Simpson & Ashland Parish Council

Simpson & Ashland Parish Council

Simpson Village Paper

Introduction

This paper provides a brief overview of the views of residents and Simpson & Ashland Parish Council (SAPC) as to how Simpson should develop in the future. It is not a neighbourhood or parish plan in the formal sense, but rather a statement of views that have been captured over the last three years. The information included here comes from both informal and formal discussions and consultations with residents including:

·  verbal and written feedback on the SAPC vision statements (2012 to 2104)

·  discussions at SAPC sub-groups and consultation events including the SAPC annual parish meetings held in May of each year, and

·  feedback from a survey distributed to all Simpson households in December 2015.

Context

Simpson is a great place to live and residents value the unique village character with its mix of old and newer architecture, green spaces, the river and canal and pleasant walks and close proximity to shopping and leisure opportunities. The impact of this is that over the last twenty years or so, the price of housing has seen an exponential increase and demand for property and building space within the village has grown accordingly. As Milton Keynes increases, SAPC is aware that this demand will likely continue and acknowledges that this will have an impact on the village. We see this as positive as this will enable Simpson to continue to develop, as long as the resident voice is heard in any decisions made.

More generally, we are entering a period of considerable change for the provision of local services that may considerably impact on the lives of residents throughout the city, but potentially more so in Simpson with its larger proportion of older residents.

All of this has to be seen within the context of a reduction of budgets at Milton Keynes Council (MKC) which is resulting in a fundamental review of the assets that it holds and what it will do with them in the future. The result of this could be that there is significant scope for building and related development within Simpson at sites including:

·  The former Early Intervention Centre (likely to be sold for housing in late autumn 2016)

·  The Walnuts (currently occupied by MK Music Centre)

·  Five Acres Nursing Home

·  Site next to Walden Croft

·  Other areas of land as and when they are identified.

Whilst none of these sites has been identified for development, the PC is keen to make a statement that clearly highlights resident views if and when the situation arises.

Key themes

This is not an exhaustive list of all aspects of feedback from residents but provides information relating to key areas.

1.  Simpson as a place to live

There are very high levels of resident satisfaction in terms of living in Simpson. The perception is that Simpson is a safe and welcoming place to live. From the 2015 survey 78% of those who responded were very satisfied with Simpson as a place to live and a further 17% were fairly satisfied- giving an overall positive response of 95%. The reasons given highlighted two main factors- the sense of community that is to be found in the village and the local environment with its easy access to the open spaces of the Linear Park and beyond combined with similar access to services and shops in Milton Keynes.

SAPC will seek to ensure that as Simpson evolves, the high levels of resident satisfaction are maintained. We will do this through our influencing of outcomes working alongside and on behalf of residents in our responses to external agencies and others. In addition, we will work with residents to keep them informed of parish, community and council/city wide developments that will impact on the area. As well as this, through our sub-group structure and grants processes, we are facilitating resident engagement and developing community capacity and resilience.

2.  Community space

Residents are content with the provision of community space within Simpson (this primarily being the Village Hall but potentially other sites including St Thomas’s Church). Feedback from the survey was that 85 % of respondents were either very (46%) or fairly satisfied (39%) with the provision of community space. SAPC was one of the first councils in the country to take over ownership of the Village Hall as part of the national Community Assets Transfer (CAT) programme. Since assuming ownership, the PC has worked alongside the Simpson Association (SA) and the Village Hall Management Committee (VHMC) and a programme of ongoing investment in the hall is in place including new doors and windows, installation of free Wi-Fi facilities, low energy lighting and internal decoration. Moving forward, the PC will continue to invest in the Village Hall with a view to increasing its usage over time to ensure that it is a contributor to SAPC funds. It is worth noting that, in the December 2015 survey, 95% of respondents had attended an event in the Village hall at some time in the previous twelve month period.

As a council, we are aware that there are issues associated with the siting of the Village Hall in that it is not easily accessible from all parts of the parish has limited on-site parking facilities and is close to residential properties. It might be that, if and when developments are proposed, the PC would consider divesting itself of the current site and purchasing a piece of land within the village to build a new community space. Discussions with MKC and potential developers could possibly include a requirement for space for the provision of a new hall if and when an opportunity arises.

3.  Open Spaces

Simpson is fortunate to have a considerable amount of open space within the village and also benefits from easy access to the Linear Park. Those who live here are justifiably proud of their open spaces and there is a small group of residents who have been active in developing and maintaining some of the open space areas within Simpson. Whist this has had a very positive short term effect on the physical environment (including the awarding of a Britain in Bloom Gold Award in 2013) there is an increasing understanding of the need for residents and SAPC to consider how best the open spaces in Simpson can be maintained not only in the next five to ten years but in the longer term. For SAPC, the key features of the development of open spaces within Simpson are that any activity is:

·  environmentally sustainable

·  fit for purpose for use by all members of the community, and

·  can be easily maintained relatively cheaply in the short and longer term.

There is currently discussion around what may happen with the open space in Hanmer Road, and a group of residents is working with the council to develop potential options for that site. It may be that Village Green Status is considered, but it is worth noting that SAPC does not intend to follow the model that other councils have adopted on classifying all open spaces as village greens. We understand that open spaces can have a variety of uses and we will continue to work with residents to ensure that these areas meet their needs. In this we will also continue our dialogue with other relevant agencies including the Parks Trust, MKC and the Environment Agency.

As MKC divests itself of non-statutory services, there will likely be the opportunity for SAPC to increasingly shape the management, development and maintenance of open spaces within Simpson. This will be a fundamental shift in the way in which services have been provided around Open Space and we will work with other local councils and service providers to ensure fit for purpose approaches that provide real value for money.

4.  Housing

SAPC understands that pressure for development within Simpson will likely increase. Mindful of this possibility, the December 2015 survey asked residents what type of housing development they would prefer in the event of opportunities for further development. The responses were[1]:

·  Affordable family homes- 55%

·  Executive homes- 10%

·  Single occupancy flats- 10%

·  Private sheltered accommodation- 7%

·  Social Housing - 0%

·  High density- 0%

·  Other - 5%

·  No development - 8%

·  Don't know - 8%[2]

From the responses, the perceptions of residents as to what type of new housing they would prefer to be built is very clear. SAPC fully understands the benefit to have a mix of housing type, especially affordable family homes within the local area and SAPC responses to future planning requests will be mindful of resident views.

There are a number of sites within Simpson that need specific mention, and the views of SAPC are given here as an indication of the responses that will be provided by the Parish Council if and when any planning applications are made:

i)  Five Acres Nursing Home- In autumn 2016, MKC confirmed that it would purchase the Five Acres Nursing Home with the intention of increasing its capacity by adding a 14 bedroom wing. SAPC welcomes the MKC investment for the care of older people within Milton Keynes but notes that any additional development to the site should be mindful of the location within Simpson. Five Acres sits at the heart of Simpson and close to St Thomas’ Church and other listed buildings. Any extension to the existing buildings should be appropriate and sensitive to the surroundings. Any plans should also consider whether any amendment is required to the access arrangements for pedestrians and vehicles, and for appropriate parking for staff and visitors.

ii)  The Walnuts (Milton Keynes Music Centre)- MKC have indicated that the Music Centre will be vacating the Walnuts site at some point in 2017. There are proposals for the development of a Day Care Centre for older people but no final decision has been made. SAPC would welcome the use of the site for such a centre as provision for older people within the city is needed. Any plans will need to address ingress and egress issues as the current arrangements are not fit for purpose. Any proposed alterations to the existing buildings will need to be appropriate and sensitive to the surroundings. If MKC eventually decides that the Walnuts site is not suitable for change of use to a day care centre and is put up for sale for development, SAPC will highlight the views of residents as to what would be preferable housing development. The Parish Council is very aware of the need for affordable housing both within the parish and the city more generally and any development must include a proportion of such dwellings. Given the central nature of the site to Simpson and its proximity to existing dwellings, any proposals would need to be appropriate for the area and vehicular and pedestrian access will need to be carefully considered. This site can also be viewed from the linear parks and any proposed development must be mindful of the impact on the open spaces nearby and the visual impact that this could have on Simpson as a whole.

iii)  The Early Intervention Centre (EIC)- The EIC site was put up for auction in autumn 2016 by MKC. SAPC is not opposed to the site being developed but any such development must be appropriate and sensitive to the surroundings and to the properties nearby. The Parish Council has noted that the site that is now available for development extends beyond the boundary line of the existing buildings according to plans provided by MKC. Serious consideration will need to be given to what the appropriate development is on that site (both in terms of size and height) and access issues need to be considered given that access is not straightforward.

iv)  Site abutting Walden Croft- SAPC is disappointed that though planning permission was given for the construction of dwellings on this site in 2007, 2011 and again in 2014, no development has yet been started. The Parish Council is not supportive of this form of land banking and will continue to press for development if and when further applications are made. It reserves the right to object to any submissions if there are no guarantees included as to completion of the site.

More generally, SAPC will bear in mind the impact of any proposed development or change of use (for example the application for houses of multiple occupation (HMOs)) on the current infrastructure including sewerage, water run-off and ditches. We are also mindful of the wider impact that increased numbers of domestic dwellings will have on the rate of traffic through the village, and the potential impact on the environment in general.

Conclusions

This paper has provided a very generic overview of the views of residents with regard to key issues that could impact on the physical nature of Simpson in the future. SAPC is committed to ensuring that the voice of residents is heard as and when specific issues that impact on the village come to its attention. It should be noted that any decisions made will impact on the whole of the parish, including Ashland. A subsequent paper will be developed that captures the view of Ashland residents once the estate is completed. This said, there is currently less scope for further development within the Ashland estate as it is a much newer community.

This document sets out the guiding principles in the decisions that SAPC will make.

Simpson & Ashland Parish Council

February 2017

[1] Totals 102% as a result of rounding up

[2]