Agenda item

Report number:     CAB/WS/22/036

Portfolio holder: Councillor David Roach

Lead officer: Julie Baird

Resolved:

That the development brief for the former St Felix school site, Newmarket, as contained in Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/22/036, be adopted as informal planning guidance.

The Cabinet considered this report, which sought approval for a new development brief for the former St Felix school site in Newmarket.

Suffolk County Council (SCC) as landowners of the former St Felix school site had prepared a development brief that sought to provide planning and design guidance for the development of the former St Felix Middle School, which was allocated in the West Suffolk Site Allocations Local Plan (SALP) for residential development (Policy SA6d).

The development brief provided a design framework aligned with the adopted Local Plan and the Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan and would guide the preparation and determination of future planning applications for this site. The document was intended to guide the effective delivery of SALP Policy SA6d.

The draft development brief was comprised of two parts. Part 1 provided guidance relating to the proposals seeking to deliver the Local Plan policy requirements for the site and these were summarised in paragraph 2.3 of the report. Part 2 illustrated the opportunity for optional future sports facilities – this fell outside of the policy requirements and did not form part of the brief to be adopted for planning guidance.

Paragraph 2.4 summarised the key elements of the development brief, which included the proposed delivery of 45 dwellings (with electric vehicle charging points) of which 30 percent would be affordable; a mixture of housing types; 50 percent open space provision; relocation and upgrading of the existing tennis courts to a location that was more aligned with the policy objectives for the site; and general aesthetic and pedestrian access improvements.

The rationale for proposing to move the existing tennis courts, which in itself was not in accordance with Local Plan Policy SA6(d), was explained in section 3 of the report.

On 15 March 2022, Cabinet agreed that consultation could be undertaken on the draft development brief, and this took place between 30 March and 11 May 2022. A summary of the feedback received during the consultation was contained in section 4, with officers’ responses to the issues raised from paragraphs 4.8 to 4.15 and the changes proposed to the draft as a result of the consultation contained in paragraphs 4.17 to 4.19.

Councillor David Roach, Portfolio Holder for Planning, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including that the development of this site was an exciting prospect which would potentially act as a catalyst for bringing forward future projects in Newmarket.

Councillor Andy Drummond, Portfolio Holder for Regulatory and Environment and one of the ward members for Newmarket, expressed his enthusiasm for the proposal with particular recognition given to the proposed associated sports hub (which formed Part 2 of the development brief as outlined above).

Councillor Jo Rayner, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Community Hubs shared the positive views of her Cabinet colleagues and looked forward to the proposals coming to fruition. She added that she had received an email from a member of the public who had expressed concern regarding the proposed residential development outlined in the brief might jeopardise plans for the proposed associated sports hub. If the new sports hub did not proceed, concern was raised that this may have a detrimental impact on the future of Newmarket Cricket Club.

Councillor Rayner briefly referred to the concern expressed in respect of the principle of residential development on this site and how similar concerns had been raised during the public consultation. These had been addressed in section 4 of the Cabinet report.

She then added that although it did not form part of the decision being sought at this meeting, which was to adopt the development brief as planning guidance, Part 2 of the brief indicated SCC’s aspirations to continue to work with stakeholders including West Suffolk Council and Newmarket Town Council, to provide a sports hub on the playing fields to the rear. Work was being progressed with SCC on a design for a sports hall to replace the facilities lost at the former Scaltback school and consultants were being instructed to engage with clubs to ensure use of all the green space across George Lambton Playing Fields and the remaining land at St Felix was optimised.  In addition, following a specific concern regarding how the new location of the tennis courts could potentially preclude the development of a sports hub facing towards George Lambton Playing Fields, Councillor Rayner explained that an alternative illustrative layout was contained in the development brief, which showed how a hub could be accommodated on the playing field as well as the relocated tennis courts.

Having taken into account the outcomes of the public consultation, the Cabinet agreed that the development brief satisfactorily provided a design framework aligned with the adopted Local Plan and the Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan and would guide the preparation and determination of future planning applications for this site.

Resolved:

That the development brief for the former St Felix school site, Newmarket, as contained in Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/22/036, be adopted as informal planning guidance.