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Major Greenfield Housing Release
Whilst the H2A and H2B allocations contribute significantly to meeting the aims of ensuring a range of housing development opportunities across the towns and villages of South Ayrshire they do not provide for the scale of housing required to meet overall demand. That requires the identification of much more land. Although one option would be to disperse this evenly across the towns and villages of South Ayrshire such an approach has a number of disadvantages. As new houses are built development pushes further away from town centre services or other community facilities. Not only does development increasingly encroach into open countryside and contribute to urban sprawl, it may also create incremental pressure on the capacity of those facilities which do already exist in the area. Furthermore, it may be difficult to ensure that such outlying areas are served by public transport, leaving the residents isolated from facilities or dependent on private car travel.
A key factor reflected in Government and Structure Plan policy, is the need for new development to be as sustainable as possible. Therefore, impact on the environment, the containment of new development, the availability of local services and the opportunities to use a variety of modes of transport are vitally significant considerations. A further factor of key importance is the need to ensure that the allocated housing sites provide the necessary numbers of houses on time (i.e. the site is marketable) and also provide a choice of housing in terms of type.
In order to provide adequate land (for the 7 year period and taking account of the longer term projections) - which can be efficiently serviced, close to public transport networks and with a range of local facilities a larger site is also required. Such a site, which can be developed in phases offer the most satisfactory solution in terms of meeting the need for housing in accordance with the overall objectives of the Plan. Furthermore, such a strategy offers the realistic prospect of major investment in public facilities, services and the creation of opportunities for further economic development. Such a site therefore offers the opportunity for more than just new housing site, by creating a planned, co-ordinated and integrated settlement expansion.
It is clear that such a site should be located at Ayr, Prestwick or Troon for the following reasons:
| The level of development pressure is greatest, as evidenced by developer interest and the Council’s own waiting lists. | |
| Sites in these areas are, as a consequence, more readily marketable with higher anticipated building rates than elsewhere in South Ayrshire, marketability being an essential requirement of an allocated site. | |
| Sites in these areas are more sustainable due to their proximity to the services in the main towns, the availability or potential availability of public transport, the opportunities to provide cycle/footpath links to the main towns and the relative ease and economy with which the sites can be provided with basic utility services. | |
| There is an increased opportunity for the Council to secure a proportion of them for affordable/social rented houses. |
The Council is committed to a strategy which would enable the planned expansion and improvement of community services and facilities. Conversely, the allocation of a large number of smaller sites would not be acceptable as they would potentially create additional pressures on existing services and facilities without contributing to a resolution of these issues to any great extent. For these reasons, and to widen further the choice of locations for new house purchasers, a large site is to be released for development.
Following consideration of the written submissions received on the Draft Local Plan and further assessment of potential major sites for housing in the Ayr/Prestwick and Troon area, the Council has selected the site at North East Troon as the location for future residential development.North East Troon
The allocated area for housing comprises flat open agricultural land with few features. It has strong boundaries to the east ( the A759 road), to the north (Kilmarnock Road) and existing housing land to the west (existing and committed housing development). Accordingly, the site constitutes an acceptable expansion of Troon in terms of its urban form and landscape impact. The location is close to the range of employment, retail, commercial as well as education and other public services which residents of the new housing will require. Integration of footpaths and cycleways with existing adjacent development, coupled with the proximity of the site to local services will provide genuine opportunities for minimising car usage. Furthermore, the proximity of the two railway stations at Troon and Barassie on the Ayr to Glasgow line provide further opportunity to maximise use of train rather than car travel.
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STRATEGIC POLICY H3A Residential development on 44.3 Hectares of land at North East Troon will be considered to be acceptable by the Council, subject to conformity with master plans which will be prepared or otherwise approved by the Council |
It is expected that this site will accommodate approximately 550 new dwellings. Whilst rates of building are difficult to predict with complete accuracy it is expected that a steady rate of development will cover a period extending beyond the 2008 thereby enabling continuity of supply towards the projected longer term housing demand in South Ayrshire.
Strategic Policy H3A requires a masterplan for this site. Until that is completed, and approved by the Council, no consent for development will be granted. As part of the preparation of this Local Plan the Council has considered the consequential requirements and prospective impact of this residential land allocation and has concluded that it is a viable and acceptable extension to Troon. The master plan for the site will require to address all of these matters to a level of detail which ensures the proper implementation of development. It will therefore be required to address:
| The overall disposition of land uses within the site; including housing densities and public open space; | |
| The provision of vehicular, cycle and pedestrian access to and from the site including any and all necessary consequential off-site works; | |
| The provision of all utility services to serve the site including any and all necessary consequential off-site works; | |
| The landscape framework for the site; | |
| The location of the main distributor roads within the site; | |
| The specific treatment of the southern and eastern boundaries of NET in order to round off the settlement and ensure an appropriate transition to the open countryside beyond and, in the case of the southern boundary, to ensure that there is no opportunity for future development closer to Loans (depth of boundary treatment along NET’s eastern edge to be a minimum of 25m; and along the southern edge to be a minimum of 30m; | |
| The reservation of land which may be required for a new primary school; | |
| The reservation of land for small-scale retail premises to serve the development | |
| The necessary consequential requirements for augmenting the provision of secondary education; | |
| The provision of affordable rented housing on the site; | |
| Measures to maximise car parking provision and minimize traffic congestion in Troon Town Centre; | |
| The overall building design concept for the site. |
The above list is not in any order of significance; nor is it exclusive.
Greenan
The allocated area for housing comprises open agricultural land which, in general terms, rises gently from the north eastern part of the site in a southerly and westerly direction. The site is roughly rectangular in shape, and its western boundary is defined by a track, which forms part of the National Cycle Route. There is existing housing to the north and south of the site, and development would represent a natural extension of the built up area of the southern part of Ayr. The location is reasonably convenient for a range of employment, retail, commercial, education and other public services which residents of the new housing will require. Integration of footpaths and cycleways with existing facilities, coupled with appropriate levels of bus service routed through the site, provide reasonable alternatives to traveling by car. There is also the further possibility of traveling by train from Ayr town centre to destinations outwith the area. The site could be developed without any significant adverse effects on statutory environmental or heritage designations
The Council wish to see a golf course developed on the land to the north and west of the site. While the housing development is not dependent on the provision of the golf course, it could be of benefit, and the council would wish to have discussions with the developer on the viability, and possible implementation, of this proposal.
STRATEGIC POLICY H3B Residential development on 35ha of land at Greenan will be considered to be acceptable by SAC, subject to conformity with masterplans, which will be prepared or otherwise approved by SAC. |
It is expected that the site will accommodate approximately 430 dwellings. While rates of building are difficult to predict with complete accuracy, it is expected that development will be underway within 5 years of the likely date of the adoption of SALP, with completion in the medium term. The lead developer will be expected to demonstrate that the delivery of houses on this site could commence, and be completed, within the expected timescales.
Strategic policy H3B requires a masterplan for this site. Until that is completed, and approved by the Council, no consent for the development will be granted. As part of the preparation of SALP, the Council have considered the prospective impact and consequential requirements of the residential land allocation and have concluded that it is a viable and acceptable extension to Ayr. The masterplan for the site will require to address all of these matters to a level of detail which ensures the proper implementation of the development. It will therefore be required to address:
