Upload
others
View
2
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Statement of Community Involvement
Proposed Residential development of up to 80 dwellings
including public open space and landscaping, Land south of
Radford Bank, Stafford
on behalf of
R P Ward Estate
Date of Report: December 2013
Liberty Stones BA (Hons) Dip TP MRTPI
Fisher German LLP
St. Helens Court
North Street
Ashby de la Zouch
Leicestershire LE65 1HS
Tel: 01530 567478
Email: [email protected]
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
contents
pages
1.0 Introduction 1
2.0 Policy Framework 3
3.0 Methodology 5
4.0 Response to Comments 9
5.0 Conclusion 13
APPENDIX 1 Consultation Leaflet
APPENDIX 2 Plan of area the leaflet was distributed within
APPENDIX 3 Consultation Event Display Boards
APPENDIX 4 Blank Comments Form
APPENDIX 5 Photos of Consultation Event
APPENDIX 6 Comments Received
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
1
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 The proposal comprises a residential development of up to 80 dwellings including public
open space and landscaping on land to the south of Radford Bank, Stafford. The site is
located to the west of the Wildwood area.
1.2 The submission of a planning application for the proposed development follows consultation
with residents living immediately surrounding the proposed site, in the Wildwood area. The
proposal is also informed by technical advice from landscape, ecology and highways
consultants. This Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) outlines the adopted approach
to engagement and consultation in respect of the proposed residential development and is
submitted in support of the planning application.
1.3 The importance of engaging with the local community as part of the planning process is
highlighted by the Localism Act. The Act makes pre-application consultation with local
communities compulsory for development over a certain size. Public consultation provides
the local community with the opportunity to comment on and shape the proposals.
1.4 As set out above outline planning permission is sought for up to 80 dwellings, including public
open space and landscaping on land south of Radford Bank. As part of the consultation
process, a public consultation exhibition was held at Wildwood Community Centre, Stafford,
ST17 4RA, between 4 pm and 7pm on the 28th November 2013.
1.5 This this SCI has been produced in support of the proposal to erect up to 80 dwellings on the
land south of Radford Bank and details the process of community engagement undertaken
in respect of the proposal.
1.6 This statement should be read in association with the following plans and documents:
• Site Location Plan
• Indicative Masterplan (Dwg:5274/ASP3)
• Site Access Plan (Dwg: F13096/01)
• Planning Statement
• Design and Access Statement
• Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey
• Transport Assessment
• Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
2
• Flood Risk Assessment
• Tree Survey
• Cultural Heritage Assessment
• Topographical Survey
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
3
2.0 POLICY FRAMEWORK
2.1 The following policy is considered to be relevant to this SCI:
Localism Act
2.2 The Localism Bill received Royal Assent on the 15th November 2011, creating the Localism Act,
giving additional rights to communities and individuals and promoting the involvement of
communities throughout the planning process.
2.3 Part 6, Chapter 4 of the Act details that there is a requirement to carry out pre-application
consultation where:
“(a) a person proposed to make an application for planning permission for the development
of any land in England; and
(b) the proposed development is of a description specified in a development order.”
2.4 The Act then goes on to detail how development which meets the above criteria should be
publicised and consulted on with the local community.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (March 2012)
2.5 The NPPF received Royal Assent on the 27th of March 2012. The NPPF places importance on
early and meaningful engagement.
2.6 Paragraph 189 of the NPPF states that local planning authorities should “encourage any
applicants who are not already required to do so by law to engage with the local community
before submitting their applications.” The NPPF goes on to state that early engagement has
significant potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning application
system for all parties.
Stafford Borough Council Statement of Community Involvement
(July 2006)
2.7 The Borough Councils Statement of Community Involvemen states that the Local Planning
Authority will “ensure as far as possible, that all sections of the community, and other
interested parties, have at least a reasonable opportunity to engage with the plan-making
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
4
and planning application processes, and are not precluded from taking part in the planning
system should they wish to do so”.
2.8 The document states that “developers are encouraged to undertake pre-application
discussions and early community involvement.” The Council notes that enabling the
community to participate in “identifying issues and debating options from the onset”
provided ownership of decisions.
2.9 The SCI states that “The submission of a supporting statement with the application; showing
the degree to which potential problems and possible public objections identified at the initial
pre-application stage have been addressed would assist in consideration of the application.
2.10 The SCI goes on to state that “Evidence of any pre-application public consultation for major
planning applications should include a Statement of Community Involvement.” The SCI
suggests that major planning applicants/agents should consult through leaflets/letters and via
a public exhibition at the pre-application stage. Once consultation is complete, the
developer will need to assess the implications of any response from the consultation and then
submit the planning application.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
5
3.0 METHODOLOGY
3.1 The applicant has undertaken pre-application consultation to inform the submitted proposals
with the following parties:
• Stafford Borough Council – A pre-application advice request was sent to Stafford
Borough Council on 6 August 2013; a response was never received. Engagement with
other Borough Council departments has been undertaken to understand the extent of
the S106 contributions which would be required.
• Local Stakeholders – Including the Environment Agency and Staffordshire County
Council Highways Department.
• Local Community – Through a Public Exhibition at Wildwood Community Centre,
Stafford.
3.2 This statement seeks to detail the consultation undertaken with the local community.
Public Consultation Event
Summary
3.3 A public consultation event was held on Thursday 28th November 2013 at Wildwood
Community Centre (within close proximity of the proposed development site on land to the
south of Radford Bank). The event was open to all members of the public and ran from 4pm-
7pm.
3.4 The intention of the event was to inform the local community about the proposals, discuss
any concerns, answer questions, and provide an opportunity for local residents to comment
on the proposals.
3.5 The date and time were chosen for the following reasons:
• It facilitated attendance by both working and non-working persons;
• It avoided the weekend when people are likely to be away or spending time with their
families;
• It avoided school holidays;
• It gave the applicant enough time to incorporate any feedback into the development
of the proposal.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
6
3.6 Wildwood Community Centre was chosen as the venue for the consultation event due to its
close proximity to the proposed development site. The centre is well used by local residents
and accessible to all.
Advertising
3.7 A leaflet was distributed to just short of 800 dwellings on the Wildwood estate (properties to
the north of Wildwood Drive); properties on Radford Bank fronting onto the development site;
and, properties overlooking the development site on Windsor Road to the west of the site. A
copy of the leaflet is included within Appendix 1. The area which the leaflet was distributed
within is identified in Appendix 2.
3.8 A leaflet was also left at the Co-op supermarket at Wildwood Gate, Radford Bank Inn, The
Wildwood and Wildwood Community Centre.
3.9 Copies of the leaflet were also sent to local Councillors. In addition copies of the leaflet were
also sent to The Baswich Community Group.
3.10 Following the leaflet distribution it became apparent that residents on Ripon Drive had not
received a copy of the leaflet. A letter apologising for the error and enclosing a copy of the
leaflet was sent by post to the properties immediately. An electronic copy of the leaflet was
also sent to one of the residents living on Ripon Drive for circulation amongst his neighbours.
3.11 One of the Councillors contacted Fisher German to request that properties on Meadow
Ridge and Radford Rise (off Radford Bank) received a copy of the leaflet. Letters enclosing a
copy of the leaflet were sent through the post to these properties.
3.12 A copy of the leaflet is enclosed in Appendix 1. The leaflet provided a brief summary of the
proposed development, a site location plan and details of the date, time and location of the
consultation event. The leaflet also provided a contact e-mail address and postal address in
the event that residents wished to comment on the proposal or ask queries but could not
attend the consultation event.
Display Material
3.13 A number of display boards were produced to clearly illustrate the proposals; the display
boards contained the following information:
• Introduction
• An explanation of why the application is being submitted
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
7
• Discussion on local services and facilities, topography, flood risk and drainage, access,
ecology.
• Details of the proposal
• Indicative masterplans illustrating one of which illustrated an access off Ripon Drive and
one illustrating an access off Radford Bank.
• Information on the next steps.
3.14 The display boards are contained in Appendix 3 of this report.
Record of Attendance
3.15 In order to record the attendance of visitors to the consultation event, a tally of attendees
was taken. A total of 244 people were recorded as attending the consultation event.
Opportunity to Comment
3.16 Three representatives from Fisher German were present at the event to discuss the proposals
and answer any questions.
3.17 Comment forms were provided at the event to ensure residents had the opportunity to note
their observations of the proposal and confirm whether they supported or objected to the
scheme. A blank comments form is provided in Appendix 4 and the comments from the
completed forms are provided at Appendix 6. Photographs of the exhibition are provided at
Appendix 5.
3.18 Residents were advised by Fisher German that it would be beneficial if comments could be
made regarding the merits of the proposal and any planning implications, rather than in
relation to personal concerns such as private views or house prices.
3.19 Residents were also asked to comment on whether they supported the proposal for a
residential development at Radford Bank; which access they thought should serve the
proposed development; whether they had any comments on the proposed layout of the
development; and, whether they had any comments on the amount of public open space
proposed.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
8
3.20 A box was provided at the event for any comments forms to be left on the day and a postal
address and an email address were also provided should residents wish to send their
comments in at a later date.
3.21 It was requested that all comments should be received within two weeks of the public
consultation event, by 5pm on Tuesday 10th December. It should be noted that some
comments were received after this date, but that they have also been considered and
included within this SCI.
3.22 Residents who had contacted Fisher German to advise that they were unable to attend the
consultation event were emailed a copy of the consultation boards, the masterplans and the
feedback form the morning following the event.
Opposition Group
3.23 Members of an opposition group, Wildwood Gate Opposition Group, were present for the
duration of the consultation event. The members stood within the hall and provided residents
visiting the consultation event with a leaflet encouraging them to leave their contact details
to enable the Wildwood Gate Opposition Group to provide residents with regular updates.
3.24 The presence of the opposition group caused some confusion amongst residents in respect of
filling out the feedback forms. Whilst the Fisher German representatives sought to manage this
as far as possible, and advise residents of the difference between the feedback form and
Wildwood Gate Opposition Groups leaflet, some of the objection groups leaflets were
mistakenly posted into the Fisher German comments box. All leaflets relating to the opposition
group and mistakenly posted in the comments box were returned to the opposition group by
post.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
9
4.0 RESIDENT COMMENTS
4.1 A total of 92 response forms were received during and following the consultation event.
4.2 Eight of the respondents ticked the box on the feedback form supporting the proposed
development. Six of the respondents were unsure as to whether they supported the
development and 78 of the respondents did not support the proposed development.
Key Concerns
4.3 The key issues arising from the event and set out within the written feedback are set out
below.
Highways
4.4 Residents expressed concern over traffic congestion in the area. Many commented on the
time it takes to get out of the existing estate onto the A34 Cannock Road. Concerns were
raised over further development exacerbating this issue further. Residents did not want to see
any more traffic using the Wildwood Drive/Cannock Road junctions.
4.5 Comments were also made about the BMW garage to the west of the site; vehicles delivering
cars to the garage are known to park on the road and contribute to the congestion in the
area.
4.6 An overwhelming majority of residents preferred the Radford Bank proposal in comparison to
the Ripon Drive proposal. Residents commented that they would not want a link of Radford
Bank to provide a short cut/through route to the existing Wildwood estate.
Response - As a result of the resident comments and a review of the highways position, a
decision was made to pursue the Radford Bank option for vehicular access. A highways
assessment has been undertaken which evaluates the traffic and transport implications of the
proposed development. Vehicular access is proposed direct to Radford Bank via a T-junction
and is shown on Dwg reference: F13096/01 submitted with this application. The Transport
Assessment demonstrates that the proposed development can be served by a new access
from Radford Bank and would not result in an increase in congestion along the link; the
proposed development traffic increases should not have a detrimental impact on the
surrounding highway network in terms of capacity or highway safety and therefore no
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
10
mitigating improvements should be required. The surrounding opportunities for sustainable
travel should also satisfactorily accommodate any increases in pedestrian, cycle and public
transport trips resulting from the proposed development. The new means of access to
Radford Bank is included in this application and not reserved for future approval.
Open Space
4.7 Residents stated that the site should be left as ‘open space’ and not built on. Others advised
that there would be some loss of open space but that they did not consider that this would
have a significant effect owing to the extent of formal open space to the south of the site.
Response - The importance of green space has been fully considered in the proposal. On site
landscaping and Public Open Space has been incorporated into the design of the
development. The site is currently in private ownership and agricultural use. The public open
space within the site will provide existing and future residents with formal access to this open
space.
Affordable Housing
4.8 Residents expressed mixed views as to the provision of Affordable Housing with many stating
that they did not want any affordable housing in the locality. Others however welcomed the
provision of affordable housing as part of the proposed development.
Response – Affordable housing will be provided in line with policy. This will be agreed through
a S106 planning obligation to ensure that a percentage of the proposed new housing is
dedicated specifically to meet affordable housing needs including new shared equity and
social rented properties.
Ecology
4.9 Some residents commented on the ecological value of the site advising that the site is home
to Great Crested Newts, foxes, Herrons and other birds.
Response - An extended Phase 1 Habitat Assessment has been undertaken which
demonstrates that there are no designated habitats on the proposed development site. Bats
may be present in the wood to the south of the site; mitigation measures including siting the
proposed development 20 meters from the woodland, have been incorporated into the
development as a precautionary measure.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
11
Employment Opportunities
4.10 Comments were made on the limited employment opportunities available in Stafford.
Response - The site is located in close proximity to employment opportunities in Stafford and
has good access to the nearby cities of Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent.
Services and Facilities
4.11 Some comments were made as to the capacity of the local doctors surgeries and schools.
There was concern that increased housing in the area would put pressure on these services.
Response - The proposed residential development of up to 80 dwellings is not considered to
exceed the carrying capacity of schools, surgeries, sewerage and other amenities.
Educational contributions will be made as deemed viable by Stafford Borough Council.
Unallocated Site
4.12 Residents commented that the site is not allocated in the existing or emerging Local Plan.
Response - The Government requires all Councils to demonstrate a five year supply of
deliverable sites. Where Councils are unable to do this there is an opportunity to bring forward
sites which are not allocated in the Local Plan.
Stafford Borough Council is currently unable to identify a five year housing land supply and
must therefore consider sites which are not currently identified in its Local Plan in order to help
to meet its housing need. The development of the land to the south of Radford Bank,
Stafford would contribute to meeting this need.
Flooding
4.13 Residents advised that the site was within the flood plain and therefore not suitable for
development.
Response - The site is not at risk of flooding as defined by the Environment Agency’s flood
maps and demonstrated through further assessment in the Flood Risk and Drainage
Assessment which has been undertaken. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is not at
risk of flooding.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
12
4.14 Copies of all the consultation responses received are included as Appendix 6 to this
document.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
13
5.0 CONCLUSION
5.1 The Localism Act emphasises the importance of consulting with the public on proposals for
development prior to the submission of a planning application. Stafford Borough Council’s
Statement of Community Involvement states that public consultation for a development of
this nature is not mandatory. However, it was considered important to consult with local
residents to inform the final proposal.
5.2 A public consultation event was held at Wildwood Community Centre, on Thursday 28th
November 2013. A total of 92 resident comments have been received in relation to the
proposal. The vast majority of the comments made related to highways and congestion
issues.
5.3 Following due consideration of the formal comments received, as well as comments voiced
by residents at the consultation event, further exploration of the vehicular access to the site
was undertaken by the highway consultants. As a result of this, Radford Bank has been taken
forward to deliver vehicle access to the site. The transport assessment prepared by the
consultants concludes that the proposed development can be served by a new access from
Radford Bank and would not result in an increase in congestion along the link; the proposed
development traffic increases should not have a detrimental impact on the surrounding
highway network in terms of capacity or highway safety and therefore no mitigating
improvements should be required.
5.4 All other concerns in relation to planning issues which arose as a result of the public
consultation have been summarised and responded to in Section 4 of this report. These
matters are considered to have been satisfactorily addressed in this planning application and
its supporting documentation.
Liberty Stones BA (Hons) Dip TP MRTPI
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
14
APPENDIX 1:
Consultation event leaflet
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
15
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
16
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
17
APPENDIX 2:
Plan of area leaflet distributed within
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
18
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
19
APPENDIX 3:
Consultation event display boards
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
20
Thank you for taking time to attend this exhibition setting out
proposals for residential development on Land South of Radford
Bank, Stafford.
The RP Ward Will Trust, the owners of the site, wish to outline their
proposals to local residents before a planning application is
submitted to Stafford Borough Council.
The proposal is to provide a high quality residential
development which serves local needs and makes some
provision towards the Council’s significant five year housing
land supply shortage.
Members of the development team are here today and they
will be happy to assist if you have any questions, comments or
concerns.
We welcome your feedback so please take a moment to
complete a comment form.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
21
The Proposal
The proposal is for a high quality residential development of up
to 80 dwellings. This will include the provision of open space and
landscaping, funding towards education, as well as a wide
variety of housing.
• High quality homes of varying sizes, types and tenures
• Affordable housing provision for local people
• On site landscaping and public open space
• Education contributions
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
22
Why are we proposing this site for development?
The Government requires all Councils to demonstrate a five
year supply of deliverable sites. Where Councils are unable to
do this there is an opportunity to bring forward sites which are
not allocated in the Local Plan.
Stafford Borough Council is currently unable to identify a five
year housing land supply and must therefore consider sites
which are not currently identified its Local Plan in order to help
to meet its housing need. The development of the land to the
south of Radford Bank, Stafford would contribute to meeting
this need.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
23
The site
The site is located to the south of Radford Bank and west of
Ripon Drive. A woodland bounds the site to the south and the
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal forms the western
boundary of the site. The site lies 2.3 km to the south east of
Stafford town centre.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
24
Service and facilities
The site is located in close proximity to a good range of local
services and facilities, being near employment, local shops,
schools, community and recreational facilities, as well as having
good transport links.
Topography
The topography of the site is relatively level although there is a
steep bank up to Ripon Drive and Radford Bank.
Flood Risk and Drainage
The site is not at risk of flooding as defined by the Environment
Agency’s flood maps. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire
Canal is not at risk of flooding. A full Flood Risk and Drainage
assessment will accompany the planning application.
Access
A new primary access point will be created. The site can be
accessed off Radford Bank or Ripon Drive; both options provide
a deliverable access solution to the proposed development
site. The planning application will be submitted with a single
point of access only.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
25
The existing footpath and cycleway along the eastern
boundary of the site will be retained. New, formalised footpaths
will be provided into the open space surrounding the proposed
development.
Ecology
There are no designated habitats on the proposed
development site. Bats are present in the wood to the south of
the site; mitigation measures, which include siting the proposed
development 20 metres from the woodland, have been
incorporated into the proposed site layout.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
26
The Proposed Development
The site constraints and opportunities, as described on the
previous boards, have been taken into consideration
developing the indicative masterplans for the site.
Housing Design
The proposal will progress in the form of an outline planning
application. As such, details relating to the design of housing
will be considered by the Borough Council at a later date as
part of a reserved matters application.
Housing Layout
The masterplans for the site illustrate a scheme of up to 80
dwellings. The schemes have been developed having regard
to:
• The physical features of the site
o The woodland to the south of the site and canal to the
west of the site provide an opportunity to create a
belt of public open space and formal access to the
canal.
o The long thin site lends itself to a more linear road
network rather than a sinuous layout.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
27
o Existing vegetation will be retained and enhanced
wherever possible, especially to the boundary to the
east of the site, as well as the southern boundary
which abuts the woodland and western boundary
formed by the canal.
• Creation of a circulation route
o The creation of a loop road within the site ensures safe
vehicle circulation.
o The loop road also enables secondary pedestrian and
cycle access points through to the existing footpath
and cycleway to the east of the site and to the
proposed public open space.
• Urban Design Principles
o The proposed layout design seeks to create a
development which is of high quality design and
responds and integrates with its surroundings.
o The layouts ensure that the development has a sense
of identity and is legible.
o National and Local Policy and guidance has been
taken into consideration in the preparation of the site
layouts, this includes the Borough Council’s guidance
“Space about Dwellings”.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
28
Site Layout Option 1 – Access of Radford Bank
Site Layout 1 is accessed off Radford Bank. The proposed layout
provides for up to 80 dwellings with a belt of public open space
providing formal public access.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
29
Site Layout Option 2 – Access of Ripon Drive
Site Layout 2 is accessed off Ripon Drive. The proposed layout
provides for up to 80 dwellings with a belt of public open space
providing formal public access.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
30
We are seeking your views on…
• Do you have any comments on the proposed layout of the
development?
• Which access do you think should serve the proposed
development site?
• Do you have any comments on the amount of public open
space proposed?
• Do you have any further comments on the proposed
development?
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
31
Next Steps
Following this public exhibition, we will analyse the feedback
that we receive.
We will then look to submit a planning application to Stafford
Borough Council by the end of the year.
We would like to know what you think of the proposals, and
would be grateful if you could take time to fill out a feedback
form. As part of the application we will produce a Statement of
Community Involvement which will be informed by your
feedback.
Please leave your completed form in the Comments Box
provided, or alternatively, please send your completed form
back to Fisher German by Tuesday 10th December 2013 (return
details can be found at the bottom of the form).
There will be an opportunity to comment formally on the
proposals when the application is submitted to the Borough
Council for determination.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
32
APPENDIX 4:
Blank Comments Form
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
33
Consultation Feedback Form
Thank you for coming to our exhibition today. Please tell us what you think.
Name: _________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Do you generally support our proposal for a residential development at Radford Bank, Stafford?
Yes No Unsure
Which access do you think should serve the proposed development?
Radford Bank Ripon Drive
Do you have any comments on the proposed layout of the development?
Do you have any comments on the amount of public open space proposed?
Please use the space overleaf to provide additional comments
Please return your comments to:
Radford Bank, Fisher German, St. Helens Court, North Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, LE65
1HS or [email protected] by 5pm on Tuesday 10th December. Fisher German will only use the personal information you provide at this consultation for reference and will not contact you.
Fisher German will not publish/share/pass on/sell your details to a third party nor will the information be used for any marketing
purposes. Fisher German will keep this information for a maximum of 12 months, after this period the data will be destroyed
securely.
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
34
APPENDIX 5:
Photos of Consultation Event
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
35
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
36
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
37
APPENDIX 6:
Comments Received
R,P. Ward Estate Statement of Community Involvement
38