THE SITE INTRODUCTION

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1 01 INTROUCTION THE ITE INTROUCTION Gladan evelopents Ltd have successfully invested in counities throughout the UK for over 20 years, developing high quality and sustainable residential, coercial and industrial schees. A process of public consultation is being undertaken by Gladan evelopents Ltd in order to present the eerging developent proposals for land off hurnhold, Melksha to the local counity. We are proposing a new residential developent of up to 275 hoes, together with new recreational space. The purpose of this consultation process is to outline the details of the draft schee and seek coents fro the local counity which will be considered before the outline planning application is lodged with Wiltshire Council. ITE ECRIPTION The site is located to the west of hurnhold (A365), Melksha. It extends to 9.7 hectares and coprises agricultural land in the for of one large, roughly square undeveloped field, with three saller undeveloped fields to the south. The site wraps around hurnhold Far to the north, south and west, and includes large post-war industrial sheds, as well as a saller associated building, which for part of hurnhold Far Business Park. The northern, western and southern site boundaries are bordered by open fields. A nursing hoe is located to the iediate south. To the east of the site are residential properties and a disused school. There are two public rights of way across the site. The first runs across the western boundary of the site; and the second runs across the north eastern corner. The site has a gentle slope downwards fro the northwest towards the southeast, with a notable slope upwards in the north east corner. PLANNING CONTEXT The eerging Wiltshire Core trategy once adopted will becoe the developent plan which will oversee growth in Wiltshire until Melksha is recognised within the eerging Local Plan as a Market Town which has the ability to support sustainable patterns of living through its current levels of facilities, services and eployent opportunities. The eerging strategy sets out that at least 42,000 hoes will be built over the plan period in Wiltshire. A total of 2,470 dwellings have been directed to Melksha, of which there are 752 dwellings yet to be allocated. THE NEE FOR NEW HOUING Every Council is required by the Governent to boost significantly the supply of housing and to ake planning decisions in the light of a presuption in favour of sustainable developent. Wiltshire Council currently has a shortage of housing to eet present and future needs of the counity. Furtherore a housing arket assessent of Wiltshire has identified a chronic shortage of affordable housing in the county. Approval of this schee will help towards the shortfall. WHY I THE ITE UITABLE FOR EVOPMENT? ettleents like Melksha provide opportunities to help eet Wiltshire Council s housing shortage. The site is located within easy walking and cycling distance of a range of shops, services and counity facilities in Melksha, including: Kings Park Priary chool, Asda uperarket, Melksha tation, King George V Park and a nuber of local shops, banks, dentists and pharacies located within Melksha Town Centre. THE APPLICATION APPLICATION TYPE AN UBMIION ATE Gladan evelopents Ltd intends to subit an outline application for up to 275 hoes to Wiltshire Council in Noveber This would establish the principle of developent with the access to be agreed, and all other details will for part of subsequent applications if planning approval is given. EVOPMENT PROPOAL Up to 275 new hoes, including affordable properties Proposed pedestrian and vehicular access off hurnhold Provision of extensive, high quality Public Open pace, including a children s play area Iproved connectivity between the open space and the surroundings New landscaping to enhance the site and boundaries Integration of a ustainable Urban rainage yste (U).

2 02 HITORIC CONTEXT HITORIC MAP The historic aps below illustrate the expansion and growth of the north western part of Melksha over the past century. Until the early 1900s, the site and surrounding land were largely characterised by agricultural fields with a few dispersed properties and fars, including haw House to the north and hurnhold Far, which both reain today. The core of Melksha was generally contained by the River Avon and railway line, with developent beginning to spread northwards along hurnhold, including opposite and south of the site. The early 1900s saw the rapid industrial expansion of the town, with large industrial buildings appearing to the west and south of the railway line. The large housing estate at Round Ponds opposite the site - appeared around this tie, arking a significant expansion of the town. The post-war era saw further developent in the town, including the school opposite the site and further expansion of the Round Ponds estate. The late 1900s saw further residential redevelopent of forer industrial sites within the town, and the arrival of the A350 Western Way. The overall pattern and direction of growth over tie has seen developent generally contained to the east by hurnhold, the A350 and the railway line, creating a hard edge to the north east part of Melksha

3 03 EXITING LOCAL CHARACTER ITE AN LANCAPE ITE AN ETTING The site coprises a series of pastoral fields, dissected and bounded by field boundary hedgerows. The site is predoinantly flat, with localised rising ground towards the north-west corner. To the north-east the site is bounded by a hedgerow and adjoins hurnhold. Moving south, the boundary wraps around hurnhold Far Business Park; three industrial buildings are included within the site. To the south-east the site boundary is defined by a track and a sall row of terraced properties. To the west the site boundary is fored by a well-established hedgerow and surrounded by open countryside largely consisting agricultural fields with far buildings interspersed and associated hedgerow boundary vegetation. The site s setting is characterised by the suburban edge of Melksha to the east and south east which, coupled with the visual restriction provided by the layering of hedgerows to the west, gives it a sall-scale, urban fringe character. There is an opportunity to conserve and enhance existing hedgerow structure, restore historic field boundaries and provide new tree planting. Panoraic view of the larger field within the northern part of the site, taken fro the field s south eastern boundary. The view shows the slightly elevated north western corner of the site, and the power lines running further west. VIUAL ENVIRONMENT The site is situated within an agricultural and suburban setting. Together with the gentle ridge in the wider landscape, this largely restricts intervisibility with the site fro distant viewpoints including the public rights of way to the west. The south-eastern part of the site has a strong relationship with the built edge of Melksha. The northern part of the site is ore rural in nature but still retains a visual connection with hurnhold, where a large school building is visible aongst saller stone-built properties, the Grade II listed building at hurnhold Farhouse and industrial units at hurnhold Far Business Park. The site should be seen in the context of hurnhold. A sensitively designed and located developent will be in keeping with the existing character of the landscape setting. A developent offset, new tree planting and characteristic new houses should ensure that the character of hurnhold is aintained. Views of the listed farhouse are largely restricted by its vegetation and ature trees; however an area of public open space and a developent offset should ensure visibility fro public vantage points reains and the setting of the listed building is copleented. The retention and enhanceent of hedgerows and trees at the site boundaries will aintain and iprove the character of the site setting, and ensure that the containent currently afforded to the site is aintained and enhanced where necessary. LOCAL BUILING TYLE There are no listed buildings within the application site, though hurnhold Farhouse, which is bound by the site to the north, south and west, is Grade II listed. The 2-storey building was constructed in the early 18th century fro rubblestone with a gabled stone-slate roof. The northern wing of the building sits back-of-paveent on hurnhold and has two dorer windows which face north towards the site. A garden wall associated with the property also fors part of the site boundary. Panoraic view of the hurnhold site frontage, towards the south east of the site. A ature hedgerow provides substantial screening and adds to the leafy character of this road. View of hurnhold Far and houses along hurnhold fro the existing public right of way which traverses the north east corner of the site. Mature trees and hedgerows provide substantial screening to the far buildings. View towards the row of cottages (37-41) which are partially enclosed by the site boundary. Along hurnhold, the rural character dating back to the early 1800s is evident, pepper-potted with ore recent developent, including buildings which for part of hurnhold Far Business Park; the large school opposite the site (now closed); and the 3-storey odern care hoe to the south. Further east of the site is a large inter-war housing estate (Round Ponds) which has been infilled with ore recent developent - a sharp contrast to the inforal, leafy, rural character of hurnhold. The developent proposals will reference the positive characteristics of the local area, ensuring that the proposals respect and enhance the local character. hurnhold Farhouse (Grade II listed), which fors a strong frontage to hurnhold. Existing properties along hurnhold. Three storey odern care hoe along hurnhold, south of the site.

4 04 ITE ANALYI LOCAL FACILITIE Melksha is a sustainable settleent with four large superarkets, doctor s surgery, dental centres, sall hospital and a church. The town centre has any local shops, banks, pharacies and other local services. A large eployent area is located to the north of the town centre, within 1 k of the site. Within Melksha there are two priary schools, the closest being 1.8 k fro the site. A third priary school is located in haw, approxiately 1.4 k away. The closest secondary school is in Bowerhill (3.7 k away). There are two bus stops located on hurnhold, to the south of the southern boundary of the site, providing access to a nuber of bus services that provide connections between Bath and Bowerhill, Melksha and evizes, along with a regular service to the town centre and other local areas. Melksha railway station is situated 0.7 k fro the site, offering a regular daily service between windon and Westbury. LEGEN ite boundary Walking distance fro centre of site Bus route Bus stops (closest to site) Railway Melksha train station chool Town centre uperarket Eployent area Post office ports facilities H Hospital Medical centre / surgery ental centre Place of worship H

5 05 ITE ANALYI KEY KEY CONIERATION ite (9.7 ha) The assessent of the site and its surroundings has identified a nuber of features which should be protected, retained and enhanced as part of the developent proposals for the site. These considerations provide the opportunities and constraints for developent and have been used to infor the preparation of the draft concept plan. Existing trees / hedgerows Contours Existing public rights of way Existing line of foul sewer and easeent Water ain Grade II listed buildings uggested location of site access View corridor towards listed building and boundary wall uggested location of attenuation pond 10 habitat buffer Potential restoration of hedgerow Industrial buildings to be deolished as part of the proposals LW ME RO OL NH UR UN H P ON 4 K2 M LW ME 38 M K22 W M K M

6 06 EVOPMENT FRAMEWORK tpa foo W th 91) redundant school for deolition potential to enhance existing public rights of way children s play ain vehicular access access road p ot fo protected view corridor to listed building at h 4) K2 ain vehicular access th tpa foo residential area W 93 ) pedestrian / cycle access existing trees and hedgerows footpa th drainage pond pedestrian route K 22) KEY fo ath K2 8) p ot Application site (9.7 ha) otp 5) fo 10 ath W potential to enhance existing public rights of way evelopable area (7.5 ha) Residential (275 dwellings / 28 dph gross density) ite access Main access route EIGN PRINCIPLE Lanes / ews The assessent of the site and its setting has helped to infor the preparation of a developent fraework for the site. A nuber of design principles have influenced the developent proposals for the site. These principles include: The retention where possible and enhanceent of the existing vegetation structure associated with the site boundaries and other environental assets To deliver a ix of housing with up to 275 new dwellings, including an eleent of affordable housing and a range of property types and sizes To deliver a high quality, sustainable developent which reflects the scale, layout and pattern of the town and is appropriate to its setting The creation of a robust and appropriate developent edge which provides a sensitive transition between the developent and the wider countryside setting evelopent should respect the visual aenities of the wider landscape setting Provision of an integrated network of public open spaces foring part of a strong green infrastructure. Incorporating opportunities for extensive new landscaping to add to the existing green infrastructure. chee should be visually attractive, respecting the context, for and type of existing built for and building styles evident within the local area Eergency / pedestrian / cycle access only Protected view corridor to listed building Green infrastructure (2.2 ha) Public open space (1.52 ha) of which: Children s equipped play (0.19 ha) Children s inforal play (0.25 ha) Existing trees / hedgerows U Existing footpath links Proposed footpath links

7 07 HAVE YOUR AY HAVE YOUR AY Your coents and suggestions will be taken into account when forulating the final Planning Application subission. All coents and feedback will be provided to the Local Planning Authority as part of the Planning Application. Once a planning application has been subitted you will also be able to ake further representations to Wiltshire Council who will take these into account before aking their decision on the Planning Application. You can keep up-to-date on progress using our dedicated website which provides further inforation and includes an online feedback for for aking coents: How do I coent? You can respond by eail: coents@your-views.co.uk (using Melksha as the subject line) or by post: Your Views Melksha Gladan House Alexandria Way Congleton Cheshire CW12 1LB Gladan consider all correspondence received and our response to the issues raised will be set out in a tateent of Counity Involveent (CI). As part of a planning application, Gladan subit to the Local Planning Authority a coplete copy of all correspondence received (including any details such as you nae, address and eail where you have provided the). This ensures all your coents are available to the Council during the consideration of an application and shows who we have consulted. As the CI fors part of the foral application docuents, the Council ay publish it online, subject to their own ata Protection policies. hould the application be the subject of an appeal, the sae inforation will be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate. If further consultation is carried out as part of the planning process, Gladan ay use your details to ake you aware of this and to ask for your views, but will not use this inforation for any other purpose.