Chilmington Green & Discovery Park Area Action Plan
Background
The Chilmington Green & Discovery Park Area Action Plan
(AAP) document forms part of Ashford’s Local Development Framework.
The
AAP
will set out the key
strategic development and design principles for the site and the
policies and parameters for land use, density, building heights and
the overall quantum of development. Chilmington Green is identified
in
ABC
's Core Strategy
(policy CS5) as an urban extension site which should be planned to
accommodate no less than 3,350 dwellings and 600 jobs by 2020, with
the potential for up to 7,000 dwellings and 1,000 jobs in
total.
This site therefore presents a significant opportunity to bring
forward a sustainable new community within easy access of
Ashford town centre and the new High-Speed services to central
London. A key part of the
AAP
process will be the production of a masterplan for
the development of the area, to which development proposals will be
expected to accord.
Why is development happening at Chilmington
Green?
The principle of development at Chilmington
Green is established in Ashford Borough Council’s Core Strategy.
The Core Strategy was ‘adopted’ in 2008 following the production of
a wide range of evidence which set out where growth could be
accommodated within the borough, a period of public consultation
and a formal ‘Examination in Public’ of the Core Strategy
by an independent, government appointed planning
Inspector. You can find the Core Strategy on our website
at:
http://www.ashford.gov.uk/planning_and_building_control/planning_now_and_in_the_future/core_strategy_2008.aspx
The change in government in May 2010 has lead
to the removal of centrally designated housing targets, but the
principle of development at Chilmington Green remains established
in the Core Strategy. The focus now is to plan for the creation of
a great place to live. This will involve looking very closely at
the density, design and layout of development, types of land uses
and the best range of local facilities that can be achieved.
How will Chilmington Green be planned?
A key part of the Area Action Plan process is
the production of a masterplan for the development
of the area. The masterplan will be included in the Area Action
Plan. Planning applications and policies submitted for development
at Chilmington Green will need to be in accordance with the
policies and principles set out in the Area Action Plan.
An ‘Examination in Public’ by an independent
planning Inspector will be held in 2012 to assess the Area Action
Plan, and an outline planning application for the Chilmington Green
site will be submitted to the Borough Council by the development
team during 2012.
Where exactly will the Chilmington
Green urban extension be?
The broad area for development is defined by
Long Length to the east, and the Ashford Road/A28 to the west. The
northern boundary borders the Chilmington gypsy and traveller site
and the KCC closed landfill site. The southern boundary will lie
south of Chilmington Green Road, but the exact boundary will be
defined through the masterplanning process.
What type of facilities will be at
Chilmington Green?
New development at Chilmington Green is being planned as a
sustainable new community, with the type of day to day facilities
which will help the community to become a successful, thriving
place. It will include Discovery Park, a new park serving
Chilmington Green and surrounding communities which is likely to
include a range of facilities, such as sports pitches, a pavilion,
an area for outdoor events, and more natural areas to attract and
support wildlife. Landscape architects Gillespies were commissioned
to examine how these uses could be laid out in Discovery Park.
Click on the link below to find out more:
As well as new homes, the new community will
also have a High Street with a range of local shops and business
premises, 3 - 4 primary schools, a new secondary school, medical
facilities, a dedicated bus link to Ashford town centre and a
‘community hub’ building which offers a range of services. The new
community will also include sustainable energy technologies to help
generate energy on-site.
What is the current timetable for the Area Action Plan?
The key milestones and approximate timings for
the masterplanning and AAP process are:
- Publication of AAP for 6 week public
consultation: early 2012
- Submission of the AAP to Secretary of State:
Spring 2012
- Examination in Public (Assessment of the plan
by an independent Inspector): mid 2012
- Adoption of AAP by ABC: by Autumn
2012
A full technical team, appointed by the developers, consisting
of masterplanners, landscape architects, urban designers,
ecologists, heritage and archaeology specialists, utilities and
sustainability specialists and transport planners, are progressing
with the comprehensive masterplanning the site area. Currently,
transport modelling work is assessing the impact of the development
on the A28 and surrounding road network in order to help define the
amount and extent of development to be brought forward at
Chilmington Green. Other considerations will include landscape and
visual impact, ecology, drainage, etc. Overall, these factors will
determine the amount of development, and hence the defined
boundaries and proposed phasing of the development over the next 20
years.
How can I find out more?
Update: Public Exhibition – 27th September
2011
The Chilmington Green development consortium and their
consultant team have organised a public exhibition of the emerging
proposals for Chilmington Green on Tuesday 27 September
2011 from 3.00pm to 8.00pm at the Singleton Environment
Centre, Wesley School Road, (near Cuckoo Lane), Singleton, Ashford,
TN23 5LW. More information is available on the developers’
website: http://www.chilmington-green.co.uk/
What other consultation has occurred on the Chilmington
Green Urban Extension?
A series of consultation events have been carried out with
stakeholders and residents. Consultation events were carried
out with key stakeholders during 2007 which led to the production
of a Chilmington Green Issues and Options Paper. The Issues Paper
was not subject to a formal public consultation process but
outlines all the issues which were raised through the stakeholder
consultation events.
An independently facilitated stakeholder workshop was held at
the Singleton Environment Centre on in September 2008. Over
40 attendees took part in the workshop.
In February 2009, an independently facilitated two day design
workshop was held. The purpose was to reflect collectively on the
key issues from the previous workshop of 30th September 2008 and
further developing the key principles for Chilmington Green.
Around 80 delegates participated in the workshops.
A stakeholder workshop to present the emerging masterplan
options was held on 22nd July 2010 .
This was attended by over 70 people, including service providers,
KCC and ABC officers, and some local residents. The workshop report
can be downloaded below:
Chilmington Green Reports and
Presentations
Sustainability Appraisal
In conjunction with the preparation of the
AAP, a Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report
has been produced which assesses the economic, social and
environmental constraints of the proposed urban extension.
Sustainable Energy
Arup have been commissioned by Ashford's Future to develop a
business case and seek practical solutions for sustainable energy
generation at the Chilmington Green urban extension to meet Ashford
Core Strategy Policy CS10.
Public Transport
The Core Strategy states that the urban extensions should
provide a quality, high frequency public transport system to ensure
that increasing numbers of residents are attracted to public
transport. The location, mix and density of new development to
create a viable and efficient public transport service will thus be
a key consideration within the masterplanning process. A
park-and-ride facility is also proposed on the A28 which will be
subject to further viability testing.
Contact Details
For further information on the Chilmington Green & Discovery
Park Area Action Plan, please contact Daniel Carter on 01233
330213 or email the Policy Team.
This webpage was updated on
9/27/2011