Cheltenham Plan Pre-Submission consultation
Pre-Submission Cheltenham Plan
11 Residential Development
CONTEXT
11.1 To complement the strategic allocations being made through the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) and in order to ensure that Cheltenham Borough meets its objectively assessed need (OAN) up to 2031, the Cheltenham Plan is making a number of allocations for both residential development and mixed-use development through Policies H1 and H2. These allocations will ensure not only that identified needs are met over the plan period but also that there is a steady supply of land for housing during that time which helps deliver a wide choice of high-quality homes and contributes towards the creation of more sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities.
11.2 National policy requires local plans to identify a supply of specific, deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years’ worth of housing against the identified housing requirement. The OAN for Cheltenham has been assessed as part of the JCS process; the overall housing requirement for the whole of the JCS area between 2011 and 2031 is 35,175 dwellings with the Cheltenham-specific figure being 10,917 units.
11.3 At the time the JCS was produced, the Cheltenham Plan capacity which contributed towards the total supply for Cheltenham had not been finalised, and was therefore based on the best information available at the time. Furthermore, an existing allocation from the Cheltenham Borough Local Plan (Second Review) 2006 was included for ten dwellings in the latter part of the plan period; however, based on further evidence, it is no longer proposed for allocation in the new Local Plan. Further work has now taken place on evaluating the sites to be allocated within the new Plan which the following table reflects, and fully explains the differences between the JCS trajectory and the new figures being proposed.
| Table 2: Housing to be Delivered in Cheltenham Between 2011-2031 | |
| Completions since 2011 | 1724 |
| Dwellings already with planning permission | 1524 |
| Strategic allocations being made through the JCS | 5385 |
| Cheltenham Plan residential allocations through Policy H1 | 440 |
| Cheltenham Plan mixed-use allocations including residential through Policy H2 | 350 |
| Urban Capacity Permissions (previously intending to allocate, but since received permission and development has begun) | 446 |
| Contributions arising from planning consent granted at Farm Lane (Tewkesbury) | 377 |
| Windfall allowance (less than five units) | 784 |
| Total supply 2011-2031 | 11030 |
| Objectively Assessed Need 2011-2031 | 10917 |
LAND ALLOCATED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
The sites listed in Table 3, and which are shown on the Cheltenham Plan Proposals Map, are allocated for residential development and are delineated on Plans HD1 – HD8 below. The red lines on Plans HD1 – HD8 mark the boundaries of the allocations and are separately and collectively part of this policy.
Each allocation is supported by site-specific polices HD1 – HD8 below to provide further detailed guidance on the development of these sites. These site-specific policies also form part of this policy.
The contents of Policy H1 reflect the evidence bases of the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy and the Cheltenham Plan.
This policy contributes towards achieving the Cheltenham Plan Vision: Theme A – objective b; Theme C – objectives a and b.
| Table 3: Land Allocated for Housing Development | ||
| Reference | Location | Designation |
| HD1 | Christ College Site B | 70 dwellings |
| HD2 | Former Monkscroft Primary School | 60 dwellings |
| HD3 | Bouncer’s Lane | 20 dwellings |
| HD4 | Land off Oakhurst Rise | 25 dwellings |
| HD5 | Land at Stone Crescent | 20 dwellings |
| HD6 | Brockhampton Lane | 20 dwellings |
| HD7 | Priors Farm Fields | 50-90 dwellings |
| HD8 | Old Gloucester Road | 175 dwellings |
Online maps of these allocations can be found here: https://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/downloads/download/1539/cheltenham_plan_-_housing_allocations
SITE SPECIFIC POLICIES
11.4 The existing built-up area of Cheltenham is tightly constrained by Green Belt and AONB with very little undesignated land in which to expand. It is therefore logical to make the most of previously developed and under-used sites within the existing urban area. This approach is also in line with JCS Policy SP1 which aims to see development delivered within existing urban areas and Strategic Allocations.
11.5 The sites included in the policy are being advanced following assessment according to a clearly defined methodology. All sites are of 0.5ha or more in size and capable of accommodating 10 or more residential units. Sites were chosen sequentially: brownfield development was explored first, those within the Principal Urban Area (PUA) or identified as having development potential in the JCS, and finally constrained sites in the PUA, those in the Green Belt and AONB. Sites were chosen which would demonstrate a public benefit in allocation through, for example, masterplanning and those not so advanced in the development management process that approval was likely to be granted before plan adoption.
11.6 The threshold of 0.5ha /10 units has been chosen as it reflects the definition of ‘major development’ in the Development Management Procedure Order (2015). Further information, including individual site assessments and the Council’s expectations for development on each site, are set out in the Housing Background Paper published separately.
SITES WITHIN THE URBAN AREA
| Site description | Greenfield site within the urban area, previously used as school playing pitches. The playing pitch assessment, produced as part of Cheltenham and Tewkesbury’s Social, Sport and Open Space Strategy, categorises the site as ‘disused’ so it falls outside the scope of Sports England. However, Paragraph 74 of the National Planning Policy Framework still applies. In this case, the field has not been used for over five years and has no facilities associated with it. It was once used by Christ College but as this school has moved, the field no longer has a primary use and has no reasonable chance of coming back into use as a playing field. |
| Site area | 2.11ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | The site comprises the playing fields of the former Monkscroft Primary School, between Shakespeare Road to the north and Shelley Road to the south. The main school buildings have been demolished and replaced with a residential care home. The field has no public access or rights of way across it. |
| Site area | 1.8ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | This site is a former employment site in the east of the town. It is set within a residential area and borders Cheltenham Cemetery to the east. A number of attributes contribute towards allowing it to change from employment to residential use. The surrounding parts of the site have been given planning permission for 58 dwellings. A contributing factor to the planning permission was that the site had been vacant for several years and evidence was provided which showed that it was unlikely to come back into employment use. |
| Site area | 0.5ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | This site was not known to the council until the Preferred Options consultation was already prepared. It is a greenfield site within the existing urban area and consequently has good transport links. However, the site is subject to a number of constraints and therefore the allocation of dwellings on the site has been adjusted to accommodate these. |
| Site area | 4ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | This is a greenfield site which is situated between playing fields and residential development but is fenced off and not part of any designated Public Green Space. The site was subject to an outline planning application (14/01276/OUT) for around 15 dwellings. Permission would have been granted but a legal agreement remains outstanding. It is unlikely that this permission will be granted but a new application is possible. |
| Site area | 0.5ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
SITES OUTSIDE THE URBAN AREA
11.7 The Cheltenham Plan concentrates on focusing development within existing urban areas. However, the JCS process has indicated two areas outside of the existing urban area of Cheltenham which could be allocated for development in order to meet housing requirements or as a mixed-use allocation. These are sites which, subsequent to the JCS changes are not in the Green Belt, AONB or a conservation area, have been included. These are Old Gloucester Road (Policy HD8) and Leckhampton (Policy MD5). An additional two sites outside of the existing urban area have also been included which are similarly unconstrained by these designations. These are Brockhampton Lane (Policy HD6) and Priors Farm Fields (Policy HD7). Once built out, it is intended that all these sites will be included within the PUA boundary on review of the Plan.
| Site description | The site is primarily greenfield land entirely outside but adjacent to the PUA. It is due to be removed from the Green Belt through the JCS process as part of the North West Cheltenham strategic allocation. The site is also outside of the proposed Local Green Space designation. |
| Site area | 0.7ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | This is a greenfield site which sits adjacent to a residential area but outside the existing Principal Urban Area. The western part of the site is a designated Public Green Space, including playing pitches and a play area, and the eastern part of the site is open fields. The site borders the cemetery to the north, the AONB to the east and new residential development to the south and west. Any housing development would be focused on the east of the site; however, masterplanning is required to reconcile several competing demands on this land and to minimise impact on the AONB (proposals should conform with 2015 AONB study and 2016 update). The final layout and exact quantum of development will be informed by detailed landscape impact work. The site was included as a mixed-use scheme in the Preferred Options as a reflection of the various demands on the site. However, since that time, plans for the new crematorium have progressed and masterplanning has demonstrated how the site could be presented. For that reason the site is now considered to be a housing site, rather than mixed-use. |
| Site Area | 5ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | The site has also arisen from the JCS process and will be removed from the Green Belt by that document. The site will require masterplanning, flood assessments and a resolution on the future of the nurseries in order to maximise the use of the site and ensure a coherent overall scheme. To the north of the allocation there is a historic moat (scheduled monument). The significance and setting of this asset will be an essential consideration in development of the site in accordance with the Plan’s heritage assessment. |
| Site area | 11.3ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
LAND ALLOCATED FOR MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
11.8 In order to achieve new and improved facilities for the community and provide additional housing and employment opportunities, the Council has identified the potential to deliver mixed-use development schemes on several sites within the urban area. Combining residential and other uses (including commercial) is considered to be one of the best ways to intensify development and make better use of land to help address the requirement for development to be more sustainable.
11.9 By developing sites that have a mixture of residential and other uses, mixed-use developments take advantage of the land on which they are built during more hours of each day and by more people than a single-use building would be able to do. Depending on the combination of uses delivered, those who live in such developments may not have the same dependence on a car as people who live in more traditional neighbourhoods because they can walk or cycle to nearby facilities, making it easier for them to stay active and function without a vehicle.
The sites listed in Table 4, and which are shown on the Cheltenham Plan Proposals Map, are allocated for mixed-use development and are delineated on Plans MD1 – MD5 below. The red lines on Plans MD1 – MD5 mark the boundaries of the allocations and are separately and collectively part of this policy.
Each allocation is supported by site-specific polices MD1-MD5 below, to provide further detailed guidance on the development of these sites. These site-specific policies also form part of this policy.
The contents of Policy H2 reflect the evidence base of the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy and the Cheltenham Plan.
This policy contributes towards achieving the Cheltenham Plan Vision: Theme A – objective b; Theme B - objectives a and b; Theme C – objectives a and b.
| Table 4: Land Allocated for Mixed-Use Development | ||
| Reference | Location | Designation |
| MD1 | Lansdown Industrial Estate | 100 dwellings plus no net losses in employment in accordance with Policy EM2 |
| MD2 | Land at North Place and Portland Street | 143 dwellings plus appropriate town centre mixed-use scheme and car park |
| MD3 | Land at Coronation Square | Regeneration of existing community and retail facilities |
| MD4 | Royal Well and Municipal Offices | Mixed-use redevelopment appropriate for town centre uses |
| MD5 | Leckhampton | Approximately 250 dwellings and a secondary school |
Online maps of these allocations can be found here: https://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/downloads/download/1540/cheltenham_plan_-_mixed_use_allocations
| Site description | The site is capable of redevelopment for mixed-use, including a continued element of employment in better-quality units together with some new residential. There would be a net loss of employment land but this should be offset by an upgrade in the quality and density of premises. |
| Site area | 5.5ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description |
The North Place and Portland Street area was formerly used as the main coach and bus station in Cheltenham. The site is approximately 2 hectares in size (3.2 hectares including the highway) and currently provides 813 parking spaces. The site’s location within Central Conservation Area dictates that the form, massing and design of any future development need to be sensitive to the adjacent historic environment. Planning permission was granted on the site in 2013 for a large supermarket, car park and 143 dwellings. However, that permission has not yet been implemented and it is likely that a new scheme will be required in order for development to take place. It is anticipated that a new scheme would provide a similar number of dwellings to the extant planning permission. |
| Site area | 2ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | Coronation Square is a complex site with competing demands and is a key part of wider regeneration projects. Therefore the site will require mixed-use masterplanning and careful consideration of how this site fits within the wider area. |
| Site area | 0.4ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | This is a developed site within the town centre, currently in use as council offices, bus station, car park and area of open space. It is within the Core Commercial Area and Central Conservation Area and partially within Flood Zones 2 and 3. The site has been subject to a development brief which identifies potential for existing uses to be relocated / redesigned. More recent work has begun on transport modelling and masterplanning to allow for potential changes to highways layout. This could facilitate public realm improvements and a change of use for the historic buildings. |
| Site area | 0.9ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
| Site description | Originally a JCS site, development at this location will need to take into account landscape impacts, highways issues and green space. Site boundaries are based on the JCS Inspector’s comments in her Note of Recommendations from 21 July 2016. Development at this location will need to ensure that the JCS examination’s consideration and findings related to this site are fully taken into account. Along with this, the site has an extensive planning history related to the earlier, larger proposal (13/01605/OUT); the Inspector’s and Secretary of State’s findings in this appeal should also be reflected in any future scheme. |
| Site area | 15ha |
| Constraints |
|
| Site specific requirements |
|
Skip to actions