chilton woods outline planning application - suffolk · chilton woods outline planning application...

Chilton Woods Outline Planning Application

Environmental Statement Volume 1: Non-Technical Summary

December 2015

Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure UK Limited

2 © Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure UK Limited

December 2015 Doc Ref. L35223R050



Contents

Non-Technical Summary 6

What is proposed and what is the purpose of the Environmental Statement? 6

Why is the proposed development required? 6

What is on the Site and in the surrounding area at the moment? 6

What development is proposed? 9

What alternatives have been considered? 11

What does the EIA process involve? 11

What are the predicted significant effects of the proposed development? 11 Positive effects 12 Negative effects 12

What happens next? 12

Where can more information be found? 13

Figure NTS1 Site Location 7 Figure NTS2 The Site and surrounding area 8 Figure NTS3 Proposed Land Uses & Points of Access 10



Non-Technical Summary

What is proposed and what is the purpose of the Environmental Statement?

1.1.1 Suffolk County Council is applying for outline planning permission to develop an area of land known as Chilton Woods to the north of the A134

Springlands Way at Sudbury in Suffolk. The land is described in this report as ‘the Site’ and covers an area of approximately 117 hectares (ha).

Figure NTS1 shows the location of the Site and its boundary.

1.1.2 The planning application for the proposed development is accompanied by an Environmental Statement, as required under The Town and Country

Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 (SI 1824) (the ‘EIA Regulations’). The preparation of this Environmental Statement,

which has been undertaken by Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure Limited (Amec Foster Wheeler), forms part of the Environmental

Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed development.

1.1.3 The Environmental Statement is one of a suite of documents which together explain the nature of the planning application. These documents

include a Planning Statement, Transport Assessment, Design and Access Statement, Flood Risk Assessment, Utilities Strategy and Drainage

Strategy.

1.1.4 This Non-Technical Summary summarises the content and conclusions of the Environmental Statement, to which readers should refer to for further

information.

Why is the proposed development required?

1.1.5 The proposed development is needed to meet a demand for new homes and jobs. Babergh District Council has estimated that at least 5,975 homes

will be needed in Babergh District (which includes the town of Sudbury) between 2011 and 2031, alongside 9,700 new jobs. The Site is allocated for

the proposed development in Babergh District Council’s Local Plan Core Strategy as one of a number of sites that will help to meet these needs.

What is on the Site and in the surrounding area at the moment?

1.1.6 Figure NTS2 shows the Site and surrounding area. The Site comprises arable land and part of a former airfield. The Site is next to Tesco, Woodhall

Business Park, existing residential areas and Chilton Grain. Ormiston Academy, Sudbury Sports Centre, the new Sudbury Health Centre and

Chilton Industrial Estate are also nearby. Acton Lane runs through the middle of the Site connecting Springlands Way to the south and Newman’s

Green to the north.



Figure NTS1 Site Location

Not to scale Based upon the Ordnance Survey Map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office. (c) Crown Copyright. 100001776.



Figure NTS2 The Site and surrounding area

Not to scale



What development is proposed?

1.1.8 Suffolk County Council is applying for planning permission for the following development. Figure NTS3 provides an overview of the key land uses

and proposed points of access.

There would be up to 1,100 residential dwellings.

The masterplan and Environmental Statement is based on providing approximately 61,670 square metres (m2) of employment floorspace

comprising 18% office and light industrial uses, 35% industrial uses, and 47% storage and distribution type uses. This would be divided

between areas of employment land to the east and west of the Site:

o a 15.2ha ‘western employment area’, located to the north of Springlands Way, would accommodate a mix of office development,

general industrial uses, and storage and distribution uses; and

o a 1.2ha ‘eastern employment area’, located to the north of Waldingfield Road, would include general industrial uses, and storage

and distribution uses.

The western employment area also includes a hotel (subject to operator demand), a household waste recycling centre and an energy centre.

A village centre would include up to 1,000m2 of retail uses such as a convenience store, café and public house, plus managed workspace for

businesses, a village hall, a market square and a village green.

There would be a primary school and a pre-school with associated playing pitches on 2.3ha of land next to the village centre.

An extensive green space network would be provided comprising: 28.7 hectares of community woodland; sports pitches with car parking and

a sports pavilion; children’s play areas located throughout the development; and allotments.

There would be five new road accesses into the Site (shown as red arrows on Figure NTS3) namely via a new roundabout on the A134 west

of Tesco, an extension of Aubrey Drive into the Site, an extension of Reynolds Way across Acton Lane, a new junction on the middle section

of Acton Lane within the Site and from the northern section of Acton Lane within the Site to the proposed sports pavilion and pitches.

There would be new footpaths, cycleways and public transport throughout the development.

Associated ancillary works would include drainage infrastructure and internal roads.

1.1.9 The detailed design, appearance and layout of the scheme are all matters reserved for future determination, to be dealt with via subsequent

planning applications if outline planning permission is granted.

1.1.10 If outline planning permission is secured, it is expected that construction would commence in 2016/2017 at the earliest, with completion by 2031.

Newman’s Green



Figure NTS3 Proposed Land Uses & Points of Access

Site boundary

Residential

Employment

Primary school & pre-

school

Village centre

Community woodland

County Wildlife Site

Allotments

Other green spaces

Market square

Playing pitches (non-

school)

Access points

Key

Not to scale



What alternatives have been considered?

1.1.11 The process that Babergh District Council followed in allocating the Site for

development within its Core Strategy involved consideration being given to alternative

sites. Therefore it is not appropriate to undertake an assessment of alternative sites

within the Environmental Statement. However, alternative layouts for the proposed

development have been considered, drawing upon inputs from technical work that was

carried out as part of the EIA process and extensive pre-application consultation.

Further information on the consultation process is provided in the Statement of

Community Consultation and on the design process in the Design and Access

Statement both of which are reports accompanying the planning application.

What does the EIA process involve?

1.1.12 EIA is a process that involves identifying and assessing a proposed development’s

likely environmental effects, both positive and negative, where these effects have the

potential to be likely to be ‘significant’. This involves identifying how people and the

environment could be affected by the proposed development and incorporating

measures within the development to avoid, minimise or offset adverse effects and,

where appropriate, to deliver environmental enhancements.

What are the predicted significant effects of the proposed development?

1.1.13 This section summarises the environmental effects that have been assessed as being

likely to be significant, based on a review of nine environmental topics (see inset).

Chapters 6 to 14 of the Environmental Statement Volume 2: Main Report and the

accompanying appendices in Volume 3 should be referred to for further information

regarding the likely significant effects together with other effects that have been

assessed as being not likely to be significant.

What has been assessed in the EIA

Air quality: effects on people who live in and around Sudbury arising from emissions from vehicles and the energy centre, as well as dust generated during construction.

Noise: effects on people who live in and around Sudbury arising from noise associated with additional traffic flows, proposed employment uses and construction activities.

Traffic: effects on local communities, drivers, pedestrians and cyclists as a result of increased traffic flows.

Socio-economic factors: effects on local communities as a result of increased pressure on community facilities and increased job creation.

Land quality: effects on land contamination, soils and agricultural land caused by land take and other environmental changes.

Heritage and archaeology: effects on heritage assets and archaeological features caused by land take and other environmental changes.

Water resources: effects on groundwater and water supply.

Landscape and visual: effects on landscape features and on people’s views, resulting from land take and other environmental changes.

Biodiversity: effects on species, habitats and designated sites as a result of environmental changes that are likely to be caused by the development.



Positive effects

Increased jobs for those living in Sudbury

1.1.14 The Environmental Statement shows that the proposed development is likely to result in the creation of approximately 2,100 jobs associated with the

new employment land, hotel, school and community facilities (including pub and local shops). This would represent a 15% increase in jobs for

Sudbury and is therefore considered a positive and significant effect for those living in the town.

Negative effects

Effects on the occupants of some residents along Aubrey Drive of an increase in road traffic noise once the proposed development is occupied

1.1.15 Aubrey Drive is one of the main accesses into the Site and on the final section of this road (near to where it abuts the Site) residents in 3 dwellings

will experience a significant effect given the increase in daytime ambient noise levels associated with road traffic from the proposed development.

However, the Environmental Statement shows that overall noise levels experienced by these residents will be well below thresholds defined in

national noise policy and would not result in significant adverse effects on health or quality of life.

The loss of archaeological remains associated with a Romano-British settlement

1.1.16 Following an extensive programme of archaeological trial trenching, the Environmental Statement shows that the proposed development will have a

significant adverse effect on a Romano-British settlement, where there are archaeological remains that would be lost as a result of development.

However, the proposed development allows for these features to be excavated and safeguarded on the public record.

Loss of views from users of public rights of way within the Site

1.1.17 A public right of way runs through the middle of the Site, comprising a footpath which connects Woodhall Business Park to Newman’s Green. The

Environmental Statement shows that users of this public right of way will experience a significant effect on views as a result of the proposed

development. This is because views across large-scale open fields will be replaced with foreshortened views of new buildings on either side of this

footpath, albeit these views will be filtered by existing and proposed vegetation.

What happens next?

1.1.18 Prior to determining the planning application, Babergh District Council will seek advice from the Environment Agency, Natural England, Historic

England and other consultees. Members of the public will also be able to comment on the planning application. The statutory period for determining

a planning application such as this is 16 weeks.



Where can more information be found?

1.1.19 The Environmental Statement is available to view at Babergh District Council’s offices at the following address.

Babergh District Council, Corks Lane, Hadleigh, Ipswich, IP7 6SJ

1.1.20 It will also be available to view online at https://planning.babergh.gov.uk/online-applications/

https://planning.babergh.gov.uk/online-applications/

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