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Norfolk Land Limited

Long StrattonStrategy for a landscape-led masterplan

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Contents

Context: 1

Baseline: 2

Ideas: 3

Design strategy 4

Scope and purpose

Timeline

1.1 Historic evolution1.2 Policy context 1.3 Masterplan process to date 2.1 Landscape character2.2 Settlement pattern2.3 Environmental assets2.4 Opportunities and constraints

3.1 Initial masterplan thoughts

4.1 Exploring options and testing constraints4.2 Strategic green infrastructure 4.3 Open space and play strategy4.4 Integrating green infrastructure

5.1 Key questions/issues

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AnnexesA Masterplan teamB Technical assessment studies

7 August 2017

Moving forward 5

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View to Tharston Church from the north-west development site

Scope and purpose

This Masterplan Strategy records the masterplan process to date. It has been prepared in response to recent meetings with key stakeholders and also discussions at the first public exhibition for the Long Stratton masterplan and bypass, which was held on 17th July 2017.

It describes the rationale and layout of the bypass and associated development, beginning with the baseline assessment and demonstrating how analysis of landscape character (and historic landscape pattern) inspired the preliminary masterplan ideas. There is an emphasis on an integrated, landscape-led approach and the scope to deliver strategic green infrastructure alongside the built development.

This report describes the ‘work in progress’ and does not describe a completed masterplan. Instead it presents and explains the emerging form of the development at a key point in the masterplan process.

The masterplan will continue to change and evolve as the drawings develop and are incorporated within the forthcoming Design and Access Statement and Design Code reports.

• Section 1 - provides the context for the masterplan, in terms of the historic evolution of Long Stratton, the drivers for change and the policy context for the proposed bypass and masterplan development

• Section 2 - sets out the baseline evidence which has informed the masterplan, including landscape character, settlement pattern and environmental designations. It concludes with an overview of the key challenges, opportunities and constraints for the masterplan process

• Section 3 -presents the early evolution of ideas and options for maximising the benefits of the Long Stratton masterplan as they were explored with South Norfolk Council in 2015.

• Section 4 - shows how these initial ideas have been tested and developed, taking account of the technical constraints and issues listed above as the masterplan develops.

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

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Timeline

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Public consultation 1 - informing the preparation of the Long Stratton Area Action Plan (Sept-Nov 2010)

Public consultation 2 - informing the preparation of the Long Stratton Area Action Plan (August- Nov 2011)

Preferred Options Consultation (May-July 2013) - SNC coordinated comments received with site apprasial work to inform preparation of the Long Stratton Area Action Plan

Joint Core Strategy (Jan 2014)Pre-Submission Long Stratton Area Action Plan (July 2014)Landowner agreement and appointment of Norfolk Homes as lead developer

‘Initial masterplan thoughts’ - presentation to South Norfolk Council (Oct 2015) by the Norfolk Homes/Norfolk Land team

Long Stratton Area Action Plan (Adopted May 2016)

Masterplan progress and bypass design - Issues and Options Report - 17 November 2016

1st public exhibition - July 17 2017

2nd public exhibition - 2 October 2017

Planned submission of hybrid planning application for bypass and phase 1 development (November 2017)

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View to Tharston Church from the north-west development site

Figure 1 - Historic map of Long Stratton c. 1875superimposed on the current settlement plan

Mill

Lan

e

Wood Green

Rhees Green

Edges Lane

Star Lane

Hall Lane

Brand’s Lane

Swan Lane

Stratton St Michael

Long Stratton

Tharston

Hay

nton

’s L

ane

Wacton Common

Parker’sLane

Wood Lane

Long Stratton Mill

1 Context

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1.1 Historic evolution

The settlement of Long Stratton developed along the Pye Road (A140) between Ipswich and Norwich, which dates from Roman times; the name of Long Stratton is derived from the Old English meaning farmstead or village on a Roman road1.

Archaeological finds (Norfolk Historic Environment Record (NHER) suggest that the area was settled from the mid-late Saxon period and the Domesday Book (1086) records landholdings at Stratton St Mary and St Michael as including several religious houses, a mill, woods and meadows.

Settlement continued to develop in the parish during the medieval period, and the edges of the many medieval commons and greens were settled by the 13th century. The Historic Characterisation and Sensitivity Assessment2 describes the countryside to the east of Long Stratton as an example of ‘ancient countryside’ where remnants of the medieval landscape pattern have survived today in the form of isolated farmsteads, hall/church complexes, and common-edge or roadside strings of houses forming ‘hamlets’, all linked by historic routes, which persist as footpaths, tracks, lanes and roads in the current landscape. This sensitivity assessment also highlights the importance of a rare grid system of lanes which dates from at least the medieval period, and may well be much earlier.

The historic map opposite (Figure 1) has been provided by one of the local landowners and shows the pattern of settlement, roads and fields - very similar to that shown on the ordnance survey 1st edition (ref http://www.historic-maps.norfolk.gov.uk/mapexplorer/):

• The yellowish tone indicates the pre-18th C field pattern, which predates the 18th century Enclosures

• The brownish tone (and brown hatch) shows the remnant historic common of Wood Green) and the settlement that fringes it. Another historic common to the north (Rhees Green) is not coloured on this map.

• The blue tone shows the pattern of 18th-19th century Enclosures, which has been decimated by the widespread removal of field hedgerows in the 1950s and 60s.

The information in this section is from: 1 http://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?TNF375 2 Historic Characterisation & Sensitivity Assessment: GNGP Preferred Option Growth Areas, Norfolk County Council, May 2009

Wood Green

Church of St Michael, Stratton St Michael

Rhees Green

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1.2 Policy context

In the 15 years up to 2012, the population of Long Stratton grew by 15%; it was 5,217 in the 2011 census3. The village is an important local centre, with shops, three schools, a doctor’s surgery and leisure centre and a variety of employment, including the offices of South Norfolk Council and a local industrial estate off Chequer’s Road. The most recent large scale development was the Churchfields estate to the north-east of the village, which contains 370 homes.

The Joint Core Strategy4 identifies Long Stratton as a location for major growth because of the availability of a good range of local jobs, services and other community facilities and the significant benefits of a development led bypass. Policy 10 states that ...it is intended to ensure the delivery of a Long Stratton bypass, and will include at least 1,800 dwellings...

Persistent heavy traffic on the A140, which passes through the historic centre of the village, causes significant congestion, severance and pollution. Local residents have long campaigned for a bypass to divert

3 Long Stratton Area Action Plan, South Norfolk Council, May 2016 (paragraph 2.3)

through traffic away from the village centre and the 2016 Long Stratton Area Action Plan (LSAAP) sets out the agreed alignment of a bypass, together with an associated allocation for the development of 1,800 new homes.

Figure 2 is the Policies Map from the LSAAP (Appendix 2). It shows the broad alignment agreed for the bypass and the location of land allocated for mixed use development to the east and north-west of Long Stratton. At the heart of the LSAAP is the commitment to deliver a bypass as a condition of housing growth. The LSAAP sets out proposals for improvements to the village centre and community facilities, including improvements to public transport, new leisure & education facilities and local employment opportunities.

1.3 Masterplan process to date

The LSAAP site allocation area has three main landowners: Messrs. Smith/Sargent to the west of the A140, and the Leeder family to the east. There is a legally binding Collaboration Agreement in place between all of those landowners – together with the promoters, Norfolk Homes/Norfolk Land - to ensure the delivery of the LSAAP.

The A140 brings traffic congestion, pollution and severance to the historic centre of Long Stratton

4 Joint Core Strategy for Broadland, Norwich and South Norfolk, Greater Norwich Development Partnership, Adopted March 2011, amendments adopted January 2014

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TC

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© Crown copyright and database rights 2016 to date Ordnance Survey Licence no 100019483

Long Stratton Area Action Plan, Policies Map

Date: May 2016 Scale at A3: 1:18,000

0 400 800200 Metres

KEYBoundary of the Long Stratton Area Action Plan

Development Boundary

Bypass Corridor

Hempnall Crossroads

Bypass Northern Connection

Bypass Hall Lane Junction

Bypass Southern Connection

Mixed Use Site Allocation

Employment Allocation

Post 2008 Permitted Housing Sites

County Wildlife Site

Conservation Area

Town Centre - see town centre map

Town Centre Boundary

Primary Shopping Area

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Appendix 2

LNGS1

LNGS1

LNGS2

Figure 2 - Policies Map from Appendix 2 of the Long Stratton Area Action Plan, May 2016

5 David Thompson, retired architect and former Director of LSI Architects,Norwich, took on the role and reported in Sept. 2016.

Led by the promoters, Norfolk Homes/Norfolk Land, an integrated masterplan for Long Stratton’s development and bypass is being prepared by a multidisciplinary team. A list of team members and their respective roles is provided in Annex A. The masterplanning work has been informed by a comprehensive range of detailed technical assessment studies, which are listed in Annex B.

The masterplanning work has included modelling and testing options for the alignment and form of the bypass and ongoing rounds of consultation with South Norfolk Council (SNC), Norfolk County Council (NCC), Long Stratton Parish Council and other stakeholders. The process has been assisted by the work of an independent facilitator,5 who was employed to assess and advise on options and a way forward at an early stage in the process.

Since June 2016 the development team has been invited to attend the Parish Council’s Long Stratton Neighbourhood Plan Working Group meetings. This has ensured continuity and has enabled both parties to work collaboratively in the delivery of the new development in Long Stratton.

Work is ongoing on two ‘hybrid’ planning applications that will be submitted, concurrently, to South Norfolk Council:

• amasterplannedoutlineapplicationforlandtotheeast of the A140, with the bypass and associated infrastructure in detail;

• a further masterplanned and outline application for land to the west of the A140, with the first phase of approximately 200 dwellings and link road through to Swan Lane in detail.

2 Baseline - existing assets

2.1 Landscape character

This is a landscape-led masterplan, influenced by an understanding of the distinctive character and pattern of the local landscapes which form the setting for Long Stratton. These are described in a district-wide Landscape Character Assessment6. Figure 3 shows the relevant part of this landscape classification within the vicinity of Long Stratton. Each landscape character area reflects variations in landscape character which relate to the underlying geology and soils of the area and the evolving patterns of settlement and land use.

The baseline analysis of landscape character highlights the variations in landscape character and scale between the Tas Tributary Farmland (LCA B1) in the northern and central part of Long Stratton and the Great Moulton Plateau Farmland (LCA E2) to the south and east of the village. While both are relatively open farmland landscapes, the Tas Tributary Farmland has a more rolling or gently sloping landform and a more enclosed pattern of fields and settlements which is well defined by hedgerows and hedgerow trees. To the north-west of Long Stratton, a small river valley is well-enclosed by stream-side woodlands and hedgerows. There are cross=valley views to villages and church towers.

The Great Moulton Plateau Farmland landscape is typically flatter and more open, with large arable fields, straight lanes/tracks and isolated farmsteads. A close look at Figure 3 suggests that the historic ‘grid pattern’ of lanes (eg. Edges Lane and Hall Lane) broadly follows the subtle ridges of the plateau landform. This is a more expansive landscape than the Tributary Farmland to the north, with large arable fields crossed by narrow, straight lanes with grassy verges. The relatively flat landform means that individual hedgerows, groups of trees and buildings can appear as focal points on local skylines.

The farmland is noticeably more open towards the fringes of Long Stratton, where the farmland landscape is in relatively poor condition and the distinctive landscape pattern has become eroded as hedgerows, trees and woodlands have been removed. The existing housing edge forms a stark outline in views westwards from Mill Lane. However, the plateau farmland landscape becomes more wooded to the east, with blocks of woodland, copses and clusters of hedgerow trees providing a more enclosed landscape setting for the historic hamlets of Wood Green and Cole’s Common.

Figure 3 - Landscape character

River

Woodland

LSAAP Allocation

LSAAP Permitted sites

A1 Tas Rural River Valley

B1 Tas Tributary Farmland

E2 Great Moulton Plateau Farmland

Landscape character units (South Norfolk LCA)

6 South Norfolk Landscape Character Assessment, Land Use Consultants, 2001

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LONG STRATTON

A1

B1

E2

Tas Tributary Valley LCA (B1)

Extensive arable farmland with large-scale fields and notable absence of boundaries

Rhees Green - historic common land alongside Mill Lane

Expansive skies are a defining feature with distant views and farm buildings visible in the open landscape

Isolated and infrequent blocks of mixed woodland ....Sparsely settled with scattered farmhouses ...

Framed open views across the countryside ... wooded horizons ,,,create intimacy within the landscape

...sometimes ...intact avenues lining the roads or marking denuded field boundaries

Scattered remnant hedgerow trees, particularly oakDitches, low banks and wide grass verges associated with the network of rural roads

Great Moulton Plateau Farmland LCA (E2)

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2.2 Settlement pattern

The rural settlement patterns that have evolved in the countryside around South Norfolk provide a valuable point of reference for the design of layouts for the new neighbourhoods to the north-west and east of Long Stratton.

This is an area of loose-knit, irregular settlement patterns: villages and hamlets have developed around the fringes of the historic commons and also (as at Long Stratton) as linear development along a road, with clusters of buildings at key junctions. Throughout the area there is a distinctive historic gridded pattern of rural lanes and trackways, often with staggered junctions, oddly-shaped verges and remnant angular pieces of common land. There are typically long, open views to isolated hamlets and farmsteads surrounded by dense mature woodland, which are often subtle local landmarks against the flat plateau skylines.

The examples illustrated here are all within a 8 km radius of Long Stratton. The aerial views are all at a consistent scale so that the patterns of buildings and spaces can be compared.

Long Stratton - linear development along the former Roman Road is typically one plot deep, but broadens out with wider pavements/open space frontages at the small central market place. Noticeably stronger degree of built enclosure to the street at and on approach to the historic market place core. Minor roads or tracks feed in from adjacent villages or outlying farms on either side

Bracon Ash - The local road through the village centre dog-legs around former greens and commons

Wacton - the principal common is to the south-east of the village, but part of the settlement has developed around a two sides of a triangular green. The road crosses to one side (but within the green and there is a secondary, smaller green to the side

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Mulbarton - inter-connecting greens: the large central common is bordered to the north by a small green near the church, which is dominated by a pond and surrounded by paths and (on three sides) by clusters of houses and farms.

Pulham Market - An unusually square central green, but with an informal, rural character

Fritton - the former common is fringed with houses which are set-back from the road/common and accessed by private driveways.

Pulham St Mary - inter-connecting greens at a central road junction; buildings set back to fringe a village pond to the north of the road leading to the church

Newton Flotman - local ‘back’ roads are angled and curved around the main road, creating a diverse sequence of views

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2.3 Environmental assets

Figure 4 summarises the nature conservation, heritage and access designations that apply in the Long Stratton area. Separate studies have been undertaken to analyse their significance, alongside detailed surveys of trees and hedgerows within and close to the allocated sites.

Access – The farmland surrounding Long Stratton is criss-crossed with public rights of way. Many of these routes connect Long Stratton with the small farmsteads, hamlets and historic commons which are characteristic of the area. Figure 4 shows the network of public rights of way and the historic commons, including Wood’s Green, Rhees Green, Fritton Common, Wacton Common, Tyrell’s Wood and Fritton Common. Rhees Green and the areas of remnant common land alongside Anson’s Lane are perceived as unusually wide verges with meadow grassland and a ‘bumpy’ landform. Figure 4 also shows the promoted long distance paths near Long Stratton. To the west is the Tas Valley Way, which follows the River Tas between Cringleford and Attleborough, and to the east is Boudica’s Way, which follows historic tracks and lanes between Diss and Norwich.

Nature conservation designations – There are no internationally important nature conservation designations close to the Long Stratton Site and the nearest Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are Fritton Common (c. 2.3km east of Long Stratton), Pulham Market Big Wood (c. 2.3km south) and Forncett Meadows (c. 2.2km west). Figure 4 shows priority habitats in the vicinity of the Site. Wood Green is also a County Wildlife Site. The map shows that there are mosaics of valuable wetland habitat (grazing marsh, fen, purple moor grass and lowland meadow) along the floodplains of the tributary stream valleys which flow northwards to the River Tas network. One of these streams is alongside the north-west part of the Site. Elsewhere, the most important and extensive priority habitats are the isolated blocks of deciduous woodland within the arable farmland and on common land to the east of Long Stratton. The largest of these is Tyrell’s Wood (a Woodland Trust woodland with a car park and full public access to the south east of Long Stratton) but there are smaller blocks of woodland such as Devil’s Wood and The Grove, which are prominent within the arable farmland.

A series of detailed ecological surveys7 have been commissioned to assess the significance of biodiversity

assets on and in the vicinity of the Long Stratton Site. This work has included a desk study, habitat survey, protected species surveys for nesting birds, bats and great crested newts and surveys for wintering birds8. The results show that key ecological constraints on the allocated sites relate to the habitats provided by hedgerows, mature trees, grassland areas, verges and ponds. These features supported the vast majority of bat foraging activity, nesting bird activity, great crested newts and floral diversity. The surveys noted that some of the hedgerows, trees, ponds and grassland areas on the site are of moderate or low ecological value so do not form major constraints. However, the work promoted opportunities to incorporate ecological enhancements based on these features.

Heritage designations – There is a concentration of listed buildings along the A140 in the historic centre of Long Stratton, but many of the farmsteads and rural villages in the countryside around Long Stratton have listed buildings, including Long Stratton Mills (Grade II), St Michael’s Church, Stratton St Michael (Grade I), Woodgreen Farmhouse (Grade II) and Picton Farmhouse (Grade II). There are Conservation Areas in Long Stratton, Wacton and Fritton. There are no Scheduled Monuments or registered historic parks and gardens within or in the vicinity of the Site.

A report assessing the significance of the heritage assets within the area7 noted that 95 listed buildings have been identified in Long Stratton and surrounding areas, and the impact of the proposed development on these assets must be considered. In particular, the Grade I Listed Church of St Mary lies adjacent to the A140 at the southern end of the commercial core of Long Stratton, while the Grade I Listed Church of St Michael lies to the north and east of the allocated Site within Stratton St Michael. A separate desk-top archaeological survey has mapped and assessed the archaeology of the Long Stratton site using data from the Norfolk Historic Environmental Record.

Local green infrastructure - Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s report on access to the countryside and open spaces around Long Stratton highlighted existing challenges to countryside access. Evidence from questionnaires (summer 2017) revealed the relatively poor quality of access to the east of the village and the problems caused by pressures on valuable habitats and recreational assets at local commons, greens and (in particular) Tyrell’s Wood9

7 Ecological Constraints Report, Wild Frontier Ecology, November 2015

8 Long Stratton: Summary of Heritage Assets, Beacon Planning, April 2016

9 Long Stratton Access to the Countryside and Open Spaces, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, June 2017

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Figure 4 - Environmental assets

LSAAP Allocation

LSAAP Permitted sites

Public rights of way

Promoted long distance routes

Traditional orchard

Purple moor grass & rush pasture

Lowland heathland

Lowland meadow

Lowland fen

Priority (S41) habitats*

Lowland dry acid grasslandDeciduous woodland

Coastal & floodplain grazing marsh

No main habitat but additional habitats present

* http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland,org.uk/MagicMap.aspx

SSSI

County Wildlife Sites

Ancient woodland

Nature conservation designations* Heritage designations

Listed buildings

Conservation area

LONG STRATTON

WACTON

GREAT MOULTON

THARSTON

MORNINGTHORPE

Wood Green

Tyrells’ Wood

River T

as

A140

Wacton Common

Boudica’s Way

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2.4 Opportunities and constraints

The community of Long Stratton has endured the severance, noise and pollution caused by heavy traffic for decades. The delivery of a new bypass and link road will transform quality of life in the village centre but also bring opportunities to create well designed, people-friendly communities and enhanced green infrastructure connections between Long Stratton and its rural hinterland.The key opportunities are to:• restore the historic centre of Long Stratton as a safe, attractive, pedestrian-friendly town centre which supports a vibrant community;• re-connect Long Stratton with the surrounding countryside by restoring degraded green infrastructure and strengthening networks of greenspaces which function as viable ecological corridors and recreational links; • encourage sustainable travel by providing a safe, pleasant environment for walking and cycling, with off-road routes and excellent public transport networks;• design people-friendly neighbourhoods, with active street frontages and a layout of roads and junctions that is designed to reinforce low traffic speed and reduce car dominance; and • balance the demands for traffic circulation so that the bypass functions as a strategic corridor for through traffic but also provides attractive gateways to Long Stratton.

This ambitious set of opportunities has steered the design team that has been working on the masterplan for Long Stratton. This is a major development project which must tackle and resolve significant cost and technical challenges so that it can maximise the potential benefits for local communities.

The environmental assets described in Section 2.3 provided the starting point for the detailed constraints analysis that underpins all the technical studies which have been undertaken to determine the alignment of the bypass and the layout of the overall Long Stratton masterplan. The key issues and constraints that have influenced the masterplanning process are:

• Design speed and noise - the design speed selected for the bypass has a fundamental influence on the layout and character of development because of the increased noise pollution associated with higher (60 mph) speeds. The problem is particularly relevant to the north-east of the allocated site, where noise could

have negative impacts on the landscape setting of St Michael’s Church (grade 1 listed) and the cluster of listed buildings nearby. The setting of listed buildings is afforded special protection in law10.

• Surface water drainage - all the additional surface water generated from built surfaces on the Site must be attenuated within the red-line site boundary. Given the need to maximum the development footprint, this is a significant constraint and the green infrastructure network must be designed to accommodate the on-site requirements for surface water attenuation, as well as biodiversity and recreational needs.

• Capacity and alignment of existing services, including buried utilities and the Long Stratton sewage works. The latter is a constraint in terms of odour; residential properties to be set back appropriate distances

• Landscape and visual effects - the new development will fundamentally change the relationship between Long Stratton and its landscape setting. There are exciting opportunities to improve green infrastructure connections, but the masterplan must take account of potential effects on existing views to and from the village, as well as a wider understanding of the way the countryside surrounding Long Stratton is perceived and experienced by local communities.

• Open space and play requirements - with each house built, comes a requirement to provide open space and play facilities, in accordance with the policy standards set out by South Norfolk Council.

• Landownership - the constraints must be resolved within the landtake covered by the land collaboration agreement between the three landowners.

• Viability and deliverability - the development must be profitable! In short, the cost of planning and delivering the development (including the bypass) must be must be outweighed by a competitive return for both landowners and developers11. Deliverability is not just financial, it’s key to practicalities such as phasing in realistically deliverable sized, located and accessible tranches.

11 National Planning Policy Framework (March 2011), Paragraph 173

10 Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act) 1990 imposes a statutory duty to have regard to the desirability of preserving and enhancing the setting of listed buildings. The Judgment in the Court of Appeal in the Barnwell Manor case (Feb 18 2014) has strengthened the interpretation of this Act, such that the desirability of preserving the setting of listed buildings should be given ‘considerable weight and importance’ in decisions.

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Mill Lane at Wood Green

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3 Initial masterplan thoughts

As a starting point for the masterplan, this drawing considers the relationship between the historic core of Long Stratton and its bypass, taking account of the historic pattern of connections between the town and its surrounding hamlets, as expressed in the gridded network of roads and footpaths. The inner road, which provides north-south circulation through the development areas, provides the important functional connections between town and bypass and between the all the neighbourhoods, existing and new. It connects a series of nodes, which might be the focus for new neighbourhoods, and shows how connections integrating with the wider town can also be made.

The buffer for the noise attenuation along the bypass (drawn here as approximately 51 - 64 m) is indicated as a broad ‘green’ zone and the drawing begins to show how the junctions along the bypass can be designed as gateways, which are related to the neighbourhood nodes.

A hierarchy begins to emerge.

1. Development structure - gateways, nodes, circulation & linkage

2. A new ‘front door’ - preserving visual linkage to the wider landscape; creating new views of Long Stratton

North west of Long Stratton, the distinctive local landscape character is defined by the small valley of Picton Stream and the transition between an intimate enclosed river floodplain and larger scale farmland on the valley slopes and broad ridgetop. There are views across the valley from this higher land to Tharston and farmsteads along Picton Road.

East of Long Stratton, the open arable landscape has a more subtly defined character. The eye is drawn to relatively small clusters of buildings and trees within the open vistas. These are typically visual clues to remnant features from the historic landscape pattern and include the church of St Michael; the remnant common at Rhees Green; the group of historic buildings at The Mill; and the buildings and trees surrounding Wood Green.

The alignment of some of these key outward views corresponds with the location of gateways at the potential bypass junctions. The bypass will also provide opportunities to frame positive gateway views into Long Stratton.

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This set of drawings, which were presented to South Norfolk Council and stakeholders in June 2015, records the early evolution of the masterplan strategy for Long Stratton. The alignment of the bypass shown on the drawings is 50mph. This has changed, but the design objectives and principles have not and these drawings summarise the landscape-led masterplan strategy which has subsequently been tested, evaluated and (only slightly) re-worked to meet the technical challenges and constraints of the project.

3a. Green Infrastructure - identifying and layering green infrastructure connections

Using the historic (c.1875) landholdings map as a base, this drawing shows how the pattern of existing landscape features which fall within the visual envelope of the key outward views can inform the location, scale and character of the emerging network of green infrastructure for the new development. This interplay between view corridors and focal landscape features is critical here.

The historic map is explained on page 6 (Figure 1).

3b. Green Infrastructure - river corridor to the north; landscape grid to the east

A process of layering the green infrastructure proposals with the historic landscape pattern and the alignment of the bypass begins to suggest how the landscape of the potential development areas could be structured in a way that conserves and enhances the existing landscape and historic character.

Our aim is to let the pattern of the landscape dictate the structure of the masterplan and to avoid allowing the bypass to dominate..... a landscape-led masterplan.

4a. A distinctive pattern - existing and lost landscapes

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4b. A distinctive pattern - with potential new settlement

5a. First principles - Open gateway “commons” combined with planting to reinforce landscape

pattern

The sketch design drawings suggest a pattern of development areas that is structured by a landscape of framed views and gateway ‘commons.’ Woodland planting provides a distinctive character and a strong structuring device. In places the road is screened from the development areas, but elsewhere there are open views into and out from the new development.

The existing landscape and visual connections between Long Stratton and its surrounding landscapes are strengthened and enhanced.

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5b. First principles

The masterplan aims to re-ignite the relationship between village and countryside by integrating the new neighbourhoods and reinforcing the distinctive character of the local landscapes that form Long Stratton’s landscape setting

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4 Design strategy

4.1 Exploring options and testing constraints

The preliminary ideas and concept design layouts for the bypass and development presented in Section 3 were informed by baseline evidence from published environmental policies and studies and by fieldwork. As this early work was taken forward, the layouts were tested against the more detailed evidence provided by site-specific studies, which assessed the value of ecological, historic and archaeological assets alongside detailed information about topography, geology/soils and drainage.

The list of these technical studies is provided in Annex B. It includes completed surveys and studies and also work that is ongoing as developing the masterplan is an iterative process which involves testing options against a range of criteria and constraints.

An overview of the key constraints and issues that have influenced the masterplan process is provided in Section 2.4

Figures 5a and 5b (pages 24-25) are the constraints drawings for the masterplan as of August 2016. We should bear in mind that this is a work in progress and that these drawings will continue to change as the layout is adjusted.

Figure 5a shows constraints that are above ground, including listed buildings, conservation areas, trees and hedgerows of ecological value and important ecological habitats. The environmental assets within or close to the Site are described in Section 2.3. Figure 5a shows that there are trees and hedgerows that merit retention at Hall Farm, along parts of Hall Lane, Star Lane and Parker’s Lane and along the public footpath that crosses the development area to the north-west of Long Stratton. There are valuable tree clumps in this same north-west development area and in the development area to the north-east of the village. There are important grasslands at Hall Farm and in parts of the north-west development area.

This drawing also shows the key views to and from Long Stratton which help to define the landscape setting of the village and the landscape features that are the focus for these views. The latter includes the Church of St Michael at Stratton St Michael, a grade 1 listed building which is of particular importance within the landscape setting of Long Stratton because it is close by and there is a public footpath linking the two settlements.

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Figure 5b indicates the constraints that are below ground level. These include archaeological sites and finds from the desk-top archaeological survey and buried utilities. The former shows the location of an extensive area of historic common to the east of the village, which was linked to Wacton Common via a medieval land (now known as Haynton’s Lane. Another medieval lane followed the route of the trackway through Tyrrel’s Wood and Mill Lane that is today promoted as ‘Boudica’s Way’. There is evidence of a Romano-British roadside settlement and also a medieval site at Oakfield Farm, near the southern junction of the bypass with the A140. This same area is highlighted as a zone where there is a concentration of prehistoric finds. Other findspots date from prehistoric and Roman times, indicating that Long Stratton has long been a focus for settlement.

Buried utilities are concentrated along the A140 and local existing roads within Long Stratton.

Figures 6a-c (pages 26-27) show how the constraints modelling process operates at a more detailed scale. The drawings show noise contours which have been modelled on the basis of a bypass design speed of 50mph in the northern section (between the Rhees Green and Northern Roundabouts) and a design speed of 60 mph to the south of the Rhees Green Roundabout.

The reason for the difference in design speeds is the need to minimise potential noise impacts on St Michael’s Church (and the setting of this grade 1 listed building) and on the proposed residential areas to the north-east of Long Stratton (Figure 6a).

The drawings show the parts of the bypass that are in cutting, elevated on embankments and at grade - in plan and in section form. The sections are drawn to test and design options for designing the landform alongside the road. We are beginning to explore the impact of landform along the bypass in terms of views to and from the village, the location of crossing points and public rights of way and the proximity of heritage assets. The amount of noise attenuation required depends on whether the road is in cutting or on embankment: when it is in cutting, less noise attenuation is needed; when it is raised on an embankment, a higher the noise attenuation bund is likely to be required.

The objective is to:• minimise adverse noise impacts on the proposed

residential areas in Long Stratton• minimise noise impacts on adjacent valuable

Figure 5a - Constraints - above ground

August 2016

24

200 m sewage treatment works as recommended by Anglian Water

Listed buildings

Noise receptor

UKPN HV OH Cables

Mature trees of value

Hedgerow to be retained

Rhees Green

Important grasslands

Hall Farm (roosting bats, nesting birds, mature trees)Ponds with Great Crested Newts

Ecological

Development area

Open space – development

Sustainable Urban Drainage

Bypass corridor woodland - approximate extent

Landscape views

Landscape features

Proposed

Common ground

Conservation Area

LONG STRATTON

THARSTON

Wood Green

Tyrells’ Wood

A140

Wacton Common

Stratton St Michael

The Mill

Rhees Green

Maple Park

Edges Lane

Star Lane

Hall Lane

Brand’s Lane

Swan Lane

Hay

nton

’s L

ane

Parker’s Lane

Existing road used as public bridlewayExisting public footpath

Existing leisure cycle route Existing leisure cycle alternative route

Boudica’s Way

Extent of town centre

Existing trees

General

Existing hedge

Figure 5b - Constraints - below ground

August 2016

25

UKPN HV UG Cables

UKPN LV UG CablesAnglian Water foul water sewer with 6 m eastment as shownAnglian Water surface water sewer with 6 m eastment as shownAnglian Water potable water main

National grid IP gas mains

BT UG Cables

BT OH Cables

Area of Prehistoric features with SMR reference

Area of Prehistoric & Roman features - NAU excavation (Oct 1996)Roman road

Area of Roman features with SMR reference

Roman spots with SMR reference

Line of Medieval lane

Area of Medieval features with SMR reference

Area of Medieval features - NAU excavation (Oct 1996)

Historic Information

I can’t see any buried utili-ties constraints on the site - are there supposed to be some at the sewage works, for instance?

LONG STRATTON

THARSTON

Wood Green

Tyrells’ Wood

A140

Wacton Common

Stratton St Michael

The Mill

Rhees Green

Maple Park

Edges Lane

Star Lane

Hall Lane

Brand’s Lane

Swan Lane

Hay

nton

’s L

ane

Parker’s Lane

Existing road used as public bridlewayExisting public footpath

Existing leisure cycle route Existing leisure cycle alternative route

Boudica’s Way


Existing trees

General

Existing hedge

Buried utilitiesMedieval spots with SMR reference

Common ground now enclosed

6a Noise attenuation and landform - north 6b Noise attenuation and landform - middle

Stratton St Michael

Chainage 3500

Chainage 3300

Chainage 3100

Chainage 3800

Chainage 3600

Rhees Green

Rhees Green - Roundbout

Chainage 2700

Chainage 2500

Chainage 2400

Chainage 1900

Chainage 1700

Chainage 1500

Hall Lane - Roundbout

Wood Green - Roundbout

26

Proposed

45 db noise contour

50 db noise contour

55 db noise contour

60 db noise contour

65 db noise contour

70 db noise contour

General Noise Contour

View

Landscape features

Development area

Potential employment area

Potential school

Open space

Sustainable Urban Drainage (seasonal / occasional drainage storage) (SUDS)

Road cutting 0 - 2 m deep

Road at or near grade

Road embankment

Noise embankment

Existing contour

Existing trees

Existing hedge

Site boundary


Conservation Townscape

Conservation Listed Building

Conservation Boundary

Public Right of Way.

200 m sewage treatment works as recommended by Anglian Water

Constraints - General

Bypass design speed and noise attenuation

August 2017

6c Noise attenuation and landform - south environmental assets, including particularly St Michael’s Church to the north and Wood Green to the east

• ensure that the proposed roadside embankment landform reads as a continuous ‘line’ when viewed from the wider countryside to the east of Long Stratton - ie it should not appear as a series of bumps along the bypass

• maintain a relatively steep slope profile along the road (to maximise noise attenuation) but an easy, almost imperceptible slope on the side of the proposed development

• integrate the design of the bypass embankment landform with that of the sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS) that is a requirement within the proposed development areas, so as to avoid steep-sided wetlands which have an artificial appearance.

We have kept the height of the roadside landforms at or below 2m, which is a relatively low height for a road and landscape of this scale. This is in order to achieve a unified horizon line and to minimise the potential visual impact of such landforms in the relatively flat plateau landscapes to the east of the bypass.In the central part of the bypass (Figure 6b) the noise contours show that there is a need to consider the potential impacts of noise along the proposed access roads into the village from the bypass, alongside the noise of the bypass itself. This issue is not yet resolved, but is one of the key current topics under consideration. Another key issue under consideration is the need to vary the character of the bypass landscape along its route, so that it reflects and integrates with the character of the surrounding landscape, which changes from a large scale, relatively open plateau farmland landscape to the south-east of Long Stratton, to a more diverse, undulating tributary farmland landscape to the north and west. This is explored further in Section 4.2, but it is relevant to note that the natural minor valleys (within the plateau farmland landscape) at Star Lane and just south of Hall Lane mean that the bypass must be slightly raised on an embankment in these two locations, which means that the objective of achieving a continuous horizon line is more challenging in these locations.The issue of potential noise impacts peters out towards the south of the bypass (Figure 6c) because the development areas alongside the bypass in this area are allocated for commercial development, which is less sensitive to noise. As a result, the corridor of greenspace along the bypass can be considerably narrower in this area.

Wood Green - Roundbout

27

The 55DB noise contour in association with a max 2m noise attenuation was agreed as a reasonable basis upon which to model noise impacts at a meeting with SNDC’s Environmental Health Officer (EHO) back in October 2015. These parameters were reaffirmed again at a recent meeting in July 2017 between SNDC’s EHO and project consultants Sustainable Acoustics, arranged to discuss updated noise modelling figures in the context of clarifying any potential implications caused by changes to national standards for noise mitigation.

28

4.2 Strategic green infrastructure

Figure 7 indicates the proposed green infrastructure strategy for Long Stratton, as presented at the public exhibition on 17 July 2017.

It is immediately clear that the fundamental principles set out in the 2015 design ideas presentation (Section 3) have been retained. The pattern of development areas is structured by a robust, multifunctional landscape with a hierarchy of spaces and framed views. The bypass and development are not fully screened from view, but are carefully integrated within the surrounding rural landscapes. The curved alignment of the bypass is disguised by bold blocks of woodland which also help to ‘stitch together’ the eroded pattern of fields, hedgerows and woodland on the east side of the village.

Figure 7 shows the proportion of development : open space and also indicates the emerging structure of that open space, which is shown as:• open space within development areas - includes

village greens and play areas;• open space along the bypass corridor - an

attractive linear park; and• strategic green infrastructure, which anchors the

new development within its wider countryside setting

The drawing also indicates the scale of the areas that will be required for sustainable urban drainage within the development areas.

The principal green infrastructure features and opportunities are:• major green corridors that connect the existing

village of Long Stratton to the countryside via the new development areas, including at Star Lane and south of Hall Lane;

• enhanced off-road footpath connections to Haynton’s Lane (to the west) and Boudica’s Way (to the east) with safe crossing points and connections

• quiet (almost traffic-free) green lane status for Parker’s Lane and Edge’s Lane, which will be closed to through traffic and will provide safe cycle routes to Mill Lane and the rural roads beyond;

• a new linear park along the eastern fringes of the development, separating residential areas from the bypass, which will incorporate a cycleway and a network of circular walks to connect the new neighbourhoods and green spaces

• an extensive open space along the Picton Stream

valley, which provides recreational links between local roads (Swan Lane and Brand’s Lane) and the wider network of footpaths to the west of Long Stratton.

The idea of gateway ‘commons’ has not been lost, but we recognise that the word ‘common’ has a very specific meaning and that it is typically used to refer to the historic commons that are found in many of South Norfolk’s villages. There are opportunities for the larger proposed green spaces within Long Stratton’s new green infrastructure to reflect the character and form of the historic commons and the case studies on pages 30-34 suggest how this might be applied.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s recent assessment of access to the countryside and open spaces in the Long Stratton area12 makes some pertinent suggestions. The study set out to:• determine challenges to countryside access in and

around Long Stratton, including those identified at the Long Stratton Green Infrastructure meetings; and

• identify potential ways forward to meet these challenges and improve both provision of open space within the village and access to the wider countryside.

The principal challenges identified included:• the current lack of space within Long Stratton

for dog walking, informal access and play; most current spaces were seen as rather formal.

• poor access to footpaths out from the village ... particularly to the east, where Edges Lane and Hall Lane are judged to be narrow and in the case of Hall Lane, busy with traffic.

• people driving short distances to Fritton Common, Morningthorpe Green, Wood Green and Tyrell’s Wood for informal public access, which is causing damage to valuable habitats

In summary, the needs for access most identified were (without order of preference):• Spaces for dog walking, specifically, safe open

space without roads• Space for children to play, without roads and with

access to areas for den building etc• Places to see wildlife and enjoy tranquillity• Safe access for walking and cycling into the wider

countryside, preferably apart from traffic• The need for a large, informal space, rather than

lots of small formal spaces.

12 Long Stratton Access to the Countryside and Open Spaces, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, June 2017

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Figure 7 - Strategic green infrastructure

17 July 2017

Existing trees

Existing hedge

Public right of way

Extent of Land Collaboration

Neighbourhood Plan area

Boudica’s Way

Development area


Potential school


Open space – bypass corridor green infrastructure

Open space – strategic green infrastructure


Woodland

Potential Neigbourhood Equipment Area of Play (NEAP)

Potential Locally Equipment Area of Play (LEAP)

Potential football pitch or Multiuse Games Area (MUGA)

Proposed strategic footpath & cycleway network

General Proposed

STAR LANE RETAINED AS A MAJOR GREEN CORRIDOR CONNECTION BETWEEN VILLAGE AND COUNTRYSIDE

AN OPEN SPACE WILL CREATE RECREATIONAL AND FOOTPATH CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SWAN LANE AND BRAND’S LANE - LINKING ALONG THE VALLEY SIDE

MAJOR GREEN CORRIDORS WILL CONNECT THROUGH DEVELOPMENT

PARKER’S LANE TO BE CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC AND WILL BECOME A NEW GREEN LANE CONNECTION TO WOOD GREEN & BOUDICA’S WAY

POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE OTHER FOOTPATHS BETWEEN LONG STRATTON AND WOOD GREEN

A NEW FOOTPATH RUNNING ALONG THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE BYPASS WILL CONNECT PROPOSED CROSSING POINTS

EDGE’S LANE TO BE CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC AND WILL BECOME A GREEN LANE CONNECTION TO RHEES GREEN

A NEW PARK/OPEN SPACE ALONG THE BYPASS WILL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO ESTABLISH A NETWORK OF CIRCULAR WALKS LINKING BETWEEN VILLAGE AND COUNTRYSIDE

Crossing point

Crossing point

Crossing point

Crossing point

LONG STRATTON

THARSTON

Wood Green

Tyrells’ Wood

A140

Wacton Common

Stratton St Michael

The Mill

Rhees Green

Maple Park

Edge’s Lane

Star Lane

Hall Lane

Brand’s Lane

Swan Lane

Hay

nton

’s L

ane

Parker’s Lane

Green infrastructure - gateways

Rhees Green roundabout

Hall Lane roundabout

Southern Gateway roundabout

Mulbarton

30

Crossing point

Crossing point

SuDS

Many local village greens have a broadly triangular shape. This means that they function well as gateway landscapes because the broader (greener) edge faces the rural edge of the village and the space becomes more ‘urban’ as the village green tapers towards the village centre. At Mulbarton, the hierarchy of the spaces is intensified by the fact that the narrowest part of the village green is dominated by a village pond. The irregular spacing of the groups of buildings that fringe the pond and greens give Mulbarton’s Common an informal, rural character.

Mulbarton

Wood Green

Green infrastructure - ‘commons’

Star Lane

Picton Stream Hall Lane

31

SuDS

SuDS

SuDS

LEAP

Mulbarton

Wood Green

There are three large-scale green corridors within the development areas which reflect the natural ‘meadow fringed with woodland’ character of the historic commons. In each case, the challenge is to retain the informal, natural qualities of the commons, while accommodating the SuDS required to attenuate surface water from the adjacent development and some formal play areas.

Green infrastructure - greens

32

Northern gateway

Northern development focus points

Southern development focus points

SuDS

LEAP

NEAP

Pulham Market

Fritton

Given Long Stratton’s linear form and rural setting, its new neighbourhoods should have a distinctively ‘rural village character’. This can be achieved by a relatively informal layout which is structured by a hierarchy of green spaces so that there is a sense that ‘fingers of countryside’ extend right into the village centre.Wide verges (as at Fritton), linear greens, courtyard clusters and larger central greens, which are the focus for a small community (as at Pulham Market), will be edged by informal groupings of buildings and linked by routes which enable visual connections to the next green space.

Wood Green (enclosed )

33

Green infrastructure - linear park

Bypass - enclosed and open sections

LEAP

SuDS

Wood Green (enclosed )

Mulbarton - more open (but imagine with landform or cutting)

Long Stratton’s linear park will articulate the landscape setting for the new development and its relationship with the countryside to the east of the village. In some places the linear park will have an enclosed, relatively wooded character, but at local gateways there will be open views to the countryside. In such circumstances the bypass would be hidden by a carefully shaped road-side embankment, which would be perceived as an open meadow (when seen from the development). For instance, a 2m high embankment would ensure that the bypass and cars travelling along it would be screened from view, although the tops of some lorries might still be visible.

34

4.3 Open space and play strategy

Figure 8 is based on the green infrastructure framework drawing. It provides measured areas for the different types of open space that are proposed within the development areas so that the ‘land budget’ can be compared to the open space standards required by South Norfolk Council13 (note that these standards are currently being updated, with the new SPD due to be published in autumn 2017).

The Council’s forthcoming Guidelines for Recreational Standards will be delivered in conjunction with the its Community Assets Strategy14 which sets out how community assets (including the green spaces within new developments) will be managed in the period up to 2021.

Norfolk Homes/Norfolk Land is currently in discussion with Long Stratton Parish Council about the potential for adoption of the open spaces within the new development. Figure 8 shows the extent of area covered by the Long Stratton Neighbourhood Plan, which is being developed by Long Stratton Parish Council and which provides the context for these discussions.

Figure 8 is a ‘Work in Progress’ which indicates the locations of equipped play spaces to meet the anticipated needs of local areas (LEAPS) and larger neighbourhoods (NEAPS) based on walking distances from residential areas. Given the scale of the development proposed for Long Stratton, the play and open space strategy should be considered within the context of the settlement as a whole.

13 Guidelines for Recreational Provision in new Residential Developments (SPD), Draft for consultation, South Norfolk Council, 30 May 2017

14 A Community Assets Strategy for South Norfolk, South Norfolk Council, (agreed at Cabinet) January 2017

Integrating play - an example from an existing Norfolk Homes development

Figure 8 - Open space and play strategy

17 July 2017

35

LAND EAST (SOUTH) 60 50 MPH

a. Surface Water Storage 4.2 Ha

b. Attenuation landform 1.3 Ha

c. Open space – development 5.9 Ha

d. Open space – strategic green infrastructure(GI) 0.4 Ha

e. Open space – by pass corridor (GI) 7.8 Ha

Total (a+c+d+e) 18.3 Ha

LAND EAST (NORTH) 60 50 MPH





e. Open space – by pass corridor (GI) 9.2 Ha

Total (a+c+d+e) 23.4 Ha

LAND WEST





e. Open space – by pass corridor (GI) -

Total (a+b+c+d+e) 16.2 Ha

LONG STRATTON

Wood Green

Tyrells’ Wood

A140

Wacton Common

Stratton St Michael

The Mill

Rhees Green

Maple Park

Edges Lane

Star Lane

Hall Lane

Brand’s Lane

Swan Lane

Hay

nton

’s L

ane

Parker’s Lane

Existing trees

Existing hedge

Public right of way

Extent of Land Collaboration

Neighbourhood Plan area

Boudica’s Way

General

Development area


Potential school


Open space – by pass corridor green infrastructureOpen space – strategic green infrastructure


Woodland

Potential Neigbourhood Equipment Area of Play (NEAP)

Potential Local Equipment Area of Play (LEAP)

Potential Football pitch or Multiuse Games Area (MUGA)

Proposed strategic footpath & cycleway network

Proposed

4.4 Integrating green infrastructure

Connecting existing and new communities

Long Stratton’s bypass will transform the character of quality of the existing village centre, which will no longer be dominated by through traffic. There will be some exciting new opportunities for public realm enhancements which will bring socio-economic benefits for the whole community.

The masterplan for new development will also bring opportunities to improve connections between the existing village centre and the countryside and between existing and new communities. These ‘inter-connections’ are critically important components of the green infrastructure framework for Long Stratton and merit significant enhancement. Two key existing connections - Edge’s Lane and Parker’s Lane will be closed to through traffic when the bypass opens. Edges Lane will become entirely traffic free and Parker’s Lane will be virtually free of cars (access only) so both green lanes will provide attractive, safe cycle links to the rural road network to the east of Long Stratton.

Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS)

A key challenge for the design of the open spaces within the Site boundary is the integration of the extensive areas required to attenuate the increased amounts of surface water that are anticipated as a result of the development.

How can these areas for SuDS be integrated within the wider network of green spaces in an effective and attractive way? The problem is that the open spaces within the Site are also required for informal recreation, formal play, cycleways and footpaths, noise attenuation, screening and framing views (woodland), roads and to provide an attractive setting for residential areas.

Typically SuDS areas are only occasionally wet and there is scope for them to be managed for multiple uses, but this can only be achieved if the landform can be shaped so that the slope profiles of SuDS areas are relatively shallow. Gently sloping, occasionally wet meadow landscapes could provide an attractive, ‘rural’ setting for housing, recreation and views. However, gentle slope profiles require space and so there is a need to understand the detailed hydrological and drainage issues and to find the best possible way to balance the multiple competing requirements. Given the local clay soils and subject to ground conditions, there may also be a possibility to re-introduce permanent ‘ponds’ as gateway landscape features.

Existing village centre connections

Edge’s Lane - existing rural connection

Greenfield Way Open Space (Star Lane) - existing SuDS

36

Existing components of Long Stratton’s green infrastructure which can be significantly improved within the masterplan.

37

Rounhouse Park, Cringleford

This example of a SuDS scheme in which areas of permanent open water/ponds have been created, was designed and implemented by Sheils Flynn. It is a successful gateway landscape feature for a new housing development

38

Planning submission is targeted for the end of October 2017 which means that August and September will be intensive months for the design team in order to progress the remaining work in advance of a second public consultation planned for early October.

A first public consultation has been successfully completed and the comments received are currently being reviewed in order to ensure that opportunities for the masterplan to respond are fully understood.

The various members of the design team are consulting with key stakeholders & officers at County, District & Parish levels covering key topics ’s such as: ;

1 – Traffic and bypass – strategic impacts/issues

2 – Detailed bypass design/engineering

3 – Noise

4 – Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment

5 – Design Code

6 – Green Infrastructure

7 – Wildlife and biodiversity

To date therefore, a wide range of feedback has been received and we list below the key questions/issues, as a summary, which will form the key components of the evidence base and masterplan strategy to support the application. A further evolution of the masterplan along with draft Design and Access Statement & Design Code will be made available in the coming weeks to facilitate a further round of meeting and discussions with all key stakeholders and officers.

5.1 Key questions/issues

Landscape

How has the landscape and its context been considered? Consultants have undertaken detailed assessments, to establish the following objectives/parameters:

• Allowing for/facilitating strategic Green Infrastructure (GI) connections; a landscape-led masterplan that allows for strategic GI connections;

• Establishing integrated GI issues early in the design process: ecology, access, views (in and out), landscape quality, history. A distinctive pattern shaping the masterplan/development allocations;

5 Moving forward

• LVIA – summary of key landscape and visual impacts issues and how the landform/views designed to achieve aims of the landscape-led masterplan vision;

• The bypass as new front door: a positive landscape/urban design opportunity (we do not want to always hide development);

• Noise constraints – an integrated design strategy to avoid overly engineered response;

• Typology of urban design/open space layouts – in other villages and a set of key characteristics for Long Stratton;

• Open space strategy – how we have considered SuDS, land use, open space types and requirements, landform design - character areas for the open spaces – rural character shaping development – unique to Long Stratton.

Highway & transport

How will highways and transport issues be considered/addressed? Consultants have and are undertaking detailed assessments, to establish the following objectives/parameters:

• Bypass function and form. Responding to opportunities and constraints evidence in determining how the LSAAP identified bypass corridor responds effectively to the need for a bypass to be delivered within the context of development. Issues to cover include - strategic, local (existing and proposed) including junction strategy and the design speed.

• Traffic/modelling. This will set out the information already submitted including baseline surveys/modelling of bypass and the Bypass Options for planning a bypass & development.

• Western relief road function and form (strategic, local existing and proposed);

• Hempnall Crossroads. Shared, detailed evidence on capacity and options for improvement;

• Non-vehicular use and connections (micro and macro issues);

• Severance and connectivity: micro (e.g. bypass re-routing footpaths etc.) and macro (surrounding parishes’ connectivity and how this is dealt with by junction strategy).

39

Noise

How is traffic noise to be considered/addressed? Consultants have undertaken detailed modelling work around Long Stratton to establish the following objectives/parameters:

• Bypass:

• 60mph majority but 50mph at top-right corner (i.e. St. Michael’s church and surrounding listed buildings);

• Land to west/northern roundabout junction and existing A140 north (stay as 50mph or reduce to 40mph) ; to protect existing properties above Church Lane, to assist design of Norfolk Homes new development to west, and to protect existing listed properties towards Long Stratton (Walnut Tree cottage and Low Cottage)

• Proposed residential amenity and quality open spaces;

• Existing residential amenity;

• Sound attenuation/mitigation (including landscaping, e.g. max 2m bund/2m cutting;

• Western relief road and ancillary existing roads – to be negligible/well within normal standards;

• Consequential improvement to village centre with reduction of traffic, and therefore traffic noise.

Ecology

What ecology work has been undertaken? Consultants have surveyed the entire site and surrounding area, and completed an Ecological Assessment report. This includes: a desk study; habitat survey; protected species surveys for nesting birds, wintering birds, bats and great crested newts.

What were the outcomes? No major ecological constraints have been identified, save for those relating to specific habitats on site: hedgerows, mature trees, grassland areas and verges, and ponds. These features supported the vast majority of bat foraging activity, nesting bird activity, great crested newts (and other aquatic and semi-aquatic species diversity) and floral diversity. Focus has therefore been to incorporate/retain these features into master-planning/design, and thereby minimise likelihood of significant ecological impacts.

What enhancements might result? Through the ongoing process of integrated masterplanning/

GI planning – our objective is to increase the quantity, improve the quality and increase the interconnectedness of ecological features across the site and beyond.

Heritage

How are listed buildings, conservation areas and other designated heritage assets being considered in the context of the development proposals? Consultants have completed a survey/assessment report: Summary of Heritage Assets. This has been an important element of the masterplanning and design work, particularly in the context of the bypass position, design and noise attenuation, having regard to Sections 16 and 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. In particular, regard to setting of the most sensitive assets (i.e. St. Michael’s church and surrounding listed buildings);

How is Archaeology being considered? Consultants have completed a desktop assessment; geophysical survey work is ongoing. The outcomes have and will continue to feed into the masterplanning and related design processes.

Utilities & Drainage

How will surface water and foul water drainage be addressed? Consultants have undertaken detailed assessment work – including consultation with AW, the EA and LLFA – the conclusions of which include that:

• Surface Water drainage for housing will be provided through the use of SuDS features and storage within lagoons, with discharges into the existing watercourses limited to Greenfield run-off rates;

• Bypass surface water drainage will be separate, with additional features built into the storage lagoons to contain the water in the event of an oil spillage;

• Foul water drainage to the east will be through a series of pumping stations lifting flows generally northwards, before connecting to sewers within the development to the west of the A140. Flows will then gravitate directly to the sewage treatment works, thus avoiding capacity issues within any existing sewers.

• Anglian Water has confirmed that the WWTW can deal with the initial phases of development

40

and that they will make timely improvements in order to accommodate all of the proposed growth (addressing the delivery constraint expressed in the AAP).

How will Broadband be addressed? Following detailed discussions with BT, it confirms that it will provide the infrastructure for super-fast fibre optic broadband to all new properties, and aim to upgrade existing properties in Long Stratton to the GFast network in the future.

Other services? There are no material constraints; all other services will be made available to all properties.

Air quality

What air quality work has been undertaken and how will it influence the proposals? Because of potential constraints presented by the existing chicken farm and WWTW, a detailed Odour Assessment has been undertaken by consultants. This has influenced the layout and form of development and open space on the western side of the site. Air quality related work is ongoing in relation to the bypass and other roads (traffic).

Design code

What are the objectives of the Design Code?

• To show how the housing layout integrates with the landscape strategy in terms of its interface with landforms, landscaping and existing boundaries;

• To illustrate views from the site and into the site and maintain views towards heritage assets;

• To demonstrate the vision through the design code of the type of character areas envisaged in the various parts of the development in terms of density and location and urban, semi urban and rural character;

• To illustrate forms of layout, housing typologies and street sections that will inform and shape the development. This is to reflect the character of Long Stratton and the surrounding villages.

Viability & delivery

When will the applications be submitted? NHL/NLL are contractually obliged to submit applications by the end of October 2017.

How will phasing/delivery and viability be determined?

This is an ongoing process and will be coordinated when all other facets of the project are completed. Phasing/delivery and viability reports will form an integral part of the final application proposals.

The work/studies referred to above are listed in Annex B.

Masterplan team

Team members and rolesAnnex A

Masterplan team

The work is led by Norfolk Homes and Norfolk Land, the Site promoters. The core masterplan team is:

• Masterplan and building layouts - ASD Architects

• Planning and project management - Cornerstone Planning

• Planning and project management - Michael Haslam Associates

• Strategic transport planning, highways and flood risk - Cannon Consulting Engineers

• Landscape architecture - Sheils Flynn

• Detailed highway and drainage design - ASD Engineering

• Noise - Sustainable Acoustics

Other consultants who are contributing to the masterplanning process are;

• Topography survey - Anglia Survey and Design Surveys

• Ecology - Wild Frontier Ecology

• Heritage - Beacon Planning

• Archaeology - Archaeological Solutions Ltd

• Odour Assessment - Redmore Environmental

• Arboriculture – James Blake Associates

• Ground conditions, contamination and geodiversity - Norfolk Partnership Laboratory

• Legal advice - DLA Piper

• Affordable housing - Housing Expectations

MHA Planning

Norfolk Land Limited

Technical assessment studies

Annex B

Technical surveys and assessments

The following studies have been used to inform the masterplan process. In many cases, this work is iterative, with assessments and modelling to test the effects generated by different layout scenarios.

Studies that are completed and which provide baseline evidence for the masterplan:

• Site and topographical survey • Odour Assessment Technical Note (West) -

Redmore Environmental - April 2017.

• Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment – Archaeological Solutions Ltd. - November 2015

• Summary of Heritage Assets Report – Beacon Planning – May 2016

• Ecological Constraints Report – Wild Frontier Ecology – May 2016

• Tree Survey/Arboricultural Assessment – James Blake Associates – February 2017

• Ground Conditions & SI Report – Norfolk Partnership Laboratory – August 2016

• Rights of Way Plan - ASD Engineering, June 2017• Catchment Plan - Cannon Consulting Engineers,

October 2016

Studies undertaken by the masterplan team which are ongoing, as they involve an iterative process of testing options and scenarios:

• Traffic survey and assessment work; • Landscape and visual assessment • Services and infrastructure assessment; • Initial sound impacts report; • Draft surface water drainage strategy • Draft air quality report • Noise and design speed modelling

• Design Code

• Flood risk assessment

• Surface water drainage strategy

• Foul water draingae

• Hydrology

• Environmental Impact Assessment

Norfolk StudioBank House, High StreetDocking PE31 8NH

telephone: 01485 518304email: [email protected]: www.sheilsflynn.com

www.sheilsflynn.com

norfolk land limited long stratton€¦ · 07/08/2017 · promoters, norfolk homes/norfolk land -...

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