Thursday 1 April 2010

Great "SUDS"

Plans were unveiled this week for the new low cost social housing development in Tenbury Wells this week.

The development planned for a site of Old Wood Road, has been several years in the planning as there has been concern locally that any development would put additional strain on the already problematical stream that is piped under Bog Lane.

The developers have utilised rainwater harvesting that will be used to provide a water supply to flush toilets etc. There is also two levels of SUDS "Sustained Urban Drainage Solutions" to prevent storm water rushing off the hard surfaces and flooding the valley.

The first line of defense is an over large drainage pipe system that stores water under the roadways to the once in thirty year heavy rain event level, the second is large underground storage tanks calculated to be sufficient to store water from a one in (over) one hundred year event. Each storage system then discharges through a flow regulator that releases water slower than had it fallen the un-developed land.

There will be a mixture of housing on site from two bedroomed flats, to bungalows and larger houses. Some will be for rent, other part buy, part rent. Preference will be given to people with a strong Tenbury link.

The challenge now if for more jobs to be created locally so that people who have been dispersed due to the lack of local low cost housing and want to return to Tenbury can find employment as well as housing.

17 comments:

Ian said...

It is difficult to believe that, with the economy in its present state (with surely much, much worse to come), these will be built any time soon.

@WR15 said...

I guess it depends where the money is coming from and if it has already been ring fenced. I must admit I'm bot really sure how housing associations are funded. I guess much of the rental income comes from tenants or via the district council in the form of housing benefits, but as to capital funding I have no idea.

Ian said...

Central government grant in the main directed through the Housing Corporation - thus the problem.

Anonymous said...

Why not have open market housing? That would bring more money into Tenbury.

@WR15 said...

There appears (from official surveys) to be an ample supply of 'open market' housing locally but a shortage of 'affordable' housing. I guess a viable community needs both.

Ian said...

The term "affordable" is really a nonsense. Some people can "afford" £450k (or more) for a property. Others can "afford" much, much, less. The term is almost meaningless in this context. "Social housing" is just about as hollow. Can you offer a prize for a new, sensible, phrase?

@WR15 said...

The Housing Association are hoping that the properties will be ready for occupation by July 2011.

The planning application for the revised scheme has been submitted but the 'notices' have yet to be posted.

The Town Council have raised a number of points regarding the scheme. It appears that either none of the Councillors attended the public consultation meeting to view the plans and discuss their concerns with the developers, or they did but didn't understand what they were told!

The Burford & Tenbury Civic Society are likey to raise a number of technical and visual impact objections to the scheme.

Ian said...

Let us hope that the number of homes proposed in this scheme in not based on the Housing Needs Survey commissioned by the Town Council - an amateurish and flawed document if ever there was one!

Anonymous said...

As far as I can make out, the revised application is for substantially more dwellings than were initially granted permission and an increase in parking spaces to 58. Quite apart from the flooding issues this means an enormously increased number of traffic movements on the Oldwood road which is already dangerously busy, an increase in light pollution, covering the pleasing southern aspect of the town with dwellings that will come right up to the road and swallowing up the traditional landscape of small fields bounded by hedgerows. This is an opportunistic box ticking excercise prompted by central government requirements for everyone to meet new housing quotas whether they are appropriate or not. This is a green field site and only a technicality in the description of its location (it is not within the town 'envelope')makes it possible for housing to be considered there.
The Town Council haven't properly considered all the implications of this development and as none of them live on the Oldwood road they don't much care. Why haven't far more suitable sites been considered such as land at the top of Berrington road (out of the flood zone) or land off Terril's Lane?

Ian said...

Why haven't far more suitable sites been considered such as land at the top of Berrington road (out of the flood zone) or land off Terril's Lane?

Where, precisely, are these sites?

@WR15 said...

The developers have increased the density in order to reduce the cost of each individual property. The density per acre is I believe still lower than some similar developments.
The question of the site, is probably too late as this land have been marked for residential development for some time. The land off Terrils Land and Berrington Road hasn't.

Town Council Comments said...

This link is to the document that
details the comments from TTC about the development.

Ian said...

Difficult to take such "back of an envelope" comments very seriously! Why not a formal letter?

@WR15 said...

Do the Town Council have any formal planning influence? I think they are consulted out of courtesy rather than the planners take any notice.

Ian said...

I believe that the Town Council has a statutory right to be consulted. What influence its opinions have is another matter!

@WR15 said...

Development appears to have stalled as the Highways Authority are not happy with the road layout and turning circles.

Anonymous said...

I note there is a comment from Tenbury Town Council that a 20mph speed limit should apply outside Tenbury High School should this development go ahead. 2 points:- firstly with the speed the vehicles travel up and down Oldwood Road at now, that should already be in place along with huge signs, road markings etc! secondly, if the Police have no intention of putting anything in place to enforce this speed limit then the vast majority of people will continue to ignore it as they do the current 30mph limit.