How To Understand And Understand The Character Of Thame

(1)

Thame Town Council

November 2012

(2)

INTRODUCTION 1 SECTION 1: ABOUT THAME

Thame and its location 4

Living 4

Working and shopping 5

Getting around 6

Leisure and wellbeing 10

Environment and sustainability 12

The character of Thame 14

SECTION 2: SPATIAL APPRAISAL

Introduction 22

Flooding 22

High landscape value 23

Landscape quality 23

Visual impact 24

Keeping Thame and Moreton separate 24

British Oxygen Hazard Zone 25

Walkability 25

Bus routes 26

Vehicular Transport Routes 26

Potential development areas 27

Deliverability of sites 28

SECTION 3: OPTIONS ASSESSMENT

Introduction 34

Four strategic approaches 34

Option 1 : Walkable Thame 36

Option 2: Public Transport Thame 38

Option 3: Dispersed Thame 40

Option 4: Contained Thame 42

Assessing the options 44

The preferred option 48

Appendix A: List of documents

❚

Introduction

i The Thame Neighbourhood Plan is a new type of planning document. It is part of the Government’s new approach to planning, which aims to give local people more say about what goes on in their area. This is set out in the new ‘Localism Act’ that came into force in April 2012. ii The Thame Neighbourhood Plan provides a vision for the future of the town, and sets out clear planning policies to realise this vision. The vision has been developed through extensive consultation with the people of Thame and others with an interest in the town. Details of the consultation have been recorded in a series of reports that are available to download from Thame Town Council’s website (www. thametowncouncil.gov.uk) or to look at in the Town Hall reception.

iii This Evidence Base Summary provides background information to support the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.

How the Neighbourhood Plan fits into the Planning System

iv Although the Government’s intention is for local people to decide what goes on in their towns, the Localism Act sets out some important laws. One of these is that all Neighbourhood Plans must be in line with higher level planning policy. That is, Neighbourhood Plans must be in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (otherwise known as the NPPF) and local policy, in particular South Oxfordshire District Council’s Core Strategy. SODC’s Core Strategy will require Thame to provide by 2027:

■

■ 775 new homes ■

■ 2 hectares of employment land.

v The Localism Act allows the Thame Neighbourhood Plan to provide more than this number of houses and amount of employment land, but it does not allow the Neighbourhood Plan to provide for less.

vi The Thame Neighbourhood Plan gives local people the power to decide where new housing and employment should go. Without the Neighbourhood Plan, SODC would make these decisions on behalf of the people of Thame.

How this document is organised

vii This document is divided into three sections:

■

■ Section 1: About Thame, sets out a description of

Thame today, drawing on the evidence base documents listed in Appendix A as well as providing a new character assessment of the Parish.

■

■ Section 2: Spatial Appraisal, which sets out policies

to support the overall vision, along with guidance on delivering the policies and monitoring the Neighbourhood Plan.

■

■ Section 3, Options Assessment, which explains how

the options were developed, sets out the assessment of them and explains how the preferred spatial vision was decided upon.

viii There is a large amount of background information that has helped in producing the Thame Neighbourhood Plan (this is known as the ‘Evidence Base’). All of these documents are listed in Appendix A and are available to download from the Town Council’s website or to look at in the Town Hall reception.

(4)

(5)

❚

Section 1

(6)

Thame Neighbourhood Plan: Evidence Base Summary

1.1 This chapter provides an overview of the parish of Thame, setting the scene for the Neighbourhood Plan. The chapter provides information on:

■

■ Thame and its location ■

■ Living, including population and housing ■

■ Working and shopping, including employment and

working patterns and the town centre

■

■ Getting around, including travel by car, bus, on foot and

by bike

■

■ Leisure and wellbeing, including social and community

facilities

■

■ Environment and sustainability, including open space and

areas of ecological importance

■

■ Character of the built environment.

Thame and its location

1.2 Thame is an historic market town in Oxfordshire. It is a vibrant place with an attractive town centre and is situated in pleasant countryside.

1.3 Thame is located to the north-east of the M40 and approximately 11 km from Aylesbury and 22 km from Oxford to the west. Haddenham and Thame Parkway train station with direct lines to London lies approximately 4.5 km to the north-east of Thame.

1.4 Thame, as an historic market town, is surrounded by a number of smaller villages: Moreton to the south, Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire to the north-west, Haddenham to the north-east and Towersey to the east.

Living

1.5 The parish of Thame (which includes both the town and the village of Moreton) has a population of around 11.000 people.

1.6 In Thame the 2001 Census showed that the majority of the population is of working age with a slightly higher than regional average of children and young people aged between 0-15.

1.7 A review of available housing data shows that, in Thame, there is:

■

■ a high level of home ownership (81%) and

correspondingly low proportions of social and private rented housing

■

■ a wide choice of properties by type with the exception of

flats

■

■ at the same time, a higher supply of 1 and 2 bed

properties compared with South Oxfordshire as a whole. 1.8 Consultation with local people has revealed concern about the affordability of housing in Thame, particularly for young people and families. People are also concerned about there being a range of housing types available - the perception is that many new developments are skewed towards larger dwellings. South Oxfordshire’s Housing Needs Assessment sets out key points for the district as a whole that reflect these concerns:

❚

Section 1

❚

About Thame

Fig 1.1: Thame High Street

(7)

■

■ Provide a mix of house types in both market and social

sectors. There is a shortfall of smaller units, especially two bedroom properties in the market sector and both small and family units in the social sector

■

■ The private rented sector has a significant supply shortfall ■

■ Negotiate with prospective developers towards achieving

affordable homes from all the suitable sites coming forward for planning consent. Aim for 40% (which will still fail to meet need, but is economically realistic).

Working and Shopping

1.9 A higher than regional average percentage of people aged 16-74 are economically active in Thame with also a higher percentage of those working as managers or senior officials, indicating a high level of affluence. However, the index of Multiple Deprivation also shows that there are deprived areas in Thame with 3.1 % of the population living

in areas identified as among the most deprived 20% in the region.

1.10 The rate of unemployment in Thame Parish is 3.4% which is less than half the average for England (7.9%). Source: Office for National Statistics - 2007 figures.

1.11 According to the 2001 census, the largest employment sectors by percentage of the working population were:

■

■ wholesale and retail trade (19.7%) ■

■ business activity, real estate, and renting (19.4%) ■

■ manufacturing (16.8%).

1.12 There are quite high levels of commuting out from Thame. At the time of the 2001 Census only 44 per cent of the resident working population worked within Thame. Information collected as part of the Housing Needs Survey in 2008 showed a similar trend, with only 38 per cent of people working in South Oxfordshire, 19 per cent in Aylesbury Vale and 10 per cent in Oxford City.

Oxford Thame

Aylesbury

Moreton

Princes Risborough

Chinnor Haddenham

Kingsey

Towersey Long

Crendon

(8)

Getting Around

1.19 The High Street forms the backbone of the town. The High Street provides a total of 170 parking spaces within the wider parts of the street at the Upper and Lower High Street parking areas. Together with parking on the Cattle Market (126 spaces), Southern Road (68 spaces) and Waitrose (222 spaces) and the other supermarkets, there is a total of586 parking spaces within the town centre. Much of the parking is free, and is seen by local people as vital to supporting Thame’s shops. However, local people are concerned about the impact of traffic on the town centre and the availability of parking spaces.

1.20 The A418, A4128 and B4012 form a ring road around the western, northern and eastern part of the Town. The B4012 is less heavily used than other parts of the ring road, which provide connections to Oxford to the west and Aylesbury to the north-east.

1.21 Other locally important roads reflect the linear nature of the town, with most running in a roughly easy-west direction and few running north-south. The cul-de-sac layout of Lea Park with vehicular access only from the ring road tends to cut it off from the town. However, there are some pedestrian and cycle links to the town centre from Lea Park.

1.22 Thame is a highly walkable town, as it is fairly flat and a compact size. It has connections into the surrounding countryside via public rights of way. Pedestrian connections are shown in Figures 1.6 and 1.8 overleaf. However, routes through Lea Park are rather indirect and often run alongside back garden fences, so they do not feel safe. In analysing pedestrian movement through the town, Lea Park is identified as an area that is disconnected.

1.23 As Thame is walkable, it is also suitable for cycling. However, there are few dedicated cycle routes with most cyclists using on-street routes.

1.24 Bus routes are shown in Fig 1.5 overleaf. This shows that routes and bus stops form a ‘dumb bell’ shape, with routes starting and finishing in the town centre and being focussed in either the north-western part of the town or the south-east. Compared to other towns in South Oxfordshire, bus services and access to them is relatively poor.

1.13 There are regular livestock markets at the Cattle Market, which have taken place since the 1950s The Thame Show takes place every July and is billed as the ‘greatest one day agricultural show in the country’. It attracts approximately 20,000 visitors each year. However, due to financial difficulties, the Show was cancelled in 2011. There is a weekly market in Thame town centre, along with a regular farmers’ market.

1.14 Thame has an attractive industrial market. Within South Oxfordshire, Thame is second largest location warehouse and distribution activity, with Didcot being the first. Large-scale warehouse and distribution activity is dependent on good transport infrastructure so it is for this reason that Didcot and Thame have the most of this type of employment within the district. Thame has most of the employment floorspace in general industrial (B2) use of all locations in South Oxfordshire.

1.15 Much of Thame’s current office accommodation is based in converted buildings in the town centre. According to SODC’s Employment Land Review (2007), there is a need for modern office accommodation, with requirements for schemes with small flexible units (less than 2,000 sq ft) with freehold opportunities.

1.16 Thame has a strong independent retail offer, and this is frequently cited as the town’s major asset. There are a total of 172 retail units, with relatively few national chains represented. The attractiveness of the historic town centre together with its compactness, availability of parking, markets, and ease of getting around are key selling points. The 2012 Retail Vacancy Survey found that Thame has only 4 empty shops and has a 2% vacancy rate, significantly less than the national average of 14.5%.

1.17 However, the town centre is not without its issues. Although the free car parking is seen as a strength, local people are concerned about the impact of traffic and the availability of parking spaces.

1.18 SODC’s retail needs assessment identifies a need for an additional 5,700 sq m of ‘comparison’ retail in Thame from 2010 to 2027 (that is, shops selling items such as clothes, books, electrical goods and so on). The assessment identifies a much smaller need (600 sq m) for ‘convenience’ retail to 2027 (that is, shops selling food).

(9)

A4129

A418

A329

A4129 Kin

gsey Rd

A418 Ayle

sbur y Rd

A4129

Towersey _Rd

B 40

12

B 44₅

C hin

no r R

oa_d

B4012

B

40

12

Thame Park Rd B

40 11

Tha_me Rd

A418

Oxford Rd

Southern Rd

Roundhead Drive North Street

Cromwell Avenue Wellington Street

Queens Road Kings Rd Nelson St

East St Rooks Lane

Fig 1.4: Thame’s road network

Primary A route Parish boundary

A route B road

(10)

Bus route 123

twice daily circular route Bus route 200, 280

Oxford & Aylesbury via Thame, every 30 minutes

Bus route 124

twice daily Watlington to Thame Bus route 120, 121

twice daily Princes

Risborough, Chinnor, Thame Bus route 340, 40

hourly Stockenchurch to High Wycombe via Thame

Bus route 110

hourly Aylesbury to Worminghall via Thame

Bus stop

Fig 1.5: Existing local bus services

Fig 1.6: Existing strategic pedestrian connections Phoenix Trail

(11)

Fig 1.7: Existing local cycle connections

Off road cycle route On road cycle route

Fig 1.8: Existing town centre pedestrian connections

Phoenix Trail

High Street Cuttle Brook

Brook Lane Beech Road

Priestend

Nelson Street Windmill Road Rooks Lane

Dormer Road

Pedestrian route

Disconnected area Key destination Public right of way

(12)

Leisure and wellbeing

1.25 Members of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan Topic Group undertook an assessment of community facilities within Thame, and this is available in the background Audit of Community Facilities topic paper. This assessment supplements South Oxfordshire District Council’s ‘Open space, sport and recreation facility assessment’ published in 2008.

1.26 Thame has a very active community life, with many different groups and organisations represented in the town. The Topic Group’s assessment confirmed the perception identified at public consultation that most of Thame’s existing community facilities are of small to medium capacity, and that there is no large venue for groups of more than 200 people. As a result, Thame Town Council has commissioned a more detailed study into community facilities and the need for and viability of a larger venue. 1.27 SODC’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) sets out the additional requirements that 775 new homes will bring. The latest version (February 2012) sets out the following social and community infrastructure requirements:

■

■ extra primary school capacity equivalent to up to a one

form entry school

■

■ an additional 120-160 secondary school places

depending on the rate at which new dwellings are built and the type of houses that come forward

■

■ the need for expansion of existing GP services by one GP ■

(13)

Fig 1.9: Community Facilities

1

10

2

11

3

12

4

13

5

14

6

15

18 7a

7b

16

19

8

17

20

9

Chinnor and Thame Rugby Club Thame Bowling and Tennis Club Racquets Fitness Club

Thame Football Partnership Barns Centre

Thame Town Hall Guides Hall Thame Scouts Community Hospital Medical Centre

Lord Williams’s Lower School

Lord Williams’s Upper School John Hampden Primary School Barley Hill Primary School St Joseph’s Primary School Thame Players Theatre Post Office

Thame Museum

Thame Leisure Centre (swimming pool) Skate park

Cricket Ground

13 14

15 16

19

17 20

1

10 3

4

5

6 7a

7b

8 9 Key

Sports halls / facilities Community and village halls Medical facilities

Schools

Other community facilities

11 18

(14)

Environment and Sustainability

1.28 Two of the key environmental and sustainability issues in Thame are:

■

■ flooding ■

■ open space.

1.29 The River Thame flows to the north of the town, and is connected to Cuttle Brook. There is a flood zone associated with the rivers that regularly floods.

1.30 Thame has three main recreation areas: the Southern Road Recreation Area, Queen Elizabeth Circle and Elms Park.

1.31 The Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve is located in the west of Thame, a few minutes walk of Thame town centre. It provides a habitat for various species as well as an area for informal recreation for local people.

1.32 Thame Park is an historic park which lies to the south of the town. The park is a historically important landscape and provides the setting for the house which sits in the grounds. It is also designated as a County Wildlife Site as a result of the grasslands and woodland contained within it.

1.33 SODC’s ‘Open space, sport and recreation facility assessment’ (2008) outlines shortfalls in open space, sport and recreation in relation to the existing population of Thame (that is, without the addition of a further 775 dwellings). In terms of open space, these shortfalls comprise:

■

■ 3.04 ha of parks and gardens ■

■ 4.58 ha of amenity greenspace in Thame South ■

■ 2.9 ha of allotments.

1.34 In addition Thame and District (an area wider than the Parish) has a shortfall in playing pitches as follows:

■

■ 9 junior football pitches ■

■ 3 rugby pitches ■

■ 1 synthetic turf pitch.

1.35 SODC’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) sets out the additional requirements that 775 new homes will bring. The latest version (February 2012) sets out the following open space requirements:

■

■ a total of 6.2 hectares of green infrastructure ■

■ a total of 0.53 hectares of allotments ■

■ a total of 1.4 hectares of children’s play areas ■

■ a total of 2.8 hectares of playing pitches. Fig 1.10 Nature and landscape designations

Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve

Thame Park (Historic Park and County

(15)

(16)

The character of Thame

1.36 Thame, as a whole, has a unique local identity and a distinctive character.

1.37 Different parts of the town make different contributions to its identity and character. They contribute in various ways, with different characteristics and to varying degrees - some are more important than others. Each area has its own character - and so they are described as ‘character areas’.

1.38 The following appraisal outlines the key

characteristics that contribute to the built environment of Thame overall and to each of the character areas. The appraisal has been used to inform design policies in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.

1.39 Development proposals will need to demonstrate a more detailed understanding of local character than is provided here.

Thame as a whole

1.40 Thame’s character stems from the fact that it is a traditional, planned market town with a largely intact historic core, based around its marketplace.

1.41 The town’s siting, (on low lying land close to the join of the River Thame and Cuttle Brook) together with its compactness, means that local people have a strong sense of connection with the surrounding countryside, either from their homes or from moving around the town.

Character areas in Thame

1.42 The character area appraisal identifies seven character areas can be identified in Thame, as follows (figure 1.12):

■

■ The historic core (the conservation area) ■

■ Lea Park ■

■ Queen’s Road area ■

■ Southern Thame ■

■ Chiltern Vale area

■

■ Moreton Village ■

■ the industrial area.

1.43 The character of each of these is summarised below, highlighting particular strengths and weaknesses of each. Although each of these areas shares certain characteristics that allow it to be identified as a character area, within all of them there are more detailed variations in character.

Historic core (the conservation area)

1.44 This character area makes the most significant contribution to the character of Thame as a whole. It still retains much of the original twelfth century planned form, with a broad main street that widens out into a long market place and burgage plot development.

1.45 Some of the key characteristics of the historic core are:

Strengths

■

■ A connected street pattern, with a clear hierarchy of

routes, from the wide market place, through the High Street, and down to alleys from Corn market to areas behind it.

■

■ Streets are generally straight, forming direct and

convenient routes between different parts of the place.

■

■ The urban form of the main street, the High Street in

particular, especially around Corn market and Butter Market, which has unbroken frontages of buildings, set at the edge of the pavement without gardens or forecourts.

■

■ The more suburban or rural form of buildings on Oxford

Road and Aylesbury Road, that were once on the edge of Thame, with individual buildings set within plots with front gardens, or small groups or informal terraces of buildings.

■

■ A regular pattern of burgage plots, which lead to a regular

rhythm of building facades onto the High Street.

■

■ A rich variety of building type and architectural character

(17)

Fig 1.12: Built environment character areas Historic core

(the Thame Conservation Area) Lea Park

East Road Area Southern Thame

Chiltern Vale area

Moreton Village and neighbouring area Employment

Moreton Conservation Area Key

(18)

Fig 1.13: High Street, with a rich variety of building type and architectural character.

Weaknesses and opportunities for improvement ■

■ Opportunity to create more space for pedestrians to

move around, cross streets and for outdoor activities, such as cafes or restaurants or space for community events ( without losing balance with car parking). 1.46 The historic core is designated as Thame Conservation Area. The history of its development and the elements that contribute to its character are described in detail in the Thame Conservation Area Appraisal (2006). There are over 200 listed buildings within Thame, the majority of which are located within the Thame Conservation Area.

1.47 These are shown in Figure 1.14 below.

Moreton insert

Church of St Mary, Church Road Chapel, South

of Prebendal

Fig 1.14: Listed buildings

Thame Park House: Grade I Listed Building (located off map)

Grade I Listed Buildings

Grade II and Grade II* Listed Buildings Cluster of Grade II and

Grade II* Listed Buildings Key

(19)

Lea Park

1.48 Lea Park is a large residential area to the north of the historic core. It was developed rapidly, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s.

Strengths

■

■ Includes a number of open spaces with mature trees. ■

■ Buildings across the whole of this area are generally

similar in type, form and architectural character, using a limited palette of materials, so there is a high level of coherence

■

■ The layout and open spaces are homogenous, so there is

a high level of coherence.

Weaknesses and opportunities for improvement

■

■ Very limited access into and out of the area by vehicle,

only using the ring road, which (with the point below) means it feels cut off from the town centre, and also leads to congestion at junctions at peak times

■

■ A confusing and poorly joined-up network of pedestrian

and cycle routes through the area to link up to the town centre and the edge of town, with an opportunity to define key routes better through wayfinding

■

■ Separation of pedestrian and vehicular routes makes the

place more confusing to use

■

■ Very few social or community facilities or other uses than

housing

■

■ Opportunity to enhance the variety and quality of

landscape to make open spaces more usable

■

■ Roads within the area are culs-de-sac, and parking is

largely on-street or in open front gardens, which makes them feel dominated by parked cars

■

■ The homogeneity of buildings makes it difficult to

recognise different parts of the area or to know which routes or spaces are more important than others

■

■ Neighbouring buildings are staggered along curving

streets, with set back of different distances from the pavement.

Fig 1.15: Typical development with car parking or grass verges in front of houses.

Fig 1.17: Development often backs onto open spaces creating a less safe pedestrian environment.

(20)

Thame Neighbourhood Plan: Evidence Base Summary Queen’s Road area

1.49 This area was developed gradually, generally from the town centre outwards, with some ribbon development extending along the main arterial routes of Chinnor Road and Kingsey Road dating from Victorian and Edwardian times. East of Queen’s Road, there is housing development that ranges from the 1960s to early 2000s.

Strengths

■

■ A network of streets through the area that connects to

Chinnor Road and Kingsey Road and so into the town centre, with culs-de-sac serving small groups of housing off these streets

■

■ Generally, in this area, there are front gardens, many with

planting, with a number of mature trees on frontages, creating a green character

■

■ A variety of uses and social and community facilities, as

well as housing

■

■ In the older parts of the area, there is a balance between

coherence and variety so that there is a sense of local identity, but different streets are memorable. For instance the palette of materials is coherent, but the architectural character of individual buildings varies from street to street and also within a street

■

■ Connected streets are generally straight, helping

wayfinding

■

■ Generally buildings on each street are set back a

consistent distance from the pavement.

■

■ Some culs-de-sac connect only into the ring road, so

making it difficult to walk or cycle to the wider town from these houses

■

■ Inward-looking cul-de-sac development with rear

gardens onto streets reduces pedestrian safety because there is no surveillance

■

■ No private parking for properties on Chinnor Road

and Park Street leads to on-street parking and traffic congestion.

Fig 1.18: Variety of Victorian and Edwardian house are generally set back a consistent distance.

Fig 1.20: Pockets of newer development at the edges, planned around distinct culs-de-sac.

Fig 1.19: Row of historic cottages, set at the edge of the pavement are a distinct feature in this area, but not the main characteristic.

(21)

Southern Thame

1.50 Mixed area located between the Phoenix Trail and the Historic Core. It includes a number of development pockets, ranging from the early 20th Century to new housing recently completed.

Strengths

■

■ A connected street pattern with a clear hierarchy of

routes

■

■ On the main streets, buildings are set-back a consistent

distance from the pavement

■

■ Includes recreation ground and open space associated

with schools

■

■ A variety of uses, such as primary schools, community

facilities, church and different types of housing, such as sheltered housing, as well as general housing

■

■ Mature trees around open spaces ■

■ Good connections to the Phoenix Trail so easy access to

the countryside.

■

■ Inward-looking culs-de-sac development with rear

gardens onto streets reduces pedestrian safety

■

■ Inward-looking cul-de-sac development with rear

gardens onto open spaces and strategic pedestrian and cycle links (Phoenix Trail and to Moreton) reduces pedestrian safety because there is no surveillance

■

■ Overspilll parking from the town centre on streets in this

area causes traffic problems.

Chiltern Vale area

1.51 A small residential area, on land rising up to the west side of the Cuttle Brook valley, which separates it from the rest of the town. It was developed between the 1960s and the 1990s.

Strengths

■

■ Connected street network ■

■ Planted gardens create a green setting for built

development

■

■ Highly consistent front boundary treatments - high quality

planting

■

■ Parking is unobtrusive ■

■ Consistent palette of materials used in buildings.

■

■ Poor cycle connection to town centre along Oxford Road.

Fig 1.21: Houses clearly define streets

Fig 1.22: Elm Park Fig 1.24: High quality landscape along boundaries and within gardens. Fig 1.23: Footpath through

(22)

Thame Neighbourhood Plan: Evidence Base Summary Industrial area

1.52 Industrial area containing a variety of units of different sizes and types including some office and light industrial use.

Strengths

■

■ Jefferson Way is a relatively attractive industrial street

environment with buildings relating to the street and elements of soft landscape

■

■ Well screened from Phoenix Trail and Thame Park Road

by soft landscape.

■

■ Area is generally dominated by car parking, both

on-street and in prominent positions on forecourts

■

■ No pedestrian or cycle connections to the adjoining

Phoenix Trail

■

■ Creates a hard edge to Thame with no screening to

soften the views from approach roads.

Moreton Village

1.53 Moreton is a small, historic hamlet to the south of Thame. Most of it is designated as a Conservation Area. There are 11 listed buildings in Moreton, all of which are within the Conservation Area. These are shown in Fig 2.12.

Strengths

■

■ Visual and physical connections to the surrounding

countryside

■

■ Mostly detached, individually designed houses set in

mature landscape and large plots.

■

■ No community focus for the village.

Fig 1.25: Car dominated, functional employment environment

Fig 1.26: Individual designed, detached houses

(23)

❚

Section 2

(24)

❚

Section 2

❚

Spatial Appraisal

Fig 2.1: Flood zones

2.1 A key part of producing a Neighbourhood Plan for Thame has been to develop a clear understanding of the technical issues in and around the Parish that may affect where development could be located. This provides the basis for making informed choices about where new development may go.

2.2 The starting point for the technical appraisal is to look at the strategic constraints and opportunities for all of the land around the Parish, disregarding ownership and deliverability issues.

2.3 The assessment looks at a wide range of issues as a series of separate ‘layers’. Some of the ‘layers’ define areas where new homes should definitely not be built – for example, within the flood plain. Other ‘layers’ highlight

places where judgements need to be made – for example, areas of high visual impact could be developed if there are other benefits, and the new development is sensitively designed.

2.4 The spatial appraisal brings together all of the ‘layers’ into a composite plan (Figure 3.10 on page 29) that show where development could be located.

2.5 The final step in this section looks at land ownership within the potential development areas, and the ability of sites to come forward for development within the lifetime of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. This helps to inform choices about which areas could be brought forward with a reasonable certainty of development taking place.

Introduction

Flooding

2.6 The flood plain must not be built upon in any circumstances.

(25)

Fig 2.2: High landscape value

Fig 2.3: Landscape quality

High quality landscapes (Tibbalds’ interpretation of the Thame Core Strategy Housing Study: Landscape Considerations report)

High landscape value

2.6 These areas of high landscape value are shown in SODC’s Landscape Considerations that were undertaken as part of the Core Strategy Housing Study for Thame in March 2009. They must not be built upon in any circumstance.

Landscape enhancement strategy (South Oxfordshire Landscape Assessment 1998)

Conserve: applies where the landscape is of particularly high scenic quality. Conservation is an overwhelming priority in order to maintain the landscape character and quality.

Restore: applies to landscapes which retain a rural and essentially attractive character but where landscape elements and structure are in decline, largely through intensive farming practices. The priority in these landscapes is to restore landscape structure and to diversify and strengthen local distinctiveness.

Repair: applies to those landscapes which have a positive rural character, attractive qualities and where character, landscape structure and sense of place are still comparatively strong but which are not ‘special’ or distinctive. These landscapes are also important to conserve but would benefit from some enhancement.

Landscape Quality

2.7 The SODC’s Landscape Assessment (1998) that was undertaken by South Oxfordshire identified areas of varying landscape value. This sets out three landscape strategies (conserve, repair and restore) and these are shown in Figure 2.3.

(26)

Visual impact (Tibbalds interpretation from Local Authority and landowner sources)

Area of higher visual impact

Area of medium visual impact

Area of lower visual impact

Not assessed

Visual Impact

2.8 The areas to the north of Thame are visible from a long distance, and any development on them would have a high visual impact. Areas of medium visual impact are visible in more local views. 2.9 Areas classed as ‘low visual impact’ are either less visible or there is an opportunity to significantly improve the view (such as the edge of the Thame Industrial Estate).

Open land retained around Moreton Thame Parish Boundary

Existing town area

(including showground, rugby club and football club)

Maintaining separation

between Thame and Moreton

2.10 Moreton and Thame have separate characters and identities, and it is important to keep them separate with open land in between. This will help to maintain the character of Moreton’s Conservation Area.

Fig 2.4:Visual Impact

(27)

Town Hall Thame Parish Boundary

Existing town area (including showground, rugby club and football club)

Area within

approximately 20min walking distance of town centre

Area within approximately 10min walking distance of town centre Fig 2.7: Plan showing walking distances

Walkability

2.12 If Thame is to maintain its character as a real market town, it must continue to feel ‘compact’ and feel connected to the countryside around it. This means that Thame should be a place where people can easily walk to the facilities they need, and the town centre in particular. 2.13 Various studies (such as those carried out by the Institute of Highways and Transportation) suggest that the maximum time for which people will walk rather than get in their cars is about 20 minutes. For Thame to remain walkable, new development should therefore ideally be within about 20 minutes’ walk of the town centre.

2.14 This map shows 10 min and 20min walking distances to the Town Hall along established roads and footpaths (that is, actual walking distances not ‘as the crow flies’). These distances are based on an average walking speed of 5km per hour. This speed will vary for people of different physical abilities – but the distances shown are a good place to start thinking about walkability.

British Oxygen Hazard Zone

2.11 The British Oxygen Hazard Zone is a zone designated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) where any planning applications must be referred to the HSE, who give a view on whether or not permission should be granted. The designation of such zones is aimed at preventing development which could introduce large number of people into areas where there is a possibility of a hazard that could, for example, require evacuation. This area is designated Level 3, which means that:

■

■ new employment uses may be developed (as

these are less vulnerable than residential uses)

■

■ no more than 30 dwellings may be

constructed within the zone

■

■ residential development must not exceed a

density of 40dph.

(28)

Thame Neighbourhood Plan: Evidence Base Summary Fig 2.8: Existing local bus services

Fig 2.9: Existing vehicular network

Bus Routes

2.15 The north western part of the town is best served by bus routes. Routes serving the east of the Town are focused along East Street / Queen’s Road and so are distant from the south of the Town.

Bus route 123 twice daily circular route

Bus route 200, 280 Oxford & Aylesbury via Thame, every 30 minutes

Bus route 124 twice daily Watlington to Thame

Bus route 120, 121 twice daily Princes Risborough, Chinnor, Thame

Bus route 110 hourly Aylesbury to Worminghall via Thame

Bus stop

Bus route 340, 40 hourly Stockenchurch to High Wycombe via Thame

Primary A route

A route

B road

Locally important route

Vehicular network

2.16 The ring road is seen by many as an ‘edge’ to Thame beyond which development should not go. However, the ring road varies - with those parts to the north and west designated as an A road being busier (and therefore more difficult to cross) than the B road section to the east. The A road is therefore a stronger ‘edge’ (or barrier for people to cross) than the B road.

(29)

1 A

B

C

D

F

1

2

3

Key

Parish Boundary Cattle Market The Elms

Lord Williams’s Lower School

2

3

Fig 2.10: Plan showing potential development areas

Flood zone and high landscape value

Ring Road - ‘B Road’ Bus routes

Conservation Area

SODC Core Strategy site reference 20 minute walking zone

Ridge line

Ring Road - ‘A Road’

Potential development area

(30)

Deliverability of Sites

2.17 We identified potential development sites and talked to landowners and/or potential developers. The plan opposite identifies these sites. The table overleaf sets out a summary of the suitability, availability, and deliverability of each site.

2.18 This helps the Neighbourhood Plan focus on those sites most likely to be able to deliver development within the Plan period.

2.19 Note: SODC used letters to identify potential development sites, and these are generally used in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. However, as land ownerships straddle some of SODC’s sites, numbers have been used for Figure 2.11 opposite.

(31)

Fig 2.11: Potential development sites

1

18

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

12

13

14

15

16

11

(32)

1 Land West of Thame

(Site F) 39ha

Castle Trust Suitability: Work undertaken by land owner’s consultant team demonstrates suitability of site, including addressing issues of visual impact and respecting the flood zone / area of ecological value.

Availability / Deliverability: Site has been promoted by landowner, and is available and deliverable within the Plan period.

2 Land North of Thame

(Site A) 20.65ha

Oleani and Bertie Suitability: Not suitable for development: restricted access opportunities from ring road due to level changes. Proximity to sewage works.

Availability / Deliverability: Promoted by landowner, but confirmed by them as unsuitable for residential development.

3 Land East of Thame

(Site B) 61.69ha

Oleani and Bertie Suitability: Potential for development on part of the site: outside of 20 minute walking distance; located on existing bus route; outside of ring road (B route).

Availability / Deliverability: Promoted by landowner, and is available and deliverable within the Plan period.

4 Land South of Thame

(west) (Site D) 14ha

Option to Banner Homes Suitability: Potential for development on part of the site: within extent of potential development area; within 20 minute walking distance; potential for good pedestrian links to the town centre subject to third party land ownership. Not near existing bus route. Relies on Site 5 for vehicular access.

Availability / Deliverability: Promoted by potential developer, and is available and deliverable within the Plan period subject to joint working with Site 5.

5 Land South of Thame

(west) (Site C and D) 46.68ha

CEG is providing the land on behalf of the landowner

Suitability: Potential for development on part of the site: partly located outside 20 minute walking distance; not near existing bus route; partly located adjacent to industrial estate; southern boundary within flood zone.

Availability / Deliverability: Promoted by potential developer, and is available and deliverable within the Plan period.

6 East of Thame (south) (Site B)

19.8ha

White. Joint promotion agreement with Oleani and Bertie

Suitability: Potential for development on part of the site: partly located within blast zone; outside of 20 minute walking distance; located outside ring road (B-route).

Availability / Deliverability: Promoted by potential developer, and is available and deliverable within the Plan period.

7 Rugby Club

4.1ha

Chinnor Rugby Club Suitability: Outside of 20 minute walking distance; not close to bus routes; located outside ring road (A route).

Availability / Deliverability: No strategy in place for relocation of Rugby Club. Availability therefore uncertain. Deliverability within Plan period uncertain.

8 Tennis Club

0.4ha

Thame Tennis Club Suitability: Within existing built up area of town. Located in residential area. Suitable for residential development.

Availability / Deliverability: Uncertain deliverability: no strategy to relocate tennis club in place. Deliverability within Plan period uncertain.

9 Fire Station

0.07ha

Oxfordshire County Council Suitability: Within the Thame Conservation Area. Located in predominantly residential area. Suitable for development.

Availability / Deliverability: Strategy for relocation of Fire Station underway but not finalised. Deliverability within plan period uncertain.

(33)

10 Cattle Market South Oxfordshire District Council

Suitability: Identified in SODC Core Strategy for mixed use development - e.g. a mix of retail, community use, leisure, employment. Residential could form a minor element of a mixed-use scheme (e.g. flats above shops)

Availability / Deliverability: Contingent on relocation of Cattle Market and refusal of current application for a foodstore. Any housing numbers likely to be small. Treat as windfall.

11 The Elms Simon and Sarah Vickers Suitability: Located south of the High Street in a predominantly residential area. Within the Town centre Conservation Area. The Elms is a listed building. Identified by SODC as open space. Subject to heritage and open space issues, suitable for residential development.

12 Postal sorting office/ telephone exchange 0.21ha (maximum)

Royal Mail / British Telecom Suitability: Identified in Core Strategy as potential site for town centre uses. Telephone exchange and sorting office still operational so site not yet available.

Availability / Deliverability: Not known.

13 Lash Lake

0.77ha

HC Pearce Suitability: Located within a residential area. Eastern part of site within the Town centre Conservation Area.

Availability / Deliverability: Site has been promoted for residential uses through the SODC Core Strategy, and is deliverable during the plan period.

14 Jane Morbey Road

0.44ha

Blakelands llp Suitability: Derelict employment site. Located in mixed area next to residential and employment. Suitable for development.

Availability / Deliverability: Current planning permission for employment uses. Owner has indicated desire for residential allocation. However, employment land would be lost. 15 Lord Williams’s Lower

School 7.84ha

Oxfordshire County Council Suitability: Located in a residential area. Playing fields have policy restrictions requiring protection or replacement. Suitable for residential development.

Availability / Deliverability: Reliant on scheme to consolidate school onto the Upper School site. Uncertain delivery within the Plan period.

16 Land west of Thame (employment) 8.43ha

Castle Trust Suitability: Detached from the town, although on a bus route. Visual impact not assessed.

Availability / Deliverability: Potential development site for employment uses only subject to visual impact.

17 Park Meadow Cottage

0.6ha

Kirkland Suitability:Located adjacent to Site 5. Suitable for residential development.

18 Land West of Thame

5.33ha

Castle Trust Suitability: Identified by land owner’s consultant team as having potential to provide playing fields for consolidation of Lord Williams’s School in conjunction with the residential development of Site F. Not proposed for built development.

Availability / Deliverability: Promoted by landowner and is available and deliverable as playing fields within the Plan period in conjunction with the development of Site F.

(34)

(35)

❚

Section 3

(36)

❚

Section 3

❚

Options Assessment

Options: Introduction

3.1 A key part of the process of producing the Thame Neighbourhood Plan has been developing a range of options for growth and testing these, so that a preferred way forward could be selected.

3.2 Whilst the Plan is not just about housing, the allocation of land for 775 new dwellings forms the key part of the plan and is the focus of the options.

3.3 The process of developing and assessing options is described in the Section, and involved:

■

■ feedback on four ‘strategic approaches’ displayed at the

public consultation event in November 2011

■

■ developing and testing four options based on the

November feedback

■

■ selecting a preferred way forward from the option testing,

and consulting with local people on this.

Four Strategic Approaches

3.4 Four strategic ‘approaches’ (with alternatives for each) were displayed at the public consultation event in November 2011. At this time, the Examination in Public (EiP) on South Oxfordshire District Council’s Core Strategy was still in progress and it was not known whether a strategic housing allocation would be made through the Core Strategy or whether the decision on where all 775 new homes should go would be handed over to the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.

3.5 Two of the four strategic approaches (3 and 4) therefore set out possible strategic allocations that were then being discussed at the EiP.

3.6 Each options included an ‘A’ option with development within the town on The Elms and Lord

Williams’s Lower School, and a ‘B’ option with development only on the edge of Thame. For clarity, only the ‘B’ options are shown in this chapter.

3.7 At this stage, Tibbalds used site numbers to refer to the various potential development sites rather than the letters used by SODC. This was intended to highlight that - whilst the sites are in similar locations - their extent or boundaries were not identical to those proposed by SODC.

Site 2 Site 1

Site 4

Fig 3.1: Approach 1b

Site 1

Site 4 Site 5

Approach 1 spreads new development around the town as much as possible whilst keeping new development within 20 minutes’ walk of the Town Hall. The range of numbers of new homes on each site is: Site 1 = 325 - 400

Site 2 = 325 - 400 Site 4 = 100 - 150

Approach 2 spreads development around the town but - at the same time - aims to maximise opportunities for pedestrian and cycle linkages. The range of numbers of new homes on each site is: Site 1 = 370 - 410

(37)

Site 1

Site 4

Site 3-6 Site 1

3.8 However, this caused confusion amongst local people and later options work reverts back to SODC’s letter system.

3.9 All four approaches were informed by the overall vision and core objectives generated at the earlier consultation event in October 2011. The feedback from the consultation is available in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Report.

3.10 In summary, the key issues raised by local people were:

■

■ the aspiration remained for new development to be as

dispersed around the town as much as possible

■

■ there was strong opposition to housing being in one

‘lump’ as this was seen as difficult to integrate into the town

■

■ there was concern about traffic issues arising from

development to the south of Thame - would cars from the new development go through the town centre to get to Oxford or Aylesbury in preference to going around the ring road?

■

■ the ring road to the north was perceived as a barrier

across which it would be difficult to integrate new housing. This was further exacerbated by the lack of direct links to the town centre through Lea Park

■

■ there were concerns about the visual impact of

development on Site 1 (now referred to as Site F)

■

■ all four approaches proposed new development within

approximately 20 minutes’ walk of the Town Hall. There was some scepticism that people would really walk 20 minutes, as well as some questioning as to the accuracy of the boundary.

Developing and testing options

3.11 Following feedback from the consultation on the strategic approaches, Tibbalds worked in partnership with representatives of Thame’s Residents Associations and Town Councillors to develop four options for the growth of Thame. These are:

■

■ Walkable Thame ■

■ Public Transport Thame ■

■ Maximum Dispersed Thame ■

■ Contained Thame. Fig 3.3: Approach 3b

Approach 3 set out SODC’s preferred approach of concentrating development in the west of the town. The range of numbers of new homes on each site is:

Site 1 = 600 Site 4 = 100 - 150

Approach 4 concentrates development to the south of Thame, reflecting discussion at the EiP on the potential for an alternative strategic allocation. The range of numbers of new homes on each site is:

Site 1 = 150 - 175 Sites 3 - 6 = 570 - 600

(38)

F

D

Option 1: Walkable Thame

■

■ All new development is located within 20 minutes walk of

the Town Hall

■

■ To achieve ‘walkability’ there must be good north-south

pedestrian links to Site D - so development must be located so that it can connect to Windmill Road and Moreton Lane

■

■ If Lord Williams’s Lower School does not come forward

for development, reserve housing sites will need to be brought forward. The western part of Site D is identified as the reserve land, which would result in Site D growing to 447 homes. This is a large amount of development in one location, and is contrary to the aim of achieving dispersed development

■

■ There is a risk that vehicles from Site D will travel through

the town centre - signage and other measures are needed to direct traffic onto the ring road

■

■ Access to bus stops is poor from the south. The potential

developer has confirmed that amount of housing (less than 600 units) means that a new route / diversion is not viable

■

■ Will people walk 20 minutes?

(39)

Housing development, including open space, roads, and other infrastructure

Community facilities and mixed use development, existing and proposed

Employment site (B1/B2/B8)

Open space (parks, greens, squares, sports pitches and informal green space)

River and approximate extent of flood zone

Principal vehicular movement routes

Pedestrian routes (priority routes and local routes) Schools (including reserve site for possible new school)

Open land around Thame

Site F: 250 units Site D: 315 units

LWLS: 160 units

The Elms: 50 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Site F: 278 units The Elms: 50 units Site D: 447 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Fig 3.6: Walkable Thame: option showing LWLS developed

(40)

F

B

Option 2: Public Transport Thame

■

■ To get a more dispersed spread of new development

than shown in Option 1 we need to breach the 20 minute walking distance

■

■ But if we want to keep the town feeling ‘compact’ and

minimise traffic impact we need to think about how people may get around:

- locating development near existing bus routes helps to ‘tie in’ to existing public transport

- straightforward routes to town centre are desirable - e.g. along Towersey Road not through Lea Park.

■

■ Buses are close to land East of Thame, but routes,

service frequency and number of stops need to be improved

■

■ Reserve land is provided on both Site F and Site B. If

Lord Williams’s Lower School does not come forward for development, new homes will be mainly located in just two sites. This may not be sufficiently dispersed.

(41)

Site F: 300 units Site B: 290 units

LWLS: 135 units

The Elms: 50 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Site F: 371 units Site B: 354 units The Elms: 50 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Fig 3.9: Public transport Thame: option showing LWLS developed

(42)

F

D

B

Option 3: Dispersed Thame

■

■ If Options 1 and 2 do not meet aim of dispersed

development well enough, then we need to look at an alternative that maximises dispersal

■

■ If LWLS comes forwards and dispersal is to be

maximised, sites on the edge cannot be too big - no more than 300 homes in B, D or F

■

■ Site D needs to be at least 300 homes to be able to

connect to all pedestrian routes. So D either needs to be large (as in Option 1) to maximise pedestrian linkages and so compensate for other transport issues, or small (Option 3) to minimise amount of development affected by poor access to buses / minimise traffic generation

■

■ If Lord Williams’s Lower School does not come forward

for development, reserve sites are provided on Sites B and F.

(43)

Site F: 240 units Site B: 210 units Site D: 155 units

LWLS: 120 units

The Elms: 50 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Site F: 328 units Site B: 242 units Site D: 155 units The Elms: 50 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Fig 3.12: Dispersed Thame: option showing LWLS developed

(44)

Option 4: Contained Thame

■

■ This option aims to disperse development but also to

locate it within the distinct physical boundaries formed by the river and the ring road

■

■ Development either side of Thame Park Road has the

potential to create a positive ‘gateway’ to the town from the south

■

■ Development to the south of Wenman Road is less well

integrated than other areas - good links must be created to the town

■

■ Similar issues to Option 1 in terms of traffic and access to

buses

■

■ Two options for reserve land were explored: - reserve land on sites F and C

- reserve land on site B.

■

■ If reserve land is provided on sites F and C, new homes

will be mainly located in just two areas. This may not be sufficiently dispersed.

Fig 3.14: Contained Thame concept option

F

D

C

(45)

Site F: 188 units Site C: 187 units Site D: 187 units Memec 18 units

LWLS: 135 units

The Elms: 60 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Site F: 266 units Site c: 244 units Site D: 187 units Memec 18 units

The Elms: 60 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Site F: 216 units Site C: 187 units Site D: 187 units Memec 18 units

Site B Reserve: 107 units The Elms: 60 units

TOTAL: 775 units

Fig 3.15: Contained Thame: option showing LWLS developed

(46)

Assessing the Options

3.12 We have assessed the options in four ways:

■

■ against the Neighbourhood Plan Core Objectives ■

■ against local planning policy ■

■ through Sustainability Appraisal ■

■ through discussions with representatives of Thame’s

Residents Associations and Town Councillors. 3.13 The latter is an important part of the process, as assessing the options needs to balance the outcomes of the other three testing processes to deliver a preferred way forward that meets the aspirations of local people.

Neighbourhood Plan Core Objectives

3.14 The Thame Neighbourhood Plan sets out an overall Vision Statement for the future of Thame, supported by a range of Core Objectives. Some of these Core Objectives are spatial (e.g. connecting new housing into Thame) whereas others are not related to spatial planning (e.g. involve young people).

3.15 The table opposite sets out only the spatial

objectives, as it is not possible to assess the options against non-spatial objectives.

3.16 Each option is ranked against each objective, with a commentary highlighting the differences between them. A score of 4 is given to the option that performs best, with a score of 1 to the option that performs least well. This scoring mechanism is very simple, and - as such - it must not be taken in isolation as a way of deciding the preferred way forward. It must be noted that none of the options fails to meet the objectives - they do so with varying degrees of success.

3.17 Option 1 fulfils the objectives best, and is closely followed by Options 3 and 4. Option 2 scores significantly worse than the other three options in this assessment.

Planning policy

3.18 Neighbourhood Plans must accord with higher level planning policy. The table overleaf sets out an assessment of the four options against strategic policies within South Oxfordshire District Council’s emerging Core Strategy. These emerging policies have been reviewed against the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). As the emerging policies are in line with policies in the NPPF, we have not carried out an assessment against national policies. This would be unduly repetitive.

3.19 In order to show the overall policy context, non-spatial policies are included in the table - for

example,supporting residential and employment uses above shops. However, as it is not possible to assess the options against such policies each is marked a ‘n/a’. This does not mean that the policy is not important to the Neighbourhood Plan - indeed, the Plan itself reinforces such policies. 3.20 The table indicates that all four options are capable of according with higher level policy. The differences between the options in terms of assessment against planning policy are very similar to the assessment against the Neighbourhood Plan Core Objectives - that is, Options 1, 3 and 4 are quite similar with Option 2 performing less well.

Sustainability Appraisal

3.21 The Thame Neighbourhood Plan Sustainability Appraisal is a separate document, and can be downloaded at the Town Council’s website (www.thametowncouncil. gov.uk) and copies are available to view at the Town Hall Information Centre. There are three documents:

■

■ the Scoping Report, which sets out the context for the

Plan and the sustainability issues that needed to be considered in developing the Plan. The report includes a ‘Sustainability Framework’ that provides a set of sustainability objectives against which options could be assessed

■

■ the main SA report, which sets out the details of the

option assessment process ,the selection of the

preferred way forward and the refinement of the preferred way forward to make it more sustainable

■

■ the non-technical summary, which provides an

explanation of the assessment of the options and the refinement of the preferred way forward to make it more sustainable.

3.22 The appraisal exercise found that there were small differences in the scoring of the options. The overall scores (including the score against the non-spatial objectives mentioned above) were as follows:

Option 1: 41% Option 2: 42% Option 3: 38% Option 4: 35%

3.23 In the appraisal we can see that whilst there is a difference in the scores of the spatial options, they are all within a range of less than 10%.

3.24 The main factor that made Option 4 score below other options was the ability to provide good pedestrian and cycle connections to the existing town from Site C.

How To Understand And Understand The Character Of Thame

Thame Town Council

November 2012

❚

Contents

❚

Introduction

❚

Section 1

Thame and its location

Living

❚

Section 1

❚

About Thame

Working and Shopping

Getting Around

Leisure and wellbeing

1

10

2

11

3

12

4

13

5

14

6

15

18

7a

7b

16

19

8

17

20

9

Environment and Sustainability

The character of Thame

❚

Section 2

❚

Section 2

❚

Spatial Appraisal

Introduction

Flooding

High landscape value

Landscape Quality

Visual Impact

Maintaining separation

between Thame and Moreton

Walkability

British Oxygen Hazard Zone

Bus Routes

Vehicular network

1

A

B

C

D

F

1

2

3

2

3

Deliverability of Sites

1

18

2

3

3

4

5

5

6

7