Agenda item

The Market Towns

 

Malton

 

Site 141 – Peasey Hills Recreation Ground

Yield of 30 dwellings, site of 1.66 hectares, and possible yield of around 34 dwellings.

Local Plan considerations – identified as public open space, within development limits, was a long standing refuse site, and there are contamination issues, and hence why the site hasn’t yet been built out.

 

Site 143 – Land at Peasey Hills Road

Site area 0.13 hectare and within development limits.

 

Site 146 – Land adjacent to Barton Cottage Castle Howard Road

Just under a third of a hectare in size and has been submitted for 2 dwellings. We believe it to have a potential yield of 6 dwellings. It is within the development limits of the town, but part of it is also within Malton Conservation Area.

 

Site 144 – Walled Garden Old Maltongate.

The walled gardens of the Malton Estate. Has been put in for public open space, not for residential space.

 

Site 149 – Land at Sheepfoot Hill

This site has been in the plan making process previously. It is within development limits but also within Conservation area and within Flood Zone 3. There is a high level of flood risk on this site.

 

Site 279 – Land to the east of Chandlers Wharf Castlegate

This site is adjacent to the last site. Similarly to above it is within development limits but also within the Conservation area and within Flood Zone 3.

 

Site 181 – Land North of Castle Howard Road, a Fitzwilliam estate submission

In the developers eyes the site is capable of delivering 500 houses, but we believe it to be less than that. Has a site area of 14.16 hectares – we believe it could deliver around 300 dwellings. The site is outside of development limits, although not in the AONB, it’s a site that could potentially affect the setting of the AONB.

It is a site that planning permission has previously been refused on (known as High Malton).

 

This site is coupled with Land to the south (further submission), 181a – Land South of Castle Howard Road

Allotments to the east side, also submitted by Fitzwilliam Estate. It is outside development limits and just over 10 hectares in size. In their submission they suggest it could provide 220 units. Our calculations suggest it chould host around 210 dwellings.

 

Site 186 to the North in Old Malton, Thackrays Yard.

This site is identified for 30 dwellings and measures just over one hectare in size. We believe it would probably deliver 24 units. It’s partly within and partly adjacent to the existing development limits.

 

Site 271 Manor Farm (paddock and existing buildings) Land North of Town Street Old Malton

Identified for 35 dwellings and just shy of being 2 hectares in size. We have considered that it could deliver a little bit more than that. It is adjacent to development limits but within the Conservation area of Old Malton. It’s also partially within a visually important undeveloped area (VIUA). Also, parts of the site are across the road from the Grade 1 Listed St Marys Church and there is also a larger area of schedule monuments nearby.

 

Site 264 – Peasey Hills East, Land East of Rainbow Lane and South of Westgate Lane

It has been submitted on the basis of delivering between 175/245 houses. A site area of just over 9 hectares. Based on our yield calculation, it would deliver about 195 dwellings. Outside of development limits, also part of a wider area of land that was identified as a visually important undeveloped area in the Local Plan Sites Document. There is a truncation from the originally submitted site extent, and this area of land was excluded on the basis of having a higher flood risk.

 

Cllr Potter: what are the access options here?

Officer: there are two options, off Rainbow Lane and then also off Westgate. Neither are particularly wide in their extents.

 

Members identified that they might need some infrastructure improvements.

 

Employment sites

 

Site 270 – Eden Camp East Land East of A169 & Site 270a – Eden Camp East Land East of A169 (both submitted for Employment use)

Site submissions for the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation, they were made last time. We had identified in the Local Plan that this was a broad location to see potential future employment land, should it be required. Adding these previously would have taken us above what we required for the plan period and can make it more vulnerable for speculative applications for housing development.

 

234 – Rabbit Lane Old Malton & 269 – Howe Bridge Farm Lane, Old Malton (both submitted for Employment use)

Both submissions by different landowners. Site 239 was submitted previously. And all extending out along the A169.

Members felt that this looks like a prime spot for agricultural land and were concerned with the expansion northwards along the A169.

 

Questions 

 

Members raised questions in relation to site 181/181a accessed from York Road or Castle Howard Road.

 

Officer: explained that the easiest access would be Castle Howard Road, especially as from the south the land rises quite steeply. Also there is minerals workings to the south, so the typography is more complex in that location. In an ideal world it would be favourable to produce two accesses from it, for safety and for emergency vehicles being able to access this site from all aspects.

 

Questions were also raised in relation to 271 and what the site history was. One member believed it had gained approval for a care home and had some queries in relation to access for this site.

 

Officer: this is an additional submission that they have made and we will explore whether or not they want to deliver the extant permission and what that means in relation to accessing the sites. From Old Malton Road you would have to go through this site area.

 

Members also questioned the two submissions at Sheepfoot Hill (Sites 144/149), given they are brownfield sites it was presumed that they might be allowable in terms of flood risk on the basis that finished floor levels would be a certain height above AOD.

 

Officer: it is not straightforward, whilst they are brownfield sites (that is the case) they will still need to be sequentially tested. NPPF suggests we should seek development in the areas of least flood risk. If the site does pass the sequential test (because it cannot be sighted anywhere else) it will have to then move on to an exceptions test, and that’s where you would be looking to make an exception to siting development in an area that isn’t at the lowest flood risk. You’re weighing considerations that it can go anywhere else. This site also has the industrial element as well as flood, which adds contamination concerns.

 

Concerns were also raised about the area of Sheepfoot Hill being within the Air Quality Management Area, in what could be considered one of the worst patches in the town. Some members felt we would be required to look at the cumulative impact these sites would have on that. Should air quality assessments be conducted on all sites?

 

Officer: we will look to do air quality assessment work a little bit down the line, looking at the cumulative considerations, once we have established what the distribution of development will be. And this will influence the levels of development, particularly at Malton and Norton. 

 

A member suggested that presumably Fitzwilliam Estate will look to build the livestock market in lieu of any of these projects coming forward.

Another member raised a question in relation to site 141, an area of open space surrounded by houses, and asked if this is an existing play area and can it become an asset of community value?

 

Officer: we would identify it as an area of public open space, but it is not a formal sports pitch. Yes, a piece of land can become an asset of community value. It would require a concerted group to evidence that there is a strong element of community value. 

 

Officer: this particular site is potentially a bit of liability and not in a great state, so I’m not too sure how well it is actually used.

 

Some members wanted to know the fall-back position in relation to site 271; would we be in a position to refuse an application for housing given the site history?

 

RB: this site is not in development limits for the vast majority of the site and is within Old Malton Conservation Area so there are Heritage considerations that would need to be taken into account for development proposed for this site. It is a sensitive site, and also its relationship between Malton and Old Malton and coalescence issues.

 

Comments

 

Looking at 181 and 181a, some members felt that Fitzwilliam Estate would need to be more plan compliant (affordable housing land for schools, bungalow designs, density, potentially divorced from town centre etc. were topics raised).  It was also mentioned that there are also air quality issues related to the sites here too. Both these sites were turned down for impacts on the setting of the AONB. Several concerns were raised by members. 

 

Concerns also raised in relation to site 279, the brownfield site that looks untidy.

 

Sites 141 and 143, raised concerns. 

 

Several members agreed that Site 264 was a significant site that would mean adding far more houses into a housing network that the town is cable of supporting, it would need commensurate infrastructure in order for any such site to be considered.

 

Site 271 is another submission that members had concerns with regarding heritage issues.  

 

Site 186 also has some concerns with the access and its extent.

 

One member suggested that they did not think there should be any more development in Malton, until at least there has been a new interchange built between Broughton Rd and the A64. Members were broadly in agreement with this.

 

Norton

 

Site 26 - Whitewall Corner Field, Norton

It’s been identified for a yield of 220 dwellings, the site is 4.5 hectares, and a more realistic yield would be around 95 dwellings. There are sensitivities around this location, there are listed buildings in proximity to the site. Adjacent to development and also within a visually important undeveloped area.

 

Site 37 – Land off Welham Road

Just to the north of the last site. It has been submitted for 200 dwellings and is 11 hectares in size. We think it would be able to deliver around 229 dwellings. But as we said previously, this is a visually important undeveloped area and has heritage considerations.

 

Site 38 – Land between Beverley Road and Langton Road

It’s a very sizeable site submission, just shy of 29.5 hectares in size. The developers proposed the site is capable of yielding 900 dwellings, but we feel on our calculations that it is closer to 600 units. Adjacent to the Area of High Landscape Value (AHLV) and is on land outside development limits.

 

Site 138 – Land at Norton Road

They have submitted the site without a specific use in mind. The site has significant flood risk, and we have identified if it did come forward for residential use it would provide around 23 dwellings. The existing uses on site (the skate park) is a community recreational facility.

 

139 – Land at Bark Knotts Farm

Identified a yield of 45 dwellings, site is just over 3 hectares. We have identified it as potentially having a yield of 65 dwellings. A site within development limits, however there is very high flood risk, partly in Flood Zone 3 and others in Zone 2. This is one of the primary reasons this site hasn’t been delivered to date.

 

195 – Malton Woolgrowers, Park Road

Potentially yield of 60 units, site area is just over 4.7 hectares, adjacent to development limits, we have identified it as being able to deliver around 100 dwellings, however, again this is a site that is subject to high flood risk so with regard to the sequential test we would need to look at land in least flood risk. It is also close to the River Derwent Special Area of Conservation (SAC), as are a number of sites in this location. It is known as a site with contamination issues.

 

201 – Land of Welham Road 68a Welham Road

Former trout hatchery. It is adjacent to the development limits, and is just over 0.7 of a hectare, and is potentially capable of delivering 14 dwellings. There are some potential flood risk issues on the site. A track/lane runs from Welham Road into this site.

 

221 – Site at Welham Road, east of Beechwood Road and Hunters Way

Identified for 100 houses, the site is just under 4.5 hectares in size. We think it has a potential yield of 93 dwellings.

 

222 – Land at Quarry Farm, North of Scarborough Road

This is a site put forward with an unspecified use. It is just outside of development limits and is just over a hectare in size; we have established it could deliver around 26 dwellings if residential development was ultimately identified. Because of excavation works, there is changes in the typography, but that part of the site is further across. It is also next to the railway.

 

224 – Land West of Norton Grange, Park Road

This is a very large submission, as a mixed use. The developer has indicated a predominantly residential use, with some employment, retail and community use. This site is just over 67 hectares in size, and they have identified that it would be capable of delivering 1500 dwellings. We believe it could deliver 1400 dwellings. A very high proportion of the site is in an area of very high flood risk, effectively corresponding with the line of the gallops. So a large parcel of this site would then be excluded from development to satisfy the requirements of the sequential test.

 

225 – Land at Norton Grove Stud and adjoining land, south of Scarborough Road

Proposed as a heritage museum, on the border with Settrington Parish.

 

230 – Land adjoining Norton Grove Lodge south of Scarborough Road

This site has been identified for 100 houses with a site area of 3.27 hectares. We have identified the yield to be more like 78 units. It is outside development limits, but not subject to any more designations. There might be some element of flood risk to the eastern side of the site.

 

232 – Land West of Welham Road

It has been submitted in that wider submission, but this has some forward as an individual submission with a site area of 5.5 hectares in size. They have identified a yield of 148 dwellings, we have suggested a yield of around 110 dwellings. Adjacent to development limits on its northern and eastern extents. There is also a public right of way that runs across the site.

 

253 – Land adjacent to Norton Lodge

Over on the eastern side of the map. A site that is contiguous in its extent with the allocation at Norton Lodge and is being promoted on the basis of becoming an extension of that existing site. The submission suggests a yield of 450 dwellings, the site is just shy of 18 hectares in size. We have identified that it is capable of delivering more like 376 dwellings.

 

Questions

 

The area above site 38, runs the opposite side of the railway. If we were to accept development here, it would be extremely beneficial to get a car park for the railway from this side. If the site is suggested for mixed use, could we suggest this?

 

Officer: Allocations usually concentrate on residential and employment sites. That being said, this sort of proposal could be seen as a critical site for providing infrastructure for the town. It does lend itself well to that sort of use due to the existing bus and railways stations and because of the connectivity between the two towns. Could be a consideration in a sequential and exception test as that sort of thing couldn’t be developed anywhere else.

 

Members asked how the location of the Beverley Road site as a previous allocation is situated in connection with the new site submitted.

 

Officer: The existing allocation is due to develop around 600 homes. As it stands, the submission is closer to 700 dwellings. This new site submission would join the proposed site and continue out to the east.

 

Comments

 

Concerns were raised that everything west of Norton, all the Welham Road sites are out of the question until the infrastructure comes into place. Development here would force everything onto County Bridge. There should be a bypass adjacent to York Road before this can happen. Active travel is a priority, looking at a cycle and pedestrian bridge to the station. A chicken and egg situation in that which comes first, the development or the infrastructure. 

 

In terms of all the submissions, we are looking at a massive amount of over development without the infrastructure to support it.

 

There were also remarks on a traffic report conducted in 2010 which suggested that Malton and Norton’s roads could facilitate another 2000 houses. Once the Norton Lodge site is built out, this will equate to the full 2000 having been developed already. Coupled with the increased train timetable, the two towns have reached their limits in terms of current strategic road infrastructure.

 

Comments were made on the 5 year housing supply, asking if we don’t allocate housing in Malton and Norton, can we still meet the supply required. Officers advised that this is the role of the distribution strategy to identify where development will be prioritised.

 

Concerns were raised with regards to flooding and avoiding land which had a high risk of flooding. There is increased public awareness of this issue, and a number of sites in Norton have flood risk issues.