Welcome to our exhibition
Site location plan
Welcome to The Crown Estate’s second public consultation on its proposals to develop new homes at Land West of Cockernhoe. The land, located to the east of Luton and west of Cockernhoe, is identified in the draft North Hertfordshire Local Plan as a potential site to meet the wider area’s unmet housing need. We held an initial public consultation in July 2015 to engage with the local community about our proposals. We have reviewed the feedback, progressed our plans and now want to give you another opportunity to view and comment on the proposals before we submit a planning application to North Hertfordshire District Council. Members of our project team are on hand to answer any questions you may have. Please fill in the feedback forms made available here today, or visit our consultation website: www.landwestofcockernhoe.co.uk
About The Crown Estate
Regent Street, London
Redbourne Road, Hemel Hempstead
MK1 Shopping Park, Milton Keynes
The Crown Estate is an independent commercial business, established by an Act of Parliament. 100% of our annual profits are returned to the Treasury for the benefit of the public finances. We invest in and manage some of the UK’s most important assets. Our investment strategy focuses on our core sectors of rural and development land, London’s West End, regional retail and leisure and offshore wind. Across our diverse portfolio, our role is to make sure that the land and property we invest in and manage is sustainably worked, developed and enjoyed to deliver the best value over the long term. At the heart of how we work is a considered, collaborative approach that helps us create success for our business and those we work with. st
The Crown Estate’s history can be traced back to 1066. In the 21 century it is a successful, commercial enterprise, known for a progressive, sustainable approach that creates value beyond its financial return. For more on The Crown Estate visit www.thecrownestate.co.uk @TheCrownEstate
Commitment to design and placemaking
CGI of The Crown Estate’s recently consented scheme in Kingsfleet, Thetford
The Crown Estate is committed to the highest design standards and understands the importance of placemaking in creating new homes. We seek to integrate our developments into existing communities through fully understanding the local area and the opportunities and challenges development presents. At the heart of our approach is engagement and consultation with communities, their elected representatives and local groups. We adopt a consensual approach to gain planning consent from the local planning authority. Over the past five years all of our planning applications for new housing have been approved at a local level by council planning committees. We work to address the issues and concerns raised during consultation to create desirable places to live for both new and existing residents.
‘By all working together we have achieved an excellent position.’ Leverstock Green ward councillor, Margaret Griffiths, Dacorum Borough Council
‘The Crown Estate has an exemplary reputation in terms of its involvement with developments. It has consulted with the Town Council and others at an early stage and has amended plans to take into account many local concerns.’ Marlborough Town Council
The need for new housing Map Centre 512,812 223,093
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Legend North Herts / Luton Borough Boundary The Site (The Crown Estate) Bloor Outline Planning Application Boundary: Wandon Park North Herts Preferred Options Local Plan: Land to meet Luton's unmet Housing need Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Map with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright 2015. Carter Jonas LLP ES100021719
The brown shaded area is identified for housing in North Herts’ draft Local Plan
North Hertfordshire District Council (North Herts) is preparing a new Local Plan, which will set out the District’s housing needs up to 2031 and identify suitable development land to meet this requirement. North Herts is required to consider the development needs of its neighbouring authority, Luton Borough Council. Luton has consulted on its Local Plan, identifying a need for 17,800 new homes by 2031. Due to a lack of available land, the Plan only makes provision for 6,700 homes – leaving a shortfall of 11,100. North Herts has assessed potential locations and has concluded that the area immediately to the east of Luton is the most suitable to help meet this shortfall. Both our site and Bloor Homes’ neighbouring site are identified in the North Herts Local Plan ‘Preferred Options’ Consultation paper (November 2014) to be released from the Green Belt. This would deliver 2,100 homes to meet part of Luton’s needs.
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1,612
New homes
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in North Herts
North Herts’
2013–2015
housing waiting list
14,400 11,100 North Herts
Luton BC
new homes
new homes shortfall in
needed by 2031
period to 2031
The context for development
Existing local facilities within a 15 minute walk of our site
The Crown Estate is preparing a masterplan for new homes which integrates with Bloor Homes’ Wandon Park proposals. In preparing our plans we have considered the following issues: • Visual impact Integrating the setting of the development in the wider landscape, and considering views from Mangrove Road and the back gardens of houses in Cockernhoe and Mangrove Green. • Biodiversity Enhancing biodiversity through creating a central green open space linked to areas of existing woodland. • Drainage Designing a sustainable drainage system to make sure the site will drain effectively even in extreme weather conditions. • Access Improving connectivity between the site and its surrounding areas, including new pedestrian links. • Local infrastructure Ensuring the local infrastructure has the capacity to accommodate the needs of existing local residents and those living in the new development. • Community benefits Delivering wider community benefits, including the provision of new and enhanced green open space and affordable housing to meet local housing need.
Bloor Homes’ Wandon Park proposals Bloor Homes has already submitted an outline planning application for 1,050 homes on land located to the east of our site, known as Wandon Park, and this application is currently being considered by North Herts. They are also likely to submit an additional application for around 400 new homes to the north-east of Wandon Park. We are working together to ensure all the necessary infrastructure, such as schools, highways and community facilities are provided.
Previous consultation In July last year we consulted on the principles of development and some broad ideas.
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176 Visited our consultation
People attended the exhibition
115 Feedback forms completed and returned
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key issues
Ecology & wildlife Respect landscape Local facilities must cope
website landwestofcockernhoe.co.uk
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top concerns
Traffic Green space Site location
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main benefits
Road infrastructure Community infrastructure Green space gains
Design rationale Buffer planting Buffer planting of trees and hedges will be provided along the northern and eastern site boundaries to screen views of the development from the north and to protect the landscape setting of Cockernhoe and Mangrove Green.
Green links All significant trees and hedgerows will be retained where possible. The proposed development will introduce a central open space area in the middle of the site and this is connected to the wider landscape by green links to support local wildlife.
Access and main spine street The main vehicular access is off Luton Road leading to a central road looping around the site. An emergency access is provided from Mangrove Road, in the north-eastern corner of the site.
Housing layout The highest density development is located in the south-western part of the site along the spine street. The lowest density development is located on the eastern part of the site, surrounded by open space and buffer planting to reflect the surrounding context and respect the setting of Cockernhoe and Mangrove Green.
Topography and drainage The land falls from north to south, therefore the drainage features are located along the southern boundary at the lowest part of the site. These features will be dry for much of the year.
Design evolution 1 Development principles The development principles plan was shown at the first public exhibition in July 2015. The plan shows broad areas of development, potential movement and circulation routes and indicative areas of green open space, buffer planting of trees and hedges and drainage features.
2 Concept plan The concept plan identified the most appropriate location for the main spine street, areas of development, open space and buffer planting. The site access, pedestrian footpaths and cycleway facilities were integrated into the design. It was decided that the highest density should be located along the southern and western boundaries, adjacent to the higher density housing in the Luton urban area.
3 Draft masterplan – 600 dwellings As the detailed design progressed, the areas of development were broken up to show an illustrative draft masterplan of 600 new homes. The housing mix includes detached, semi-detached and terraced properties, along with some corner apartments along the spine street.
4 Draft masterplan – 550 dwellings In response to feedback from the initial public consultation and to achieve a higher quality scheme, the overall number of homes has been reduced from 600 to 550. This will provide a more open feel and allows more amenity space for the new homes.
The draft masterplan
Draft masterplan
Key features and benefits • Up to 550 homes including the potential for 220 affordable homes. • 2-3 storey houses at an average density of 35 dwellings per hectare. • The main access is from Luton Road, leading to a central spine street which loops around the site. An emergency link is provided from Mangrove Road. • Central community green with links to smaller green spaces, surrounding woodlands and the wider countryside. • All significant trees and hedgerows will be retained, and extensive new buffer planting and structural landscaping is proposed along the north-eastern boundary. • An integrated approach to landscaping and drainage using soft landscaping and drainage features on the southern and western boundaries. • Financial contributions towards local infrastructure through a Section 106 agreement. • Economic benefits through supporting over 200 jobs in the construction sector and additional income from residents being spent in the local economy. • An integrated approach with the Bloor Homes plans to provide appropriate infrastructure. • Over 40% of the site will remain green, which does not include garden and amenity space for the new homes.
Environment
Current view of the site from Luton Road
In response to the issues raised during the previous public consultation and feedback from other consultees, a number of surveys and assessments have been carried out to address the issues raised. Wildlife and ecology We have carried out further surveys to make sure we have a comprehensive understanding of the site’s current flora and fauna. The surveys include: • Badgers • Bats • Breeding & wintering birds • Dormice • Great crested newts • Habitat and hedgerows The ecological diversity of the site will be increased as a result of the creation of a Sustainable Urban Drainage Strategy that will include ponds and swales. We are also proposing extensive green infrastructure which will help support local wildlife.
Air quality and noise We have carried our further assessments into air quality and noise, including surveying a wider area following comments from local residents at the last public consultation. We will continue to work with North Herts, Herts County Council and statutory consultees to make sure we have the right mitigation measures in place.
Landscape We have carried out studies which show there will be no significant impact upon the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Warden & Galley Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest. Almost all of the existing vegetation on and around the site will be retained and enhanced with new planting. This will reduce the visual impact of the proposed development from surrounding areas, including Putteridge Bury Registered Park & Gardens and the Grade II Listed buildings of Cassels Cottage and Mangrove Hall.
Wider road network Plan showing impact of the development on wider road network
Key The Site
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4 Junction
Percentage Impact of Proposed Development – 550 Units
Percentage Impact of Strategic Development – 2,100 Units
AM Peak Hour
PM Peak Hour
AM Peak Hour
PM Peak Hour
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Eaton Green Rd / Wigmore Lane Rbt
3%
3%
10%
11%
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Crawley Green Rd / Wigmore Lane Rbt
11%
16%
14%
17%
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Crawley Green Rd / A505 Vauxhall Way Rbt
2%
3%
6%
7%
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Eaton Green Rd / Vauxhall Way / Harrowden Rd Rbt
2%
2%
5%
6%
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Stopsley Way / St Thomas’s Rd / Ashcroft Rd Rbt
1%
1%
1%
1%
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Ashcroft Rd / Wigmore Lane Rbt
3%
4%
3%
4%
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Wigmore Lane / Hayling Drive Rbt
3%
3%
3%
4%
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Hitchin Rd / Vauxhall Rd
0%
0%
1%
1%
We recognise the level of development being proposed will result in a significant increase in traffic on local roads. The plan and table above show our estimate of additional traffic generated at key junctions in the area, by both our 550 home scheme and the wider 2,100 home allocation set out in North Herts’ Draft Local Plan. The main vehicle access to our site will be via a new roundabout junction with a widened Luton Road, which will be subject to a 30mph speed limit. We have carried out a number of traffic surveys, which has allowed us to understand the overall impact of our proposed development, as part of the wider proposal for 2,100 new homes set out in North Herts’ Preferred Options Local Plan. We have also considered the car journeys from other committed developments within Luton, such as Luton Airport, Napier Park and Butterfield, and will include this data in the final reports which will form part of the planning application. Two important local junctions are the Crawley Green Road / Wigmore Lane roundabout (marked 2 on the above plan) and the Crawley Green Road / Vauxhall Way roundabout (marked 3 on the above plan), both of which link the site and Luton town centre. The increase in traffic at these junctions is set out below.
Crawley Green Road/Wigmore Lane roundabout • Committed development will result in a traffic increase of 24% during peak pm hours. • Our development would see a further increase in traffic of 16%.
Crawley Green Road/Vauxhall Way roundabout • Committed development will result in a traffic increase of 37% during peak pm hours. • Our development would see a further increase in traffic of 2%.
Other improvements We are also considering improvements, including road widening, improving roundabouts and new traffic signals, to the following junctions: • Eaton Green Road / Wigmore Lane • Crawley Green Road / Wigmore Lane • Crawley Green Road / Vauxhall Way • Vauxhall Way / Eaton Green Road • Ashcroft Road / Hitchin Road / Stopsley Way
Local travel Plan showing local walking and cycling routes 11
Key The Site Potential Pedestrian Links Green Corridor Existing PROWs Existing Shared Footway/Cycleway
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Proposed Shared Footway/Cycleway
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Tracks & Bridleways that Cyclists may Use
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Chilterns Cycleway Potential Pedestrian/Cycle Routes
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Proposed Fingerpost Locations
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Medical Centre & Pharmacy
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Cockernhoe Primary School
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Wigmore Primary School
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Someries Primary School
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Local Shops
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Ashcroft High School
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Co-op Convenience Store
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ASDA Supermarket
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Wigmore District Centre
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Putteridge Junior School
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Butterfield Business Park
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London Luton Airport
Walking and cycling The site is within 15 minutes’ walk of facilities including a pharmacy, primary schools, a secondary school and shops, including an Asda supermarket. Our plans would encourage sustainable movement, such as cycling, walking and public transport, for day-to-day activities such as work, shopping and going to school. We aim to do this through: • Creating easily accessible routes into and around the site linking to key local facilities such as schools, shops and places of work. • Supporting cycling by contributing towards cycle facilities on Luton Road and Crawley Green Road. • Encouraging walking by upgrading pedestrian footpaths on Luton Road and Crawley Green Road, as well as providing new links to existing Public Rights of Way. We are also exploring the following options, please let us know your views on these ideas: • Shared footway/cycleway along Crawley Green Road from the proposed site access to the Wigmore Lane roundabout (orange line on the above plan). • Promotion of a cycle route from the site to Luton Airport (blue route south on the above plan). • Proposed cycle route from the site to Butterfield Business Park (blue route north on the above plan).
Public transport The site benefits from good bus connections to Luton town centre, including the 17 and 88 services, the rail station and the airport. We are in discussions with local bus operators about improvements to bus services in Luton by extending routes into the site and increasing the frequency of services. We would provide funding through a Section 106 Agreement to support these new services.
Community infrastructure
Possible location for new schools (shaded purple)
Schools Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed there is not enough capacity at existing local schools to accommodate primary aged children from this development. There is some capacity for growth at the Hitchin secondary schools, although this potential capacity will be taken up by the existing population and planned growth within Hitchin. Harpenden and Luton secondary schools are full or forecast to be full. As a result, new primary and secondary school places will need to be provided on site. We are working with Bloor Homes and Hertfordshire County Council to make sure that the necessary school spaces are in place to meet this new demand. The wider masterplan proposals could see the provision of: • A two-form entry primary school to accommodate 420 pupils. • An all-through school consisting of a two-form entry primary school and a four-form entry secondary school to accommodate 1,200 pupils.
Doctors We are consulting with the local NHS commissioning group on capacity in local services to assess whether there is a need for extra provision. At present, Stopsley Village, Ashcroft, Kingfisher and Larkside Practices are still accepting patients, although each GP is currently oversubscribed by NHS guidelines. We will continue to work with the Council to make sure there is enough capacity for new patients. The two most likely solutions are through Section 106 financial contributions or a new on-site healthcare facility, located in the wider masterplan area.
Next steps and your views
Your views We are keen to hear your views on our proposals for Land West of Cockernhoe. We would be grateful if you could complete a feedback form and either: • Post it in the comments box before you leave or send it back using the Freepost address • Alternatively, provide comments online by emailing
[email protected] or download the feedback form at: www.landwestofcockernhoe.co.uk We would like your comments by Friday 29 January 2016.
What happens next? We will consider all feedback received, alongside the ongoing technical work which will form part of the planning application. This will then inform any amendments to the proposals before we submit a planning application in spring 2016. Thank you for taking the time to visit our exhibition.
