Land at Rampton Road

Cottenham

Introduction TEP is preparing an outline planning application for 154 dwellings on 16.9 hectares of land adjacent to Rampton Road, Cottenham on behalf of the owners Cambridgeshire County Council.

This consultation seeks the views of the local community on the draft proposals. It allows you the opportunity to comment upon the proposals, identifying what you would like, what you might like to see, what you consider important and what you may have concerns about.

This is your opportunity to influence the thinking around the scheme prior to the Council’s submission of the outline application.

Housing NeedThe UK’s population is growing every year, with new housing supply needed to meet this increasing demand.

Each council has a duty to ensure that sufficient housing can be delivered to meet the housing need of the population for a 5-year period. In order to do this they must identify sufficient land to meet their housing need. Currently, South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) cannot demonstrate a continued 5-year housing land supply and that is why there have been applications for quite large developments nearby, notably by Gladman and Endurance.

The County Council’s site is arguably the best located of any of the proposed sites and provides a number of opportunities to deliver wider benefits to the community, such as improved recreation provision, creation of new cycle and footpath links, improved recreation ground access and the delivery of much needed affordable housing for local people.

The outline application seeks to establish the principle of residential development, as opposed to the detailed design of the proposed dwellings. The design shown is therefore illustrative at this stage. The detailed design would have regard to advice contained in the Cottenham Village Design Statement.

The County Council’s role in delivering new market rent, market sale and affordable housingThe County Council is unusual in having, in its County Farms Estate, a large landholding. In order to offset declining government grant the Council has set up a development company that will build new homes to generate a future income to support the delivery of its services to the wider Cambridgeshire community. It is recognised that Cottenham lacks affordable housing for local people and the County considers that it is in a position to be able to help meet this need by working where possible with SCDC to meet local policies, and through building and retaining affordable housing through its own development company.

Environmental StudiesA number of environmental studies are being carried out which will be submitted as part of the application documents.

Transport Specialist transport consultants are undertaking an assessment in liaison with the local Highway Authority to provide a safe and appropriate access scheme and to determine the impact of the proposed development on the local and wider highway network.

Surveys undertaken to date suggest that the traffic generated by the proposed development may have a minor effect on the local network capacity as a whole, however, mitigation at pinch points on the wider network is likely to be sought. Any impact of the proposed development upon the highway network will be mitigated for in consultation with the local highway authority.

As detailed on the access plan, the proposed site access design and layout will encourage the use of sustainable travel by seeking to provide excellent linkage to existing public transport, pedestrian and cycle facilities. Footpaths and cycleways can link the immediate site to the surrounding community facilities, employment areas and formal and informal open spaces.

Ecology AssessmentAn ecological assessment has been undertaken of the proposed development site. The site is dominated by an arable field and an area of amenity grassland, with an area of young broad-leaved plantation, hedgerows and scrub along stretches of the periphery.

The main features of ecological value are the established hedgerows and the area of plantation woodland around the periphery of the site, which will largely be retained within the development.

There will be no direct or indirect impacts on any surrounding sites designated for their nature conservation value.

Providing the precautionary methods of working and habitat creation measures are implemented, the proposed development will be compliant with wildlife legislation and with the requirements of national and local policy in respect of biodiversity.

HeritageAn archaeological assessment is being undertaken in consultation with the County Council’s independent Archaeological advisor. There is potential for archaeological survival and further archaeological investigation is required in support of the outline application. The outcomes of these investigations will be detailed in the report accompanying the planning application.

Flood RiskThe site is located in Flood Zone 1 which is the least vulnerable zone and where development should seek to be located. The flood risk assessment determined that the likelihood of flooding from rivers, surface water and reservoirs is low.

An outline drainage scheme will also be submitted with the planning application to ensure the development does not increase flood risk to the surrounding area. Ann attenuation pond and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are included within the design to mitigate for surface water drainage.

View from the car park at King George’s Field looking north-west

View from Rampton Road, south of Catch Water Drain, looking east

Diagram of existing site

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RecreationGround

Rampthill Farm (1.6ha / 3.9 acres)

Allotments(1.7ha / 4.2 acres)

Agricultural Land(9.7ha / 23.9 acres)

Les King Wood (5.8ha / 14.33 acres)

PrimarySchool

Recreation Land leased to Parish Council

(3.4ha / 8.4 acres)

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Les King Wood (5.5ha / 13.59 acres)

Rampthill Farm (1.6ha / 3.9 acres)

Rampton Road

Proposed Development The indicative masterplan details 154 dwellings of various size and tenure.

Access to the site would be from Rampton Road which would form an internal loop road with shared cycleway, providing access to the housing and land for further educational provision if required at a future date.

Subject to viability the County is committed to providing 40% affordable housing, in line with District Council policies, responding to identified local need. The County Council is presently expecting to deliver this scheme itself, through its own development company, as opposed to selling the land to a private developer. This can allow greater control over the affordable housing provision and help ensure that local needs are met. A mix of dwelling types and tenures will be provided

The County Council will retain an appropriate portion of its land for any potential future educational need. It is acknowledged that depending on the level of housing growth in the village, primary education capacity would need to be increased and that is a matter for a separate consultation.

Recreation provision could be enhanced through a land swap of the northern 3.4 hectares of playing fields at Cottenham Recreation Ground currently leased to the Parish Council for the same area of land but wrapped around the existing Recreation Ground. As the illustrative masterplan shows, 3.4 hectares of replacement land could be provided adjacent to the existing recreation provision, and potentially in closer proximity to existing and any new facilities. A new access to the Recreation Ground would be available from Rampton Road in addition to the single vehicle access off Lambs Lane.

The site is well located in respect of local amenities, within walking distance of all local services, highlighting the sustainable nature of this particular location.

An area of 0.45 hectare of green space has been provided within the development with a further 5.5 hectares of amenity green space incorporated into the development through the integration of Les King Wood, which was planted by the County Council as a recreational resource for the village in 2000.

The County Council is open to considering the options of either providing further equipped play on-site or possibly contributing towards the off-site provision of children’s play space in other parts of Cottenham, given the large amount of existing play space adjacent the proposed development.

Illustrative masterplan

Planning application boundaryRelocated recreation provision’

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Access points from Rampton Road into development inclusive of 3m shared footway/cycleway.

Improved shared footway/cycleway on Rampton Road.

Dwellings fronting Rampton Road.

Potential road link to the recreation ground.

Relocated recreation provision (3.4 hectares) allowing for additional football pitch. Illustrative plan details 5 full size FA standard football pitches, 1 Rugby Pitch, Cricket Oval and Square.

Green Space and Potential Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS).

Play Area, Locally Equipped Area for Play (LEAP)

Possible locations for drainage attenuation pond.

Footpath/cycleway link between development and Les King Wood. Improved accessibility for all around Les King Wood.

Future proofed road, footway and cycle access to potential land for education expansion.

Potential for shared cycleway/footway link to Lambs Lane.

Potential future link to PRoW running alongside Cottenham Lode.

Improvement to existing boundary trees and hedgerow

KEY:

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128

Green Space

Recreation Ground

Relocated Recreation Provision

(3.4ha / 8.4acres)

Allotments (1.7ha / 4.2 acres)

Land Reserved for Education

Purposes(2ha / 4.9 acres)

Primary School

Green Open Space (1.4ha / 3.5 acres)

Lambs Lane

Relocated recreation provision (3.4 hectares) allowing for additional football pitch. Illustrative plan details 5 full size FA standard football pitches, 1 Rugby Pitch, Cricket Oval and Square.

Green Space and Potential Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS).

Play Area, Locally Equipped Area for Play (LEAP)

Possible locations for drainage attenuation pond.

Footpath/cycleway link between development and Les King Wood. Improved accessibility for all around Les King Wood.

Future proofed road, footway and cycle access to potential land for education expansion.

Potential for shared cycleway/footway link to Lambs Lane.

Potential future link to PRoW running alongside Cottenham Lode.

Improvement to existing boundary trees and hedgerow

OpportunitiesThe County Council believes that the proposed development of this site provides a real opportunity to improve access to the recreation ground. This could be through using a new vehicular access for the recreation ground from Rampton Road thereby relieving the use of the Lambs Lane access the function of which could be reconsidered as part of a wider project.

The potential new access could allow improved parking facilities and perhaps the development of a Village Hub, incorporating a proposed new village hall, pre-school, existing pavilion and bowling green.

The County Council leases the northern recreation fields to the Parish Council (Sketch 1). This may be required for future education provision and the lease provides for replacement land which could be the 3.4 ha shown. This would be closer to the existing facilities and could provide an improved layout of pitches,

It has been proposed that the leased northern fields are designated as Local Green Space. This designation could be transferred to the new equivalent area of playing fields adjoining the main Recreation Ground. The land being swapped would be at no cost to the Parish Council and the County would lay out the new playing field land.

Sketch 1Potential educational land extensionSports pitches reconfiguration to create more regular shape in central location.

Sketch 2Green links connecting sports ground to Community Woodland. New development framing sports ground, creating definition and natural surveillance

Sketch 3Connection to possible new education facilities from Rampton Road

Sketch 4Connections to sports ground from Rampton Road.

Footpath and cycleway connection to Lambs Lane

Potential for new village hub

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Next StepsWe are currently finalising the environmental studies and producing technical reports to support the outline planning application. The thoughts of the local community and the Parish Council are important in further developing the illustrative proposal, particularly in the context of the surrounding development pressures.

This is your opportunity to put forward ideas that will help shape the application and make it better for everyone.

An online planning exhibition providing further detail on the proposals will open on the Wednesday 7th September providing you with opportunity to feedback.

A planning exhibition is being held on Wednesday 14th September at Cottenham Library, Margett Street, with the community invited to drop in and view the proposals and provide feedback from 15:00 – 20:30.

All feedback will be carefully considered and may influence the proposed development. It will be reported within a Statement of Community Involvement document to be submitted with the outline planning application.

Following the consultation process, an application will be made to South Cambridgeshire District Council.

You will then be given further opportunity to comment on the proposals as part of the District Councils’ consultation period.

We look forward to receiving your feedback.

You can view the proposals in more detail and feedback through the online planning exhibition provided at:

www.tep.uk.com/cottenham

You can also return your feedback by completing the form on the back of this page and send to us at:

TEP, Genesis Centre, Garrett Field, Birchwood, WA3 7BH

Feedback should be received by: Wednesday 28th September 2016

Feedback FormLand at Rampton Road, Cottenham To help us analyse comments we would be interested to know your address:

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Questions

1. What impact (negative or positive) do you feel this development might have upon you as an individual and/or upon the wider community?

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2. Are there any improvements that you feel could be made to the scheme? (if so please elaborate)

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3. Does Cottenham require more affordable housing and should this be funded on the back of private housing?

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Feedback FormLand at Rampton Road, Cottenham

4. What would the local community wish to see in terms of play space and areas for recreation provision?

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5. Do you believe this is an appropriate location for housing if further housing is to be provided in Cottenham?

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6. In terms of the housing tenure mix provided on this site what type would you like to see (please tick those that apply)

[ ] Market Rent (owned by County Council)

[ ] Affordable/Social Rent (managed by registered social landlord)

[ ] Shared Ownership

[ ] Self-Build Plots (fronting Rampton Rd)

[ ] Community Land Trust (where the land is owned by the community, it sets criteria for eligibility and the housing can be kept affordable in perpetuity)

[ ] Key worker housing

7. Do you feel the scheme enhances the recreation ground?

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Do you have any further comments?........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................