Land East of Kenilworth Development Brief

Education facilities

Schools are essential social infrastructure to support a community and can play a vital part in community life.

Land is allocated in the Local Plan at Southcrest Farm for education use (as shown in figure 3) and the Local Plan highlights that there is a need for both new primary and education provision to serve the new development.

Kenilworth School is the only secondary school serving the town. The school plays an integral part in the community and in addition to its educational facilities, community sports facilities are operated on the Leyes Lane site outside of school hours.

The split site arrangement of the school however causes operational challenges and on-site buildings are ageing. The school is keen to move to a new purpose built school on a single site to accommodate the existing intake and pupils from the new homes on allocated sites within the town.

Following an extensive review of potential sites for relocation the Southcrest Farm site was considered the most appropriate site for the relocation.

Allocation ED2 includes land to allow for the relocation and expansion of Kenilworth School (secondary and sixth-form school) onto the site to form a 2,200 pupil place school. The new school will be funded by Kenilworth School through the sale of their existing school sites, £9.6m Housing Infrastructure Fund money secured by Warwick District Council in partnership with the school and Section 106 contributions. Developers of residential land within Land East of Kenilworth will be expected to contribute towards the provision of around 473 additional school places (over and above the existing in-take both in terms of build costs and costs associated with the purchase of land). The school hope to move to the new site and be operational from September 2021.

The impact of existing birth rate growth will require the expansion of one or more of the existing primary schools within the town. As a result some initial housing growth can be catered for without the need for a completely new facility at the outset.

However the proposed level of growth in Kenilworth will require the provision of a new primary school.

It is estimated that the quantum of new homes in Kenilworth will produce an additional 2 to 3 new forms of entry of children, per year group, requiring a school place. One 2-form entry primary school will be required within Land East of Kenilworth with a land requirement of 2.2 hectares. The school shall serve up to 60 children per year group with a capacity of 420 pupils and the school shall be built to support the delivery of pre-school and wrap-around care. In line with Government policy it is envisaged that the school will come forward as a Free School. The County Council, District Council, The Regional Schools Commissioner and the Education Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA) will work closely to identify a sponsor for the school as well as working with Developers to ensure that the school is delivered at the appropriated time. It is possible that the school may need to be delivered at one form of entry in the first instance with expansion to 2 forms of entry as required.

The expansion of an existing school should support the delivery of up to 1,000 homes. However, in order to ensure that a new primary school is available to open at 1,000 homes, it is envisaged that Warwickshire County Council will require the transfer of the freehold. 2.2 hectares of land no later than the 500th completion across the growth area. The land will be required to be fully serviced to the boundary as well as fully accessible.

Kenilworth School require around 33 acres of land at Southcrest Farm to relocate to the site. The remaining 12 acres would be sufficient to establish a new primary school. However, in considering a range of highway implications of a large secondary school and 2-form entry primary school on adjoining sites, both likely to be accessed off Glasshouse Lane, Warwickshire County Council have confirmed that this site is not preferable for the primary school.

The preferred location for the new primary school is within the central parcel of land as shown on the indicative masterplan. The site was chosen owing to its ease of access from across the growth area, highway safety considerations and the location of the site in relation to existing schools. The site must be permeable by pedestrians and cyclists and include suitable controlled crossings of Birches Lane/Glasshouse Lane and the spine road following pedestrian and cycle desire-lines. To promote highway safety, it is also not desirable for the primary school to directly face onto the spine road or be accessed directly off the spine road.

The nature of the growth area and the multiple landownerships on the Development Brief site means that reserve sites have also been identified to guard against the threshold of homes having been built before the land is available. The number of occupants and triggers for land transfer as well as financial payments must be considered across the growth area to ensure comprehensive development and a sufficient supply of school places. Three reserved primary school sites are identified should the preferred location not be deliverable by the time land for the primary school is required. The 1st reserved site is within the southern parcel of land within H06 and the 2nd reserved site is within the Catesby site within H40. The delivery section of this SPD provides more detail about how the primary school will be secured.

(8) Environmental Quality

(7)Biodiversity, Greenspaces, Play and Recreation Provision

Providing a range of greenspaces for recreation, play and movement are essential to the delivery of a high quality environment. Existing greenspaces and mature woodland offer an excellent opportunity to deliver connected greenspaces throughout the site.

Existing Open Space Provision in Kenilworth

The 2008 'Warwick District Parks and Open Spaces Audit 2008' sought to provide an understanding of how parks, green space and open spaces can be planned and managed in the future to meet the needs of local people. The evidence was to inform future planning policies and set priorities for the long term strategic management of parks and open spaces.

As shown in Figure 6, the majority of the site falls within the Park Hill ward, with the southern corner of the site lying within the ward of St. Johns. For Warwick District as a whole, the 2008 Audit showed the average amount of unrestricted Green Space per 1000 population was 5.47 ha, with the wards of Park Hill and St Johns falling significantly below at 3.91 ha and 1.46 ha respectively

The 2008 Audit highlights that there are no Parks and Gardens, Green Corridors or allotments in Park Hill. Furthermore, virtually no land within the site falls within a 500m buffer zone of an existing children's and youth area in the town. The under-provision of accessible space and the lack of existing facilities falling within a 500m buffer zone is compounded by several severance lines within Kenilworth that restrict access to other existing facilities within the town. These severance lines include A and B roads, a railway line and watercourses.

Although minor changes may have occurred within the town since 2008, for example ward boundaries and the use and type of open space there do not appear to be any major changes to alter the findings of the 2008 Audit.

Overall, there is an under provision of open space in Kenilworth, particularly in Park Hill and St. Johns wards in which the site falls. Whilst applicants are not expected to address an existing deficiency, the need for open space and the type of space to be provided within the development site should be considered in this context.

Quality of Open Space in Park Hill and St. Johns Wards

A 'Green Space Strategy for Warwick District 2012-2020' was published in 2012. This provided a series of recommendations and a strategic direction for current and future provision of

green space within the District. To inform the strategy in 2012, the quality of accessible space was assessed against the criteria derived from the national standard for green space quality, the Green Flag Award. The assessment was repeated in 2016 when the average quality score for the wards of Park Hill and St. Johns was 60.5% and 54.4% respectively, equating to 'Average' in the Green Flag scheme. St. Johns was the weakest of all five wards in Kenilworth with Park Hill being forth out of five, indicating there is a need for improvements.

Raising the quality and standard of green space has been identified as a primary concern by the Parks and Open Space Audit and future policies need to focus on increasing the average score quality, particularly in reference to key geographical areas and typologies through long term management and resource planning. The strategy recommends, among other recommendations:

• B1: Develop a quality standard for management and maintenance based on green flag criteria.
• B3: Ensure that green space is actively managed through appropriate long term management planning.
• B4: Develop specific facilities, opportunities and challenging green spaces for young people.
• B5: Increase the play value of green spaces for children and young people.
• B6: Measure success through national quality benchmarks such as the Green Flag Award.
• C2: Work with partners, stakeholders and developers to protect and enhance connectivity between green spaces throughout the district.
• C3: Work with partners, stakeholders and developers to increase connectivity between green spaces through the district.
• G2: Conserve and restore green spaces with high historical and archaeological significance.
• G3: Consider opportunities for increasing habitat biodiversity in all planning designing and management of all green spaces to help halt biodiversity loss.

These recommendations have been considered as part of the preparation of this Development Brief and developers are also advised to ensure that their proposals accord with the aims of the recommendations.

Open Space Requirements and Standards

Warwick District Council's 'Open Space' SPD (2008) sets out space requirements for different types of greenspace required for development. Until it is known exactly how many dwellings will be provided on the site (as there may be minor deviations from the allocated number), it is not possible to calculate exactly how much open space will be required across the entire site. However, based on the current Open Space SPD requirements and the Local Plan allocation of an estimated 1,400 dwellings, open space would be required on site as shown in Table 3.

Table 3: Potential Open Space Requirements Allocation: 1400 dwellings (3717 people)

Should developers propose more dwellings, additional open space will be required. A definition of the open space typologies is provided in Appendix E of the Open Space SPD. It is estimated that at least 21.2 hectares of publicly accessible open space will be required on-site within Land East of Kenilworth.

The Open Space SPD does not prescribe what or where play-equipment or designated play areas should be located. In February 2012, Warwick District Council adopted a 'Play Area Standard' (PAS) for the future provision of the Council's play areas. The standard includes the following requirements:

• Access– that there is a play area within 480 metres of every home in Warwick District
• Quality – that play areas are designed to be as safe and inclusive as possible to access and use and to be of high play value
• Area – that an area of at least 0.3 hectares per 1,000 population is provided for play areas on new residential developments.

The adopted PAS was developed as recommended by planning policy guidance and Play England's 'Planning for Play' and should be a guide to the provision of future play areas within the site.

To achieve the quality standard, there is a need to apply the following five principles to the location and design of play areas:

• Play areas should be located where there is good natural surveillance from the street and neighbouring houses
• Play areas should be located on accessible green space where feasible and include elements of natural and free play
• A buffer zone should be provided around play areas
• All play areas should be designed to be inclusive for children and young people with disabilities
• Play areas should be designed using the 10 principles for designing successful play space as set out by Play England in their guidance manual 'Design for Play', which has been adopted by the Council.

The area standard had already been adopted by the Council as part of the Open Space SPD but in addition the PAS added that new play areas on new developments should be located within, or Warwick District Council adjacent to accessible green space and that a minimum size of 400m2 for play areas catering for children up to 14 years. The PAS further seeks to retain and enhance a network of 'Destination Play Zones' with a minimum size of 1,000 m2, which cater for young people up to 18 years old and should include at least one of the following: a MUGA, skate park, BMX track or other sports facility as well as play equipment.

It is preferable that smaller green spaces are amalgamated into larger areas that provide more opportunities for creative play for a greater range of ages. All development proposals within Land East of Kenilworth should ensure that the District's Play Area Standard is met.

Vision for Greenspace within the site

With multiple landowners across the site and potentially multiple developers there is a risk that each site will generate a number of smaller disconnected spaces. Land East of Kenilworth provides a real opportunity to deliver a more cohesive green space approach. For example, a large central park, with radiating green corridors and site wide allotment provision.

Central Park – Given the lack of accessible open space in the two wards covering the area, it is considered that there should be one large central, multi-functional open space – a park, with areas of natural green space, seating, equipped and natural play opportunities for children and young people up to 18 years of age (a 'Destination Play Zone'), with additional space for informal ball games. The central park should be approximately 8 hectares in area, comparable to the existing neighbourhood parks at Saltisford Common in Warwick (c. 9 ha) and Eagle Recreation Ground in Royal Leamington Spa (c. 7 ha).

Figure 43 shows an indicative location and shape for the park. This location is not only broadly central to the East of Kenilworth area but also affords opportunities to link existing areas of 'woodland' important for wildlife and biodiversity whilst also being located near to the desired location of the Local Centre.

Outdoor sport and recreation – A Multi-Use Games Area shall be provided within the centrally located public park to meet the needs of the Local Community. Within H40, a purpose built BMX/ Mountain Bike facility shall be provided by developers of that land to afford alternative facilities for bikers currently using land within the Scheduled Monument. Community use of primary and secondary school sports halls and external playing pitches will be encouraged and supported by Warwick District Council. Contributions will be required towards further off-site sports and leisure facilities.

Other Open Space and Green Corridors – If the central park is 8 hectares, there will still be a requirement to accommodate c.11.6 hectares of public accessible open space within and across the entire site. A significant proportion of this should create green corridors linked to the central park enabling residents to walk or cycle through the development unfettered by vehicular traffic. The corridors should link to on-site community facilities (primary school, Local Centre and community facilities) and to the new employment site, enabling the central park to act as a magnet for pre- school and after school activities and a potential destination for employees during lunch breaks (or similar). They would further help to encourage local use of sustainable modes of transport.

The green corridors should be imaginatively designed, offering opportunities for equipped and natural play, meeting places (i.e. seating areas) and potentially incorporate well designed SuDS. They should also include outdoor gym equipment or other exercise/activity/fitness trails to encourage health and wellbeing.

Soft, green edges to the development site will be desirable and key gateways into the site (i.e the junctions from Leamington Road, Glasshouse Lane and Crewe Lane) shall be characterised by planting, immediately giving the development a green character and appearance as you enter the site.

Throughout the site, there will be a need for several play areas to ensure no resident is more than 480 metres from a suitably equipped area of play.

Allotments – For any development of 100 or more dwellings, the Open Space SPD requires on- site allotment provision. This could generate multiple allotment sites across the area, which could be impracticable and an inefficient use of land. Each allotment site would need vehicular access, parking and turning areas with a mains water supply and a secure building for storage. It would be preferable that one or if necessary two allotment sites are provided and that the plots are half of the traditional size, i.e. 125m2 rather than 250m2. This would permit more people to enjoy an allotment plot. Based on 1,400 dwellings a total area of 1.6 hectares is required for allotment land.

It is understood from Kenilworth Town Council that at the time of writing there is currently a demand for 70 additional plots. Whilst this development should not seek to redress the shortfall, it should not add to it.

Developers should approach the Town Council to ascertain whether they would be willing to undertake the future management of these new allotments. If not, developers should confirm how they are to be managed in the future.

Management Plans – Management plans will be required for each development site/open space to identify how each is to be maintained in the short term during establishment and in the long term to ensure viability of the space for the life time of the development. This is a key criteria of the Green Flag Award.

The Council will require developers to offer open spaces to be adopted by the Council when completed with a maintenance sum. This shall be included in relevant s106 Agreements or similar legal obligations. The Council will require a Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) report to be provided to confirm that the open spaces and play areas have been laid out in accordance with the approved plans.

Planting – It is important that all green space is safe and welcoming and the choice of planting is critical in this regard.

Along the green corridors, planting should be well managed, with ultimate growing heights being naturally low to retain good sight lines; and tree canopies should be maintained high. Weeping tree species should be avoided.

Planting should benefit wildlife, including not exclusively, birds, bats and reptiles. It is not necessary for all planting to be native because many cultivated species can benefit wildlife and can extend the season beyond natives, where that is early or late source of nectar, berries or places to nest or hibernate.

Planting plans should identify how their chosen schedule benefits wildlife to ensure a good range is selected. Wildlife benefit should be at the fore of decisions; however there will be occasions when other environmental factors require other varieties to be considered or where ornamental varieties are more appropriate to a design. The rationale behind plant selections should be made clear and it should be demonstrated that wildlife benefits overall. Native planting where used should be of local provenance that suits the landscape characteristics of the area.

Sustainable Drainage – Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) imaginatively designed can be multi-functional spaces, reducing the adverse impacts of traditional surface water systems and provide an opportunity to combine surface water management with green space affording benefits for amenity, wildlife and recreation.

Warwick District Council's approach is to adopt SuDS where they are located within areas of open space, with a commuted sum. Through a Service Level Agreement with Warwickshire County Council's Flood Risk Management, SuDS designs are checked and approved before implementation.

Applicants/developers will be expected to enter into a s106 agreement or similar planning obligation requiring:

1. a management plan to be provided detailing how the system is to be maintained for the life-term of the development; and who will adopt which features. For example, the property owner, a utility company, County Council or the District Council.
2. Written confirmation from an independent expert in the field, with appropriate insurance, that post installation, the as built features are (i) built in accordance with the approved plan or (ii) if there is variance, identify the variance and confirm that the feature(s) as built fulfil the requirements of the approved scheme (iii) are safe. A RoSPA report will be required.

Permanent wet SuDs features can be particularly beneficial to wildlife and aesthetically pleasing if designed well but they should not be placed adjacent to play areas where they pose a risk to health and safety. SuDS should be designed to maximise their value for biodiversity and hold standing water for the majority of the year if possible.

Ecology and Biodiversity – The site benefits from many landscape characteristics and features that create suitable habitat for wildlife including protected species. Areas of high ecological value include woodland areas, orchards, watercourses and field boundary hedgerows.

There are three designated Local Wildlife Sites of nature conservation importance within the site, Glasshouse Spinney, Thickthorn Wood and River Avon. The River Avon Local Wildlife Site relates to the watercourse within the H40 allocation which connects to the River Avon further to the east.

Biodiversity Impact Assessments will be expected to be provided for each site that comes forward to assess the impact of development on biodiversity based on the proposed habitat creation,

enhancement and management on site and to determine whether habitat loss can be compensated through on-site habitat provision or whether a biodiversity offsetting scheme will be required. It is recommended that habitat loss is minimised and where it is unavoidable replacement on-site habitat will be preferable. Ecological Management Plans will also be required at the detailed planning stage.

Bat surveys shall be undertaken prior to the demolition of any on-site buildings and other protected species surveys shall be carried out where applicable relating to Breeding Birds, Badgers, Reptiles, Otter and Water Voles and Great Crested Newts. Appropriate mitigation shall be provided should any habitats be affected by development.

Green spaces shall be connected where possible to provide wildlife corridors and a buffer of at least 15m shall be retained between built development and woodland parcels and orchards to protect existing habitats. Lighting within the development near sensitive areas including woodland and hedgerows should be designed to provide a safe environment for the community yet minimise harm to commuting/foraging wildlife corridors.

(4) Protecting and responding to local heritage assets

Kenilworth is home to a significant number of heritage assets, although the main concentration of these is to the north west of the town around the Castle and High Street area.

The site does not include any listed buildings and is not within or adjacent to a conservation area. There are however four Grade II listed buildings near to the site, two separated from the site by the A46 (Bridge over Rocky Lane; Grecian Lodges) and two more closely related to the site in Thickthorn Manor and Stables at Thickthorn Manor, located to the south west.

Thickthorn Manor was once a three-storey farmhouse then in 1811 became a country mansion in mock-Tudor style with medieval battlements and turrets. It was remodelled and extended in 1987 and is now in use as a nursing home. The building is partially screened from the site by mature planting to the south and west of its grounds.

Thickthorn Stables, associated with Thickthorn Manor, is a cement-rendered two-storey battlemented structure with two side wings, complementing the architectural style of the main house. The stables were extended and converted into apartments in the 1980s. Thickthorn Orchards, a cul-de-sac comprising residential bungalows, provides some screening of the building and a buffer from the development site. In order to respect the setting of these listed buildings it is recommended that the design and scale of buildings in the vicinity is sensitive to the present visual context of the buildings.

A Scheduled Monument spans part of the north eastern end of the site. The monument relates to a Romano-British settlement dating from the 1st-4th centuries AD with later evidence of medieval woodland management and post-medieval glass working. The name 'Glasshouse Wood' is believed to derive from glass working in the area during the late medieval and

post-medieval periods. The Scheduled Monument is considered to be a good example of a Romano-British settlement that survives well in the form of earthworks and buried archaeological features. The archaeological potential of the site is high with further archaeological investigation likely to facilitate further studies of Romano-British settlement patterns and land use in the

area and it will provide evidence for post-medieval glass working will contribute significantly to the study of this industry. The remains of the medieval and post-medieval glassworks are located within the north-western part of Glasshouse Wood and are unexcavated.

The Scheduled Monument comprises both woodland and open grassland with mature trees/ hedgerows along its perimeter. Damage has occurred in recent years within Glasshouse Wood adjacent to the public footpath within the site through the construction of jumps for mountain/BMX bikes. As a result the site has been included in English Heritage's register of 'Heritage at Risk' where it is described as 'Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems'. The development provides an opportunity to address these issues of digging within the Scheduled Monument and address potential causes including ignorance of the site's designated status and the susceptibility of the historic environment to such activity. Applicants of land within or adjoining the Scheduled Monument will be required to undertake measures to attempt to address the causes of the damage including provision of recreational BMX/mountain biking facilities, restoration of the damaged area and provision of suitable interpretation within the development to explain the history and significance of the site.

There is a presumption in favour against development upon Scheduled Monuments and it is recommended that the Scheduled area is used as public open space involving no or minimal ground disturbance. Development near to the area will be required to respect its setting.

Other than fieldwork undertaken along the line of the A46 prior to its construction in the early 1970s, there has been little in the way of systematic fieldwork undertaken within the site.

There is considered to be a Moderate chance of deposits of Roman or earlier date being present within the site and low to moderate chance of medieval or later features awaiting discovery. However, there is notable potential for the discovery of further more recent archaeological sites within the Development Brief site. The Glasshouse Wood settlement may not have been isolated and other farmsteads/settlements may have been present in the vicinity. Furthermore, as evidence indicates the probability that the post-medieval glass house was situated within or close to the southern edge of the Scheduled Area, land immediately south of the Scheduled Area, west of the A46, should be appropriately evaluated by trial-trenching to ascertain the nature, extent, state of preservation and significance of any surviving deposits and a suitable programme of further mitigation. Further interpretation material could be provided should the evaluation result in interesting findings.

Stoneleigh Park Grade II* Listed Park & Garden is located to the eastern side of the A46 and spans much of the vertical length of the site. Created on the site of a medieval abbey, Stoneleigh has an early 19th-century landscape garden and park covering around 365 hectares. The A46 ensures that there is not any physical impact from the development. However, inter-visibility between the site and the Designated landscape must be considered in any development proposals on site and the scale of buildings should reduce on land close to the eastern edge of the site in any locations where the effects may be most apparent, including the central parcel of land between Thickthorn Wood and Glasshouse Wood. Street lighting designed to minimise light pollution and enhancements to the existing tree screening along the western side of the A46 are both recommended to minimise any impact upon this heritage asset.

Glasshouse Spinney, a tree belt cutting across central areas of the site, represents remnants of the western limit of Stoneleigh Park and along with other factors, including its ecological status and the presence of two public footpaths, is a further reason to retain this land. It is recommended that development of surrounding land ensures minimal harm to the Spinney.

(2) Noise, Air Quality and Contaminated Land

It is of critical importance to the success of the creation of the new community that a satisfactory living environment is created for residents and that the impact of the development upon the environment is minimal.

Whilst the historic use of the site does not suggest a likelihood of any significant contamination, every parcel of land will require appropriate investigations to determine whether the

land presents a risk of contamination to site users. An initial desk study and a preliminary ground investigation will be required for all sites with further investigation required as necessary. Appropriate mitigation measures shall be identified where applicable.

The site is boarded on the eastern side by the A46, to the west by Glasshouse Lane and to the south by Leamington Road. Consideration will need to be given to the impact of road traffic noise on the future residents and users of the site.

In particular, noise from the A46 will need to be carefully considered and a buffer zone to protect residential amenity and some of the road traffic noise arising from the A46 is likely to be required but alternative forms of mitigation will also be considered. Good acoustic design to minimise noise impacts on the new dwellings will be required and could include maximising the spatial separation between the noise source and the new dwellings, implementing means of screening the dwellings from the noise source, i.e. fencing, bunding, using the site layout

to reduce noise propagation across the site, i.e. using blocks of housing as barriers/screens, designing the internal layouts of the houses to have non-habitable rooms nearest to the noise source and locate the most sensitive rooms away from the noise source, and/or ensure that the building fabric is designed to protect residents from elevated levels of noise, i.e. glazing and ventilation specifications. It may be advantageous to locate open spaces nearest to the site boundary to maximise the separating distance between new houses and the A46.

A noise survey shall be undertaken early on in the design process of each site to ensure that good acoustic design decisions are taken which enable residents to enjoy suitable noise levels with open windows, by careful site massing, and considering building location, orientation, internal layouts and mitigation.

It is important that the noise impact of any commercial elements of the site on residential dwellings is fully addressed in the design and layout.

Air quality will be an important consideration for this large development and applicants must refer to Warwick District Council's low emission strategy to evaluate the air quality impacts of the proposed development. Particularly given the relationship of the site to the A46, applications will need to demonstrate that new residents will experience acceptable air quality without the need for mechanical ventilation except in exceptional cases and development shall seek to minimise further pollution.

(2) Flood Risk

The site is located entirely within Flood Zone 1 and therefore is at low risk of fluvial flooding (land assessed as having a less than 1 in 1,000 annual probability of river or sea flooding <0.1%). Owing to the topography of the site which slopes down west-east and north-south towards the A46 and two watercourses within the site, there are areas around the watercourses which are susceptible

to surface water flooding. The site is not located within a Groundwater Source Protection Zone.

Sustainable Drainage Systems will be required within the development to manage surface water in a sustainable manner to greenfield run off rates. Particular attention should be paid to the management of drainage in areas known to be susceptible to surface water flooding

(2) Health

Health is an important consideration in planning for new development. The creation of an attractive living environment and the ability to easily access services needed and the promotion of walking and cycling are considered to be essential in establishing a successful and healthy community.

It is important to ensure that all new residents have suitable access to primary care facilities. South Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group (SWCCG) has assessed capacity and concluded that the quantum of development and capacity of the two existing GP surgeries near to Kenilworth town centre does not justify the provision of a new health centre to serve new residents. However, there is likely to be a need for some enhancements to the existing surgeries and therefore applicants are likely to be requested to contribute towards these enhancements through section 106 funding.

The provision of a Community Centre and the design of the Local Centre and greenspaces have the ability to promote community cohesion and help reduce isolation, thus improving public health. Allotments provide the opportunities for a degree of self-sufficiency and also afford further opportunities for community integration.

Community facilities including Local Centres, community centres and parks and play areas shall be located within walking distance of new residential dwellings and the layout of development shall strongly encourage walking and cycling both within the development and through improved connectivity with the existing town.

To promote public health and well-being, development should align with Building for Life 12 principles. These principles form the basis of Warwickshire County Council's draft guidance document 'Public Health Evidence for Planning and Developers' which sets out detailed guidance to promote the creation of a healthy community.

Developers are encouraged to engage with the NHS's Healthy New Towns programme to promote the creation of a healthy community. It is anticipated that further guidance on this programme will be issued in 2019.

Land East of Kenilworth shall be designed as a new community that is well integrated with the existing town and is defined by a strong sense of identity, characterised by its network of connected green spaces, attractive public spaces, legible streets, high quality designed buildings and its community facilities that meet the needs of the whole community. It will be a community where cycling and walking as a means of travel will be desirable.

The development should respect and acknowledge the character of the existing town and its prevailing characteristics whilst having the ability to introduce innovative and visually stimulating design to give the new development a unique character and identity. Building materials should largely reflect the local vernacular and materials typical within the Ancient Arden character area with some flexibility to introduce some alternative building materials to assist in creating a unique character for the development.

Dwellings shall be varied in their design and appearance and shall include interesting architectural features. Buildings shall not be designed in isolation but should have an appropriate relationship with nearby streets and spaces.

Where possible and appropriate, low carbon and renewable energy technologies should be integrated into the development promoting sustainability and properties should be designed with features including water efficient fittings to help achieve a lower water consumption than the maximum volume specified in the Building Regulations and it is recommended that properties are

built to the optional requirement in Building Regulations of 110 litres of water per person per day.

Care shall be given to ensure that appropriate storage spaces are created within residential and commercial development to ensure waste bins are not a dominant and permanent feature in the streetscene. Innovative solutions to waste storage, such as underground storage will be encouraged.

Detailed design and placemaking principles, street typologies, building materials and boundary treatments and public art principles are set out in the remainder of this section. Developments will be expected to conform to the guidance contained within those sections.

(3) Placemaking Principles

The Neighbourhood Level analysis identified qualities to guide the design principles for the site. These included that buildings often have an intimate and close relationship to one another as well as the street. Building plots and architectural styles vary from street to street creating places and streets with interest and character. Often two storey terraced cottage sit cheek by jowl with three storey town houses. Locally available building materials such as red brick, render or timber provide a common theme creating a strong sense of place and identity. In order to replicate some of these intrinsic qualities the following principles should be applied to new residential development on the site:

• Vary the width of building plots particularly within local centres;
• Different block sizes should be applied to create further interest;
• Different house types such as terraces, town houses, terraced cottages, detached and semi-detached properties should be used to create interest;
• Street geometry should vary as it passes through the site. Street width will alter as a result of street hierarchy and its design speed of streets should be reduced in the local centre;
• Buildings should not be located at a uniform distance from the street but should vary to create an interesting streetscape and public realm; and
• Building heights should vary.

A number of more general principles have been developed to inform the indicative masterplan contained within this SPD and developers will be expected to consider them when designing proposals for parcels of land within the overall site. These principles are expected to be followed by developers and combined will help achieve sustainable development:

Overarching

• Creation of a high quality, safe, inclusive and attractive place that has unique features yet is fully integrated into the existing town
• Provision of a mix of uses including residential, employment, education and retail/service uses to provide a community with access to good quality homes, employment opportunities and services to meet day-to-day needs
• Provision of community facilities to assist in creating a sense of community cohesion

Healthy community

• Creation of a healthy community through quality access and opportunities for walking and cycling, good access to healthcare facilities, restrictions on hot- food takeaway outlets, provision of a range of areas to play and supporting improvements to existing leisure and recreation facilities in the local area

Sense of Place

• Utilise and respect existing site features and relevant off-site features within the layout to deliver a development that respects the natural environment
• Incorporate building materials and features that are characteristic of the local vernacular
• Create welcoming gateways into the site and the Local Centre providing a sense of arrival

Urban Form

• Creation of a legible and diverse urban environment through setting out a hierarchy of streets
• High quality buildings to enclose space

Connectivity and movement

• A layout that promotes sustainable travel
• Creation of attractive streets that meet the needs of all users – pedestrians, cyclists, cars/other vehicles and public transport
• Delivery of public transport services meeting the daily needs of residents and workers
• All homes and places of work to be within 400m walk of a bus stop
• Improved cycle and pedestrian connectivity between the site and the existing town
• Integrate and connect the development with existing public footpaths
• Ensure good quality roads within the development and delivery of off-site improvements to connect the development to proposed employment and education facilities and to existing destinations within the town

Car and Cycle Parking

• Provision of secure, covered cycle parking in suitable locations near to the entrance of places of work, homes and community facilities in accordance with locally adopted guidance to encourage the use of this mode of transport
• Provision of suitable levels of parking for dwellings, employment areas and retail/service uses in accordance with locally adopted guidance
• Ensure car parking is integral to the design of dwellings, streets and spaces

Mix of High Quality Homes

• Provision of high quality dwellings to meet the varying needs of the community
• Creation of a balanced community through the construction of homes of different types, sizes and tenures including provision of affordable housing, open market housing and self-build homes
• Ensure a mix of dwelling types, size and tenures across the entire site creating a 'tenure blind' development
• Delivery of dwellings which are of sufficient size to enable adaption by occupiers throughout their lifetime
• Strive to achieve a Building for Life Accreditation through designing new homes in the context of Building for Life 12 Criteria (2012) (See Table 4).

Education/Local Centre/Community Facilities

• Provision of high quality education facilities to meet the needs of residents of the new development (and existing town)
• Creation of a visually attractive and vibrant Local Centre easily accessible by safe and suitably lit walking and cycling routes that are appropriately connected to the new residential and employment areas across the site
• The Local Centre shall operate as a community hub and provide attractive public realm space suitable of sufficient size to create a meeting place and support community events
• Provision of a new community centre and external space

Biodiversity, Ecology and Greenspaces

• Protect existing on-site features that provide good habitat for protected species (including woodland, water bodies and hedgerows)
• Encourage biodiversity through the creation of new habitat, connecting existing habitats
• Minimise impact upon protected species and where it is unavoidable to avoid harm to their habitat, re-provide suitable habitat on site
• Utilise existing woodland and green areas on site within the greenspace strategy for the new development
• Provision of additional greenspaces to connect with existing greenspaces
• Provision of a large central park to serve the needs of the community with green corridors linking this to other infrastructure
• Incorporate sustainable drainage solutions within green space

Design

• Strive to accord with guidance contained in Warwick District Council's Garden Towns, Villages and Suburbs document (May 2012)
• High quality built environment including buildings, public realm and public open spaces
• Creation of an external environment that is accessible to all
• Use of sustainable construction materials and construction of energy efficient buildings, utilising zero-carbon or renewable energy technology where applicable
• Respect the architecture and building materials of the local vernacular. However, where suitable, explore opportunities for innovative design that helps create a unique development
• Minimise waste material leaving the site and new material having to be delivered to the site
• Provision of suitable and discreet on-plot facilities for refuse storage
• Provision of high quality boundary treatment to properties

Safety and Security

• Design buildings and streets to provide natural surveillance over public open space and footpaths/cycleways
• Create well-lit and appropriately surfaced footpaths/cycleways within the site
• Without compromising the aesthetics of the development, where possible aim to achieve Secured by Design Accreditation

Management and Maintenance

• Creation of management and maintenance strategies to ensure that the quality of development remains. This includes management of public open spaces, play areas and recreation facilities, community centre and sustainable drainage features.

Table 4: Building for Life 12 Criteria

(1) Street Typologies and Street Level Design Principles

The relationship that the new streets have with one another and to the built form will have a significant impact on the character of new development on land East of Kenilworth. Streets should be designed as high quality, low speed pedestrian and cycle friendly environments with a clear hierarchy.

Following the Neighbourhood Level Analysis work undertaken by LUC, a number of different street typologies have been identified. These street typologies have been informed in part by the characteristics of the streets analysed and will provide design principles for the new housing within the site. The design principles will help new development reflect the intrinsic qualities found in Kenilworth's streets and help create a strong identity and sense of place.

Main Street

• Spine road as it passes through or adjacent to the Local Centre providing access to local shops and services
• Provision of both short and long stay parking
• Parking integrated well into the street scene
• Generous pavement widths to allow building uses to spill out on to the pavement
• Street trees a dominant feature of the street
• Variety of architectural styles forming a continuous built edge
• Variety of building heights and plot sizes creating interest

Primary Route/Spine Road

• Main route through new residential development
• More generous street proportions including road and pavement widths
• Both on-plot and street parking
• Boulevard trees help to define the route
• Buildings continue to define the street and front onto it
• Strong definition between public and private space created by formal boundary treatments
• Front gardens and garden vegetation create a more open green environment
• Variety of plot sizes to create interest and diversity

Urban Streets

• Intimate side streets adjacent to the Local Centre
• Limited on-street parking
• Strong relationship between buildings on the street
• Variety of architectural styles forming a continuous built edge
• Small or no front gardens
• Variety of building heights creating a varied roof scape

Secondary Routes

• Buildings define the street and front onto it providing natural surveillance
• Variety of plot sizes to create interest
• Small front gardens
• Garden vegetation a dominant feature of the street
• Boundary treatments more informal such as hedges
• On-plot and on-street parking
• Secondary routes off the main spine road

Lanes

• Development often on one side of the street only
• Treatment for more peripheral areas of development are often adjacent to the countryside or green open space
• Boundary vegetation and trees a key feature of the road
• Housing less dense than in other areas and typically detached and semi-detached properties
• Buildings set further back from the street

Figure 44: Street level design principles – Main Street

Figure 46: Street level design principles – Secondary Route

Figure 47: Street level design principles – Urban Street

Figure 48: Street level design principles – Lanes

(1) Materiality

The dominant building materials in Kenilworth are brick, render and to a lesser extent timber. The local brick is a distinctive red colour which provides a depth and warmth to the buildings. Local red sandstone is occasionally used to accompany the brick and is often used as door surrounds, window lintels and sills or for mullion windows. This local stone along with the brick helps to create identity and a sense of place. Roof tiles are typically red clay.

Whilst some variation will be acceptable to provide a variety within the new development, new residential and commercial properties constructed from brick should generally seek to match the warmth and depth of the brickwork found on existing properties in the town and look to utilise roof tiles of a similar colour to those typically found in the town.

Figure 49: Kenilworth Materiality

(1) Boundary Treatments

As highlighted below, there are a variety of boundary treatments found in Kenilworth depending on the age of the property and its location within Kenilworth. Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian properties near to the town centre tend to have low red brick walls to demarcate the front gardens and higher red brick walls at the rear of properties. Older properties at the edge of the town tend to have red sandstone walls. Hedges and fences also feature more towards the edge of the town and are often used as boundary treatments for larger detached and semi-detached properties.

Figure 50 below sets out appropriate types of boundary treatments adjacent to public highway or where the boundary treatment will be prominent from publicly accessible areas. Developers are expected to provide close-boarded timber fencing between adjoining rear gardens of residential properties.

Figure 50: Appropriate Boundary Treatments

(3) Car Parking

The following principles should be applied for proposed parking in new residential areas within the site:

• Resident and visitor parking should be located so that it does not dominate the street scene. Street trees and landscape features should be used to break up long lengths of on-street parking bays. On-plot parking should be discreet and integrated into the street
• A mixture of parking solutions is encouraged
• On-street and on-plot parking should be convenient, accessible and as close to residential properties as possible. It should also be overlooked by habitable rooms which face onto the street. Where on-street parking is provided, it shall be broken-up by appropriate landscaping
• Whilst parking should typically be at the front or sides of properties to create active streets and promote natural surveillance and rear parking courts are discouraged there may be some exceptions or circumstances where parking at the rear of buildings is acceptable or necessary such as in places along the spine road where it is preferable to minimise the number of accesses. In these instances the parking should be overlooked, safe, convenient for users and protected by gated access
• All parking areas should be constructed from permeable paving unless it is deemed unsuitable
• Parking areas should conform to guidance stipulated within Warwick District Council's adopted Parking Standards SPD (2018).

The visuals in Figure 51 provide further guidance relating to car parking that should be followed by developers when preparing plans for the site:

Figure 51: Car Parking Principles

(2) Incorporating high quality public art into thedevelopment

The Planning Policy Guidance which complements the National Planning Policy Framework and provides advice on how to deliver its policies states that 'Public art and sculpture can play an important role in making interesting and exciting places that people enjoy using." Objective B, Point 7 of Warwick District's Local Plan further highlights that developments should "be built to a high standard in terms of design, and provide inclusive, lively and attractive places where people feel safe and want to live, work and visit".

Warwick District Council is committed to high quality design and its continued support for arts and culture, which includes public art (work produced by artists within the natural or built environment). Arts and culture have an economic value, a positive impact on health and wellbeing and contribute to social capital and community cohesion within the district.

Warwick District has a long tradition of public art and there are many excellent examples of sculptures, commemorative statues and memorials throughout the area. The scale of development on this site creates opportunities for collaboration and provides the context and inspiration

for the commissioning of public art. Developers are encouraged to consider how they will incorporate public art and involve artists and makers from the pre-application stage. Warwick District Council's Arts Section and Planning Officers can provide advice in this regard.

Public art schemes should consider drawing inspiration from the heritage of Kenilworth. This could include:

1. incorporating imagery, maps, poetry or text
2. referencing Kenilworth's local history and providing interpretation
3. creating permanent sculptures which represent historical figures or notable residents
4. creating temporary or living artworks utilising rural / natural assets
5. incorporating materials with links to Kenilworth such as red sandstone

Artists developing work based on this theme should be encouraged to undertake research into the history of Kenilworth, perhaps through accessing local archives or by consulting with English Heritage and collaborating with some of the areas local history groups.

Artists should consider how public art could assist with wayfaring and orientation at key locations throughout the development. This could include:

1. functional artworks integrated into paving schemes, pathways or cycle routes
2. the creation of bespoke 'trails'
3. enhancing day-to-day pedestrian routes
4. improving cohesion with other parts of the town or neighbouring developments
5. using sculpture to create a defining landmark or provide an attractive focus / meeting point in open spaces
6. lighting which could provide a welcoming, safe environment at night
7. installation of street furniture such as carved wooden or stone seating
8. landmark art that announces arrival into the development.

1. interactive public art incorporating movement
2. working with young people of the area to create and install work
3. street / graffiti art
4. incorporating public art into play parks and open spaces
5. referencing links to education and learning
6. incorporating digital elements
7. highlighting the area's links to engineering and design.

Utilities

Public Sewers/Water

There is limited sewerage infrastructure running into the site with plans indicating a 825mm diameter sewer running eastwards from Glasshouse Lane and discharging into the watercourse crossing the site. There do not appear to be any other foul or surface water sewer within the site or water mains.

Severn Trent Water has undertaken a hydraulic modelling sewer capacity development in the east of Kenilworth and have provided recommendations for this document.

Foul Water Drainage: The modelling found there to be a low impact on flooding to the existing network, meaning that the foul flows from the site can be routed through the existing system. As the land topography runs downhill towards the A46 flows from development at H40 and ED2 will not connect through a gravity connection, so will need to be pumped. Two pumping locations and two connection points are recommended by Severn Trent Water (connection points are A and B and pumping stations are orange triangles in Figure 53).

A high pollution risk has been found at Dalehouse Lane Terminal Pumping Station which requires additional storage to accommodate the development. A previous modelling study had identified that approximately 280 dwellings can be accommodated within the existing network before capacity improvements are likely to be required. A scheme will be promoted by Severn Trent to address this.

Surface Water: Under the terms of Section H of the Building Regulations 2000, the disposal of surface water by means of soakaways should be considered as the primary method. If these are found to be unsuitable, satisfactory evidence will need to be submitted. The evidence should be either percolation test results or by the submission of a statement from the SI consultant. If soakaways are not practical then discharge to a watercourse or a ditch should be explored. Where there is a watercourse on a site connection to public sewers will not be required. Subject to the above, Severn Trent Water expects all surface water from the development to be drained in a sustainable way to the nearest watercourse or land drainage channel, subject to the developer discussing all aspects of the development's surface water drainage with the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). Any discharge rate to a watercourse or drainage ditch will be determined by the LLFA / Environment Agency.

Connections: For any new connections (including the re-use of existing connections) to the public sewerage system, the development will need to submit a Section 106 application form from Severn Trent Water's Developer Services department.

Figure 52: High Level Drainage Strategy, including connection points and risk to Dalehouse Lane Pumping Station (map provided by Severn Trent Water)

Electricity

Plans received from Western Power Distribution indicate that 11kV overhead high voltage electrical cables are present within the H40 allocation and a low voltage overhead cable is also present in this part of the site. Further underground cables are present in the H06 allocation, connecting to existing properties and a telecommunications mast. Developers within these areas of the site will need to liaise with Western Power around the diversion of electricity cables, where required.

Western Power Distribution has confirmed that the existing primary substation serving Kenilworth has limited capacity and would not be able to support the extent of growth on the site without improvement works. The substation can be upgraded to create capacity but any upgrade works will depend on factors including final load requirements, timings and network conditions before Western Power can determine suitability of upgrading the existing facility rather than provision of a new substation. Existing substations to the southern side of Coventry are considered to be too far away from the site to be suitable for any connections.

Where a new primary substation is required, ideally it should sit within the required load centre. Western Power have purchased land to the north eastern corner of the development site thus providing a site for a potential primary substation within the load centre should a new substation be required. Upstream reinforcement works to the Berkswell 132kV substation may also be required.

Within the site distribution substations, average size of 4x4m will also be required and shall be positioned in discreet locations away from living areas and boundary treatment can further minimise the visual impact of the substations.

Gas

Plans received from Cadent Gas relating to the site indicate that there are no gas mains crossing the site except for a low pressure main which crosses Glasshouse Lane and terminate within Glasshouse Spinney. Therefore, new infrastructure will be required on the site to connect to the existing network.

Telecommunications

British Telecom has apparatus in the form of both overhead lines and underground lines within the site. Given the limited number of buildings within the site, services are minimal across the site. Some Virgin Media equipment is also present in the area, including along Glasshouse Lane.