SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL
EXTRACT FROM REPORT TO DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION CONTROL
COMMITTTEE
2nd April 2003
7. S/6187/03/F
- CAMBOURNETRAILER AND CARAVAN STORE
SITE AND PROPOSAL
The site, which comprises 0.223 hectares (0.55 acres), is located in the far northern part of Cambourne, and is within the curtilage of the property known as Crow Dene Nurseries. The proposal shares an access road with the proposed Bovis site GC29, which is currently the subject of a planning application, and the ‘Hodgkinsons’ land’ residential proposal, which is also currently the subject of a planning application and is also on this month’s Committee.
The application, received on 5th February 2003, is for a change of use’ from open space to a site for the storage of touring caravans and trailers, in accordance with Cambourne s106 agreement, 3rd schedule, part 5, para 5.1.4.
PLANNING HISTORY
This site is part of the rear garden to the cottage known as Crow Dene Nurseries. This garden is current1y licensed for use as a site for touring caravans. The curtilage of this property was not included in the Outline Planning Permission for Cambourne ref. S/1371/92/0, and was retained by the owner as a house and garden. This area was also some distance away from the built up areas of Cambourne and its use would presumably have stayed the same.
However during the course of the development of Cambourne, the masterplan has evolved. One of the issues that affected this particular site
was the fact that the settlement centre car park moved northwards to allow for a larger supermarket and car park in the settlement centre. This then meant that the residential land in this area (sites GC28,29.30 and 31) also moved northwards and "Hogdkinson’s" land then found itself adjacent to these sites.
Part of the "Hodgkinson’s" land has now come forward as an unallocated site within Cambourne and has
now also been included in the Masterplan as a site for residential development. This site shares an access with the housing allocation GC29. This has then enabled the Cambourne developers to consider using more of the "Hodgkinson" land for use as a caravan compound as this could then use the same road access.The original site allocated for the caravan compound was adjacent to the exit slipway onto the A428 (please see map). It was considered by the members of
the Cambourne Design and Environment Group (DEG), that this was not a sensible location, as that site was visually prominent and could be prone to thefts. The choice of another site was held in abeyance. The area given over to the site specified in the s106 (1.62 acres) was, I understand, a simple exercise measuring off the area on the plan, without necessarily identifying whether this size was appropriate to the future population of Cambourne. It also has to be clarified that the requirement to provide a caravan compound was because the developers added covenants on to each household forbidding them to park their caravans, horse trailers etc on their drives.
POLICY
Local Plan
2 (as modified) Policies Cambourne 1 and 2 require development at Cambourne to accord with the Masterplan, Design Guide, and Government guidance on creating sustainable communities.
SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL
EXTRACT FROM REPORT TO DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION CONTROL
COMMITTTEE
2nd April 2003
CONSULTATIONS
The Cambourne Management Liaison Committee (MLC) recommends refusal. It comments that:"The use is incompatible with adjacent proposed development of ‘Hodgkinson’s’ Land. Trailers, horse
boxes etc entering and leaving through a residential development would be a health and safety issue.
Impact of trailer park on adjacent housing in respect of both environmental and visual pollution.
Lack of detail as to who or how the facility will be managed.
Lack of information on security.
No details for electricity or mains water supplies are provided.
The site is overlooked from the A428.
Insufficient proposal to meet both currnet and future needs. The proposed development of the adjacent Hodgkinson’s’ Land limits the space for additional provision / expansion in the future.
Does not meet either CaSSOA or Caravan Club minimum guidelines and users would be prohibited from obtaining insurance."
The comments of Bourn and Caxton Parish Councils are awaited.
The Police Architeçtural Liaison Officer has commented that the scheme should be securely gated with 2 metre high weldmesh fencing, with similar gating. It should also have some dusk to dawn lighting, and ground anchors to secure trailers to the ground. The use of CCTV may provide a further deterrent.
The Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association (CaSSOA) has commented that the site would probably not be large enough to meet the future requirements of the Cambourne residents, and would also not meet the requirements of the insurers, and if it could not be insured, it could not be used.
The County Highways Authority comments that the access and approach roads will be covered by the adjacent residential development. However, he does recommend the addition of planning conditions relating to visibility splays and turning areas.
PLANNING COMMENTS
In response to the MLC’s concerns. I respond as follows:
1. The issue of the land not being in the original masterplan is immaterial, as the masterplan has evolved to include this area. This was one of the few ‘holes’ in the original outline planning permission.
2. In my opinion there will be no health and safety issue with the trailers etc entering and leaving through a residential area. The County Highways Authority’s informal advice was to ensure that the residential road was designed to allow vehicles to use the road when pulling trailers and caravans etc.
3. I do not know quite what environmental pollution the MLC talk of when commenting on this application. However I do appreciate that some of the houses will have views of the caravan storage area from their top floor windows. If appropriate, I will ask for a suitable boundary treatment to be installed between the ‘Hodgkinson’s’ residential site and this site.
SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL
EXTRACT FROM REPORT TO DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION CONTROL
COMMITTTEE
2nd April 2003
4. 1 will be asking for further information with regards to who and how this facility will be managed, and will also ask for more information on security issues and water and electricity supplies.
5.
I do not consider that this site is overlooked by the A428, as it is separated by a cutting, an embankment and over 70 metres of tree planting.6. I disagree with the MLC’s assertion that it is insufficient to meet current needs. I am not aware of any resident who has complained that there is nowhere to put his / her caravan / trailer / horsebox or yacht. I can only conclude that it is sufficient for current needs. I am however concerned about this site meeting future needs. It may be appropriate to set aside another area currently identified as ‘land use not determined’ for the longer term needs of Cambourne residents.
7. In reference to the insurance requirements of the site, these are not necessarily planning issues. Insurance requirements could be achieved by the use of detailed boundary proposals and other solutions as specified by the Police Architectural Liaison Officer and CaSSOA.
RECOMMENDATION
Delegated powers to approve this scheme are sought, subject to conditions regarding boundary treatment, water and electricity supply, provision of security measures and a management regime. A legal agreement negotiated to allow a mechanism to be created which would allow another site to be allocated in the
future if demand from Cambourne residents requires this and subject to a suitable site of up to 1 acre (1.6 acres in the original Master Plan minus 0.55 acres constituting this application) being identified.