes for social rent by March 2021. The second phase of 49 dwellings is to follow, with the decision on the type of tenure to be informed by market trends and housing requirements at that time. The submitted drawings, nevertheless, provide details of both proposed phases. The masterplan shows the development of three neighbourhoods; the first development phase is on the lower development platform in the northern part of the site and on the upper level platform in the southern part of the site, with the second phase and third neighbourhood, located within the eastern part of the site. “Home zones” will be developed in each of the neighbourhoods, all accessed from main distributor roads running west-east through the site. Within each “home zone” the street is designed to prioritise pedestrian movement over vehicles within courtyard arrangements. Each dwellinghouse is provided with a front garden at least 6 metres deep with a planted buffer zone, bin storage and one in-curtilage parking space. General visitor parking is also to be provided. Back gardens are at least 9 metres deep. The dwelling types are mainly two storeys high in terraces of 3-5 properties and providing between 2 and 4 bedrooms. Dedicated bin store provision is built into the frontage design of the plots. Where the dwellings are adjacent to the distributor roads, a number have a varied roofscape with “bookend” articulation to help identify the different “home zones”. Outwith the “home zones”, cottage flats and individual houses are proposed including a number designed to be fully DDA compliant to meet specific client needs. The garden arrangements for cottage flats are of a lesser scale, but at a minimum of 10 square metres per bedspace. A limited palette of facing materials consisting of dark and buff bricks and dark grey concrete roof tiles are to be used to create of sense of consistency to the development, although there will be variation in the proportions and patterned use of these materials between the different neighbourhoods. The soft landscaping framework, consisting of a range of mature trees, is to be largely retained as it positively contributes to the sense of place. Significant new planting is also to be introduced along with two new play areas and a network of mainly dry surface sustainable urban drainage areas. The main vehicular access to the site will be from Branchton Road. The other access from Inverkip Road will be retained for pedestrians and cyclists. Bollards will help prevent vehicular use of the Inverkip Road access, although these will be capable of being lowered for emergency vehicles. A new signalised junction on Inverkip Road opposite the junction with Gleninver Road is proposed. This requires the current Branchton Road junction with Inverkip Road moving slightly east. The application is supported by a design and access statement, a drainage strategy, an ecological study and bat survey, a flood risk assessment, a geo-environmental and geotechnical interpretative report, an archaeological survey, a noise impact assessment, a tree survey report and a transport assessment. DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES 2017 Clydeplan Strategic Development Plan Policy 1 – Placemaking New development should contribute towards the creation of high quality places across the city region. In support of the Vision and Spatial Development Strategy new development proposals should take account of the Placemaking Principle set out in Table 1. Policy 8 - Housing Land Requirement In order to provide a generous supply of land for housing and assist in the delivery of the Housing Supply Targets in support of the Vision and Spatial Development Strategy, Local Authorities should: • make provisions in Local Development Plans for the all tenure Housing Land Requirement by Local Authority set out in Schedule 8, for the Private Housing Land Requirement by Housing Sub-Market Area set out in Schedule 9 and for the Private Housing Land Requirement by Local Authority set out in Schedule 10; • allocate a range of sites which are effective or expected to become effective in the plan periods to meet the Housing Land Requirement, for each Housing Sub-Market Area and for each Local Authority, of the SDP up to year 10 from the expected year of adoption; • provide for a minimum of 5 years effective land supply at all times for each Housing Sub-Market Area and for each Local Authority; and • undertake annual monitoring of completions and land supply through Housing Land Audits. Local Authorities should take steps to remedy any shortfalls in the five-year supply of effective housing land through the granting of planning permission for housing developments, on greenfield or brownfield sites, subject to satisfying each of the following criteria: • the development will help to remedy the shortfall which has been identified; • the development will contribute to sustainable development; • the development will be in keeping with the character of the settlement and the local area; • the development will not undermine Green Belt objectives; and • any additional infrastructure required as a result of the development is either committed or to be funded by the developer. Policy 16 - Improving the Water Quality Environment and Managing Flood Risk and Drainage To support the Vision and Spatial Development Strategy and to achieve the objectives set out in paragraph 8.28 Local Development Plans and development proposals should protect and enhance the water environment by • adopting a precautionary approach to the reduction of flood risk; • supporting the delivery of the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Plan; • supporting the delivery of the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Green Network; and • safeguarding the storage capacity of the functional floodplain and higher lying areas for attenuation. 2014 Inverclyde Local Development Plan Policy SDS3 - Place Making High-quality place making in all new development will be promoted by having regard to Inverclyde's historic urban fabric, built cultural heritage and natural environment, including its setting on the coast