Ms Sarah Dauncy
Pegasus Planning Group
5 The Priory
Old London Road
Canwell, Sutton Coldfield
B75 5SH
Dear Ms Dauncy
Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 Regulation 13 request for a Scoping Opinion. Land at Callendar Farm Nuneaton, Phase 2.
Further to your request for a scoping opinion received on 1st March 2016 and to the subsequent agreed extension of time until 8th April 2016, please find below the Authority’s Scoping Opinion.
Background context.
The land in question falls within 2 wards, St Nicholas and Weddington to the north east of Nuneaton. In the currently adopted Borough Plan 2006, the land is protected by the allocation of Env3 – Urban and Rural Countryside Policy. However, it is considered that this Authority does not have a 5 year land supply at the present time and as such this land designation is not to be considered.
The Borough Plan is currently being reviewed and a document has been prepared to the submission stage with a further consultation expected this year. The Borough Plan and its associated background papers therefore have a degree of limited weight that should be taken into account.
Within the submission version of Borough Plan, part of the land is allocated under allocation HSG1 for housing development, with some of the land bordering the A5 to be left as a landscaped buffer.
For the avoidance of doubt the development is considered to fall within the remit of Schedule 2, 10b of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 as amended in 2015. Your intention to submit an ES with the future outline planning application is noted.
Specific Characteristics of the Particular Development.
It is specified in the Scoping Report that the development could comprise the following key components:
- Upto 850 dwellings
- Mixed Use Community Hub
- 2 form entry Primary School
- Open space and landscaping , including SUDs
- Two Vehicular access points
- Pedestrian and cycle links and;
- Supporting Infrastructure and utilities.
It is considered that the remit as suggested within the EIA and ES will adequately address these issues.
The Specific Characteristics of Development of the Type Concerned
The development proposed is mainly urban in character and will have significant urbanising impacts on the area through the loss of agricultural land and the spreading of the urban form in the generally open area adjacent to the Watling Street. NBBC have produced a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment as part of the background papers to the Borough Plan. This identifies that any change which made developments more prominent would have a negative impact on the rural character of the area. Nevertheless, part of this land has been identified as being acceptable for residential development in the submission version of the Borough Plan, albeit with a substantial landscaped buffer between the allocation and the A5. The urbanising effect that this will have in the area must be considered.
Environmental Features likely to be affected by the development.
The resultant consultation responses received as a result of the Scoping request have been sent direct as they have been received, however, the key points from these will identify the environmental features that are likely to be affected by the development.
Archaeology
Requests have been made that the report also contains a geophysical survey and should also deal with any non designated heritage assets.
Highways England
Request that archived guidance circular 02/13 is used as a good practice for Transport Assessments, that environmental impacts from disruption during construction, traffic volume, routing changes, and infrastructure modification. Impacts on air quality and noise should be considered. Also required is a report dealing with non-motorised users. It is recommended that the TA is agreed in a staged approach. Unfortunately there has been no separate response from WCC Highways on this.
Stagecoach
Investigate the possibility of a bus loop through the site.
WCC Footpaths
Request that Public Rights of Way are taken into consideration.
Ramblers
Consideration should be given to enhancing the public footpath crossing the site and the presence of Public Rights of Way. Information should be provided as to the safety measures that will be provided during construction so that the footpaths and rights of way can still be accessible.
Natural England
The response from Natural England states that the request should be considered under their Discretionary Advice Service. However, there was no time to do this and it is suggested that this should be done separately before the submission of any outline application.
NBBC Parks
The email response already forwarded contains templates and tables that should be used to assess impacts on Biodiversity. A net gain should be evidenced. Species on the site should not be ruled out until it is proven that they are not present on the site. Advantage should be taken of the presence of SUDs on the site and sustainable habitats should be created, linking to any existing habitats in the vicinity. It is requested that parks, sports, play allotment and open space provision are investigated.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
Ecological Surveys should follow best practice and Biodiversity Impact Assessments should be submitted to evidence no net loss to biodiversity.
Cumulative Impacts
It is considered that the key cumulative impacts shat should be addressed are the impact on the landscape character and the cumulative impact that this will have from allowing this development with the others already permitted on the site. In conjunction with this the landscaped buffer as required by the submission version of the Borough Plan should be considered and addressed.
The cumulative loss of agricultural land should also be considered.
Potential for links both vehicular pedestrian cycle and open space should be considered.
Highways have not responded but this will be one of the key areas where the cumulative impacts will need to be addressed.
Yours sincerely
Katherine Moreton
Head of Development Control
PE9