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9. LITTLEMOOR URBAN EXTENSION

9.1 INTRODUCTION

9.1.1 The Littlemoor area has the potential to deliver significant employment and also new homes over the plan period and potentially beyond. It lies at the gateway of the Weymouth Relief Road, opposite the existing service centre at Littlemoor, and is close to the railway station at Upwey. As such it has excellent links to Weymouth Town Centre and the wider area. The nearby housing also provides a significant source of employees.

9.1.2 The area falls on the boundary between Weymouth and Portland Borough and West Dorset District Councils. Both councils will cooperate in bringing forward growth in this area. Land at Icen and Weyside Farms, to the north of the Weymouth Relief Road junction, lies wholly within West Dorset, and a policy is included in this chapter to plan positively for its future use.

9.2 LITTLEMOOR URBAN EXTENSION.

9.2.1 The urban extension is within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and there are views of the site from the South Dorset Ridgeway. However it is visually contained by the higher land to the north and east. A landscape-led strategic planned approach to development in this location would provide positive enhancements to be made around the edge of the development that would mitigate the impact of the existing urban edge on the wider landscape. Advance tree and copse planting along the northern and eastern boundaries will therefore be required to ensure that these improvements have time to establish and mature as development progresses. The existing field network has mature hedgerow boundaries and provides an important north / south wildlife corridor and good footpath links to the open countryside. These areas should be managed as part of the wider green infrastructure network through a partnership approach such as the Natural Weymouth & Portland Partnership or similar structure and could potentially become a northern extension of the Lorton Valley Nature Park.

9.2.2 Employment uses should be concentrated towards the western end of the site, adjacent to the main junctions of the relief road. Advanced landscaping should be provided to create a positive gateway to Weymouth. Opportunities for district heating networks between the employment and residential uses should be explored along with other sustainable development issues for the site through a BREEAM Communities Assessment.

9.2.3 The development will generate a requirement for further education provision and a site will need to be provided within the scheme to accommodate a new primary school. Alternatively, financial contributions may be required towards extending the existing Bincombe Valley Primary School and provision of good pedestrian links between the new development and Bincombe Valley and St. Andrews Primary Schools. 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. As Littlemoor Road would otherwise segregate the proposed development from the existing homes and community facilities, a creative solution is needed. To help integrate the two areas, the existing service centre should be extended northwards to cover both sides of the road, and will include a mix of uses appropriate to a local neighbourhood centre. This should be designed around a square which provides safe and attractive crossing points at street level, with an emphasis on controlling vehicular movements rather than pedestrian and cycles so that the two communities can integrate successfully. Noise from road traffic may be an issue and mitigation measures should be integrated within the design without causing further segregation or adverse visual impact.

LITT 1. LITTLEMOOR URBAN EXTENSION

i) Land to the north of Littlemoor as shown on the policies map will be developed as an urban extension to include new homes, at least 12ha of employment land, an extended local service centre, public open space and land for a new primary school.
ii) Development of the site will be landscape-led to ensure that there are positive enhancements to the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
iii) The development will deliver highway improvements necessary for the development to go ahead.
iv) Priority will be given to bringing forward the employment land, with the amount of housing and community infrastructure released and phased to ensure the development is viable, and integrates successfully. The existing Littlemoor Centre will be extended northwards at an early phase and designed to assist with the integration of the new development with the existing community south of Littlemoor Road.
v) The site should be developed in accordance with a masterplan prepared by the developer / landowner in conjunction with the local community and Dorset County Council and agreed by West Dorset District Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough 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:

  • all built development ia contained within the 40m contour;
  • advance tree and copse planting is provided along the northern and eastern boundaries to ensure that these improvements have time to establish and mature. Long-term management of strategic planting is secured as part of the green infrastructure network;
  • the development creates a positive outfacing edge when viewed from the Ridgeway;
  • development relating to Littlemoor Road creates a strong, positive image appropriate to this key gateway site;
  • the development incorporates green corridors connecting to adjoining green spaces and ensure a net gain in biodiversity;
  • an area of the site is reserved for a three-form entry primary school;
  • there is adequate on-site provision of community infrastructure;
  • good links to the wider footpath and cycle network are provided;
  • sustainable drainage methods are implemented to manage surface water flooding issues and ensure flood risk is not exacerbated elsewhere;
  • noise and drainage mitigation measures are integrated within the design.

vi) The main employment area will be designated as a key employment site and should be accessed directly from the Weymouth Relief Road.

9.3 LAND AT ICEN AND WEYSIDE FARMS

9.3.1 Land at Icen and Weyside Farms has been developed and used for a variety of employment and related uses in an incremental fashion. It has included an element of agricultural-related uses, external storage, workshops and a lawful residential use, and it has been subject to enforcement action due to unlawful development. The site occupies a prominent position at the end of the relief road, and could be redeveloped to provide further economic benefits to the area. However this would need to come forward as part of a comprehensive plan for the site that would allow existing issues to be properly addressed (such as the impact on the wider landscape, and potential conflicts between residential amenity and un-neighbourly employment uses). The landscape and design strategy will need to take into account its sensitive location within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and relationship to the relief road and urban extension to the east.

LITT 2. LAND AT ICEN AND WEYSIDE FARMS

i) Land at Icen and Weyside Farms as shown on the policies map will be comprehensively redeveloped as an employment site subject to the implementation of an agreed landscape and design strategy.
ii) Development should not be of such a height or design to be visually intrusive in the Dorset AONB, and should create a positive image when viewed from the main highway network and relate positively to the Littlemoor Urban Extension.



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