PROPOSAL
The emerging proposals are for:
Up to 70 energy-efficient dwellings, the houses are proposed as a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes.
The inclusion of 40% affordable homes of mixed sizes and tenures to support local needs.
Extensive Natural Green space. The provision of Public Open Space (POS) to include new pedestrian access to serve the wider existing community, Locally Equipped Area for Play (LEAP), Local Area for Play (LAP), drainage features and landscaping.
Characteristic of the village of Stubbington, reinforcing the local distinctiveness of the area in our high quality dwellings.
Separate vehicular access for the northern site entrance located near Old Street/Plymouth junction and southern site entrance located near Plymouth Drive/Knights Bank Road junction.
The retention of the existing landscape framework and landscape qualities.
The development retains the Marsh Lane access to Titchfield Haven National Reserve to the west.
Opportunities for biodiversity net gain and ecological enhancement throughout the development.
Compared to the previous scheme for up to 150 dwellings with a net development area of 6.6 hectares, the current proposal for up to 70 dwellings has been significantly reduced to ensure that no housing development occurs on the valley slope and has a net development area of 2.3 hectares. As part of this proposal, 8.2 hectares will be left for Natural Green Space, Bird Mitigation and Publicly Accessible Open Space.
There is an opportunity for the development to provide a positive contribution to the green infrastructure and public open space of Stubbington. The land is currently used for agricultural purposes and is inaccessible to the public.
Development of the Site will result in part of the privately owned land being transformed into publicly accessible green space, promoting healthy and active lifestyles.
It would encompass multi-functional open space, as well as biodiversity improvements, to allow both people and nature to live alongside each other.
The form, quantum and disposition of development within the Site has been informed by the existing landscape, taking a sensitive approach to the settlement edge, which includes a landscaped buffer to the Site boundaries and a sensitive design relationship to the setting of Great Crabthorn (Grade II Listed Building).
A future planning application will be supported by a number of reports and surveys, undertaken and updated to inform development proposals, as summarised below.
LANDSCAPING
The landscape and visual effects have been evaluated by Snug Architects. The landscape character of the site is divided into three areas; Meon Valley Bottom (Titchfield Haven), Meon Valley ‘side’ and Plateau in which Stubbington sits.
Landscape mitigation will include wildflower meadow grassland planted within Public Open Space (POS) and verges, which would provide new habitats for invertebrates, and thus foraging habitats for both bats and birds. This would improve the character of the landscape, contact with nature and general well-being. Existing hedgerows would be retained and enhanced with gaps filled ensuring a greater diversity of species would occur, including many more trees.
Landscaping will also include; natural play area with imaginative play elements, drainage solutions incorporated into the Public Open Space (POS) design, natural play elements, rustic material choices, planted boundaries to play areas, shared surface street-scene, rain gardens and other planting used to soften parking bays.
ECOLOGY
A suite of ecological surveys have been undertaken throughout the site in recent years to enable an informed understanding of the biodiversity of the site, including reptiles, bats, hazel dormouse, and bird species.
The proposals have been designed to retain habitats of the greatest ecological value (hedgerows) where possible and retain opportunities for species post-development, through the retention of the majority of hedgerows and provision of biodiversity corridors. The proposal will retain as much of the grassland as possible within the site design and enhance the retained grassland areas with a wildflower planting. This will also incorporate other landscaping features for the specimens to live throughout the site including; larger parkland tree planting, flowering trees and columnar trees.
Swales will be created throughout the site. This will exploit natural drainage conditions while enhancing the site for invertebrates and amphibians. As well as providing water for reptiles, the pond will enhance foraging opportunities for birds and bats. This will contribute to habitat net gains on the site.
In 2024, surveys to support the new planning application will confirm whether conditions have changed in terms of habitats and their quality, as well as considering use of the site by locally important and protected species. It is anticipated that similar findings will be found during 2024 as site conditions have remained largely similar since the earlier survey, although with the addition of tree planting on site and management for wintering birds, this may influence species distribution and composition. Currently, it is anticipated that at least dormice, widespread reptiles and bats will still be present on site as ecological constraints. Overwintering birds from the adjacent mitigation area will also provide a constraint on site design and activities, which will be explored within the updated ecological assessment.
TRANSPORT
The site is well-connected to the local walking, cycling and public transport networks. These will provide the opportunity for active and non-car travel to local facilities and services, reducing vehicular trips and subsequent traffic impact on the surrounding area.
There is a footway present on the eastern side of the carriageway of Old Street connecting from Plymouth Drive which provides access to a bus stop. This continues south to Short Road where the footway ends and a footway on the western side of the carriageway commences. Street lighting is provided, and the speed limit is 30mph.
Continuing south along Old Street, there are dropped kerbs present at the entrance to Knights Bank Road which leads to residential properties and provides a continuous footway to the coast. On Old Street, there are grass verges, and the footway continues on the western side of the carriageway with street lighting provided. This continues for some 160 meters south until the footway ends and pedestrians share the carriageway which provides a low vehicular speed connection to Hill Head beach front.
To the north, Old Street connects to Plymouth Drive and provides a footway on both sides of the carriageway. There are continuous footway routes to Stubbington Village Centre.
Cycle travel is appropriate on many of the surrounding roads, given the sign posted speed limits and road characteristics. National Cycle Network – Route 2 runs 600 meters south of the site and can be joined from Hill Head Road. This route forms a long-distance cycle route which stretches from Southampton to the west and Portsmouth to the east, and also connects with National Cycle Network – Route 24 which runs from Farnham to Medstead and from Wickham to Gosport. Therefore, these routes provide good connections to the wider area, Village Centre and Fareham railway and bus station, enabling journeys further afield to be made via sustainable transport modes.
Two vehicular accesses will serve the site. The accesses will be fundamentally in accordance with the arrangements deemed acceptable by the Local Highways Authority for the previous scheme. The northern section will be served by a new 5.5m wide priority access arrangement, taken from the existing junction of Old Street and Plymouth Drive. The southern section will be accessed from a new priority junction from Old Street.
DRAINAGE
A Flood Risk Assessment and Surface Water Drainage Strategy will be included within a planning application for the proposed development site. An initial assessment has already been carried out and this shows that the overall flood risk within the development area is considered to be low from all sources.
As with any greenfield site, its development for residential use will lead to an increase in hard and impermeable surfaces at the site. This can lead to increased rates and volumes of surface water runoff. To mitigate this, a Surface Water Drainage Strategy will be implemented to ensure that not only the risk of flooding within the site is minimised but will also ensure that flood risk to properties and land in nearby areas is not increased as a result of the new development. The indicative drainage strategy will be submitted to the Lead Local Flood Authority for approval as part of the application process.
The proposed Surface Water Drainage Strategy will incorporate the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) such as a conveyance swale, permeable paving and ditches/drains within the lowest point of the site in the west. Swales will be created throughout the site, exploiting natural drainage conditions while enhancing the site for invertebrates and amphibians. This will contribute to habitat net gains on the site.
The development of the site will form an opportunity for environmental enhancement and the sustainable management of surface water runoff at source, through the provision of SuDS.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Our approach towards transitioning towards carbon neutrality is:
- The biodiversity of the site will be protected, diversified and improved through new planting and habitat creation. Overall the proposals are expected to achieve a net gain in biodiversity.
- Integrate Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SuDS).
- Consideration of achieving energy conservation standards that exceed Building Regulations.
- Encourage residents to utilise the easy access to alternative modes of transport (e.g. walking, cycling and public transport) from the site to reduce reliance on private cars.