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Roeshot Hill

Roeshot Hill - Christchurch - Dorset

We have now submitted our planning application for new homes, open space and associated facilities on land near Roeshot Hill, a site which has been allocated for development in Christchurch Borough Council’s adopted Core Strategy.

Keep up to date

  • Overview

    Christchurch Urban Extension

    We have now submitted a planning application for a new residential development on land near Roeshot Hill, Christchurch.

    The council’s Core Strategy identifies the land as the Christchurch Urban Extension, which establishes the principle of residential development on the land, as shown on the plan pictured right.

    Part of the Christchurch Urban Extension area includes the existing council-owned Roeshot Hill allotments, but this land is not included in our application. However, our proposed scheme will allow and plan for the future integration of the allotments land, if and when it is brought forward for development in the future.

    We are seeking outline planning permission for our proposed development of up to 875 homes, which would build upon the initial development masterplan that forms part of the Core Strategy. All other matters (including dwelling design, final layout and detailed landscaping) will be dealt with through separate future planning submissions.

    We are hoping to secure the outline planning permission stage early in 2018, which will then be followed by the detailed submissions for housing layout approvals.

    We would then hope to see housebuilding commence and sales material to be released early in 2019

    We held a public consultation event at Somerford Alliance Resource Centre on Wednesday 30 September 2015 and you can view the information boards which were on display at our exhibition by clicking here.

    Alongside our development proposals, the Hinton Admiral Estate have submitted a planning application for the creation of a new area of publicly accessible open space known as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) to the north of our site on the other side of the railway line.

  • About the site

    The proposed development site

    The proposed development site is identified for a strategic housing allocation under Policy CN1 of Christchurch Borough Council’s Core Strategy (adopted April 2014). This allocation establishes the principle of residential development on the land.

    The Core Strategy identifies the land as the Christchurch Urban Extension, which is on the northern edge of the existing Christchurch settlement area, bordered by Lyndhurst Road and the Christchurch Bypass to the south and by the railway line and open countryside to the north.

    Part of the Christchurch Urban Extension area includes the existing council-owned Roeshot Hill allotments, but this land is not included in our proposals. Our proposed scheme will, however, allow and plan for the potential future integration of the allotments land, if and when it is brought forward for development in the future.

    Christchurch Urban Extension

    Policy CN1 of the Christchurch Borough Council identifies the following key requirements for the development of the Christchurch Urban Extension site which are central to the design of our scheme:

    • To create an attractive gateway to the north of the borough connecting to the existing historic settlement of Christchurch.
    • To provide a local centre to form a focal point for the development and enhance local services.
    • To achieve a high standard of design which reflects high-quality examples of local character, respecting the densities of existing local residential areas as well as local heritage and environmental features.
    • To relocate the Roeshot Hill allotments to a suitable alternative site (if and when this council-owned site is brought forward for development).
    • To create two walkable neighbourhoods which are well connected to the existing urban area and the wider rural countryside through enhanced bus connections, footpaths and cycleways.
    • To move existing overhead high voltage power cables to maximise the potential of the site for housing.
    • To provide a central green space creating an attractive and usable environment within a network of open spaces linking to local green infrastructure, with the River Mude acting as a key ‘green spine’ through the site.

    Site considerations

    Before we start designing a new scheme, we complete an assessment of the site and the surrounding area as they are at the moment. We record those features we will need to take into account in our design.

    All of the relevant considerations, whether they fix the way our scheme will have to be designed or give us a real opportunity to make the most of a particular feature, are shown here.

    Site Considerations NEW

     

    • History – Proposals should respect the heritage of Staple Cross Scheduled Ancient Monument and the Burton and Verno Lane Conservation Areas.
    • Railway – An elevated rail line defines the northern site edge. Opportunity to improve connections with Hinton Admiral station to the east.
    • Highways and access – Christchurch by-pass and Lyndhurst Road separate the site from Somerford and Highcliffe residential areas. Site access from Staple Cross and Lyndhurst Road.
    • Noise – Our designs must respond to noise from the by-pass and railway line.
    • Power Lines – Existing overhead high voltage cables will need to be relocated.
    • Open spaces and rights of way – The Mude Valley is an important wildlife corridor and several public rights of way cross the site.
    • Nature conservation designations – Several important sites for nature conservation are located nearby, including the European designated River Avon SAC, Avon Valley SPA, Dorset Heaths SAC/SPA and the New Forest National Park SAC/SPA. Furthermore, Purewell Meadows SSSI is located just south of the site and Burton Common SSSI a short distance to the north-east.
    • Flood risk – Parts of the site are at risk of flooding and high water table means surface water must be managed through swales and attenuation ponds.
    • Views – The site is highly visible when approaching Christchurch from the east and offers potential to create a new eastern gateway for the town.
    • Long-term opportunity – Proposals must allow for potential future development of the allotment site, which is anticipated in the council’s Core Strategy. 

  • What's proposed

    About our proposals

    How we approached the design of the site

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    visualshires3visualshires4

    Our proposed development for Roeshot Hill

    Review plans

    • Create a place with a clear identity.
    • Integrate Roeshot with existing neighbourhoods to the south.
    • Structure development around a strong green framework.
    • Celebrate the River Mude as a focus for development.
    • Create a gateway into Christchurch from the east.
    • Provide a mix of housing types arranged to create distinctive settings that respond to the local character.
    • Plan supporting community infrastructure including play spaces, sports pitches, changing rooms and a community building with potential for local shops on Lyndhurst Road in the longer term.

    Our designs for land at Roeshot Hill

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    Our proposed development for Roeshot Hill

    • The development will include a sports pitch and children’s play areas and accommodate a community building that could provide flexible meeting/ events space with sports changing rooms and cafe facility.
    • The development will provide a development centrepiece with the River Mude flowing through, linking with new drainage ponds and green corridors from the east and west, together with providing an attractive, sustainable and ecologically enhanced environment.
    • New homes will be set within an attractive green environment.
    • Development will be laid out using Secure by Design principles with streets and spaces benefitting from natural surveillance.
    • Development will be well integrated with the surrounding area with walking and cycle routes linking to existing rights of way and neighbouring SANG land.
    • Layout allows for the future development of the allotment site and provision of local shops on Lyndhurst Road.
    • These principles are consolidated in the Design and Access Statement here and Landscape Strategy documents here which accompany the Planning Application.
    • Later planning submissions will bring forward the residential details and illustrative gateway impressions are shown below.

     

     

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    View looking towards the Eastern Gateway on Lyndhurst Road

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    View looking towards the Western Gateway at Staple Cross

    Transport and getting around

    Access and movement principles are fundamental to our development and our proposed strategy is outlined below.

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    The proposed access strategy

    Access

    A new roundabout will serve the scheme on Lyndhurst Road to the east. This will also act as a gateway to Christchurch with traffic speeds reduced to 40mph to the west of the roundabout. Traffic measures will also be introduced on Roeshot Hill to prevent overtaking on this stretch of road.

    Inbound only access  (save for emergency exit) to the site for vehicles will be maintained from Staple Cross in the west and with an eastbound exit slip created onto the Christchurch By Pass.

    A third access will be provided for buses and emergency only from the Sainsbury’s store.

    To mitigate the impact of the development-generated traffic on the surrounding roads, we will be providing a significant highway improvement scheme at the A35 Stony Lane Roundabout in accordance with the council’s Policy CN1.

    Road crossings
    Pedestrian crossing points will be provided on Lyndhurst Road, helping to integrate the new development with Highcliffe and enabling walking/cycling to schools and to the rail
    station. These will also provide Highcliffe residents with improved access to Sainsbury’s and to the facilities of the new development.

    Circulation and vehicular network
    A clear hierarchy of streets will be established within the Roeshot Hill site. A main street will be established on both sides of the river with the east side capable of carrying a bus service and the west side primarily for residential use. Traffic measures will slow speeds on these main streets generally and to discourage through-traffic movement to the development.

    A bridge will be provided over the River Mude on the current Ambury Lane alignment. This will narrow as it crosses the river forcing vehicles to give way. Some minor residential streets will be shared surface.

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    Proposed improvements to the bus and cycle routes

    Bus routing
    Sainsbury’s is well served by buses and it is intended to extend routes through the eastern portion of the site and back down Lyndhurst Road benefitting both new and existing residents. A bus gate will restrict access to buses only from the Sainsbury’s site.

    Walking routes
    All existing rights of way will be retained within the scheme and the layout of development will expand the existing network of routes significantly. An extensive area of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is proposed to the north of the rail line and walking routes will link to this space through the railway arches and overbridge.

    Cycle routes
    There are already a number of cycle routes through the area but the development will facilitate very positive improvements to the network with safe east-west connections through the entire site and a proposed new cycle route created to Hinton Admiral station.