BASE HEADER

Yes

ID sylw: 103178

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Savills (UK) Ltd

Daventry Road, Southam (RefID 135) is one of the most suitable and sustainable locations for growth. It is the second best-performing site in the HELAA B Assessment. It performs well compared to the new settlement locations. It scores 34.38. The second-ranked new settlement option B1 scores 56.37.

The score for RefID 135 is lower with mitigation and a masterplan responding to the constraints. We have submitted a Vision Document which incorporates the mitigation outlined below. In some areas the methodology of the HELAA can also be improved. These revisions give a more accurate score (13.80).

Spatial Growth Areas - score should be 0. Rather than GIS-based scoring, a judgement should be made on how well sites relate to the settlement. The proposed development would provide new community services and facilities as part of expansion.

Minerals Safeguarding Area - score should be 0. There is little prospect of mineral extraction at the site given proximity to the existing settlement. Most of the SWLP area is covered so this designation is not notable.

Employment Land Study - score should be 0. It seems unreasonable to negatively score all sites which could be reasonably sustainable for employment development. They may also be suitable for residential and mixed-use development.

Ground Mounted Solar - score should be 0. Only a small portion of the site falls within land 'most-suitable'. Due to settlement-adjacency it could not form part of a larger, commercially viable solar development. The development would not preclude solar provision in future.

Flood Zones 2 & 3 - score should be 0. No development would be proposed in the flood zone. The watercourse would be unaffected and is beneficial rather than a constraint as a sustainable means of discharging surface water from the outfall of the SuDS incorporated into the development.

Surface Water Flooding - score should be 0. Development would change the landform and integrate a sustainable drainage strategy.

Listed Buildings - score should be 0. There are opportunities for mitigation which would eliminate the impacts on a single Grade II listed building 200m from the boundary of the site.

Connectivity - score should be 1.8. A transport technical note has been submitted outlining opportunities to create good connections between the site and key destinations in Southam. The site should be scored as 'B' post-mitigation.

Accessibility to local services - score should be 0. Given the size of the site it would incorporate as a minimum a local centre, neighbourhood hub, primary school, café, recreation and leisure provision. The site also benefits from proximity to existing services and facilities in Southam.

The remaining negative scores relate to only three factors - the fact that it is greenfield land, a change in landscape character which is inevitable for a greenfield development, albeit not in a landscape which is particularly sensitive to change, and the connectivity score for the site. It is therefore irrational that the site is not identified as part of the Southam SGL given its very positive assessment.