Sandridgebury Farm measures around 66 hectares and lies to the north of St Albans. The core planning strategy is to achieve an allocation in the next review of the Local Plan, beginning in around 5 years’ time. We envisage it being a major part of an urban extension of 2000-2500 homes. The farm is in the Green Belt, but this designation covers all of the local authority area, and it has shown a willingness to alter the Green Belt in the current phase of plan review.
Lightwood have completed the sale of the 60 unit scheme at Thornhill Road, Stalbridge to Sovereign Housing Association. Sovereign are one of the most active developers of all housing associations in the UK, and have a 30-year track record of delivering homes from new-build, conversion and regeneration schemes.
The land is to the east of the A4174 Avon Ring Road and just to the south of Emersons Green and Lyde Green. It is formed of three titles and the three separate landowners are all signatories to a single promotion agreement. A suite of technical studies has been commissioned to prepare a site layout and to establish housing numbers; our estimate is 300+ dwellings.
Lightwood will be making the case for the land to be removed from the Green Belt within the South Gloucestershire Local Plan Review, and will be seeking to influence the examination of the West of England Joint Spatial Plan, which will set the context for South Gloucestershire to 2036. Strategic matters such as the housing requirement, brownfield capacity, and the nature of the planned land supply (e.g. large complex sites versus smaller deliverable locations) will be addressed. Our technical work will promote the sites specific credentials, relative to other locations. Our goal is to have the land released from the Green Belt by 2021.
Lightwood firmly believe that allocating future developments without enshrining the principles of smart technologies from the outset will compound the future sustainability of new settlements. It means smarter transport networks, upgraded water supply and waste disposal facilities, and more efficient ways to light and heat buildings. It also encompasses a more interactive and responsive form of space, governance, safer public spaces and meeting the needs of an ageing population. In smart places, digital technologies translate into better public services for residents, better use of resources and less impact on the environment.
Bosch are industry leaders in smart technology and we are delighted to confirm our partnership with them ensuring that our developments will be SMART, efficient and environmentally friendly by utilising the most advanced technology, infrastructure and utilities system.
The Planning Inspectorate has sided with Lightwood and allowed its appeal against the decision of Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) to refuse the application for 45 dwellings at land south of Ovingdean Road.
In reaching her decision the Inspector, Lesley Coffey, considered all the evidence submitted and concluded that the site was urban fringe in character and the proposal would not harm the landscape character and appearance of the surrounding area, or the setting of the South Downs National Park (SDNP). Whilst she accepted that there would be limited harm to the ecology and biodiversity of the site, this was not deemed substantial enough to outweigh the considerable benefits the site offered.
Most significantly, Lightwood submitted during the appeal a correction to the supply figures within the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). Based on the amended figures, BHCC was only able to demonstrate a very marginal five year housing land supply, with a surplus of just 4 dwellings and a number of other questionable sites included within the figures. This view was supported by the Inspector who concluded that the Council was unable to demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing land and the precise extent of the shortfall would be at least 200 dwellings, but probably greater.
Further to the additional hearing session conducted on 9th May in relation to the North Essex Authorities’ (NEA’s) Section 1 Plan, the Inspector has today issued his comments and advice on its soundness and legal compliance.
Whilst the Inspector was satisfied that the NEA’s had met their duty to co-operate and that the steps taken to remediate the “regrettable error” (of their failure to register Lightwood’s duly made representations) had not prejudiced Lightwood, he did concur with Lightwood’s argument that the Sustainability Appraisal was not undertaken objectively or transparently and is therefore unsound. As a result, the Section 1 Plan cannot be adopted.
In order to make it sound and legally compliant the Inspector has suggested that either the Garden Communities proposals are removed from the Plan at this stage, the NEA’s carry out further work on the evidence base and Sustainability Appraisal or withdraw the Plan entirely and resubmit with the necessary revisions.
Read the Inspector’s letter
In light of the North Essex Authorities (NEA’s) failure to register Lightwood’s duly made representations, and their subsequent absence from the opening week of the Examination hearings, the Inspector invited Lightwood to submit statements to and attend an additional session, together with all the invitees to the original Matter 1 hearing session.
Lightwood, again represented by Christopher Boyle QC, contested that the Section 1 Plan was unsound and not legally compliant on the basis that the NEA’s had failed to meet the Duty to Cooperate, Lightwood and other parties were prejudiced by the error made by the NEA’s and that the Sustainability Appraisal was deficient and inaccurate.
Lightwood’s public inquiry relating to its application for 45 units at land south of Ovingdean Road sat for 4 days from 24 April 2018 and closed on 27 April with an accompanied site visit later in the day.
In the absence of Brighton & Hove City Council defending its decision, the appeal was defended by the Deans Preservation Group (DPG) who had been afforded Rule 6 Party status. Whilst the application was originally refused by Brighton & Hove Council for four reasons, the DPG chose not to defend two of them and concentrated their case on the impact of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, and the ecology and biodiversity of the site, supported by relevant consultants.
Lightwood was represented by Christopher Boyle QC.
North Dorset District Council Planning Committee have resolved to grant consent for Lightwood’s application for 60 dwellings on land at Thornhill Road, Stalbridge.
Lightwood has been actively promoting the land at Stalbridge through planning policy since 2014, working collaboratively with officers, members, town councillors and residents. Identified as a sustainable area for growth, Stalbridge became victim to a number of speculative applications which accelerated the submission of Lightwood’s applications at Barrow Hill (98 units) and Thornhill Road (60 units) so as to be heard at the same committee.
Despite both Lightwood applications being recommended for approval, the proposals at Barrow Hill were refused by the committee but will be appealed.
Located on a prominent plot at the junction of two roads to the east of Cold Ash in Thatcham, the site comprises 6 detached units which have been carefully designed to respond to the varying levels across the site.
Following extensive dialogue and pre application meetings with West Berkshire District Council, the scheme was modified to accommodate concerns over scale and massing and highway safety to the satisfaction of the case officer.
