Hampshire County Council

Executive Member for Policy & Resources Item

6 December 2005

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens - Update on Local Plan Considerations

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

How the conclusion in this report fits with the Corporate Strategy

This scheme will impact on the delivery of the following Corporate Aims

Aim 2 - stewardship of the environment - by ensuring that the rural setting of the Gardens is maintained following any development in surrounding area

1

Summary

1.1

The Director of Property, Business & Regulatory Services has recently been made aware of the content of the Planning Inspector's report into the Test Borough Valley Local Plan. The report was recently published and contains a number of recommendations of direct interest to the County Council, particularly in relation to the subsequent development and protection of The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens. This report outlines the key decisions impacting upon the Gardens, the implications of the decisions and a recommendation to make further representations to Test Valley Borough Council regarding measures to strengthen the protection of the rural setting of the Gardens against any future changes in the surrounding land.

2.

Inspector's report

2.1

The Inspector's Report confirms that an allocation of 800 dwellings could be made available at Abbottswood from 2011 and beyond and that land at Ganger Farm should be used for sports pitches, pavilion and parking. The exact timing of the development will depend upon the extent to which housing is completed throughout the sub region. It could be expected that the site is included in Test Valley Borough Council's new Local Development Framework which is expected to run to 2021 and will need to respond to the Regional Plan housing allocations.

2.2

The Inspector's Report concludes that no adverse impact would be created by the creation of 800 new dwellings and indeed points out that the Arboretum's own plans for development could potentially generate even greater numbers of vehicles. The report recognises the new houses that could be erected at Abbottswood, at the closest point to the Arboretum are of sufficient distance to ensure that any direct impacts from matters such as noise or light would be so minimal as to be of little or no material consequence. Unusually, the report goes on to suggest that the best interests of the Arboretum will be served by the fact that more people would live within easy walking distance of the grounds and should be viewed in a positive rather than a negative manner.

2.3

With regard to Abbottswood, the report concludes,

"there are no cogent reasons to justify the conclusion that the development of the Abbottswood site by even up to 800 dwellings would cause any material harm by any mechanism to the best interests of the Arboretum, now and in the future".

While it is possible to argue with this conclusion, it is written in fairly precise and strong terms by the Inspector.

2.4

With regard to Abbottswood the Inspector has concluded recommendations for the provision of suitable landscaping to Braishfield Road and Sandy Lane and the inclusion of public open space to the north of the Abbottswood land in a way which will protect the Gardens against visual intrusion of the proposed housing. In this respect the negotiations that we have held with the agents for the prospective developers, and the representations to the Public Inquiry have been successful. Further discussions will now take place with the developers as further details of their proposals emerge.

2.5

Thankfully, with regard to the recommended allocation of sports pitches, at Ganger Farm the Inspector has included a requirement for.

"landscape belts around the boundaries of the site, including up to a 20 metre landscape belt along Jermyns Lane, together with landscape features to soften the impact of the proposed sports pavilion and associated parking areas on the open character of the site. A thick landscaping belt is required along Jermyns Lane to preserve the rural setting of the adjacent Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum. This landscaping belt should incorporate a mix of grassland and woodland planting."

2.6

It is disappointing that the proposed depth of the landscaping belt is only up to 20 metres and this is a particular point which we should pursue in following up the Inspector's report.

2.7

It was unlikely that the objections to the impact on the Gardens of the proposed development of Abbottswood would, on their own, succeed in the short or long term, given the strategic importance of the site and the requirement for reserve sites to be identified in the Plan and perceived advantages identified by the Borough Council over other sites in Test Valley South. However, success can clearly be claimed for the nature in which that development will take place, and the landscape protection that will be given to the Gardens, should the development of this reserve site proceed within the Local Plan period to 2011.

2.8

The decision on Ganger Farm may not be capable of being implemented and a lot will depend on the views of the Trust which owns that site. It may well be that they believe long term hope value would still exist, based upon the emerging South East Plan and South Hampshire Sub-Regional proposals, rather than the area being developed for recreational purposes. However, the acknowledgement by the Planning Inspector of the importance of a landscape belt enhances the prospects of negotiating further increases to that belt to further protect the Gardens.

2.9

It is speculation as to how effective the objections have been. There is no doubt that the Inspector recognises the passion and the arguments that were made by the Management Committee and others in support of objections to these developments. In that sense, the Management Committee should be congratulated for a job well done.

2.10

The next important step would be for the Executive Member for Policy & Resources to consider our informal response to the Inspector's report and then formal representations to any modifications to the Local Plan as part of the formal consultation process.

2.11

This report deals with the two principal objections that relate to the proposed development at Abbottswood and Ganger Farm. It is recommended that the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services be authorised to make further detailed recommendations in relation to other matters to protect the Gardens. An oral update will be given at the meeting.

Recommendation(s)

That the Executive Member for Policy & Resources:

1

Proposes a meeting with representatives of Test Valley Borough Council to seek support for the inclusion of additional measures to protect the rural setting of the Gardens. Other significant details relating to transportation and vehicular movements will need to be considered in detail and the Executive Member is asked to authorise the Director of Property, Business & Regulatory Services to make such formal representations as are necessary to further safeguard the future operation of the Gardens in relation to these matters.

2

That the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens Management Committee be advised of the content of the Inspector's Report, a presentation be made to them of the key points, and that the Committee be asked to support the County Council with further representations on matters referred to in recommendation 1.