Sandford, North Somerset

Introduction

Stonewood Partnerships are seeking your views on proposals at Land to the north of Greenhill Road, Sandford. The emerging development proposals are seeking to provide circa 50 new homes (including affordable) and land gifted to facilitate the expansion of Sandford Primary School.

Through this online consultation event, we are hoping to inform the design parameters of the scheme as best as possible prior to the submission of a planning application to the local authority. The consultation will run from the 7th -23rd January 2022 and is structured as follows:

Who Stonewood are and their approach to development;
A summary of the development proposals;
The proposed development layout;
How we have responded to previous feedback on the site;
A link to an online questionnaire for you to have your say.

About Stonewood

At Stonewood Partnerships our approach is simple; we find beautiful locations and then build distinctive new homes on them using our award-winning design and construction teams. We are a family firm rooted in the south-west and we are totally committed to raising the bar of what a new build home can be. That means innovative design, generous space, high quality materials, attention to detail and value for money. We develop communities that are traditional in feel, modern in their construction and that are in tune with their surroundings and responsive to today’s needs. More than just houses, they are places to settle in … somewhere to call home.

COMMUNITY - Room to breathe and open communal and recreational spaces are the hallmark of our developments. Our mix of house sizes, combined with easy access and sympathetic design result in attractive, aspirational neighbourhoods.
CREATIVITY - Our 45 years of design and construction experience are poured into the painstaking process of creating light, airy, spacious and welcoming homes that meet the demands of contemporary living without compromising on style.
CRAFTSMANSHIP - Our exacting standards ensure every home is beautifully finished with top quality materials by our award-winning builders. We only employ the best qualified professionals whose pride in their work matches our ambition.

The Consultation Proposals

Stonewood are seeking to deliver circa 50 new homes to the site (including affordable) and associated infrastructure, alongside gifting land to facilitate the expansion of Sandford Primary School.

The development proposals have been formulated with sustainable design and biodiversity net gain at their heart, placing emphasis on the environment from their very inception. We are also working with landscape, design and ecology specialists to ensure we are retaining the site’s character through provision of strategic landscaping, open space and appropriate design solutions. A new access off of Greenhill Road and an appropriate level of parking will also be provided on site.

While we are only looking to submit an application in Outline to secure the scale and nature of a proposed development, we are actively working with community groups at the earliest possible point to understand any key local needs and issues.

How we have responded to previous feedback

There have been a number of planning applications submitted on this site and the surrounding area in the past. Working with our design team, we have carefully looked at and learned from the Council’s and your feedback on previous schemes for the site to devise these new proposals.

Your previous feedback to site proposals and our response is summarised below for clarity.

Feedback	Response
Overdevelopment	Previous applications sought to provide up to 85 dwellings on the site and surrounding area. This application seeks to provide a significantly lower quantum at 50 (40% less) and is considered to more appropriately meet local housing needs and knit into the character of the area.
Lack of local facilities / local school and village hall too small to accommodate growth	As above, we are proposing far fewer dwellings which would reduce the associated strain on local facilities and schools. In tandem we are looking to provide land to facilitate the much-needed expansion of Sandford Primary School. These two key development changes result in a scheme that is better related to the local housing, civic and education needs.
Poor access visibility	The location of the proposed access has been moved further west and now benefits from a far greater width and visibility to enable safe access and egress to and from the site.
Insufficient public transport/local bus services and increase in private car movements	Landscape and arboricultural specialists have been instructed to help us prepare the proposals to ensure minimal harm is posed to the surrounding area. A Landscape Visual Assessment and Landscape Strategy is being prepared to support the forthcoming planning application. The site’s limits have shifted westward and are therefore further removed from the Grade II Listed residence which previously sat opposite the site entrance. We therefore consider that the proposals would result in minimal impact to its significance.
Impact on the character of the area, the AONB and a nearby Listed Building	Landscape and arboricultural specialists have been instructed to help us prepare the proposals to ensure minimal harm is posed to the surrounding area. A Landscape Visual Assessment and Landscape Strategy is being prepared to support the forthcoming planning application. The site’s limits have shifted westward and are therefore further removed from the Grade II Listed residence which previously sat opposite the site entrance. We therefore consider that the proposals would result in minimal impact to its significance.
Disruption to wildlife and protected species	An ecological specialist has been instructed to achieve the maximum biodiversity net-gain possible on site. The development proposals have also been informed by a robust set of surveys that have been undertaken to ensure that the development does not prejudice wildlife and protected species.
Parts of site at risk of surface water flooding	Hydrock have prepared a drainage and flood strategy for the development site to accompany the forthcoming application and ensure it is being adequately dealt with. The development proposals will be designed to ensure there is no increased risk of surface water flooding to neighbouring land.
Harmful impact to neighbouring residents	The proposal site is adjoined by residential development to the north and south by virtue of its proximity to the settlement boundary. Pad Design have worked carefully to create a development proposal that results in the best possible living conditions for the intended occupiers, while ensuring it avoids adversely impacting the amenity of existing residents, through appropriate separation distances and in line with the Residential Design Guide SPD.

Feedback

This feedback opportunity has now lapsed.