Contact: Stephen Blyth, ext 6777/Lionel Newman, ext 6051

1. Summary

1.1 On 18 February 2002 Rushmoor Borough Council published for public consultation draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) for the redevelopment of Aldershot military town. Comments are required by 2 April 2002. The SPG has been prepared to respond to proposals by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the redevelopment of the military town, an initiative known as Project Connaught.

1.2 This report summaries the main proposals and recommends that the guidance be supported and endorsed.

2. Background

2.1 The project involves a detailed investigation into the potential for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) solution for the provision of accommodation and support services for military units around Aldershot.

2.2 It is the Government's intention that Aldershot will remain the home of the British Army with similar numbers of service personnel as at present. However, there is also potential for the associated release of any surplus land. It is proposed that this land should be used primarily for housing with ancillary employment, retail, leisure and other community facilities.

2.3 The purpose of the SPG is to provide the planning framework to guide the development/redevelopment of the military town. The Borough Council hopes to be able to adopt the SPG later in April so that it is available to inform potential tenderers for Project Connaught. A copy of the SPG has been placed in the Members' Room and is available to view in the Planning/Surveyor's Library.

3. Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance

3.1 The SPG covers the military town between the A3011 Lynchford Road, A331 Blackwater Valley Road, A323 High Street/Wellington Avenue and extends on both sides of the A325 Farnborough Road, as illustrated on the attached plan.

3.2 The SPG establishes a series of key overarching principles that will guide the development, these include the need for:

(i) comprehensive planning of the military town;

(ii) a detailed design brief to form part of any master plan;

(iii) proposals to maximise the integration of the military town with Aldershot and North Camp; and

(iv) proposals that maximise the potential to contribute to the regeneration of Aldershot town centre and North Camp district centre.

3.3 More specific requirements are identified in relation to land use and transport issues. These are summarised in the following paragraphs.

Mix of Uses

3.4 The SPG provides for a housing-led development. Land that is suitable for development and not required for MoD purposes should principally be used for housing (to help accommodate up to 2,000 dwellings) with a mix of appropriate ancillary uses. Employment development is generally limited to proposals that will provide job opportunities related to the needs of the military town and identified needs that cannot otherwise be met within the Blackwater Valley area. Large scale office or business park development will be resisted.

Housing Section

3.5 Government guidance (PPG3 Housing) encourages the more efficient use of urban land. Accordingly the SPG, in line with Government guidance, requires that all housing development should be at a density of between 30-50 dwellings per hectare, unless a lower density is necessary to protect the special character of sites. A mix of different types and sizes of dwellings is required to appeal to a wide as possible mixed community. The Borough Council expects at least 40% of new dwellings to be affordable homes. It is also encouraging the provision of mobility housing for the disabled and lifetime/flexible homes to enable them to remain in their accommodation during different stages of life-cycle.

Transport

3.6 The aim is to promote more sustainable transport choices for people and for moving freight, promoting accessibility to jobs, shopping, leisure facilities and services by public transport, walking, cycling and reducing the need to travel, especially by car. Major development proposals must be accompanied by a Transport Assessment of the operational military development and potential areas of land release for development.

3.7 The Transport Assessment must reflect the principles and policy objectives contained in Appendix 9 `Transport Policy Framework' to the SPG. There is also a requirement to safeguard railway sidings from development that would prejudice their future use for the movement of rail freight or other sustainable transport proposals.

Community Facilities and Services

3.8 The SPG requires the developer to make provision either in the form of land or buildings for a comprehensive range of facilities and services, including a neighbourhood centre capable of accommodating multiple use, doctors surgery, two form entry primary school and nursing home. The guidance is also seeking funding for the appointment (for five years) of a community development worker.

Other Requirements

3.9 The SPG also provides guidance on recreational needs within the military town, the natural environment (ecology, landscape, and water features), the built heritage and utilities. Phasing of the provision of physical, social, transport and other infrastructure to ensure that it is in place at an appropriate stage of development and that development takes place at an appropriate rate is crucial. Accordingly, a phasing plan to form part of the comprehensive plan for the area is required, indicating in broad terms the timing, sequence and triggers to the development.

4. County Planning Officer's Comments

4.1 The potential development/redevelopment of Aldershot military town is of major strategic significance, the publication of SPG to guide its future development is, therefore, welcomed. The principle of a housing-led development with an appropriate mix of ancillary uses, whilst resisting large scale office or business park developments, is supported as there are already significant commitments for new employment development in the borough.

4.2 It is recognised that the Borough Council does not wish to unduly influence the solutions put forward by prospective tenderers for the redevelopment of the site. Accordingly the SPG does not include any guidance, or plan, on where the military accommodation and support services could be consolidated and the new housing development and ancillary land uses located within the site. It would nevertheless be helpful if the SPG included indicative guidance on the location of future uses within the site.

4.3 The parallel provision of new infrastructure and services with new development is a major objective of the Hampshire County Structure Plan Review. Contributions from developers are a critical source of funding for services. Accordingly, the County Planning Department has been liaising with other County Council departments and coordinating the advice to the Borough Council on the developer contributions sought as part of the development to help fund the provision of essential public services and facilities, such as school and social service buildings. This advice has been integrated into the SPG. The SPG also complements the County Council's Corporate Urban Living Strategy which promotes an integrated approach to the delivery of services.

4.4 The key principle that the development should integrate with and contribute to the regeneration of Aldershot and North Camp is also welcomed, given the County Council's involvement at North Camp through its Sustainable Suburbs Study and Regeneration of Older Urban Areas Programme, which are aiming to improve the quality of life and the environment at North Camp.

4.5 A small number of minor changes need to be made to the text and these will be pursued with Borough Council officers.

5. County Surveyor's Comments

5.1 The SPG accords with the 1998 White Paper `A New Deal for Transport, Better for Everyone' in that it recognises the need to fully integrate land use and transport. The potential large scale land release and redevelopment of the military area offers a unique opportunity to accommodate development proposals in a way that complies with the general thrust of integrated and sustainable transport policy in the area. The project provides the opportunity to achieve real changes to travel behaviour as set out in the policies and proposals contained in the Hampshire Local Transport Plan 2001-06 and the North East Hampshire Transport Strategy.

5.2 Inclusion of Appendix 9 `Transport Policy Framework' in the SPG is welcomed. This sets out the Transport Scoping and Assessment Studies required to accompany major development proposals This work will need to be undertaken by potential developers in support of their commercial aspirations.

5.3 In Appendix 2 `Planning Policy Context' supporting the SPG, reference should be made under Transport in the HCSP Review section, to Policies T3 to T6, T12 and T19. Also under the Rushmoor Local Plan Review, reference should be made to Chapter 8 Transport and Chapter 13 Implementation.

5.4 The Borough and County Councils will work together to provide further advice and guidance, and to steer the work required for the Transport Assessment.

Recommendation

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member for Environment that:

(i) Rushmoor Borough Council be:

(a) thanked for consulting the County Council on the Supplementary Planning Guidance for Aldershot military town;

(b) advised that the general content of the Supplementary Planning Guidance for Aldershot military town accords with the Hampshire County Structure Plan Review 1996-2011 and is supported, but that the comments raised in paragraph 5.3 be noted;

(c) asked to consider amending the Supplementary Planning Guidance to include guidance on where the military accommodation and support services, new private development and other land uses could be located within the site; and

(ii) the County Planning Officer and County Surveyor, in consultation with the Executive Member as necessary, be authorised to make appropriate officer representations on the Supplementary Planning Guidance.

7061/SB/LIN