New Housing Developments in Hardwick Planning obligations update

Background

Two outline planning applications have been approved by South Cambs District Council for relatively large housing developments in Hardwick; one off Grace Crescent to the south of the Village and one off St Neots Road between Hall Drive and Meridian Close at the north of the village.

The approvals are subject to planning obligations and “reserved matters” i.e. the fine details of the layout and buildings.

The planning obligations cover matters such as health provision, education provision, play areas and sports facilities, footpaths and allotments. This update covers just two of the obligations imposed on the developers of particular interest to Hardwick Community Association being an obligation to contribute towards a new community centre and an obligation to contribute towards community transport.

Grace Crescent (98 dwellings)

Outline planning permission was granted in March 2017 and a s106 agreement was signed in October 2017 covering the planning obligations. The reserved matters planning application is currently going through the consultation process.

The Trustees of Hardwick Village Hall and Social Club have agreed in a Statement of Trustees dated May 2017 that they will vacate the community facilities at the school provided that a replacement Community Centre is built on the recreation field.

The developers have committed to provide a total of £608,000 towards a replacement community centre and £45,000 towards community transport.

The latest estimates from Hill, the developers, is as follows, based on an estimated start to the development this summer.

Community Centre

• £152,000 payable in or around July 2019 prior to first occupation

• £152,000 payable in or around January 2020 on occupation of 20 dwellings

• £304,000 payable in or around July 2020 on occupation of 40 dwellings

Community transport

• £45,000 payable in or around July 2019 prior to first occupation.

St Neots Road (155 dwellings)

Outline planning permission was granted in May 2017 but a s106 agreement and reserved matters have yet to be formally agreed with the planners

The developers have committed to provide a total of £424,000 towards the replacement community centre and £20,000 towards community transport.

Clarion are unable to start the development until s106 and reserved matters are agreed and this development is at least 9 months behind the Grace Crescent development.

The payments from Clarion will be phased in a similar manner to the Grace Crescent development. If we assume they are only 9 months behind then their payments will flow as follows

Community Centre

• £106,000 payable in or around April 2020 prior to first occupation

• £106,000 payable in or around October 2020 on occupation of 20 dwellings

• £212,000 payable in or around April 2021 on occupation of 40 dwellings

Community transport

• £20,000 payable in or around April 2020 prior to first occupation.

Location of the new Community Centre

SCDC planners have reviewed several potential sites for the new community centre. Their preference is for it to be built where the existing skate board park and scout hut is. This raises other issues particularly whether skateboard facilities can be provided elsewhere and whether the scouts and guides would be willing to vacate the scout hut site in exchange for facilities within the new community centre. If no agreement is possible then other sites will need to be considered.

Village involvement

The aim is to get the whole village involved in the design and scope of the new community facilities.

The Trustees and Community Association are key to this process as they are the ones mainly affected by the loss of the community rooms at the school.

In their Statement the Trustees had this to say about the formation of a Village Working Group.

“Village Working Group"

Hill have proposed the formation of a village working group to discuss and agree matters such as location and design. Hill have said

“Ideally we would like to keep the working group to a manageable size as this is more conducive ensure the meetings are productive and some people may well represent more than one party. It would then allow for each representative to feedback ideas and decisions to and from their respective groups stance. There is of course no fixed max or min number but would think around 8 or so people would be ideal and would appear that is would be made up from the following groups, accepting that the numbers could change as the project develops.

• Hill

• District Council

• Parish Council

• Trustees

• Village Plan Group

• Hardwick Community Association”

The Trustees agree that the new Community Centre involves the whole village and must take into account views from all interested groups including the Parish Council which owns the land on which the new Community Centre will be built and the District Council which is providing the funding. The Trustees agree with the proposal from Hill that a village working group be set up and generally agrees with Hill’s suggestions for its composition. The Trustees require that the working group includes at least one representative from the Trustees and at least one representative of the Hardwick Community Association.

If Hardwick Scouts and Guides are willing to terminate their lease for the Scout and Guide Hut then the Trustees believe that they should also be able to nominate a representative to the working group should they wish to do so.

The Trustees agree that the working group could include a member of the village with no particular affiliations to provide balance and possible expertise.”

Steve Rose

Hardwick Parish Council

13th March 2018