CABI
REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE SUMMARY DOCUMENT KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE
Contents 1.0
Introduction
3
2.0
What is CABI?
4
3.0
Why do CABI wish to develop?
8
4.0
Alternative Site
9
5.0
CABI’s Aspirations for a new office building
10
6.0
The Team
16
7.0
The Care Village
17
8.0
Examples of Care Village Designs
21
9.0
The Business Case
22
10.0 Policy
23
11.0 Communication Strategy
25
12.0 Community Liaison
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
Introduction
1.0 This document is intended to provide a summary of the redevelopment proposals for CABI at its headquarters site in Wallingford in the context of its role as an international not-for-profit organisation working in agriculture and the environment. CAB International is an important international development and information organisation and a major local employer. Its worldwide headquarters are in the UK and there are 135 full time staff based in Wallingford. Almost half of these people currently live in South Oxfordshire District. Having looked at other sites and faced with an inadequate and ageing headquarters building, CABI has been working on a proposal to build a new office on their existing site and now wishes to submit an outline planning application. To fund the new office, CABI is proposing a care village to be built on part of the remaining land. This will help meet the requirements of the District as it considers how to meet the challenges of housing an ageing population. The current proposals are a result of extensive discussions with SODC, which have been ongoing since 2010. Development is proposed on land that is currently occupied by the curtilage of existing buildings, car parking and formal grounds, with the remaining land left open. The new office will be constructed while CABI continues to operate from its existing buildings. Once the new office is complete, the care village will be built. Both CABI and SODC have high ambitions for a sustainable development which does not cause harm to the AONB. Views into the site of the proposed development area are, fortunately, very limited. Both the new office and the care village will incorporate energy saving measures that are significantly in excess of current building regulations, as well as high levels of thermal insulation.
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
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2.0
What is CABI? What is CABI?
CABI is a not-for-profit science-based development and information organization.
CABI’s history
Scientific endeavour for over a century 1909: Winston Churchill at the British Colonial Office establishes Entomological Research Committee to research agricultural pests in the Commonwealth 1929: Fleming discovers Penicillium – now deposited and curated in the CABI collection 1942: Publication of first plant pest distribution maps 1973: Journal production is computerised 1987: New constitution creating CAB International as UN Treaty-level organisation; formal opening of head office in Wallingford by HRH the Prince of Wales 1999: 12 years of research results in Green Muscle, a fungal product to control locust plagues 2010: Plantwise initiative is announced and CABI celebrates 100 years
Our Mission?
CABI improves people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment.
What are CABI’s operating principles?
CABI operates as an efficient organization so as to be financially self-sustaining whilst delivering benefits to its members through not-for-profit development projects.
How is CABI funded?
CABI receives revenue from its publishing activities and project grants for development work, as well as contributions from member countries.
Global reach
We have around 400 staff across 17 locations worldwide
What activities does CABI undertake?
• Publishing • Development projects and research • Microbial services • Plantwise
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
2.0 Publishing Anguilla
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Bermuda
Botswana
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Chile
China
Burundi
Colombia
Canada
Cote d’Ivoire
Cyprus
• • • • Development projects and research
Project work Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Malawi
Malaysia
Mauritius
Montserrat
Myanmar
Netherlands
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
St Helena
Switzerland
Tanzania
Trinidad & Tobago
Uganda
United Kingdom
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
Bibliographic databases, including CAB Abstracts Full text electronic resources Multimedia compendia Books and eBooks
Our staff research and find solutions to agricultural and environmental problems What problems are we solving? • • • •
DPR Korea
Gambia
CABI publishes high quality scientific resources within the applied life sciences
Improving food security in order to help alleviate poverty Providing information and improving access to agricultural and scientific knowledge Supporting farmers through training and advice on good agricultural practice Protecting biodiversity by managing pests and diseases
Map showing countries where CABI projects are located
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2.0 Microbial services
CABI offers a range of professional microbial services • microorganism supply • testing and consultancy services • microbiological identifications • preservation & patenting • collection screening
Who does CABI work for and with?
• Farmers • Extension workers • Member country governments • Non-governmental organizations • Charities and foundations • Research agencies • National donor agencies • Development agencies • Universities • Corporate organizations
We work in partnership with others to achieve our objectives; building the capacity of our partners is an integral part of all our activities.
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
2.0 Jobs
CABI Staff Currently around 400 worldwide, approximately half in the UK Wallingford staff total 135: • 60 living in South Oxfordshire District • Average length of service over 10 years • 28 staff of over 20 years service
Other Tenants in Wallingford Office • c. 20 jobs Care Village Staff • 64 full time jobs in the care home • 6 other full time jobs Total of around 220 jobs would make the redeveloped site one of the largest employers in the area. The growing global importance of South Oxfordshire as a science based economy will be enhanced by CABI’s decision to rebuild its offices in the district to the highest level of sustainability.
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
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3.0
Why do CABI wish to develop? The Building is unfit for purpose • Poor image • The building was designed as a school – not the headquarters for an international organisation • It is nearly 50 years old and at the end of its design life • There are serious problems in use • Staff comfort is a major concern – poor working conditions • Maintenance is now very expensive • Sustainability is very poor with very high energy costs
Greenhouse effects
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Not built for office purposes
Deterioriating infrastructure
Problems with flat roofs
Water ingress
Air gaps around doors
Ineffecient temporary buildings
Poor lighting
Heating system repairs CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
Alternative Site
4.0
• Originally CABI envisaged relocating from Wallingford to either Culham Science Park or HR Wallingford and building new office premises at one of these locations. Both sites have been evaluated and discussions have taken place with the sites’ owners and agents. In addition, SODC has identified potential undeveloped land at Hithercroft. All of these sites have difficulties. •
Any relocation of CABI from their current site would require acquisition of land that would incur a cost as well as greater construction and development costs from developing on two separate sites. These costs would need to be offset by increasing the size of the care village development.
• Alternative sites have been considered but found unsuitable. • Developing on a separate site would increase construction and development costs requiring a larger care village. • A new international headquarters building on the current site is CABI’s favoured option.
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
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CABI’s Aspiration for the New Office Building
5.0
Aims and Aspirations The objective is to deliver an A- rated, BREEAM Excellent HQ Building for an international organisation which: • Is an office development which sits in harmony with the landscape; • With the care village, provides a symbiotic development with shared facilities such as the lecture theatre, leisure building and landscaped gardens; • Creates a delightful, collaborative, flexible and productive environment; • Promotes and celebrates biodiversity, supporting the decade on biodiversity, having a minimal impact on the environment (energy, water, waste, materials) and a positive contribution to the site; • Is designed for low carbon, ‘passive’ design, which minimises energy requirements and minimises its reliance on fossil fuels for this reduced requirement; • Uses sustainably sourced materials with low embodied carbon wherever possible; • Is a building of which both CABI and Wallingford can be proud – truly exemplary. The architects Scott Brownrigg are an international practice with a proven record for sustainable design including the award winning Red Kite House at HR Wallingford. The CABI HQ will be a low impact two- storey office with a gross internal area of approximately 3,108 sq m. The accommodation will provide a range of associated amenities such as a café restaurant, meeting rooms and a lecture theatre. These will be able to provide facilities to the local community in the evenings and at weekends and will become a valuable resource within the area. Orientation Strategy The unique form is derived from passive solar design principles. The plan is orientated East-West, which minimises the exposure to low-level morning and afternoon sun which is difficult to screen. The southern elevation incorporates horizontal blades that provide screening and harvest energy from the sun. The ‘Loggia Street’ which runs North-South is also shaded using solar photovoltaic panels incorporated into the roof. The orientation as illustrated on the master plan is the most energy efficient and has been one of the drivers for the master plan. Passive Ventilation Strategy The narrow floor-plate wings are combined with a 3.4 m high clear exposed soffit. Cross ventilation can enter and exit the building via full height openings in the elevations. However, during hot, still days when there is limited air movement, ventilation is encouraged via fan- assisted extract. The open floor plates and light wells allow air to rise up through the building where it is extracted to the air handling plant at the rear of the core; this air movement provides a cooling effect.
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
5.0 Siting the building away from the road has allowed the design team to major on passive ventilation as road noise has been a diminutive factor, although noise attenuation will still be required in some circumstances. Daylight Strategy Natural day-lighting principles have been adopted throughout the design, which will reduce the requirement for artificial lighting and minimise energy consumption. The narrow 14m wide floor plate ensures that no desks are further than 7m from a window. Generous floor to ceiling height and roof lights located above the centre of the floors allow natural light to enter the centre of the plan. Structural Strategy This is provided by a 9m x 9m offset column grid containing the concrete required for foundations and structure generally. The first floor is supported by a concrete flat slab, which is post tensioned to reduce materials and provides thermal mass to the ground floor ceiling. A hybrid system has been envisaged for the roof construction, with steel beams for the large spans and timber for smaller distances to reduce the amount of steel required. Internal partitions provide additional thermal mass to both floors. Double height spaces encourage light to flow throughout the floor plates and encourage a sense of community and communication. Water Strategy Water mitigation is also approached in an integrated manner, green roofs, swales, and permeable paving provide a mitigating effect. These are combined with the balancing pond, which provides an integrated sustainable drainage solution with the care village. Travel The project will also incorporate electric car charging points, a green travel plan, drop-off for a minibus, and cycling and changing facilities. Landscaping With an organisation such as CABI, one of the principles for the design team was to strive for was increasing biodiversity wherever possible. The existing grounds are maintained lawns and provide poor biodiversity. The proposed office green roofs and the surrounding landscaping will be designed with the CABI scientific team to create a biodiverse landscape in keeping with the natural habitat.
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
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5.0 Energy Performance One of the primary goals set by CABI for the design team was to create a building with very low in-use energy consumption far in excess of any current regulations. The Design is inherently energy efficient and enables the achievement of the highest sustainability targets. The Energy Performance Certificate rating will be very close to an A-rating even before the introduction of low carbon technologies (i.e. Combined Heat and Power plant and Photovoltaics). A flexible and future-proofed approach has been adopted, enabling several increments to ensure that the CABI office will be an exemplar design which will enhance CABI’s international standing as a world leader in agricultural and environmental scientific research. This strategy can provide a low carbon building matched to performance and operation.
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
5.0 The design team’s approach is to target a building with passive technologies which result in a building with low energy use. The energy which will be required will be used sparingly and the target is to generate energy on site with photovoltaics and a Combined Heat and Power plant, where the heat will be used to warm the care village and the electricity used for the office building. Where possible the materials selected to construct the building will be low in embodied energy and will be from the A rated list, as defined by the Green Guide. During the detailed design process every element of the building will be scrutinised to reduce energy consumption in construction and operation.
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
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5.0
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
Proposed View of new office
5.0
Design Elevation
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
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The Team
6.0
In order to realise CABI’s ambition for a new Headquarters they have had to ‘hand-pick’ the correct team. Over a period of nine months through a series of competitions CABI have selected a highly qualified team of award winning companies with proven track records in delivering exemplar developments. While selecting the design team for the office development, CABI undertook a design competition where the designs were marked on a number of categories which included; environmental sustainable design with low carbon technologies; previous work in the Wallingford area; sympathetic design to the surrounding environment; longevity of the built form; a building which CABI and Wallingford could be proud of. We outline the core members of the team below with a brief synopsis. • Project Manager – Ridge & Partners LLP An international award winning property consultancy based in Oxford established in 1946 with extensive experience of delivering projects in SODC and in developing sustainable mixed use developments. Ridge were selected to bring the team together and produce a CABI HQ of exemplar design. • Architect for CABI HQ – Scott Brownrigg An international architectural practice with a heritage spanning almost 100 years. In recent years the practice has consistently been rated in the top 20 of the UK’s top 100 practices. Scott Brownrigg are one of the leading design practices for sustainable office design. Local examples include the award winning Red Kite House at H R Wallingford. • Landscape Architects – Portus & Whitton The landscape architecture will be key to the success of the master plan and as a result CABI have employed award winning Portus & Whitton to work as part of the team right from the outset.
Based in the Cotswolds they have worked on over 15 Care Village projects and were awarded the prestigious ‘New Homes Garden Awards 2010 – Gold Award’.
• Planning Consultant – Nigel Moor Planning Originally based in Wallingford for more than twenty years, the practice has acted on a large number of major projects in South Oxfordshire, and has advised CABI on their redevelopment plans since their inception. Won first prize in the TCPA New Communities competition in 1991. • Property Adviser – John Hayward FRICS A chartered surveyor with 35 years experience in development and investment, John Hayward has advised CABI on its UK property strategy for the last ten years.
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
The Care Village
7.0
Vision The vision for the Wallingford care village is an integrated community for older people that provides a range of services designed to meet their current and future care needs. • The care village layout is entirely located within the existing footprint and curtilage of the existing buildings; • The care village will be run by a specialist operator and will include a small shop, hairdressing salon, restaurant and laundry to encourage a community environment; • The assisted living apartments are designed to meet the requirements of older people. Every prospective resident will be subject to an independent care needs assessment on entry and a care package will be offered to them to meet their individual needs and requirements; • The provision of services from the care home will be secured through a S.106 Unilateral Undertaking which will bind the operator of the care home to make services available to the assisted living units. As a consequence, both the care home and assisted living units are classified as Use Class C2; • The retirement housing units are predominantly targeted at people with a lower level of dependency and there will be no requirement for residents to undertake an individual care needs assessment or for the care home to make services available to the occupiers of these units. They are classified as Use Class C3; • The key worker units will be offered through an RSL to people working in the care home. The care village will generate approximately 70 full-time jobs; • It is intended that the buildings will be designed as a contemporary interpretation of the local vernacular. Materials will reflect the Chilterns character of the area; • In conjunction with CABI, there will be a mini-bus to bring residents and staff into Wallingford and to Cholsey Station. Public transport access is described in the Access and Public Transport section; • The gardens will be managed as a single entity, which means that the site will take on an open appearance rather than being segregated with fencing and the external appearance will be carefully controlled to ensure that the development is not compromised by unsympathetic future additions.
Wallingford Option 1 Aerial View
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
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The Care Village – Constraints
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7.0
CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
The Care Village – Opportunities
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
7.0
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
Examples of Care Village Designs
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
8.0
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9.0
The Business Case The case for CABI’s need for a new headquarters building is made elsewhere in this document. The financial business case for the proposed redevelopment is as follows: CABI does not have the financial resources to build new premises even if we could we justify using funds, which should be used for relieving poverty and improving global food security, for that purpose. We intend to enable the construction of a modern, environmentally efficient office building by the development of part of the present site as a care village. This would meet an urgent and growing need in the area for top quality care facilities for the elderly as well as providing additional employment opportunities. In order to keep the care village development to the minimum size necessary to fund the new office, it would be co-located on the present site with the new office, almost entirely within the alreadydeveloped portion of the site (which represents around one quarter of the whole site). A number of alternative sites were considered and early in 2011 the proposal to develop the offices adjacent to the care village was discussed and confirmed as the preferred option, the attraction being that the land was already owned by CABI. This meant that money that would otherwise have to be allocated to site acquisition costs could be re-allocated by building a less dense care scheme and building a better, “greener”, office building. The saving was likely to be in the order of £750,000 to £1,000,000. The Business Case needs to establish a land value which will provide CABI with the requisite quantum and quality of office space, the cost of which is calculated as follows: Construction cost: £6,340,000 incl. inflation to 3Q 2013. Design fees:
£800,000 (circa 12.5%).
Fit out:
£500,000 (auditorium, furniture, IT, catering) from Ridge
Photovoltaic panels £545,000 to achieve BREEAM Excellent Professional fees:
£300,000 (legal, planning, property, local authority).
This gives a total realisation requirement of:
£8,485,000
To generate the equivalent of £8,485,000 in land value, a care village development of the following characteristics is required: Retirement and assisted living apartments. For these purposes we have assumed that although each of these will have different entry age/needs thresholds, the sales values will be the same. In the appraisal, the split is 56 retirement units and 49 assisted living units. Care Home. We have assumed 64 beds. Affordable Housing. We have assumed that this will generally take the form of key worker accommodation. We have allowed for 24 units, which is about 43% of the retirement housing. We have slightly over provided on the number to allow for flexibility as between the retirement and assisted living designations. This will generate the required revenue and cash flow, as well as provide a total return for the developer of 16.7%, as follows:
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CABI NOSWORTHY WAY RETIREMENT VILLAGE SUMMARY APRIL 2012 DEVELOPMENT APPRAISAL 56 Retirement units and 49 Assisted 115,000 sq ft net sales area 39,100,000 Living units 64 Bed Care Home 5,760,000 24 Affordable Housing Apartments 12,000 sq ft net sales area 1,800,000 TOTAL SALES REVENUE 46,660,000 DEVELOPMENT COSTS Cost of constructing and fitting out CABI’s Offices Site Stamp Duty, legal, agency, survey and finance fees Build cost of Retirement and Assisted Living units Build cost of Care Home Build cost of Affordable Housing Demolition Off Site Works – e.g. utilities Additional costs to achieve Code 4 sustainability Build cost of Leisure Building Contingency Prof Fees for Village planning application Prof Design fees for Village Direct Sale Agents Fee Direct Sale Legal Fees Marketing S106 Payments INTEREST from start of Office build to completion of Village
8,485,000 734,250 126,500 sq ft gross internal 32,000 sq ft gross internal 13,200 sq ft gross internal
at 2.50%
at 2.00% at 0.50%
9,219,250
15,179,976 4,480,000 1,320,000 350,000 500,000 967,500 350,000 578,687 100,000 1,115,500 Build Costs 782,001 195,501 Disposal Fees 375,000 500,000 End Payments
Calculated on cash flow @ 6.5% over 42 month period TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COSTS Developer’s overhead and profit Margin On Cost Margin On Sales
24,941,663
977,502
875,000 2,875,413 38,888,828 7,771,172 19.98% 16.67%
Although at this stage these figures are only illustrative, they are based on a possible scheme considered by an experienced team and demonstrate that a viable care village development would generate a sufficient land value to meet the cost of CABI’s new office. CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
10.0
Policy National Framework The National Planning Policy Framework published on the 27th March 2012 sets out the need to build a strong competitive economy: “18. The Government is committed to securing economic growth in order to create jobs and prosperity, building on the country’s inherent strengths, and to meeting the twin challenges of global competition and of a low-carbon future.” “19. The Government is committed to ensuring that the planning system does everything it can to support sustainable economic growth. Planning should operate to encourage and not act as an impediment to sustainable growth. Therefore significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth through the planning system.” “20. To help achieve economic growth, local planning authorities should plan proactively to meet the development needs of business and support an economy fit for the 21st century.” Local Context The CABI site is located on the western edge of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) adjacent to the River Thames. It is not identified on the proposals Map of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan (adopted January 2006) but benefits from planning permissions granted in 1985 for change of use to scientific research, review and training, and in 1989 for a journal store and despatch centre. Access to the site was subsequently substantially improved by the construction of the link road past the site from the A4074 across the River Thames to the A329. Therefore since the designation of the AONB in 1965, there has been substantial additional development on the site, and the immediate character of the site was significantly changed by the construction of the link road past the site. The area that has not changed is that adjacent to the River Thames, and this area is excluded from the development proposals. Saved Policy D1 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011 advises that the principles of good design and the protection and reinforcement of local distinctiveness should be taken into account in all development through :
We will use these criteria subsequently to describe the scheme. In designing the new office building and Care Village regard has been paid to the South Oxfordshire Design Guide published in July 2008. The bulk of the advice relates to residential buildings but one of the exemplar buildings in the South Oxfordshire District is the Henley Rowing Pavilion and Museum shown at page 44 of the Design Guide. Such contemporary design can also be a feature of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Carmel College site contains a number of buildings built more than forty years ago in a modernist style that are now protected by being statutorily listed.
The Chilterns Buildings Design Guide acknowledges (para. 3.31) that there is a place for contemporary and innovative architecture that demonstrates adherence to the basic principle of being in harmony with the site and surrounding buildings and countryside. Such buildings should also demonstrate the highest principles of sustainability in terms of design, use of materials and renewable energy provision. As expanded on in this document, this has been our approach to this development. Policy E6 of the Local Plan 2011 seeks to retain employment sites in the District, whilst the South Oxfordshire Core Strategy March 2011 is supportive of the growth of local businesses and recognises the need for additional specialised accommodation for the elderly in the District. Meetings between CABI and members and officers of SODC have demonstrated support for CABI’s preferred option, which is the subject of the planning application. CABI proposal The NPPF at paragraph 116 sets out the criteria to be considered concerning major developments in the AONB, although there is no definition of what constitutes major development in this context. Given that much of the proposed development will be contained within the area of previously developed land on the site, it is questionable whether the development should be regarded as a major development within the AONB, but in any event the public interest benefit of CABI remaining on the site is significant. Dealing with the criteria: (i) the need for the development, including in terms of any national considerations, and the impact of permitting it, or refusing it, upon the local economy:
(i) the provision of a clear structure of spaces; (ii) respecting existing settlement patterns; (iii) providing for a choice of routes and transport modes to, from and within the development;
Through its Business Plan CABI has demonstrated the importance of the organisation, internationally, nationally and locally. Its relocation from South Oxfordshire District would have a significant adverse impact on the local economy. The proposals enable not only the retention of an existing employment site but also its expansion. Enabling development is required to facilitate the rebuilding of CABI’s existing offices and ancillary buildings.
(iv) providing a development that users find easy to understand through the use of landmarks, vistas and focal points;
(ii) the cost of, and scope for, developing elsewhere outside the designated area, or meeting the need for it in some other way:
(v) providing landscape structure as a framework for new development;
(vi) respecting the character of the existing landscape; (vii) respecting distinctive settlement types and their character; (viii) providing good quality site and building design and appropriate materials; and (ix) providing well-designed external areas.
OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
CABI has examined alternative sites at HR Wallingford, Culham and Hithercroft Estate, Wallingford, and these have been discarded on grounds of cost and other factors. CABI remaining “in situ” together with enabling development represents the optimum solution.
(iii) any detrimental effect on the environment, the landscape and recreational opportunities, and the extent to which that could be moderated:
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The Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment has demonstrated the opportunities within the site for mitigation of the impacts. We have examined a number of appeal decisions in the AONBs involving residential and extra care development so as to identify the factors that appeal Inspectors thought significant to their decision making. Other than the appeal involving the former airbase at Rissington (APP/ F1610/ A/ 09/ 2112497, 25th February 2010 involving 368 dwellings and 12, 290 sq m commercial floorspace) in the Cotswolds AONB, Inspectors have not sought to categorise residential or extra care development as ‘Major Developments’. The five appeals examined involved four greenfield sites and one brownfield site, which was also in the Green Belt. At Ebley Wharf, Stroud Gloucs (APP/ C1625/ A/ 04/ 1168808, 20th October 2005), 52 dwellings were proposed; at Marley Mead, Ridgeway Road, Dorking (APP/ C3620/ A/ 10/ 2138907, 4th March 2011), 38 dwellings were involved; at Blackbrook Hill, Dedham, Colchester (APP/ A1530/ 04/ 1170339, 12th December 2005), a 42 bedroom care home was involved; at Manor Farm, Dunstable Road, Markyate, St. Albans (APP/ A1910/A/ 09/ 2107771, 2nd December 2009) 40 dwellings were involved, whilst on the brownfield site at Ryarsh Park, Roughetts Road, West Malling, Kent 91 dwellings and 768 sq m business space was proposed (APP/ H2265/ V/ 05/ 1187599, 25th April 2006).
10.0
In all the cases the determining issue was the visual impact on the AONB and at paragraph 29 of the Dedham appeal decision the Inspector succinctly summed up the policy test as “Planning policies at a local and national level give the highest protection to the natural environment within nationally designated areas such as AONBs. However, they do not preclude developments which do not have an adverse effect upon them and have a justified need to locate in them, particularly those directly serving the local community.” In all the cases the appeals were successful and planning permission granted. Summary The NPPF does not change the statutory status of the development plan as the starting point for decision- making. A one-year transitional arrangement permits Development Plan policies adopted since 2004 to continue to have weight. In this case the adopted Local Plan has no specific policies in relation to specialised accommodation for the elderly, but the subject is covered in the Core Strategy as proposed for modification by the EiP Inspector. This analysis demonstrates that national, regional and local planning policies all support the integrated, sustainable development that is represented by the proposed scheme.
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE
11.0
Communication Strategy Draft CABI Planning Time Line 31
31
4-Nov-11
Meeting SODC Officers
10-Nov-11
Meeting SODC Cabinet
18-Apr-12
Target planning submission
30-Apr-12
Planning application registered*
2
2-Jul-12
Target determination date*
9
9
11-Jul-12
Planning committee*
16
16
23
23
30
30
7
7
14
14
21
21
28
28
5
22-Jan-12
Dec-11
5
12
12
19
19
26
26
2
Meeting with Oxford County Council
Nov-11
Jan-11
2
9
9
16
16
23
23
30
30
6
Feb-12
6
13
13
20
20
27
27
Wallingford Town Council
5-Mar-12
5
Cholsey Parish Council
7-Mar-12
12
12
19
19
26
26
2
Mar-12
Apr-12
5
2
9
9
16
16
Crowmarsh Gifford Parish Council
24-Apr-12
23
23
Public exhibition at CABI (2-8pm)
27-Apr-12
30
30
Consultation starts
30-Apr-12
7
Consultation ends
31-May-12
May-12
7
14
14
21
21
28 4
28 Jun-12
4
11
11
18
18
25
25
2
Jul-12
* to be confirmed OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION PLANNING PRESENTATION
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Community Liaison
12.0
Community Liaison Strategy The development team is committed to engaging with all stakeholders and the local community throughout the development and construction of the CABI site. This will include preapplication meetings, meetings with Wallingford Town Council, Crowmarsh Gifford Parish Council and Cholsey Parish Council. Public exhibition The purpose of the public exhibition is to provide members of the local community with information on the concept and evolving design of the proposed new office and care village, and to provide the opportunity for feedback. It will take place at the CABI offices on 27 April 2012. Information point Details of the proposed development, as it progresses through the planning process and throughout its construction, will be available for members of the public to see in the reception of CABI’s office and on CABI’s website. Promotion/Press Press releases will be made regularly to draw attention to key information, for example the public exhibitions and planning application. Contact There will be a single point of contact for all questions regarding the development which will be advertised on the website.
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CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE