Tiptree Neighbourhood Plan

(22) 5 Spatial Strategy

5.1 Tiptree is a large village and a District Centre. It is classified by the CLP S2 (CLP S2) as a sustainable settlement. As a consequence, it is required to support a significant amount of growth over the plan period to 2033. Policy SS14 in the CLP S2 requires allocations to be made to deliver a minimum of 400 dwellings over this period. The submission version of the CLP S2 required a minimum of 600 dwellings to be delivered but, in 2020, planning permission was granted for 200 dwellings at Barbrook Lane. As such, the CLP S2 requirement was revised to take account of this. The Neighbourhood Plan seeks to allocate sites that address the requirement for a minimum of 400 dwellings in addition to Barbrook Lane development. It is a core role of the Neighbourhood Plan to allocate sites that will deliver this minimum housing requirement. In doing so, Policy SS14 specifically requires the Neighbourhood Plan to define the extent of a new settlement boundary. As part of this, and reflecting the approach in CLP S2, the settlement boundary that was around Tiptree Heath in the Colchester Core Strategy has been removed. It is considered that this is necessary to preserve the rural nature of what is a hamlet, thereby avoiding it potentially coalescing with the built-up area of Tiptree village.

5.2 Along with housing, Policy SS14 requires that the Neighbourhood Plan identifies as necessary other allocations in the parish, including employment and open space.

5.3 In order to meet the requirement for a minimum 400 new homes in Tiptree there have been two calls for local landowners to put forward sites for possible development. The first was the Colchester Borough Council call for sites commencing in 2014 and the second was made by Tiptree Parish Council in 2017. Each site submitted was subjected to a thorough Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) to assess its suitability for development. Sites were assessed against pre-agreed criteria, the assessments were peer reviewed to check consistency and then reviewed by a Colchester Borough Council planning officer. As a result of the SHLAA process 39 sites around the entire Neighbourhood Plan area were taken forward for further consideration. The final selection of sites has been informed by a number of evidence base documents including but not limited to the SHLAA process, policy SS14 in the CLP S2 and the Neighbourhood Plan Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), alongside the vision and objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan which have been derived from the community consultation exercise. Further details of the site selection process are in the Housing Topic Paper in the TNP Evidence Base Documents.

5.4 Two areas have been allocated for development and each comprises a number of submitted sites that have been promoted by more than one land agent or developer. It is a necessary requirement that each allocation is brought forward in a coordinated manner. This is to achieve general consistency and equalisation as well as to ensure that development is in keeping with the character of Tiptree across a range of aspects which may include layout, roads, footpaths, housing mix and design.

5.5 The general approach in the Tiptree Neighbourhood Plan is that growth will be focused within the settlement boundary on sites with existing planning permission, new site allocations and small scale infill sites (windfalls). When considering the siting of future development, a recurring theme throughout the responses to the Community Questionnaire is the ability to access major routes, the A12 in particular, without exacerbating the traffic situation in Church Road. Serving as the main through route for south-east to north-west traffic, Church Road already accommodates a greater volume of traffic than is ideal for the shopping and business centre for the village. There is an aspiration in Tiptree for a northern link road that creates the opportunity to ultimately connect Colchester Road (B1022) with Grange Road. The first phase of this road can be delivered by this plan (see TIP15 and TIP16). It is envisaged that future phases of the northern link road can be delivered through future plan making processes outside of this Neighbourhood Plan.

5.6 Accordingly, the Neighbourhood Plan allocates two sites for development (in addition to the sites with planning permission at Barbrook Lane and Kelvedon Road) which are expected to deliver housing along with a range of specific infrastructure and community facilities. These two allocated sites reflect, among other things, the importance of minimising the traffic impact.

5.7 More generally, these allocations and any other future developments are expected to provide high quality schemes which are in keeping with the identity, landscape setting and character of Tiptree, generally enhance the public realm and improve accessibility for pedestrians and, where possible, cyclists through improvements to road safety and congestion.

5.8 The area outside the settlement boundary is defined as countryside where development proposals must meet the requirements of CLP S2. Policy SG1 states that, "New development in the open countryside will be required to respect the character and appearance of landscapes and the built environment and preserve or enhance the historic environment and biodiversity to safeguard the rural character of the Borough." Policy OV2 further provides the policy context for development of small scale exception sites to meet local affordable housing needs.