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MoD Ensleigh Draft Concept Statement Consultation Comments Form

Please spend a few minutes completing this form Making Bath & North East Somerset an even better place to live, work and visit

Your comments, suggestions and observations will help the Council to finalise the Concept Statements before the MoD sites are put up for sale.

About Your Neighbourhood What Do You Value Most about this Area?
The setting of the Green Belt, AONB and Historic Battlefield. The landscape setting of the World Heritage Site extending into the city. Sequential views on the approach to Bath revealing commanding views of the city contained within the surrounding hills. Views to and from, and setting of Beckford's Tower, Grade I listed.

The Draft Vision - What is most important to you?

Tell Us Your Three Most Important Vision Topics Vision Topics Green Spaces for People and Nature Low Carbon Sustainable Development Integrated Communities and Facilities Building High Quality Homes Protecting Heritage and Creating Distinctive Places Accessible for Walking, Cycling and Buses Tick up to three boxes

What changes would you suggest or add to the Vision?

Please write your suggestions below The second bullet point (page 4) should be the highest priority. The vision for the site needs to emphasize the need to achieve its objectives within the brown field land available. We do not believe there is a mandate for developing green field sites until brown field land across Bath has been built on.

Development Requirements and Principles

The Draft Concept Statement sets out Development Principles that can combine to create a successful and sustainable place.

Tick any of the Principles most important to you in the boxes below Green Space and Ecology Respond sensitively to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty adjacent to the site. Maintain the green World Heritage Site skyline Integrate green space, connecting existing and new recreation and natural areas. Retain existing and plant new trees chosen boxes

Sustainable Development Maximise the opportunities to encourage green lifestyles Design strategies to save energy costs and water and reduce waste Innovative and exemplar sustainable homes (Code Level 5/6) Site wide low carbon energy production infrastructure

chosen boxes

Community Facilities A new primary school Increase potential development area to optimise support for community facilities and public transport Up to 2000sqm (25,000 sqft) of office space and additional home based employment Heritage and Distinctiveness Have its own sense of place and character areas Avoid adverse visual impacts on the World Heritage Site, Beckfords Tower and the AONB Have a sensitive relationship with Lansdown Road set back behind landscape and walls Facilitate possible expansion into potential sites to the north and west of the MOD site Homes and Communities

chosen boxes

chosen boxes See below

chosen boxes

A mix of dwelling types and sizes 35% of affordable housing Opportunities for Self Build Homes Design homes to allow for home working

Access and Movement Maximise use and support of existing bus services Safe and accessible streets and cycling routes Create new pedestrian linkages to the existing network of footpaths and Green Infrastructure provision Design for shared space streets

chosen boxes

Please add any other Development Principles that you think should be included in the Concept Statements It is very important that development has a sense of place and character areas, but this must strongly reflect the character and OUVs of Bath. See below

Your Suggestions and Concerns

We would like to hear your own ideas, suggestions or concerns about the future redevelopment of MoD Ensleigh. Please use additional paper if required.

Please write in this box

The Core Strategy was light on detail in relation to the MOD sites and without further evidence we are not at all convinced that the volume of housing, open space, B1 use and transport infrastructure proposed in the concept statement(s) can be fitted onto this site given the constraints clearly set out in the landscape appraisal evidence base. We believe that it is essential for a basic masterplanning assessment based on massing and volume be done in order to revise the concept statement(s) and prior to marketing of the site. If the Concept statements are to summarise the analysis of the sites then we believe that the Councils credibility could be affected by an unrealistic target for dwellings etc, and could be very damaging if the sites goes to market with these assumptions. Further we think that the concept statement should confine itself to the brown field area. The Core Strategy and the NPPF have both emphasised the need to develop previously developed land ahead of any green field land, and it would therefore be misleading to suggest that the Kingswood playing fields represent an acceptable potential area for extension of the site. The implication of the use of this land would be an encroachment into the Green Belt/AONB (and approaching the registered historic battlefield) for further playing fields, and there is no mandate for inclusion of this land from the Core Strategy or elsewhere. If all of the brown field land in B&NES were developed as planned then the housing need would be met and therefore there is no call develop green field land in addition. It is important therefore that the site is made to work without the implying that the Kingswood fields will be built out. The possibility should therefore be removed from the concept statement. If the Councils ambitions really are predicated on the availability and developability of the Kingswood site the marketing of the MOD site should be held back until that debate has been had in public and in full, including values of the land and implications of relocating playing fields further into the Green Belt/AONB/historic battlefield. Detailed response Page 1/9 Issue Regret that WHS does not appear in Council's Vision box and not mentioned on p1, as site is within WHS and affecting its setting. 'Historic Environment considerations' should begin with recognition of the WHS values and the need to respond positively to them. Should refer to Grade I listed BeckfordsTower with important views in and out (rather than just listed buildings) The Core Strategy and the NPPF only give a mandate for developing brown field land ahead of green Suggested change required Strengthen reference to WHS values, p1 & 9.

4- site analysis

Strengthen reference to Beckfords Tower.

5/6(Ensleigh) The

Confine the concept statement to the MOD site, possibly including

Be Kept informed
If you would like the Council to keep you informed of the Concept Statement Process, progress with the MoD sites and other Neighbourhood Planning Issues please leave your contact details:

Name Bath Preservation Trust (Joanna Robinson) Email or Address architecture@bptrust.org.uk Tel 01225 338727 Post Code BA1 2LR

About You
To help consult the whole community please filling in the optional box below.
Male Female (M / F) Age 5 - 11 Age 12 - 17 Age 18 - 34 Age 35 44 Age 45 - 54 Age 55 - 64 Age 65 +

THANK YOU PLEASE PLACE THE COMPLETED RESPONSE FORM IN THE DEPOSIT BOX PROVIDED AT THE CONSULTATION EVENTS, OR SEND TO: post: Planning Services, PO Box 5006, Bath BA1 1JG email: planning_policy@bathnes.gov.uk. DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: 5pm 30th MAY 2012