Chapter 8
HOUSING
INTRODUCTION AND PLANNING CONTEXT
8.1 Two functions of the Local Plan are to identify land on which new housing can be built to 2011 and to set out the Council's policies for dealing with the many planning applications for housing development.
8.2 The aims of the Local Plan, as set out in Chapter 2, include aim 4: to maintain and improve the quality of life of all members of the local community. This is a particularly important principle for the housing chapter but there are other goals which the housing policies seek to achieve. The goals which are particularly relevant include:
i) making sufficient land available to enable the Structure Plan housing requirements to 2011 to be met;
ii) ensuring a range of housing types is provided to meet the needs of the local community, including affordable housing and homes for those with impaired mobility;
iii) securing the provision of local facilities in association with new development;
iv) locating most new housing close to existing services and facilities so as to reduce the need to travel by car; and
v) reducing the need for development on greenfield sites by re-using vacant and under-used land and buildings in settlements and encouraging higher density developments where appropriate.
The Structure of this Chapter
8.3 This chapter follows a structure which is broadly consistent with the local plan strategy set out in Chapter 3. The policies are divided into four broad sections:
i) the amount and location of new housing development;
ii) making the most efficient use of land and buildings;
iii) widening housing opportunity and choice; and
iv) extending and altering existing residential properties.
8.4 Policies in other chapters of the Plan will also be important when considering proposals for housing development including, in particular, the general strategy, development control and leisure chapters. Cross referencing is included in the supporting text to aid understanding of interrelated issues.
8.5 In developing the policies for this chapter the Council has taken full account of planning advice from central government, Regional Planning Guidance, the Oxfordshire Structure Plan and the responses to the consultation carried out following publication of the Local Plan Issues Report in August 2000. These are considered briefly below.
Planning Guidance from Central Government
8.6 Government planning guidance on housing is set out principally in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing (PPG3). The government intends that everyone should have the opportunity of a decent home and that local planning authorities should:
i) meet the housing requirements of the whole community including those in need of affordable and specialist housing, and provide a better mix in the size, type and location of housing;
ii) provide sufficient housing land, in the right place at the right time, giving priority to re-using previously developed land in urban areas. The national target is to provide 60% of additional housing on previously developed land and through the conversion of existing buildings. In identifying sites, local planning authorities are advised to follow a search sequence starting with the re-use of previously developed land and buildings (which should be developed before greenfield sites), then urban extensions and finally around nodes in good public transport corridors. Sites should be located so as to be accessible to jobs and services by means other than the car, use spare capacity in existing infrastructure, help to build communities and take account of physical and environmental constraints. The provision of more housing in town centres is encouraged. Local planning authorities are advised to make the best use of land and seek developments of between 30 and 50 dwellings per hectare and higher densities close to good public transport corridors. Rather than the previous approach of 'predict and provide' for new housing, the guidance encourages a 'plan – monitor –manage' approach, where the housing requirements and the ways in which they are to be met are kept under regular review;
iii) promote good design in order to create attractive high quality environments where people will want to live.
Regional Policy Background
8.7 Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) carries forward the themes established by central government. Particular emphasis is given to meeting future development needs without perpetuating the trend for dispersed and land-extensive patterns of development, especially as the population is likely to consist of a higher proportion of one and two person households. A key feature of the guidance is to concentrate development in urban areas and achieve urban renaissance, so the towns and cities are more attractive places in which to live, work and engage in cultural and leisure activities.
8.8 RPG9 requires that 39,000 dwellings should be provided each year between 2001 and 2006 in the area of the South East outside London. Oxfordshire is to provide 2,430 dwellings a year. Full use should be made of urban land, and outside London at least 60% of development should be on previously developed sites or should occur through the conversion of existing buildings. A range of house sizes and tenures is to be provided and a provisional indicator is that outside London 18,000–19,000 affordable houses should be provided each year. This is almost 50% of the annual provision. The draft South East Plan to 2026, which is likely to be approved in 2008, proposes a higher level of housing development for Oxfordshire.
The Oxfordshire Structure Plan
8.9 The housing policies in the Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2011, which pre-dated the regional guidance referred to above, required that 35,500 dwellings be provided in the county between 1996 and 2011. This was slightly less than the figure in RPG9. The Vale had to accommodate some 5,750 dwellings over this period, of which 500 were to be located to the west of Didcot as part of a major expansion of the town. In the 2011 and 2016 Structure Plans the main locations for housing in the county are Banbury, Bicester, Didcot and Witney. Elsewhere most new housing development should take place in settlements where a reasonable range of employment services and community facilities exist or can be provided. Significant additional developments should be avoided where they are likely to result in cars commuting to urban areas and where travel needs are unlikely to be well served by public transport. Provision is to be made for a variety of dwellings in terms of location, size and density, including affordable housing. Proposals which make effective use of the housing stock will be encouraged. The Oxfordshire Structure Plan to 2016 requires that some 7,150 homes be provided in the Vale between 2001 and 2016, and names Grove as one of the main locations for housing development in the county where some 2,100 homes should be built.
Local Consultation
8.10 The Local Plan Issues Report, published in August 2000, sought the views of local people on a number of housing issues the Council would need to address. The responses showed a majority of people in support of:
• concentrating development at the Vale's five main settlements. However, there was no clear view as to whether the development required on greenfield sites should be spread on a range of sites or concentrated in one location, such as west of Grove;
• new building not being allowed to extend the built-up areas of villages into the surrounding countryside;
• allowing groups of up to nine dwellings to be built on sites in the larger villages, but restricting developments to sites for one or two dwellings in the smaller villages;
• promoting well designed, higher density developments, although there were concerns that high density housing can harm communities and the environment if they are not planned with care; and
• the provision of more small residential units.
POLICIES AND PROPOSALS
The New Housing to be Provided in the Vale to 2011
The Amount of New Housing
8.11 Significant progress has already been made in providing the housing requirements specified for the Vale in the Structure Plan to 2011. Table 8.1 below shows that at April 2005 4456 dwellings had already been built or had planning permission for development. An additional 80 dwellings are also likely to be provided on small sites not identified in the Plan (in accordance with policies H10–H13 below). A further 2126 dwellings are likely to be provided on the new allocations made in policies H2–H9 below. If all the development provided for in the plan was to take place by 2011 the Structure Plan requirement to 2011 would be exceeded. However, there are a number of areas of uncertainty which need to be taken into account. Some 80 dwellings are estimated to result from development on sites which cannot yet be identified, and 1550 dwellings are proposed on four greenfield sites, two of which have a complex package of services, facilities and infrastructure provision to be negotiated before development can commence. Some potential ‘over provision' is therefore necessary to ensure that the Structure Plan housing provision can actually be met. The additional land identified in the plan will provide certainty and will count towards the housing required in the next plan period. This is consistent with government advice that local plans should identify ten years' supply of housing land at the date of their adoption. The second and third phases of development on the former airfield at Grove, not included in the figures below, will also count towards the supply of housing land in the longer term.
Table 8.1 The number of dwellings to be provided in the Vale 1996 – 2011
| Didcot Area (Vale) | Rest of the Vale | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Total Supply 1996 - 2011 | 500 | 6162 | 6662 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Structure Plan Requirement 1996 - 2011 | 500 | 5250 | 5750 |
The Distribution of New Housing
8.12 The sites proposed for development in this Plan take account of the findings of a detailed study of the capacity of the Vale's five main settlements to absorb more housing. Many of the sites are identified for future housing development within the built-up areas of Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage. All of these sites involve land which can be described as previously developed. Some are already the subject of planning applications or known developer interest and may well be permitted by the time the Plan is adopted. However, these sites do not provide sufficient housing to enable the Structure Plan requirement to be met and therefore additional greenfield land has had to be identified. The Council has decided to do this on the edges of the five main settlements in accordance with the general strategy for the location of development set out in Chapter 3 above. No new greenfield housing sites are identified on the edges of the Vale's villages and housing developments which extend their built-up areas will not be permitted.
8.13 The Council has carefully evaluated a range of sites on the edges of the five main settlements, sought the views of its Sustainability Panel and considered the responses to the consultation on the Issues Report and the first deposit Local Plan. As a result it has decided to concentrate most of the greenfield development needed to meet the Structure Plan requirement outside the Didcot area in two locations, on the former airfield west of Grove and the former nursery and existing cricket ground south east of Faringdon. In the Council's view development west of Grove offers an excellent opportunity to provide a high quality, sustainable development, which is reasonably well located in relation to the expanding job opportunities at Milton Park, Harwell and Grove Technology Park. It offers the opportunity to build a community and support new physical and social infrastructure and will boost the regeneration of Wantage town centre. It is in a location which minimises the damage to natural resources and has the capacity to provide for housing beyond the end date of this Plan (see paragraph 8.16 below). The development of the former nursery and existing cricket ground at Faringdon will widen the choice in the location of new housing development and will support local services, facilities and businesses in the town. This will help maintain the town as a service centre for the western part of the Vale and is consistent with the Healthcheck and Action Plan for Faringdon (2002) supported by the District and Town Councils and the Countryside Agency. The alternative option, of spreading development on a range of smaller sites on the edges of all the five main settlements, was not chosen as it would be more harmful to physical and environmental factors, would be no more sustainable in transport terms and would be less successful in facilitating the provision of additional services and facilities to help build local communities. As a result of the Inspector's conclusions on the local plan inquiry that some limited new allocations are required to ensure that structure plan requirement to 2011 is met, two further sites have been identified for housing development on previously safeguarded land on the edge of Botley. Together these sites will provide an additional 280 dwellings in a highly sustainable location in terms of minimising the need to travel by car.
8.14 Table 8.2 below shows that of the houses to be built in the Vale from 1996, 74% will be in the five main settlements of the Vale and on the edge of Didcot. The three settlements taking the largest share of the growth will be Abingdon, Faringdon and Grove. The rural areas will accommodate 26% of the development (some 1736 dwellings) with the majority of this (87%) having already been built or with planning permission.
Table 8.2 The distribution of dwellings to be provided in the Vale 1996 – 2011
| Dwellings built since 01.04.96 and dwellings permitted at 01.04.05 | Dwellings to be provided on unidentified sites | Dwellings on new allocations not permitted as at 01.04.05 | Total | % of total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Main settlements in the Vale sub total | 2944 | 31 | 1451 | 4426 1 | 66 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Didcot |
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| 500 | 500 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The larger villages | 1162 | 34 |
| 1196 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The smaller villages | 202 | 8 | 100 | 310 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elsewhere | 148 | 7 | 75 | 230 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 4456 | 80 | 2126 | 6662 | 100 |
The Managed Release of Sites
8.15 The government's good practice guide on the managed release of housing sites states that local authorities may wish to designate strategic sites which they consider to be essential to their strategy for meeting housing requirements over a longer term. This signals the foundation for future housing development in the area which may extend beyond the life of the plan. The Oxfordshire Structure Plan to 2016 has proposed that GSrove should be a location for major housing development to 2016 and beyond. The Council has thought carefully about the longer term potential offered by the Grove airfield site and considers that it should be designated a strategic site, where development will be planned to extend beyond the life of this Plan. The former airfield is a relatively homogenous site with few clear boundaries within it and once development starts in the area it would be difficult to resist its further spread. The Council has decided to identify the whole site, which could accommodate about 2,500 dwellings and associated facilities, so that it can be planned in a comprehensive way at the outset. This will be of benefit to the local community as it will give certainty in the future, and will enable the planned provision of services and infrastructure, which would be more difficult to achieve with a piecemeal approach to development. The airfield site is likely to be developed over a fifteen year period, from 2006 to 2021.
LAND WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICIES H2–H12 BELOW TO ENABLE THE STRUCTURE PLAN HOUSING REQUIREMENTS TO 2011 TO BE MET. THE SITES IDENTIFIED IN POLICIES H2–H9 ARE DEFINED ON THE PROPOSALS MAP.
New Housing Sites Identified in the Local Plan
8.16 Policies H2–H9 below identify sites for housing development. Some of these were permitted for development at 1 April 2005 (marked with *) and are generally included in the policies to give a more complete picture of where development is likely to occur in the district. If these permissions lapse the Council is likely to permit applications for their renewal, subject to detailed site considerations. The sites without an annotation were not permitted or allocated at April 2005, although some sites have been the subject of planning applications which the Council has resolved to permit, subject to details being finalised or a legal agreement being signed. An estimate of the number of dwellings that could be built on each site is included within the policies. These numbers only provide an indication of the likely scale of development and are not binding on the Council. The figures may be increased or decreased in the light of detailed design considerations when a planning application is made. The sites are shown on the proposals map and more detailed supplementary planning guidance has been prepared for the former nursery site at Faringdon and the strategic site west of Grove.
Housing Sites in Abingdon
8.17 The nine sites identified for development in Abingdon under policy H2 below are all on previously developed land within the built-up area of the town. Planning applications have been submitted on all the sites and at 1 April 2005 the Council had resolved to grant permission on all except that to the rear of the Police Station in Colwell Drive . These sites will be expected to provide high quality, high density
housing commensurate with a historic market town location.
POLICY H2
THE FOLLOWING SITES IN ABINGDON (AS SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP) ARE IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
Site Ref | Estimated Number of Dwellings to 2011 |
i) PENLON, THE VINEYARD * | 90 |
49 | |
24 | |
90 | |
80 | |
20 | |
vii) 2 – 12 BERRYCROFT * | 10 |
viii) SOUTH ABINGDON COMMUNITY CENTRE * | 12 |
ix) HALF OF THE THAMES VIEW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE | 80 |
* Sites with planning permission for ten or more dwellings at 1 April 2005
Housing Sites in Botley
8.18 The Timbmet site at Cumnor Hill, Botley, will become available for redevelopment during the Plan period. The site is in a highly sustainable location, being close to a wide range of jobs, services and public transport facilities. Timbmet occupies some 8 hectares of land, of which some 3 hectares are in the Oxford Green Belt and part of the site is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSS1). The Council proposes that the part of the site fronting Cumnor Hill, which is not in the Green Belt or designated an SSS1, should be developed for housing. At an average of 40 dwellings per hectare, this part of the site could accommodate some 180 dwellings. The southern part of the site, which is within the Oxford Green Belt, should be restored to open space with access for the public. The removal of the large sheds and open storage areas will improve the visual amenities of the Green Belt and its openness. The redevelopment of part of the site for housing gives an opportunity for providing much needed affordable housing in the area and will help to redress the imbalance between jobs and housing in the Oxford area. The Council has resolved to permit housing on the nursery school and Timbmet sites. Following the Inspector's report on the Local Plan the Council has accepted his recommendations to allocate the formerly safeguarded land at Tilbury Lane and Lime Road for housing development to provide 280 dwellings in a highly sustainable location in terms of minimising the need to travel by car. The Tilbury Lane site is greenfield land and that at Lime Road is partly previously developed.
THE FOLLOWING SITES IN BOTLEY (AS SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP) ARE IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
Site Ref | Estimated Number of Dwellings to 2011 |
i) THE TIMBMET SITE AT CUMNOR HILL FOR HOUSING | 180 |
ii) THE NURSERY SCHOOL SITE, ELMS ROAD | 30 |
iii) 82 – 86 CUMNOR HILL * | 14 |
150 | |
130 |
* Site with planning permission at April 2005
Housing Sites in Faringdon
8.19 Policy H4 below identifies two sites for housing development, at Swan Lane and the Tennis Club, on previously developed land within the built-up area of the town. The policy makes provision for housing development on two sites on the edge of the town. The first includes the properties of Winslow and Coxwell House to the east of Coxwell Road and the second, much larger site, involves land between Stanford Road and Park Road on the cricket pitch and former nursery. On this site B1
will be permitted to the south of the housing, and access will be taken from Park Road. The site will only be permitted as part of a comprehensive scheme for housing and employment in association with an extension to the Folly Park (see policies E3iv and L13). Contributions will need to be made to improve the services and facilities in the town in accordance with policy DC8 of this plan. Supplementary planning guidance sets out detailed development principles and guidance.
THE FOLLOWING SITES IN FARINGDON (AS SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP) ARE IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
Site Ref | Estimated Number of Dwellings to 2011 |
i) SWAN LANE* | 66 |
ii) THE TENNIS CLUB, PROVIDED AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE SITE IS AVAILABLE * | 10 |
iii) LAND AT WINSLOW AND COXWELL HOUSE, | 37 |
DEVELOPMENT ON THE FOLLOWING SITE WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME INCLUDING HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, AN EXTENSION TO FOLLY PARK AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ACCESS TO THE PARK. NO DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE CRICKET GROUND UNTIL AN ALTERNATIVE FACILITY OF EQUAL OR BETTER QUALITY IS AVAILABLE FOR USE.
400 |
* Sites with planning permission at April 2005
Strategic Housing Site West of Grove
8.20 Paragraphs 8.13 and 8.15 outline the reasons why the Council has decided to designate the former airfield west of Grove as a strategic housing site to last beyond this plan period. The proposal is in conformity with the Oxfordshire Structure Plan to 2016 which proposes Grove as a location for major housing development. It is envisaged that the development will occur in three broad phases: 500 dwellings to be built between 2006 and 2011, 1000 dwellings between 2011 and 2016 and 1000 dwellings between 2016 and 2021.
8.21 The Council wishes to see a distinctive, high quality, sustainable development on the site where people will be pleased and proud to live. The Council recognises that development of this scale will be a very large addition to the community of Grove and will also impact on people living in Wantage and East Challow. For these reasons the Council will work with the local communities, the developer and those providing and managing the infrastructure and services to plan the new development in a way which integrates with and benefits the existing communities. The Council will seek funding for a community development worker and information centre to aid the process of integration throughout the site's development. Grove is a settlement which has developed in a piecemeal way, particularly as a result of the planning permissions that were granted on appeal in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a consequence it lacks many of the services and facilities that a settlement of its size (about 8,000 people) could expect and many of the services and facilities it does have, such as primary schools and community centres, are operating at capacity. For these reasons the Council will require that many of the services and facilities detailed in policy H5 below are provided at an early stage of the development. Although it will not be possible to provide everything at the beginning, the Council will be working with the existing community, the developer and the service providers (such as for health, education, libraries, sport and leisure facilities and community buildings) to seek ways of ensuring that the new residents have access to the facilities they need without overburdening the existing facilities in Grove. The phased provision of adequate services and facilities for the new residents must be guaranteed before the Council will grant planning permission for any development on the site. This will be achieved by conditions on the planning permissions and appropriate legal agreements with prospective developers.
8.22 In accordance with policy H16 below, the Council will be seeking about 50% of the dwellings on the site to have one or two bedrooms to meet the needs of the increasing number of small households. It will also seek that 10% of the dwellings are developed to lifetime home standards. 40% of the dwellings should be affordable for local people in accordance with the requirements of policy H17 below and the dwellings should be distributed evenly through the site. Further information on this is available in the Council's Supplementary Planning Guidance on affordable housing. Within these requirements the Council would also like to see the provision of housing for the elderly, with warden facilities, that would be suitable to rent or buy.
8.23 The Council envisages an attractive and vibrant local centre at the heart of the new development which will provide a range of uses including shops, a library, a civic open space (which could include a paved pedestrian area and garden), an indoor sports hall, a community centre, provision for pre-school children, a primary school, small offices and business premises, live–work units where the commercial use at street level would be linked internally to a dwelling at the upper floor levels and closed circuit television for security purposes. A pub, wine bar or café would provide a valuable focus for the new development. Where possible, residential units should be provided on upper floors above these buildings where the design requirements indicate this would be appropriate. This could be above the library, shops and offices. Such dwellings would be particularly suitable for single person households and those without children.
8.24 The development should provide for the needs of pre-school children in the form of a building that can be used by young children and parents, and the need for crèche and day care facilities for working parents should also be investigated. Two primary schools will be provided, one of which will be required in the early stages of development as the existing primary schools are already operating over capacity. The question of whether the existing schools in Grove could be expanded on a temporary basis to take the very first children will be investigated. The issue of secondary education in the Grove and Wantage area has been the subject of much debate locally. King Alfred's Community and Sport College in Wantage currently operates on three separate sites which is far from ideal. The County Council, as education authority, is currently exploring a number of options to improve the situation, including the provision of a new school campus in Grove or a single new school to serve the needs of both Grove and Wantage pupils. Inevitably, the decision will be influenced by the District Council's decision to propose major development at Grove. It will not be possible for the children of secondary school age from the proposed development to be accommodated satisfactorily within the present form of the King Alfred's school. However, it is not for the Local Plan to express a view or take a decision on one of the options. The task is to ensure that land is identified, as necessary, to meet the future educational needs, in whatever form they are to be addressed, and to make sure that new development in the area makes appropriate financial contributions towards the agreed provision. Policy H5 below requires that a secondary school is provided as part of the new development. The form this should take will be the subject of discussion between the education authority and the local communities. An opinion poll carried out for the County Council in 2003 showed the majority of the community to be in favour of the two secondary schools option with one school located in each community. Ideally the Council would like to see a secondary school located on the edge of the local centre to improve its vitality and diversity. However, if a single new school is to be provided for Grove and Wantage, it would be preferable to locate this closer to Wantage, rather than within the centre of the new development. This will be the subject of further discussion.
8.25 The development site should contain a network of open spaces for children's play, playing fields, landscaping areas and a buffer zone to the noisy uses which take place on Grove Technology Park. As the site currently has few trees on it, it will be important for new planting to create smaller, more enclosed spaces to make a comfortable living environment. Opportunities should be taken to create green corridors and new wildlife habitats to benefit the biodiversity of the area. Civic spaces should also be created within the development which could comprise areas of paved pedestrian areas and public gardens. There is also a need to provide space for informal recreation, such as walking, jogging, picnicking and flying kites, and a need to keep an open area between the two communities of Grove and Wantage to maintain their separate identities. Facilities such as a play wall, a multi- purpose, all-weather ball-game area or hang-out area will be necessary for teenagers, and public art projects should be provided in accordance with policy DC4. The need for allotment land and cemetery space should also be considered.
8.26 Policy H5 below seeks a safe and convenient network of movement corridors (for cars, buses, cyclists and pedestrians) within the site. This should be accessible to all users, including those with impaired mobility, in accordance with policy DC5. It will also be important to link the development to existing facilities in Grove and Wantage, including the proposed rail station, the health centre in Mably Way, Grove Technology Park and Wantage town centre. In particular the Council will seek effective measures to minimise traffic using the narrow and congested roads in Grove to gain access to the A338, and those through Charlton village to avoid the town centre. The realignment of Denchworth Road south of Grove to Mably Way, or the provision of an alternative road, to provide a convenient alternative route and an attractive approach to the major new development area will be necessary. Traffic from the site could impact on settlements outside Grove and Wantage, including East Challow, East Hanney and Denchworth, for example. The Council will seek to ensure these communities are not adversely affected by traffic from the development. Financial contributions will be sought for improvements to the A338 north of Grove and the A417 east of Wantage to improve highway safety. Contributions will also be necessary to improve the accesses to the A34 (see the transport chapter on the Didcot Integrated Transport Strategy) and to improve public transport services to Wantage and the surrounding major employment areas.
8.27 The existing roads in Grove and Wantage are not capable of accommodating all the traffic from the development without seriously harming the amenities of existing residents or jeopardising highway safety. Significant improvements are likely to be necessary which will need to be the subject of further consultation. Excellent footpath and cycle and public transport links to the rest of Grove will need to be created and improvements to the Mably Way/A338 junction provided to increase the attractiveness of the southern link to the A338 in the first phase of the development to 2011 (500 dwellings). The second phase from 2011 to 2016 (1,000 dwellings) will include traffic management measures to seriously deter vehicles from using the existing roads within Grove. A new road from the site to the A338 north of Grove will be required to be started early in the second phase of development and completed before any more than 1,500 dwellings in total have been built on the site. In the third phase of the development from 2016 to 2021 (1,000 dwellings) it will also be necessary for contributions to be made towards the construction of a new relief road scheme for Wantage, the routing, phasing and timing of which will be determined through the Wantage and Grove Area Strategic Transport Study (see policy TR1 in chapter 5).
8.28 Financial contributions will be required to improve off-site facilities such as the transport measures outlined above and other facilities in Grove and Wantage, including for example the swimming pool at Wantage Leisure Centre. Improvements may be needed to Wantage Fire Station unless alternative facilities such as sprinklers, can be provided, or it may be preferable to establish a new base for the emergency services, more conveniently located to serve the new development and the existing communities. The development will also be expected to link to footpaths and cycleways in the surrounding area. This will include to Grove, Wantage and the surrounding villages. Two such links will be along the Letcombe Brook and the Wilts and Berks Canal (see Chapter 10) where contributions will be sought to help with its restoration. Given the amount of land still available for development on Grove Technology Park and the potential for job creation at Milton Park and the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, no new employment land is identified in the Grove and Wantage area in the Plan beyond the small offices and business premises in the mixed-use local centre. However, this will be reviewed when the plan is rolled forward.
8.29 To ensure these requirements come together in a way which achieves a high quality, sustainable development, the Council will require that the development takes place in accordance with comprehensive development principles and guidelines which will include such matters as: design quality, accessibility and permeability, integration and inclusion, environmental protection and resource conservation, infrastructure and service provision, timescales and phasing. An outline of the development principles and guidelines is contained in supplementary planning guidance for the site and all planning applications will be expected to comply with it.
8.30 The implementation of the comprehensive development principles and guidelines will require all the landowners and developers on the site to work together. Ideally this would be a single body or a consortium of developers that would assume responsibility for all stages of planning, designing and implementing the development. If the site were developed by a number of developers sharing no common purpose it would be difficult to ensure the delivery of a high quality, sustainable development, with the services provided when needed by the new population. Accordingly the Council is committed to working with the developer, the local communities and service providers to achieve these objectives. Within the overall concept, a diversity of design will be sought through the establishment of different character areas. The Council recognises that the site will be built by different developers who will bring their own flavour to the site but this must be consistent with the overall design concept.
8.31 The development will be able to fund the majority of the measures outlined above. However, while the development could fund a new secondary school to serve the children on the new development, it could not reasonably be expected to provide the land and fund all the new buildings for major new secondary school to serve the secondary school children in both Grove and Wantage, or the Wantage relief road scheme. The Council will therefore expect the developers and service providers to enter into partnerships where this is necessary to achieve the proper provision of services for the community as a whole. Most of the facilities on the site should be provided by the developer during the course of building the site or should be funded by the developer in total. A commuted sum will also be sought to cover the on-going maintenance costs of the facilities provided on the site in accordance with policy DC8. For the facilities to be provided away from the site, the Council will seek financial contributions, secured through a legal agreement in accordance with Circular 05/2005.
THE FORMER AIRFIELD WEST OF GROVE IS IDENTIFIED AS A STRATEGIC HOUSING SITE WHERE DEVELOPMENT WILL LAST BEYOND THE LIFETIME OF THIS PLAN. PROPOSALS WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE THEY ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES WHICH ACHIEVE A DISTINCTIVE HIGH QUALITY, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WHICH WILL INTEGRATE SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE EXISTING VILLAGE AND ITS COMMUNITY AND WHERE ALL NECESSARY ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET. THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES TO SERVICE THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE PROVIDED AT THE EARLIEST PRACTICABLE STAGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE WILL INCLUDE THE ON-SITE PROVISION OF:
i) ABOUT 2500 DWELLINGS TO 2021, OF WHICH SOME 500 DWELLINGS WILL BE BUILT BY 2011. THE LAND DEVELOPED FOR HOUSING (ABOUT 62.5 HECTARES) WILL BE AT 40 DWELLINGS PER HECTARE AVERAGE NET DENSITY OVER THE SITE AS A WHOLE;
ii) A MIX OF DWELLING TYPES AND SIZES IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY H16 BELOW;
iii) 40% OF THE DWELLING UNITS TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY H17, WITH THE UNITS DISTRIBUTED EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE AREA USED FOR HOUSING;
iv) HOUSING SUITABLE FOR THE ELDERLY, WITH WARDEN CONTROL, IF APPROPRIATE TO THE IDENTIFIED NEED;
v) A MIXED USE LOCAL CENTRE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL TO INCLUDE
a) A PRIMARY SCHOOL
b) A COMMUNITY CENTRE OF AT LEAST 1400 SQUARE METRES
c) AN INDOOR COMMUNITY SPORTS HALL AND HARD SURFACED AREAS FOR SPORT
d) A LIBRARY
e) LOCAL SHOPS AND RETAIL SERVICES, INCLUDING A SUPERMARKET AND FURTHER SMALL PREMISES INCLUDING AT LEAST A PHARMACY, A POST OFFICE AND A PUBLIC HOUSE, CAFÉ OR WINE BAR (NOT LESS THAN 1000 SQUARE METRES IN TOTAL)
f) SMALL PREMISES WITHIN CLASS B1 OF THE USE CLASSES ORDER
g) LIVE–WORK UNITS WITH INTERNAL ACCESS BETWEEN THE WORKSPACE AND A DWELLING AT UPPER FLOOR LEVEL
h) RESIDENTIAL USES ON THE UPPER STOREYS OF USES d–g) ABOVE, WHERE APPROPRIATE
i) A PRIMARY CIVIC SPACE INCLUDING A PAVED PEDESTRIAN AREA AND PUBLIC GARDEN
j) FACILITIES FOR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN
k) PARKING FOR CARS, MOTORCYCLES, MOPEDS AND CYCLES AND
l) CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION;vi) AN ADDITIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOL;
vii) A SECONDARY SCHOOL;
viii) FACILITIES FOR TEENAGERS;
ix) A NETWORK OF OPEN SPACES LINKED BY SAFE AND CONVENIENT PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLE ROUTES TO THE LOCAL CENTRE AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE TO INCLUDE
a) EQUIPPED AND INFORMAL CHILDREN'S PLAY AREAS WITHIN OR CLOSE TO THE LAND DEVELOPED FOR HOUSING (ABOUT 5 HECTARES)
b) CIVIC SPACES (ABOUT 3 HECTARES)
c) PLAYING FIELDS FOR OUTDOOR COMMUNITY SPORT (ABOUT 11.25 HECTARES)
d) A COMMUNITY PARK (OF SOME 23 HECTARES)
e) STRUCTURAL LANDSCAPING AREAS AND A BUFFER ZONE TO GROVE TECHNOLOGY PARK (OF SOME 12.5 HECTARES);x) A PUBLIC ART PROJECT OR PROJECTS;
xi) MEASURES TO ENCOURAGE THE EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY, WATER AND OTHER RESOURCES;
xii) SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE WORKS;
xiii) A NETWORK OF FOOTPATHS, CYCLE TRACKS, ROADS AND BUS ROUTES AND ASSOCIATED PROVISION WITHIN THE SITE WITH CONNECTIONS TO EXISTING AND FUTURE NETWORKS;
xiv) THE REALIGNMENT OF DENCHWORTH ROAD OR AN ALTERNATIVE ROAD SOUTH OF GROVE TO MABLY WAY IN THE FIRST PHASE OF THE DEVELOPMENT;
xv) A NEW ROAD FROM THE SITE TO THE A338 NORTH OF GROVE TO BE STARTED EARLY IN THE SECOND PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMPLETED BEFORE ANY MORE THAN 1,500 DWELLINGS IN TOTAL HAVE BEEN BUILT ON THE SITE;xvi) FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE SOUGHT TOWARDS THE FOLLOWING MEASURES THAT WILL NOT BE PROVIDED ON THE SITE INCLUDING:
a) THE PROVISION OF OFF-SITE FOOTPATHS AND CYCLE TRACK LINKS, ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN GROVE, WANTAGE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. THESE WILL INCLUDE
• MEASURES TO MINIMISE TRAFFIC FROM THE DEVELOPMENT USING DENCHWORTH ROAD AND OXFORD LANE WITHIN THE CURRENT BUILT-UP AREA OF GROVE TO ACCESS THE A338, AND HARCOURT ROAD, HARCOURT WAY AND CHARLTON VILLAGE ROAD THROUGH WANTAGE
• IMPROVING THE LINKS FROM THE SITE TO FACILITIES IN GROVE AND WANTAGE, INCLUDING TO THE PROPOSED RAIL STATION, THE HEALTH CENTRE IN MABLY WAY, WANTAGE TOWN CENTRE AND GROVE TECHNOLOGY PARK
• IMPROVING CYCLE LINKS TO MILTON PARK AND THE HARWELL SCIENCE AND INNOVATION CAMPUS
• IMPROVING THE A338 NORTH OF GROVE, THE A417 EAST OF WANTAGE AND ACCESSES TO THE A34
• A RELIEF ROAD SCHEME FOR WANTAGE;b) THE PROVISION OF IMPROVED PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES AND ASSOCIATED FACILITIES (INCLUDING BUS PRIORITY MEASURES AND HIGH QUALITY BUS WAITING FACILITIES) TO
• THE PROPOSED RAIL STATION AT GROVE
• WANTAGE AND THE MAIN EMPLOYMENT AREAS AT THE HARWELL SCIENCE AND INNOVATION CAMPUS, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON AND OXFORD; ANDc) ENHANCING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES IN GROVE AND WANTAGE INCLUDING WANTAGE SWIMMING POOL AND FIRE STATION AND THE RESTORATION OF THE WILTS AND BERKS CANAL.
Housing Sites in Wantage
8.32 Policy H6 below identifies three sites for housing in Wantage, all of which are on previously developed land within the town. All of the sites had planning permission at April 2005. These sites will be expected to provide high quality developments at densities appropriate to their location close to the town centre. The reorganisation of the secondary school could lead to additional brownfield sites being made available for development in the longer term.
THE FOLLOWING SITES IN WANTAGE (AS SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP) ARE IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
Site Ref | Estimated Number of Dwellings to 2011 |
20 | |
ii) GARSTON LANE SCHOOL * | 65 |
iii) NORTH OF LIMBOROUGH ROAD* | 24 |
* Sites with planning permission for ten or more dwellings at 1 April 2005
Major Development West of Didcot
8.33 The Oxfordshire Structure Plan proposes major housing development at Didcot adjoining the western edge of the town and extending north and south of the Wantage Road (B4493). Although Didcot is in South Oxfordshire, the administrative boundary between the two districts is close to the western edge of the town. In recognition of this, the Structure Plan requires some 500 dwellings of the western expansion of the town to be built in the Vale. In preparing their local plans the two councils worked together to determine the optimum form and layout of the development. The proposals map shows the land allocated for that part of the area which lies within the Vale. Fig 8.1 shows the whole extent of the area including that part which is allocated in the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011. It includes a 12 hectare field in the north western corner which is to be considered as a reserve allocation, solely for the purpose of accommodating playing fields, if such a facility cannot be located elsewhere within the area.
8.34 The Councils intend to deliver a high quality, sustainable, mixed-use development. This will necessitate landowners and/or developers with a legal interest in the land to work together. Ideally this would be as a single body – 'the Master Developer' or 'Promoter' – that would assume responsibility for all stages of the planning, design and implementation of the site. This is the approach advocated by the Urban Villages Forum as best able to achieve sustainable, high quality development. If the site was developed piecemeal by a number of landowners and developers sharing no common purpose then it would be difficult for the Councils to ensure the delivery of quality, sustainability and services when needed by the new resident population. The Councils will seek a legal agreement that would establish a single body to act as Master Developer.
8.35 The comprehensive planning of this major housing development should cover the following: the identity of the Master Developer; a site appraisal; the creation of walkable neighbourhoods; the disposition, function and design of all built development, public buildings, public urban space and public green space networks; a transport strategy; the definition of character areas; energy conservation and resource management; surface water drainage; protecting the historic environment; protecting and enhancing the ecology of the area; and the phased implementation of the development, delivery and management of infrastructure and services. Further details are contained in Appendix 5 to this Local Plan. These requirements are identical to those set out in South Oxfordshire's adopted Local Plan.
8.36 The criteria in policy H7 below set out the requirements for the development of the area. The average net housing density specified in criteria (i) is justified having regard to the need to make efficient use of the land and to the large proportion of small dwellings required in the area by criterion (ii). It is also justified by the intended delivery of very good accessibility to a wide range of services, facilities and employment opportunities in the site by all modes of transport.
8.37 The proportion of small dwellings in the general market housing sector required by criterion (ii) is justified by the local need for this type and category of dwellings as shown in the Councils' Housing Needs Assessments. The Council will seek about 10% 1 bedroom units, 40% 2 bedroom units, 30% 3 bedroom units and 20% 4 bedroom units and larger. As far as the mix of affordable housing is concerned the Councils will seek to ensure that the type and size of housing provided meets the need. The Council will also consider a mix of tenures depending on the identified needs and together with South Oxfordshire District Council will clarify the detailed requirements for different categories of affordable housing in the development area. This mix may change as the development progresses and the position alters.
8.38 The Councils will require the affordable housing required by criterion (iii) to be distributed evenly throughout the area in order to encourage the development of a mixed and balanced community as advocated in PPG3.
8.39 There will be three new neighbourhoods in the development area with the district centre being the focal point of the central neighbourhood as well as being the focal point of the development as a whole. Neighbourhood centres will be the focal points of the other two neighbourhoods.
8.40 These centres will enjoy good accessibility by all modes of transport and as such they are the appropriate locations for local services that generate many trips from new homes. The centres and the main movement corridors linking them are also the preferred locations for higher-density development containing large numbers of small dwellings in accordance with criterion (ii).
8.41 The requirement for the provision of new schools is based on information received from the County Council, acting as local education authority, and from the Learning and Skills Council. The school buildings should be focal points and key buildings in the townscape and should not be located away from street frontages in open campus settings where they would not fulfil these urban design functions.
8.42 The justification for the provision of three community centres on the site is based on the identified accommodation requirements of those voluntary and local authority bodies that intend to provide valued services to the new community. In planning the three community centres the Master Developer should have regard to the outline planning briefs that these bodies have supplied to South Oxfordshire District Council setting out their accommodation needs. The Councils, however, will seek to ensure by means of legal agreements that accommodation to be provided in all three community centres is not used exclusively by particular bodies. As with schools, the Councils will require the community centre buildings to act as focal points and key buildings in the townscape of the district and neighbourhood centres.
8.43 In planning the provision of indoor and outdoor community sports facilities the Councils will require the development to have regard to the background paper entitled Didcot West Development: Sport and Recreation Facilities Planning Brief, published by South Oxfordshire District Council. This recommends that all the community sports facilities be located at and adjacent to the new secondary school. This location will enable the provision of a dual-use sports facility maximising the benefits that can be obtained by both the school and the community in terms of the quality of the facilities to be provided and in terms of engaging young people in sports activity.
Fig 8.1 The Major Development Area West of Didcot
[click on image to enlarge - opens in a new window]
8.44 In accordance with PPS6, the Councils are proposing the establishment of convenience shops and other service uses in the district centre and two neighbourhood centres to meet people's day-to-day needs for convenience goods and services. The limitations on the number of such shop and service uses and the amount of floorspace to be provided are justified having regard to the position of the district and neighbourhood centres in the local hierarchy of centres. These local centres should be small in scale and the trade generated in them should not be such as to undermine the vitality and viability of Didcot town centre.
8.45 In order to enhance their vitality, the Councils will require the provision in the district centre and two neighbourhood centres of a number of two and three storey buildings with a mix of land uses in individual buildings. As a guideline, the Councils suggest the provision of about ten such individual buildings in mixed use in the district centre and three such buildings in each of the two neighbourhood centres. The reason for the limitation on the number and size of commercial uses is explained in paragraph 8.44 above. A proportion of these mixed use buildings will be 'live–work units' where the commercial use at street level would be linked internally to a dwelling at upper floor level. As a guideline, the Councils suggest that 50% of these mixed-use buildings should comprise 'live–work units'. Narrow-fronted buildings (5 to 8 metres wide) are required to create active frontages and a rich variety of buildings in the three centres.
8.46 The requirement for the provision of primary health care facilities located in the district centre is based on advice received from the local Primary Care Trust relating to the health care requirements of the new population.
8.47 The amount of land to be used for public space is based on the standards contained in the South Oxfordshire design guide and on the particular circumstances of the site. Public urban spaces will comprise focal points in the built-up area. Civic squares will have predominantly paved surfaces providing an open setting for buildings enclosing them. The focal points will also include public gardens with predominantly planted surfaces. The land uses to be accommodated in public greenspace are set out in criterion (vii) and the public realm functions are described in paragraph (iv) of Appendix 5. This requirement is justified particularly having regard to the need to provide generous space for informal recreation in an area containing a high proportion of small dwellings, some of which will lack private gardens. There is also a need to provide wide belts and blocks of woodland around the periphery of the site to screen and soften the landscape impact of buildings on an elevated and prominent site. These open areas will also form a buffer between the new development and nearby villages and the built development on the site will not extend further south than the line of the existing southern built-up limit of Didcot. The Council will seek commuted payments to cover the costs of maintaining the open spaces and other facilities in accordance with policy DC8 and paragraph 4.20. In the case of outdoor playing space this may be required in perpetuity where the facilities are predominantly for the users of the associated development. The boundary of the major development area shown on figure 8.1 includes a field in the north western corner which may be necessary to accommodate playing fields if suitable land cannot be found elsewhere on the site. If it is not required for this purpose the land should not be developed and should remain in agricultural use.
8.48 It is important that as residents move into their new homes they are afforded the opportunity for ease of movement by all modes of transport from Didcot and within Didcot. Criterion (xi) will secure this objective by providing appropriate on and off-site transport infrastructure. The highway authority and the Highways Agency will advise on the transport measures required. These measures will be identified through the development of an integrated transport strategy for the Didcot area, having regard to the following objectives:
• To reduce reliance on the use of the private car by improving choices available to meet transport needs within Didcot and between Didcot and the surrounding settlements;
• To increase accessibility to facilities for those without cars and/or with mobility impairment;
• To promote the use of public transport (bus and rail);
• To identify and provide a safe, continuous and high quality network of pedestrian and cycle routes;
• To promote road safety and reduce the number and severity of road casualties;
• To promote efficient highway management including the identification of transport infrastructure as appropriate, and parking demand and supply;
• To improve provision for interchange between modes of transport; and
• To relieve traffic congestion where it is causing significant amenity or environmental problems.
8.49 The District Councils and Oxfordshire County Council should urgently consider the detailed options for an A4130 to A417 link, to include a Harwell by-pass. For the section between the A4130 and the B4493, this link should not require additional land outside the boundary of the major development area. The Council, together with South Oxfordshire District Council and the County Council, will be seeking the progression of measures identified in phase 2 of the provisional strategy as a matter of urgency. The provisional strategy proposes a range of transport measures which include a Harwell bypass in order to alleviate the impact of traffic arising from developments in the Didcot area. The Council considers that the provision of a Harwell by-pass is a priority.
LAND WEST OF DIDCOT IS IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WHERE DEVELOPMENT CAN START BEFORE 1 APRIL 2006. PROPOSALS WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE THEY ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BRIEF AND DESIGN STATEMENTS AND WHERE ALL NECESSARY ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE WILL INCLUDE:
i ) PROVISION OF ABOUT 3200 DWELLINGS OF WHICH ABOUT 500 DWELLINGS WILL BE LOCATED IN THE VALE OF WHITE HORSE DISTRICT. THE LAND DEVELOPED FOR HOUSING (ABOUT 80 HECTARES) WILL BE AT 40 DWELLINGS PER HECTARE AVERAGE NET DENSITY;
ii) A MIX OF DWELLING TYPES AND SIZES OF THE GENERAL MARKET HOUSING WITH ABOUT 50% SMALL (1 OR 2 BEDROOM) UNITS;
iii) PROVISION FOR AT LEAST 40% OF DWELLING UNITS TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH THE UNITS DISTRIBUTED EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE AREA USED FOR HOUSING;
iv) PROVISION OF A DISTRICT CENTRE INCLUDING:
a) A SECONDARY SCHOOL;
b) A PRIMARY SCHOOL;
c) A COMMUNITY CENTRE;
d) AN INDOOR COMMUNITY SPORTS HALL;
e) PLAYING FIELDS FOR OUTDOOR COMMUNITY SPORTS AND AN EQUIPPED CHILDREN'S PLAY AREA;
f) PREMISES FOR A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRACTICE;
g) LOCAL SHOPS AND RETAIL SERVICES, LIMITED TO USES WITHIN PART A OF THE USE CLASSES ORDER, INCLUDING A SMALL SUPERMARKET (ABOUT 500 SQUARE METRES) AND FURTHER SMALL UNIT PREMISES (ABOUT 1200 SQUARE METRES IN TOTAL);
h) NARROW-FRONTED, MIXED-USE BUILDINGS GENERALLY MORE THAN TWO STOREYS IN HEIGHT. THE STREET-LEVEL USES IN THESE BUILDINGS WILL INCLUDE THE USES IN (g) ABOVE. A PROPORTION OF THESE MIXED-USE BUILDINGS WILL BE LIVE–WORK UNITS WITH INTERNAL ACCESS BETWEEN THE WORKSPACE AND A DWELLING AT UPPER FLOOR LEVEL; AND
i) BUILDINGS IN RESIDENTIAL USE, WITHIN PART C OF THE USE CLASSES ORDER, GENERALLY NARROW-FRONTED AND MORE THAN TWO STOREYS IN HEIGHT.
v) TWO NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES WITH EACH CENTRE INCLUDING:
a) A PRIMARY SCHOOL;
b) A COMMUNITY CENTRE;
c) LOCAL SHOPS AND RETAIL SERVICES, LIMITED TO USES WITHIN PART A OF THE USE CLASSES ORDER, IN SMALL UNIT PREMISES (ABOUT 500 SQUARE METRES IN TOTAL);
d) NARROW-FRONTED MIXED-USE BUILDINGS AS DESCRIBED IN H7 (iv) (h) ABOVE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SMALL SUPERMARKETS; AND
e) BUILDINGS IN RESIDENTIAL USE AS DESCRIBED IN (iv)(i) ABOVE;
vi) PROVISION OF A NETWORK OF PUBLIC URBAN SPACES (NOT LESS THAN 8 HECTARES) INCLUDING A PRIMARY CIVIC SPACE IN THE DISTRICT CENTRE, SECONDARY CIVIC SPACES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES AND OTHER CIVIC SPACES WITHIN THE BUILT-UP AREA LOCATED AT KEY JUNCTIONS IN THE MOVEMENT NETWORK;
vii) PROVISION OF A NETWORK OF PUBLIC GREENSPACES (NOT LESS THAN 62 HECTARES) INCLUDING COMMUNITY OUTDOOR PLAYING SPACE, CHILDREN'S PLAY AREAS, PUBLIC GARDENS, OPEN GRASSLAND, WOODLAND, HEDGEROWS, WETLAND, PONDS AND WATERCOURSES A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE PUBLIC GREEN SPACE NETWORK WILL BE LOCATED AROUND THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN EDGES OF THE BUILT-UP AREAS WITHIN THE SITE;
viii) PROVISION OF CHILDREN'S PLAY AREAS WITHIN THE LAND DEVELOPED FOR HOUSING;ix) PROVISION OF OFF-SITE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES INCLUDING, WHERE APPROPRIATE , FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS IMPROVING LIBRARY, ARTS, CULTURAL AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES IN DIDCOT TOWN CENTRE, IMPROVING COMMUNITY SPORTS FACILITIES AT DIDCOT WAVE LEISURE CENTRE, IMPROVEMENTS TO DIDCOT CIVIC HALL AND IMPROVEMENTS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES IN OR NEAR DIDCOT;
x) PROVISION OF OFF-SITE SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE WORKS; AND
xi) PROVISION OF TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY TR2 AIMED AT ENCOURAGING SUSTAINABLE MODES OF TRAVEL AND REDUCING THE NEED TO TRAVEL BY CAR INCLUDING:
a) A MOVEMENT NETWORK OF FOOTWAYS, FOOTPATHS, CYCLETRACKS AND ROADS IN THE SITE, CONNECTING TO EXISTING AND PROPOSED NETWORKS AT THE SITE BOUNDARIES. THE INDICATIVE LOCATION OF ROAD NETWORK CONNECTIONS IS SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP;
b) FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENABLE THE PROVISION OF OFF-SITE FOOTWAY, FOOTPATH AND CYCLETRACK LINKS, ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN DIDCOT AND IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AND VILLAGES AROUND DIDCOT AND ON THE A34 TRUNK ROAD MADE NECESSARY BY AND AS A CONSEQUENCE OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BRIEF;
c) FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENABLE THE PROVISION OF BUS SERVICES AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE TO AFFORD RESIDENTS ON THE SITE GOOD PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACCESS FROM DIDCOT AND WITHIN DIDCOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BRIEF.
Housing on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
8.50 The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus originally contained two areas of housing each with 100 pre-fabricated houses which have since been demolished. The adopted local plan 2001 allocated a site known as “Chilton Field” within the campus to replace these dwellings and allow for 275 dwellings in total; this is equivalent to a net increase of 75 dwellings. Planning permission was granted for this site, but it has now lapsed. Following the construction of the Diamond Synchrotron involving part of the site permitted for housing, the Council agreed that an alternative housing allocation should be made on land at the southern edge of the campus. It will be important to retain the eastern area, with its important trees, as open space and to provide substantial landscaping within the housing site to soften the impact of development on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the views from the Ridgeway in particular.
LAND AT CHILTON FIELD FORMING PART OF THE HARWELL SCIENCE AND INNOVATION CAMPUS IS IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WHICH FOLLOWING THE DEMOLITION OF THE PRE-FABRICATED HOUSING WILL RESULT IN A NET INCREASE OF NO MORE THAN 75 DWELLINGS.
The former Dow Agro Sciences site in Letcombe Regis
8.51 The second site allocated for housing outside the towns is at the former Dow Agro Sciences in Letcombe Regis, where the house, lodge, stables and more modern research buildings and greenhouses have stood vacant since 2002. Although Letcombe Regis is one of the Vale's smaller villages with a very limited range of facilities where normally only a maximum of four small dwellings would be allowed, the Council accepts that a limited redevelopment for residential purposes could be more sustainable than a B1 business use on the site. However, great care will have to be taken to ensure that any redevelopment retains and enhances the Letcombe Brook corridor, provides new public open space, retains the existing trees and open paddocks and can be readily integrated into the village in both physical and visual terms. It will also be necessary for any scheme to protect the setting of the surrounding listed buildings and make a positive contribution to the conservation area, the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the character and appearance of the village as a whole. Given the sensitivity of the surroundings, residential development on the site will only be permitted as part of a comprehensive scheme containing sufficient details to show that all the concerns raised above will be satisfactorily addressed. In addition to ensure that the redevelopment is no less sustainable than its previous use it will be necessary to contribute to on and off site infrastructure, and the volume of traffic generated should be no greater than if the site was reused for B1 purposes, preferably it should be less. To help achieve this, contributions, secured through a legal agreement, will be needed towards improving the bus service to Wantage. A proposal to redevelop the site as a continuing care retirement community, comprising care bedrooms, care suites and close care units, was permitted in July 2006.
LAND AT THE FORMER DOW SITE AT LETCOMBE REGIS IS IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT RESULTING IN A NET INCREASE OF NO MORE THAN 100 DWELLINGS FOLLOWING THE DEMOLITION OF THE FORMER EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURES. PROPOSALS WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE THEY ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME FOR THE WHOLE SITE, INCLUDING LAND SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP TO BE RETAINED AS OPEN SPACE AND WHERE ALL NECESSARY ON SITE AND OFF SITE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET.
1 Total includes the 31 dwellings be provided on unidentified sites in the main settlements