Bridge View Phase Two

Wheaton Aston

Staffordshire based and family-owned Keon Homes seeks your views on proposals for residential development on land at Bridge Farm, Long Street, Wheaton Aston. This forms Phase 2 of the Keon Homes Bridge View development.

Location Plan

The site

The site is currently a single agricultural field extending to approximately 1.33 hectares.

The site is located on the northeastern edge of the village of Wheaton Aston. The recently built Keon Homes development, Bridge View, is located to the north west. This site represents a logical Phase 2 to this development. Bungalows along Yew Tree Drive border the north west corner of the site. An agricultural field adjacent to Wheaton Aston Sewage Treatment Works at Meadowcroft Gardens is located to the west. Agricultural fields and countryside expand to the south and the Shropshire Union Canal lies northeast of the site.

Aerial Photo of the Site with Red-Line Boundary

There are a number of constraints to consider:

  • Existing overhead electric cables
  • The southern part of the site is within Flood Zones 2 and 3
  • The Shropshire Union Canal represents a Conservation Area
  • Boundary trees and hedgerow are located along the site’s boundaries
  • The amenity of existing residents adjacent to the site including bungalows along Yew Tree Drive and the recently constructed homes within the Bridge View development.

There are a number of opportunities present as follows:

  • Existing hedgerows can be retained and strengthened
  • Delivery of new publicly accessible open space on the site
  • Ground levels can be engineered to accommodate layout despite flood zones
  • A 20m buffer zone to the existing canal can be provided and the development appropriately designed to improve the setting of the Conservation Area
  • Existing overhead electric cables can be diverted and placed underground
  • Opportunity to deliver biodiversity enhancements through the creation of new habitats and green spaces.

Constraints and Opportunities Plan

Policy ContexT

Government Policy
The Government requires local planning authorities to have an up-to-date local plan to shape how land use and places will change and develop in the future. The planning system is intended to be genuinely plan-led. Local plans are required to provide a positive vision for the future of each area; a framework for addressing housing needs and other economic, social and environmental priorities; and a platform for local people to shape their surroundings. Local plans must support the delivery of enough homes to meet housing needs. Housing needs for a particular local authority area are established through a standard formula set by the Government.

The policies in the adopted Local Plan in respect of the supply of homes are now considered out of date as the Council cannot currently demonstrate a five year supply of deliverable housing land.

South Staffordshire Planning Policy
The South Staffordshire Local Plan currently includes the Core Strategy adopted in December 2012 and the Site Allocations Document (SAD) adopted in September 2018.

The Core Strategy Policy 1 identifies Wheaton Aston as a Local Service Village, an area where limited development will be supported where it meets local needs. The proposed site will help meet this requirement as well as South Staffordshire’s broader housing needs.

The site is adjacent to the settlement boundary and provides a logical expansion to the Bridge View development and Wheaton Aston. The site is not in the Green Belt.

The Council is currently undertaking a review of the Local Plan.

What is Proposed?

Homes
The proposal includes the construction of new homes ranging in size to meet the needs of first-time buyers, couples, families and older persons.
The housing mix includes a range of detached, semi-detached and terraced properties:

  • 40% of the homes are proposed to be affordable and, of these, half are proposed as affordable rented homes, 25% as First-Homes (low-cost home ownership) and the remainder provided as shared ownership.
  •  Approximately 10% of the homes provided are bungalows designed to meet the needs of older persons.

All homes will be provided with Electric Vehicle chargers and will meet new building regulations which require homes to be far more energy efficient than those built previously.

Site Layout

Access
It is proposed to access the site via Bridge Croft (the recently constructed access off Long Street) that serves the recently constructed Bridge View development.

The main vehicular junction of Bridge Croft with Long Street was designed to accommodate the proposed levels of development.

Active travel is supported by the provision of foot/cycleways that link into the existing village footway on Long Street. The development will maintain the connection to the existing track that runs parallel to the canal.

    Scene from Google Streetview

    Open Space
    New public open space is proposed within the site along the eastern and southern boundaries.

    The areas of public open space will include soft landscaping and planting and will be overlooked by the proposed new homes to provide natural surveillance.

    All trees and hedgerows will be retained and there will be new native trees and hedgerows planted throughout the new development.

    Drainage
    Any application will be supported by a Flood Risk Assessment and drainage strategy.

    The development will utilise Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to deal with surface water. This will include the use of the existing attenuation pond in the south eastern area of the site, built as part of the Bridge View development. The location of the pond has been determined by site topography and represents a low point in the immediate area. This has been designed to make allowance for storm events up to 1 in 100 year return period plus an appropriate allowance for climate change.

    Local Infrastructure
    On site provision and/or financial contributions will be provided towards local infrastructure to mitigate any impact of the development. These contributions will be secured through a legal agreement. Any on site infrastructure or off-site financial contributions will be finalised through a future planning application following discussion with South Staffordshire District Council and other infrastructure providers including Staffordshire County Council Education and the Integrated Care Board (health).

    What is the design approach?

    The design of the proposed layout has been developed to respond to the identified constraints and opportunities including flood zones, the presence of trees and hedgerows habitat, long-distance views of the site and the need to respect the amenity of residents, including existing neighbours to Yew Tree Drive and Bridge View Phase 1.

    The key design principles are as follows:

    Inclusive access to enable residents to move around comfortably without encountering obstructions.

    Provision of a layout arrangement within the site to foster low speed vehicular movement.

    Provision of a variety of house types and sizes to contribute positively to the quality and character of the new development and reflect the local vernacular. In addition to 2, 3 and 4 bed houses, a number of 1 bed bungalows are provided.

    Positioning of bungalows along the northeast corner of the site to reflect the adjacent bungalows along Yew Tree Drive, protecting the amenity of existing residents.

    Achieving good quality architectural and public realm detailing through the use of good quality materials to create a distinct character for the development.

    Ensuring homes have designated parking to reduce the need for street parking.

    Retention of existing trees, vegetation and habitat features and provision of new public open space, landscaping and tree planting to soften visual impact of development.

    Existing overhead electric cables to be diverted and placed underground.

    20m buffer zone to the existing canal and associated Conservation Area.

    Design and Character

    Keon Homes is committed to providing a high quality of design and detailing in all of its developments. It is acknowledged that good quality architectural and public realm detailing is intrinsic to delivering quality development.

    In particular, the elevation design and architectural detailing will pay particular attention to the following:

     

    • Integrating with the design of Phase 1, creating a comprehensive and consistent identity across both phases.
    • Variety of architectural styles and variability of roofscapes that will be complementary to the local vernacular of Wheaton Aston.
    • A range of enhanced architectural detailing, such as window bays, gable features and plinth details.
    • A variation in roof heights and massing to provide the development with an interest to users and visitors reflective of the character of Wheaton Aston.
    • A range of boundary treatments and street trees to further enhance the character, streetscape, and development identity.
    • Striking a balance between designing homes in response to local architecture and character but also creating an attractive, modern development in its own right with a clear structure and identity.

    House type example from Phase 1 of the Bridge View development

    Site Layout

    Site Layout

    feedback

    If you have any comments or questions on any part of the development proposal comments can be left via the feedback form below.

    We will consider all the feedback and suggestions as part of this consultation and use them to help shape the proposals for this site. A full planning application will be submitted to South Staffordshire Council in X. South Staffordshire Council will undertake a further consultation once an application is submitted.