Policy SA3: East of Arlesey
Land to the east of Arlesey as identified on the Proposal Maps, is allocated for a housing-led development consisting of up to 2000 dwellings and a country park. Development in the Strategic Land Allocation will be permitted in accordance with other relevant policies in the Development Plan and the principles set out below. These principles will be defined in more detail through the preparation of a Development Brief which will include a phasing plan. Planning permission will only be granted for development following the Council’s adoption of this Development Brief. Design codes will also be required for each phase, to be prepared by the developer and approved by the Council.
In order to ensure the development will be supported by the local and strategic infrastructure needed to ensure sustainable development, in the context of pooling restrictions and multiple landownerships, the Council will refuse any piecemeal planning permission that would undermine the Councils ability to deliver such infrastructure.
The principles of the development are:
- The development will form a well-designed sustainable urban extension to Arlesey that will provide a mix of uses necessary to achieve a sustainable and vibrant community, including:
- in the region of 2000 homes with an appropriate balance and mix of residential accommodation to meet identified needs, which shall include subject to viability, a policy compliant mix of affordable housing, starter homes, self/custom build plots and a mix of homes to meet all identified needs for older people;
- a country park on the eastern edge of the development to retain an appropriate separation between Arlesey and Fairfield Park and to provide a net gain in green infrastructure and biodiversity;
- provide the land necessary to deliver a health and social care hub within the site to serve the health and social care needs of the proposed development and the needs of the catchment area of that facility and a commensurate financial contribution towards the delivery of that facility;
- provision of new community facilities in accordance with Policy HQ2 including community centres, a mix of retail and at least one drinking establishment to serve the existing and new communities everyday needs;
- provision of new educational facilities, comprising day nurseries, early years, lower school and middle school facilities to meet the identified needs of the development (or equivalent facilities to meet the educational and childcare needs arising from the development) and financial contributions towards the provision, improvement, enlargement or enhancement of upper school and sixth form facilities off site to meet the identified needs of the development (or equivalent contributions towards projects to meet the educational needs arising from the development);
- and provision of leisure facilities, including: (i) indoor sport and leisure facilities, in accordance with Policy HQ3; and (ii) outdoor sport, leisure and open space, in accordance with Policies EE12, including pavilions and allotments.
- The development shall provide dedicated and safe pedestrian and cycle links from the new and existing neighbourhoods to local centres, country park, Arlesey train station, employment opportunities, schools, shops and community facilities; both within the allocation and the wider Arlesey and Fairfield area.
- The development shall maximise opportunities to create Green Infrastructure corridors and meet the aims and objectives of the Etonbury Green Wheel. This will be achieved through linking the proposed country park on the western edge with existing Green Infrastructure assets in Arlesey and Fairfield Park, including a link with Etonbury Woods; improving public access to and facilities at Blue Lagoon; and improving the ecological and biodiversity gains at Green Lagoon.
- The development shall provide appropriate mitigation, compensation and/or enhancement of key features of biodiversity including but not limited to; (1) Blue Lagoon and Green Lagoon; and (II) Identified protected species and priority habitats
- The development will ensure that any impact on non designated heritage assets with archaeological interest is mitigated in order to record and advance understanding of any heritage assets affected by the development. The mitigation will include making the results of all archaeological investigations publically available for the benefit for this and future generations;
- The development will be designed to mitigate any harm caused to the significance of all designated heritage assets in the vicinity of the site. This is required in order to ensure that the public benefits of the development outweigh the any harm caused to the significance of all designated heritage assets affected by the development;
- The development shall be designed to preserve all designated heritage assets within the site and shall seek to mitigate the degree of harm to the significance of all designated heritage assets and shall deliver where necessary, relevant and reasonable measures to preserve those assets and their settings for future generations, to ensure the public benefits of development would outweigh the degree of harm to the significance of designated heritage assets.
- The development shall consider the risk of flooding from ordinary watercourses and surface water and shall avoid vulnerable development in these areas accordingly. Subject to the findings of the site specific flood risk assessment the development shall deliver strategic measures to reduce flood risk including the use of sustainable drainage methods (SUDS) to attenuate and discharge surface water run-off at reduced rates, and at least at a rate no greater than if the site were undeveloped and to reduce existing downstream risk. This will include consideration of “off-site” solutions on the Pix Brook and River Hiz. The flood risk assessment will consider where surface water from the development will be discharged, in relation to existing flood risks and flood history on the Pix Brook and River Hiz. Regard shall be had to the phased delivery of flood mitigation and SUDS in accordance with the phasing of the development to ensure adequate measures to reduce flood risk (from all sources) are provided throughout the lifetime of the development. The detailed designs of sustainable drainage systems maximise biodiversity enhancement, mitigation of visual landscape impacts, maintenance and safety, when considering their location and relationship to neighbouring uses. Safe access and egress shall be provided taking account of the flood risk at the site.
- The development shall integrate and connect to existing public rights of way within and adjoining the site to provide routes to the wider countryside and neighbouring settlements. Existing rights of way within the site will be upgraded and new routes will be created to Blue and Green Lagoon in the south and to the Arlesey Train Station in the north, in addition to improving rights of way between the development site and the emerging Arlesey Cross development.
- It is essential that the development provides an appropriately designed Relief Road to connect the area from the south of Hitchin Road to the A507/High Street Link road in the north being proposed as part of Arlesey Cross. This will allow for access directly onto the A507 relieving congestion along the High Street in Arlesey.
- It is essential that the development integrates and connects to the existing road network in Arlesey to allow for permeability and legibility between the new development and Arlesey.
- The development will be phased in accordance with the timing of supporting infrastructure and community facilities including the delivery of the Relief road, which shall be delivered as soon as viably possible.
- The development will provide other supporting transport infrastructure, including proposals to mitigate the impact of traffic associated with the development, including providing for efficient public transport routes through the development that link with key destinations including Arlesey Train Station.
- Foul drainage from the development will be connected to the public sewerage network. The development shall demonstrate that there is adequate capacity in water recycling centre (sewage treatment works) and the foul sewerage network to serve the proposed development and that it will not have an adverse impact on surface or ground water in terms of quality and quantity. And any application for planning permission shall detail any infrastructure upgrades where required and any necessary phasing arrangements as agreed by the relevant Water and Sewerage Company.
- The development shall provide appropriate landscaping measures to create a sense of place, provide a net gain for biodiversity and shall mitigate the potential impact of development on a predominately agricultural landscape. To mitigate harm a country park will be located on the eastern edge of the development to prevent coalescence and to create a defensible boundary between Arlesey and Fairfield Park.
Last modified: January 15, 2018