Testun llawn:
Policy DS11 proposes the development of 43 dwellings at Kingswood (Lapworth), however the evidence supporting the Local Plan suggests that the settlement should accommodate more growth than this. The level of growth proposed at Kingswood (Lapworth) is considered unlikely to achieve the objectives set out in the Local Plan in terms of re-balancing the local housing market to provide much needed affordable housing and market homes for local residents and helping support and sustain local services, facilities and businesses.
The Villages Settlement Hierarchy report (2013) set out a robust appraisal of the sustainability of Kingswood (Lapworth) as a location for growth. It ranked the village as a 'Growth Village' and set out a strategy that 20% growth to the village would be sought. Since the village contains 381 dwellings (Census 2011), 20% growth would amount to 76 dwellings. The Village Settlement Hierarchy report set out that housing would be apportioned to villages taking in to account physical and policy constraints, land availability, the role and character of the settlement and the appetite of Parish Councils for increased growth to encourage growth in local services.
Aligned to the Villages Settlement Hierarchy report, the Council's Preferred Options Local Plan consultation in June 2013 consulted on a proposal for growth of 100-150 dwellings to Kingswood (Lapworth).
The Village Housing Apportionment (Revised May 2014) shows how proposals for growth at Kingswood (Lapworth) have been eroded over a series of consultations to stand at the current proposal for 43 dwellings, which is only 11% growth to the village. This erosion in the housing target seems to be due to a lack of available and suitable land for significant growth at Kingswood (Lapworth) and pressure from local residents and organisations to limit the amount of growth to the village. However the evidence remains that the village is a highly sustainable location for growth.
The current proposal for 43 dwellings would deliver in the region of 17 affordable dwellings to Kingswood (Lapworth). This is unlikely mark a change in terms of re-balancing the housing market. The delivery of 100-150 dwellings at the settlement has the potential to deliver between 40-60 affordable dwellings. This would provide a much greater contribution to the village and is much more likely to effect the change that Policy DS11 seeks to make.
The development of 100-150 dwellings at Kingswood (Lapworth) would provide substantial support to the local services and facilities in the village and this level of growth could stimulate growth in those facilities. This would build upon the substantial sustainability credentials of the settlement to bring about positive change to the village.
In previous work on the Local Plan, the lack of available and suitable land stood in the way of achieving growth of 100-150 dwellings. However Nurton Developments now have an interest in a significant area of land at Kingswood - 8.2ha of land north of Rising Lane, as shown in the attached plan.
The site has not been fully assessed previously in the preparation of the Local Plan as it was not being promoted as a location for growth. However 2 small parcels of land on Rising Lane were assessed in the Local Plan evidence base (KW9*0 and KW10*0) and discounted due to 'frequent localised flooding'. This appears to be the only physical constraint that stood in the way of the sites being considered further for removal from the Green Belt.
Nurton Developments are now committed to promoting the site for development and are working with the landowner to highlight the availability and suitability of the land for development.
The flood risk constraint to the site has been investigated further and is summarised in the attached appraisal by BWB Consulting. Although the site is partly affected by flooding, the majority of the land is free of flood risk and could accommodate in the region of 100 dwellings. Furthermore, the potential will be explored for the flood-constrained part of the site to be used as public open space, enhancing this canalside location.
The land is free of significant physical constraints and is considered to form a well defined parcel, contained by the adjacent railway line, canal and other landscape features, such that its removal from the Green Belt would not harm the purposes of including land within the Green Belt. Nurton Developments will be working to provide further detail in the near future as to how the site can be suitably developed.