Policy S/RRA – Remaining Rural Area

Endurance Estates consider that their land interest on land at A10 Royston Road, Melbourn, Cambridgeshire (Site Reference 40262) should be allocated as part of the rural allocations under Policy S/RRA of the emerging Local Plan for mixed use employment development.

Other representation to this emerging plan have outlined why we consider that Melbourn and Meldreth should be considered as a Rural Centre allocation in the Settlement Hierarchy and therefore considered for unrestricted housing and employment growth through the Local Plan period.

The village is the largest in the South West of the district and enjoys a prime location on the A10 primary route corridor and is served by a full range of public transport options including the guided bus and National Rail Services, as well as being the subject of future projects such as the Melbourn Greenway.

Previous representations have identified the land to the east and west of the A10 as being suitable for a range of employment uses which included roadside services; employment; battery storage and a care village. Subsequent considerations and discussions with local councillors have now amended this potential development mix to include development for employment on both sites; with Roadside services on the western parcel. The amended masterplan which is provided with the representations outlines the new proposed development mix which focuses on employment uses. The previously proposed care village has been removed from our proposals.

Proposed Scheme (See submitted revised masterplan)
• Employment Uses (Class B2/B8/E(g))
• Roadside Uses (Classes E(a); E(b); Sui Generis)

Discussions with both Local and District Councillors in Melbourn identified that if the sites were to come forward for development they would prefer to see employment development on the eastern parcel (rather than a care village) to provide a balance with the proposed and existing housing growth in the villages (including Meldreth) and provide possible business linkages with Melbourn College.

The emerging Local Plan identifies further residential growth in Melbourn at The Moor (S/RRA/ML) for 20 dwellings and 120 units at Cambridge Road, Melbourn (S/RRA/CR) which includes 2.5ha of employment space to allow expansion of the existing Science Park. Both these allocations are welcomed however they do not go far enough in delivering sufficient employment growth to Melbourn.

In assessing the proposed site allocation through the SHLAA to inform the proposed emerging allocation the site was considered to be achievable and available but was not considered to be suitable. Given the overarching development strategy in the plan we can only consider it was considered unsuitable as the overarching strategy has been to focus new development in the larger settlements rather than in the rural villages.

What however stands Melbourn and Meldreth apart from other rural villages is its accessibility to the A10 corridor to serve business uses but also to deliver employment land on a site which is well related to the villages but is relatively unconstrained and not within the Green Belt. This site therefore offers the perfect destination for new businesses looking for a well-located business cluster which is close to Cambridge or those who are currently occupying inappropriate sites in the district (or surrounding districts) who are looking for a place to relocate therefore potentially freeing up sites for other forms of development.

The only element of the site assessment to score a red score was the Landscape and Townscape assessment. It is unclear from the summary how this assessment was undertaken however the conclusion that the site allows a significant adverse impact on the landscape character is questionable given the adjoining railway line; solar park and large scale farm shop operation adjoining the western parcel and the commercial vehicle business adjoining the eastern parcel. We have therefore provided a Landscape Assessment of the site by Pegasus Landscape Team as a full response to this assessment.

Published Assessments

Contrary to the SHLAA assessment the site does not fall within the 4C: Hatley Wooded Claylands. According to the Greater Cambridge Landscape Character Assessment (February 2021) the majority of the site falls within the Landscape Character Type (LCT) 3 Lowland Farmlands and more specifically its Landscape Character Area (LCA) 3C: Rhee Tributaries Lowland Farmlands. The southern parcel falls within the LCT 8 Lowland Chalklands and LCA 8B Morden to Duxford Lowland Chalklands.

The host LCT 3 is described as: “The Lowland Farmlands Landscape Character Type (LCT) is a gently undulating, intensively farmed arable landscape encompassing densely settled, wide, flat river valleys and their tributaries.”

Its key characteristics are identified in the published assessment as:

“Low-lying, gently rolling topography crossed by river corridors and drained by small streams
Open character and often extensive views
Productive, intensively farmed, predominantly arable landscape that has experienced significant modification during the 20th century, resulting in amalgamation of fields
Generally sparse woodland cover and fragmented network of hedge boundaries
Woodland and traditional orchards often define the edge of settlements
Scattered Medieval moated sites and stone churches are characteristic features
A well settled landscape with a relatively dense rural settlement pattern comprising large and small villages and outlying farmsteads”

The host LCA 3C: Rhee Tributaries Lowland Farmlands has the following key characteristics, based on the published assessment:

“Wide valley of the River Rhee and its tributaries
Predominantly medium to large rectilinear fields organised in a haphazard pattern with pockets of regularity
Small woodland blocks combine with shelterbelts and clumps of trees to create well treed horizons
Small scale fields often found at the edge of villages
Ecological richness including lowland meadows, lowland fen and floodplain grazing marsh
Dense settlement pattern comprising large, nucleated villages in the south of the LCA
Distinctive linear features including Ermine Street Roman road, Wimpole Hall Avenue and the railway”

The LCA specific landscape sensitives have been identified as:

“Small scale fields often found at the edge of villages
Distinctive linear features including Ermine Street Roman road, Wimpole Hall Avenue and the railway”

The LCA specific Landscape Guidelines have been identified as:
“Conserve and enhance the regular small-scale pastoral fields, shelter belts and hedgerows at village edges
Maintain distinctive linear features”

With regard the site’s southern parcel, due to its very small scale it is not reviewed in detail. It is considered that being located on the edge of the LCA 3C: Rhee Tributaries Lowland Farmlands it would exhibit similar characteristics as the majority of the site.

Character of the Site and its Suitability for Development

The site is best described as three level and geometric arable fields associated with and characterised by the proximity to the A10 and Cambridge – Hitchin railway line. The elevated railway embankment, along the western boundary, is a strong linear feature in the landscape separating and screening the site from the wider countryside further west. The A10 follows the railway line in close proximity and reflects its alignment, bisecting the two main parcels. This creates an untypical localised variation in landscape character terms, and the site reads somewhat subservient to these two transport corridors. The settlement of Melbourn is located in very close proximity but the intervening vegetation protects its setting.

The level topography associated with the site does not provide any opportunities for distant or elevated views and the vegetated corridor of the A10 and elevated railway embankment curtails views. The intervening vegetation along field boundaries, tree belts along the A10, and built form associated with the Bury Lane garden centre result in inward looking and short range views, which distinctively lack any special visual relationship with the wider countryside or indeed the settlement of Melbourn. Vegetation along Bury Lane and Royston Road adds to the perception of isolation and segregation from the surrounding landscape. The gently rising topography of Grinnel Hill separates the site from the rising landscape further south east. The elevated Hyde Hill and Goffers Knoll do not act as features in the very close range views associated with the site.

Whilst there are a number of PRoWs in the vicinity of the site, the majority of them are located to the south east of Royston Road and follow existing agricultural tracks, all being bridleways open to all traffic. Three of them lead south east towards the elevated Hyde Hill and Goffers Knoll but stop short from reaching the elevated ground. The bridleway that coincides with Bury Lane is strongly vegetated with views curtailed.

The slightly elevated Royston Road is the only location which allows relatively open and slightly elevated views across the site. Views east and south towards the elevated Hyde Hill and Goffers Knoll are not gained, due to the intervening landform of Grinnel Hill. Views east and north east are characterised by the A10, railway line and built form of the Bury Lane garden centre. The medium range and distant landscape is seen as a backdrop of tree groups and isolated tree canopies, i.e wooded and treed level horizon.

In other words, the site is seen in isolation, without any evident relationship to the surrounding landscape. It does not exhibit the more sensitive characteristics of the host LCT 3 such as the “...often extensive views...” or visibility with local landmarks, vernacular architecture or heritage assets identified as being one of the key characteristics of this LCT.

The site comprises simple rectilinear fields under arable cultivation and does not include traditional orchards or small scale field system recognised as vulnerable to development pressures. The masterplan, included in Pegasus’ Site Promotion Document, retains the existing field boundaries and there are opportunities for the existing landscape framework to be supplemented with additional planting. The function and detail of these landscape buffers can be informed by a detailed landscape and visual assessment. This could be sensitively designed to respond to the key characteristics of the host LCT 3 “Woodland and traditional orchards often define the edge of settlements”.

Conclusions

Contrary to the SHLAA assessment the site does not fall within the 4C: Hatley Wooded Claylands. It forms part of the LCT 3 and more specifically its 3C: Rhee Tributaries Lowland Farmlands. Whilst the site and local area include certain characteristics of the host LCT and LCA these are not considered to be a major constraint. The level topography of the River Rhee and its tributaries and “Predominantly medium to large rectilinear fields organised in a haphazard pattern with pockets of regularity” are more likely to be able to absorb development better than small scale fields and traditionally managed orchard sites around the settlements.

LCA specific landscape sensitives include “Small scale fields often found at the edge of villages” but these are not present within or immediately around the site. Similarly, the “Distinctive linear features including Ermine Street Roman road, Wimpole Hall Avenue...” would not be affected by the development of the site in a way that would compromise their function as landmarks or contribution to the local landscape. The strongly linear Cambridge – Hitchin railway line and A10 are modern features.

Whilst the description of the host LCT states that: “The Lowland Farmlands is an intensively farmed LCT. It maintains a tranquil and rural character due to the dispersed hierarchy of settlements from large villages to outlying farmsteads” the rural character of the site is compromised by the proximity and strongly linear form of the railway line and the A10, and adjacent commercial use associated with the Bury Lane garden centre, with the landscape perceived as relatively busy. Its relative sense of tranquillity is reduced, when compared to other parts of the LCT where movement and noise is less frequent or evident.

The SHLAA assessment specifically refers to “...remarkable views across it from both the A10 and Royston Road and allows for a full experience of the NCA87 character type of spacious and strong rural character with rolling hills beyond.” Contrary to this statement, views are generally short range and largely inward looking, and unremarkable being affected by major transport corridors and foreshortened by the railway embankment and vegetation. The railway line, the A10 and Royston Road curtail views.

The Greater Cambridge Landscape Character Assessment was published in early 2021, but it fails to recognise the presence of two solar farms and substation, which lie in a very close proximity to the site and are an established feature of the local area. The south eastern settlement edge of Melbourn is also affected by the presence of various light industrial facilities, which cover a relatively large area, when compared to the overall extent of the village. These factors, collectively, act to refine the characteristics of the landscape around the south western edge of Melbourn whereby the key characteristics of the host LCT and LCA are less evident or augmented by the aforementioned features.

It transpires that the site has the potential to accommodate the development, and with a strong and sympathetically designed landscape proposals, any potential landscape character and visual effects could be successfully mitigated. Therefore, the level of harm would be considerably lower than that alleged in the Council’s SHLAA assessment

All other site-specific assessments were considered to be either green or amber indicating they could be resolved through the planning application process although it is worth considering the following update on the highways position which has progressed since out previous representations.

Highways

The current junction between A10 and Royston Road has been the location of several accidents in recent years which resulted in injuries. This junction remains a poor arrangement for the highway user.

WSP have an in-principle agreement with County Highways to deliver a new four arm roundabout to serve Melbourn and the proposed land parcel to the west of the A10. This arrangement will make the junction safer for vehicles accessing and exiting Royston Road and slow down all traffic on the A10.

This arrangement now also includes a signalised pedestrian crossing to allow safe pedestrian access to the western site and existing PRoW across the A10 when walking/cycling from the village. Cycle links and footpath links to both villages would be upgraded. The crossing would also introduce two new bus stops to allow ease of access from both proposed business sites.

Conclusion

The site is in a strategic location offering good access to the local and regional highway network and lies on major economic corridors including the A10 and the Thameslink rail route.

It is well connected to existing employment centres by road and public transport, as well as local employment areas in Melbourn including the Saxon Way business park and the high tech Melbourn Science Park. The site is close to the existing local services and community within Melbourn itself.

The site can deliver a scheme for employment use with a Roadside services scheme to serve the A10 and associated battery storage to serve on site development.

The design and master planning of the site take’s the opportunity to locate these uses in the most suitable parts of the site, whilst taking into account the constraints and opportunities of the site. The development will secure improvements to the existing junction between the A10 and Royston Road, through the provision of a roundabout, in place of the existing priority junction.

Endurance Estates and the consultant team consider the site represents a compelling opportunity to achieve sustainable development. Endurance Estates looks forward to continuing engagement with South Cambridgeshire District Council to bring this site forward for development