RETIREMENT LIVING MADE BETTER Proposed Retirement Village Cole Green Way, Hertford Planning Statement Woodlands Retirement Village RETIREMENT LIVING MADE BETTER Retirement Living Made Better The Vision seeks to: Achieve a new sustainable development that is tailored to the particular and distinctive circumstances of Hertford. Meet an identified need for additional high dependency retirement accommodation to ensure Hertford obtains a position as a centre of excellence for the ageing population within the region. Promote a compact development of traditionally-inspired character, that is well connected with the existing townscape setting of Hertford. Brickfields Cole Green Way CONTENTS 1. Summary 2 2. Scope 3 3. Site and Surrounding Area 5 4. Form of Planning Application 8 5. Planning Policy Context 11 6. Planning Assessment 15 7. Material Planning Considerations 16 8. Housing Need Supply 18 9. Conclusion 19 Appendices A. Site Location Plan 21 WRVL Ref: HERT 1006/6 LPA Ref: Office Address Orion House Bessemer Road Welwyn Garden City Herts AL7 1HE Telephone: 0845 003 6834 Date of Issue: May 2016 Planning Statement May 2016............................................................... Page 1 Brickfields Cole Green Way 1 Summary Background 1.1 This revised application seeks to address the reasons for refusal by East Herts District Council as set out in the decision notice dated 16th September 2015 (App.ref 3/14/2132/0P ) 1. The proposals constitute inappropriate development within the Metropolitan Green Belt and are therefore, by definition, harmful to it. Other harm would also result from a loss of openness to the surrounding area; an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area; the isolated and unsustainable location of the site and the adverse impact upon protected trees. Weight which can be attributed to the positive impacts of the development is not such that the identified harm to the Green belt and other harm is clearly outweighed. The development would thereby be contrary to policies GBC1, GBC14, SD1, ENV1, ENV2 and ENV11 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007and national policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. 2. The development is likely to result in the removal of a substantial number of trees subject of a Tree Preservation Order and would cause Significant harm to the woodland character of the area, contrary to policies ENV2 and ENV11 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007. 3. The application fails to demonstrate that a safe means of vehicular access can be provided to the application site when the access point onto Horns Mill Road is closed due to flooding. Access into and out of the site for residents and emergency vehicles would, during times of flood, be impeded to the detriment of the safety of residents. The proposal would thereby be contrary to policies ENV1 and ENV19 of the East Herts Local Plan Second Review April 2007 and the National Planning Policy Framework. Previous application reference 3/14/2132/OP identified a safe means of access and egress as determined by NPPF The NPPF and associated Technical Guidance describes a policy to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding, and to direct development away from areas at highest risk. However, where new development is by exception necessary in such areas, the policy aims to make it safe without increasing flood risk elsewhere and where possible, reducing flood risk overall. The outputs of the Flood Risk to People project indicate that flood depths below 0.25 m and velocities below 0.5 m/s are generally considered low hazard 1.2 The Environment Agency agreed and were satisfied that the proposed raised emergency access road could be implemented without increasing the level of flood risk elsewhere and removed their earlier objections. 1.3 The Highways Authority did not want to restrict the grant of permission, subject to a legal agreement between the Highways Department, the Developer and the Operator. 1.4 However, East Hertfordshire District Council chose to speculate and veer away from the advice in the application. 1.5 This Planning Application removes the previous proposed route and replaces the access route outside of the floodplain. 1.6 The proposed access route will not require floodplain compensation. 1.7 The proposed access route will not require significant works to adversely affect the River Lea. 1.8 By removing the question of safe access to the development, the weight given to the local need for housing and specifically the proven need for market housing for the elderly will far outweigh any perceived harm to this previously developed (Brownfield) site. Planning Statement May 2016............................................................... Page 2 Brickfields Cole Green Way 2 Scope 2.1 This Planning Statement has been prepared by Woodlands Retirement Village Ltd with specialist documentation provided by. Tetlow King Planning Motion Transport Consultants Jon Etchells Consultancy Ian Keen Arboriculturalist Skilled Ecology SPC Property Consultants 2.2 This supporting statement sets out the analysis of relevant planning policy principles and material planning considerations which need to be considered in support of this revised outline application for a retirement village at Brickfields, Cole Green Way, Hertford 2.3 The development proposal seeks outline consent only with all matters reserved for 96 C2 units and a 80 bed care home. on Brownfield/Previously Developed Land. 2.4 This application differs from the previous application with a revised layout and access plan providing a means of safe access and egress from the site at all times. The revised layout ensures : Safe access and egress is provided to the development at all times. No trees covered by the TPO are removed or harmed The woodland is not disturbed in its present form, as such no significant harm is caused to the woodland character The access road does not affect the ecology of the railway siding as the route only crosses the Viaduct at an existing underpass adjacent to the established Cole Green Way underpass. 2.5 The revised access route along with Hertfordshire Highways comment The shuttle bus is an essential requirement of this development to ensure it meets current sustainable transport policy, and it should form part of the wider sustainability/accessibility measures for the site. These will be included within the approved Green Travel Plan and will be subject to ongoing monitoring of the service. The requirement for this service will be dealt with by means of a section 106 agreement, the details of which are outlined at the start of this document. clearly demonstrates the site is in an accessible, safe and sustainable location. 2.6 Appeal decisions are material considerations and as such are relevant to this application. In order to demonstrate that the brickfields location should not be considered remote as stated in the refusal notice. Reference is given to the appeal decision relating to the issue of remote locations. Appeal Ref: APP/Z3825/W/15/3019480 Rusper Road, Ifield, West Sussex, RH11 0LN The inspector stated “ In addition, the appeal site is located approximately 2.5 km from the town centre of Crawley where there is a large range of services and facilities. I accept the views of local residents that there would still be reliance on private motor vehicles to access some services and facilities, however, I am mindful that such trips would be short.” The Brickfields site is less than 1.5km from Hertford Town Centre and its large range of services. Planning Statement May 2016............................................................... Page 3 Brickfields Cole Green Way 2.7 This statement will aim to justify the proposed development’s acceptance in this location having regard to Extracre Housing Needs, Care Home Needs and Housing land Supply issues of the district as well as the socio and economic benefits of the proposal. 2.8 The proposed development would be located just outside of the defined development limits of Hertford within the Hertford Castle Ward and located on Previously Developed Land (Brownfield Land) on the edge of the Green Belt. East Herts District Council is currently undertaking a review of the Green Belt boundaries.. 2.9 The implications of this will be discussed in detail within this application but as a result of the existing land use designations the application is submitted as an exception to current planning policy. The rationale for this departure from the development plan is discussed in detail within this report in relation to local and national planning guidance alongside relevant planning case law. 2.10 During the assessment of this revised application, the Council should recognise that Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) are a truly unique form of housing which are clearly distinct from traditional open market and sheltered housing. The proposed development is fully in accordance with The London Commuter Belt (East) Sub- Region: Older People’s Housing Requirements Study: October 2013, which was agreed as part of the evidence base to inform and support the preparation of the District Plan, and for housing and other corporate strategy purposes. It is also important to note that there are subtleties between this form of development and a traditional residential care home as the scheme also includes self-contained apartments. In doing so it allows greater flexibility with a care provision which can be separated from the provision of accommodation.