Buildings, Places and Character in the Garden Community

Here you can view our policies for 'Buildings, Places and Character', and 'Economic Activity and Employment'. To see the Draft Plan in full (PDF), or to see other polices in our Draft Plan - please refer to the useful links on this page.

BUILDINGS, PLACES AND CHARACTER

THE GARDEN COMMUNITY WILL PROVIDE THE RIGHT JOBS, HOMES AND SPACES FOR ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE. IT WILL CREATE THRIVING DISTINCTIVE PLACES FOR A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. IT WILL BE MEMORABLE FOR ITS LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURE AND WILL BE WIDELY RECOGNISABLE OF ITS PLACE IN NORTH ESSEX.

The Councils have very high expectations for how the Garden Community will create unique and distinctive buildings and neighbourhoods, whilst still respecting the character and visual amenity of nearby towns, villages, historic buildings, structures and the character and features of the landscape. The Councils also have high expectations for ensuring that residents of the Garden Community have access to a range of opportunities for employment, education, and training across a variety of sectors with the aim of achieving a minimum of one job per household, either close to home or within a sustainable commuting distance. The Councils have high expectations in terms of sustainable design and construction, and this is covered in Sustainable Infrastructure.

1. Section 1 Local Plan

Under the theme of ‘Buildings, Places and Character’, some of the main requirements expected to be covered in this draft Plan, as set out in the policies of the adopted Section 1 Local Plan include:

• the creation of a unique and distinctive place that responds positively to local character and context to preserve and enhance the quality of existing places and their environment – including assets of historic value;
• a wide range of jobs, skills and training opportunities – including 25 hectares of employment land and land for the expansion of the University of Essex;
• provide a mix of land uses and services with well-defined public and private spaces to create sustainable well-designed neighbourhoods;
• well-designed and integrated public realm with high quality landscape design, street furniture and other distinctive features that help to create a sense of place;
• integrates green infrastructure that creates spaces and places for healthy living, biodiversity recovery, play, noise, visual, heat and air quality mitigation, and natural SuDS;
• creating streets and places that are overlooked and active and promote inclusive access;
• development to be of appropriate densities which reflect both the context, place-making aspirations and opportunities for increased levels of development around centres and transport hubs;
• a mix of housing types and tenures including self and custom build and starter homes including a minimum of 30% affordable housing, phased through the development; and
• protecting the amenity of existing and future residents and users with regard to noise, vibration, smell, loss of light, overbearing and overlooking.

2. Principles

A PLACE WITH DISTINCTIVE IDENTITY

Inherently authentic, memorable and delightful, the Garden Community will have a locally-rooted character drawn from its surroundings, but also a strong identity of its own. The community will be varied in its built form, densities and architectural style. Its impact on the human and physical environment will be considered. Strong and purposeful buffers will provide separation where they are needed while in other areas strong connections and planned links will ensure it is never isolated.

A PLACE WITH A THRIVING LOCAL ECONOMY

The local economy will be vibrant and provide a wide range of new and exciting economic opportunities, maximizing opportunities from the adjacent University of Essex and capitalizing on the success of the Knowledge Gateway. The site will provide a range of flexible and modern workspace together with state of the art digital infrastructure to allow for modern ways of working.

A PLACE THAT IS VIBRANT AND ACTIVE

The Garden Community will be designed to ensure interaction and activity is common. Centres will encourage a variety of mixed use, flexible spaces that are accessible in close proximity to homes and jobs. It will be known for its quality of livability, equitable prosperity, and social cohesion.

A PLACE WHERE HOUSING IS ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE AND INCLUSIVE

New housing will provide opportunity for young renters, flat sharers, first time buyers, growing families, empty nesters and ageing members of society to live side by side - there will be a real sense of belonging and community with homes designed to be more flexible and adaptable to whole life needs.

A PLACE WITH GREAT HOMES

The Garden Community will create high quality and desirable homes designed to meet the changing needs of society whilst ensuring high quality spaces.

3. Engagement Feedback

What we heard

Throughout our engagement processes, people emphasised the importance of development respecting the character of existing settlements both surrounding the Garden Community (such as Elmstead Market, Wivenhoe and Ardleigh) and those settlements and dispersed communities within the broad location of the Garden Community – such as Crockleford Heath, Turnip Lodge Lane and Mount Pleasant Cottages. People commented that development must not attempt to replicate or create an ‘imitation’ of an existing area and should have its own unique character, with architecture of different types and character in different parts of the development. People felt that there should be distinct and definable landmarks within the development that set it apart from other existing places. People stressed that the Garden Community must be accompanied by new, high quality jobs to ensure it does not become a dormitory or commuter settlement or just another housing estate on the edge of Colchester. The importance of providing jobs in new innovative sectors like renewable energy and modular construction, which could provide employment over the full period of the Garden Community’s development, was stressed. People also felt that measures to encourage home working, live-work units and self-employment should be maximised to reduce the need for people to commute from the Garden Community

When thinking about Buildings, Places and Character in the Garden Community, our visioning workshops, survey, and postcard from the future participants:

• Wanted the area to still feel rural and include tranquil space for reflection.
• Felt the Garden Community should make the most of the area’s history.
• Wanted the area to have vibrant and bustling spaces for socialising.
• Wanted the Garden Community to feel distinctive.
• Wanted the houses to be adaptable, so that the houses can respond to the changing needs of their residents.
• Wanted the Garden Community to provide employment, working space, and training for all its residents.
• Were worried that the development will end up feeling like any other generic housing estate.
• Were concerned about the impact the Garden Community will have on the identity of the local area and of existing settlements nearby.
• Build modern housing with bold but considerate designs.
• Create houses that are green by design.
• Ensure an equitable distribution of amenities throughout the development.
• Use buffers to protect the surrounding areas.

When thinking about Buildings, Places and Character in the Garden Community, our statutory stakeholders workshops, engagement website, and social media participants spoke of:

• The cohesion, look and feel of the Garden Community.
• A few people spoke about beauty and creating space for people, such as a town centre with a parade and village green, and a central square with cafes and restaurants.
• Employment came up as an important point, specifically during the stakeholder workshops. Key points that came up centred around the nature and quality of jobs, especially around providing for the daily needs (good housing and transport etc) of keyworkers and attracting new workforces.
• Specific conversations also took place around employment for disadvantaged communities, young people, and people with disabilities or additional needs.
• Acknowledging that employment would not be an option for all people, there were also comments with regards to the importance of volunteering, training, and social enterprise opportunities.
• There were concerns raised around the buffers for the Garden Community under this theme.
• Landscape, Ecology and Green Infrastructure was also a common topic of discussion.

What we’ve done

The Councils agree that the Garden Community should have its own unique character and identity with different characters and architecture in the proposed three neighbourhoods. This will be achieved through a masterplan and design code for each neighbourhood. The importance of protecting the character and identity of existing settlements is recognised. Strategic Green Gaps are included to avoid settlement coalescence (merging) with neighbouring settlements and Crockleford Heath is designated as an Area of Special Character. The Councils agree that the Garden Community must include high quality jobs in a diverse range of sectors and expect a mix of employment opportunities to be distributed throughout the Garden Community.

4. Policy 4: Buildings, Places and Character

Taking forward the requirements of the Section 1 Local Plan and taking into account the views of local people and other stakeholders, Policy 4 sets out the Councils’ expectation for the Garden Community to be unique and distinctive in its character and appearance, and for the new homes to meet high standards that will meet a variety of different needs and demands for people and families over the courses of their lives. It includes the Councils’ expectations around housing mix, density, and space standards.

5. Justification

For the Garden Community to be successful, it is one of the Councils’ main objectives to ensure it is unique, self-sufficient and can provide high quality design. To achieve this, the design and layout of the Garden Community will be developed in more detail through a ‘Strategic Masterplan’ for the whole site and an even more detailed ‘Neighbourhood Masterplan’ for each of the three defined neighbourhoods, with associated Strategic and Neighbourhood Design Codes, in addition to design codes on specific issues.

The Councils will expect the Masterplans and Design Codes to establish an innovative approach to development both across the Garden Community as a whole, and within each of the neighbourhoods. Masterplans and Design Codes will be informed by use of design review and assessment frameworks such as the National Design Guide, National Model Design Code, Building for a Healthy Life and Building with Nature, or similar. These Masterplans and Design Codes will be prepared and approved by the Councils, through a collaborative process with key stakeholders, including the public, before the consideration of detailed proposals and determination of planning applications.

In assessing the range of densities that may be appropriate for the Garden Community, it is necessary to look at what density means in practice. There are various measurements of density, but the most commonly used measure is the calculation of the number of dwellings per hectare. Density is measured as a net figure, only including land directly associated with housing, including the following:

• Access roads
• Private garden space
• Car parking areas
• Incidental open space and landscaping
• Children’s play areas

and excluding the following:

• Major roads (including major roads and spine roads)
• Schools and sports grounds
• Strategic open and public space
• Landscape buffers
• Major drainage installations
• Land for other educational or community purposes.

It is appropriate to use a ‘blanket’ average net density across a whole site for wider planning purposes such as for a Local Plan, but this can be a blunt instrument in trying to assess the capacity of a site, and the draft Plan takes a more refined approach for this particular site.

The density of new housing within the Garden Community will be expected to vary both across the Garden Community and within its constituent neighbourhoods in order to achieve the overall requirement of 7,500 to 8,000 homes. Densities will be determined by a range of factors as set out in Policy 4. Across the Garden Community, there is a general expectation that the overall average density of development and the total number of new homes will be greatest in the southern neighbourhood of the Garden Community to reflect its proximity to the University of Essex, which might allow for the provision for some additional student accommodation, and the opportunity for early connection to the Rapid Transit System. The overall density and housing numbers across the northern and central neighbourhoods is expected to step down to lower levels to reflect the more sensitive nature of the landscape and existing communities further north. However, densities must also reflect the sensitive landscape and heritage value of Wivenhoe Park Registered Park and Garden and its setting that forms part of the University estate and abuts the southern boundary of the Garden Community. Overall housing numbers including their distribution between each of the three neighbourhoods will be determined by the Strategic Masterplan.

The density of housing development within each of the three neighbourhoods will itself vary to reflect the specific factors identified above and will generally be higher density within immediate proximity to the proposed centres and lower densities further out from those centres – particularly where development affects sensitive heritage or environmental assets and other sensitive features including existing dwellings or groups of dwellings.

As well as a range of densities, a mix of different sizes, types and tenures of housing will be expected to meet the needs of a wide variety of people with different requirements, demands and aspirations – including a minimum requirement of 30% affordable housing. The mix will be established through a separate Housing Strategy submitted for approval by the developer for the Councils’ approval, that has taken into account the latest evidence and projections of need and demand and relates to a demographic study. There is also an expectation for all new homes to be built to an adaptable standard, to allow them to be easily upgraded to wheelchair accessible standard if or when residents’ mobility needs change. 10% of homes will need to be wheelchair accessible on construction. The development will also be expected to provide for care and assisting living provision, self-build and custom-built homes and student accommodation. Providing homes that are suitable for people living with impaired mobility gives them a choice to remain living within their homes for longer and provides them with wider care options such as receiving domiciliary care instead of having to move to an institutional care setting, thus improving quality of life whilst also reducing pressures on adult social care and local health services.

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) forms part of the evidence base. It ensures that a positive strategy for the historic environment is secured through the Plan and that the Plan avoids harming the significance of both designated and non-designated heritage assets, including their effects on setting.

The HIA suggests that the development of the Garden Community would potentially result in significant effects to Elmstead Hall, the Church of St Anne and St Laurence, Allen’s Farmhouse, and the Round Barrows (Scheduled Monument) on Annan Road. This would primarily be through the development of the proposed employment areas adjacent to the A120 and A133, the A120-A133 Link Road, and the proposed woodland planting which impacts on the open landscape that is an important element of the settings to these assets. The further erosion of the remaining open land surrounding the Round Barrows is also potentially detrimental to the scheduled monument’s archaeological significance as well as its historic setting. It is recommended that an archaeological assessment of the proposals in the vicinity of the Round Barrows is undertaken. Non-significant adverse effects are likely on Salarybrooke Farmhouse, Lamberts, Collierswood Barn, Wivenhoe House, Hill Farm agricultural buildings, Wivenhoe House Lodges and Wivenhoe Park.

The HIA identifies the potential to provide enhancement opportunities through archaeological/cultural heritage pre-commencement work to more fully understand the historic development of the area and then to promote this information for the benefit of local people and visitors.

Landscaping will have a huge part to play in mitigating the impact on heritage assets and will need to be underpinned by Landscape Visual Impact Assessments, which is a planning application expectation in Policy 4. The design and landscaping must be carefully considered in each neighbourhood to ensure it responds to the local character (built and natural) to minimise the potential for adverse impacts and to achieve the best design quality which is an important consideration in determining the balance of harm and benefit.

6. Alternative approaches

The Councils have considered the following alternative to this policy:

Alternative 1: No policy in the Plan and reliance on the requirements of the Section 1 Plan.

Alternative 2: A more detailed and prescriptive approach including a detailed Masterplan and Design Code and very detailed requirements and standards.

The policy set out above seeks to encapsulate all the Councils’ high expectations for the quality, distinctiveness, and inclusiveness of the Garden Community and many of the ideas and preferences put forward by residents and other stakeholders during the engagement activities.

For each of the different parts of the policy there could also be alternative approaches, for example a higher or lower percentage requirement for adaptable housing and wheelchair accessible housing; lower or higher minimum expectations for internal space and garden space; or prescriptive requirements for the mix of housing density, sizes, types, and tenures.

The disadvantage of the Alternative 1 approach is that there would be very limited control over the development of the Garden Community and less of an opportunity for the Councils and the community to influence its design, character, and make-up and to achieve the quality and attributes of a Garden Community.

The disadvantage of the Alternative 2 approach of including the maximum level of detail in this draft Plan is that over the lifetime of the Garden Community development (and even in the short-term running up to the first phases of development) expectations could change, and flexibility is required. For example, the housing market and the need and demands for certain kinds of homes will change over time and it would be better for the mix of housing to be determined by the most up to date evidence, than by a prescriptive requirement set out in this draft Plan. The Sustainability Appraisal (SA) concluded that this alternative is likely to strengthen the positive effects and remove the uncertainty identified in relation to the potential impacts on SA objectives for biodiversity and geological diversity, historic environment and townscape, water resources and quality, flood risk, and landscapes. A positive effect would be expected for the SA objective on energy efficiency and climate change as it is likely that the design code would include a requirement to utilise renewable energy to generate electricity for the Garden Community and to incorporate passive design principles to optimise site layout, building form and orientation to minimise energy consumption.

The draft policy is considered to be the best option as it strikes a realistic balance between establishing minimum standards and expectations from the outset, and requiring additional work in the form of Masterplans, Design Codes and strategies to determine a greater level of detail going forward, based on the most up to date information available while still retaining an appropriate level of control.

Here you can view our policy for Economic Activity and Employment. To see the Draft Plan in full (PDF), or to see other polices in our Draft Plan - please refer to the useful links on this page.

Creating opportunities for employment, education, and training at the Garden Community, both throughout its construction and for the lifetime of residents as the community becomes established, is going to be critical to its success. The approach to maximising the economic potential of the Garden Community has been informed by the evidence base and discussions with education providers and businesses within different sectors. There will be an expectation that as many opportunities to create jobs at the Garden Community, and within a sustainable commutable distance, are followed up and delivered. Policy 5 explains how this will be achieved, with an aim of creating at least one job per new household.

Justification

The Garden Community can make a contribution to addressing the challenges of increasing productivity, delivering prosperity and productivity, and contributing towards the creation of mixed and balanced new communities that are successful and sustainable in the long term.

A key objective is to ensure economic uses help to create a successful, integrated, and balanced community with vibrant centres that include a mix of employment opportunities and services. A mix of employment uses provides flexibility and the ability to respond to market strengths and opportunities. A realistic level of self-containment should also be achieved, with as many commuting journeys as possible undertaken through walking, cycling and public transport. Sustainable access to employment opportunities in neighbouring major employment centres will need to be provided.

It is critical that the delivery of the first phase of business accommodation in each employment area is tied to occupation of housing to provide an alignment between jobs and housing, and any future review of employment allocations will need to take account of market dynamics and best practice, and avoid sterilisation of parcels of land.

The Garden Community will contain a vibrant mix of occupiers, including suitable uses in the evening and night-time economy. Non-residential development on lower floors should be flexible and adaptable, including to accommodate a range of uses and sectors, including studio based Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) or third sector organisations.

Employment areas will need to offer a high-quality, pedestrian-friendly environment, including access to green spaces and amenities for employees. There will also be a commitment to futureproof broadband connectivity to all homes and businesses. Residential design and layouts will need to provide flexible and adaptable spaces to support homeworking.

In the current economic climate and national skills shortage, the Councils will expect the developer to prepare an ‘Employment and Skills Plan’ (ESP) to increase local construction employability levels and workforce numbers. Improving the skills of the local labour force will be key to improving the areas economic competitiveness. Through the ESP, increased skills and employability will enable residents to take advantage of opportunities created by new development at the Garden Community. The ESP will enable relevant and proportionate targets to increase the volume and quality of employment and skills interventions.

Alternative approaches

The Councils have considered the following alternative to this policy:

Alternative 1: No policy in the Plan and reliance on the requirements of the Section 1 Plan.

The Councils have rejected alternative 1 as the Plan is an opportunity to add further detail to the policy requirements in the Section 1 Plan and include policy that sets out what will be required in a separate Economic and Employment Strategy and the protection of employment land.