16.1.1 The northern area of the district is centred on the historic market town of Sherborne. The area has strong links with Yeovil (in South Somerset) to the west, but also good connections with Dorchester to the south, Wincanton (also in South Somerset) to the north, and Sturminster Newton and Shaftesbury (both in North Dorset) to the east.
16.2.1 In 2031 Sherborne will:
16.2.2 There are a number of developments either previously allocated in the 2006 Local Plan or with the benefit of planning permission that will help achieve this vision, and further proposals that should come forward within the plan period. These include:
16.3.1 Land at Barton Farm was allocated in the 2006 Local Plan to meet the development needs of Sherborne up until 2016. The allocation was intended to deliver about 230 new homes, 4.2ha of employment workspace and community, leisure and recreation facilities. The Barton Farm Development Brief adopted in 2007 established a number of principles for development, based upon the local plan policies and public consultation. Although this site now has the benefit of outline planning permission (subject to the signing of a legal agreement) for a mixed-use development of up to 279 dwellings with community uses and employment, the allocation will be retained in the plan until such a time as the development is built out.
SHER 1. LAND AT BARTON FARM
i) Land at Barton Farm, Sherborne, as shown on the policies map, is allocated for a comprehensive mixed use scheme for employment and residential development together with public open space. Development will be phased in accordance with the adopted Barton Farm Development Brief 2007, and will include the following:
16.4.1 The car park areas to the rear of Cheap Street offer development potential, and are likely to be the most suitable location for the expansion of the town centre area, if the need for additional retail floorspace arises. The provision of public car parking close to the town centre is, however, also important to its continuing success, and therefore any development will need to take this into account.
16.4.2 Any development should be well-integrated with the town centre, with adequate connections to Cheap Street, and preserve and enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area.
SHER 2. FUTURE TOWN CENTRE EXPANSION
i) Land at Newland Car Park North and Newland Car Park South, as identified on the policies map, will be the preferred location for future expansion of the town centre area. Any scheme will need to retain the existing level of public car parking.
16.5.1 This site was previously allocated in the 2006 Local Plan for employment uses (in addition to retaining the hotel use), and was not considered suitable for housing due to its gateway location and proximity to the A30. The hotel use is considered to be important locally in sustaining tourism and accommodating visitors to the local schools and businesses. This is reflected in the vision statement for Sherborne, which sees the the town becoming a key inland visitor destination. The existing hotel building is however dated both in structure and design, with the potential for improvement, expansion or redevelopment. The open area of land to the front of the hotel is potentially underused and could accommodate either the replacement and/or enlargement of the hotel or the introduction of complementary business uses. It is not considered that a large scale retail development would be complementary to the existing hotel use or appropriate in terms of enhancing the tourism offer in the town, particularly at such an important gateway location.
16.5.2 Development will require improvements to the existing vehicular access with Horsecastles Lane, and a pedestrian footway from the site entrance to the A30 Yeovil Road should be constructed. The site is visually prominent in the street scene and therefore any development will need to be to a high specification in terms of design and landscaping. The design should reflect the gateway status of this location.
SHER 3. LAND AT SHERBORNE HOTEL
i) Land at Sherborne Hotel, as shown on the policies map, is a key gateway site, that is allocated for the retention and/or expansion of the hotel use and other appropriate business uses.
16.6.1 The former gas works site was previously allocated in the 2006 Local Plan for employment. The site is well located, close to the town centre and railway station. However it has not come forward due to a number of reasons linked to viability, although remediation work has been undertaken to address the contamination.
16.6.2 A mixed use allocation for both housing and employment should provide greater flexibility to allow this site to be redeveloped effectively and reduce the potential impact on the amenity of the existing homes on Gas House Hill.
16.6.3 The access arrangements will need to be improved, as the current arrangements are narrow and partially within the flood plain. The site slopes steeply down from New Road, and has a strong treed boundary to the north, west and south which should be retained to minimise impact on wider views. There may be structural problems with the retaining wall along the southern boundary which would need to be resolved.
SHER 4. THE FORMER GASWORKS SITE, GAS HOUSE HILL
i) Land outside flood risk zone at the former Gasworks on Gas
House Hill, as shown on the policies map, is allocated for housing
and employment.
ii) Any development will need to adequately address flood risk
and highway access. A landscape strategy will be required to ensure
that there is no significant adverse impact on wider landscape
views.
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