Doncaster

Local Plan

Publication Draft 2019

Ref: (For Official Use Only)

COMMENTS (REPRESENTATION) FORM

Please respond by 6pm Monday 30 September 2019. The Council considers the Local Plan is ready for examination. It is formally “publishing” the Plan to invite comments on whether you agree it meets certain tests a Government appointed independent Inspector will use to examine the Plan (see Guidance Notes overleaf). That is why it is important you use this form. It may appear technical but the structure is how the Inspector will consider comments. Using the form also allows you to register interest in taking part in the examination. All comments received will be sent to the Inspector when the plan is “submitted” for examination. Please email your completed form to us at If you can’t use email, hard copies can be sent to:

Planning Policy & Environment Team, Doncaster Council, Civic Office, Doncaster, DN1 3BU. All of the Publication documents (including this form) are available at: www.doncaster.gov.uk/localplan

This form has two parts: Part A – Personal Details and Part B – Your Comments (referred to as representations)

Part A Please complete in full. Please see the Privacy Statement at end of form.

1. Personal Details 2. Agent’s Details (if applicable)

Title Mr

First Name Richard

Last Name Lewis

Organisation (where relevant)

Address – line 1 34 Cadeby Road

Address – line 2 Sprotbrough

Address – line 3 Doncaster

Postcode DN5 7SD

E-mail Address

Telephone Number

Guidance Notes (Please read before completing form) What can I make comments on? You can comment (make representations) on any part of the Doncaster Local Plan Publication Version and its supporting documents. These include: Sustainability Appraisal, Habitat Regulations Assessment, Topic Papers and other supporting technical (evidence base) documents. The full list of documents is available at: www.doncaster.gov.uk/localplan. However, this stage is really for you to say whether you think the plan is legally compliant and ‘sound’ (see below ). Do I have to use the response form? Yes please. This is because further changes to the plan are for a Planning Inspector to consider during an Examination in Public and providing responses in a consistent format is important. For this reason, all responses should use this response form. You can attach additional evidence to support your case – but please ensure it is clearly referenced and succinct. The Inspector will decide if further additional evidence is required before or during the Public Examination. For the inspector to consider your comments, you must provide your name and address with your response. Additional response forms are available online at www.doncaster.gov.uk/localplan Can I submit representations on behalf of a group or neighbourhood? Yes you can. Where there are groups who share a common view on how they wish to see the plan modified, it would be

helpful for that group to send a single form that represents that view. In such cases the group should indicate how many people it is representing including a list of their names and addresses, and how the representation was agreed e.g. via a parish council/action group meeting, signing a petition, etc. It should still be submitted on this standard form with the information attached. Question 3 (below) – What does ‘legally compliant’ mean? Legally compliant means asking whether or not the plan has been prepared in line with statutory regulations, the duty to cooperate and legal procedural requirements such as the Sustainability Appraisal (SA). Details of how the plan has been prepared are set out in the published Consultation Statements and the Duty to Cooperate Statement, which can be found at: www.doncaster.gov.uk/localplan Questions 4/5 (below) – What does ‘soundness’ mean? Soundness means asking whether or not it is ‘fit for purpose’ and ‘showing good judgement’. The Inspector will explore and investigate the plan against the National Planning Policy Framework’s four ‘tests of soundness’1. These are:

Positively prepared - the Plan should be prepared so it meets Doncaster's objectively assessed needs for housing and other development, including infrastructure and business development.

Justified – the Plan should be based on evidence, and be an appropriate strategy for the Borough when considered against other reasonable alternatives.

Effective – the Plan should be deliverable and based on effective joint-working on cross-local authority boundary matters as evidenced in a Statement of Common Ground.

Consistent with national policy – the plan should enable sustainable development and be consistent with the Government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Question 8 (below) – Do I need to attend the Public Examination? You can present your representation at a hearing session during the Public Examination but you should note that Inspectors do not give more weight to issues presented in person than written evidence. The Inspector will use his/her own discretion to decide who should participate at the Public Examination. All examination hearings will be open to the public.

1 Paragraph 35 of Framework: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-planning-policy-framework/3-plan-making

Part B Please complete this Part to make your comments. After this Publication stage, further submissions will only be

at the request of the Inspector, based on the matters and issues she/he identifies for examination.

If after reading the Guidance Notes you don’t know how to answer these questions, please contact us at:

or

Name / Organisation Name:

Richard Lewis

1. To which document does your response relate? (Please tick all that apply)

Doncaster Local Plan Publication Draft ☒ Policies Map ☐

Sustainability Appraisal ☐ Habitats Regulations Assessment ☐

Topic Paper? If so, which one(s): ☐ Other Document(s)? If so, which one(s): ☐

2. To which part(s) of the document / map does your response relate?

Page No.: Paragraph:

Policy Ref.: Site Ref.: 929, 788, 252, 872

Policies Map:

3. Do you consider the Local Plan is Legally compliant (including with the Duty to Cooperate)? No ☐ Yes ☒

4. Do you consider the Local Plan is Sound? No ☐ Yes ☒ (If yes, go to Question 6) 5. If you consider the Local Plan is NOT SOUND, is this because it is NOT: (Please tick all that apply)

Positively prepared ☐ Justified ☐

Effective ☐ Consistent with National Policy ☐

6. Please give reasons for your answers to Questions 3, 4 and 5 where applicable. If you believe the Doncaster Local Plan is not legally compliant and/or not sound please provide all the information, evidence and supporting information necessary to justify your comments.

Please also use this box if you wish to comment on any of the documents you marked in Question 1 above.

You can attach additional information but please make sure it is securely attached and clearly referenced.

We are the owners and promoters of site ref 929 in Sprotbrough village. We support DMBC’s published version of the

Local Plan and believe site ref 929 offers a sustainable, viable and deliverable site for residential housing. However, we wish to raise a technical objection to DMBC’s view that the site will be developed in years 6 to 10 as we believe development can be substantially completed within the first 5 years due to the level of pre-work we have undertaken, and the current level of interest being expressed by building companies. We also wish to reserve the right to challenge points raised by the promoters of other sites in Sprotbrough village about the suitability of site ref 929 and wish to

reserve the right to comment further on all sites proposed for Sprotbrough in subsequent stages of the Local Plan

process.

We have enclosed a document which provides an additional evidence base to support the retention of site ref 929 as the preferred and allocated development site for Sprotbrough village within the Local Plan. In particular the quantitative assessment of traffic impacts should be considered and used as an additional reason to retain site ref 929 as the preferred and allocated development site for Sprotbrough village within the Local Plan

7. What change is necessary to make the Doncaster Local Plan legally compliant and/or sound? Please set out what change(s) you consider necessary to make the Doncaster Local Plan legally compliant or sound – based particularly on how you answered Question 6 relating to the tests of soundness. You need to say why the change(s) will make the plan legally compliant or sound. It will also be helpful if you put forward your suggested revised wording of any policy or piece of text. Please be as precise as possible.

(If you are suggesting that the Plan is both legally compliant and sound – please go to Question 9).

8. If your representation is seeking a change, do you consider it necessary to participate at the hearing sessions of the Public Examination? (tick one box only)

☐ No, I do not wish to participate at the examination. I would like my representation to be dealt with by written representation.

☒ Yes, I wish to appear at the Examination.

If you have selected No, your representation(s) will still be considered by the independent Planning Inspector by way of written representations. 9. If you wish to participate at the hearing sessions, please outline why you feel this is necessary:

The promoters of other sites in Sprotbrough are objecting to the selection of site ref 929 as the preferred and

allocated development site in the Local Plan and we will have additional information from our remaining

technical assessment work that is currently underway to present to the Examination.

Please note: the Inspector will determine the most appropriate way to hear those who wanted to participate at the hearing session. Your Signature

Date 29/09/2019

Please send your completed form, by no later than 6pm on 30th September 2019, to:

Planning Policy & Environment Team, Doncaster Council, Civic Office, Doncaster DN1 3BU

or email: Electronic copies of this form are available to download at www.doncaster.gov.uk/localplan

Privacy Notice The Council is committed to meeting its data protection obligations and handling your information securely. You should make sure you read and understand the Planning Services privacy notice (see link below), which sets out what you need to know about how Doncaster Council will use your information in the course of our work as a Local Planning Authority. http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/the-council-democracy/planning-service-privacy-notice. Hard copies are available on request from:

The Council reserves the right not to publish or take into account any representations which are openly offensive

or defamatory.

Site Proposal Representation

Site Reference: 929 Land to the North of Cadeby Road Date: 29th September 2019

1. Document Purpose

This document has been prepared by the owners and promoters of site ref 929; Mr Richard & Mrs

Michelle Lewis of 34 Cadeby Road, Sprotbrough, Doncaster, DN5 7SD.

Its purpose is to support and make representation for the continued inclusion of site ref 929 in the

DMBC Local Plan as an allocated development site for residential housing.

2. Site Owners’ Views

We support DMBC’s recommendation that site ref 929 be allocated in the DMBC Local Plan for

residential development but wish to raise objections about some of the arguments advanced by the

agents and owners of other Sprotbrough sites in prior Local Plan consultations who are contesting the

suitability of site ref 929 and we reserve the right to comment further on all Sprotbrough sites in

subsequent stages of the Local Plan process.

We are participating in the Local Plan process as both site owners and as long-time residents of

Sprotbrough village. As we live adjacent to Sprotbrough Copley Junior School, we are closely

acquainted with current issues relating to traffic congestion, the impact this has on the general well-

being of village residents and the dire shortage of new homes, particularly for young aspiring home-

owners and more elderly residents who have limited options to down-size within the village.

3. Overview

This document was originally submitted to the DMBC Local Plan team as part of DMBC’s informal

consultation exercise on the Local Plan. Its purpose was to help further inform the DMBC Local Plan

Team about the site’s potential to provide a sustainable, viable and deliverable location for residential

development within Sprotbrough village by providing additional information to justify the selection of

site ref 929 as the allocated site within the Local Plan.

This document has been updated to further strengthen the case of 929 being chosen as the preferred

site within the Local Plan by providing further information regarding viability and deliverability. The

following additions and updates have been added to this document:

A site layout scenario showing that 80+ homes can be comfortably accommodated on the site

whilst also providing some green space, surface drainage systems (SUDS) and the footpaths,

cycle tracks and greenbelt boundary buffering recommended by the DMBC Local Plan Team.

The response from Yorkshire Water on the ability of current sewers to accommodate the

expected volume of foul water discharged by the 80 homes proposed for the site. Yorkshire

Water have also confirmed that the nearest sewer junction is located only 56 metres from

the southern Cadeby Road boundary and, due to the natural gradient of the site, is not

expected to require any pumping station or mechanical assistance.

Corrections to the site size which were identified by the DMBC Local Plan Team and included

in the published version of the Local Plan. The site was under-estimated in our previous

submission. The site area is 2.85 hectares (not 2.7 hectares). The proposed number of

residential units has been left unchanged at 80 but this could be increased to 85+ by

accounting for the correct site area.

Expansion of the analysis into expected traffic impacts on Sprotbrough village by including all

the Sprotbrough sites proposed in the Local Plan and including additional research by the

Institute of Highways and Transportation on providing for journeys by foot.

We believe this document provides a strong and compelling business case to support the retention of

site ref 929 as the allocated development site for Sprotbrough within DMBC’s Local Plan.

This report makes a case for continued inclusion of site ref 929 in the DMBC Local Plan as an allocated

development site for residential housing by analysing the following factors:

Greenbelt characteristics and greenbelt development precedents adjacent to the site which

prove that the greenbelt has not proven to be defensible.

Significant pre-existing development of the site.

The ability of local infrastructure factors to sustain the proposed developments proposed in

the Local Plan and the potential impacts on the general well-being of residents in Sprotbrough

village which need to be considered as part of the Local Planning process and any future

residential development in the village.

Availability of necessary infrastructure needed to deliver the proposed development on the

site and affecting the commercial viability of the development.

The impact on existing infrastructure of the proposed development using a quantitative

analysis and by drawing a comparison with other proposed sites in Sprotbrough.

Site ecology and topology.

4. Site Availability, Viability & Readiness for Development

We confirm that site ref 929 is available now, that the promotion of the site is supported by willing landowners, and that development of the site will be delivered in a timely manner to contribute to the Borough’s supply. The site is wholly-owned by the site promoters, Mr Richard Lewis and Mrs Michelle Lewis, and there are no tenancies, mortgagees or other encumbrances preventing the land being brought on to the open market immediately and developed for residential housing over the next 1-5 years. The site owners have undertaken some preliminary technical assessments for the proposed site development (the remaining technical assessments are currently underway), performed some marketing and sale preparation with land agents and have prepared some site development layout scenarios in collaboration with building companies who have expressed strong interest in acquiring and developing the site. We support the recommendations made by the DMBC Planning Team in the published version of the Local Plan regarding how the site should be developed, such as the provision of a public footpath and cycle track linking Melton Road and Cadeby Road and the inclusion of additional green buffering to the established Western hedge boundary. A potential site layout incorporating these recommendations has been included with this submission.

5. Potential Site Layout

The following site layout has been drawn-up to show how 80 homes could be accommodated on the

site.

The site density uses an assumed ratio of 30 homes per hectare, giving a housing allocation of 85.5

units. The number of homes used in the site proposal is 80 units (28 units per hectare). This density

is comparable to that used on the most recent large-scale housing development in Sprotbrough village

where 78 residential units were created at a similar sized plot at Copley Gardens on Boat Lane.

6. Site Description & Topology

The site extends to 2.85 hectares of leisure land that has been used by the site’s current and previous

owners to ride, train, stable and graze horses for the last 9 years.

15% of the area of the site to the Southern-end bordering Cadeby Road has already been developed

to support the owners’ equine interests and there is full planning approval for further equine site

development which has not yet been started. Consequently, much of the southern end of the site

near the Cadeby Road boundary is already heavily developed.

The site is bounded to the north and south by Melton Road and Cadeby Road respectively and has

existing vehicle access points to both roads. All main services are either currently connected to

existing site buildings or run immediately adjacent to the Melton and Cadeby Road boundaries.

The site is flat over more than 95% of its area with the remaining 5% sloping down at the southern

site access point on the boundary with Cadeby Road. The site slopes very gently downwards in a

North-West to South East direction.

The site is on a local high point and looks down on to the village centre. It is located in a Flood Risk 1

zone and comprises well-drained limestone and has no known history of flooding.

Work will shortly commence on a full topographical survey of the site.

Further details of site ecology are provided in a later section.

7. Green Belt Encroachment, Development Precedent & Defensible Boundaries

The greenbelt boundary to the east of site ref 929 and adjacent to the public park is weak and poorly

defined and does not adhere to the principles defined in the national planning guidelines.

This greenbelt boundary to the east of the proposed development site has been further weakened by

development on the greenbelt that occurred around 2001 when 6 large detached homes were built

with retrospective planning permission along Melton Road on the greenbelt (255 – 265 Melton Road).

These planning approvals also changed the use of further green belt land to the rear of these

properties into a public amenity space by providing an extension to the public park. These approved

developments referred to above set a recent and important precedent for development in the

greenbelt in this part of Sprotbrough. The diagram below shows these recent greenbelt

encroachments highlighted in red.

MAP SHOWING RECENT GREENBELT ENCROACHMENT (SHADED RED) ADJACENT TO SITE REF 929

Additionally, the greenbelt to the south of the proposed development contains 6 semi-detached

houses built during the 1930’s (34 – 44 Cadeby Road) and 3 detached houses built during the 1980’s

(28 – 32 Cadeby Road). These existing developments are also contained within the greenbelt and

further weaken the greenbelt boundary adjacent to the proposed development site.

In conclusion, 15 homes already exist to the east and south boundaries of site ref 929, resulting in a

greenbelt boundary which is extremely weakened and difficult to defend against further greenbelt

development. Additionally, the recent building of 6 detached homes on this boundary sets an

important precedent for further development on this greenbelt, possibly with opportunities to re-

establish a greenbelt boundary that is strong and defensible and which adheres to national planning

guidelines

Furthermore, homes on Melton Road border 50% of the north boundary of the proposed site and

homes on Cadeby Road (together with equine buildings and developments already on site ref 929)

border 100% of the southern boundary of the proposed development site. The site is effectively

encircled by existing developments and there is a strong case to approve development of the

proposed site using the principle of ‘infill’ development.

Due to the above factors, there is currently no clear defensible green belt boundary on this part of the

west side of Sprotbrough village. The established hedgerow on the western boundary of the site ref

929 (which was displayed on local maps as far back as 1711) could provide a new clear and defensible

boundary to Sprotbrough’s green belt to the west side of Sprotbrough village and would meet

planning guidelines in terms of effective greenbelt boundary definition as it is an ancient, established

hedgerow.

In contrast to other development sites proposed in Sprotbrough (site ref 788, 252 & 872) there has

been zero encroachment and zero site development which would lend support to the view that the

greenbelt boundary adjacent to these sites has served its purpose by being clear and defensible and

having resisted greenbelt encroachment.

8. Site Size in Relation to the Housing Requirement in the Local Plan

The Local Plan has determined that an extra 95 new homes are needed in the Sprotbrough Service-

Town village area over the term of the Local Plan. Site ref 929 is ‘right-sized’ relative to this

requirement as the 2.85 hectares size can provides 85 new homes using a standard national planning

metric for housing density.

Selection of this site will allow housing development to be contained in one area that provides all

housing requirements and thereby preventing multiple encroachments in to the greenbelt. The

proximity of all the required mains services (see below) will also minimise and contain disruption in

Sprotbrough village caused by building works.

In contrast, other sites included in the Site Selection Methodology are significantly bigger that site ref

929 and will result in housing development that significantly exceeds the Local Plan requirements.

Development of any one of these alternative sites will also lead to significantly more greenbelt

encroachment. The associated infrastructure impacts, particularly in relation to road traffic in

Sprotbrough village are analysed in a later section of this document.

9. Planning History & Pre-existing Development of the Proposed Site

There is already substantial development on the proposed site which supports the owners’ equine

pursuits, and which comprises stabling, barn, storage buildings, riding arena and formation of

trackways to link these facilities.

The following full planning permissions have been approved for the site as part of the owners’

personal equine pursuits:

Planning ref 11/03035/FUL: Erection of stable block (14.47m x 10.36m), formation of fenced

horse exercise area and access from existing field entrance plus provision of vehicle turning

area.

Planning ref 16/02192/FUL: Erection of covered storage area (with integral secure storage),

retain two temporary stables and store, relocate and retain two timber stables and convert

existing store area in barn to provide two extra stables

The above developments have led to the development of all the south-side of the site bordering

Cadeby Road which extends to approximately 15% of the overall site. There is therefore already

extensive development of the site as highlighted in red shading on the site layout diagram below

10. Existing Infrastructure Benefitting the Proposed Development

10.1 Road Traffic Access Points

Site ref 929 has a unique advantage over all the other development sites proposed in Sprotbrough as

part of the Local Plan in that it has two road frontages (Melton Road and Cadeby Road) with existing

road-entry points. These two roads provide a unique opportunity to share entry/exit of road traffic

from the proposed site on to two roads (and, similarly, share construction traffic). The proposed

development would seek to use Melton Road (which is wider than Cadeby Road) for a majority of the

site traffic, with more limited use made of Cadeby Road, which is narrower. Options would be

explored with the DMBC Planning Team about how to best manage additional traffic generated by the

site development as part of the planning process, including prevention of through-traffic as well as

benefits from allowing through-traffic (e.g. improved bus route that would avoid the difficult junction

on Cadeby Road and New Lane) and benefits of creating an additional pedestrian and cycling link

between Melton and Cadeby Road and the adjacent public park.

10.2 Pedestrian Access

An analysis of distances on foot between each of the proposed sites and key facilities in Sprotbrough

village has been undertaken (refer table below). This analysis has been undertaken using Google Maps

to measure the distance from the centre point of each of the proposed sites to each key facility. The

routes used are explained beneath the table and use the nearest existing footpath to each proposed

site. Research undertaken by the Institute of Highways & Transportation (ref: Guidelines for Providing

for Journeys on Foot, published 2000) has been used to help develop metrics indicating the propensity

for journeys to be undertaken by foot and by car. Note: local bus services do not provide a viable

alternative to car journeys due to their current routes and location of bus stops but could be a

consideration for site ref 788.

Table Showing Analysis of Journey Distances to Key Facilities and Expected Mode of Transport

Other notes:

key facilities further afield which will inevitably require a car/bus journey from all proposed

development sites (and which therefore have limited pedestrian options) have been excluded

from the above analysis, notably Richmond Hill School and Ridgewood High School/Technical

College.

These routes are plotted for the journey analysis in the above table are as follows:

Site ref 929: exiting south onto Cadeby Road and then eastwards along Cadeby Road

Site ref 788: exiting south onto Melton Road, westwards along Melton Road then down

Brompton Road and westwards along Park Drive

Site ref 252: exiting south onto Westmoreland Way, Melton Wood Grove, Melton Road, New

Lane

Site ref 872: exiting south and eastwards onto Melton Road and then using the footpath

through the village park to access Cadeby Road

In conclusion, site ref 929 offers much shorter distances to key facilities in Sprotbrough village than

the other proposed sites. More importantly, the distances to the village schools and nursery are much

shorter and therefore have the potential to encourage residents on the newly developed site to walk

to school, rather than use cars, thereby limiting further road traffic at school times which is already

very problematic.

The above analysis has used existing footpaths adjacent to the sites to calculate distance. Site ref 929

has the potential to offer pedestrian access to key facilities via the public park on New Lane/Cadeby

Road, further reducing each of the walking distances in the above table by approximately 50 metres,

as well as providing important soft benefits for families with young children and senior residents who

can enjoy this pleasant aspect. This potential footpath link to the park is shown on the site layout

diagram in an earlier section of this document.

Site ref 929 also has unique advantages over all other development sites proposed in Sprotbrough as

part of the Local Plan in terms of its pedestrian access to key facilities in the centre of Sprotbrough

village. The footpath on Melton road terminates at that site boundary and provides a natural

extension point into the proposed development site. The footpath on Cadeby Road terminates 30

metres from the site boundary on Cadeby road and can be easily extended for modest cost to provide

additional pedestrian access. More importantly, there are potential opportunities afforded by the

adjacent public park which has a network of tarmacadam footpaths which run near to the eastern

boundary of the proposed site and provide pedestrian access to Cadeby Road and New Lane which

are very close to Copley Junior School, Orchard Infants School and Orchard Children’s nursery (see

later analysis of distances from key facilities). Additionally, these exit points also provide a relatively

safe pedestrian access point to other facilities in the centre of Sprotbrough village near the village

church, such as the village hall, post office, bus stops, doctors, shops, delicatessen, public house and

wine bar. This represents a significant advantage over other proposed sites as follows:

Pedestrian traffic will be encouraged over car traffic when accessing village facilities, limiting

road traffic in the village centre which is already significantly congested, particularly at school

opening/closing times. In stark contrast to this, development at all of the other sites proposed

in the Local Plan is likely to generate significant extra traffic in the village centre across all age

groups but particularly in relation to ‘school runs’. In simple terms, the existing road traffic

infrastructure in Sprotbrough village will struggle to sustain the incremental road traffic

resulting from developing site references 788, 252 and 872 as these are located further away

from the key village facilities than site ref 929.

Site ref 929 will also help prevent parents, carers and school children having to cross the busy

Melton Road to reach central village facilities whereas this busy road crossing will be a

requirement of all the other proposed sites. Development of sites other than site ref 929 may

require additional pedestrian crossings along Melton Road resulting in additional

development cost and creating additional barriers to the free-flow of traffic along Melton

Road which is the arterial route for village through-traffic. Note: the extra time taken to cross

Melton Road has not been included in the analysis of journey times and if included would be

expected to increase journey times on foot from other sites making the comparison even

more favourable for site ref 929.

10.3 Analysis of Existing Road Traffic Congestion and Forecast Impacts of Different Site

Developments

Road traffic congestion is felt most acutely at the following locations in Sprotbrough village and for

the reasons stated:

- On Cadeby Road, Main Street and New Lane, particularly during school/nursery

opening/closing periods due to parents and carers taking their children to/from

school/nursery and parking their vehicles on the roads mentioned.

- At the cross roads near the Ivanhoe public house, causing stationary traffic to back-up along

Thorpe Lane and Spring Lane whilst waiting to exit this junction.

- At the exit from Park Drive onto Melton Road, causing stationary traffic to back-up along Park

Drive whilst waiting to exit on to Melton Road.

- Near the village church due to volume of traffic passing through the village, typically in a

direction to/from Warmsworth and over the river Don crossing. This is exacerbated by

vehicles parked on Main Street, Thorpe Lane and Park Drive near the village church, typically

by people using the facilities located in the village centre.

Melton Road is the main arterial route carrying traffic through Sprotbrough village in an East-West

direction, linking facilities in central Doncaster and outlying areas to the West and providing access to

the motorway network (via the A1 at junctions 36 and 37). Whilst busy at peak traffic times, traffic on

Melton Road flows relatively smoothly in both directions through Sprotbrough village until meeting

the junction with York Road near Doncaster town centre (which is 0.5 miles from Sprotbrough village

and therefore discounted in this analysis of village traffic). Melton Road traffic does however cause

traffic to build-up on side roads in Sprotbrough village that exit on to or across it (refer above). All the

proposed development sites put forward within the Local Plan require traffic to exit directly, or

indirectly, on to Melton Road and will therefore contribute to the existing bottlenecks referred to

above. The key differentiators between the sites in terms of additional traffic exiting on to Melton

Road are the traffic volumes generated by the different sites and the ability to route traffic on to other

roads. An analysis of this information is presented in the table below.

Local Plan Site Ref / Description Number of New

Homes Proposed

*Number of Extra

Cars Generated by

Site

Alternative Exit Routes

929 /Land North of Cadeby Road 80 96 Yes, Cadeby Road

252 / Spring Lane 185 222 **Yes, Spring Lane

788 / Land at Sprotbrough 259 311 No

872/Land at Melton Road 177 212 No

* Derived from 2011 UK census data where there are 12 cars for every 10 households.

** This alternative exit point would have likely created traffic congestion at the Melton Wood

Grove/Melton Road junction and, along with the narrowness of Spring Lane, was one of the key

reasons for the previous rejection of this site by DMBC Planning Team and Sprotbrough and Cusworth

Parish Council.

Two of the proposed sites have the potential for alternative exit points, site ref 252 and 929. The

alternative exit points for site ref 252 have significant drawbacks (refer above). Site ref 929 also has

road frontage to Cadeby Road which provides an additional access point, allowing the significantly

lower volume of traffic generated by the site (when compared to other sites) to be shared across

Melton Road and Cadeby Road.

In conclusion, the site which will generate the least traffic onto Melton Road (and thereby contribute

least to existing congestion on roads exiting to/from Melton Road near the village centre) is site ref

929. All other sites contribute significantly greater traffic in their proposed form and have no other

viable alternative routing options for road traffic generated by the site.

11. Proximity and Suitability of Mains Services

The costs of some of the expected upgrade works to connect mains services have been partly assessed

and work is currently ongoing. These costs will be minimal due to the extremely close proximity of all

mains services.

11.1 Mains Drainage

Main drains are already in-situ to the north and south of the proposed development site on Melton

Road and Cadeby Road respectively. Yorkshire Water have responded to a sewerage pre-planning

application by the site owners (copy letter provided with this document) and have confirmed the

following in this document and follow-up enquiries by the applicant:

The mains drain on Cadeby Road should be used and has adequate capacity for the 80

residential units proposed. This is located approximately 50 metres from the southern site

boundary on Melton Road.

Due to the natural slope of the site in a North-West to South-East direction, no mechanical

means for moving the sewerage is expected.

Surface foul water should be directed to a sustainable drainage system (SuDS).

Existing mains drainage will therefore support the forecast foul water discharge from the proposed

site development with minimal cost/disruption to connect these services to the site given their

proximity.

11.2 Mains Water Supplies

The high-pressure mains water supply for the west of Doncaster runs along Cadeby road on the

southern site boundary and already serves the equine development located at the southern end of

the proposed development site. A further mains water supply runs along Melton Road on the

northern site boundary serving the existing properties on this boundary.

The specification and proximity of the mains water supplies are as follows:

Water Supply Location

Specification Proximity from Site Boundary

Capable of Servicing Proposed Site Development?

Approx. Cost of Improvement Works to Route Mains Services to Proposed Site Development

Melton Road TBC 1 metre Yes None

Cadeby Road High pressure Already on-site Yes None

Existing mains water supplies will therefore support the additional demand generated by the

proposed site development with minimal cost/disruption to connect these services to the site.

11.3 Mains Electricity Supplies

An existing electricity supply runs along Cadeby road on the southern site boundary and already serves

the equine development located at the south-end of the proposed development site. A further mains

electric supply runs along Melton Road on the northern site boundary serving existing properties on

this boundary. Additionally, an overhead cable runs from the substation 230 metres to the east of the

site across the middle of the proposed development site and one also runs along the Northern site

boundary on Melton Road. The site owners intend to re-route these supplies underground and

investigations into this are ongoing.

The specification and proximity of the mains electricity supplies are as follows:

Electric Supply Location

Specification Proximity from Site Boundary

Capable of Servicing Proposed Site Development?

Approx. Cost of Improvement Works to Route Mains Services to Proposed Site Development

Melton Road TBC /underground 1 metre Yes TBC

Melton Road TBC/overhead 1 metre Yes TBC

Cadeby Road TBC /underground Already on-site Yes None

On-site TBC /overhead Already on-site Yes TBC

Existing mains electric supplies will therefore support the additional demand generated by the

proposed site development with minimal cost/disruption to connect these services to the site.

11.4 Mains Gas Supplies

An existing mains gas supply runs along Cadeby road on the southern site boundary and already serves

existing properties along this site boundary. A further mains gas supply runs along Melton Road on

the northern site boundary serving existing properties on this boundary. The site owners are currently

in discussions with the network provider about the costs of providing supplies to the site.

The specification and proximity of the mains gas supplies are as follows:

Gas Supply Location

Specification Proximity from Site Boundary

Capable of Servicing Proposed Site Development?

Approx. Cost of Improvement Works to Route Mains Services to Proposed Site Development

Melton Road TBC 1 metre Yes TBC

Cadeby Road TBC 1 metre Yes TBC

Existing mains gas supplies will therefore support the additional demand generated by the proposed

site development with minimal cost/disruption to connect these services to the site.

11.5 Telecomms/Fibre Optics Cable

Existing telecoms and high bandwith fibre cable networks run along the north and south site

boundaries, serving existing properties along these boundaries.

12. Site Ecology

The site comprises recently sown grass pasture. It is intensively treated with herbicide to control

ragwort which is poisonous to grazing animals. It is broadcast-sprayed with herbicide twice-yearly and

is spot-sprayed with herbicide throughout the year by the owners. Consequently, plant diversity on

the grassland is therefore severely limited due to the newness of the grassland and the intensive

herbicide treatment.

Hedgerows border all site boundaries. The hedgerows alongside Cadeby Road and running alongside

and behind the properties on Cadeby Road were newly-planted by the owners five years ago and

comprise blackthorn, hawthorn and dog rose. The hedgerow on the eastern site boundary which

abuts the public park is an established but severely depleted hedgerow which has been re-planted

and infilled with new plantings by the current owners. The hedgerows to Melton Road and the

western site boundary are ancient, established hedgerows. These hedgerows do form an important

part of the site ecology and the owners’ intention is that, having allowed for any new site access that

may be required as part of subsequent development, these hedgerows would be fully-protected and

become an integral part of future developments on the site.

13. Summary & Conclusions

The owners of site ref 929 believe it offers the most sustainable and viable option for delivering the

Local Plan housing requirements for Sprotbrough village due to the following factors:

Minimises adverse impacts to existing infrastructure when compared to all other sites

included in the Local Plan (by a significant margin).

Is right-sized relative to the needs of the Local Plan.

Avoids over-development of the greenbelt relative to housing requirement identified in the

Local Plan.

Offers the potential to strengthen the greenbelt boundary to the west of Sprotbrough

village (to the east of site ref 929) which has been significantly breached and weakened by

recent greenbelt development, allowing the re-establishment of a strong and defensible

greenbelt boundary using the ancient hedgerow on the western boundary of site ref 929

(and thereby satisfying national planning guidelines and greenbelt definition ‘best

practice’).

Has all essential infrastructure needed to develop and sustain the site either already on-site

or running along the north and south boundaries of the site, thereby requiring minimal

development cost (improving site viability) and minimising disruption to existing residents.

Offers some important amenity benefits for residents who will occupy the new homes due

to it being located adjacent to the local park, which provides a ‘green’ pedestrian link to key

facilities, such as the village schools. In sharp contrast to this, the other sites proposed for

Sprotbrough village will significantly increase the level of road traffic based on a

quantitative impact assessment of their distance from key village facilities and will require

residents to cross the busy Melton Road to access these facilities.

Mr R Lewis 34 Cadeby Road Sprotborough DN5 7SD Your Ref: Our Ref: V014165

Yorkshire Water Services Developer Services

Sewerage Technical Team PO BOX 52

Bradford BD3 7AY

Tel:

Fax:

Email:

For telephone enquiries ring: Chris Roberts on

1st September 2019

Dear Mr Lewis, Land to the north off Cadeby Road, Sprotbrough, Doncaster, DN5 7SD - Pre-Planning Sewerage-Enquiry-Residential T542806 Thank you for your recent enquiry and remittance. Our official VAT receipt has been sent to you under separate cover. Please find enclosed a complimentary extract from the Statutory Sewer Map which indicates the recorded position of the public sewers. Please note that as of October 2011 and the private to public sewer transfer, there are many uncharted Yorkshire Water assets currently not shown on our records. The following comments reflect our view, with regard to the public sewer network only, based on a 'desk top' study of the site and are valid for a maximum period of twelve months. Development of the site should take place with separate systems for foul and surface water drainage. The separate systems should extend to the points of discharge to be agreed. Foul Water Foul water domestic waste should discharge to the 150 mm diameter public foul sewer recorded in Cadeby Road, at a point to the south east of the site. Surface Water The developer's attention is drawn to Requirement H3 of the Building Regulations 2000. This establishes a preferred hierarchy for surface water disposal. Consideration should firstly be given to discharge to soakaway, infiltration system and watercourse in that priority order. Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), for example the use of soakaways and/or permeable hardstanding etc, may be a suitable solution for surface water disposal appropriate in this situation. You are advised to seek comments on the suitability of SuDS in this instance from the appropriate authorities. As the proposal site is currently undeveloped no surface water is known to have previously discharged to the public sewer network As such, the local public sewer network does not have capacity to accept any surface water from the proposed site. If SuDS are not viable, the developer is advised to contact the Environment Agency/local Land Drainage Authority/Internal Drainage Board with a view to establishing a suitable watercourse for discharge.

Please note further restrictions on surface water disposal from the site may be imposed by other parties. You are strongly advised to seek advice/comments from the Environment Agency/Land Drainage Authority/Internal Drainage Board, with regard to surface water disposal from the site. Other Observations Any new connection to an existing public sewer will require the prior approval of Yorkshire Water. You may apply on line or obtain an application form from our website (www.yorkshirewater.com) or by telephoning An off-site foul and surface water sewer may be required which may be provided by the developer and considered for adoption under Section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991. Please telephone 0345 120 84 82 for advice on sewer adoptions. Alternatively, the developer may in certain circumstances be able to requisition off-site sewers under Section 98 of the Water Industry Act 1991 for which an application must be made in writing. For further information, please telephone 0345 120 84 82. Prospectively adoptable sewers and pumping stations must be designed and constructed in accordance with the WRc publication "Sewers for Adoption - a design and construction guide for developers" 6th Edition as supplemented by Yorkshire Water's requirements, pursuant to an agreement under Section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991. An application to enter into a Section 104 agreement must be made in writing prior to any works commencing on site. Please contact our Developer Services Team (telephone for further information. All the above comments are based upon the information and records available at the present time and is subject to formal planning approval agreement. The information contained in this letter together with that shown on any extract from the Statutory Sewer Map that may be enclosed is believed to be correct and is supplied in good faith. Please note that capacity in the public sewer network is not reserved for specific future development. It is used up on a 'first come, first served' basis. You should visit the site and establish the line and level of any public sewers affecting your proposals before the commencement of any design work. Y

Chris Roberts Sewerage Technician Developer Services