APPENDIX

DRAFT GUIDANCE FOR THE PREPARATION OF A MASTERPLAN FOR PAN

An Invitation to Tender for the Production of a Masterplan

Preamble

The Isle of Wight Council is seeking expressions of interest from consultants and developers for the preparation of a masterplan to guide the development of land at Pan in Newport. The Council want to see an innovative and high quality housing estate which integrates with the existing town and provides an attractive and sustainable living environment. The Council is expecting high levels of consultation to be undertaken with the community in the preparation of the masterplan. The Council will select the preferred consultant through a shortlisting and interview process.

The site

The site consists of over 20 ha of land on the western edge of Newport, Isle of Wight. The land is largely owned by the Council and has been allocated in the UDP (adopted in May 2001) for housing, employment and open space. The site adjoins the large existing housing estate at Pan and an area of land allocated for tourism development at Newport Football ground.

The site which is largely existing arable land slopes from north to south and contains some important trees and hedgerows. The site is crossed by two small streams.

Access

The UDP indicates that the site should be accessed from the north at Staplers Road and at the south from St George’s Way. Consideration needs to be given as to whether a service road connecting these two points would be desirable to help relieve traffic pressure at Coppins Bridge.

Access to and from the existing Pan estate needs to be carefully considered. While it would not be desirable to encourage car trips between the old and new estates, bus, cycles and pedestrian links should be encouraged. Access to the surrounding countryside should also be considered and provided for.

The site is close to the town centre and access to it and to other facilities need to be made as easy as possible especially for pedestrians and cyclists. The development should generally be pedestrian friendly and while making provision for cars, these should not dominate. Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists should be designed to reduce conflict and accident potential. Pedestrian facilities should be designed to incorporate the need for disabled people and parents with pushchairs.

Public transport should be readily accessible with no household having to walk more than 150 yards to access a bus stop.

Affordable housing

It is expected that a high proportion of the development will be allocated for affordable housing. This will either be by way of housing association development or through private developments made available to registered social landlords at 50% of market value. It is expected that in the scheme as a whole more than 20% of units could be affordable housing although the precise amount will depend on the availability of funding. The Council may consider making land available to housing associations at reduced cost. It is expected that any affordable housing will be mixed throughout the development rather than concentrated in one particular location.

Housing styles and types

It is anticipated that a range of housing styles and types will be provided on the site. One, two, three and four bedroomed properties may be appropriate although it is likely that two and three bedroomed units would be the most common size. It is expected that the overall density of the scheme would be in the region of 35-40 units per hectare although the densities will vary between different parts of the site to provide interest and variety.

Design

It is unfortunate that in common with many other areas of the country, many new housing developments on the Island have been of unexceptional suburban character, with few associated community facilities or shops and poor access to public transport. This approach has done little to engender community identity or quality in urban design.

It is expected that all buildings will be of high quality, interesting and attractive. There will be a variety of house designs but the whole scheme will have a common theme which identifies it as a distinctive location. The scheme as a whole will be expected to be distinctive, attractive and innovative. The new estate will hopefully be a step change in the design of housing estates and be an exemplar for other developments.

Sustainable building

The Council wants to see the Pan Village development as a model for sustainable building techniques. The Council will expect the development to incorporate the highest standards of energy efficiency and innovative building techniques to make use of the site opportunities and the overall need to minimise future fuel consumption and costs to residents. The Council would be happy to see innovative and experimental proposals incorporated within the scheme as a whole. The opportunity to develop a community energy project eg. a combined heat and power plant, solar energy or wind turbine could be considered.

Water resources

Opportunities to minimise the consumption of water in all developments will be encouraged. The use of grey water recycling systems for flushing will be encouraged. Rain water run-off from roofs should be collected for garden use etc.

Controlling surface water drainage

A comprehensive sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) should be developed as an alternative to traditional mains drains in line with advice available from the Environment Agency.

Amenity on the site

In order to create an attractive living place which meets the needs of a wide variety of the population including families, elderly people and teenagers, it is considered that:-

1.        Adequate play areas and open spaces should be made available together with private gardens and spaces for the enjoyment of residents.

2.        Layout and design should minimise overlooking except where this is desirable. Layout should also ensure that noise disturbance can be kept to a minimum.

Designing out crime

Design of the scheme should incorporate features which will reduce the likelihood of crime taking place but not diminish the level of landscaping and number of open areas.

Landscaping

The development should respect the natural contours of the site and landscape features such as hedges and trees. New planting should be strategically designed to enhance the overall vision of the scheme and views into the site from outside areas. A variety of habitats should be created where possible to encourage biodiversity. Indigenous planting should be encouraged.

Works of art

The opportunity for including works of art as part of the development should be addressed by the masterplan.

Phasing programme

A phasing programme should be introduced to ensure that the development of the site follows a logical and orderly process. It is important that the amenities of the early residents are not affected detrimentally by further development. It is also important to ensure that developments are sustainable from day one. The masterplan process must take into account the needs of the area in respect of schools, shops, pubs, social and community facilities and other types of facilities. It is important that not only is the new village provided for, but that facilities are made available to existing residents of Pan Estate. Development of new facilities may in some cases be appropriate on the existing estate rather than within the new development. It is important that facilities are made available early on in the life of the development and are not considered as an afterthought or never developed. An opportunity exists for leisure development adjacent to Newport Football ground and the links from here to the main estate will need to be properly planned.

Linkages with the existing Pan Estate

It is very important that the development of Pan Village is seen as an opportunity for the existing Pan Estate rather than just a further development.

Access links, shared facilities, opportunity for urban regeneration and creation of jobs will be important considerations in the acceptability of the masterplan.

Employment provision

There is a large employment allocation within the site area. This is important to provide for jobs and opportunities to complement the housing in the area. The opportunity to bring this forward at an early date should be considered and the linking of the employment area to the housing area must be done sensitively. Consideration could be given to a wider mixing of the employment and housing uses throughout the site.

Community facilities

The masterplan must consider the need for and make proposals for the provision of community facilities as part of or adjacent to the new development.