News on Didcot Garden Town Plan

December 2016Appeal Ref: APP/Q3115/W/16/3153639

1.1 This submission is written on behalf of the Greater Didcot Garden Town Team to set out the team’s position in respect of the development proposals at the site east of New Road in the Parish of East Hagbourne, which is the subject of a planning appeal (PINS Ref: APP/Q3115/W/16/3153639).

This note has been prepared jointly by Quod and Novell Tullett, each members of the Didcot Garden Town consultant team, leading on planning and landscape respectively for South Oxfordshire District Council.

2.1 In April 2014, DCLG published a prospectus entitled Locally-led Garden Cities which identified Garden Cities as critical to addressing the nation’s housing shortage. It noted that Garden Cities are “critical to driving the supply of new homes in the medium to long term… [and] they can offer a more strategic and thoughtful alternative to sequential development (or ‘sprawl’) around existing communities,” (Para 2). The prospectus set out the Government’s intention to support new Garden Cities and welcomed expressions of interest from local areas keen to deliver these. It states:

See footnote 1

2.2 In response to this prospectus, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership joined together to develop an Expression of Interest for a Greater Didcot Garden Town. In December 2015, Government announced that Didcot was successful in its bid, and that it will become a Garden Town delivering 15,050 new homes and 20,000 high-tech jobs in the greater Didcot area.

2.3 Didcot is unique as a Garden Town in that the town already exists. Historically, Garden Cities and Towns have been synonymous with new settlements: they typically comprise development of greenfield land to create entirely new places with new communities. Whilst new development in and around Didcot presents an opportunity to incorporate the Garden Town principles from the off, it will also be important to retrofit the existing town and to address its current shortcomings and to ensure that Didcot has a unified sense of place grounded in being a Garden Town. Some of the existing issues that Didcot faces which the Garden Town proposals need to address are:

2.4 Since the bid’s success, South Oxfordshire District Council has instructed a team of consultants – the Didcot Garden Town team – to further develop the garden town proposals by establishing a fullyfledged vision and masterplan, and a supporting delivery strategy which will ensure that the plans for the Garden Town are realised. The suite of proposals will be set out in a single Garden Town Delivery Document which is to be completed and delivered to the Council at the end of February 2017.

2.5 The Garden Town consultant team is currently in the process of developing these proposals. We are working closely with both District Councils to ensure that the developing Garden Town proposals are incorporated into each Council’s emerging Local Plan, and the Delivery Document will include our recommendation for how the Garden Town proposals should be taken forward in planning policy terms from February 2017. But until the next drafts of each Council’s Local Plan is published2, the emerging Garden Town proposals will not be present in any form of policy document. Given the timing of this appeal, it is important to set out the Garden Town team’s view of how the proposed development at land east of New Road, East Hagbourne relates to the emerging Greater Didcot Garden Town proposals, and highlight the implications of the decision of this appeal for the Garden Town.

See footnote 2

3.1 The Expression of Interest which won Didcot Garden Town status included a high level vision which described the aspirations of the Council for Didcot. In line with this, the Garden Town team is continuing to refine and strengthen the vision for Didcot and develop a masterplan that will enable the delivery of this vision. This process is underpinned by ongoing community engagement: we are welcoming views on the emerging proposals until 18 December3. However, some themes have been apparent throughout the lifetime of the project so far and we expect them to remain critical to the Garden Town vision. A number of challenges have been recognised as holding Didcot back, and these need to be addressed by the Garden Town vision and proposals (see Para 2.3 of this submission).

3.2 In order to translate the aspirational vision into a suite of tangible proposals which will realise it and address the challenges facing Didcot, we are developing a set of Garden Town Principles. These will be set out in local planning policy going forward. Emerging Garden Town Principles which are of particular relevance to the appeal at East Hagbourne are:

3.3 Principles 1-34 were set out explicitly within the Expression of Interest and have been carried forward into the emerging Garden Town Principles. Principle 4 has emerged to address a number of Didcot’s issues – it is intended to improve sustainability, create a more diverse housing mix, improve the vitality of the town centre and resist the continued outward sprawl of Didcot.

See footnotes 3 and 4

a) Distinctiveness and separation between Didcot and the surrounding villages 4.1 The Garden Town Principles set out the need to retain the separate nature and integrity of the necklace of villages around Didcot. Each village has its own landscape setting of predominantly rural and agricultural land. The history and development of each of these villages is founded in the proximity to the chalk downland as villages developed on the springline at the foot of the escarpments. The pattern of footpaths and green lanes is also a reflection of the relationship between people living in the villages and farming the adjacent land, with movement of stock between the chalk downland and the clay lowland surrounding the settlements themselves.

4.2 As a result of their historic development, many of the villages, East Hagbourne included, have significant numbers of historic buildings and the village curtilage has been designated a Conservation Area. This designation seeks to protect not only the quality and characteristics of the structures but also the significant relationships of buildings and open spaces which have evolved over time. The setting of these village conservation areas within the rural landscape at the foot of the Downs is an important a part of their character and value.

4.3 The Garden Town Principles describe the separate identity of the necklace of villages around Didcot and set out to protect and enhance it. And as part of the historic development of the landscape setting of the Garden Town, it is right to recognise that where local settlements are as special as East Hagbourne the wider environment has a material effect on village character and identity. Erosion of their separation, as well as degradation of the surrounding landscape by the effect of encroaching development or coalescence, will have a detrimental impact on the character and specialness of the villages.

4.4 In recognition of the special character of the surrounding villages and their important contribution to the setting of Didcot Garden Town, the landscape proposals which form part of the emerging masterplan include the establishment of green buffers to each of the villages within the Garden Town Area of Influence5. The green buffers serve to protect the setting of the villages, rather than providing a green belt to Didcot. These buffers are part of the productive landscape setting and context for the Garden Town and their rural agricultural use will include sustainable environmental features which promote opportunities for wildlife, assist carbon capture, protect soils and help prevent flooding. It is therefore key that woodland and orchards, nature reserves, natural streams and watercourses (as part of the blue infrastructure network) are part of the pattern of agricultural use and integrated with recreational uses that are compatible with it.

See footnote 5

4.5 The appeal site has been classified as Grade II - very good quality agricultural land – and it forms part of the hinterland of Didcot. In support of the Garden Town Principles, food growing within the local area is identified as a key generator of sustainable and community initiatives. Local food production helps to reduce food miles, boosts availability of fresher, higher quality food, promotes understanding of the connection between food and the rural environment, and sustains the rural economy through the availability of produce in local markets. These characteristics are particularly important in the context of a designated Garden Town. Whilst the committee report for the original planning application considers that the proposed development would result in a minor economic disbenefit due to the loss of this agricultural land (Para 7.2), this underestimates the importance of good quality agricultural land in close proximity to Didcot in the context of Didcot as a Garden Town. The land is a key boundary, in agricultural use, which the emerging Garden Town proposals identify to be used in food production and woodland as part of the productive landscape and to provide an appropriate setting for the Garden Town.

b) Didcot’s relationship with the AONB

4.6 The Garden Town team is producing a suite of background evidence documents which will inform and support the Garden Town proposals. This evidence base includes a landscape character assessment and green infrastructure strategy, both prepared by Novell Tullett. The former has been submitted in draft to the District Councils for comment and the latter is under preparation.

4.7 The landscape setting of Didcot Garden Town is as important as the open spaces within the town and the proposed development areas. The countryside around Didcot is widely valued for its character and quality and the designation of the North Wessex Downs as an AONB recognises and seeks to conserve and enhance this land. The LVIA (James Blake Associates 2015) supporting the proposed development sets out in some detail the characteristics of the AONB close to East Hagbourne and estimates the proximity of the boundary to be within 400-500 metres of the appeal site. The Downs Plain, a landscape character type which extends from the skirt of the AONB towards the site in question, is under threat from, among other things:

4.8 Evaluation of the detailed landscape character in the areas around East Hagbourne identifies the following:

See footnote 6

4.9 Flat open farmland key characteristics:

4.10 Landscape threats to the character and quality of the landscape comprise the following:

4.11 With the proximity of the nationally designated AONB to this site and the local landscape characteristics which are those of high inter-visibility within a flat and denuded landscape, there is a clear contradiction in providing new built development where the existing ribbon development and development edge of Didcot is highly visible. The ‘landscape led’ proposals set out in the development proposals’ LVIA seek to assure us that there will be no detrimental effect on the character and quality of the landscape by virtue of the proposed new hedgerows and trees planted in tandem with the building of houses. While in the long term this vegetation may help to absorb the built development into the landscape it will not mitigate for the loss of separation between Didcot and East Hagbourne on a site which is key to maintaining the gap and protecting the distinct character of East Hagbourne village.

c) Community-led

4.12 DCLG published Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities in March 2016, setting out how the Government will support new garden villages, towns and cities. It is clear that new garden towns must be shaped through community engagement and underpinned by strong local support. The note states:

4.13 The importance of community engagement is further supported by Garden City Principles developed by the Town and Country Planning Association, which include “strong vision, leadership and community engagement” among the nine principles. These principles are intended to be “a distillation of the key elements that have made the Garden City model of development so successful, articulated for a 21st century context,” and were included in the project brief provided to the consultant team at the outset of the Greater Didcot Garden Town project. They remain an important consideration for the emerging proposals.

4.14 The Expression of Interest which ultimately secured Government buy-in and achieved Didcot’s garden town status states that the Councils will “…embed a community driven approach that delivers a strong sense of ownership,” (pg. 19). In developing a set of locally-led principles for Greater Didcot Garden Town as encouraged by DCLG, community engagement has remained critical to both the process and the principles themselves. Whilst community consultation is always an important consideration in the planning process, it is especially critical in the context of an emerging garden town – to ensure the Garden Town responds to local needs and to build trust with the existing community.

See footnote 7

4.15 To this end, it is important to recognise the comments received through the Garden Town consultation to date. The Didcot Garden Town website has established an inter-active forum for community engagement and has so far received extensive feedback, including 23 comments in the general area of the appeal site which support the preservation of the green gap that separates the village of East Hagbourne from Didcot and resist development of this area. Together, these comments have received 122 ‘agrees’ (a feature which allows individuals to support comments made by others). The area has also received 2 comments which support the site as an appropriate location for development, and these comments have together received 2 ‘agrees’.

4.16 The consultation process so far has indicated strong local support for preserving the character and rural nature of the surrounding villages by maintaining the separation between Didcot and these villages. This is reflected in the emerging Garden Town Principles (see Section 3 of this note) and the emerging masterplan, which establishes a strong green buffer between the built form of Didcot and the necklace of villages (see paragraphs 4.1-4.6 of this note). 4.17 We are aware that the planning application received over 600 letters of objection from neighbouring residents and a number of objections from the local residents’ group called Mind the Green Gap. In addition, East Hagbourne Parish Council, Didcot Town Council and Ed Vaizey MP for Didcot and Wantage all objected to the planning application. It is clear from the number of objections received in response to the planning application and the comments made via the Didcot Garden Town public consultation website that there is strong local opposition to development of the appeal site.

See footnote 8

4.18 It is important to have strong regard to the views of the Greater Didcot community, especially at this early stage in the development of the Garden Town proposals. Having insufficient regard to the community’s views risks undermining residents’ confidence in the project’s principles and in turn potentially compromising the Government’s objective for the Garden Town to be locally-led.

d) Intensification of development within central Didcot

4.19 At present, Didcot is characterised by relatively low density development. Most of the town is made up of semi-detached and detached housing, and development in the town centre is typically two storeys in height, although a handful of buildings are three storeys. The Garden Town Principles encourage intensifying development around sustainable transport hubs and within central Didcot in order to:

4.20 As part of the Garden Town proposals, the population of Didcot is set to more than double in the next 15 years. The 15,050 homes are to come forward across a number of sites in both District Councils which were identified in the Expression of Interest, and which do not include the appeal site. There is no policy requirement to add to this scale of substantial growth, rather the challenge is to assimilate the growth and ensure its sustainable delivery. The identified sites include a number of strategic housing allocations at various stages in the planning process, including within the town of Didcot: North East Didcot (resolution to grant for 1,880 homes), Valley Park (resolution to grant for 4,254 homes), Ladygrove East (Local Plan allocation for 642 homes) and Didcot Gateway (planning consent for 300 homes). The delivery of these sites is critical to the success of the Garden Town, not least to realise the Garden Town’s role in providing much needed new homes but also because theypresent a ready opportunity to embed the Garden Town principles – including intensification of land use – in Didcot through new development.4.21 It is important that the implementation of key sites in Didcot is not compromised by enabling easy green field development elsewhere and diluting the incentive for developers to deliver more appropriate allocations, especially those in Didcot’s centre, which are central to the achievement of the garden town vision. Allowing development at the land east of New Road could undermine the delivery of sustainable sites that are critical to the Garden Town and put at risk the opportunity to intensify development within the town to improve Didcot’s sustainability and economic vitality.

5.2 Didcot’s designation by government as a Garden Town make these objectives nationally important. APPENDIX A – PROPOSED GARDEN TOWN BOUNDARIES

The proposed boundary includes Didcot’s allocated sites (Ladygrove East, North East Didcot, Didcot A, Valley Park, North West Valley Park), Milton Park and Didcot Growth Accelerator Enterprise Zones (EZs) and sites which are considered important for green infrastructure or similar interventions. The explanation of the boundary, starting at the southernmost point at the intersection of the A34 and A417 and moving clockwise, is as follows:

What does it mean to be in the Garden Town Boundary?

The Didcot Garden Town boundary identifies the area that the masterplan will cover. This area will be considered for appropriate development opportunities as well as potential for investment and improvement in transport, landscape, green infrastructure, public realm and social services. Proposals that relate to connectivity, such as transport and green infrastructure, may need to extend beyond the Garden Town boundary in order to join Didcot with surrounding networks but the focus of the masterplan will be within this line. The masterplan’s crucial role is in knitting together these different strategies.

Didcot Garden Town and Science Vale Area of Influence

This area includes Harwell, Milton Park and Culham science parks and all housing sites which are earmarked to contribute towards the 15,000 new homes to be delivered as part of the Garden Town. The boundary follows Parish boundaries where possible because these are long established and widely understood, but it has been necessary to deviate from these in order to capture specifc sites or villages which are considered to influence, or be influenced by, the Garden Town. The explanation of the boundary, starting at the south and working clockwise, is as follows:

What does it mean to be in the Area of Influence?

The Garden Town team felt it was important to ensure that people living and working in areas with a strong link to Didcot should be given every opportunity to shape the Garden Town vision. This ‘area of influence’ has helped to guide our engagement programme, but it does not mean we are not interested in views from people who live and work beyond this boundary. We want to hear from anyone who is interested in the future of the Garden Town.

FOOTNOTES

Footnote 1

This publication was withdrawn on 5 September 2016. It was replaced by DCLG’s more recent publication Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities (March 2016) which remains a live document and is referred to in Section 4 of this submission.

Footnote 2

Vale of White Horse DC intend to publish a preferred options version of their Local Plan 2031: Part 2 for public consultation in February 2017; South Oxfordshire DC intend to publish a second preferred options version of their emerging Local Plan 2032 for public consultation in the first quarter of 2017.

Footnote 3

Please see the Didcot Garden Town consultation website at www.didcotgardentown.co.uk

Footnote 4

Please note that the principles are numbered within this document for ease of reference only. Their order has no bearing on their degree of importance.

Footnote 5

Appendix A to this note shows the proposed Garden Town Boundaries and explains the roles of each boundary.

Footnote 6

South Oxfordshire Landscape Assessment (April 1998) Atlantic Consultants.

Footnote 7

https://www.tcpa.org.uk/garden-city-principles

Footnote 8

Since its launch on 9 November 2016 until the time of writing on 07 December 2016. The website will remain open for comment from the public until 18 December 2016.