Development Consultation Forum

1. Development Consultation Forum Copseys Nursery/Manor Farm 15th March 2012

2. Programme • 18.00 - Introduction – Councillor Guest • 18.05 - Explanation of process and planning history – Chris Murray • 18.15 - Presentation by Developers • 18.35 - Invited speakers • 18.45 - Written consultee responses • 18.55 - Developer response to issues raised • 19.05 - Councillor opportunity to ask questions • 19.35 - Summary of key points • 19.45 - Chairman closes Forum meeting

3. The purpose of the Forum is… • To allow developer to explain development proposals directly to councillors, public & key stakeholders at an early stage • To allow Councillors to ask questions • Informs officer pre application discussions with developer • Identify any issues that may be considered in any formal application. • Enable the developer to shape an application to address community issues

4. The Forum is not meant to… • Negotiate the proposal in public • Commit councillors or local planning authority to a view • Allow objectors to frustrate the process • Address or necessarily identify all the issues that will need to be considered in a future planning application • Take the place of normal planning application process or role of the Development Management Committee

5. The outcome of the Forum will be… • Developer will have a list of main points to consider • Stakeholders and public will be aware of proposals and can raise their concerns • Councillors will be better informed on significant planning issues • Officers will be better informed as to community expectations during their pre application negotiations with developers

6. Copseys Nursery/Manor Farm

7. Copseys Nursery/Manor Farm

8. Planning History • The site is currently used for limited Horticulture (Copseys Nursery) and as Agricultural fields (Manor Farm). • The site is located outside the built up area and is therefore currently classified as Countryside. As such the site is not at present allocated for development. • The land forms part of the Emsworth Gap under the Saved Policy UF1 of the Local Plan and Policy CS11 of the Core Strategy. • Part of the site is however identified (amongst others) in the Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) under reference UE4. • This identifies the land in two parts with an indicative number of dwellings of 105 (Manor Farm element) and 70 (Copseys Nursery element).

9. Planning History There are three previous planning applications of particular relevance: • Erection of glasshouse at Market Garden, Spindle Gardens. Permitted 22.05.67 18470/1 Heated greenhouse at market garden, Spindle Close. Permitted 19.01.71 20496/1 Outline Residential Development Land at east end of Fifth Avenue – Land at Manor Farm. Refused 11.02.88

10. Policy Background • Planning Policy Statements • Saved Policies from Local Plan (HBDWLP) • Contributions Policy (SPD) • Supplementary Planning Guidance • South East Plan

11. Key Planning Issues Principle of Development • The development site is outside the urban area as defined in current policy. • Therefore, this Consultation process is taking place at an early stage to identify key issues and to involve the local community. • The developers have indicated that a scheme of around 200 dwellings is being proposed.

12. Key Planning Issues Highways and Access • Assessment of additional traffic generation and highway impacts • Impact on the Level Crossing and traffic flows • Potential pedestrian bridge across railway • Access from Glenleigh Park, Fifth Avenue and Blenheim Gardens. • Pedestrian/emergency access from Hallett Road • Accessibility to public transport • Parking issues • Pedestrian and cycle provision

13. Key Planning Issues Built Form and Design • The impact of the development would need to be assessed in its context in Denvilles and the character and appearance of the area. Trees and Wildlife • Trees on site are subject to TPO’s • Possible impact on protected species Environment • Drainage and flooding • Surface water drainage • Foul drainage issues

14. Key Planning Issues Residential Mix Can the No. and size of dwellings be suitably provided? Is the mix of house types and sizes acceptable. Affordable housing provision.

15. Noise Issues • Impact of Traffic Noise • Design/landscaping implications Open Space • Location and uses of land • Allotment provision • Impact on Emsworth Strategic Gap Historic Environment • Archaeological issues

16. Presentation by Developers

17. Invited Speakers • Clifford Smith – Warblington and Denvilles Residents Association • Andrew Biltcliffe – Planning Policy HBC

18. Invited Speakers Warblington and Denvilles Residents’ Association • Welcome the addition of a footbridge • Queues along Southleigh Road are of concern • Length of time the barrier is down has no pattern • The situation will be impacted by the development at Hampshire Farm and the crematorium at Bartons Road • The proposed new dwellings at Locks Farm will also impact on the queues

19. Invited Speakers Warblington and Denvilles Residents’ Association • Frequent and erratic closure of the crossing causes inconvenience • Traffic situation should be discussed before the application is submitted • Drainage will be a problem • Gardens in local residential properties have been flooded • It is unlikely that a planned swale and pond will have sufficient capacity • Desire a detailed survey including historic evidence to ensure that drainage is not an issue

20. Invited Speakers Andrew Biltcliffe – Planning Policy HBC • Adopted Core Strategy (March 2011) – Policy CS17 and Key Diagram. • Site is outside the defined urban area. • Council must plan for new homes – A 5 Year Supply of sites. • Allocations Plan is being prepared – Adoption end of 2013. • Site is identified in the SHLAA as a potential housing site.

21. Invited Speakers Andrew Biltcliffe – Planning Policy HBC • Speculative greenfield proposals are premature to the Allocations Plan process. • Departures can undermine plan process and set precedents. • Localism Act – Emphasis on Developer to engage with Communities to gain support and identify community needs. • Speculative greenfield applications are capable of being considered positively, despite being departures to policy but must be advertised as such.

22. Consultee Responses Havant and Bedhampton Community Network • We discussed this possible development at a meeting some time ago and there was representation from local residents at that meeting. • The main concern was one of access through a narrow road onto Southleigh Road and the proximity of the level crossing. I believe that there has been a suggestion that a pedestrian footbridge over the level crossing may be provided. • In addition some local residents have experienced flooding issues.

23. Consultee Responses Highways HCC • Due to the scale of the proposed development the County Council would provide the highway recommendation. • A planning application will need to be supported by a Transport Assessment (TA) and a Residents Travel Plan (RTP). Transport Assessment • The developers’ transport consultant has already been in contact with the County Council regarding proposals for the scope of the TA. • The TA will need to cover: - The number and type of homes proposed, - The number of trips generated, - Whether the trips would be by car, bus, rail, walking or cycling.

24. Consultee Responses HCC Highways (Continued) - The impact of additional trips. - Whether the existing transport facilities are adequate to serve this development. - An assessment of the site access roads, the local road network and its junctions leading to the main roads serving this part of the Borough and neighbouring West Sussex. • The TA will assess: - The adequacy of local facilities for bus passengers, cyclists, rail users and pedestrians and identify any shortcomings with these facilities so that, if the development was to proceed, future residents would be encouraged, wherever possible to use alternatives to car travel. - The safety record on the roads likely to carry significant volumes of additional traffic and identify locations where preventable road traffic accidents occur. - These locations will need to be the subject of more detailed assessment and where appropriate, safety improvements will be required.

25. Consultee Responses HCC Highways (Continued) Residents’ Travel Plan • The purpose of a Residents’ Travel Plan would be: To provide information to future residents on the sustainable travel facilities available locally and provide incentives for their use. • The Plan will set mode share targets aiming to encourage residents to make the best use of existing sustainable travel facilities, and those provided through the development. • HCC Transport Contributions Policy would apply and Developer Contributions would be used to fund mitigation measures identified in the TA and from the Transport Contributions list.

26. Consultee Responses HCC Highways (Continued) • Key issues for this development are likely to be: • The impact of additional traffic on the proposed site access roads. • The traffic impact of the development on Southleigh Road, its junctions and potentially further afield. • The potential for development traffic to increase traffic congestion at the level crossing on Southleigh Road. • Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the railway and access the platforms at Warblington Station. • Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists from the site to access local schools, services and facilities within Havant town centre. • The impact of construction traffic on local roads and the need for a construction traffic management plan • The appropriateness of car parking levels proposed on site.

27. Consultee Responses Environment Agency Flood Risk • The site is located within flood zone 1 which is considered to have a low probability of flooding. • However as the site is over one hectare, therefore Planning Policy Statement 25 requires a Flood Risk Assessment to be submitted to consider the site’s vulnerability to flooding from all sources. • We would expect to see the final drainage strategy include a range of Sustainable Drainage Schemes. Potential Contamination • The site lies on the River Terrace Deposits which are classified as a Secondary Aquifer in terms of the quantity of water it can yield for supply and our policy for the protection of groundwater. • We recommend that the requirements of PPS23 – “Planning and Pollution Control” - Annex 2: ‘Development on Land Affected by Contamination’ are followed.

28. Consultee Responses Environment Agency Continued: Ecology • There is a watercourse adjacent to the site. Development should not encroach on watercourses as this would have a potentially severe impact of the ecological value. Water Quality • The development falls within the sewerage catchment of Budds Farm Treatment Works. These works are required to operate to one of the tightest limits for nitrogen removal in the Country, in order to protect the integrity of Habitats Directive designations in the Solent and the Harbours. The Partnership for Urban South Hampshire Integrated Water Management Strategy indicated that there is capacity for Budds Farm to accommodate the allocated developments within its catchment; however this conclusion was only reached based on the inclusion of water efficiency measures. Water efficiency is therefore key to the sustainability of developments within this catchment.

29. Consultee Responses Urban Design HBC The application needs to: Reflect the positive aspects of the existing area • The adjacent area has a very strong, distinct and attractive character. The streets are suburban and spacious, with detached houses on generous plots, including many fine Edwardian and 1930’s houses. The applicant needs to reflect this pattern in their proposal. Have a more sensitive approach to the countryside edge • The scheme needs to act as a transition between the generous suburban context and the countryside to the east. Front gardens facing the eastern edge would help ease the transition to the countryside.

30. Consultee Responses Urban Design HBC Continued The application needs to also carefully consider the relationship with and potential impact on neighbours • The proximity of new development will have an impact on adjacent homes, and the applicant needs to design in measures to mitigate any potential negative impacts from the outset, such as greater back to back/separation distances between the new units and the existing units and a strong landscape buffer in between.

31. Consultee Responses Economic Development HBC • Developers should make a commitment if the project goes ahead to work closely with Jobcentre Plus in the recruitment of construction workers and to try to ensure that sub contractors do likewise. • Additionally where possible use firms that have a policy of employing apprentices. • This can be codified into an Employment and Skills Plan.

32. Consultee Responses Housing HBC • Proposals for range of housing from 2-5 bedrooms. • Includes affordable housing for which there is a high demand – Currently 5609 households are registered requiring all sizes of accommodation across all areas of the Borough. Current backlog of need means some applicants for 3 bed properties are waiting in excess of 10 years. • Core Strategy Policy states that sites should deliver between 30-40% affordable housing. On this site we could expect delivery to be in the region of 40% taking into account that the site is considered to be in higher value area.

33. Consultee Responses Housing HBC • Affordable housing should provide a variety of unit sizes and tenures to satisfy current demand. • Would expect to see a proportion of shared ownership/shared equity homes delivered within the affordable housing quota. Latest figures report 287 applicants from Havant requesting these products. • Would expect to see a number of units developed for customers with mobility issues and the site could be suitable for provision of specialist or supported housing tenures dependent on local need. • All affordable housing units will be expected to comply to at least level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, or such level as is required at the time of the development.

34. Consultee Responses Ecologist HCC • Has no significant concerns to raise at this stage.  • Welcomes the fact that an ecological study has been undertaken.  • Advises that if any potential for protected species was noted on the site, full surveys (along with detailed mitigation schemes) would need to be submitted in support of the planning application.  • The public open space should include areas of habitat creation.  The nature and extent of this should be informed by the ecological surveys that have taken place.  The proposals should also make provision for ecological enhancements over and above any mitigation measures required. • Natural England need to advise regarding impacts to nearby statutory protected sites.  It does not appear that any non-statutory sites would be adversely affected by the proposals. 

35. Main Points of Discussion Developers’ Response to Questions: • The proposal would be within Havant, which is the preferred location for new housing. • The proposal would count towards the overall housing numbers. • Surface Water drainage would be constructed in consultation with the EA. • Aware of existing drainage issues in neighboring properties • Attenuation for the next 100 plus years flood events • Large storms would be catered for in the drainage apparatus

36. Main Points of DiscussionCouncillors’ Questions Q What breakdown of no. of flats? A Yet to be finalised. There will be some 2 bed flats. Smaller units will be flats and will be in the centre of the development. 2.5 storey units along the eastern boundary. 50% flats with 2 beds and 50% houses Q What is the policy regarding the sustainability of houses? A Barratts are at the cutting edge. Dwellings in this development will be code level 3 across the entire development – not just the affordable housing. This will be within the fabric of the building rather than as ‘bolt-ons’, therefore no maintenance costs.

37. Main Points of Discussion Councillors’ Questions Q What level of parking provision will there be? A The Council has published standards which are no longer maximums. These standards will be met. Q How will existing residents be assured that the footbridge will be built? A Negotiations with Network Rail are ongoing. Q At what stage of the development would the footbridge be built? A This cannot currently be confirmed, but will depend on dates for track possession. The footbridge would have a steel frame which will allow for quick erection over the railway.

38. Main Points of DiscussionCouncillors’ Questions Q Do the developers think that they’re addressed all of the residents concerns regarding traffic? A Could the traffic calculations be explained – i.e. 4 additional cars. Similar sites are used to calculate the increased levels of transport. Existing traffic in the area is also monitored and used to predict future flows. Routes that traffic will take is also used to predict to what extent the queues will increase in length. Q Will ‘real data’ be used? A 2 methods have been used to predict traffic generation. Also similar sites have been used. The routing of vehicles can be calculated in a number of different ways. Census data is also used. Existing information is used in combination with surveys.

39. Main Points of DiscussionCouncillors’ Questions Q Do the developers take into account the number of additional cars that families will have as children grow up and buy their own cars? A Survey data takes into account different ages of families e.g. young and mature families. The average no. of cars per family is 1.27 according to the data used. Q Does the traffic survey take the junction between Emsworth Road and Southleigh Road into consideration as there have been several accidents there. A The accident record will be taken into consideration to see if the traffic lights have to be phased. The traffic report will be available for scrutiny.

40. Main Points of DiscussionCouncillors’ Questions Q Will the roads within the site be adopted by HCC? A The roads will be built to adoptable standards so that they can be adopted. Q Can it be assumed that an application will not be lodged until an agreement re the pedestrian bridge has been reached with Network Rail? A The pedestrian bridge is important both to the development and to the existing community. There will be an agreement in principle with Network Rail. Q What route would the construction traffic take? A The development is still at an early stage, it would be the route which had the least impact on neighbouring residents and would be agreed after discussion with Highways Engineers.

41. Main Points of DiscussionCouncillors’ Questions Q Does the traffic survey take new development in Emsworth into consideration or does it just use the existing situation as a base point? A The traffic at the predicted opening time will be used in surveys – not all future possibilities. (The developer can only consider the current situation not what might occur in the future. Every subsequent application will be taken into consideration.) Q Will the pathways for people walking from the site to the centre be suitable for people with prams etc? A The traffic statement has to look at all modes of transport.

42. Main Points of DiscussionCouncillors’ Questions Q What provision would there be for the parking of cars? Will there be on site parking? A Parking will be within the curtilage e.g. drives. There will be some parking courts which will be close to properties and covered by natural surveillance. Q The entrance from Blenheim Gardens is narrow. What would be planned for this entrance? A The access would have to be widened. There is sufficient space to do this – up to 5.5 meters.

43. Main Points of DiscussionCouncillors’ Questions Q Is the roundabout next to Asda going to be impacted by traffic travelling north and then west? A The traffic survey will look at where traffic goes. It will not be restricted to just the site itself, but will look at the area beyond. The roads to the north will be looked at in terms of capacity and safety. Q What impact will there be on traffic in Bartons Road? A High capacity roads e.g. A27 are more difficult to deal with, however the developers are aware that there are sometimes problems on this road.

44. Main Points of DiscussionCouncillors’ Questions Q Will private houses be built to the same size standards as the social houses? A No. The affordable houses will be approx 10% larger than private housing. HBC doesn’t have standards re size of rooms in private houses. Q If there is a block of flats will the HA take over all the flats within the block? A There are a limited no. of flats in the site. There are some flats over garages. There is only 1 block and they will all be affordable – i.e. all the same size. Q Will affordable housing be ‘pepper potted’? A The affordable housing will be ‘pepper potted’ throughout the site and will be tenure blind.

45. Questions from the floor Q Are there any plans for the sewage pumping station at Glenleigh Park? A Existing foul water will be pumped to wherever has the capacity. Q Why has the original plan for access adjacent to the TPO been changed? The distance from the TPO to the kerb is 23 inches. How can this stop the widening of a road? A The advice regarding the impact on the TPO tree was taken from the HBC tree officer. The RPA and canopy must be taken into consideration.

46. Questions from the floor Q How are the existing roads going to cope with the additional traffic as they are quite narrow? A All roads in the area are approx 5.5 m wide and will accommodate increased levels of traffic. The site will have its own parking therefore it will not lead to additional parking in adjacent roads. Parking on roads can act as a natural form of traffic calming. Access is spread over all entries.

47. Questions from the floor Q What are the plans for the north and west boundaries? A The boundaries will have to be looked at in further detail. Any impact on adjacent properties will be carefully considered in terms of outlook, privacy and loss of available sunlight. Q Is there any provision for the addition of lighting at the top end of Southleigh Road? A Highways contributions could be used. It is up to the HCC transport engineers.

48. What Happens Next? • Summary notes circulated to attendees • Officers will discuss outcomes with developer • Developer will continue to develop proposals and consider issues raised by Forum • Decision as to form of application and timing of submission rests with developer.