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Appraisal and Landscape Strategy

for the development of the site for Housing

Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

011.918.R1C

REPORT AND DOCUMENT CONTROL

Project:

Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

Client:

William Davis Ltd

Job No:

011.918

Report No:

011.918.R1C

DOCUMENT CHECKING

Author: Signature:

Christopher Nichols CMLI

Checked: Signature:

Christopher Nichols CMLI

Issue Date Status Revision

1 29.10.10 Design Team -

2 16.11.10 Design Team A

3 06.05.11 Planning B

4 15.05.13 Planning C

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

011.918.R1C

Harehedge Lane, Burton Upon Trent

Location and Context

The site is located at Beam Hill on the northern edge of Burton upon Trent,

Derbyshire, close to the junction of the A511 Tutbury Road and Harehedge

Lane/Beamhill Road.

LOCATION PLAN

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

011.918.R1C

THE SITE

The Site

The proposed development site consists of a rectangular field of pasture

approximately 1.3 hectares in size, facing onto Harehedge Lane to the south,

and with the rear gardens of houses and the Beacon Hotel public house in

Tutbury Road alongside the site to the west. To the north and east is farmland,

almost exclusively laid to cattle pasture.

On the other side of Harehedge Lane is a row of terraced and semi-detached

houses overlooking the site and the adjacent farmland. Behind these houses is

a college and junior school, beyond which lies an extensive residential area.

Approximately 300 metres to the east of the site, following the edge of the

pastureland, is Rolleston Road, beyond which lies a further area of housing.

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

011.918.R1C

AERIAL

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011.918.R1C

Landscape Character and Features

The character of the area is one of urban fringe, with influences from both the

fields of pasture to the north and east and the ribbon development of houses in

Harehedge Lane, Beamhill Road and Tutbury Road (A511) to the south and west

respectively. The greater areas of housing to the south and beyond Rolleston

Road to the east, together with the presence of educational establishments

accessed via Harehedge Lane, reinforce the area’s residential character.

VIEW NORTH FROM THE SOUTH-EAST CORNER OF THE SITE

The topography of the area is gently undulating, slightly sloping to the east in the

area around the site but rising to a weak ridge to the north and a stronger ridge

at Beam Hill to the west. The site itself falls gently from west to east across the

site by approximately 2.0 metres.

The hedges that surround the site to the north, east and south are intact,

trimmed and continuous except for one gap through the east hedge to a field

beyond. A section of the hedge on the east boundary, at its northern end, has

been left untrimmed as a belt of blackthorn 5.0m in height. Otherwise the

hedges are 1.5m high comprising hawthorn with bramble and elder – i.e. not

rich in species or variety of habitat.

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

011.918.R1C

VIEW NORTH-EAST ACROSS THE SITE TO THE BOUNDARY HEDGE

An Ash tree in the eastern boundary hedge line is 11m height but in poor

condition; it has lost limbs and may have potential danger of losing others. An

arboricultural survey has confirmed that this tree would need to be removed for

health and safety reasons.

A 14m high oak tree, in what appears to be good condition, stands in the

hedge just beyond the NE corner of site in the adjoining field.

The west boundary of site is at first a 1.0m ht. ranch fence & wall adjacent to the

pub car park; then a 1.8m ht. close-boarded fence alongside the pub’s rear

garden, fronted by a strip of scrub and a few trees (poplar & ash, maximum

6.0m high & one 9.0m ash tree in the corner return). Continuing north there is

bramble, plum & sycamore at the rear of nos 279-283 Tutbury Road; then 1.0m

high fences at the r/o nos 285-291 Tutbury Road. Because of the lack of

vegetation and high fences here, the gardens of these latter properties are

visible from the site.

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

011.918.R1C

THE REAR OF TUTBURY ROAD PROPERTIES OVERLOOKING THE SITE

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

011.918.R1C

Visual issues

Generally, the visual envelope for the site is confined to the area contained by

the ridges to the north and west and the urban-edge houses to the east, south

and west: essentially to the line of houses along the west and south boundaries

(latter other side of Harehedge Lane); two fields then houses to the east

(Rolleston Road) and two fields and the ridge to north.

VIEW TOWARDS THE SITE AND THE BEACON HOTEL PUB FROM

HAREHEDGE LANE

The continuous hedges along Harehedge Lane and Tutbury Road (beyond end

of housing) will restrict views of any housing development from these roads.

There are no PROWS within the site’s visual envelope.

Views are possible over the hedge along a section of Rolleston Road; otherwise

trees along this road restrict views to site.

Slight glimpses of the site are possible from a high point up Beamhill Road (west

of site). Otherwise views from houses in Beamhill Road, inc those in Beam Close,

are blocked by the Beacon Hotel Pub.

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

011.918.R1C

Odd House nos 279-295 Tutbury Road (North of The Beacon Hotel Pub) back

onto the site and have views across it, particularly nos. 285-291 which have views

from ground floor windows & rear gardens.

VIEW EAST TOWARDS THE SITE FROM BEAMHILL ROAD

Direct views are possible from the upper storey windows of even nos. 2-34

Harehedge lane, and also from the residence known as Najeluem Barn on the

north side of Harehedge lane to the east of the site. Oblique views will be

possible of the development from nos. 36 Harehedge Lane onwards to Rolleston

Road.

Views of the site exist from the upper storey windows of the Beacon Hotel Public

House that orientate toward the east and north.

Views are possible from houses on the west side of Tutbury Road (even nos 312

to 362), many of which are raised above the level of the road.

Views are possible from the upper storeys of houses in Rolleston Road from its

junction with Harehedge Lane to no. 276 Rolleston Road and Rosemary

Cottage.Views are also possible to the site from Glenville Farm on the ridge to

the north of the site.

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Harehedge Lane, Burton on Trent

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Conclusions and Recommendations

The grass field is utilised for pasture and has little ecological value. Developing

the site for housing would constitute a loss of farmland and green land cover for

an area of approximately 1.33 hectares.

The hedges are useful visual screens but are not ecologically rich. They could

be managed to grow higher and be maintained at a height of 2.0m to

preclude overlooking by walkers and vehicle occupants travelling on the

adjoining roads.

The development of the site for housing would not require the removal of any

landscape features except for the front hedge along Harehedge Lane to

accommodate the access road entry and visibility splays. It is proposed to

replant a new hedge to the rear of the proposed footpath.

The single specimen Ash tree in the hedgerow on the east boundary requires

removal on health and safety grounds. It will be replaced by another native tree

in the detailed landscape proposals.

Within the first few years of development of the site for housing, views would be

affected for a number of residential properties in Harehedge Lane and Tutbury

Road that overlook the site. There would also be effects on views from a few

homes on Rolleston Road north of Harehedge Lane, but such views are

comparatively distant and the size of field for development is small compared

to the extent of farmland that surrounds the site to the north and the east.

The development of the site for housing would appear as a natural extension to

the housing flanking both sides of Tutbury Road for approximately 150 metres

north of Harehedge Lane.

There are no public rights-of-way (PROWs) or public open spaces (POSs) that

would be physically or visually affected by any proposal for housing

development on the site.

It is recommended that native tree planting be introduced to the site frontage

and around the balancing pond to assist in the softening and partial screening

of the proposed housing. Such planting would help to mitigate the effects of

the development upon views from across farmland to the east and from houses

opposite. Species would include Alder, Birch, Oak and Field Maple. Planting of

Common Ash is currently restricted and not recommended at this time.

Similarly, planting of small trees to the rear of the Beacon Hotel would

compensate for the poor quality trees removed. Planting of large native

specimens within the POS would add further visual screening to the houses

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011.918.R1C

along Tutbury Road as well as enhancing bio-diversity and local tree cover.

Ground-modelling would appear out of character in the area and is not

recommended to be included as part of the development or for mitigation.