October 2021 Notes for Horton Heath Development Management Committee by Eastleigh Borough Council

The Lower Acre Detailed application for construction of 381 homes

Notes for Horton Heath Development Management Committee October 2021

This document is not intended to replace or update any of the application material; nor does it form part of the planning application. It simply provides an explanation of the material and key facts. 1

CONTENTS

The Application - 6 Timings – 8 Affordable Housing - 9 Approach - 10 Consultation - 12 Design – 16 The Southern Gateway - 20 Density - 22 Homes - 24 Wildlife - 26 Sustainability - 28 Sustainable Travel - 30 Parking Standards - 32 Electric Vehicle Charging - 33 Telecommunications and High-speed Broadband - 34 Foul Water Drainage - 35 Surface Water Drainage - 36 Improvements to Burnetts Lane - 38 Construction - 40

INTRODUCTION This document has been prepared by the Applicants for Horton Heath Development Management Committee members. It provides key facts and reference material relating to the One Horton Heath “Lower Acre” application reference F/20/89500. It covers several key topics and provides information in relation to each. The full application description is “The erection of 381 residential units with public open space, hard and soft landscape works, internal roads, footway/cycleways, associated parking spaces, substation, SuDS and associated infrastructure.”

The LOWER ACRE

Our first parcel is delivering an exciting new mix of homes This document is not intended to replace or update any of the application material; nor does it form part of the planning application. It simply provides an explanation of the material and key facts. 4

381

35%

New homes

Affordable housing

650

2025

Semi mature trees

Future Homes Standard

Types of property

THE APPLICATION The proposal is for the construction of 381 homes which will be the first residential element to be delivered from One Horton Heath.

This phase of the project is called “The Lower Acre” after the acre of green space located at the heart of the site layout. This focal green space is integral to the first phase in realisation of our commitment to build communities around attractive open spaces.

Unit Type

The Masterplan for One Horton Heath anticipates that the adjoining development parcel will also have an acre of green space at its centre, helping to create a unified design approach – and is therefore known as “The Upper Acre.” The application proposes a mixture of houses and apartments of a variety of types and sizes, as seen in the righthand table.

Total

1-Bed Apartment

1-Bed Maisonette

2-Bed house

2-Bed Apartment

2-Bed Flat over garage

3-Bed house

125

4-Bed house

TOTAL:

381

Lower Acre character areas

TIMINGS The Lower Acre is the ideal location to commence delivery of homes given its proximity to the newly constructed Chalcroft Way as well as having close access to necessary utilities. It is important that houses are built in a position that allows vehicles to be distributed onto appropriate roads and can be delivered in a way that minimises disruption to surrounding residents and the local area. The proposed Section 106 Agreement ties the Lower Acre proposal into the wider Masterplan for One Horton Heath so that it cannot be delivered in isolation but is linked to the infrastructure and triggers provided for the site-wide consent. Crucial times and triggers are as follows: •

The link road, from Bubb Lane and Burnetts Lane to Allington Lane, will be open and operational before any dwellings are occupied. This is well in advance of Hampshire Highways requirement for the road to be open before 100 dwellings are occupied.

•

Improvements to Burnetts Lane, which include localised narrowing, traffic calming and pedestrian crossing points, will be completed before any homes are occupied.

•

Improvements to an off-site footway, leading to Hedge End Station and Deer Park School, will be completed before any homes are occupied – including safe crossing points on key roads

•

Health care contribution- £78k contribution from the Lower Acre towards healthcare provision at Stokewood Surgery.

•

Payment towards secondary education (at least part of the overall contribution within first 381 occupations)

AFFORDABLE HOUSING First Homes is the latest Government initiative to promote home ownership and is particularly suited to key workers and first-time buyers. The Lower Acre will provide 35% Affordable Housing including a larger than usual percentage of homes for affordable rent and the largest number of First Homes in the UK by a single planning permission.

• 75% Affordable Rent • 25% First Homes

The Lower Acre will launch a new era for Eastleigh Borough Council as it will provide the first affordable rented housing to be held by the Council in its newly reopened Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The proposal also includes 25% open market rent properties which will be retained by Eastleigh Borough Council with the remaining 40% of properties being for sale on the open market. This means Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC) will be landlord for more than 50% of the homes to be built, so success of the development over the long-term drives all decisions related to the project.

APPROACH The One Horton Heath Project Brief sets a clear Vision of an attractive, innovative development which stands out from other modern developments.

The name “One Horton Heath” reflects an ambition to ensure the new development is an extension of the existing village rather than a new, adjacent, community. This is an important aspect of the design which ensures the proposals embrace existing properties and features rather than exclude or separate them.

From the outset our approach has been to maximise the benefits of Eastleigh Borough Council being the applicant. The Council’s unique position and longterm stake in the project allows us to focus on priorities other than generating profit – priorities that are set out in the Project Brief include:

o Creating an attractive and healthy place to live o Ensuring prosperity and economic growth within the community o Leading the delivery of sustainable development within the Borough o

Providing a wide variety of homes that are genuinely focussed on meeting needs within the area

These aims permeate every aspect of the project and place a high emphasis on engagement and consultation; meeting the needs and aspirations of the community; and creating a beautiful place to live and work. These have been delivered upon since the start of the design process with the proposals being underpinned by an extensive and meaningful process of engagement with community representatives. The approach to the Lower Acre follows the Design Code of the masterplan which identifies the need for a strong and attractive gateway at the South of the site and frontage to the link road which passes through this application. Equally, it identifies the need to provide a sensitive boundary to Burnetts Lane and the existing 7 properties along the affected part of the lane.

Image: One Horton Heath design code

CONSULTATION EBC is a caring developer that places people at the heart of everything we do. In line with this we chose to conduct extensive pre-application consultation with local stakeholders offering genuine opportunities for the existing community to influence our proposals for the Lower Acre. Public consultation was undertaken from the very start of the design process and continued up to submission of the application. The main process for engagement was through the Local Development Forum convened to discuss all aspects of the project with each member tasked with bringing relevant information and views from the element of the community they represent. This working group included:

▪

FOHH Parish Councillors

▪

Burnetts Lane Residents Association (as most directly affected by the Lower Acre)

▪

Headteacher of Wyvern School

▪

Local ward Councillors

Images: from One Horton Heath public consultation events

Between October 2019 and December 2020 (submission), 5 interactive workshops were held to discuss and inform the design proposals for the Lower Acre. These workshops fundamentally shaped the approach to One Horton Heath and one of the strongest themes coming through public consultation was identity. We have worked hard to ensure the proposals create character, identity and quality places – not just a bland housing estate. The Acre of greenspace at the centre of the site – from which the proposal draws its name – stems from Development Forum workshops and the desire to create a green focal point and a core to the site, rather than “pepperpotting” lots of small green spaces around the site. This was identified as an aspiration early in the process and was central to all subsequent design proposals and became a core design principle – to the point that it is now embodied within the proposal and will be repeated across other parts of the One Horton Heath masterplan. The adjoining development parcel to the North-East (adjacent the proposed Sports Pitches) is currently known as “The Upper Acre”. It is intended to have a very similar character and, crucially, an acre of green space at its heart. “The Roughets”, accounting for nearly 100 of the homes in the Lower Acre, was borne from these Forum meetings when the group set out how existing properties along Burnetts Lane could be protected and respected by development proposals. The Roughets avoid placing properties in the direct view of existing properties and instead present avenues to those properties, so they look along open areas all of the way up to the acre of green space at the centre of development. The prioperties along these avenues are of a rural character unifying this part of the site with the exisitng properties along this part of Burnetts Lane.

Concept artwork of ‘The Roughets’ section of the lower acre

Another aspect that came across strongly through Development Forum meetings was retention of the existing hedgerow along Burnetts Lane with no vehicular access from One Horton Heath onto Burnetts Lane. Instead, the proposals include a footpath and planted margin between Burnetts Lane hedgerow and the nearest properties. Again, this careful placement of meaningful green spaces and pedestrian infrastructure creates space around existing properties without excluding or ignoring this important edge. One key issue raised consistently by Burnetts Lane Residents Association was measures to control or alleviate vehicles – especially HGVs – and reduce vehicle speeds along Burnetts Lane. We committed to assisting with this issue insofar as it is possible through the Lower Acre design process resulting in the following: •

No vehicular access or private driveways, onto Burnetts Lane from the Lower Acre;

•

Inclusion of traffic calming measures and safe pedestrian crossing points across Burnetts Lane which we will deliver. Several options were tested with specialist consultants and Hampshire Highways (HH). HH do not consider that any alterations to Burnetts Lane are necessary and are resistant to any improvements. The applicants have maintained their commitment to the proposed Burnetts Lane improvements – which are “unnecessary” and at additional cost to the project – as a direct result of the Development forum process and dialogue with BLRA.

Consultation was adapted quickly to the onset of Covid-19, changing format to virtual meetings ensuring continued and successful dialogue with community stakeholders as our plans progressed, despite not being able to meet in person.

Public consultation was carried out online during the Covid-19 pandemic

In addition to the 13 Development Forum meetings, prior to submission of the application, the applicants:

•

Met directly with individual Burnetts Lane residents

•

Attended two Burnetts Lane Residents Association meetings

•

Held two public consultation events

Our public consultation events were widely publicised with several targeted videos being released to provide information and encourage local residents to share their views. Following each consultation event, responses were collected and analysed in detail with changes incorporated within the proposals each time. During the planning determination process the applicant has not undertaken direct consultation and engagement, as this would duplicate the statutory planning consultation process. However, we have been responsive to comments received on the planning application. One such example is the Southern Gateway proposal – the original proposal included a 6-storey building which was considered a good option and entirely acceptable in urban design terms. However, it was apparent from public feedback that this aspect of the proposal was contentious. During the determination process this entire block was completely redesigned accounting for the key comments that were forthcoming. The current application includes the new proposal which is considered under the heading “Southern Gateway.”

We’re always looking for feedback on our plans – our website is just one of the ways feedback can be given outside of public consultation events.

DESIGN Every aspect of the Lower Acre responds to the Council’s Vision, Aims and Objectives for One Horton Heath as set out in the Project Brief. A detailed Design and Access statement sets out the following key principles that underpin our proposals for the Lower Acre:

o Creating attractive and safe spaces for communities to meet and enjoy o Addressing all key edges positively with attractive architecture o Providing a sense of arrival and identity at the Southern Gateway o Not allowing the private motor vehicle to dominate street frontages but rather to create streets and spaces where a sense of community can thrive o Delivering character that creates identity both for the Lower Arce as a whole and its distinctive character areas o Rejecting the concept of urban sprawl and suburbia in favour of a hierarchy of height and movement o Prioritising pedestrians and cyclists offering a variety of routes through the site to support users of all abilities o Making the efficient use of land whilst also using bespoke approaches to be a good neighbour and reinforce the positive characteristics of Burnetts Lane o Proving good quality garden spaces but also providing high quality and accessible open space to encourage active lifestyles and a sense of community o Enhanced sustainability o Protect and enhance biodiversity

We have used current design guidance to inform our specific approach. Key amongst these are;

Building for a Healthy Life “Building for a Healthy Life is Homes England’s key measure of design quality.” – Homes England (Building for a Healthy Life, 2020)

Building for a Healthy Life, Homes England’s design code for neighbourhoods, streets, homes and public spaces provides crucial design guidance for One Horton Heath.

“BHL works best where it is used as a ‘golden strand’ running through the development and planning process. This involves: •

Developers adopting BHL, using it as a design tool for new developments from the inception of a scheme, rather than after (or towards the end of) the design process.

•

Local authorities, developers, local communities and other stakeholders using BHL as a way to set expectations of new developments. The larger the scale of the development, the broader the engagement needs to be and to help develop a strong understanding of the site and its wider context alongside the needs of the local community.

•

Planning Committees and local councillors using BHL to assist with decision making allowing them to more easily identify the design qualities (or weaknesses) of proposed new developments”

The Lower Acre proposals follow and comply with BHL guidance in every aspect with no “red” issues identified – allowing the site to be accredited and certified as “Built for Life.”

The front cover of Homes England’s ‘Building for a Healthy Life’ design guide

National Design Guide The National Design Guide is more recent than BHL, being released part-way through the design process of the Lower Acre. This is Government guidance on planning and design – it is therefore a material consideration in the determination of applications and outweighs any local policies or guidance which are not up to date. The National Design Guide is closely aligned with Building for a Healthy Life and identifies 10 characteristics of good design:

The National Design Guide’s ten characteristics

We have used the National Design Guide 10 characteristics to inform our design approach and have considered each characteristic, both alone and in combination with each other. Our proposal is a strong blend of the three themes – Character, Community, Climate – which are also championed by our own Project Brief. Through this document our commitment to incorporating each of these aspects is made evident. Our proposals for the Lower Acre have been designed in complete accord with modern design guidance and best practice and, as a result, are well aligned with a modern vision of attractive and well-thought-out development.

A collection of early design sketches from our architect’s handbook.

THE SOUTHERN GATEWAY We refer to the Southern-most character area of the Lower Acre as “The Southern Gateway.” Sitting immediately adjacent the new Burnetts Lane roundabout, it is the most prominent part of the site when accessing the site from the South, warranting a statement about who we are and what we stand for. The current proposal is a mixture of 2, 3 and 4 storey buildings with only the most prominent building proposed at 4 storeys. Overall, the proposal marks an attractive entrance into the site.

Southern Gateway – “living wall” concept image

The Southern Gateway buildings include a “living wall” – complete façades consisting of living plants. We have engaged extensively with living wall specialists to ensure that design, installation and maintenance requirements will be met to achieve the highest quality finish and longevity of this statement piece.

Southern Gateway – “living wall” concept image.

The living wall even presents an opportunity to deliver Public Art as the planting can be designed and arranged to deliver different patterns and colours throughout the seasons. Combined with the uniqueness of the living wall system this could generate a truly inspirational landmark at the entrance to the site which is representative of the site’s “green” credentials. Eastleigh Borough Council will retain the majority of housing in this part of the site – along with the surrounding spaces – as this is the best way to ensure these are properly managed over the long term, and that there is a comprehensive approach to maintenance and aftercare. This will include full responsibility for care of the living wall. Our work with specialists includes in-depth consideration of aftercare and maintenance regimes to ensure that the full initial impact of this focal point is enduring and not allowed to degrade over time.

Southern Gateway – concept image.

DENSITY In order to constitute sustainable development it is imperative to deliver the maximum reasonable number of homes that can be provided on a site whilst balancing any impacts a development can cause. This is to ensure the efficient use of land and reduce the amount of greenfield land being built on. Density is a measure of how many properties are proposed per hectare of a given site. Policy DM23 of the Council’s emerging Local Plan seeks an average minimum density of 40 dwellings per hectare (dph) on new sites which is also encouraged by National policy. There are many factors to be considered when assessing appropriate density, however 40dph is considered “low” with “medium” densities being around 50 to 60 dph and “high” densities easily exceeding 100dph within towns and cities. Densities lower than 40dph are considered very low and are actively discouraged by current guidance and policy unless there are exceptional reasons for doing so – for instance, development in some conservation areas and historic settings.

Clague Architect’s early sketches pertaining to the lower acre.

The Lower Acre applies different densities across the proposal to create character and to respect existing features. For instance, the character area that fronts Burnetts Lane (The Roughets) is 30dph. The core of the site, around the central green, is approximately 40dph with other areas – particularly around the link road - being higher still due to the use of flats, apartments and townhouses. The higher density areas are part of a detailed design proposal to create a strong street frontage that actively controls vehicle speeds on the link road and which helps to screen houses behind from road noise. Crucially, our approach to density does not simply mean “more homes” – it actually means we can build on less of the overall site and protect the sites natural assets rather than putting pressure on these as many other developments and developers do. As we’ve been able to concentrate housing in appropriate locations at appropriate densities we have been able to include generous amounts of space within the Lower Acre for recreation and amenity. The Lower Acre delivers 2.7acres of green space within the development area which is a quarter of an acre more than is required by Policy for a standalone development this size – and impressively does not rely on any of the open space provided by the side wide masterplan to make it acceptable in planning terms.

A genealogy of the character of dwellings in the local area, which has been used to inform placemaking principles for One Horton Heath.

HOMES The homes within the Lower Acre are bespoke designed for Eastleigh Borough Council based on a comprehensive brief of requirements. The House Types Brief was prepared in 2020 following extensive consultation with Council Officers and Councillors. Some of the points within the Brief include: o

Larger homes - designed to live in rather than meet a pre-set space requirement – this results in the Councils house types being on average 13% larger than the Governments guidance for Nationally Designed Space Standards (NDSS).

Ample storage

All bedrooms are double bedrooms

Greater flexibility for changing lifestyles and needs

Support for Home Working

Excellent sustainability credentials

Simplicity of operation

House Sizes: NDSS

OHH

Number of Number 1 storey 2 storey 3 storey 1 storey 2 storey 3 storey bedrooms of persons dwellings dwellings dwellings dwellings dwellings dwellings (b) (p) GIFA (m2) GIFA (m2) GIFA (m2) GIFA (m2) GIFA (m2) GIFA (m2) 1b

50.00

54.15

70.00

102.00

108.00

124.00

130.00

79.00

82.81

82.27 113.47

123.18 150.07

Additionally, all house types include generous amounts of space for storage and flexible spaces to accommodate home working if required. Although not everyone has the ability to work from home we have ensured that each new home can accommodate this with the necessary space and infrastructure built-in from the outset. All properties will meet Building Regulation requirements for accessible homes and all flats within our range meet the higher access standards within part M4(2) of the Building Regulations. We have not made a blanket provision for higher access standards across our houses as we do not believe the further increase in floor area or additional builders work required to facilitate a ground floor shower on a “just in case” basis This document is not intended to replace or update any of the application material; nor does it form part of the planning application. It simply provides an explanation of the material and key facts. 24

is sensible or reasonable given our range of houses are designed flexibly with generous spaces to ensure people can use their home in whatever way meets their current or future needs. Every garden has been assessed on a case-bycase basis, using 50% of the NDSS floor area or 100% of the ground floor footprint as a benchmark for an appropriately sized garden. In line with the design approach across all aspects of the Lower Acre, this is simply a benchmark and not a one-size-fits all – some gardens achieve the lower end of these benchmarks, particularly where properties are very close to high-quality open spaces, but many gardens are significantly larger than either of these benchmarks. This means that all houses are well provided with appropriate gardens and a variety of external amenity to suit an array of different users and needs - variety of garden sizes helps choice. All flats and certain house types also benefit from private balconies and roof decks, providing additional outdoor spaces for residents to enjoy. All homes are in easy walking distance of attractive public open spaces, both within the Lower Acre and the wider One Horton Heath masterplan – these spaces will be interconnected to create a network of walking routes and play facilities. The proposal includes great variety to meet a range of appetites and needs. The Lower Acre includes 15 core property types, which are arranged and finished externally in a range of ways to create distinctive character, variety and high quality. The external appearance and style of all homes are designed to create the different characters aspired-to across the site.

Clague Architects’ Floor plan and elevation sketches for one of the types of homes located on the Lower Acre. This document is not intended to replace or update any of the application material; nor does it form part of the planning application. It simply provides an explanation of the material and key facts. 25

WILDLIFE The Lower Acre achieves a healthy Biodiversity Net Gain in its own right which means there will be more habitats and species present after development than there were before. This is without any reliance on the wider Masterplan, its natural green spaces or the strategic ecological mitigation it will deliver – despite the Lower Acre being just one phase of a larger development and could quite appropriately rely on the benefits of the wider masterplan. The Lower Acre site currently has some of the sparsest habitat credentials on the site, consisting of intensively grazed fields with no trees and a few poor-quality hedgerows at the boundaries. We will retain all hedgerows and significantly enhance these, closing-up existing gaps and strengthening the provision. Our comprehensive landscape strategy includes over 650 new trees, all of which will be native species appropriate to the area, as well as extensive native hedgerow planting within the development. Surface water drainage uses open features where possible to convey water – such as rain gardens and swales. As well as providing better filtration to surface water, these features attract wildlife, introducing opportunities for water-loving species in an area where none currently exist.

An aeriel view of ponds that were created on the One Horton Heath site to provide a habitat for amphibians and other water dwelling creatures, including the endangered great crested newt.

The Southern Gateway buildings incorporate a “Living Wall” – a façade consisting of living plants. In addition to creating an attractive gateway to the One Horton Heath site the living wall adds an extra dimension to the site’s ecological credentials, attracting bees and other important insects into the area.

At present, the calculation of Biodiversity Nett Gain makes no allowance for features such as bat boxes, bird boxes and hedgehog gates. However, our wildlife strategy includes for such features to be installed throughout the site in appropriate locations to provide even more habitats and accessibility for wildlife.

A wildlife tunnel located along Allington Lane, which provides safe passage to amphibians and other creatures whose habitat spans this busy local road.

SUSTAINABILITY Homes within the Lower Acre will achieve extremely high sustainability standards and deliver on the Council’s commitment to develop with “no reliance on fossil fuels”. All homes are designed to achieve the emerging “Future Homes 2025” standard. This standard is expected to become mandatory throughout England in 2026 and proposes “an ambitious uplift in the energy efficiency of new homes.” “The Future Homes Standard will require new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency.” [MHCLG] In order to achieve this, the homes are first designed to be extremely thermally efficient. The priority is to reduce energy consumption and heat losses. Secondly, homes are heated by an extremely efficient system. As above, the decision had already been made to avoid gas boilers and any other technology that utilises fossil-fuels. The Lower Acre homes will therefore rely on extremely efficient heat pumps for their heating and hot water – a technology which is currently anticipated to become the primary replacement for gas boilers as those are phased-out of new developments in future years. Finally, each home will have a large array of solar photovoltaic panels to generate renewable electricity that offsets its own demand for heating and lighting. The outcome of this approach is that each home will perform 75% better than current Building Regulations or Planning Policy requirements.

By building to the Future Homes Standard from day one we are ensuring that each home and the whole development is future-proofed – and that an exceptional standard is set by One Horton Heath.

The One Horton Heath Team is actively investigating the use of a “Private Wire” network to supply clean electricity from solar assets on or near the site (primarily the Chalcroft Solar Farm which is owned by the Council) to supply electricity to a range of communal uses including Electric Vehicle Chargers. This is part of a strategy which could see EBC-generated green energy supplied to Electric Vehicles, Street Lighting, and all non-residential buildings including the Local Centre, Commercial buildings, School and Sports facilities. This strategy is being progressed alongside the exemplar standards applied to individual buildings and would lead to an industry-leading approach. With the Council’s purchase of Chalcroft Solar Park there is the opportunity for a large proportion of the overall energy demand to be supplied at source from clean generated power reduce reliance on the grid.

Chalcroft Solar Farm located in the centre of One Horton Heath. The 34-acre site hosts more than 25,600 photovoltaic panels.

SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL Sustainable travel underpins the Lower Acre design. Although we must cater for current use of the private vehicle, we have put sustainable travel choices at the heart of the design going above and beyond to actively prioritise pedestrians and cyclists over other road users. Pedestrians and cyclists of all abilities are catered-for with multiple options and different routes. All through-roads have segregated offcarriageway cycling facilities so that cyclists never have to cycle on the road – although road widths are sufficient for those who choose to do so. In addition, there are complete alternative routes which avoid roads altogether, taking a more attractive route through the development. The Lower Acre also includes attractive walking routes that will link-up with green spaces delivered within the wider masterplan. Our proposals include establishing a “Car Club” – a pool of fully-electric vehicles which all residents can access on an as-and-when basis for ad-hoc or planned journeys. This will provide a genuine alternative to 2nd or 3rd car ownership and encourage green travel. The Car Pool, coupled with comprehensive electric vehicle charging and unallocated parking spaces, is capable of expansion as far as is needed. It is expected that the Car Club will operate across every phase of the One Horton Heath masterplan.

PARKING STANDARDS The Lower Acre proposals deliver 708 parking spaces of which 545 are allocated and 163 are unallocated. This compares to the Council’s Supplementary Planning Document for Residential Parking which requires 655 parking spaces of which 131 should be unallocated. All 1 and 2-bedroom properties have at least one allocated parking space. All 3 and 4-bedroom properties have two allocated parking spaces. Each area throughout the site then has extensive unallocated parking spaces within it. Allocated parking is provided by a combination of in-curtilage and conveyed spaces within the public realm. Unallocated parking is provided in the public realm by marked out bays distributed evenly across the site layout and not, like many developments in the Borough, loosely catered for in roads and streets where cars can be parked but which are not specifically designed to park vehicles. There are several principles underpinning our approach: o

Overall, the intention is to encourage reduced reliance on private vehicles. This topic is considered further under headings Electric Vehicle Charging and Sustainable Travel

However, we have to acknowledge that people will continue to rely on private vehicles for travel – simply delivering a reduced number of parking spaces will cause issues with nuisance parking

The proposal gently discourages reliance on private car usage by reducing numbers of allocated in-curtilage parking; however, the total number of parking bays is higher than expected by planning guidance

Unallocated parking allows greater flexibility to accommodate aspects such as visitor parking, electric vehicle charging and the proposed Car Club

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING Electric Vehicle Charging has been built into the Lower Acre proposals from the outset. As a result, every home will have access to Electric Vehicle Charging. All homes with in-curtilage parking will have a pre-wired electric vehicle charging point adjacent to its parking. All allocated and a high proportion unallocated parking spaces in the public realm will have access to pay-as-you-go fast charging points. This allows visitors to charge electric vehicles and also works with the proposed Car Club – see “Sustainable Travel” for more detail. Electric Vehicle Charging is still an emerging technology with frequent developments in rapid charging technologies. It is likely that, before One Horton Heath is completed, Electric Vehicle technology will have improved dramatically. The advice from experts is that we retain as much flexibility as we can at this stage and that we do so by putting in high-quality and high-capacity electric infrastructure. Moreover, infrastructure is being carefully planned so that future upgrades can take place as necessary without the need to re-open roads and footways.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND We are working with both Openreach (infrastructure provider of the BT Group) and Virgin Media to incorporate infrastructure for their services from the outset. Both Openreach and Virgin are in the process of rolling-out their high-speed provision to the Horton Heath area and we have already installed Openreach and Virgin infrastructure under the new roads recently completed at Allington Lane, Bubb Lane and Burnetts Lane.

Image: New Allington Lane roundabout

roundabout Both operators have confirmed they will service the development with highspeed Fibre to the Premise (FTTP). The fibre infrastructure will be taken to the respective providers Masterpoint inside each property, so that residents can arrange a high-speed landline and broadband from the provider of their choice. The individual homes will be wired with fibre to a Masterpoint, from which either a high speed WiFi router can be installed, or hardwired individual data points can be added creating a 'Local Area Network' (LAN).

Source: Virgin Media 2021. By 2020, connected devices will outnumber the global population by 7 to 1.

FOUL WATER DRAINAGE All foul water drainage on site will be adopted and Southern Water have confirmed that capacity will be provided at the Chickenhall Lane Wastewater Treatment Works for the site to be connected. Crucially, there will be no interface with the Meadowsweet Pumping Station which currently experiences issues at peak times and during heavy rainfall events. Eastleigh Borough Council has committed to Burnetts Lane Residents Association that we will facilitate connection of existing properties along Burnetts Lane to mains drainage. Foul sewers to be constructed within the Lower Acre will be adopted by Southern Water. Once adopted, residents will have a statutory right to form connections to these. During the design process for the Lower Acre, the applicants have undertaken due diligence to ensure that (a) proposed drainage features are at an appropriate level to facilitate connection by existing properties, and (b) drainage designs are rationalised, with manholes positioned to make future connection as easy as possible. In addition, the applicants have also committed to BLRA that, whilst residents will have to arrange/ fund connections, Eastleigh Borough Council will support this process with technical advice and through established contacts with Southern Water.

Drawing of strategic foul water network.

SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE Surface Water will undergo extensive treatment in accordance with a Best Practice hierarchy. Due to the way the Lower Acre works with the wider Masterplan, Surface Water goes through multiple forms of naturalised treatment – more than the three forms required by Eastleigh’s planning guidance. The forms of surface water treatment are designed with wildlife in mind and, where appropriate, phosphates and nitrates too. Surface water features are an intrinsic part of the landscape proposals and contribute much to the attractiveness and quality of green spaces within the site rather than being hidden away. Surface water is collected and stored in-parcel by means such as permeable paving, below-ground attenuation tanks (crates) and over-sized pipes. These are gradually released and conveyed into a wider network that relies on both regular below-ground features and more innovative open features – such as rain gardens and swales. These are effectively shallow ditches with a gravel bed; surface water can travel slowly along the bed to a point of discharge – although the ditches are not designed to be full or to hold standing water at any point. These areas are extensively planted with water-loving species; these actually help to filter water and, with appropriate species, can remove both water-borne nitrates and phosphates. These are a critical part of the landscape strategy and create attractive street scenes – particularly along the new link road. Surface water is controlled at each stage with all features sized to account for worst-case rainfall plus a 30% additional margin – so that all that volume of rainfall can be safely collected and stored. Surface water is then discharged at a controlled rate into a SUDS network. This network follows existing low spots across the site with each feature collecting and storing water before discharging to the next. This arrangement represents a really comprehensive approach to surface water management with water being filtered at every stage along the way. The strategic SUDS network is comprehensively linked and planted, forming an important series of ecological, landscape and open spaces. The SUDS network is also designed to store water and allow it to discharge to existing watercourses at a controlled rate.

Surface water retention basins - Allington Lane top and Bubb Lane bottom.

IMPROVEMENTS TO BURNETTS LANE Burnetts Lane Residents Association have always made clear the importance of works to Burnetts Lane to reduce – or ideally prevent – through traffic, and so avoids its future use as a “rat-run.” The applicants have supported this principle throughout the Outline and Lower Acre applications. Hampshire Highways do not support the need for any works to Burnetts Lane – traffic impacts are expected to be minimal and Highways have resisted the inclusion of any alterations on the basis that they are unnecessary. The applicants are well aware of the practical issues through the Development Forum meetings and therefore strongly disagreed with Hampshire Highways. Several options for Burnetts Lane have been explored up-to and including closure of the lane North of the new roundabout. The current applications propose a series of traffic calming measures which are intended to reduce speeds and increase travel times along Burnetts Lane so that (a) it is very difficult for HGVs to use (although the lane is subject to a weight restriction historically this has been ignored) and (b) it is not attractive as a rat run. Again, Hampshire Highways have stated that these works are unnecessary and requested that they be removed from the proposals. The applicants have maintained the proposal given the importance of the issue and commitment to resolving pre-existing issues through development wherever possible. The proposed improvements to Burnetts Lane are secured through the Section 106 Agreement attached to the Outline Application. However, they must be implemented alongside the Lower Acre development and completed before any properties are occupied. The proposed improvements include a series of pinchpoints that will slow vehicles on the road and provide safe crossing points for existing residents to cross Burnetts Lane into the development and so make use of the walking routes and facilities to be provided by the development.

Sketch Illustrations of Burnetts Lane

CONSTRUCTION A Construction and Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) has been submitted with the application and will be secured by planning condition. It requires all vehicles accessing the site including HGV’s/ deliveries to come via Chalcroft Way – the new link road between Bubb Lane and Burnetts Lane – from the South. No parking will be allowed off-site – a dedicated site car park will be formed. Site set-up will include safe, level pedestrian access and direct contact details for Site Management along with direct contact details for EBC staff who can deal with queries/ issues/ complaints. The CEMP also includes: • • •

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Means of controlling noise, dust and vibration Strictly enforced working hours Utilisation of on-site space to maximise reuse and recycling of construction arisings in accordance with best practice (note – no waste processing is proposed. However, this will help significantly reduce vehicle movements by minimising muckaway and soil movements off-site) Construction-stage drainage along with groundwater protection measures

We are actively investigating and encouraging the use of electric plant and construction vehicles which will help reduce carbon and noise emissions. This approach will also apply to site welfare – office, canteen and toilet facilities – which will have photovoltaic panels to supply power. We are committed to comprehensive engagement with the local community and affected residents. We will provide regular communications to give updates on progress and key activities. These will be distributed via a variety of media including electronic and hard copies. We will also convene regular meetings to discuss works – again, progress and forthcoming activities, as well as receiving feedback on works. We repurposed 13,500 cubic metres of excavated soil to shape the landscaping and wildlife structures at our new informal open space at Allington Lane.

Onsite at One Horton Heath