Draft Kings Hill Masterplan and Design Code Supplementary Planning Document
6 Phasing and Infrastructure Comment
6.1 Phasing & Delivery
6.1.1 Phasing and Delivery at King’s Hill Lane
It is essential to secure long-term quality and functionality and to ensure that the delivery of development at Kings Hill is coordinated, sustainable, and supports early provision of infrastructure, open space, and ecological mitigation.
Phased Development Strategy
- Development must be delivered according to a comprehensive, site-wide phasing plan, approved by the local planning authority.
- Phasing must sequence key infrastructure, green spaces, and access routes to ensure early functionality of community, ecological, and transport links.
Early phases should not compromise the delivery or function of later phases, particularly in relation to:
- Scheduled Monument buffers and heritage assets,
- Ecological corridors and Finham Brook buffers,
- Primary access points and the street hierarchy.
6.1.2 Early Delivery of Open Space and Community Facilities
Public open space, parks, and ecological corridors must be delivered in tandem with housing phases to ensure:
- Immediate access to recreation and green infrastructure,
- Early establishment of ecological networks,
- Integration with active travel routes.
- Play and youth facilities must be provided within the first phases of housing completions within each neighbourhood or character area.
- A site-wide POS Management & Maintenance Plan is required, including long-term stewardship.
- Community facilities (nursery, local centre, sports facilities) must be operational before the first occupation of associated housing where they form part of essential local infrastructure.
6.1.3 Infrastructure Coordination
- Essential utilities (water, drainage, electricity, broadband) must be delivered prior to first occupation in each phase.
- Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) must be fully operational for each phase to manage surface water run-off and support ecological habitats.
- Transport and access infrastructure, including internal streets, footways, cycleways, and public transport connections, must be delivered to serve each phase from first occupation.
6.1.4 Heritage and Archaeology Considerations
Phasing must respect heritage assets, particularly:
- Scheduled Monument and associated buffer zones,
- Listed buildings adjacent to development parcels.
- Early phases near heritage assets must avoid earthworks, utility trenching, or construction traffic that could adversely affect archaeology or landscape character.
- A watching brief or archaeological mitigation strategy must be implemented in early phases where archaeological potential is identified.
6.1.5 Ecological Phasing
- Habitat creation, tree planting, hedgerow establishment, and buffer zones must be delivered prior to or alongside early housing phases.
- Phased implementation must maintain continuity of ecological corridors and avoid temporary severance of key wildlife routes.
- Monitoring and adaptive management measures for sensitive habitats must be in place from the outset.
6.1.6 Monitoring and Review
A Phasing and Delivery Statement must be submitted with all reserved matters applications, demonstrating:
- Compliance with this SPD,
- Delivery of green infrastructure, SuDS, and community facilities,
- Sequencing of infrastructure and housing,
- Arrangements for long-term management.
- WDC may require review and adjustment of phasing plans where monitoring demonstrates risk to ecological, heritage, or community objectives.
6.1.7 Interim Uses
- Where early delivery of all open space, ecological mitigation, or infrastructure is not possible, interim measures must be implemented to ensure safe, usable, and ecologically sensitive conditions until the full phase is delivered.
6.1.8 Construction Access and Phasing
- The location of school sites shall allow for safe and practical construction access.
- School access routes must remain safe and functional while surrounding residential development is under construction.
- The timing and phasing of school delivery shall be coordinated with housing delivery to ensure sufficient places are available when needed.
- The education authority should be involved at an early stage in Site selection, masterplaninng and delivery strategies.
6.1.9 Phasing plan
Applications submitted pursuant to this SPD must have regard to the Phasing Plan, figure 120. It is recognised that the masterplan will be delivered over a number of years and that circumstances may change over time. As such, there may be a need for phasing requirements to be reviewed and, where appropriate, updated to ensure that infrastructure is delivered at the correct time, in step with development, and that it continues to support development both within and beyond the outline application area.
