MASTERPLAN DEVELOPMENT - Greater Cambridge Planning · design approach taken to the ‘Fen Edge’ was referred to as both ‘Fen Islands’ and ‘Superblocks’. While the ideas

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82 WATERBEACH NEW TOWN, OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION - DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT

The Fen Edge Area

IntroductionThe vision for Waterbeach New Town sets out an aspiration for a development form which varies across the site in response to both the existing site characteristics and the proposed future role of the New Town. This is intended to ensure that Waterbeach New Town will have a distinct character which distinguishes it from existing neighbourhoods but is still firmly rooted in and responsive to place. The application boundary for Waterbeach New Town East falls entirely within the proposed Fen Edge character area of the plan.

This section of the Design and Access Statement will describe the development concepts and design intent behind proposals for this eastern part of the New Town under the following headings:• The Fen Edge Context: The influence of topography and influence of water• The Steads: Developing the Linked Neighbourhoods Concept• The Sociable Streets: Exploring a new, place led approach to residential

neighbourhoods.

This will be followed by a description of the three sub character areas of the Fen Edge: • The Station Quarter • The Fensteads • The Fenland Parks

In addition, this section will describe the approach taken to Bannold Drove as an individual component of the plan which will play an defining role in setting the character of the Fen Edge area.

Evolution of the names During the discussions with the Council and engagement with the public the design approach taken to the ‘Fen Edge’ was referred to as both ‘Fen Islands’ and ‘Superblocks’. While the ideas and intent have been kept the same, the term ‘Steads’ has replaced the name ‘Fen Islands’ as the neighbourhood clusters of the ‘Fen Edge’ while the ‘Sociable Streets’ concept replaces the term ‘Superblock’ as the means by which the streets and spaces in and around the ‘Steads’ will be designed.

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The Fen Islands: The relationship between topography, drainage and settlement pattern

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The influence of topography and proximity of waterHistorically, the settlement pattern of the surrounding landscape responded to topographic and drainage constraints imposed by the fens, with settlement’s traditionally constructed on higher islands, which contrasts in character and development potential with the un-drained peat of the fens. There are few remnants of the fenland visible today, although the extent of the fens can be identified in the pattens created by centuries of drainage and land management. These patterns have inspired and are reinterpreted as a design theme for the overall vision.

The concept of linking a series of neighbourhoods (or islands), each with their own distinctive character, identity and landmarks, is evident in the vision for Waterbeach New Town. Historic causeways will be uncovered to reconnect these neighbourhoods and views to historic landmarks including Ely Cathedral will be carefully framed setting up a dynamic relationship between the existing landmarks and the new settlement, offering a symbolic bridge between the old and the new.

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Using the fenland landscape to drive characterThe eastern part of Waterbeach New Town occupies land that marks the transition between the elevated area of land on which Waterbeach and Denny Abbey were established, and the former fenlands that bordered the River Cam.

The Fen Edge area of the masterplan has been defined with the intention of retaining some of the qualities of the existing landscape and re-establishing others that have been lost, bringing greater richness, diversity and important habitat resources. Integrating development into the surroundings in this way will allow the layers of history to be read and connect people with the land and the processes which have shaped it. Done in a meaningful way this will add to the experience of living and working in Waterbeach.


The Steads

The word Stead derives from the Middle English word meaning estate. This, in turn from the Old English word Stede meaning locality, place, site and position. The term Homestead in the US came to mean a grant of public land, around 160 acres, given to citizens who agreed to live and work on the land. There is a sense of the pioneer spirit and connection with the land in Waterbeach, striking out into the landscape and forming a new place.

Developing the Linked Neighbourhoods Concept

1. The landscape structureDrawing on the historic Fen Island settlement pattern of the Fens; Waterbeach New Town East will be built as a series of linked places set within a distinctive landscape structure. Linear corridors defined by drainage channels and wetland planting will provide continuity across the site and also form the principal movement corridors. These will be inspired by the existing field boundaries and Droves in the area.

2. Townsteads and FensteadsA series of Steads will be established as the essential building blocks of this part of the New Town. They will be planned to provide residents with shelter and comfort through their own internal, made and designed landscapes which will contrast the larger scale fenland inspired landscape surrounding the Steads. Each Stead will become a distinct place within the much larger context of the New Town.

The Steads are variable in size and shape from around 150 homes to 400 homes with neighbourhoods of between 400 and 1000 people. Each Stead would have its own identity, its own community group and its own communal spaces for events and gatherings. It might house a workspace building or a nursery which it shares with other neighbouring Steads. Each Stead might run its own car share scheme, share equipment and tools such as lawnmowers, power tools or contain a pizza oven and barbecue area for outdoor eating in the summer.

There are broadly two types of Stead defined by their future role in the New Town: 1. The ‘Townsteads’ located within the Station Quarter. 2. ‘Fensteads’ to the north.

3. The Sociable StreetsThe Steads are the basic building blocks, the cellular structure of the new settlement. They will be linked and criss-crossed by a network of Sociable Streets. The Sociable Streets are described further on the following pages.

1. A structure that works with the underlying and wider landscape


2. The Fensteads and the Townsteads 3. The Sociable Streets

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The Sociable Streets

Exploring a place led approach to residential neighbourhoodsStreets and public space are the life-blood of our neighbourhoods, despite this there is a growing awareness of the harm that putting design for vehicles first is doing to the other roles that streets and spaces must perform. Children’s home range or territory is diminished in most urban neighbourhoods, neighbour interaction is compromised and space for nature, food production and water management is squeezed out.

Planning for a New Town of this scale offers the opportunity to achieve something truly remarkable, forward looking and joyful that redresses this balance. RLW Estates team aim to re-imagine what residential streets can be and what they can offer to the people that will live there.

The concept which we call Sociable Streets seeks to capture this opportunity, it draws on the idea of the Superblock in post war planning and the studies described in Donald Appleyards 1980’s book Livable Streets. Appleyard studied the effect of differing levels of traffic on how residents use and feel about the streets on which they live. He found that people perception of ‘home territory’, that is space over which they had a sense of shared

ownership and responsibility decreased as levels of traffic increased. He also found greater levels of social interaction, social ties and awareness on residential streets with lower levels of traffic.

RLW Estates concept also draws on the initiatives closer to home such as Active Streets in Birmingham where residents can apply for the temporary closure of their existing streets to traffic for a few hours to allow life to flow back outdoors into the public domain or TFL’s push for Healthy Streets and Liveable Neighbourhoods.

RLW believe appetite exists for this approach and that in the context of Waterbeach there is a genuine prospect of shifting perceptions. Here, the approach taken to the masterplan at all levels will be driven by delivering highest quality places and offering genuine choice of travel modes and patterns across the New Town and into the rest of Cambridgeshire. The design of spaces around homes should be different too.


The Sociable Streets concept in essence is a move away from prioritising the needs of cars in the spaces around people’s homes. To plan for places where public space can be recaptured for public life, shared activity and endeavour. RLW Estates intention is that streets and spaces will be designed in a variety of ways without one fixed outcome and that ultimately the personality, life and soul of the neighbourhoods will be provided by the visible activity of the people living there.

This is not to say that vehicles are entirely excluded, streets will need to perform multiple functions. Examples such as Vauban in Freiburg and Ypenburg in The Hague are useful in demonstrating how peripheral or strategic parking has provided a great deal of flexibility on how neighbourhoods can be designed to create comfort for people and space nature. Streets in this scenario can change in form and use becoming more like local parks and restorative spaces for relaxing, meeting, play, eating, growing food or simply part of a more tranquil and green network of routes for walking and cycling along.

More strategic parking solutions bring potential benefits of future proofing too; making

· 40-45DPH· 275 DWELLINGS· 6.6HA· 413 CAR PARKING SPACES (413 SPACES REQUIRED

FOR 1.5 SPACES PER UNIT)

ASSUMPTIONS

HOUSING MIX:

· BASED ON SGC STANDARD:

· 25% 2 BED APARTMENTS· 25% 2 BED HOUSES· 25% 3 BED HOUSES· 25% 4 BED HOUSES

VEHICULAR ACCESS INTO SUPERBLOCK:

· ASSUMES A MINIMUM CLEARANCE OF 4M THROUGHSUPERBLOCK FOR VEHICULAR DROP OFF/ BINACCESS/ FIRE REGS.

· 55-60DPH· 400 DWELLINGS· 6.6HA· 608 CAR PARKING SPACES, including 340 spaces in MSCP

(600 SPACES REQUIRED FOR 1.5 SPACES PER UNIT)

ASSUMPTIONS

HOUSING MIX:

· GREATER BALANCE OF APARTMENTS AND HOUSES:

· 50% APARTMENTS· 16.6% 2 BED HOUSES· 16.6% 3 BED HOUSES· 16.6% 4 BED HOUSES

VEHICULAR ACCESS INTO SUPERBLOCK:

· ASSUMES A MINIMUM CLEARANCE OF 4M THROUGHSUPERBLOCK FOR VEHICULAR DROP OFF/ BIN ACCESS/FIRE REGS.

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neighbourhoods more adaptive to changing technology. For example peripheral parking would support car clubs, could accommodate autonomous vehicles, centralise car charging points and car parks can be made bigger or smaller to meet change in demand and car ownership.

Peripheral parking need not be the only solution to achieve this, examples closer to home such as Accordia and Great Kneighton that allow parking on some streets but not others have proven extremely successful to achieve some of the aspirations of this concept. A range of solutions will be employed at Waterbeach New Town East.

Shifting the design of spaces back to a human scale and removing the anonymity associated with design for traffic can create places with identity and personality where people feel they belong. This is a quality which should be fundamental in planning new neighbourhoods but can be difficult to achieve when working at the scale of a New Town. This section of the Design and Access Statement will go on to set out how the Steads Concept will enable streets and spaces that are uplifting and sociable.


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Design Approach to the Steads

The traditional approach A traditional streets model of residential areas: A gridded network of streets serving on or near plot parking. Design of all streets is driven by the requirements of the vehicles.

Bringing together the concept of The Steads and Sociable StreetsThe Steads and the Sociable Streets concept has led to a different approach to masterplanning at Waterbeach New Town East.


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3. Inside spaces Meanwhile, reducing the provision for vehicles within the Steads frees up space for different type of spaces; more intimate and human in scale allowing residents to colonise and take ownership of these spaces. Each of the Steads can be unique in identity with consistency created by the strong organising structure of the wide, linear Droves.

1. Balancing the needs of vehiclesThe Steads will explore opportunities for embracing the Sociable Streets concept. Masterplan testing to date has explored the potential benefits of reducing or removing parking from some local streets to free up space around peoples homes for a broader range of activities as well as making more sustainable means of travel more attractive.

2. Drawing in the Fenland landscape The Steads have been planned in response to the characteristics of the wider landscape. There will be a clear difference between the landscape on the outer edge of the Steads compared to the spaces on the inside. Outside edges of the Steads offer the opportunity to bring qualities of the large scale, linear, naturalistic landscape into and through the plan. These routes are referred to here as Droves; borrowing the term from the existing routes associated with the wider landscape.

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STATION QUARTER

High density neighbourhood and relocated station

Introduction The relationship between the proposed train station and the town centre will play a defining role in establishing the identity of the New Town. This section of the report sets out the intended character of this area of the plan referred to as the Station Quarter. It will demonstrate how the station will integrate with both the masterplan for the New Town and Waterbeach village and how the Station Quarter will become central and vital part of everyday life at Waterbeach New Town.

The full planning application for the relocation of the Waterbeach Station should be referred to for details of the phase one station infrastructure scheme.


2. CambridgeApproximately 1.3km between the train station and St Andrew’s Street.

1. Waterbeach New TownApproximately 1.2km between the train station and the town centre.

Understanding the scale of the Station Quarter

Station Quarter Design Rationale

1. A distinct high density neighbourhood.Station Quarter is planned as a distinct, high density residential led neighbourhood within Waterbeach New Town between the Station and town centre. It will be the highest density part of the Fen Edge area placing more people within easy reach of the station.

It will be planned as a series of tight knit streets and spaces embracing the concept of the Sociable Streets. Station Approach Park is proposed as a linear, urban park at the heart of the Station Quarter. It will draw the surrounding community together and will comprise formal and informal open space, play and sports pitches. Residents will have great access to it without having to cross strategic traffic routes.

2. Putting pedestrians and cyclists first.People arriving at the station will be able to move through the Station Quarter without having to negotiate busy strategic roads before heading onto either the village or the rest of the New Town. This area of pedestrian and cycle priority around the station entrance will lead to the town centre via Station Approach Park or on to Bannold Drove and Winfold Common, which are also prioritised as pedestrian and cycle routes within green corridors.

Space will be provided for buses, drop off and parking to both the north and the south of the station set back from Station Square making it possible to keep the public realm at a smaller more human scale rather than dominated by highways and transport infrastructure.

3. Setting the relationship with Waterbeach Village.Making the new Waterbeach station as accessible and convenient as possible to the existing community has been central to approach taken to the Station Quarter. The


STATION QUARTER

Design Rationale

station is located in the south east corner of the site as close as possible to the southern boundary and the existing village residents. The access arrangements between the station and the village have also been driven by ensuring continuity of provision through all stages of the development. Plans for the station will include dedicated parking and drop off space for the village as well as a vehicular access route via Cody Road and a prioritised non motorised user route via Bannold Drove. Building heights and layout are planned to allow a gradual transition from the existing housing within the village to the higher density areas around the station and town centre.

4. Links to the town centre The Station, town centre and lake and the connection between them will be one of the most important place-making components of the New Town. The corridor will have visual markers/landmarks that help legibility and sustainable travel modes will be prioritised. The station building is located in a prominent location, visible at the east end of this east-west corridor.

5. Creating a sense of place at the Station. Stations and their immediate environments are increasingly popular places to live and work if they are designed well as part of the urban fabric rather than simply pieces of transport infrastructure. The town centre defines the western boundary of the Station Quarter, this will be the primary retail and community centre within the New Town. The immediate station environment must support mixed use development too. Residential densities increase closer to the station and a mixed use centre including workspace, convenience retail, food and drink, leisure and community space is planned in the area immediately around the station entrance. The mixed use buildings will be focussed around a high quality public square referred to as Station Square.

6. Space for the station to grow. The planning and design of the station must ensure that it initially operates successfully in the short to medium term with relatively little development around it initially, but that it can grow and evolve into a busy and attractive place in the new community in the long

term. A strategy which allows the gradual implementation of the Station Quarter is essential and is illustrated in the Delivery section of this Design and Access Statement.


Townstead: Embracing the Steads concept in the Station Quarter. The main traffic routes (orange) in the Station Quarter are kept to the edges to allow the streets and spaces between the town centre and the station to be prioritised for pedestrians and cyclists. This also allows Station Approach Park to flow into the surrounding residential streets, giving people excellent access to their park.

The Townsteads (edged in dark green) are defined by the larger scale routes and spaces through the Station Quarter. A finer grain network of routes through the Townsteads will embrace the Sociable Streets concept and lead into Station Approach Park. Townsteads are intended to be defined by tight - knit, urban streets and higher residential densities than the Fensteads.

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STATION QUARTER

Integrating the Station into the Masterplan

Proposed town centre in Waterbeach New Town West.

Station Square: A public square at the entrance to the station building enclosed by mixed use buildings. (Described further on following pages).

Proposed station building: Marking the eastern extent to the east-west link back to the town centre and providing station facilities and entrance in the long term.

Station platforms.

Station bridges.

Vehicle drop off area for cars, buses and taxis serving Waterbeach Village.

Station car parking accessed from the village:

Multi storey park and ride: Serving the residents of the New Town, traffic accessing the station from the A10 and the Station Quarter more widely.

Station Approach: Linear park providing open space as well as a prioritised pedestrian and cycle link back to the town centre.

Primary street leading back to the A10 via the town centre.

Bannold Drove: North - south prioritised pedestrian, cycle and equestrian route linking back into the existing village to the south and the rest of the fen edge area to the north.

Village access road: Pedestrian, cycle and trafficked route leading back to Cody Road providing access to the station from Waterbeach village.

Limited area of housing south and east of the village access road to be served from Cody Road access point. (edged in pink dashed line)

Potential for future development as village station car park reduces in size following the completion of multi storey car park serving traffic from the A10. (subject to further testing of parking demand).

Proposed sixth form college site.

Proposed primary school site.

Winfold Common: Green infrastructure corridor leading north through the New Town.

Potential Energy Centre incorporated within multi storey car park.

Building/s used to terminate views and enclose the western extent of the park.

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Station SquareStation Square is planned as a new public space at the entrance to the relocated Waterbeach Station. The idea of the square is similar to those found at Cambridge North and Cambridge. However, unlike these, at Waterbeach the intention is to provide the vehicle access set back from the square to allow clear prioritisation of pedestrians and cyclists, to allow the space to remain compact and human in scale and avoid highways and transport infrastructure dominating the square.

Buildings surrounding Station Square will be the tallest in the Fen Edge area. This will allow the residential densities to increase, placing a greater number of people in close walking distance of the station. Taller building will also be used to help orientation, directing people towards the station. Residential uses will be mixed with small scale employment space, shops, community buildings and leisure uses to contribute to lively and vibrant streets and spaces and helping to make arrival at the Station Quarter welcoming at all times of day.


View looking into the Station Square from the station building.


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Key Components

Station Approach ParkStation Approach Park is planned as a linear park cutting through the high density Station Quarter neighbourhood. It will provide open space and play space for the surrounding residents and visitors as well as serving as the main east - west link back to the town centre. The park is sufficient in size to meet all of the informal and formal play space requirement for the Station Quarter. Space is provided for sports facilities such as tennis, 3G pitch and multi use games area. The park is also capable of accommodating areas of food production including areas of community gardens and orchards. Away from the more intensive areas of park there is potential to include areas defined by swales, small groups of tree planting and quieter ecological areas. Station Approach will serve as a key piece of the walking and cycling network as a dedicated space, away from the busy trafficked routes which connects into the rest of the New Town.

Station Approach Park and principal green corridors leading to the relocated station.

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View looking towards the proposed sixth form college site through Station Approach Park


FENSTEADS

Colonising a Fenland Landscape

Introduction Fensteads refers to the area of the masterplan north of the Station Quarter and South of the large scale Fenland Parks. This part of the plan brings together the Steads and Sociable Streets concepts with the aspiration to utilise the Fen Edge location of to drive development character. This section of the report will demonstrate how the Fensteads can emerge as part of a series of linked neighbourhood units that integrate with the rest of the masterplan.

The landscape outside the Fenseads characterised by the Droves and Fenstead Parks these will be inspired by the large scale fenland landscape.

Outside edge of the Fensteads designed to provide enclosure and overlooking of the surrounding ‘outside’ spaces.

Peripheral car parking freeing up space for more sociable streets within the Fensteads.

Streets within the Steads providing vehicle access to individual buildings, providing space for drop off, loading, deliveries, emergency access and limited areas of accessible parking.

Existing drainage ditches and field boundaries retained and integrated in to open space.

Smaller scale parks and open spaces within the Fensteads providing local play, food production and space for relaxing and socialising.

Potential for small scale community, leisure or commercial space to be established as part of the Fenstead.

Typical layout of the Fensteads

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Indicative extent of each Fenstead

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Inside the Fensteads As described by the Sociable Streets concept. The inside of the Fensteads are intended to provide space for incoming residents to colonise and make their own.

These will not be traffic free environments, provision will still need to be made for refuse collection, deliveries, drop off, accessible parking and emergency access etc. However, they will be planned to reduced the requirements for through traffic and will explore parking arrangements that leave more flexibility over how the streets and spaces immediately around peoples homes are designed.

Provision of parking more strategically will offer the potential benefits of future proofing development for example through provision of charging points for electric cars, encouraging car clubs and allowing flexibility over size of the car parks to adjust to changing car ownership levels over time.

The inside of the Fensteads will be publicly accessible and the routes that cut through them will offer an alternative, finer grain network of quieter streets and spaces than the strategic Droves.

In addition, the Fensteads have been planned to provide around half of the informal open space and play space required by the South Cambridgeshire District Council’s open space standards. With the other half being provided strategically within the Fensteads Parks.


View from within one of the Fensteads

Documents

MASTERPLAN DEVELOPMENT - Greater Cambridge Planning · design approach taken to the ‘Fen Edge’ was referred to as both ‘Fen Islands’ and ‘Superblocks’. While the ideas