Land at Rossmill Lane, Hale Barns - Greater Manchester · Demand Study 2010 by arc4, which was jointly commissioned by Manchester City Council, Salford City Council and the Manchester

Emery Planning 2-4 South Park Court, Hobson Street Macclesfield, SK11 8BS Tel: 01625 433 881 www.emeryplanning.com

Land at Rossmill Lane, Hale Barns

Site-specific representations – Draft Greater Manchester

Spatial Framework 2019

for Mr Arora

EP Project Ref: 16-308

Project : 16-308 Site address : Draft Greater

Manchester Spatial Framework 2019

Client : Mr Arora Date : March 2019 Author : John Coxon / Alexa

Burns This report has been prepared for the client by Emery Planning with all reasonable skill, care and diligence. No part of this document may be reproduced without the prior written approval of Emery Planning. Emery Planning Partnership Limited trading as Emery Planning.

Contents: 1. Introduction 1 2. Site location and description 1 3. The proposition 2 4. Green Belt considerations 4 5. Local infrastructure 6 6. Summary and conclusions 7 7. Appendices 7

Click here to enter text. Draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework 2019 March 2019

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1. Introduction

1.1 Emery Planning is instructed by our client, Mr Arora, to submit site-specific representations to the

Draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) public consultation exercise. This

Statement relates to land at Rossmill Lane, Hale Barns.

1.2 This Statement supports the allocation of our client’s site within the emerging GMSF for up to 10

exceptional executive homes, set in exclusive parkland plots. The proposal would deliver a

unique housing offer that would assist in attracting leading businesses and business owners into

the city region. Affordable housing would be provided as a significant offsite contribution based

on the size of the site rather than the number of market dwellings.

1.3 This Statement is supported by a Vision Document prepared by Barnes Walker (refer to

Appendix EP2). This document is intended to assist in the visualisation of what this proposal

could offer and would, at a later stage, form part of the sub-region’s offer to national and

global businesses considering major investment in the Greater Manchester economy.

2. Site location and description

2.1 The site is located off Rossmill Lane in Hale Barns, which is a suburb of Trafford. It falls within the

administrative boundaries of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. (Refer to site location plan

at Appendix EP1.)

2.2 The site which is around 8 hectares (20 acres) in size comprises three pasture fields used for

grazing horses which are divided centrally by a small area of coppice.

2.3 The site is bounded to the north and north west by a dense wooded valley, to north east by

residential gardens, to the east by Rossmill Lane and residential gardens beyond, to the south

east by wooden copse and a row of residential properties and to the south west by a small

number of properties on Rossmill Lane and Hale Golf Club beyond.

2.4 Access to the site is off Rossmill Lane, which is a private road running between Hawley Road to

the north and Carwood to the South / East.

2.5 The site falls within the single ownership of our client, and is not subject to any known constraints

to development. It is therefore ‘deliverable’ for the purposes of the Framework.


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3. The proposition

3.1 The site offers a unique opportunity to provide 10 truly exceptional homes in a parkland setting

and address a significant gap in the need for leading business owners’ / business executives’

homes in Greater Manchester.

3.2 This offer is needed to support Greater Manchester’s ability to attract national and global

businesses to locate in the sub-region and to enable the sub-region to compete with other

national and international locations.

3.3 This void in the Greater Manchester Housing market was recognised in the Manchester Housing

Demand Study 2010 by arc4, which was jointly commissioned by Manchester City Council,

Salford City Council and the Manchester Salford Pathfinder. Paragraph 2.14 (bullet point 4) of

the study states:

‘The Greater Manchester Strategy also considered the housing preferences of KBI (Knowledge Business Industries) workers, and possible implications for housing demand:……

• Consider opportunities to create some ultra expensive housing in the south of the city and potentially city centre.’

3.4 It is unclear why these findings have not been considered as part of the evidence base for the

GMSF and in this regard there appears to be a gap in the evidence.

3.5 Other national and international locations, for example, in London locations such as Belgravia

and St George’s Park, already have property on offer which is attractive to business owners and

senior executives. Such provision attracts national and international residents who bring

significant business investment to the location.

3.6 Currently in Greater Manchester, homes of this caliber can only be achieved if multiple existing

properties are purchased, enabling the opportunity to demolish and rebuiled on a larger scale.

3.7 An example of this is a site adjacent to this land at 52 Carwood. In order achieve an

exceptional property and setting, the owner had to purchase 5 existing plots / properties to

demolish and re-build one executive home. There is a current application with the Council

(reference 96907/FUL/19) for a further extension to this property as the final stage in the


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development. This demonstrates that options for leading business owners to reside in the city

region are extremely limited.

3.8 The proposed offer is beyond what is currently on offer in Hale and any other location in Greater

Manchester and the wider sub-region. This proposition is therefore not just adding to the supply,

it is creating something exceptional, that can attract inward investment to the city region.

3.9 The site at Rossmill Lane is in the ideal location for the offer, being in the desirable location of

Hale Barns, minutes from Manchester Airport. The site has excellent access to Manchester City

Centre and links to the motorway network,a nd would also be in close proximity to the

proposed HS2 terminal at Manchester Airport.

3.10 This Statement is supported by a Vision Document produced by Barnes Walker. This document

provides a visual representation of what could be delivered as part of this unique proposition.

3.11 In order to achieve the vision, we propose that a site-specific allocation of our client’s site within

Chapter 11 ‘Allocations’ of the Draft GMSF could be worded such that it requires the following:

• The provision of around 10 exceptional executive homes set in exclusive parkland plots.

• The delivery of off-site affordable housing contributions in accordance with planning policy requirements.

• Appropriate access for vehicular traffic and pedestrians and the submission of a Transport Statement.

• Provision of a comprehensive landscaping strategy for the retention and enhancement of landscape features, such as trees and hedgerows, particularly to the eastern and western boundaries of the site.

• Contributions to local infrastructure where appropriate and in accordance with planning policy requirements.

3.12 In addition, it is proposed that the policy should include wording tightly restricting the

circumstances in which the site can come forward for residential development, i.e that

residential development will only be permitted where is can be demonstrated that it is needed

to support significant business investment and employment in the sub-region.

3.13 A similar policy approach was used by Trafford in its Core Strategy policy for Davenport Green

(Policy R4 [R4.3 and R4.4]) which states:


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‘Development on this land will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that:

• It is needed to support approved development proposals at Airport City or for a medipark at the University Hospital South Manchester (the MediPark) or that a need has been generated by a significant change to the economic context of the region as a result of either the growth of Airport City or the MediPark;

• The opportunity will deliver substantial new investment and employment to the sub-region;

• It is in accordance with national guidance;

• There is a comprehensive scheme for the development of the whole site;

• It would contribute significantly to the Plan’s objectives, including the sustainable economic growth of the City Region;

• It will contribute significantly to the achievement of the regeneration priorities set out in Policy L3;

• The site will be accessible by a range of alternative modes other than the private car;

• The 99Ha of land adjoining the development site will be protected, enhanced and managed for ecological interest, recreational access and farming as a rural park; and

• It is in accordance with other relevant policies in the Development Plan for Trafford.’

3.14 Our client is also willing to enter into a legal agreement to tie any development at the site in

with the policy restrictions specified and control the tenancy of these properties.

4. Green Belt considerations

4.1 Our client’s site was assessed under parcel reference TF53 of the Greater Manchester Green

Belt Assessment 2016. Within the assessment of this parcel of land it was noted that ‘the parcel

lies on the edge of Hale and Hale Barns, but the loss of openness within the parcel would not

lead to reduction in gap between these settlements as coalescence has already occurred’.

4.2 Below is a Green Belt assessment with due regard for the main purposes of including land within

the Green Belt as set out at paragraph 134 of the Framework.

Main purpose Assessment

To check unrestricted urban sprawl The site is bounded by:

• Rossmill Lane to the east, south and west; • dense wooded valley to the north and north west,

with wooded copse to the south-east; • residential gardens to the east, north east and south

east; and


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• properties on Rossmill Lane to the south west with Hale Golf Club beyond.

These boundaries provide a robust, permanent and defensible edge such that development would not sprawl any further westwards or southwards.

To prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another

The physical barriers provided by Rossmill Lane and Hale Golf Course beyond would contain any future development, which would be viewed as a consolidated settlement edge to Hale Barns. The separation between Hale Barns and Hale would not be compromised as the coalescence of the two settlements has already occurred (as identified in the Greater Manchester Green Belt Assessment 2016).

Safeguarding the countryside from encroachment

Although the site is presently open and undeveloped, it is influenced by the adjacent settlements of Hale and Hale Barns, which are visible within the wider landscape and provide a residential backdrop. The retention of a heavy landscaped buffer to the west reinforces the western boundary, whilst the provision of a greater landscaped buffer to the south and south-west would strengthen this boundary whilst softening the development edge for users of the PROW network and residents of Rossmill Lane. The large landscaped garden settings of the proposed dwellings will assimilate within the landscape and allow for high levels of characteristic tree and woodland planting within and throughout the proposed site.

Preserve the setting and special character of historic towns

The site does not play a role in the setting or significance of the historic settlements of Hale or Hale Barns.

4.3 Paragraph 135 of the Framework confirms that Green Belt boundaries should only be altered in

exceptional circumstances through the preparation or review of the Local Plan.

4.4 It is considered that the proposed release of this parcel of Green Belt land does represent

exceptional circumstances as it provides a truly unique opportunity to meet the needs of a

niche housing market, to enable the city-region to compete for major investment against other

national and international locations that can already offer exceptional homes of this caliber.

4.5 The site is a natural extension of the existing urban area of Hale Barns and would not impact on

the integrity of the Green Belt band running along the border of Trafford and Cheshire East.


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4.6 Paragraph 138 of the Framework states that when drawing up or reviewing Green Belt

boundaries local planning authorities should take account of the need to promote sustainable

patterns of development. We undertake an assessment below of our client’s land with regard

to the three roles of sustainable development as set out at paragraph 8 of the NPPF:

Economic: There is a need for truly exceptional executive homes to support economic investment in the sub-region. The lack of this type of offer in the current sub-region is a distinct disadvantage in the attraction of the sub-region to potential national and global investors. The proposal therefore has significant economic benefits which are currently incapable of being met.

Social: Paragraph 8 b) of the Framework states that one of the requirements is the supply of housing to meet the needs of present and future generations. The release of our client’s site for new housing development would help to ensure that the sub-region can compete for investment alongside the major economic drivers nationally and internationally and in turn would support the local economy to the benefit of all.

Environmental: The site is highly locationally sustainable with easy and convenient access to a wide range of local services and public transport options. The site is located at the edge of Hale Barns, which is a principle urban area of Trafford and is suitable new housing developments in terms of infrastructure requirements. The release of this site for exceptional executive housing development would comprise a logical urban extension with negligible impacts in relation to the main purposes of including land within the Green Belt and limited landscape impact. The release of our client’s site for housing would relieve the development pressure on more environmentally sensitive greenfield and Green Belt land across Greater Manchester.

4.7 The release of our client’s site from the Green Belt for a unique residential offer as part of the

emerging local plan is considered to be fully justified with due regard for paragraphs 133 to 142

of the Framework.

4.8 In order to provide sufficient flexibility, safeguarded land should be designated in the event that

allocated sites and / or SHLAA sites do not deliver as envisaged. This would accord with

paragraphs 139, bullets 2 and 3 of the Framework.

5. Local infrastructure

5.1 The site is located to the edge of the existing built-up areas of Hale Barns, with no fundamental

constraints in terms of utilities and surface and foul water connections. It is in close proximity to

existing key services such as schools and health facilities. Given the nature of the proposals, any

planning application could secure the provision of significant developer contributions to local

services such as education and health facilities where appropriate and in accordance with


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planning policy requirements and the tests set out through the Community Infrastructure Levy

(Amendment) Regulations 2018.

6. Summary and conclusions

6.1 Our site-specific representations with regard to land at Rossmill Lane, Hale Barns can be

summarised as follows:

• This Statement supports the allocation of our client’s site within the emerging GMSF for up to 10 exceptional executive homes, set in exclusive parkland plots, to supply homes for top executives bringing new significant investment to Greater Manchester;

• This Statement is supported by a vision document prepared by Barnes Walker. This document is intended to assist in the visualisation of what this proposal could offer and would, at a later stage, form part of the sub-regions offer to national and global businesses considering major investment in the Greater Manchester economy;

• the release of the land from the Green Belt for housing is fully justified with regards to paragraphs 133 - 142 of the Framework;

• the delivery of this site can be tied to a suitable legal agreement which would ensure that development of the land will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that it is needed to support substantial new investment in the sub-region;

• the site is highly locationally sustainable in terms of access to key services and public transport.

• The site is within the single ownership of our client. The site is ‘deliverable’ as required within the plan period and beyond to serve this unique housing need.

7. Appendices

EP1 - Location Plan

EP2 –Vision document by Barnes Walker

EP1

Land at Rossmill Lane, Hale Barns

Ordnance Survey © Crown Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. Licence number 100022432. Plotted Scale - 1:5000

EP2

Documents

Land at Rossmill Lane, Hale Barns - Greater Manchester · Demand Study 2010 by arc4, which was jointly commissioned by Manchester City Council, Salford City Council and the Manchester