Planning for Alresford’s Future

Steve Opacic - Head of Strategic Planning Winchester City Council

Local Plan Part 1: Alresford

Policy MTRA2:

• 500 dwellings (2011-2031)

• Maintain & improve shopping, tourism, etc

• Maintain & improve housing/employment balance

• Assess capacity within settlement before extending boundary

• Be appropriate in scale, design, etc

Local Plan Part 2 - process

• Define Alresford’s needs – housing, employment, open space, infrastructure

• Assess potential sites objectively – fully meet needs, SHLAA and other sites, initial sieve followed by detailed assessment

• Develop and consult on conclusions – leading to proposed allocations

• Alresford-specific development management policies? – if not covered in LPP1/LPP2

Alresford Needs Groups

• WCC drafted ‘templates’ on housing, employment and infrastructure needs

• Alresford public meeting 23 Jan 2013 invited volunteers for ‘Needs Groups’

• 4 ‘Needs Groups’ met from January – April 2013 – Housing, Employment & Economy, Infrastructure, Open Space & Recreation

• Each Group’s conclusions on needs presented at public exhibition & meeting 25 April 2013

Summary - Housing

• 500 required, with 80 permitted/committed

• 40% to be affordable housing

• 75+ age group may double in size by 2031

• Half of dwellings 1-2 bed (2 preferred)

• Need for sheltered/nursing facility

• Use sites close to centre for higher density

• Explore possibility of using industrial or school sites

Summary – Employment / Econ

• Retain Alresford as a ‘working’ town

• Provide 200 new jobs (maintain proportion of residents working locally - 38%)

• Need 1.5 – 3 hectares for new / relocated businesses, with good access & parking

• Need high-speed telecommunications

• No significant new retail needs

• Tourism is important to local economy

Summary – Infrastructure

• Any expansion of Perins School likely to be on existing site. Need for pre-school places

• Need to safeguard future of town centre car parks (sites leased)

• Future need for extra care / nursing / dementia accommodation

• Need for further burial ground / space• Developments to provide safe routes connecting

to the town• Various detailed highway/pedestrian/cycling

improvements suggested

Summary – Open Space & Rec.

• Shortfall of open space (using Local Plan standards) of 15+ ha, rising to 20+ ha

• Need for various types of open space:– allotments (0.5ha)– cricket ground (1.5ha)– rugby (2ha)– tennis (0.5ha)– children’s play– BMX park

Summary – Land ‘Budget’• Housing * 14 ha

• Commercial 3 ha

• Open Space – new development 5 ha

• Open Space – existing population 15 ha

• Burial ground 0.5 ha **

• Total 37.5 hectares (93 acres)* Assuming 420 houses at 30 houses per hectare beyond the town

centre and at higher densities in the centre

** Reduced from original 5ha recommendation

Available Sites

Initial Site ‘Sieve’

Site Ref Address

Area (Ha)

Gross

Natural Designat

ions

Historic Designat

ionsMineral

resources

Trees and

planting Overhead

cables

Water and

flooding

Settlement

GapHighway

access

276 Rear of 58 -72 The Dean 0.67 g g a g g a g a

277 Langtons Farm, Sun Lane 31.62 g g g g g g g g

278 Arlebury Park (1) 6.95 g a a g g g g a

1927 West of New Farm Road (1) 8.65 a g a g g a g g

1966 Cricketers Arms, Jacklyns Lane 0.36 g g g g g g g g

2408 Land off Drove Lane 2.30 g g a g g g g g

2532 Land at Arlebury Park (2) 1.21 g a g g g g g g

2533 Long Barn, Bishops Sutton Rd 1.18 a g g g g g g g

2534 Ceejay Systems (SV) Ltd 0.76 g g g g g g g g

2535 Huxley (UK) Ltd 0.64 g g g g g g g g

2552 Land at Arlebury Park (3) 2.63 g a g g g g g g

2553 Land off New Farm Road (2) 2.04 g g g a g g g r

Green = no constraintsAmber = some constraints (consider mitigation)Red = absolute constraint (no mitigation possible)

Further Studies / Evidence

• Constraints mapping

• Landscape Sensitivity Assessment

• Windfall Trends & Potential

• Open Space Assessment

• Historic Environment Assessment

• Transport / Accessibility Assessment

• Initial Sustainability Appraisal

• Traveller needs assessment

Allocations Workshop/Conclusions

• Site allocations workshop with NATC in Sept considered evidence / studies

• Not just assessing sites 1 by 1, but developing a strategy to meet needs

• Includes mix of housing, employment, open space, recreation, burial ground, etc totalling 37.5ha

• Housing is ‘easy’ other uses more difficult

? Employment Locations ?

Developing a Strategy 1

• About meeting a range of needs, not just housing

• Housing could potentially go on several sites

• Open space and employment more difficult

• Risk of diluting ability of development to achieve needs

Developing a Strategy 2

• The strategic options are: – large mixed-use site– spread development around smaller sites

• No easy option - will be opposition to any

• Only east of Sun Lane capable of delivering all needs

• Other options not suitable for employment, etc and more limited open space provision

Proposed Site Allocations

Sun Lane – Land Uses

Deliverability

• Sun Lane is best to deliver range of needs

• But… delivery of all the elements is critical

• Including new access to A31, employment, open space, traveller site, sequence of development, etc

• Discussions with promoter suggest it is do-able, if not reconsider alternatives

• The Dean dependent on employment relocation

These Are Early Stages

• ‘Needs Groups’ have been consulted and came up with various ideas

• Don’t have all the details/answers at this stage

• Traffic will be an issue for any site, will look at options/opportunities

• Further work and testing needed to address problems and find solutions

Conclusions

• A bold solution but capable of meeting a range of needs and benefits

• Promoters keen to work with community to make it work

• Proposal put forward jointly by NATC and WCC for consultation - is this the best way to meet Alresford’s future needs?

• If not, is there a deliverable alternative?

Next Stages

• Public exhibition/event 7 Jan 2014

• 6-week consultation – to 21 Feb 2014

• Consider responses Feb – May 2014

• Draft Local Plan Part 2 – July 2014

• ‘Pre-Submission’ – Jan 2015

• Submission / examination – Apr-Jul 2015

• Inspector’s Report – Nov 2015

• Adoption – Dec 2015