Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan. Pre-Submission Consultation MAY to July Share Your Views

Transcription

1 Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan Pre-Submission Consultation MAY to July 2015 Share Your Views Please share your views with us before the Plan is finalised.

2 Dear Resident, Your Chance to Share Your Views on the Draft Neighbourhood Plan for Bray Parish As part of the government s Big Society agenda, local communities are being given the opportunity to produce their own Neighbourhood Plan to help guide development in their local areas. These powers give local residents the chance to have an influence on all future planning applications in their area. Bray Parish Council has decided to produce such a Neighbourhood Plan. A Steering Group of local volunteers was set up to develop a Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan ( BPNP ) on behalf of Bray Parish Council and that Steering Group has prepared this pre-submission consultation document as part of this process. Ultimately, after completing this consultation, the revised Neighbourhood Plan will be submitted to the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Council. It will subsequently be subjected to an independent examination before finally being put to a local Referendum of Parish Residents who will determine whether or not the Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan is implemented. This is a summary document outlining the key proposals which will form the basis of your final Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan. This pre-submission Draft Plan has been prepared over the past three years through information gathered from the regular Steering Group meetings and a number of public meetings and surveys. The full Draft Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan is available for viewing or downloading on both the BPNP website - and on the Bray Parish Council website at A considerable amount of time and effort has gone into preparing the Pre-submission Draft Plan, but its eventual success will be very much down to residents taking time to read this document and then sending in their comments or suggested amendments on the enclosed Response Form. The closing date for comments is Friday 3 July You will see that this Summary version includes the proposed Vision for the Parish for the next 15 years as well as the proposed Planning Policies. The Policies are of particular importance as they have been devised to manage future developments in the Parish and, if approved by the Residents Referendum later in the process, these Policies must be taken into account by applicants and both Parish and Borough decision-makers when a planning application for development in the Parish is submitted. The Parish Council would like to thank all the residents of Bray Parish who have supported the Steering Committee in preparing the Plan over the past few years. Yours faithfully Ken Elvin Chair Bray Parish Council Please share your views with us before the Plan is finalised

3 SUMMARY OF THE DRAFT BRAY PARISH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN INTRODUCTION Bray Parish is an attractive place to live and work. This Pre-Submission Draft of the Neighbourhood Plan details the pressures on our local environment in both the immediate and the medium-term futures. In particular it seeks to explain the key constraints to development and how careful planning and regulation may help to retain the Parish s essential character and attraction. The Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan ( BPNP ) has been drafted by a team of volunteers working on behalf of Bray Parish Council. Bray Parish is our passion and first priority. We have sought to understand and describe the issues that will probably define the next 15 years in a way that is open, honest and balanced. Some of the issues facing Bray Parish are: o o o o The increasing pressure on the Green Belt that makes up 95% of our Parish New housing targets for RBWM totalling some 12,400 new dwellings in the Borough in next 15 years Crossrail and the redevelopment of Maidenhead Town Centre and how these developments may impact upon the pressures on our Parish Existing traffic congestion, plus the further congestion expected in the Parish from the impact of planned housing developments in neighbouring areas such as Bracknell The Plan sets out a series of Planning Policies for the Parish of Bray which will ensure any new development in the Parish in line with views expressed by residents, preserving what is best in the Parish and providing a sound foundation for shaping the Parish of the future. Careful, regulated development is critical to protecting the essential character of our Parish, our Green Belt and particularly the limits of our current infrastructure. This Plan sets out some draft guidelines for regulating the housing development process. However almost every aspect of the infrastructure is already at its limit. Roads, air quality, noise and public transport are all near, at or beyond their designated capacities. This Plan therefore does not propose any further housing development within Bray Parish. Roads are a particular concern. Whilst the roads in the Parish are currently adequate for all local traffic (i.e. traffic which originates or terminates within the Parish), the transit traffic (which passes through our Parish without stopping) exceeds the capacity of the A308 (Windsor Road) and the A330 (Ascot Road) for significant periods of every weekday. While this Draft Plan can propose minor road management initiatives associated with new development to relieve congestion, the solutions to the congestion caused by transit traffic fall outside the scope of the BPNP. Your role is absolutely essential if the Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan is to be successful. Please tell us your views on this Draft Plan so that they may be discussed and considered for inclusion in our final Plan. We want Bray Parish to be a destination where people can enjoy the beauty of the countryside and the leisure facilities that the Parish currently offers. Our Parish has shown in the past (e.g. saving Jesus Hospital in Bray) that, if the objective is important and beneficial to the Parish, residents can come together in the interest of our community

4 We offer you this Pre-Submission Draft BPNP in a similar spirit. We hope you will find that it fairly records your issues and concerns whilst offering at least some guidelines on how we might preserve the best, at the same time as revitalising a Parish that future generations will love as much as we do. VISION STATEMENT As a community Bray Parish seeks to retain and protect the distinct character of our villages and hamlets, maintain the separation between them by preserving the Green Belt, and protect our fauna and flora for recreation and community wellbeing. We will respond to the housing needs of our communities with sympathetic development, enhance the village and rural economy, improve road safety and facilities for all users, and ensure that our parish remains a precious place to live and a community that welcomes visitors. OBJECTIVES OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 1 Protect existing Green Belt land and prevent urban sprawl by safeguarding the open and rural character of the countryside and preventing inappropriate use and development; 2 Preserve and enhance existing gaps between settlements, and in particular the Bray Green Gap between the towns of Windsor and Maidenhead whose outskirts already extend into Bray Parish either side; 3 Encourage the re-use of surplus agricultural and farm buildings, where redundant, for uses appropriate to the countryside; 4 Control land raising to ensure that it is only in the interests of agriculture or equestrianism and does not have an adverse impact on residents; 5 Mitigate future gravel extraction impact by placing requirements for ground re-use and landscaping after works completion; 6 To protect the Green Belt and our two Conservation Areas but allow minor changes in specific locations where there is strong support from residents; 7 To ensure that housing changes maintain, and where possible enhance, the quality and character of the Parish so that future generations can enjoy the same or a better living and working environment; 8 To facilitate the realisation of community benefits as part of any multi-family housing development proposal; 9 To ensure that any new developments are appropriate to the character and style in the different parts of the Parish; 10 To ensure that traffic and congestion across the Parish is not increased and, where possible, to improve the current traffic and congestion situation; 11 Support expansion and maintenance of footpaths, cycle routes and bridleways as amenities to residents and visitors; - 4 -

5 12 Ensure planning policies and regulations generally support business and employment, delivering a sustainable balance between supply of jobs and the local labour supply to minimise commuting into and out of the local area; 13 Retain and support existing businesses important to Parish quality of life, such as shops, pubs, restaurants, offices, industrial premises, leisure clubs and facilities, and the rural economy; 14 Support the increasing number of people working in home-based businesses both generally and by allowing the limited employment of staff at home to support and expand these businesses; POLICIES The proposed Policies are summarised below (shaded green background) and, where appropriate, have been prefaced with a statement of the context (unshaded). Need to Preserve the Green Belt Green Belt Policies To retain and protect the green and leafy character of our area, any inappropriate development in the Green Belt must be discouraged. Separation of Settlements GB1 Any land use decisions should be consistent with Green Belt preservation unless very special circumstances apply, to include evidence that the development offers significant benefits to the local community and is supported by more than 50% of the registered electors who live in the Parish Ward affected by the development and who vote in a survey. There is an important Green Gap between the existing settlements of Windsor and Maidenhead. This Gap must be maintained. GB2 Land use within the Bray Green Gap should not diminish the existing separation between settlements, should restore areas blighted by past degradation and should retain or restore boundary features. Renovation within Green Gap GB3 There are existing buildings and infrastructure within the Green Gap. Any renovation of buildings or renewal of infrastructure should be designed to minimise visual intrusion in surrounding areas. Development in the Green Belt Development Briefs BE1 Built Environment Policies Protecting the Green Belt and the Parish s two Conservation Areas is seen as the most important objective of Residents. Therefore proposals for development in these areas will only be supported where they can be shown to deliver significant community benefits and are supported by more than 50% of the registered electors who live in the Parish Ward affected by the development and who vote in a survey. This is an important policy in our Neighbourhood Plan. It will ensure that the community is consulted early on in the process on sizeable development proposals. Evidence of Consultation BE2 BE3 Development Proposals which include 5 or more dwellings on sites larger than 0.25 hectares must submit to RBWM a Development Brief (as defined in the Neighbourhood Plan) and to actively consult with the Parish Council and the community as part of the design process prior to any planning application being submitted. Planning applications which require a Development Brief must be accompanied by a Statement of Community Consultation (as defined in the Neighbourhood Plan)

6 Built Environment Policies (continued) Criteria for Housing Conversion or Renovation Compliance with Plan Housing Assessment Criteria BE4 BE5 Such development in the Green Belt must meet certain specified Plan Housing Assessment Criteria designed to maintain the character and style of the surrounding location. The detailed criteria are set out in the Neighbourhood Plan. Compliance with the Plan Housing Assessment Criteria must be presented with the proposals for such housing development. Proposals will be assessed on the degree to which the criteria are satisfied. Housing Layout Objectives Residents support the objective of sustainable housing in rural areas through the protection and maintenance of areas surrounding such housing. Therefore there are policies included which set out some Housing Layout Objectives. BE6 Proposals for housing development should respect the Housing Layout Objectives (set out in the Draft Plan), in particular preserving visual amenity, minimising any further contribution to traffic congestion and not obscuring drivers vision at junctions. Fences & Boundaries BE7 Fences along the public highway should not exceed 1.2m in height. Owners replacing higher existing boundary structures should be encouraged to comply with the 1.2m limit. Traffic Impact Assessment There is a need to ensure that the impact of additional traffic of any proposals for building development is minimised if the current congestion on Parish roads is not to increase. BE8 Proposals for development of more than 5 housing and/or business units must provide a Traffic Impact Assessment and address negative factors relevant to the development plan. Listed Buildings Residents consider that maintaining the character of the two Conservation Areas and of the 83 Listed Buildings are important. The Neighbourhood Plan therefore favours reviewing the boundaries of the Conservation Areas every 10 years. Residents also wish to support owners of Listed Buildings in maintaining their properties. BE9 The Parish Council will support proposals from the owners of Listed Buildings for a change of use or for further modifications which are in keeping with the character of the existing building, where such use or modification will support the owner s ability to maintain the Listed Building and make it more economic and therefore sustainable. BE10 Any change of use or modification of a Listed Building must not impair visual amenity nor create noise nuisance for near neighbours. Non-Residential Development The community supports the re-use or conversion of existing buildings for business expansion or new business development subject to proper consideration of traffic and environmental implications. BE11 The Parish supports sustainable growth of all types of business in rural areas and promotes diversification of agricultural businesses. Justifiable developments may include: - Buildings supporting agriculture and forestry uses of the land - Facilities for expanding outdoor sports and recreation - Cemeteries - Limited infilling in recognised settlements - Limited infilling, partial or complete replacement, or redevelopment of previously developed sites or permanent buildings, whether redundant or in use - 6 -

7 Built Environment Policies (continued) Extension of Non-Residential Buildings BE12 To maintain the character of the surrounding area, there is a need to define certain criteria which must be met when extending non-residential buildings. Proposals to develop or extend large equestrian and polo establishments will be supported if they provide suitable access to the relevant associated infrastructure such as exercise facilities. BE13 The Plan supports (i) the extension or alteration of an existing building, provided that the extension does not result in an increase in the ridge height nor in the footprint of more than 50% or 50sq.m. whichever is the larger; and (ii) the construction in domestic gardens of separate non-residential buildings (such as offices, garages, sheds or summerhouses) which have a footprint of less than 30 sq.m. and are less than 2 metres high to the gutters. BE14 Street furniture, advertising hoardings and utility infrastructure should be unobtrusive and appropriate to the local setting. Mineral Extraction Mineral extraction activities in the Parish are long-standing and accepted, but residents consider it important that they should have a say over the nature and scale of future mineral developments in the Parish. Any proposals for future extraction activities should be subject to local consultation on the environmental impact and should provide for restoration of the sites after extraction to a condition that is satisfactory to the Parish. BE15 Proposals for minerals extraction will usually be restricted to areas identified at County level and contained within the RBWM Local Plan. Proposals must include plans for restoration back to agriculture or other acceptable uses which will include public access, fishing and non-water-based leisure activity and should ensure that there will be no unacceptable change to the volume, pattern and nature of road traffic during the operation to the detriment of the local environment, infrastructure and quality of life. Land Shaping Residents support the introduction of stricter controls on land shaping (either by excavation or deposition) by farmers and landowners. Decisions on land shaping pursuant to this Plan will be made at the Parish Council level in preference to the issuing of permits at the national level by the Environment Agency. BE16 Applications for land shaping must positively demonstrate that the depositing of waste materials is only in the interests of agriculture or equestrianism. Such applications will only be supported if it can be shown that it will in no way affect the quality of life for any immediate residents by reason of noise, dust or loss of views from their properties. Operators will be liable for any damage caused to the surrounding roads and verges as a result of increased heavy traffic movements. Transport & Infrastructure Policies Local and RBWM surveys undertaken recently indicated that transport/traffic and its related infrastructure were deemed to be the second most important concern of Parish residents. The use and congestion of roads within the Parish is determined in part by the increase in transit traffic caused by the growth of neighbouring towns such as Bracknell, Slough and Reading. At present the narrow, single-carriageway main roads are often congested and this is likely to worsen as Crossrail and further housing development in North Bracknell and Wokingham is completed

8 Transport & Infrastructure Policies (continued) There are no convenient and immediate solutions to the traffic congestion issues in the Parish but there are measures that can be taken to reduce congestion until public policies improve longer-term road conditions. The objective of this section of the Plan is to ensure that traffic and congestion across the Parish is not increased and, where possible, to improve the current traffic and congestion situation. Commercial Vehicle Traffic TI1 As an objective of the Plan is the free flow of safe traffic throughout the Parish, any developments that have an impact on traffic movements in the Parish must provide a road infrastructure that is appropriate for all forms of transport allowing for regulatory requirements and forecasted increases in such movements. School Drop-Off & Pick-Up Zones Residents believe traffic flows can be better managed on roads near Holyport C of E School, Braywood School, the new Oldfield School, Holyport College and the Free School at Braywick Park. TI2 Development must provide safe drop-off and pick-up zones which do not impede through traffic on roads at proposed school sites. Traffic Pollution Although the Parish is predominantly Green Belt, air pollution continues to be a problem particularly around the M4 flyover at the junctions of the Bray Road and Holyport Road, where pollution exceeds the National Air Quality Objective (NAQO) target by 40%. The M4 is responsible for 50% of this pollution. TI3 Planning decisions should take account of the impact on air quality in the Parish, supporting proposals which will result in the improvement of Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) or minimise reliance upon less sustainable forms of transport. Footpaths, Bridleways & Cycle Routes The Plan supports creating safe and attractive alternatives to motorised transport and encourages the recreational use of Parish cycle routes, bridleways and footpaths. TI4 Proposals for new developments should include appropriate provision for footpaths, bridleways and cycle routes through agreements for Section 106 or the new Community Infrastructure Levy funds to be dedicated to local improvements. Economy Policies Residents are keen to promote and support the economic and leisure enterprises within the Parish. The Neighbourhood Plan sets out some overall objectives which include: - Planning policies to support business and employment - Retain and support existing businesses important to Parish quality of life (i.e. shops, pubs, restaurants, offices, leisure clubs & facilities and the rural economy - Both promote new low-cost flexible premises and make better use of redundant farm buildings in order to support existing and new local businesses - Support people working in home-based businesses - 8 -

9 Economy Policies (continued Redundant Agricultural Buildings E1 The Plan supports the promotion of a viable and sustainable farming and rural economy in the Parish. Applications to convert genuine redundant agricultural buildings on working farms into suitable offices or light industrial workshops or warehouses will be supported along with other rural recreational and leisure activities except where such developments would result in significant adverse environmental or highway problems, or where general access to the facility is limited, or where there would be a significant adverse impact on neighbours through noise, light pollution, increased traffic levels, increased flood risk or inadequate provision of parking. New Retail, Hospitality and Service Businesses Residents are keen to support the existing retail, hospitality and other service businesses in Bray Parish and to attract appropriately scaled new businesses to provide a wider range of retail goods, services and employment. E2 Proposals to create appropriate small-scale retail, hospitality or service premises will be supported except where such developments would result in significant adverse environmental or highway problems, or where general access to the facility would be limited, or where there would be a significant adverse impact on neighbours as a result of noise, light pollution, increased traffic levels, increased flood risk or inadequate provision of parking. Existing Retail, Hospitality and Service Businesses E3 The Plan seeks to protect existing retail and hospitality premises and their contribution to the community. Proposals for improvements to existing retail and hospitality businesses, including pubs, will be supported. Proposals that would result in the loss of these premises or limit their community contribution will be resisted. Proposals that would help secure their future and community contribution will be supported. Other Businesses There are a number of large established companies in the Parish and, at the other end of the spectrum, many small home-based businesses. The Plan aims to support these businesses by maintaining and promoting a variety of types and sizes of premises in existing business areas and to encourage a balance of employers to give an appropriate range of opportunities for the local workforce. E4 Proposals to improve or create suitable office, commercial, warehouse or industrial premises will be supported in existing designated business areas, except where such developments would result in significant adverse environmental or highway problems, or where general access would be limited, or where there would be a significant adverse impact on neighbours as a result of noise, light pollution, increased traffic levels, increased flood risk or inadequate provision of parking. E5 Developments which promote wider availability of broadband services in the Parish will be supported. Leisure The Parish has a wide range of leisure facilities and residents have expressed their support for the maintenance and improvement of leisure facilities and of access to those facilities. E6 Proposals to create or expand leisure facilities will be supported, except where such developments would result in significant adverse environmental or highway problems, or where general access would be limited, or where there would be a significant adverse impact on neighbours as a result of noise, light pollution, increased traffic levels, increased flood risk or inadequate provision of parking

10 WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO NOW? Please share your views with us on any of the proposed Policies. Your comments can be submitted in any of the following ways: online via Survey Monkey. Enter complete your contact details and the survey will allow you to record your views on any (or all) of the Policies. Or by detaching and completing the attached Response Form (then posting it via Freepost) Or by downloading the Response Form from in MS Word format, completing it on your computer and submitting it as an attachment to an sent to (or posting it by Freepost). Whichever way you choose to respond, you will be asked to fill in your contact details. This is to ensure that only comments or suggested improvements submitted by Residents of Bray Parish, businesses based in the Parish or other affected organisations are taken into account. It is also necessary to be able to demonstrate, at the later examination of the Neighbourhood Plan by the appointed Government Inspector, that proper consultation has taken place. Therefore any responses which do not such contain contact details cannot be considered by the Steering Group when they consider whether to amend the Plan prior to submission. You do not have to comment on all of the proposed Policies just include your suggestions on those Policies you wish to. Please share your views with us before the Plan is finalised

11 Working together to plan the future size and shape of Holyport, Bray, Fifield and Oakley Green. Number (i.e. GB3) Do you agree or disagree? If you disagree (or even if you agree), what comments do you have or what changes would you suggest we make? PTO If you require more space to comment, a response form is available to download and print out from the Bray Plan website at Closing date for comments Friday 3 July 2015 If using additional pages, please write your name at the top of each page and attach them all together This Document was printed by Print Direct Ltd, 1 Priors Way, Holyport SL6 2EL

12 Working together to plan the future size and shape of Holyport, Bray, Fifield and Oakley Green. Public Consultation on the Draft Plan 18 May 2015 to 3 July 2015 RESPONSE FORM Please let us have your views on any of the policies in the Draft Plan, stating the policy number, indicating whether you agree or disagree, and your comments and/or suggested changes. Detach this form by carefully using the perforations in the margin. If you would prefer to complete your response on your computer in Word format, a response form is available to download from the Bray Plan website at All comments must be returned by Friday 3 July 2015 either: By Freepost - posting it (no stamp needed) to: BPNP, Freepost : RLYH-SHYR-JUJX, Planning, Town Hall, SL6 1RF Or by attachment to: brayplan@gmail.com Or by delivering the Form to the Parish Council Office, Memorial Hall, Moneyrow Green Your Name Personal details Organisation Name (if any) Address & Postcode Telephone number address If responding as an agent, name of client Please Note: No contact details above equals Your views will not be considered. Number (i.e. GB3) Do you agree or disagree? If you disagree (or even if you agree), what comments do you have or what changes would you suggest we make? Closing date for comments Friday 3 July 2015 If using additional pages, please write your name at the top of each page and attach them all together This Document was printed by Print Direct Ltd, 1 Priors Way, Holyport SL6 2EL PTO