Site Assessment Pro Formas

Object

Representation ID: 8836

Received: 29/09/2021

Respondent: Rosconn Strategic Land

Agent: Phillips Planning Services

3.24. Rosconn Strategic Land is promoting the land at Hill Farm, Mill Road, Sharnbrook, (Site 814).

3.25. The majority of the promoted land has already been allocated for a maximum of 500 dwellings in the Submission Version of the emerging Neighbourhood Plan under Policy S5. The Examination in to this Plan has now been completed and the Referendum is imminent. The earlier rounds of consultation have shown general support from residents to the allocation of Hill Farm; and the Neighbourhood Plan is expected to proceed to referendum in the next few months.

3.26. The remaining land at Hill Farm is available for development and could be seen as a logical extension to the village following the Neighbourhood Plan development. This is a highly deliverable site, and could deliver an additional 250 dwellings as part of a comprehensive development, furthering the objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan by maximising the benefits for the wider village.

3.27. The Neighbourhood Plan process has identified that the site is suitable for release in terms of landscape and visual impact, and heritage impacts. It is recognised that there are local ecological areas of importance that need protecting and managing, but the site itself is not ecologically sensitive, and the majority of the undeveloped site can be brought forward whilst securing a net gain in biodiversity. The site also has some archaeological sensitivity which will be mitigated through the development associated with the Neighbourhood Plan allocation. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening process has been undertaken and the Borough Council have confirmed that the development of the site would not give rise to significant environmental effects requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment.

3.28. The development of the residual land at Hill Farm, as part of the Neighbourhood Plan allocation, would be served by new infrastructure including a new roundabout off the A6 and secondary access points off Mill Road and Templars Way; new and upgraded footpaths and cycleways providing improved connectivity to the village centre; extensive public open space, and land for leisure facilities including sports pitches; land for a replacement primary school, small scale retail units, and a potential location for a new community building and/or a new doctors’ surgery. There is an opportunity for further growth of the wider site to build upon this infrastructure, contributing towards delivery. The Neighbourhood Plan allocation will significantly enhance the sustainability of the location, and it is therefore considered entirely logical to examine the potential opportunity for further growth on the residual land at Hill Farm.

3.29. It should be noted that the secondary school has good capacity and is presently supported by “out of catchment” pupil numbers coming from the Rushden area and Northamptonshire. With the addition of new school provision being delivered in the Rushden East Sustainable Urban Extension allocation, pupils will no longer have to travel to Sharnbrook from Northamptonshire; and as a result there will be sufficient provision at the secondary school to accommodate an increase in numbers as a result of additional development at Hill Farm.

3.30. One of the key reasons for this site’s allocation in the Neighbourhood Plan is its direct connectivity to the A6. This means that new housing and supporting infrastructure can be delivered, and accessed, without resulting in an adverse impact on the historic core of the village and its associated road network.

Site Assessments Proforma Comments:

3.31. The published pro forma contains several errors or incorrect statements that we wish to correct:

2c – the site is able to deliver a net gain in biodiversity

4a – the Council’s statement is generic and applied to all sites. However, this site has been supported by a Heritage Statement and desk based archaeological work, with a programme of investigations. It would be advisable for this to be corrected and acknowledged.

9b – the entire 52 hectare site has been subject to a soil and agricultural land quality survey by Land Research Associates confirming that 85% of the site is Grade 3b and 9% Grade 3a – the majority of the site is not Best and Most Versatile land.

15f and Highway comments – we assume the comments predate the draft pre-application engagements and Transport Scoping work that has been undertaken in support of the allocation of 500 dwellings. We would request that the assessment is updated to reflect the current proposals.

General comments – Development control, policy and highways are fully aware of the assessments undertaken to date, and we would be grateful if the site assessment was updated to reflect the work that has been done on assessing constraints.