report Nottinghamshire County Council meeting PLANNING AND LICENSING COMMITTEE date 21 AUGUST 2007 agenda item number 7 from: Strategic Director (Communities) BASSETLAW DISTRICT COUNCIL 1/30/07/00005 NEWARK AND SHERWOOD DISTRICT COUNCIL 3/07/00832/FULR3N PROPOSAL: CONSTRUCTION OF A PERMISSIVE CYCLE ROUTE ON FORMER RAILWAY LINE BETWEEN HIGH MARNHAM JUNCTION & CHURCH LANE, NORTH CLIFTON, NEAR NEWARK LOCATION: DISUSED RAILWAY LINE BETWEEN HIGH MARNHAM JUNCTION & CHURCH LANE, NORTH CLIFTON, NEAR NEWARK APPLICANT: NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL COMMUNITIES DEPARTMENT Purpose of Report 1. To consider a planning application for the construction of a new permissive cycle route between High Marnham and Church Lane, North Clifton. The cycle route would generally be in accordance with the objectives of the respective Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood Local Plans which seek to enhance the cycle path network across the County. The impact of the route on the local ecology, especially as part of the route lies within a designated Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), is the key issue to be considered. Other important concerns are the effect of the route on local residents and ensuring that users of the cycle path would not be able to access privately owned land adjacent to the route. The recommendation is to grant planning permission, subject to planning conditions. The Site and Surroundings 2. The disused railway line between High Marnham and North Clifton, North Nottinghamshire is situated approximately 15km north of Newark. The section of the railway line to which the planning application refers starts just west of High Marnham Junction and south of Crabtree Lane. Here, the track is in a 1 scrub-lined cutting which passes beneath the bridge at High Marnham Junction. Three residential properties lie adjacent to the north of the line at this point. 3. As the railway line extends east from the bridge, it enters an open area passing the northern boundary of the now closed High Marnham Power Station before reaching the High Marnham Viaduct, a structure of local interest. The viaduct comprises a bridge spanning approximately 148 metres across the River Trent and around 650 metres of blue brick viaduct across the floodplain. From the eastern end of the viaduct, the railway line continues through thick scrub with agricultural land to the north and south, until it reaches Church Lane Bridge in North Clifton on the eastern bank of the Trent. This bridge is an eight metre span brick built structure with a flat ceiling. The bridge is generally in good condition, but with some areas of cracked or missing mortar. No residential properties are in close proximity of this section of the railway line. The area under application ends just east of the Church Lane. 4. No Rights of Way directly connect to this section of the railway line although Fledborough Footpath 12 and North Clifton Footpath 5 pass underneath the viaduct on either side of the River Trent. In addition, at the western end of the railway line, Marnham Public Byway (open to all traffic) 8 (Crabtree Lane) runs to the north of the track bed, adjacent to High Marnham Junction. 5. The land upon which the railway track bed is situated is owned by Network Rail and Sustrans (Railway Paths), hence the need to submit a planning application for a permissive cycle route. The applicant has engaged with the landowners and gained full support for the proposal. 6. A large section of the track bed extending from just west of the High Marnham Viaduct to Harby Station is within a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). The SINC was designated due to its grassland and scrub habitat considered of high ecological value. Background 7. The planning application is part of proposals for a surfaced trail that will carry pedestrians and cyclists between High Marnham and Harby and includes a crossing over the River Trent. The section of the route running eastwards from Church Lane, North Clifton to Harby continues on from the proposed area referred to in this application and is part of a separate application (Reference No. 3/07/00829/FULR3N) dealt with elsewhere on the agenda. 8. The application is linked to the Sherwood Living Legend BIG lottery bid and forms part of an expansion of the multi-use footpath network within Nottinghamshire. As part of this expansion it is proposed to provide 95 kilometres of new and upgraded multi-user routes and arterial crossings, linked to the national cycle network to create a total network of 250km (see Plan 2 for multi-user network map). The objective of the project is to create 2 sustainable accessibility to the Living Legend centre, forming links with major population centres, attractions in the wider area and with local villages. 9. The completed multi-user path network would extend from Sherwood Forest to major towns and cities around the County boundary including Nottingham, Newark, Lincoln, Doncaster and Chesterfield. This application would form part of the route from Lincoln to Chesterfield connecting with existing local cycle lanes, National Cycle Network Route 64 and the National Byway. Proposed Development 10. The application originally proposed a 2.5m wide cycle path along the disused railway track bed between High Marnham Junction and Church Lane Bridge, North Clifton as described above (see plan 1). Following consultation with NCC's Ecology Officer the proposed width of the path was reduced to between 1.2m and 2m to minimise adverse impact on ecology within the SINC. The width of the disused railway track bed is up to 4m in width, thereby providing some scope to avoid the most sensitive ecological areas within the trackbed. The applicant has requested that the final line of the cyclepath within the disused railway track bed be subject to a planning condition as part of any planning permission issued. 11. It is proposed that the western end of the path would be accessed via a ramp from the public byway Crabtree Lane, leading down the northern bank to the track bed. Appropriate measures will be taken at the access point to ensure the satisfactory drainage of surface water run off. 12. From Crabtree Lane, the proposed path would extend east along the disused railway bed before reaching High Marnham Viaduct. Works would be required to upgrade the parapets on the viaduct to make it suitable for a cycle path. These works would involve raising the height of the parapets to 1.8 metres, which is the current standard for bridleways across bridges, by fixing a 400mm steel post and rail system onto the existing 1.4 metre high brickwork. 13. The cycle path would continue east from the viaduct until it arrives at Church Lane Bridge. While this bridge is structurally sound, it would require works to provide additional parapets, in line with the existing ones, to ensure it is safe for use by cyclists and pedestrians. 14. As the exact route of the cycle path has yet to be defined within the red line boundary for conservation reasons as stated above, no plans have been submitted showing the location of the proposed fencing and gates which would enclose the path. The applicant however proposes to erect fencing where it is genuinely needed for safety reasons or to prevent unauthorised access to adjacent properties. 15. The cycle path would be constructed from stone with a tar spray and chip finishing. Consultations 3 16. Bassetlaw District Council do not wish to comment on the proposal. 17. Newark and Sherwood District Council support the proposal. 18. Normanton-on-Trent with Marnham Parish Council support the proposal. 19. North Clifton Parish Meeting support the proposal, but would suggest that it may be beneficial to have an access ramp leading from the proposed cycle path on to Church Lane so that users of the cycle path could visit North Clifton more easily. The Parish would also like to see provision for pedestrian and cyclists along Church Lane, who currently have to share a single carriageway with cars. A further concern is that the cycle path could assist those engaged in criminal activity, such as burglary, by providing improved access between the local villages and opening properties up for attack. The Parish state that improper use of the proposed path by quad bikes and scrambler bikes is another potential negative impact and that steps should be considered to mitigate such impacts. 20. Dunham-on-Trent with Ragnall, Darlton and Fledborough Parish Council support the proposal. 21. NCC Conservation (Ecology) Team highlight the importance of the application site as a SINC and that request that additional ecological survey work be conducted in the first available survey season after the granting of any permission, in coincidence with a survey ‘update’ conducted in the season immediately prior to the commencement of development. 22. They would also request that conditions are attached to any permission requiring details to be submitted for the approval of the County Planning Authority (CPA) in relation to the definitive line of the cycle path route, any changes in the width of the cycle path along the route, measures for the protection of notable botanical species along the fringes of the construction corridor and the contractor’s site working arrangements including details of the storage of machinery and materials. It is recommended that the details provided be guided by the additional survey work conducted. 23. It is also asserted by the NCC Ecology Team that to mitigate any impact upon the SINC, compensation measures should be developed and submitted to the CPA for approval prior to the commencement of development. Specifically, NCC Ecology suggest that a plan should be submitted identifying areas of low ecological value along the cycle path route which can act as receptors for habitat creation or improvement, thereby offsetting lost habitat within the SINC.