10.1.1 The town of Chickerell has grown considerably over the last few decades. To the south (but within the settlement) lie the Granby Industrial Estate, Lynch Lane Industrial Estate, Budmouth Technology College and the housing areas of Charlestown, Lanehouse (in part) and the edge of Westham. To the west is the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Heritage Coast, and also a number of caravan parks and military sites. The Fleet and Chesil Beach to the south are designated for their international nature conservation interest.
10.1.2 The total population of the parish is about 5,520. Chickerell has more jobs than economically active people, because of the local industrial estates, with most people coming from the adjoining borough of Weymouth and Portland. There is also continuing demand for affordable housing and employment land within Chickerell.
10.2.1 In 2031 Chickerell will:
10.2.2 There are a number of developments due to take place that will help achieve this vision. Chickerell has the potential to develop further to meet its own needs and some of the needs of Weymouth and the south-eastern part of West Dorset. These opportunities include:
10.2.3 The provision of a new food store of an appropriate scale, well related to existing or new residential areas, would improve provision for Chickerell residents without running the risk of attracting in customers from a wider catchment and impacting on the vitality of Weymouth Town Centre. This could potentially be delivered in conjunction with development at Putton Lane or the proposed Chickerell Urban Extension.
10.3.1 Land at Putton Lane has the potential to deliver new homes, B1 business floor space, a veterinary surgery, doctors' surgery, and community facilities to include open space, allotments, a multi-purpose community building and multi-use games area. Areas within the site are subject to flood risk and surface water drainage issues. Therefore sustainable drainage measures will need to implemented to ensure that flood risk is not exacerbated elsewhere.
10.3.2 Land at Floods Yard and the adjoining area has permission for 58 new homes.
CHIC 1. LAND AT PUTTON LANE
i) Land at Putton Lane as shown on the policies map is allocated for mixed uses including residential development. Sustainable drainage methods should be implemented to manage surface water flooding issues and ensure flood risk is not exacerbated elsewhere.
10.4.1 Planning permission has been granted for a new business park for B1, B2 & B8 uses off the Chickerell Link Road. As a key employment site, uses will be restricted to B classes and other employment uses.
10.5.1 Outline planning permission has been granted for a new business park for seven B1 (light industrial or office) units on land to the north of the Police Headquarters. The site is adjoining a settlement and would form an extension to an existing employment area and therefore if this permission were to lapse, its future employment use would be considered favourably under Policy ECON 1. It is not considered a suitable site for open market housing.
10.6.1 Land to the north and east of Chickerell has the potential to deliver around 820 new homes (approximately 350 homes on the northern site and 470 homes to the east). To ensure there is sufficient infrastructure to support this level of growth, the provision of new / improved community facilities will be required. This will include a new primary school, and should include provision of a local food store of a scale appropriate to a local centre if this has not been delivered on the site at Putton Lane. The provision of improved library facilities will also need to be considered in liaison with the Town Council and community organisation who has taken over responsibility for this local service from the County Council. These facilities should be located to be as accessible as possible to the rest of the town. The whole development will need to be designed to link into the centre of town and the wider countryside around.
10.6.2 On and off-site provision and contributions to community infrastructure will be sought in line with policy COM 1 and secured through a section 106 legal agreement.
10.6.3 A new vehicular access onto the Chickerell Link Road will be required, linking through the development to School Hill and across to Floods Yard and onto Chickerell Hill. This will need to be able to accommodate a bus route and be phased with the development.
10.6.4 Green gaps between the southern and eastern edge of the town, the Chickerell Link Road and Weymouth Football Stadium will be maintained to retain the individual identity of the town. The strong hedgerow boundaries, historic tracks which criss-cross the area, and other natural vegetation, waterways and ponds should be retained wherever possible. The ridgeline to the north will need to be left undeveloped, and strategic planting should take place in advance of the development to reduce the impact of the development from wider views, particularly as it extends up to the higher ground. The site is in close proximity to a population of Great Crested Newts, a European Protected Species, therefore the development should provide additional habitat such as breeding ponds for the newts within the allocation or on adjacent land.
10.6.5 A small part of the site is susceptible to surface water flooding and so the drainage system design will need to manage any associated risk from surface water run off.
CHIC 2. CHICKERELL URBAN EXTENSION
i) Land to the north and land to the east of Chickerell, as
shown on the policies map, will be developed for housing and related
community facilities. Small-scale employment uses may be provided
within the site, appropriate to a mixed-use neighbourhood.
ii) The development will deliver highway improvements necessary
for the development to go ahead.
iii) The growth will be phased to deliver a steady rate of growth
over at least a 10 year period through the development of:
iv) Development should be in accordance with a masterplan for each area prepared by the developer / landowner in conjunction with the local community, Chickerell Town Council and Dorset County Council, and agreed by West Dorset District Council. In order to address sustainable development issues, the masterplan will need to be subject to a sustainability assessment, such as a BREEAM Communities Assessment, carried out by a suitably qualified assessor. The masterplan should ensure that:
10.6.6 The retention of the school in its current, central location would be welcomed. However, if the Chickerell Urban Extension should secure the necessary school provision to serve the wider community, and the existing school site off Rashley Road then is deemed to be surplus to education requirements, this site can be re-used. If the facility is no longer needed as a community facility it may be redeveloped as an exception to normal policy retaining local community facilities and open space. The site is largely backed onto by existing residential development, and therefore is most suited to housing.
CHIC 3. LAND OFF RASHLEY ROAD
i) The existing primary school site off Rashley Road in Chickerell, as shown on the policies map, may be developed for housing, provided that a replacement school, including school playing fields, sufficient to serve Chickerell has been secured as part of the Chickerell Urban Extension.
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