Arden Triangle Masterplan Paper Heads to Council’s Cabinet Meeting
The Council’s Head of Planning has prepared a paper (just published) on the Arden Triangle masterplan. This is to be considered at the Council’s Cabinet meeting on the evening of 12 December 2024. The paper can be found by following this link: (Public Pack)Agenda Document for Cabinet, 12/12/2024 18:00.
The masterplan is supposed to set the context for development (mainly housing) within the Arden Triangle. This is where the Council made an allocation for at least 660 houses in its Local Plan. Although the Local Plan has been withdrawn, the Council still sees this as an important area where some of the Borough’s future housing needs can be met and where a site for a new Arden Academy can be provided.
The masterplan has been prepared by a developer consortium. This includes Inspired Villages, who have submitted a planning application for a 170-unit care village at Stripes Hill House; and the Kler Group, with a planning application for up to 450 houses in the south of the area but including also a primary school site. In addition, proposals by Taylor Wimpey for up to 215 houses have been the subject of a recent consultation exercise. Importantly, about 4.45 acres of land adjoining the existing Academy would be made available to the Council. There would then be sufficient land for the rebuilding of all or part of the Academy.
The Forum understands that plans for a further 35 to 40 high density houses are also to be put forward on a small parcel of land in the southwest corner of the Arden Triangle site. Applications for up to 875 houses would then be either in preparation or submitted on what will be, subject to agreement at the Council’s Cabinet meeting, a land area smaller than that originally detailed in the withdrawn Local Plan.
As featured in our recent newsletter, the masterplan was also the subject of a public consultation exercise. The results (and the Forum’s comments) are set out in an appendix to the Cabinet paper. The paper recommends that the masterplan be endorsed and the consultation report noted. The Council would purchase the land necessary to build a brand-new Academy.
Responding to the paper, Forum Chair Roger Cook said, “What we need to see is a proper masterplan that deals with all the important principles of development across the whole site. What we’ve got is a basic land use plan that simply allows the land deal agreed between the Council and the developers to go ahead.”
The Forum has identified some of the key problems. The solution is pre-determined by ownerships and not by sensible land-use patterns. There is no assessment of context, constraints or opportunities. The Station Road frontage is no longer proposed for high-density housing; which means that unacceptably high densities are proposed across most of the site. The access to the primary school would be totally unsuitable. Co-location of the Academy and the primary school would be precluded. Late phasing of the primary and nursery school development would be likely. The urban design solution and traffic implications along Station Road would be totally unacceptable.
Many important development principles are not addressed including density; building heights; green infrastructure; drainage; movement; provision for play, surveillance; active streets; neighbourhood plan policies; enhanced bus services; health care; heritage; and highway improvements.
The Council has not addressed directly, in its paper, any of these key matters. We are told that valid issues will be considered through the respective planning applications. This is too little, too late. Key planning principles and a sensible pattern of land uses need to be agreed upfront as part of a comprehensive masterplan.
The Forum Team welcomes the prospect of acquiring land sufficient to enable provision of a new Academy. However, it is clear that achievement of this objective is being pursued at the expense of a sensible and comprehensive masterplan that would guide development in the future decade.
The Forum Team has worked hard with other local groups and Councillors to raise residents’ concerns with the Council. Unfortunately, the Cabinet paper, other than determining land uses and additional provisions for a new Academy, fails to allay any of the concerns previously expressed. A key opportunity for the future of our villages and the wider community is being missed.
A representative of the Forum Team will make a deputation to the Cabinet meeting next Thursday in a further attempt to press the views of residents.