NOTES OF A PUBLIC MEETING
held to discuss the planning applications for
NEWHAVEN MARINA (LW/07/1475) and AUGUSTFIELDS (LW/07/1476)
at the Hillcrest Community Centre, Hillcrest Road
on Tuesday 15th January 2008 at 7pm
PRESENT:
Councillor Carla Butler (Chair)
John McLean (Morgan Carn Partnership, Architects)
Mark Adams (Morgan Carn Partnership, Architects)
Shaun Garrick (Morgan Carn Partnership, Architects)
Ian Everest, Town Clerk
Jacky Cole, Assistant Town Clerk
Approximately 150 members of the public attended.
Members of the Town Council’s Planning Applications Committee
were in the audience to hear the opinions of the members of the
public.
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. She explained that the Marina application
would be discussed first, followed by the Augustfields application. She introduced John
McLean of Morgan Carn Partnership and explained that he would speak first about each
application, and that this would be followed by questions and comments from the public.
LW/07/1475
NEWHAVEN MARINA
Opening remarks on behalf of Morgan Carn:
•
The original application for the Marina and the Railway Quay was withdrawn for three
reasons:
- The initial Flood Risk Assessment being carried out by Lewes District Council
indicated that Railway Quay is in the active flood plain for the River Ouse,
which would mean residential accommodation is not appropriate. The
application cannot proceed until further work has been done on this.
- The Planning Authority asked that the Railway Quay development should be
considered in connection with the purchase of the Port. It is hoped that
Oakdene will acquire the Port and that the development of the whole of the
East Quay will then go ahead, to include a riverside walkway. However, if
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-
Oakdene are not successful, then a partial development at Railway Quay
might prejudice alternative proposals for the Port.
Urban Development Consultants were engaged to look at how the plans for
the Marina development could be improved.
•
Morgan Carn and Oakdene have been successfully involved in other difficult
regeneration projects such as the site of the former Meridian TV studios in
Southampton.
•
Morgan Carn have offices on Denton Island and are committed to Newhaven.
•
The Marina Development is intended to be part of a far reaching project of
regeneration for the town.
•
The following changes have been made from the original Marina application:
- Visual improvements to the Fort Road frontage, which include moving the
buildings closer to Fort Road, introducing a terrace of houses.
- A reduction in the mass of the buildings by 10%.
- Some of the buildings have been reduced in height by one storey.
- More landscape decks have been introduced to screen parked cars from view
and many parking areas are now underneath buildings.
•
The Riverside Walkway continues through the development and forms a pedestrian
link from the town centre, via the West Quay to the Fort and the Recreation Ground.
It is intended that the Walkway will continue to the West Beach, but this is not within
the control of Oakdene at present.
•
The development delivers improved flood defences to Fort Road and the Recreation
Ground.
Questions and comments from the public:
•
How many affordable housing units are included in the development?
Response from Morgan Carn: although not strictly speaking affordable or social
housing, there are an increased number of smaller, relatively less expensive units
than originally planned. 5% of the units actually qualify as affordable housing.
Oakdene’s profit margins on the development will be closely scrutinised by the
District Valuer and will be capped, with all profits above that level put towards the
hugely expensive work required at Railway Quay to repair the quay, stabilise the
listed buildings and sort out the land contamination.
Many members of the public expressed the view that this is an elitist development
which doesn’t provide anything for local people. The properties will be much too
expensive for local people to buy.
•
Why were there no representatives from Lewes District Council or East Sussex
County Council present at the meeting?
Response from the Chair: they were invited, but declined to attend.
•
The loss of the southern slipway will force local boat owners to pay increased
charges to get their boats into the water as the Marina will monopolise access to the
river.
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Response from Morgan Carn: the development allows for enhanced marina facilities
for boat owners, including a slip way and an enlarged boat park, and much improved
berth holder facilities. Although the southern slipway is cheaper than that operated
by the Marina, it is not a public slipway, and its continuation could not be guaranteed
in any case. The revised plans also allow for an emergency hard for fishing and
other boats, as was requested last time.
•
The developers don’t want local fishermen to have a future in the town.
Response from Morgan Carn: Morgan Carn have proved their commitment to the
future of Newhaven’s fishing industry during Phase 1 of the West Quay development
when they spent a huge amount of time and effort obtaining grants to build a new
fishing complex as part of the development.
•
There don’t appear to be enough car parking spaces provided as part of the
development and parking in this area is already very difficult at busy times.
Response from Morgan Carn: there is slightly more than one parking space for each
residential unit, plus 200 spaces at the boat park during the summer when most of
the boats are in the water, and 55 there during the winter. It is also envisaged that
due to the pedestrian link with the Recreation Ground, the parking at the Marina and
Recreation Ground may be shared according to need.
Many members of the public attending the meeting were unconvinced by this
argument and this subject was brought up several times.
•
How is the extra traffic along Fort Road and South Road to be managed?
Response from Morgan Carn: a Transport Assessment and Green Travel Plan has
been produced to convince the County Council that there will not be an adverse
effect on the transport network. This includes the promotion of sustainable transport
such as bicycles and investment to double the frequency of the local bus service.
Many members of the public attending the meeting were unconvinced by this
argument and this subject was brought up several times. Doubts were expressed as
to the thoroughness of the survey being carried out. People were very concerned
about the huge numbers of people being squeezed into this one part of Newhaven –
the proposed Wimpey development between Court Farm Road and Gibbon Road
was also mentioned in this respect – all having to use the same route in and out.
•
What contribution will the developers be making towards the infrastructure and
leisure facilities of the town?
Response from Morgan Carn: if there was a need for more school places, for
example, in the town, then the developer would be required to make a financial
contribution towards these. A public open space was provided as part of Phase 1,
and the very expensive riverside walkway will be extended as part of this Phase.
Further concerns about infrastructure were raised by members of the public during
the meeting – would water supplies cope with the extra demand? What about the
sewerage system? Where would all the extra residents work?
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•
Is there any chance of a new road being built across Newhaven Heights to join the
A259 between Newhaven and Peacehaven to reduce pressure on Fort Road?
Response from Morgan Carn: the development can only deliver a certain amount of
profit that can be used for “public” items and this will all be taken up by the Railway
Quay regeneration. There would be no chance of any money towards a new road.
•
Public areas in Phase 1 of the West Quay development are suffering badly from a
lack of maintenance. What can be done to avoid this happening with Phase 3?
Response from Morgan Carn: this has occurred because of ownership difficulties
with the walkway area. Oakdene have been asked whether they would be prepared
to take on responsibility for this, and have indicated that they are willing to commit
themselves to the maintenance of the whole walkway if they are successful in
acquiring the Port.
•
The buildings are too tall and the development is too dense.
Response from Morgan Carn: the development has been designed to make the best
use of the space available to maximise profit to enable high quality materials to be
used for the public areas and to finance the regeneration. A low density scheme
would not enable new marina facilities to be provided or finance the riverside
walkway. This scheme will have a significant impact on the prosperity of the town. If
nothing is done, Newhaven will continue to decay.
•
None of the wealthy Brighton and London residents these apartments are designed
for will buy them because of the incinerator.
Response from Morgan Carn: it is remarkable that Oakdene remain committed to
investment in the town in spite of the incinerator. Most of the Phase 2 properties
have now been sold. It should also be borne in mind that the developer will be
legally obliged to complete the provision of the public amenities such as the walkway
before the apartments are occupied, so these will be provided regardless of whether
the apartments are sold.
•
Gibbon Road will be overshadowed by Block A.
Response from Morgan Carn: Extensive overshadowing studies have been carried
out because this was brought up during the previous public consultation. The
building has been reduced by one storey.
LW/07/1476
AUGUSTFIELDS, BRIGHTON ROAD
Opening remarks on behalf of Morgan Carn:
•
•
•
Oakdene have owned this site for about 10 years, Morgan Carn have only been
involved for the last 6 months.
Outline planning permission for 82 houses and 1 shop was obtained in 2003, but this
has not been taken any further for various reasons.
During discussions about the Marina development with the Lewes District Council
housing department it was suggested that the greatest need in Newhaven was for
family housing rather than executive flats and that it would be a good idea for
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•
Oakdene to provide this sort of housing at the Augustfields site. As a result Oakdene
were asked to put in an outline application which would provide affordable housing to
offset the requirement for affordable housing at the Marina site – a total of 48 units.
The proposal has not yet been fully developed and highways and transport surveys
are still taking place, together with an ecological survey.
Questions and comments from the public:
•
Many of the material considerations brought up and agreed when the permission for
82 houses and 1 shop was granted on appeal do not appear to have been taken into
account in this new application.
Response from Morgan Carn: this is only an outline application at this stage and the
architects have not had a chance to spend as much time on it as they have on the
Marina application. Material considerations that applied to the previous application
will still apply to this one and the architects are willing to listen to local concerns and
take them on board as far as possible. An offer was made to speak with
representatives of local residents after the meeting.
•
It is unacceptable for the affordable housing from West Quay to be imposed on this
area and contrary to Government policy. The resulting proportion of affordable
housing is too high.
The Chair stated that as a District Councillor, as well as a Town Councillor, she had
been horrified to hear that it had been a Lewes District Council officer who had
suggested that affordable housing be displaced from the Marina and placed on this
site.
Morgan Carn pointed out that under Government guidelines to come into force with
the Lewes District Council Local Development Framework (a document replacing the
Local District Plan) the proportion of affordable housing required in new
developments will be increased to 40% - a higher percentage than in this present
application. This effectively means that if this site is not developed now, any future
development proposed for the site will actually have even more affordable housing
than is being proposed now.
•
140 houses is too many for the site – the Local District Plan allows for a maximum of
106.
•
The public open space indicated on the plan is too steep to be used by anyone.
•
The steepness of the site makes it difficult to achieve the layout proposed.
•
Too many properties will be using a single access point at the junction of The
Fairway and the A259.
Morgan Carn confirmed that the County Council have asked for a Traffic Assessment
which will be produced over the next few weeks.
•
Strong objections to turning Brazen Close into a through road.
•
What has happened to the stopping up order for Valley Road? This is needed to
prevent a rat run being formed through Brazen Close from the A259 to the Lewes
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Road via Valley Road. Many residents were particularly alarmed at the possibility of
a rat run being formed.
•
The existing roads in the Augustfields development have not yet been adopted,
which has given rise to a number of problems. The access to the proposed
development is via these unadopted roads.
Morgan Carn understands that the adoption of the roads is not a material planning
consideration.
•
The owner of a property at the A259 end of Valley Road expressed concerns about
her access and the boundaries of the development.
The Morgan Carn representatives offered to speak to her after the meeting about
this.
The meeting closed at 8.45pm.
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