Football Stadium

Parish Plan

Football Stadium = proposed planning .. comments from last time

Application Refused

1.The proposed development represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt that is by definition harmful to the Green Belt and would fail to safeguard openness and visual amenities of the Green Belt. Very special circumstances have not been demonstrated that would clearly outweigh the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm. The proposal is contrary to advice in PPG2, Buckinghamshire Structure {Plan Policy GB3 and Policy GB2 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan.

2.The development is not located within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but is located adjacent to it and would have a demonstrably detrimental effect on its special character and appearance. The proposal is considered to be contrary to Policy L1 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011.

3.The proposal would result in the loss of 14 good quality trees that have a visual significance are important to the character and appearance of the area. The proposal would also result in the loss of a large amount of mature hedgerow that is considered to be valuable in historical and landscaping terms. The proposal is therefore considered to be contrary to Policies G10 and G11 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan

4.The proposal would harm the rural character, quality and amenity of the area. The formation of the playing surfaces with their associated boundary enclosures, hedging, landscaping and fencing would tend to enclose an otherwise open landscape and be at variance with the larger land parcels that characterise this area. The access road, car parking, stadium building and the site’s associated illumination would have a visual impact on the landscape. The proposal would thereby be contrary to Policy RT5 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan.

5.The proposal is considered to be contrary to planning guidance for the Little Marlow Gravel Pits area. The proposal is not consistent with the area’s green belt designation or to its location adjacent to the AONB and fails to actively pursue the long term objectives of establishing a country park. The development would have the effect of spreading a major built development to a location close to the edge of the country park area, in a visually prominent area and away from the existing activity cluster into an area that the planning guidance envisages as remaining predominantly open in character. The proposal fails to protect the landscape character, it does not protect the openness of the green belt, it does not minimise the visual impact of the development from Winter Hill or the Chiltern Hills, and it does not ensure that building design and layout reflects local character. The proposal is considered to be contrary to Policy RT19 of the adopted Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011 and the Little Marlow Gravel Pits Supplementary Planning Guidance.

6.The proposal fails to achieve a high standard of design or layout that reflects the rural context and therefore fails to maintain and reinforce its distinctiveness and character. The proposal fails to take account of land form, views and vistas; to have regard to existing trees and hedgerows; it is not compatible with the immediate surroundings or to the design and appearance of the surroundings in terms of building materials landscape treatment and means of enclosure. The proposal fails to meet the requirements of Policy G3 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011.

7.The proposal with all its associated development would be harmful to the parkland setting of Westhorpe House a grade II listed building. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies HE3 and HE20 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011.

8.The proposed development would result in an intensification of use of an existing access at a point where visibility is substandard and would lead to danger and inconvenience to people using it and to highway users in general. The development is contrary to Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan Policy TR1A and Policy T1 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan.

9.Insufficient information has been submitted with the application to demonstrate that adequate provision has been made for space within the site for parking and manoeuvring of vehicles clear of the highway. The development if permitted would therefore be likely to lead to additional on-street parking or to the obstruction of the access to the detriment of public and highway safety. The development is contrary to Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan Policy TR1A and Policies T1 and T2 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011.

10.Insufficient information has been submitted with the planning application to enable the highways, traffic and transportation implications of the proposed development to be fully assessed. From the information submitted, it is considered that the additional traffic likely to be generated by the proposal would adversely affect the safety and flow of users of the existing distributor road network, contrary to Policy TR1(A) of the Buckinghamshire Structure Plan and Policy T1 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011.

11.The proposed development fails to make adequate provision to allow accessibility to the site by non-car modes of travel. The development will therefore be heavily reliant on the use of the private car contrary to sustainable transport policies as set out in TR1A of the Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan, Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 – Transport and Policies T1, T4, T5, T6 and T7 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan.

12.In the absence of a legal agreement relating to the following transportation matters the development would be likely to fail to encourage the use of non-car modes of transport:
a)Off site public footpath works;
b)Off site cycleway works;
c)Travel plan for staff and supporters;
d)Transportation contribution towards Marlow Transportation Strategy;
e)Provision of a bus service to and from the site for supporters on match days;
f)Provision of public bus stops in Marlow Road; The proposal is thereby contrary to Policy IN1 of the Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan 1991-2011 and Policies G2, T1, T3, T4, T5 and T7 of the Adopted Wycombe District Local Plan to 2011 and the Supplementary Planning Guidance relating to Developer Contributions to Transportation.

Green Belt: The proposal is contrary to green belt policy. The size of the proposed stadium is not justified given the size of the support. The youth teams facilities do not need to be at Westhorpe.

The proposal is incompatible with the vision in the supplementary planning guidance.

Noise and light pollution: Noise from the site will be heard in Little Marlow village and on Winter Hill as well as by nearby residents. The lighting will distract drivers on the A404.

Traffic and parking. There is a mismatch between the amount of parking proposed and the ground capacity. Cars are likely to be parked on surrounding private roads to annoyance and inconvenience of residents or on the A4155 causing danger on a main road. If this should happen there will be pressure for more on site car parking thus further eroding the green belt.

It would affect the setting of the Chilterns AONB – when viewed from the south – in those views you do not read Marlow Road – the site appears to be part of the foreground to the AONB. Development would blur the definition to the edge of Marlow and urbanise part of the rural area. The impact of floodlighting upon the night-time character of the area the proposal is contrary to the Little Marlow Gravel Pits SPG; and Local plan policies G3; G10; G16; RT5; & RT19. The Little Marlow Gravel Pits SPG Masterplan identifies this site for restoration to parkland with the missing trees from its 18th/19th-century landscape reinstated. Contamination – the development will be located on a landfill site that was licensed for the disposal of substantial quantities of commercial waste, non-hazardous industrial waste, construction waste and difficult waste (including tyres and asbestos). Such material is likely to be contaminated and there is potential landfill gas emission. Any disturbance of the material is likely to pose health risks to the construction personnel and if left exposed future site users

Light Pollution – The development includes floodlights. Noise pollution – the obvious source of noise will be from spectators on match days

The development is considered to be contrary to Green Belt policy.

The proposal does not meet the criteria specified for recreation use in the countryside outlined in Policy RT5. The proximity to the AONB has not been taken into account. The site is clearly visible from rights of way within the AONB. The proposal neither conserves nor enhances the natural beauty of the AONB and is thereby contrary to policy L1.

The proposal would set a dangerous precedent.

The proposal is large scale with a lot of built form. The average home crowd is less than 120 people. The proposal is completely disproportional to the needs of the club and completely out of context with the area and its surroundings. The facilities would no doubt be used for Commercial Events that are not sport and recreation related. This proposal neither conserves nor enhances the natural beauty of the AONB, it has significant detrimental impacts on the AONB.

The application is inappropriate development is a green belt. The proposed facilities would not help preserve the openness of the green belt. It is questionable whether the proposed stadium could be regarded as ‘essential’ in the context of paragraph 3.4 of PPG2 or the proposed stand ‘unobtrusive spectator accommodation’ in the context of paragraph 3.5 of PPG2. The proposed development appears to be inconsistent with the adopted supplementary planning guidance for the Little Marlow Gravel Pits Area in that it covers an area of land identified on the Master Plan as parkland.

The development is likely to be visually intrusive over a wide area, particularly in view of the floodlighting required for the main pitch and synthetic turf pitch.

The site is segregated from the urban area of Marlow by the A404/A4155 interchange and the applicants accept that this is perceived as a barrier to the attractiveness of walking and cycling as a means of travel to the site. A non-traffic overbridge exits to the south of the site, although this appears fairly narrow and is accessed by steps and is not considered particularly desirable

Suggested maximum walk distances. Commuting/School/Sight-seeing Desirable 500m Acceptable 1000m Preferred Maximum 2000m

Marlow town centre is 2000 m Marlow Station is 2180 m County Highway Authority figures.

It can be seen from the above, that all of the routes with the exception of that to Marlow Station using the existing footbridge are at or in excess of the maximum walk distance guidelines and are not therefore considered to be particularly attractive or convenient. It also should be remembered that the routes via Marlow Road require the crossing of Marlow Road and the A4155/A404 at uncontrolled crossing points which would further add to the perceived inconvenience and safety hazards of such routes and may therefore encourage the use of the car. The proposed stand and floodlighting represent inappropriate development which is harmful to the green belt. It is not considered that the benefits cited in the planning statement constitute the very special circumstances necessary to clearly outweigh the harm by reason of inappropriateness and the other harm outlined below. The proposal is contrary to national and local green belt policy.

The proposal would harm the openness of the green belt by reasons of the extent, height and scale of the buildings proposed and by the number, extent and height of the floodlights proposed. The proposal would represent a discordant feature in the swathe of generally open countryside running north from the Thames on the east side of the A404. By reason of the scale and extent of the buildings and the lighting it would have an urbanising impact on the countryside and detract significantly from the views of the high escarpments of Quarry Woods to the south and the Chiltern AONB to the north. The floodlights would adversely affect the character of the countryside by day and be intrusive to the surrounding areas in operation at night.

There is concern that if permitted the development would set a precedent which would make it hard for further development to be resisted with the gradual expansion of Marlow over the A404.

The proposal is not integrated into the overall Country Park concept in the supplementary planning guidance. The site is in a part of the gravel pits that the supplementary planning guidance suggests should remain agricultural or become parkland in character in order to provide a quality landscape setting.

The existing ground is conveniently reached by foot. It is possible that the majority of spectators would come to the site by car. It is a long walk from most parts of Marlow and the footbridge over the A404 is a deterrent to cyclists. Additional traffic would damage the environment.

The Council should respond to the Governments objectives for the provision of sports facilities by producing a strategy to be the subject of consultation rather than dealing with the matter in an ad hoc way in response to a planning application.

Contrary to national and local planning policy (GB2 and PPG2)

Little Marlow Gravel Pits Community Partnership Damaging to concept of a countryside park that remains predominantly open in character with an emphasis on quiet enjoyment and low intensity uses Total incompatibility of proposals with aims and objectives set out in supplementary planning guidance Would lose a key area of open countryside adjacent to the principal gateway into the town and in the landscape sensitive area proposed as the main access area to the Country Park Counter to aims of District’s Community Plan Counter to the Landscape Plan for Buckinghamshire MarlowFootballClub may not be able to sustain operation and maintenance of proposedfootballcomplex without taking action to significantly adapt its use, possibly leading to further redevelopment or for inappropriate uses; either being detrimental to the area Contrary to Little Marlow Gravel Pits SPG Lighting one of the most incompatible aspects of the proposal Would lead to noise pollution Gravel Pits area is an ecologically important area

Marlow Society In contravention to G3, GB2, and RT19 of the adopted Local Plan In conflict with PPG2 Floodlighting will be detrimental to rural nature of area It is inappropriate development in Green Belt Does not form essential facilities for the club Conference and meeting rooms and social functions are not related to outdoor sport and recreation and therefore are not permitted uses within Green Belt policies Would establish a dangerous precedent Contrary to Supplementary Planning Guidance National Trust Would harm people’s enjoyment of views Is contrary to GB2 of the Local Plan and Government policy PPG 2 Is harmful and inappropriate by definition

Infrastructure

Conflicts with policy RT19 of the Local Plan Should be nearer town centre and transport nodes or at least be on a public transport corridor The sizeable development will increase flood risks to other properties Unacceptable impact on public utilities Countryside Impact Conflicts with policy GB3 of the County Structure Plan Conflicts with policy GB2 of the Local Plan Conflicts with aims set out in Little Marlow Gravel Pits SPG as it would not contribute towards enhancement of the area’s landscape or more natural leisure uses Would be a major blot on the landscape It is in Green Belt so should not be allowed Would ruin tranquil area in the countryside Contrary to PPG 2 (Greenbelts) Attractiveness of area affected

Will impact on the wildlife and flora within the area

Will disturb asbestos and solutions to the problem will not work

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03/07/2007

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