Introduction:
The Former Oakland’s Secondary School site and the Former Lordshill Local Housing Office have been identified for sale by Southampton City Council. In addition to these two sites, the Lordshill Community Centre site at Andromeda Road has also identified for sale, following the association’s relocation to the Former Youth Centre/Pre School building adjacent to Oakland’s swimming pool.
The Council have instructed Capita Property and Infrastructure to prepare and submit an Outline Planning Consent for residential development across all three sites.
The Council will then seek to sell the site with the benefit of the outline planning consent, the site being developed by the purchaser, the City Council will not be undertaking the development.
In terms the sites potential for development, reference is made to the Local Planning Framework and supplementary guidance.
1.0 Local Plan Planning Policies:
The site has been identified within the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).
In accordance with government guidance Southampton City Council produces a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2013.
The purpose of a SHLAA is to:
o Identify sites with potential for housing
o Assess how many houses / flats might be developed on a site
o Assess when they are likely to be developed
The SHLAA is set within the wider context of creating mixed communities across the city and an overall balance of homes, jobs and other key services and facilities. The identification of sites in this document, as being potentially suitable for housing, in no way prejudices their potential for other uses.
Within the City Councils Core Strategy (The Local Planning policy framework), the Policy CS11 – An Educated City, identifies education sites which are no longer needed for educational uses can be released, although this is on a case by case basis.
2.0 The Design:
2.1 Former Oakland’s School:
· New Housing units
The outline design seeks to develop No103 new residential units.
· Cark Parking
The units will all have car parking provision, on the following basis:
All houses – No2 car parking spaces
All Flats – No1 car parking space
In addition to these parking arrangements, there will be additional No12 visitor’s car parking spaces.
· Facilities:
The site will include two children’s play areas a junior area (younger children) and senior play area (older children).
· Access
All vehicles will access and egress from the development from Fairisle Road entrance (utilising the existing entrance).
Pedestrian access can be achieved from Fairisle Road through the site to Rownhams Road North – reinstating the old footway which ran through the site North to South.
The combined cycleway and footway on the south western boundary of the site adjacent to the rear Orkney Close will be diverted to run through the site, to provide for a more pleasurable route for the users and providing connectivity to the surrounding estate.
· Amenity:
The tree belt which encompasses the site will be retained, with some exceptions where tree removal will be sought in order to enable the development to produce the facilities as designed. This will be compensated by the replanting of new trees within the schemes landscape plans.
The entrance from Fairisle Road will have a focal point with a central amenity space, with steps and a ramp drawing users up to the pocket park and Senior play area, utilising the existing landscape mound within the site.
· Trees:
A number of trees will be removed to enable the development to come forward. This is a small number of low quality specimens. These proposals have been agreed with the Council’s tree officers. There will be replacement programme providing planting on a 2:1 basis.
The Scheme will include 35% affordable housing in accordance with the City Councils policy. The affordable housing will be provided on the former local Housing office and Community centre sites.
2.2 Former Lordshill Housing Office, Lordshill.
The Local Housing Office site is not allocated within the Local Planning Framework sites allocations document. This enables alternatives uses to be promoted. The site presents a suitable site for residential development integrating into an existing residential community, within close proximity of the Lordshill District centre facilities.
· New Housing Units:
The outline design for this small site has identified the site is suitable for a development of No6 3 bedroom family homes.
· Car Parking:
Each house is allocated with No2 car parking spaces.
· Access:
We have identified a desire line (cut through) through the site, so a pedestrian route has been designed on the eastern boundary, to enable the same level of access as is currently achieved.
· Trees:
· A number of trees will be removed as part of the development, but these will be replaced on a 2:1 basis.
The site provides a small development of family homes, with dedicated parking provision and retaining pedestrian access for the local community.
2.3 Lordshill Community Centre Andromeda Road, Lordshill.
The Community association are relocating to the Former Youth/pre School building adjacent to Oaklands Swimming pool. The relocation releases this site for sale, without the loss of community facilities.
The site is small and has been identified as being suitable for an apartment development utilising the sites isolation from any neighbouring properties.
The design comprises No43 apartments, arranged as set out on the plans presented this evening. The design delivers a high number of units due to the ability to develop an apartment block, taking advantage of the ability to build a multi-story building.
· Car Parking:
The design has an allocated 1 space per apartment.
· Amenity Space:
The apartment block will have its own amenity space for residents.
3.0 Summary:
It is important to note that this is an outline planning application and some elements of design have been reserved (not included) enabling a developer to address these elements, including appearance materials and finishes.
Additionally the Outline Application seeks to secure consent to demonstrate the sites capability for redevelopment and may not necessarily be the development delivered by the subsequent purchaser.
The final proposals for the sites development may therefore change although this will require a new planning application which would be a publically viewable process and will require further public consultation.
The design accords with the City Councils residential design guidance in terms of garden space, privacy distances, access and parking standards. The size of these units accord with current market standards. The design has been subject to pre application discussions with the Planning Authority in order to secure pre application advice, prior to presenting the design publically and submitting the application. The Pre application advice includes commentary on trees and highway matters.
The application is to be submitted by the end of February 2015. The actual application will only be for the design and layout for No103 dwellings on the Oaklands site, with the application only identifying the Local Housing Office and Lordshill Community Centre sites for development without any design or layout submitted. This provides some greater flexibility on these two sites.
Questions:
We will endeavour to answer all questions, however we may not necessarily have an immediate answer. Questions can be posed by completing a form, and we will respond once an answer is secured.
Mrs Ali Mew BSc (Hons) MRICS
Senior Estates Surveyor
Tel 023 8083 3425
Email
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