section 6: technical commentary on the masterplan section 6 ma… · report:130508 wye3 masterplan...

Sect ion 6: Technical commentary on the Masterplan

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6.2 Masterplan Benefits for Wye

6.4 Stewardship

6.1 Transport assessment of the proposed Masterplan

6.3 Meeting the Principles of the Neighbourhood Plan

Section 6: Technical commentary on the Masterplan


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6.1 Transport and infrastructure assessment of the proposed Masterplan

6.1 Transport assessment of the proposed MasterplanThis sect ion discusses the likely impacts of traffic and transport on the network. The following paragraphs are informed by a headline Transport Appraisal. That report is appended to this masterplan document.

6.1.1 Traffic effects of Wye developmentsA series of criteria was discussed with the design team and Imperial College in respect of the scope of development that could be contemplated at the WYE3 sites. This included the aspirat ion to constrain new development to a similar general footprint as the exist ing buildings, and, in respect of the traffic effects, to seek to benchmark the proposed development against the former college act ivit ies.

The following sect ion considers the traffic generat ion and distribut ion of the proposed developments of WYE3 and in out line for WYE1 and WYE2. The forecasts are based on an assumed development for WYE3 of:

• up to 200 new homes;

• 3,000sq.m of Agricultural business floor space south of Occupation Road;

• a Care Home or sheltered accommodation or a similar type of inst itut ional use in the Withersdane buildings (circa 8,500sq.m.)

• an education facility in the Edwardian buildings and part of the old labs (circa 4,500sq.m.), temporarily located in the Kempe Centre;

• 2,500sq.m. of business floor space in the Grade I and II listed buildings (which could alternat ively be community facilit ies); and

• 5,000sq.m. of business floor space (across four sites, and including the conversion of the Kempe Centre).

It is ant icipated that this development mix may be subject to refining as the master-plans evolve in detail, but that this is a robust basis for the init ial assessment.

No development phasing has been assumed and so the figures provided are end-state predict ions. No design year is adopted and no further background growth assumed as the local growth will be derived almost ent irely from the developments at WYE1, 2 and 3.

6.1.2 Traffic generat ionTransport planners generally rely on a suitable nat ional database of survey data to derive the trip rates for new development proposals. The TRICS database is applicable outside of London, and it draws together a large amount of empirical data, at a variety of sites, to allow professionals to select trip rates against the criteria of the part icular site in quest ion. Hence, for the various Wye allocation sites, vehicular trip generat ion rates have been obtained from the TRICS database and have been applied to the projected development mix.

The trip generat ion rates applied to the WYE3 land uses is considered to be part icularly robust because it would be usual to make some allowance for trips to be made “internally” to the development site – especially where there are a mix of land uses such as at WYE3. The principle is that a small number of people may live and work on the site, or would travel to facilit ies provided within the site, and so the TRICS database level of generat ion for that land use can be reduced by that proport ion. No adjustment for trips that would be made wholly within the WYE3 site has been made in this appraisal.

The same approach has been applied to the WYE1 and WYE2 development areas to derive projected traffic generat ion figures for these sites.

It is also important to establish where the traffic that is forecast may choose to go on the network – and so a basis must be found to define the distribut ion of the traffic to the various routes that are available across the network. As a relat ively compact and well defined sett lement, it is reasonable to assume that traffic from the new development areas will make broadly the same choices as the exist ing traffic already does – and so the forecast traffic from WYE1, WYE2 and WYE3 developments is assumed to distribute onto the highway network in the same proport ions as the exist ing traffic flows do. Hence, in all of the projected flow assumptions traffic has been applied to the network to the north, south, east and west in proport ion to the spread of vehicles observed to enter and leave the village cordon when the traffic counts were collected.

6.1.3 Baseline flowsOf course, the new development traffic has to be added onto the exist ing traffic that is already on the network. Traffic data was collected in the village during July 2012 (in the school term-t ime) and this has been applied to a spread sheet model to show the exist ing traffic movements across the main network.

In addit ion, the traffic that is forecast to arise from the WYE1 and WYE2 allocations has also been added to the network, as it is reasonable to assume that these sites will be developed in the future as planned, and this adds robustness to the appraisal.

The summation of the exist ing, or background traffic flows surveyed in July 2012 and the allowance for the WYE1 and WYE2 sites is represented in the tables on page 195 of this document as the “Base” traffic flows and gives an est imation of the total flow on the network at certain locat ions before any predict ion for traffic flowing from the WYE3 developments.


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Possible vehicle movement profile for education use on WYE3 lands set against the WYE3 Masterplan


6.1.4 The effect of the extant college use and comparison with WYE3In order to undertake a refined benchmarking exercise to analyse the impact of the master-plan, an assessment has been made of the likely traffic generat ion compared to an est imation of the reinstatement of a college act ivity at Wye. The site retains a lawful use designation as an educational campus, and this was the status that created the higher levels of traffic observed in 2006. If the WYE3 proposals are to be benchmarked against this extant use, then it is necessary to establish a level of act ivity that could be contemplated as realist ic for the site as a “brownfield” site that should be regenerated and re-used.

An assessment has been made of the possible development flows that could be related to the extant educational use at Wye – and taking account of the part icular circumstances at the village that led to a lower density of educational act ivity than might be the case for a general college facility. Using TRICS trip generat ion rates that are selected to match a similar type of edge of town or out of town location, the graph below demonstrates the range of traffic flows that would be likely to result.

The upper limit, the purple line, makes no allowance for a lower density of operat ion, which is believed to have occurred at Wye, and hence this provides an upper-bound possible level for traffic generat ion. Meanwhile, the green line follows the same general level of act ivity, but with a 25% reduct ion in trip generat ion to reflect the reported lower density of act ivity.

It should be noted that the trip generat ion criteria adopted for the extant use is considered to be part icularly robust as no part icular allowance was made for the historic activity at the ADAS site. This was used as offices and Government research facilit ies, and as such the TRICS database would suggest a much higher level of traffic generat ion even than the full density level of college act ivity, but this has not been included in the assessment.

For comparison purposes, the blue line shows the traffic generat ion trend that is associated with the proposed WYE3 developments. It can be seen that the pattern of traffic generat ion is different between the WYE3 and college act ivit ies which probably reflects the difference between home departure t imes and college arrival t imes. The quantum of trips is, however, similar. The red line illustrates the approximate traffic generat ion for the Wye3 masterplan but excludes trips associate with the school use in the development. An extremely robust est imate has been employed for a secondary school within the masterplan which is considered the pattern of movements associated with the Wye Free School.

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Change in traffic on links - morning (08:00-09:00hrs)

Change in traffic on links - afternoon (17:00-18:00hrs)

Change in traffic at junct ions - morning (08:00-09:00hrs)

Change in traffic at junct ions - afternoon (17:00-18:00hrs)


6.1.5 Overview of highway networkThe graphs opposite bring together all of the baseline, extant college use and the proposed WYE3 development effects and consider the effects on the wider highway network. They show the Baseline flows (green), predicted flows for the low density college use (red) and the proposed WYE3 uses (blue).

The blue scenario shows that the main corridors of Churchfield Way and at the level crossing are between 400 and 650 vehicles in the morning peak but reduce to 250 to 350 in the afternoon, and would be less outside of these t imes. The percentage change in traffic flow is amplified on certain sect ions of the network, such as Olantigh Road and Upper Bridge Street, but these roads current ly have extremely low levels of exist ing traffic flow. On Olantigh Road, in part icular, the current flow levels are very low, and so the effect of either the college or WYE3 uses is dramatic. The flows on Olantigh Road have been divided into “north” and “south”, and it should be explained that these designations relate to a point lying midway between Occupation Road and High Street, and assumed to be a location where development traffic could be loaded onto the network.

On all links, with the exception of Olant igh North, the projected traffic increase is less than the ‘Education Use’ project ion.

Imperial College – WYE3 Development Area Master-plan Transport Appraisal

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Table 6.1 - Change in Traffic on Links - Morning (08:00hrs-09:00hrs) Table 6.2 - Change in Traffic on Links - Afternoon (17:00hrs-18:00hrs)

Table 6.3 - Change in Traffic at Junctions - Morning (08:00hrs-09:00hrs) Table 6.4 - Change in Traffic at Junctions - Afternoon (17:00hrs-18:00hrs)

KEY


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6.1.6 Junct ion capacity analysisTo support the appraisal of the master-plan option headline junct ion analysis has been carried out to ensure that the indicat ive development mix does not cause problems at the junct ions within the village. This analysis has confirmed that junct ions would not reach saturat ion on the basis of the current predict ions with many of them operat ing within acceptable empirical capacity. Using industry standard software (Junct ions8), typically a priority junct ion should be modelled to operate with a Ratio of Flow to Capacity (RFC) value of less than 0.85 – a value of 0.85 and above is deemed to represent a junct ion operat ing above preferred theoret ical capacity and drivers would experience congest ion. None of the junct ions in Wye have approached this value with the peak value being approximately 0.5 at the Harville Road junct ion and at the Oxenturn Road.

This assessment does not reflect the interact ion of on-street parking on junct ion operat ions or the interact ion of the Harville Road or Bridge Street junct ions with the level crossing. It is clear that the quantitat ive assessment of the junct ions shows that they are operat ing well within capacity and will cont inue to do so. However, the wider management of the highway network should be considered to remove the driver perception issues and poor parking disciplines that actually impact on the day-to-day operat ion of the network. It should be noted that solut ions to the traffic issues in the village are likely to be achieved through qualitat ive rather than quantitat ive assessment methods.

With this in mind, the measures that could be contemplated on the road network concentrate on the management of the links between junct ions and the kerbside act ivity that occurs and how it is controlled.

6.1.7 Transport network enhancementsAlthough the effects of the WYE3 development have been benchmarked, in a suitably conservat ive way, against the historic act ivity in the village, the proposal to develop a mix of land uses at WYE3 provides an opportunity to implement some wider benefits to the transport network in and around the village. The emphasis on considering measures for Wye has been underpinned by two principles:

The measures should seek to enhance and develop travel choice for both exist ing and new residents, as far as pract icable, and;

The measures should provide a better management regime for the streets in the village, without relying on significant new road building.

It is acknowledged that the development will create addit ional travel demand over and above current flow levels today, and this will have an impact. However, this is not likely to be as great as the travel demand that arose from the college when it was operat ional, and it is considered that, with appropriate measures and careful management the WYE3 proposals will enhance the sustainability of the village overall. Similarly the proposed master-plan travel is likely to have lesser impacts on the strategic network such as the junct ions of A28 and the motorway, than the reintroduct ion of an educational use on the WYE3 lands. This would be considered fully through a transport and travel analysis as part of the applicat ions for the new proposals. The assessments would consider the implicat ions of changes to the network, such as proposals around Junct ion 10 / 10A

What could WYE3 deliver in transport terms?

It has to be acknowledged that a vibrant community will always require some traffic movements whether they are associated with successful businesses; deliveries to homes; or movements to and from schools or community facilit ies. Some of this act ivity will emanate from the village itself, but a vibrant economy will always attract people from further afield.

However, WYE3 will change the balance of travel in the village, and the WYE3 master-plan should deliver:

• a better balance of land uses / scale in the village to match the size of the primary school, with a consequent reduct ion in school based car trips travelling to and from Wye as school places were retained for village resident children;

• local business opportunit ies for local people reducing the need to travel from the village;

• walkable developments that are well connected to the village core;

• street-scape improvements within the village through development funded improvements;

• increased rail patronage and “gravity” of locat ion to support the argument that HS1 services should stop at Wye – even if only at peak t imes;

• increased bus patronage to help protect the viability of the local bus service and, depending on scale, deliver the resources to kick-start a community led small vehicle bus service that is able to negotiate the lanes and avoid the level crossing;

• new areas for parking in the village that are safe, accessible and fit for purpose, to cater for the new uses but also provide relief for the exist ing streets.

What won’t WYE3 deliver?

There are a range of access and travel alterat ions to the village that could be realised through the delivery of the WYE3 master-plan, however, it is important to note measures that could not be realist ically delivered. Concerns that have been expressed during the recent engagement but that cannot be pract icably resolved are:

• the provision of link roads or by-passes requiring large scale road construct ion;

• the desire for new rail or river crossings, and the removal of the level crossing;

• the complete resolut ion of the parking issues on the exist ing narrow streets; and

• the resolut ion of the peak t ime traffic congest ion around the primary school.

To emphasise, the philosophy is to deliver an enhanced level of sustainability for the village through the delivery of realist ic management measures for the exist ing infrastructure and the development of better travel choices.


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Possible transport measures for Wye village


Transport measures to be explored and developed

Following the technical work undertaken, and the important feedback from the various public engagement sessions, the master-plan proposals are underpinned by a series of measures that are intended to respond to the core issues ident ified. The measures provide a framework for more sustainable transport for the village as a whole, as well as for the development, and also include operat ional enhancements for the village streets. The diagram below highlights measures that have been explored as the development master-plan evolved.

Imperial College – WYE3 Development Area Master-plan Transport Appraisal

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Table 7.1 Possible Transport Measures for Wye Village

7.5 WYE3 Proposed Transport Measures

7.5.1 The following measures have therefore been incorporated into the proposed master-plan, as a proportionate response to the effects of the proposed development and in response to the philosophy of sustainable enhancements. Many of these need the approval of other organisations such as the Highway Authority, Planning Authority, Parish Council or Network Rail and the Train Operating Company. The designs will be developed as the proposals for the development emerge and will be the subject of the appropriate checks and analysis at that time.

6.1.8 Utilit ies assessmentIn developing the master plan, local Statutory Undertakers have been contacted to understand where upgrades might be needed to the services infrastructure network to allow for the emergent lands. Detailed plans will be drawn together of the necessary connect ions and diversions when the development designs move forward. It is current ly envisaged that addit ional capacity will be required to most systems including foul water systems and some renewal of the potable water network. Local changes to the electricity network will also be required. These changes are achievable within ICL’s lands; public land or through the necessary Statutory Undertakers’ authorisat ions available to the companies. The costs for these upgrades would be borne by the development.


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6.2 Masterplan benefits for Wye

6.2 Masterplan benefits for WyeAs has been shown in Sect ion 4, this Masterplan has been undertaken in close consultat ion with the local community and their appointed representat ives in the Wye Parish Council. Running parallel to this Masterplan exercise the Parish Council have also conducted a Neigbourhood Planning exercise and liaison has been made between that exercise and the WYE3 Masterplan.

The WYE3 Masterplan has been produced to not only give planning clarity for Ashford Borough Council but also for Imperial College as landowner and Wye Parish Council and the residents of Wye. It is recognised that the Masterplan will have an impact on Wye as it stands, as the Wye College had when it was fully funct ioning.

With change generally comes opportunity. The WYE3 team believe there is significant opportunity for the residents and businesses of Wye to the improvement of the village to ensure its sustainability as an attract ive and thriving local centre. The potent ial stewardship described in sect ion 5.7 would ensure that the improvements made to the north eastern quarter of the village will be act ively managed.

6.2.1 Benefits for Wye’s business and economyWye is a village with a good range of shops and services for its populat ion and catchment. WYE3 caters for a number of local businesses but it does so on low rents with poor quality accommodation to cater for current business pract ices. The WYE3 Masterplan proposes a range of new and upgraded business premises to provide those exist ing businesses and potent ial new ones with the ability to secure long term facilit ies with the flexibility to move and upgrade or downsize within the site as demand fluctuates.

The increase in business space, new housing and walkability into the centre would mean a significant increase in spend in the village, enough to secure the future of shops, the bank, public houses and other small businesses serving the community of Wye. This increased spend calculated as an average £1000 per household per year locally (meaning up to an addit ional £200,000 per year and based on up to 200 dwellings) can mean the difference between failure, break even and good profit for some businesses (these figures have been calculated from an assessment of the impact of new developments in other areas and have not been tailored to Wye)

One outcome of our research in Sect ion 2.7.4 ident ified that the greatest demand for business space in Wye was from its residents themselves. With an addit ional populat ion of up to 500 people would mean the likely emergence of new small businesses, demand for business space and addit ional income for the village.

There is also the potent ial benefit of short to medium term jobs in construct ion that will emerge through the durat ion of the project. A common rule of thumb is 1.5 local jobs created per dwelling. This might also include apprent iships.

Finally, environmental improvement in the village and part icular along North Downs Way (including improved view of Wye from the Crown) could lead to an increase in tourism, demand for accommodation and increased spend in the village.

6.2.2 Public amenity Addit ional housing in the village through the WYE3 Masterplan will provide a step change in environmental improvements in Wye as well as throughout WYE3. With these comprehensive improvements in WYE3 the increase in populat ion will give addit ional funds to the Parish through Council Tax and Sect ion 106 payments for improving Wye. This might mean the delivery of the riverside park, or an improved MUGA facility or parking improvements throughout the village. The addit ional benefit of the New Homes Bonus for the Parish Council once the Neighbourhood Plan is in place can provide much needed funding for those projects described above.

Delivering this Masterplan will also secure the defensible boundary required through the Neighbourhood Plan. This defensible boundary would also become a public footpath with natural ‘events’ along its length (such as natural gym, public orchard, wildflower meadows etc.). This path would become part of the circular route ident ified in the Neighbourhood Plan.

There is a significant increase in public open space ident ified in the Masterplan. This public land, larger than any other public space in the village would provide a variety of features and landscapes, not just a large open space found on Church Field.

The development at Withersdane would provide for an improved and upgraded public footpath connect ing to Cherry Garden Lane and past the Wye Juniors sports pitches. Depending on which land use is finally realsised, the open space in the site, part icularly the eastern side including tennis courts and Withersdane Gardens willl have some limited public access.

The sports pitches provided by Imperial College to Wye Juniors are an exist ing amenity that can be used for the wider community and potent ially the Free School assuming these needs can be accommodated in the area available and to each party’s agreement. This is current ly a significant benefit provided to the village by Imperial College.


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6.2.3 Environment and ecologyThere is significant environmental benefit t ied to the Masterplan. This improvement includes ecological biodiversity throughout the sites. The increase in woodland and hedgerow quality and quantity and in part icular their linkage throught the ent ire of the north eastern quarter will ensure that the current ecology has the chance to expand within the urban environment and connect in different direct ions to the natural environment.

The Masterplan shows numerous, stronger connect ions between the Arboretum, the Plantat ion and new woodland between. With appropriate management and signage can become public resources for teaching (for the Free School) as well as enhanced natural environments.

6.2.4 Phasing of the developmentThe WYE3 masterplan proposes a significant quantum of development and as such it is appropriate to set out some principles in terms of the proposed phasing and associated t imescale of the delivery of this development. Appropriate phasing will ensure that the village is not consumed with development and potent ially overrun with commercial vehicles associated with this, furthermore it will allow the commercial and resident ial market t ime to respond to the availability of addit ional accommodation within Wye and so go some way to ensuring that there is not a situat ion where new built development remains unoccupied and vacant for any extended period of t ime.

In terms of resident ial development a total of up to 200 resident ial units are proposed across the masterplan the majority of which are to be provided within the area of land east of Olant igh Road and north of Occupation Road. Whilst the least invasive method of phasing such development would be to release a modest quantum of development each year this is an unrealist ic approach and would ignore the market realit ies of how most house builders would wish to approach a site of this scale. In reality a house builder would wish to adopt some economies of scale by having a whole team of contractors on site for a set period of t ime and this is best achieved by developing a certain quantum at a t ime.

It is ant icipated that land west of Olant igh Road ident ified for resident ial development would come forward as one phase with the resident ial development east of Olant igh Road stretching out north and east from the Kempe Centre in later phases. However phasing the proposals in this way could also allow for the early construct ion of service roads and the early plant ing of landscaping features/buffers to enable chosen species to mature prior to development being inst igated in those areas.

The final number of phases, their t iming, and the number of units to be built within each phase, will ult imately be determined by market forces and the t iming of delivery of the various benefits and community uses associated with the masterplan. Full details of the phasing of the resident ial development will of course be more formally considered during the planning applicat ion stage.

It is clear from our research on the commercial side that the market realit ies of the commercial development are rather less certain and as such it may take quite some t ime before all of the land allocated for both business and agri-business development is developed and occupied. In the current austere economic climate it is unlikely that any developer would ordinarily be persuaded to build the proposed various commercial premises on a purely speculat ive basis. Normally future tenants will need to be signed up to leases or at the very least strong interest ident ifiable before the development is commenced but in this instance it would be possible to provide some speculat ively subsidised by the wider masterplan development. In order for there to be some certainty over the deliverability of the commercial floor space it is considered appropriate to t ie the delivery of some of these elements in with certain phases of the resident ial development. Specifically the business/art isans units south of Occupation Road could be committed to be delivered with the second and third phases of the resident ial development. The Business Hub within the converted Kempe Centre would be delivered to allow t ime as ant icipated for the Wye Free School to sett le into the listed buildings after their temporary occupation of the Kempe Centre. The community use of sect ions of the listed buildings would subsequent ly need to be refined and agreed.

The agri-business units being rather more specialist would have to remain separate from the proposed phasing not least because the exist ing tenants on site would need somewhere to move to very early on if they cont inue to choose to remain in Wye.

In terms of Withersdane the priority will cont inue to be to ident ify an inst itut ional occupier to take on this site in its ent irety, as it is relat ively self contained and would work well on this basis. If this does not prove possible then the alternat ive resident ial opt ions would be reviewed during the later phases of the masterplan development.



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Phase 1 - to 2030 (end of NP period)Phase 2 - housing and green infrastructure

Unphased - WithersdanePhase 4 - commercial facilit ies

Phase 1 - Wye Free School Phase 3 - housing begins eastwards

Unphased - agri-business



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6.2.5 Init ial assessment of visual impactIt has been ident ified though the consultat ion that visual impact from the North Downs, in part icular from Wye Crown, is a major concern to the village. The current situat ion as shown in the analysis clearly illustrates the exposed nature of the edge of Wye. In part icular the glasshouses and Kempe Centre are major visual features when looking towards Wye from the Crown. Whilst it would take a great deal to mask the extent of the Kempe Centre roof from view, the remainder of the site closer to the Downs can be visually mit igated through the use of a layered landscape structure. This layering has been illustrated over the next few pages with photos taken from different points along the North Downs Way.

The Kempe Centre roof is unlikely to be concealed fully however three rows of poplar windbreaks amongst ofther green infrastructure will help to break up the mass of the building and reduce any glare, thus minimising its visual impact.

Exist ing view towards Wye from above Wye Crown showing the openness of the WYE3 site, the visual dominance of the Kempe Centre and glasshouses (and Havilands in the background) and recessive nature of the village centre due to its sensit ive use of materials

Potent ial view to WYE3 from above Wye Crown showing the potent ial visual mit igat ion of WYE3 through a strong landscape structure of enhanced hedgerows and windbreaks after a period of 20 years - further detailed work will be needed to verify the view and illustate more accurately the mit igat ion of any impact although it is expected that the new development will be less visual impact than the current situat ion.



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Exist ing view towards Wye from the junct ion of North Downs Way and the lane leading north of Amage Road also showing the openness of the WYE3 site, the visual dominance of the Kempe Centre and glasshouses but with the the remainder of the village of Wye now concealed behind exist ing vegetat ion

Proposed view to WYE3 from the junct ion of North Downs Way and the lane leading north of Amage Road showing the potent ial visual mit igat ion of WYE3 through a strong landscape structure of enhanced hedgerows and windbreaks after a period of 20 years - further detailed work will be needed to verify the view and illustate more accurately the mit igat ion of any impact although it is expected that the new development will be less visual impact than the current situat ion.



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6.2.6 Potent ial transport benefitsThe following measures have been incorporated into the proposed Masterplan, as a proport ionate response to the effects of the proposed development and in response to the philosophy of sustainable enhancements. Many of these need the approval of other organisat ions such as the Highway Authority, Planning Authority, Parish Council or Network Rail and the Train Operat ing Company. The designs will be developed as the proposals for the development solidify and will be the subject of the appropriate checks and analysis at that t ime.

Community led local bus service

A series of bus transport opt ions have been considered:

• enhancing the frequency of the exist ing No. 1 service to every 30 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes;

• extending the exist ing No. 517 service from Litt le Burton to Wye;

• providing new evening and Sunday journeys on the No. 1 service; and

• operat ing a new, local scale, small community bus service in a way that was complementary to the No.1 service.

The current weekday service level for route number 1 has been established over a number of years and is understood to be operat ing at an optimal level to co-ordinate with other bus connect ions and, undoubtedly has been t imetabled to the current operat ion of the level crossing. Opportunit ies for future improvements should not be ent irely discarded but are not considered to be pract ical current ly. Introducing weekend or evening services for route 1 may be viable, but would only add to the travel choices in Wye on a relat ively limited basis.

Extending other exist ing services into Wye would provide alternat ives to the current service but it is ant icipated that any extended service would inevitably operate close to the exist ing t imetable and therefore not offer a substant ial improvement in geographic or t ime coverage. This option could be explored in more detail and might attract further people to use buses, but again is not considered an essent ial development of the network.

A community based local service which complements rather than competes with the exist ing service would provide the potent ial for a new range of dest inat ions to be served – perhaps on a demand basis, as well as potent ially being able to provide some peak period connect ions that avoided the level crossing. Such a service could be established, and potent ially underwritten by the development for a period long enough to allow it to become viable as a community or trust based init iat ive in common with serviced elsewhere in the country.

The service would be operated by a small bus – almost certainly a vehicle of fifteen or fewer seats so that it can be driven by someone without a specific PSV licence, run by the community for the community that could provide a flexible service focussed on Wye. The service could be operated in a variety of ways, but it is envisaged that it would offer a “scheduled” type of service during the peak period, and a Dial-a-Ride style of demand led service at other t imes.

Hence, it is envisaged that the service was configured to operate a peak hour shutt le to a suitable “hub” location in Ashford - probably the railway stat ion, to offer good onward connect ions to local facilit ies. The plan is that this could realist ically route via Oxenturn Road and Hinxhill to dodge the level crossing altogether. This could also provide a service for trips to the William Harvey hospital from the outer-lying areas of the Parish. It should be noted that the service is not intended to compete with the current bus route operated by Stagecoach, but to provide an enhanced and extended range of dest inat ions that the scheduled service cannot reach.

Traffic management scheme to Olantigh Road

The Masterplan envisages the creat ion of an important new “square” focused on the Kempe Centre. This will attract a range of movements, many of which will be encouraged to be on foot or by cycle. The environment along the link between Occupation Road and High Street would be enhanced to ensure good connect ions between the square and the village core and to reflect the sett ing alongside the exist ing houses and the listed buildings.

Traffic speeds would be kept low and the entrance to the village emphasised for people arriving along Olantigh Road.

Streetscape improvements to the junct ions of Olant igh Rd / High St and High St / Church St

To complement the enhancements along Olantigh Road the junct ion with High Street and Upper Bridge Street should be reconfigured to remove excess carriageway. This would also allow the provision of better, well-defined pedestrian facilit ies and the removal or reconfigurat ion of parking activity around the junct ions, accompanied by better paving and plant ing. This could result in a net loss of on-street parking spaces which would be offset by addit ional off-street public parking.

In concert with the uplift in sett ing around the Olantigh Rd junct ion a similar exercise should be considered for the junct ion of High Street with Church Street and Churchfield Way. The aspirat ion here should be to derive a junct ion that is more sensit ive to the surroundings through the reduct ion in excess carriage way seeking to transfer the space to better pedestrian areas or defined parking areas. The designs would respect the needs of the village by better formalising on-street parking whilst removing local congest ion and vehicle conflict.

Both junct ion designs would be prepared cognisant of the predicted traffic needs of the village and the emergent development, and would need to be the subject of specific consultat ion as the details were prepared.

Rationalisat ion of parking on Bridge St

Continuing the theme of local traffic management, a review of on-street parking along the narrow corridor of Bridge Street between Church Street and Churchfield Way would define where pract icable kerbside controls should be promoted that allow better traffic management, better provision for buses, and better visibility at defined crossing points for pedestrians. This could be especially beneficial to the primary school but should be balanced with the needs of local residents front ing onto Bridge Street.

This traffic management scheme would need to be designed carefully, and be subject to its own local consultat ion exercise as the details were developed.



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New off-street car park

To balance the review of on-street traffic management and junct ion sett ing a new area of addit ional public off-street parking has been incorporated in the master-plan to offset any reduct ion in on-street kerbside parking. As the master-plan evolves it will become clearer where this provision might best be located. A notional provision has been illustrated within the master-plan as an area behind the Grade 2 listed buildings. This facility, wherever it is provided, could assist with the removal of on-street spaces elsewhere and hence better traffic management in the village.

Travel Plan endowment

The physical changes to roads and junct ions through the village will help to provide improvements to the sett ing of the street-scene and give good connect ions but to maximise this investment funding would be set aside to help with establishing people’s approach to environmentally friendly travel; to monitor how the systems sett le in and for management for a period post development.

This init iat ive goes to the heart of the philosophy of enhancing travel choice, and would be available to both the exist ing and new communit ies in the village. It part icularly links with the community bus init iat ive.

Level Crossing Notificat ion ‘App’

This measure is somewhat innovative – and it is fair to say needs further development to bring it to fruit ion.

The interact ion of the level crossing with travel in and around the village has been a fundamental issue with most people who have been engaged with the master-plan development. There is no obvious panacea solut ion to the impact of the crossing on the village. Although it is probable that Network Rail will automate the operat ion of the barriers in the future it is possible that an innovative option could be explored which seeks to give local people reliable information on the t imings of the closure of the crossing to help them make travel choices - changing their travel t ime or looking to alter the mode of travel or route they take.

The proposal is to explore with Network Rail the provision of real-t ime train information for a Wye-specific smart-phone applicat ion which will not ify people of the ant icipated closure of the crossing. People could then choose to programme their journey in advance of the closure or to delay their trip or to seek an alternat ive mode or route to avoid the crossing.

The ‘App’ would not be designed to encourage people to rush to and through the crossing but would assist with making informed decisions. It would be extremely beneficial to populate this with real-t ime data to allow for any variat ions in t imetable and to reflect unscheduled trains, such as freight and maintenance movements.

There is no evidence that this has been tried and tested elsewhere and so this innovative solut ion would be testament to Wye’s creat ive heritage.



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6.3 Meeting the principles of the Neighbourhood PlanAs has been shown in Sect ion 4, this Masterplan has been undertaken in close consultat ion with the local community and their appointed representat ives in Wye Parish Council. Running parallel to this Masterplan exercise the Parish Council have also conducted a Neigbourhood Planning exercise.

Although the Neighbourhood Plan addresses the wider area of the Wye with Hinxhill Parish the principles of both exercises are closely aligned. The Neighbourhood Plan has ident ified a series of principles under the following headings:

1. The Parish and its Landscape;

2. Looking at Change and New Development in Wye;

3. Looking at the design of development and change.

This sect ion shows how to each of these principles have been addressed in the Masterplan so far.

6.3.1 The Parish and its landscape“The landscape sett ing of Wye, its historic centre and more recent extensions add together to give the village its present sense of place as a separate sett lement.” (Wye draft Neighbourhood Plan 13th April 2013)

Principle 1: Wye’s sense of place within its surrounding countryside should be protected including the views into and from the village

The WYE3 Masterplan has been careful to assess the key views into and away from the village. The main views affect ing WYE3 are from along the North Downs Way both towards the village from the Crown and towards the Crown from the village. The eastern edge of WYE3 will be well screened to protect views towards the village and the commitment made that any impact of development in this area will not worsen the current view with the intent ion to improve it.

The views to the Crown from WYE3 will be protected along the North Downs Way however the view ident ified from Olantigh Road, north of the Kempe Centre is not a clear view corridor. Efforts will be made to maintain this view however with the improved landscape structure reducing the impact of the edge of Wye from the Crown might take precedence over this part icular view.

Principle 2: Wye should remain recognisable as a village with its separated sett lement status

A key principle of the WYE3 Masterplan is to create a stronger ‘defensible’ boundary to the edge of Wye to ensure no further encorachment towards Ashford (and therefore potent ial coalescence) in the future.

Principle 3: There should be no increase in the overall footprint of the village‘s built-up area

WYE3, as a designated site in the Tenterden and Rural Sites DPD, has protected status as a development site. Even so, the extent of built up area in this proposed Masterplan is less than exist ing with the consolidat ion of the development to the south and re-naturalisat ion of ADAS.

Principle 4: The appearance of parts of the outskirts of the village should be improved

The Masterplan has created a framework to great ly improve the edge of the village can create an attract ive, natural and public environmment for the benefit of all Wye’s residents.

Principle 5: The exist ing infrastructure of green spaces in the village must be protected

A key principle of the WYE3 masterplan is to preserve and enhance the exist ing green infrastructure of the village. It great ly enhances the ecological biodiversity of the north eastern quarter of Wye. There is a significant increase in public amenity space with new public meadows, woodland walks and a community orchard.

6.3.2 Looking at change and new development in Wye“New development should be proport ionate to the character and nature of a village” (Wye draft Neighbourhood Plan 13th April 2013)

Principle 6: Development should be concentric around the historic centre with residents able to walk to the centre within five minutes.

The Masterplan has complied with this principle and consensed the development area to within a walkable distance to the village centre and Wye Railway Stat ion.

Principle 7: There should be no overall increase in housing density

The WYE3 masterplan shows housing densit ies of between 20-40 dwellings per hectare. These equate to the different densit ies found in Wye from the higher densit ies in the village centre, the medium densit ies along Bridge Street and Scotton Street and lower densit ies in Orchard Drive and Cherry Garden Lane.



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Principle 8: New homes should be built in small clusters easily linked to the centre of the village

The WYE3 masterplan shows small development blocks separated by open spaces, hedgerows and other green infrastructure. There is a compromise between a compact village and clustered housing developments.

Principle 9: Developments should be assessed within the constraints of the exist ing infrastructure and not result in excessive growth

The exist ing infrastructure has been assessed and found able to serve the proposed Masterplan development (as it did when the Wye College was fully funct ioning).

Principle 10: A fit for purpose business hub sympathet ic to the local environment, to promote economic growth and local employment, should be created

The proposed business hub, centred around the Kempe Centre with space on Occupation Road caters for the current demand found in Wye. It also caters for future ant icipated demand within the listed buildings situated in the village centre with the increase in populat ion form the proposed housing. The agri-business, located to the east caters for future demand of the exist ing businesses in Wye.

Principle 11: Change should be undertaken with environmental consciousness, applying CO2 neutral principles and building to the highest sustainability standards

The WYE3 Masterplan is committed to C02 neutral principles. Once the development is progressed these principles will be translated into physical opportunit ies to fit the technology available at that t ime.

6.3.3 Looking at the design of development and change“Wye’s posit ion in the AONB and with a conservat ion area must be protected” (Wye draft Neighbourhood Plan 13th April 2013)

Principle 12: The scale and height of developments and buildings should be appropriate to their context

The WYE3 Masterplan will ensure that the scale and height of development is appropriate to its sett ing. The following chapter sets down an example of the Design Coding to be put in place prior to detail planning permission to ensure this principle is adhered to.

Principle13: The height and density of any new buildings should decrease from the centre of the village to the perimeter

The WYE3 Masterplan meets this principle.

Principle14: Part icular care should be taken in the Conservat ion Area to ensure that alterat ions and new buildings relate in architecture and scale to their surroundings and make a sat isfactory contribut ion to the historic core of the village.

The WYE3 Masterplan meets this principle.

Principle15: Where development is allowed, it should be to good contemporary design and result in energy efficient buildings that use sustainable design, technology and materials, construct ion and site management.

The following chapter is an example of the Design Coding to be put in place to ensure this principle is met. Once at the point of producing the full Design Code it is anticipated that the Village Design Statement will have been updated to give further guidance.

Principle16: The quest ion of vehicle parking and movement should be specifically addressed for all new developments.

The followwing chapter is an example of the Design Coding to be put in place to ensure this principle is met.

Principle17: Developers should be encouraged to involve local people in early discussions for any proposed new developments of significant size or impact.

The approach to the WYE3 Masterplan has been one of comprehensive community involvement from first principles.



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600m walking distance radius

600m walking distance radius

Principle 6: Development should be concentric around the historic centre with residents able to walk to the centre within five minutes.

6.3.4 Meeting the principles of the Neighbourhood Plan: Walkability

Pedestrian accessibility to the facilit ies located at Wye’s historic core and to the railway stat ion were, from the outset, recognised as fundamental factors in ensuring proposals for the WYE3 site would integrate successfully with the exist ing community.

To ensure our proposals addressed these factors current national guidance (‘Manual for Streets’, published by the Department for Transport) was adhered to. ‘Manual for Streets’ provides the following guidance regarding ‘walkable neighbourhoods’:

“Walkable neighbourhoods are typically characterised by having a range of facilit ies within 10 minutes’ (up to about 800m) walking distance of resident ial areas which residents may access comfortably on foot. However, this is not an upper limit and PPS13 states that walking offers the greatest potent ial to replace short car trips, part icularly those under 2km.”

Addit ionally, statutory maximum walking distances to and from school are st ipulated by the Education and Inspect ions Act 2006. ‘Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance’ published by the Department for Education and Skills states the following:

“Statutory walking distance” is two miles for children aged under eight, and three miles for children aged eight and over. The measurement of the “statutory walking distance” is not necessarily the shortest distance by road. It is measured by the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk with reasonable safety. As such, the route measured may include footpaths,bridleways, and other pathways, as well as recognised roads”.

As the plan opposite illustrates our proposals restrict development to with a 600m radius of Wye’s historic centre. The historic centre is within 700m. walking distance (8.5 minutes walk), Lady Joanna Thornhills Primary School is less than 1200m (15 minutes walk). walking distance away, while Wye railway stat ion is 1300m (16 minutes walk) away. All of these distances fall comfortably within current nat ional guidance and statutory walking distances.

The principles of walkability have been embedded since the first concept ideas for the site following comments made in the first consultat ion and presented back in the second. An extract of the ‘Concentric Village’ concept is shown below with the 600m walking distance radius from the top of Church Road (note the eastern boundary of the WYE3 site is incorrect ly shown in this early plan).

Proposed Concentric VIllage concept plan presented in the second public consultat ion and taken forward as the preferred concept.

Draft Emerging Masterplan presented in the third public consultat ion and with development area outside the 600m radius.

Below is an extract of the Emerging Draft Masterplan presented in the third public consultat ion. Although this plan met the walking distance guidance (described above) it was outside the 600m walking distance previously consulted on.

The current Proposed Masterplan (right) shows the furthest extent of development within the 600m radius and further distances to the Primary School and Railway Stat ion.



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92m

.

230m

.

168m

.

225m.74

m.

600m.

500m.

400m.

358m.

645m.

Proposed Masterplan illustrat ing the 600m maximum radius for ensuring walkability and exact distances

from the historic centre of Wye and the distance from the furthest point of the development to Lady Joanna

Thornhill’s (Endowed) Primary School.

Total walking distance = 1147m or 14 minutes walk



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6.4 Design Quality and StewardshipEnsuring design quality

There are principally three influences in which the eventual design outcome, as constructed, can be controlled through the process.

1. The College’s aspirat ions

Imperial College wishes to create a development of which it can be proud, part icularly as since it intends, if commercially possible, to remain as the freeholder. High standards of design, place-making, infrastructure and environment will be a fitt ing legacy on this redundant land, one which is ent irely in tune with the College’s world-leading role in scient ific teaching, research, and innovation.

The College’s choice of professional consultants will cont inue to reflect these aspirat ions for the highest-quality of development.

2. Design Coding

The process itself can encourage the formulat ion of high standards. Init ial Design Coding has already been carried out to explore scale, frontages, massing, the relat ionship of road to blocks, the integrat ion of water and landscape, and the quality of place. It is ant icipated that a full Design Code would be required to supplement an Outline Planning Applicat ion. The Design Coding will govern the principles of the development but would not, it is ant icipated, control the detailed design of the development. The headings for the design controls are shown in Sect ion 6. It is expected that the specific controls would be more stringent than current ly shown and also based on further research, relevant examples and parameter test ing, to ensure the development meets the aspirat ions of the Wye Village Statement and its character.

As the planning process cont inues it is ant icipated that the Design Coding will be assessed in its aspirat ions and likely controls by the Ashford Design Panel or Design Council CABE. This would form part of the pre-applicat ion advice during the planning process.

devices, as appropriate, which could include:

• The establishment of a Wye Village Trust, suitably endowed, and with income-raising potent ial, to manage;

• the use of the Grade 1 listed building for community use;

• some common parts such as the community orchard, the football/playing field/pavilion, part of the village perimeter path relevant to WYE3 etc.

• The establishment of a WYE3 Management Company (suitable name to be provided) which would;

• carry out the day-to-day landscape creation/management funct ions (including some of the above of the common parts of the resident ial/commercial development of the WYE3 land.

The types of measures the management company might encompass could include:

• ident ifying the assets and features which will need to be governed by the management strategy, such as the Grade I listed community building;

• management measures for the community orchard, football/playing fields, pavilion and perimeter path;

• management of any district heating;

• waste collect ion and recycling;

• management of shared transport;

• general upkeep of landscaped areas;

• enforcement of estate covenants relat ing to householder alterat ions, parking, nuisance etc;

• managing the commercial buildings.

In this way long-term land interest, development, environment, the interest in the commercial viability of the village, the care of important architectural, environmental and land assets, and the interest of exist ing and new residents can all be combined and given new impetus: stewardship for a genuinely sustainable community. The detailed structures for ensuring this long-term management will, necessarily, be subject to the final content and viability of development proposals included in any applicat ion.

3. Local Planning Authority requirements, aspirat ions and control through Planning Consents and Reserved Matters Condit ions.

The Local Planning Authority is, ult imately, the body which will grant planning Consent, or not, and our experience across the country is that it is possible to demand high standards of infrastructure/landscape design/environmental design, which is often more important to the eventual quality of ‘place’ than architectural design, though this is important. The NPPF is specific in its demands, and it is up to the Planning Authority to demand high standards.

In addit ion, of course, maintenance and management of the development needs to be considered from the outset. ‘Landscape’ is created over t ime and will largely be a product of its management. The Local Authority has the power to require precision in terms of the quality, t iming, management vehicle and longevity of the landscape establishment and management. This would be through the mechanism of Sect ion 106 contribut ions and Reserved Matters agreed at the t ime of an Outline Planning Consent.

There are three key Reserved Matters to ensure design quality. The first is Design Coding, addressed above and will be included in the Planning Applicat ion; the second is the product ion of a separate Landscape Masterplan providing the detailed design of all public space on the site; and the third is a Landscape, Open Space and Ecological Management Plan showing how the Landscape Masterplan is managed over the long term and by whom (addressed below).

Stewardship of the site

Imperial College, as a major landowner in the area, has an interest in the long-term maintenance of the quality of the land, be it agricultural quality, the maintenance of the landscape, or the creat ion of a high-quality development. This will reflect on the commerciality of resident ial development and the support of property values, the maintenance of rents in the commercial buildings, the growing value of the Estate, and of Imperial College’s reputat ion.

The aim is to create an ‘address’ which people will aspire to as a model of sustainability and stewardship. Within this overarching mechanism there could be a number of

6.4 Stewardship

Sect ion 7: Design Code for WYE3

6.1 Introduct ion

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7.5 Landscape and Open Space

7.4 Character Areas

7.2 Using the WYE3 Design Codes

7.1 Introduct ion

7.7 Street Types and Hierarchy

7.6 Block Principles

7.9 Architectural Types and Materials

7.8 Parking

7.3 Sustainability

section 6: technical commentary on the masterplan section 6 ma… · report:130508 wye3 masterplan...

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