Appencix C Wragley Way Report to Development Control Committee 10/10/2006 Item 2.1 Reg. No. 9/2006/0070/M Applicant: Agent: Hallam Land Management Limited Sigma Planning Strelley Hall Sigma House 6 Garden Street Strelley Tunbridge Wells Nottingham Kent NG86PE TN1 2XB Proposal: Housing development roads and recreational open space on Land east of Arleston Lane and South of Wragley Way Sinfin Derby Ward: Stenson Valid Date: 18/01/2006 Reason for committee determination Consideration of this application is complicated by a number of factors. These include the judicial review of the Council’s Planning Policy Position Statement published after the withdrawal of the emerging Replacement Local Plan, striking at the validity of the Council’s previous position on the proposal. More importantly, insufficient information has been submitted to determine it. This information is promised in time for the forthcoming inquiry into an appeal against non-determination. Pressure will be placed on the Council and the highway authorities to deal with this information right up to the inquiry and scant time will be allowed for public consultation. On this account, the decision of the Planning Inspectorate to allow the appeal to proceed is regrettable but the Council has no option but to respond. The purpose of the report is to seek the views of the Committee as to how it would wish to determine the application and/or what view to put to the forthcoming inquiry. Site Description The application site is a largely undeveloped area of countryside lying between the urban area of Derby to the north and the A50 trunk road to the south. The character of the area is one of open agricultural fields, mainly in arable use but with some pasture. The part of the site to the east of Deepdale Lane contains an existing farmstead (Ashlea Farm). Field Page 1 of 15 boundaries are mainly hedgerows with some isolated trees. Overhead electricity pylons cross the site. Proposal The application is in outline for approximately 950 dwellings, accompanied by illustrative drawings, an Environmental Statement, a Sustainability Appraisal and a Planning Statement. Notably no Traffic Impact Assessment was submitted for consideration. This information was sought through the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, along with ecological matters, but was not supplied. The applicant has indicated that the requisite information will be presented to the Planning Inspectorate by 24 October (four weeks before the inquiry date). Access to the development would be from Wragley Way to the north, crossing land within Derby City and Deepdale Lane to the east. It is not proposed to provide access to Arleston Lane. On site open space would be provided in the main beneath the overhead electricity lines and over the high-pressure gas main that runs through the site. Major open space would be sited within the City limits and is subject to a separate appeal against non-determination by Derby City Council. Applicants’ supporting information The applicant has provided substantial supporting information as referred to above. The summary of the planning statement is re-produced below: 7.1 The application site is in an area, to which countryside policies apply and where planning consent would not normally be granted for housing (Local Plan Environment Policy 1 and Housing Policy 2). However, the strategic need for housing and the absence of adequate sites within the existing built confines of settlements means that land outside settlements must be considered for housing. This is a significant material consideration. 7.2 The site adjoins and is well related to the urban area of Derby. It generally satisfies the locational and other criteria of the following policies:- RSS8 - Policy 2 - Policy 5 - Policy 15 JSP - GDSP 1 - GDSP 2 - GDSP 3 - Housing Policy 4. Page 2 of 15 In the absence of adequate previously developed land in urban areas to meet the housing requirement, the application site is an urban extension which represents the next most sustainable option (PPG3, Paragraphs 30 and 67) in the search sequence. 7.3 It also meets JSP Housing Policy 17, which states that the housing provision should include sites on the periphery of Derby. 7.4 The Environmental Assessment submitted with this application demonstrates that there are no significant environmental impacts that would preclude the development of the site. 7.5 The site has well defined boundaries. The landscape impact is localised and the visual impact of the housing is capable of extensive mitigation. It will not be a prominent intrusion into the countryside. 7.6 There is no material loss of agricultural land of the best and most versatile quality. 7.7 There will be a loss of habitat but on balance the impact on ecological resources will be positive and bio-diversity and woodland cover will be enhanced. 7.8 The scheme will make good use of existing infrastructure. 7.9 No historic buildings or important archaeological or geomorphological resources will be compromised. 7.10 There is no general problem of flood risk and watercourses will be incorporated and enhanced in terms of their function and their ecological value. 7.11 Noise, air quality and water impacts are mainly neutral with some potential for positive improvement. 7.12 The development will provide adequate sports and recreation facilities and will also enhance current local deficiencies. 7.13 Whilst this is an outline planning application, there are no identifiable constraints upon the ability of the detailed proposals to:- - provide at least 20% affordable and special needs housing; - create a mixed community with a better mix in size, type and location of housing than is currently available; Page 3 of 15 - make efficient use of land by providing a range density of - development in the range of 30 – 50 dwellings per hectare. - produce a high quality of residential development incorporating best practice design principles as set out in guidance produced, inter alia, by the ODPM, DTLR, CABE and other interested bodies, including “By Design” and “Secure by Design”. The design of the landscaped and residential areas will be laid out in accordance with best practice guidance from, inter alia, English Nature, Sport England, NPFA and ODPM. 7.14 The three most important advantages of the proposed development are its unrivalled potential to:- i) create more sustainable patterns of development by building in ways which exploit and deliver accessibility by walking, cycling and public transport to jobs, education and health facilities, shopping, leisure and local services. ii) build communities by integration with the existing community through the use, support and enhancement of services and facilities, which can be shared by existing and new residents. This extensive and mature local service base does not exist in such a convenient and comprehensive manner anywhere along the southern periphery of Derby. The Sinfin locality is therefore the optimum location for new development in South Derby. iii) alleviate an existing local deficiency in the provision of recreational space. 7.15 Details of the high levels of sustainability offered by this site and the potential to reduce car dependence are set out in the Sustainability Appraisal prepared by DPDS Planning, which accompanies this application. 7.16 The rival sites being promoted at Boulton Moor and Willington Power Station are compared, in terms of their sustainability credentials, in the Alternative Site Analysis Report in the Environmental Assessment (Chapter 14 of Volume 2 and Chapter 10 of Volume 3). The conclusion of this analytical comparison is that the Wragley Way site demonstrates significantly greater sustainability credentials than the other two sites and therefore would be in greater conformity with National and Regional policy that seeks to direct new development to the most sustainable locations. 7.17 Assessing the three sites against the five criteria set out in Paragraph 31 of PPG3 Page 4 of 15 a. the availability of previously developed sites - Wragley Way and Boulton Moor are both greenfield sites. Willington Power Station is a previously developed site containing a proportion of open land. However, any advantage it gains from its status as being previously developed is negated by its isolated location, away from any major urban area and remote from existing facilities. Whilst the presumption that previously developed sites should be developed before greenfield sites is acknowledged, the Willington Power Station site performs so poorly in relation to the remaining criteria listed in Paragraph 31 as to preclude its use for housing before the Wragley Way site (PPG3, Paragraph 32). b. location and accessibility to jobs, shops and services by modes other than the car - the Sustainability Analysis and Alternative Site Analysis Report demonstrate the significant superiority of the Wragley Way site over its two rivals in this respect. Willington Power Station has very limited local services available in the village, most of which are outside easy walking distance. Bus services are infrequent and journey times long. The railway station is not within easy walking distance and the level of service is very limited. Residents will have little option other than to use their cars on routes utilising local rural roads. Boulton Moor is a residential add-on to an area that has limited existing local community facilities or other services. Bus services are available but will have to be substantially re-routed to provide bus stops within walking distance of all parts of the development. For many journeys the private car will be an attractive or essential alternative to walking, cycling or public transport. Indeed, the attractions to car users of easy access to the A6 and A50 were one of the primary reasons that residential development has been promoted at Boulton Moor in the past. Accessibility by private car was seen as an advantage.