brentwood.gov.uk

Wood Plc are planning consultants to Home England (HE) (formerly Homes & Communities Agency). As current landowners, HE are fully supportive of an allocation for residential development on the site. The site is brownfield land and in a sustainable location within the urban area of Brentwood. HE have recently met with Brentwood Council's policy team to confirm their intention to shortly market the site. To support the marketing process a Planning Brief is being prepared to set out the policy context, outline opportunities and constraints, and provide early design direction. Brentwood Council are supportive of this process and keen for development on this and other brownfield sites to come forward in the short term. HE envisage construction of the site completed within 3 years and support the allocation's reference to 1-5 year delivery timeframe. Early capacity analysis has confirmed that approximately 55 units can be achieved on site with a sensitive and appropriate design response reflecting a policy compliant mix. The site's topography varies across the site. Depending on the construction approach to site reprofiling/ levelling, there could be the opportunity for more than 55 units on the site eg with additional storeys on apartment blocks(s) should the site be reprofiled to be at a lower level than currently. Unit numbers could also be dependent on the final mix of units and the final amount of car parking agreed. We support the use of the word 'approximately' and are keen for Brentwood Council to avoid capping upper limits. The south-west and west of the site lies in the Green Belt. These areas are largely wooded but do contain hardstanding areas which have been in car park use for several decades. As previously developed land, these areas are suitable for redevelopment (see Para 89 of the NPPF) subject to an assessment of impact on Green Belt openness. As all surrounding land to the south and west is established woodland, there can be no impact on the openness of the Green Belt as a result of development in these areas. It is suggested that, as part of the Site Allocations/ Local Plan process, the Green Belt boundary is redrawn to exclude the Green Belt from the site following the boundary shown on the allocations plan. This will avoid any development uncertainty to the edges of the site and create a clearer and more defendable boundary to the Green Belt in this location.