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GNP6 is a greenfield site of approximately 3.8 ha, located at the northern edge of Goring at the entrance from South Stoke.
The site rises up from the village built area to the top of a small knoll, on the edge of open, rolling landscape. There are two distinct parts to this site: a large field area rising above Springhill Road and an adjoining smaller triangular area which abuts Wallingford Road. The more elevated and visually open parts of this site are very visible in wider views from the North Wessex Downs that look north-eastwards across the Thames Valley, particularly from the National Trust owned countryside at Lough Down and Lardon Chase. The triangle of land, although visible in longer views across the valley from some places (e.g. this is potentially just visible from Lough Down), in longer views the houses will be indistinguishable from the houses adjacent and opposite, where rooftops are visible above and between trees.
The ridge immediately north of the site forms a sharp crest in southbound views from the Wallingford Road and is typical of the surrounding open, rolling landscape. Development on the site should ensure that the characteristic landform of this part of the AONB is retained and not broken by the rooftops of any new dwellings or uncharacteristic vegetation. The lower parts of the site are more concealed from view.
GNP6 is 550m walking istance from the primary school and a convenience store, 1.3km from the railway station and 1.3km from the village centre. The site is in Flood Zone 1.
The aerial diagram (right) shows the full site. The north-west boundary of this enclosure (a) is a post-and-wire fence and there is a hedge and line of trees along the boundary at (f) that separates the triangle from the adjacent garden and emphasises the rounded profile of the knoll. It provides a strong definition of the village edge, where there is a marked transition from village settlement to open countryside.
The boundary (b) across the field is open and undefined and meets the corner of a hedge that defines the east boundary (c) that abuts a Thames Water installation. The western boundary (e) and part of the southern boundary (d) is mature hedges and trees which separate this site from adjacent back gardens. However, there is limited vegetation at its western end which leaves the site visually exposed to neighbouring residents in Springhill Road. Enhanced vegetation will be required along this boundary to mitigate the impact.
Adjacent to the boundary (e) is an area identified by the DEFRA environmental mapping database as traditional orchard area. Part of this orchard has already been destroyed
In addition to Bramhill’s recommendation that the orchard area should be conserved and enhanced:
· The Chilterns Conservation Board has confirmed that the “Traditional Orchard is a Priority Habitat. As well as their biodiversity value, orchards are part of the Chilterns rural scene which should not be lost or forgotten. Traditional Orchards are covered in the CCB AONB Management Plan as follows, Policy L1 – the overall identity and character of the Chilterns should be recognised and managed positively”.
· Natural England has confirmed that “not only does this area have landscape value but it is a habitat of principal importance as listed under Section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006. Such habitats receive protection through policy in the current and emerging Local Plans for SODC.”.
Locally, views into parts of the site from public areas are partly restricted by houses and other buildings along Icknield Road, Springhill Road and Wallingford Road. There are open views into the triangle area from Wallingford Road which is also visible by residents living opposite.
Although views from the north are restricted by landform until south of the crest at Spring Farm, the site is visually prominent from the North Wessex Downs AONB to the west, for example in views from Lardon Chase and Lough Down and from Cow Hill above Cleeve and Fairfield Road. The two pictures below show views of GNP6, highlighted in red from Lardon Chase in the bottom picture and from the Holies in the top picture, both in the North Wessex Downs AONB.
Policy.08: Allocated Site GNP6: Site-specific requirements
Policy.08: Allocated Site GNP6: Site-specific requirements
The site between Wallingford Road and Springhill Road of approximately 3.8ha is allocated for approximately 46 new homes. A Masterplan (as part of the planning application) will be supported provided that the proposed development complies with the following site-specific requirements:
1. At least 35 of the new dwellings will be 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms.
2. If there is to be development on the triangle of land adjacent to Wallingford Road, it shall be no more than a line of 4 houses, set back from the Wallingford Road along an extrapolation of the existing building line on that side of the road, and of similar design to the existing adjacent houses and the houses opposite. Roof lines should be kept as low as practicable and no higher than the height of the adjacent house such that they appear to drop down with the topography.
3. Public access across the site will be enhanced with pedestrian and cycle access to Springhill Road and Wallingford Road, connected by safe pedestrian routes and cycleways, which run through the site. This will include:
a. provision of a safe new public footpath (suitable for self-propelled wheelchair access) and cycle access connecting the south east of the site to Springhill Road, with suitable mitigation to protect the privacy of existing properties bordering the pathway and to ensure a safe entrance and egress for cyclists and for pedestrians to cross to and from the pavement on the southern side of Springhill Road;
b. retention of the existing permissive footpath to the north of the site linking Wallingford Road and Icknield Road;
c. provision of a safe public footpath and cycle path connecting a) and b) above with the access junction at Wallingford Road.
4. The access road onto Wallingford Road must be sensitively designed to mitigate any unavoidable landscape and visual damage in a manner that reflects the existing character of the road and landscape, whilst complying with road safety requirements, the details to be agreed with the relevant authorities. This will include:
a. mitigation such that the road sits down into the landscape, for example between banks as it rises up the slope and visually links with garden boundaries to the south;
b. mitigation planting of suitable native species to be introduced, including off-site planting as appropriate, to provide screening of oblique views of the road and triangle from the road, screen the proposed access and maintain the character of the rural streetscape;
c. design of the access road, to minimise the impact on residents opposite, particularly in terms of light pollution at night and safety in and around the junction;
d. a safety review to ensure that the impact of road access onto Wallingford Road is fully considered in terms of traffic passing, entering and leaving the junction, cycle access and pedestrian access including pedestrians with mobility issues and pedestrians walking to and from the site along Wallingford Road.
5. Rooftops and screening for houses on the site should not be visible above the ridge line in views from Wallingford Road, particularly from between Spring Farm Barns/Cottages and 91 Wallingford Road but also from the road to the north of the Spring Farm hamlet. Detailed cross-sections should be taken along a series of sightlines including but not limited to those shown on the plan below to ensure that this condition is met (see above).
6. The design of new buildings should conform with the provisions of SODC's Design Guide and also the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide to ensure that dwellings will be sympathetically designed and fit in with the local area. Buildings should be no higher than 2 storeys, with rooms in the roof if appropriate.
7. The site design must include provision of a secure children’s play area, including equipment suitable for 6 – 12-year olds. Provision is to be made for the ongoing maintenance of the space and equipment, for which a management strategy must be provided.
8. A Grampian-style condition is imposed, stating that ‘Development will not commence until details are approved of how the developer will ensure the public water supply source is not detrimentally affected by the proposed development, both during and after its construction. Details of protection measures shall cover, as a minimum, the mitigation proposed to prevent contamination of the groundwater source due to ground disturbance, pesticide use and drainage system discharge (both surface water and foul water systems) and should be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the local planning authority in consultation with Thames Water.’
9. A palaeontological assessment must be provided making specific reference to the discovery of Ichthyosaur bones in the vicinity.
10. The Oxfordshire Historic Environmental records should be reviewed for any records of archaeological remains.
11. There must be a net gain in biodiversity through the retention of existing features where possible and through appropriate mitigation planting. Mitigation planting is to consist of native species that are appropriate to the area and reflect local landscape character. New habitat corridors, in the form of hedgerows and/or tree belts are to be introduced at the site boundaries and throughout the site.
12. The visual amenity of Springhill Road residents must be protected by providing an appropriate landscape buffer on the southern boundary. This should include, at an early stage of the development, enhanced screening with new trees and hedges to continue and enhance the existing line of vegetation particularly along the south-western edge of the site. This area should be the subject of a legal agreement to ensure that residents of neighbouring properties are not able to remove, reduce or materially modify the screening. Neighbouring gardens rather than the new houses themselves must lead to the garden edges of Springhill Road properties.
13. A new area of at least 0.25ha of Open Green Space must be created to the north of the site. Provision is to be made for the ongoing maintenance of the space, for which a management strategy must be provided.
14. The developed site must include sufficient parking spaces for the occupants of the dwellings and their visitors so that there is no impact upon the surrounding residential streets, having regard to Local Authority adopted standards.
15. The levels and landform within the manège area (shown in grey in the top left diagram, ) must be reprofiled such that they relate to the original and surrounding landform and any housing in this area designed to ‘sit down’ in the landscape and so as to relate well to the original and surrounding landform.
16. The boundary of the traditional orchard area is shown by the green line in the figure left. No development will be permitted on the site within the area of traditional orchard identified by the red line boundary in the figure. All surviving viable and veteran orchard trees in this area must be protected and conserved. Plans must be included for the regeneration of the traditional orchard as a community orchard including provision for the ongoing maintenance of the space, for which a management strategy must be provided. The traditional orchard area must be enhanced by planting a native species hedgerow around the boundary. The barn and other outbuildings must be removed and this area incorporated into the orchard.
Developable area:
Developable area:
The developable area is constrained by AONB and other considerations, see above and particularly requirements 2,5,13, 15 and 16.
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