18. MILE END
Introduction
18.1 Mile End was identified in the last Adopted Plan for major residential
retail and employment development. Substantial improvements in existing
transport infrastructure were required to serve this development and to
improve the areas environment. In addition, the Plan sought to protect
existing areas of open land which contribute to the character, setting
and visual amenity of Colchester. An extension to the Country Park was
also proposed.
18.2 As a result of lower than expected employment land take-up rates,
difficulties in both the residential and commercial property markets and
the complexity of (and the controversy surrounding) the infrastructure
arrangements required, development has proceeded more slowly than anticipated.
18.3 Nevertheless, development of Turner Rise is largely complete and
the associated transport improvements (which represented the first phase
of the Northern Approaches Transport Strategy) are complete. Planning
permission has recently been secured for an enhanced second phase of development
and infrastructure which will deliver real benefits to the local environment
and fit well with the principles of sustainable development. Part of the
Country Park extension has been secured by the Council and the whole is
being managed as a country park.
18.4 The new plan proposes to complete and extend the development programme
already commenced, releasing further land for residential and employment
purposes, but at the same time enhancing protection for the areas environment
and continuing to link development to the provision of the necessary community
and transport infrastructure.
Objectives
18.5 The Plan’s objectives for Mile End are as follows:
(a) To improve transport conditions in the area and to secure appropriate
transport provision prior to the release of additional housing and employment
sites;
(b) To safeguard and enhance those areas of open land which contribute
to the character, setting and visual amenity of Colchester;
(c) To release land for housing and employment purposes in appropriate
locations and subject to suitable safeguards as a contribution towards
the Borough’s Regional, County and Local requirements.
Policies and Proposals
DEVELOPMENT CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS
18.6 It is important to note that all policies contained within this
chapter must be read alongside the overall Development Control Policy
(DC1). This policy sets out the standard planning criteria applicable
to all forms of development. The relevant criteria will be used to assess
the suitability of any proposal in addition to the following detailed
policy guidance.
Infrastructure and Development
18.7 Further development in Mile End, including that recently granted
planning permission at the former Myland Hospital and west of the District
General Hospital, is dependent upon the provision of community and transport
infrastructure. The Council sees the proposed development in Mile End
as a major restructuring of the area, equivalent in scale to the proposed
redevelopment of the Garrison. It is therefore essential that new development
comes forward only when the necessary infrastructure has been secured
and is provided when needed. The Council will seek to secure this infrastructure
through entering into S106 Agreements (see Table 3 for further details).
18.8 It is also important that a comprehensive approach to the whole
area is taken, and therefore benefits may be secured from the development
of any one site, which will be applied elsewhere within Mile End. A particular
example is the “transfer” of part of the open space provision
from some major housing sites towards the extension of the Country Park.
This approach rolls forward that set out in the 1995 Adopted Plan and
which has been accepted by the Secretary of State in respect of the recent
permission for housing land west of the District General Hospital and
on the former Myland Hospital site.
18.9 The 1995 Adopted Plan’s strategy was a three-stage approach
of linking parcels of development to transport improvements, which together
would create the Northern Approaches Road. Following the advice in PPG13,
the transport approach was widened to give much greater weight to public
transport, cycling and walking. The purpose of the Northern Approaches
Scheme is, therefore:
(i) to facilitate access to major new residential and industrial development
in Mile End;
(ii) to take traffic pressures off the predominantly residential Mile
End and Turner Roads, thus giving more road space and opportunities
to non-car modes on those streets;
(iii) to provide for express bus services between North Colchester,
Colchester Station and the Town Centre (in part on a segregated bus
track).
18.10 It is considered that the underlying principles behind this approach
are sound. They need to be re-stated as the Plan is rolled forward but
updated in the light of the recent planning permission for an enhanced
Phase 2 and new allocations in the Plan for residential development at
Turner Village and Severalls Hospital. In addition, the 1984 Adopted Plan
did not make provision for improvements to Station Way (which was within
the 1984 Adopted Central Area Plan). The 2004 Adopted Plan looks at not
just improving transport provision within Mile End but also links from
the area to the Town Centre, including Station Way.
ME1 None of the allocated employment and housing
sites in Mile End will be granted planning permission in advance
of improvements to community and transport infrastructure being
secured as set out in Table 3 and as specified hereunder respectively:
(a) Planning permission for residential development
at Myland Hospital and west of the District General Hospital (Sites
1 and 2 in Table 3) will not be granted until a scheme of improvements
for bus, cycle and pedestrian routes and roads to serve the new
development between Turner Rise and Nayland Road has been agreed,
including buses to serve the new development, and the necessary
funding secured. Development of these sites will thereafter be
linked to the carrying out of the transport improvements, such
that the improvements and development will proceed in accordance
with an agreed programme with the developers involved.
(b) Planning permission for the Cuckoo Farm (south
of the A12) Employment Zone and the Severalls Hospital residential
allocations will not be granted (with the exception of the development
of land referred to in (c) below) until the above scheme has commenced
and additional measures to improve transport provision in the
area and to serve the development have been secured, similar to
those set out in (a) above and including securing the provision
of the A12 junction and provision for an express bus way to serve
the proposed community sports stadium.
In particular, permission will not be granted
for Cuckoo Farm (south of the A12) until a contribution to the
provision of a junction on the A12, as shown on the Proposals
Map, and an east-west link from the junction to Severalls Lane
and traffic calming in Mill Road have been secured. In the case
of the development of Severalls Hospital, the provision of an
express busway along land reserved for that purpose (under application
COL/97/0221) and a road and bus link from the A12 junction across
the development site to the road approved under COL/97/0221 and
a contribution to the A12 junction will need to be secured before
planning permission is granted.
(c) Part of the eastern end of Cuckoo Farm (south
of the A12) may be released in advance of securing the improvements
referred to in (a) and (b) above, subject to the completion of
a Traffic Impact Assessment, an agreement to implement any improvements
identified on site and off site and a contribution to the east-west
link has been made.
(d) As regards windfall sites of 10 or more units
of residential accommodation or non-residential use of an equivalent
traffic generation, these will not be granted planning permission
until any necessary transport and community infrastructure provision
commensurate with the scale of the development is secured.
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High Woods Country Park
18.11 Although the existing Country Park is a substantial area of open
space, there is a danger that, as further built development proceeds in
Mile End, it will become increasingly hemmed in. The Council therefore
considers that there is merit in increasing its size and is managing its
own land within the proposed extension accordingly. To advance this aim,
the standard requirement that 10% of major housing developments be allocated
for open space will be entirely or partially suspended in the case of
Turner Village, the former Myland Hospital site and land west of the District
General Hospital. (See Table 3 for details.) These allocations will be
“transferred” to benefit the Country Park extension.
ME2 Land between Mill Road and Brinkley Grove
will be allocated as an extension to the High Woods Country Park.
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Colchester United Football Club
18.12 Provision is made for a new community sports stadium to house
Colchester United Football Club within the Cuckoo Farm (south of the A12)
Employment Zone. The facility will be dependent upon securing a junction
to the A12 (see also Policies L17 and ME1).
Cuckoo Farm (South of the A12) Employment Zone
18.13 The release of this site will provide a major boost to the availability
of employment land in Colchester. Its release is, however, dependent upon:
(a) provision of infrastructure (see Policy ME1);
(b) provision of a landscaped buffer along the A12 to help create
an environment that will attract investors. Landscaping will also be
required along the main east-west road links, but this can be within
site curtilages;
(c) reservation of land for a strategic lorry park, possibly associated
with a petrol filling station and ancillary facilities;
(d) landscape edge to Boxted Road.
18.14 The Council has prepared a master plan as SPG to guide the site’s
future development, linked to that for Severalls Hospital. A park-and-ride
is also being promoted within the site linked to which the Council will
be pursuing the provision of Travel Plans with future occupiers of the
development (see Policy T3).
Severalls Hospital
18.15 This site is proposed for a mix of uses including some continuing
health provision (see Policy H1 and Table 2) with development predominantly
for residential purposes. Development will be spread over two plan periods.
In developing the site, the Council will expect existing landscape features
of importance to be retained as far as possible. A large number of the
trees within the site are covered by a Tree Preservation Order.
18.16
Release of the site should be preceded by the preparation of a master
plan showing the range of uses, how existing features are to be retained
and the phasing of development.
Tower Lane
18.17 Tower Lane runs between Severalls Hospital and Cuckoo Farm (south
of the A12). It is widely used as a pleasant route for walkers, cyclists
and horse riders. It is important that the route is retained as a greenlink
(see Policy UEA14) between the employment and predominantly residential
areas to the north and south of it. It is also important that the connection
between the High Woods Country Park and Tower Lane is reinforced as part
of the development of Severalls Hospital. This will need to be addressed
in the master plan for the site referred to above.
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