Bhaktivedanta Manor Letchmore Heath Planning Brief December 2012 P a g e 1 Contents Page 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Planning 3.0 Site Appraisal 4.0 Needs Appraisal 5.0 Development Principles 6.0 Conclusion 7.0 Consultation Appendices Policy summary Planning History All aerial photographs and maps are reproduced from the Ordinance Survey mapping with the permission of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Hertsmere Borough Council Licence number: 10017428 P a g e 2 1.0 Introduction Purpose of this Planning Brief The need to prepare a Planning Brief for Bhaktivedanta Manor arises from the fact that a number of planning applications have been submitted in recent years, in part, in response to the cramped conditions experienced by the existing users of Bhaktivedanta Manor, and an associated request from the Council’s Planning Committee1 for a brief, to provide a clear understanding of the long term aspiration of the Manor’s owners - the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The purpose of this planning brief is to provide a clear development framework for Bhaktivedanta Manor. The brief considers the function, character, opportunities and constraints at the site and the future development aspirations of ISKCON over the next 15 years and beyond. The objective of this Brief is to guide appropriate development, and ensure that any such development is sustainable, suitable and occurs in line with relevant planning policies. Once adopted, this brief would have the status of a Supplementary Planning Document and will be taken into account as a material consideration in the determination of any potential planning applications for the site. The key aims of the brief are to consider the needs of the Manor within the context of the: Green Belt Conservation Area Listed Building Amenities of the local community This document was produced by HBC planning officers through working with a consultant team commissioned by the owners, ISKCON and from responses received through the public consultation exercises. 1 Meeting of Bushey and Aldenham Planning Committee, Thursday 29th April 2010 P a g e 3 Letchmore Heath M1 Boundary of Bhaktivedanta Manor Figure 1: Site plan The Site Bhaktivedanta Manor is a large Grade II listed building standing within larger ornamental gardens and agricultural estate at Letchmore Heath. Whilst part of the village of Letchmore Heath, it is accessed from Hilfield Lane at the south west end of the site and is separated from the village by mature vegetation and neighbouring farming land. The Manor (formerly Piggot’s Manor) was acquired in 1973 by George Harrison, the musician, and donated to ISKCON to further their theological activities for the benefit of the growing number of Hare Krishna devotees in the UK. The property is now a nationally recognised Hindu shrine and temple and also acts as the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Consequently, over the last four decades the Manor has become a highly important place of pilgrimage for those familiar with the Hare Krishna movement because of the association with the founder, Srila Prabhupada, who wanted the Manor to be a place of spiritual sustenance for its members and congregations where rural life coupled with Krishna Consciousness could be combined. This document should also read in conjunction with the Bhaktivedanta Manor Needs Assessment Document which has informed the preparation of this Planning Brief. P a g e 4 Planning Brief Context Hertsmere Borough Council is currently in the process of reviewing its Development Plan. As part of this work the Council is reviewing a number of sites within the Borough to address a variety of different land uses. The Council has considered a number of different approaches with regard to Bhaktivedanta Manor in the light of its particular circumstances. The Council originally considered the option of putting Bhaktivedanta Manor forward as a Major Developed Site (MDS) within the Green Belt. 80% of Borough is designated Green Belt and there are a number of MDSs nearby including Aldenham School, the Haberdashers Aske schools and the Bio Products laboratory. However, the designation of an MDS would place pressure on the Listed Building as a defined area or envelope for appropriate infilling which could harm the setting and listed building as any development would be directed within the curtilage of the building. As a result it was decided that a Planning Brief to guide future development would be a more appropriate way to determine a suitable option for the site. Consequently, Hertsmere Borough Council wrote to ISKCON on 22nd April 2010 inviting ISKCON to work with the Council to produce a Planning Brief for the Manor and it has since been agreed that the most appropriate way of addressing those needs is via a Planning Brief for the estate. In the last few years a number of planning applications have been submitted by ISKCON. At the Bushey and Aldenham Planning Committee, on Thursday 29th April 2010 a request was confirmed by the Committee for a master plan detailing the future development. The brief subsequently underwent a period of public consultation between 9th July, 2012 and 10th September 2012 where a total of 482 responses were received. All responses have been taken into account when formulating the final draft of the brief. P a g e 5 2.0 Planning Framework Planning Policy Various policies that affect the site can be found in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF hereafter), the Hertsmere Local Plan and the Draft Revised Core Strategy (2011). A summary of these policies can be found in Appendix 1 and this document. The emerging Hertsmere Core Strategy specifically recognises the need to accommodate diverse interests including Hertsmere’s substantial Jewish community (12% of the population) and its growing South Asian community (5%). However, there are also a number of designations which cover the site, which are considered below: Designations Green Belt The whole of the Manor estate and the village of Letchmore Heath lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt, which washes over the area. The fundamental aim of the Green Belt is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the most important attribute of Green Belts is their openness. Within the Green Belt there is a presumption against inappropriate development unless very special circumstances can be demonstrated. Where Special Circumstances are demonstrated the Hertsmere Local Plan requires that development should be located as unobtrusively as possible, isolated buildings should be avoided, and should not be harmful to the openness of the Green Belt. Listed Building The Manor is a substantial Grade 2 Listed Building, listed in 1985, the listing includes: “House. 1884 with mid C19 core and c.1900 extension. Probably by Hesketh and Stokes for G.W. Williams Brick, steel and concrete. Original villa extended to form a large L plan. 2 storeys and attic. Interior: Neo-Jacobean chimneypieces, plaster ceiling, panelling. Staircase with carved newels and pierced balusters. Formerly known as Piggott’s Manor.” Conservation Area The Manor is located within the Letchmore Heath Conservation Area which was designated in October 1969, and enlarged November 1978. A significant P a g e 6 number of properties within the village have Article 4 restrictions, Listed and locally listed buildings. The Hertsmere Local Plan and emerging Core Strategy requires that any new development should not detract from the setting of the Listed Building whilst preserving or enhancing the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. Figure 2 Planning designations Planning History A number of planning applications have been submitted to the Council over the years as summarised in Appendix 2 Some of the applications allowed confirm the accepted uses and permanent structures on the site, where very special circumstances have been justified to outweigh any harm to the openness of the Green Belt or the purposes of including land in the Green Belt. In particular, the religious and spiritual importance of the Manor to the Hindu community was recognised in the 1996 appeal decision to outweigh the harm the development would cause to the Green Belt. There have been three planning appeals on the site that have: 1) Determined the principal uses of the Manor (as a theological college, religious community and a place of public worship, including the observance of religious festivals), the car parking and access. 2) Approved the erection of the goshalla, agricultural buildings. P a g e 7 3) Dismissed the case for the erection of a marquee (beyond that which can be erected for fewer than 28 days a year as ‘permitted development’ without planning permission). 3.0 Site Appraisal This section provides a summary of the key characteristics, context and constraints affecting future development on the site. Size The size of the estate as a whole was originally 6.8 hectares but was increased in the late 1990’s to 30 hectares with the purchase of adjoining agricultural land. The extent of the estate owned by ISKCON is shown in Figure 1. Access Vehicular access is from a purpose-built road owned by ISKCON which connects to Hilfield Lane. The road was constructed specifically to remove traffic from the centre of Letchmore Heath village after planning permission was granted in 1996. This road and associated junctions on the public road network have adequate capacity to serve the Manor. There is also gated access from Letchmore Heath, which is closed to vehicular traffic to prevent visitors entering the site from the village. This access was used as a pedestrian entrance but is generally locked/controlled by ISKCON to limit any disturbance to the village. There are clear instructions on the ISKCON website directing visitors to access the site via Hilfield lane.