1 Introduction Background information 1.1 Cobham plc is a global company engaged in the development, delivery and support of leading edge aerospace and defence systems in the air, on land and at sea. A UK FTSE 100 company, Cobham has four divisions (avionics and surveillance, defence systems, mission systems and aviation services) and currently employs over 12,000 people across five continents. 1.2 Cobham’s heritage began in 1934 when Sir Alan Cobham, an innovative aviation pioneer, founded Flight Refuelling Limited to investigate air-to-air refuelling techniques. Thirteen years later, Sir Alan moved his company from Ford in Sussex to Tarrant Rushton Airfield located north of Wimborne, thereby commencing over 60 years of links with the East Dorset area. 1.3 Cobham moved to premises in the Brook Road industrial area in Wimborne in 1963. Today, Cobham occupies sites in Brook Road, specialising in the manufacturing of components relating to air to air refuelling and mission systems. The company is understood to be the largest employer in East Dorset, where it currently employs over 400 people. 1.4 In 2005, Cobham announced plans to improve and consolidate all of its Wimborne activities onto 5.22 hectares of land located to the east of Brook Road (hereafter referred to as the Brook Road site), leaving its riverside site surplus to requirements. In 2006, Cobham commenced discussions with East Dorset District Council about the redevelopment of this riverside site and in recognition of its potential, a series of design objectives were drawn up by the Council (see appendix A). 1.5 In 2007 following a competitive tendering process, Cobham appointed Bellway Homes (Wessex) Limited as the preferred developer of their riverside site. It was agreed that its redevelopment for housing and B1 office development would be linked to the development of the Brook Road site for new manufacturing and office premises. Specialist consultants were duly appointed to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment of the cumulative impacts arising from the proposed development. 1.6 With designs for each of the sites finalised, three planning applications were submitted to East Dorset District Council in the latter half of 2008 for the following: • In September 2008, Bellway Homes and Cobham sought full planning permission to demolish some of the existing factory buildings on the riverside site and to construct in their place 268 residential dwellings (comprising 217 flats and 51 houses) with associated car parking and open space (planning application reference number 3/08/1109/FUL) • In October 2008, Cobham sought full planning permission to extend the existing factory on the Brook Road site, construct a fuel farm and two new B1 office buildings, and provide ancillary car parking and landscaping (planning application reference number 3/08/1220/FUL) • In December 2008, Bellway Homes and Cobham sought outline planning permission (with all matters reserved) to demolish the remaining buildings on the riverside site, and to replace them with 1341 square metres of B1 office space and car parking (planning application reference number 3/08/1354/OUT). 1.7 Whilst the latter two planning applications were approved in February and April 2009 respectively, the former was refused in March 2009 on twelve grounds. A copy of the decision notice setting out the full reasons for the refusal of planning permission can be found in appendix B. This development brief 1.8 Since March 2009, Terence O’Rourke Ltd has undertaken discussions with the Council on behalf of Cobham about the reasons for refusal and the site’s development potential. These discussions have revealed that: • the reasons for refusal stem largely from the applicant’s failure to adhere to the design principles given to them by the Council back in 2006 and from the decision to pursue a planning application for a very large number of units, the majority of which comprised flats • the District Council remains supportive of the principle of the redevelopment of the riverside site for housing, so long as the reasons for the refusal of planning application 3/08/1109/FUL can be fully addressed and the form of development gives rise to no new or unacceptable planning and/or environmental impacts. 1.9 The redevelopment of the riverside site offers huge potential to deliver a range of houses (including affordable houses) on previously developed land within walking and cycling distance of the town centre, and publicly accessible and safe open space adjoining the river. However, above all, the outstanding setting of the site demands that the highest standards of design are employed in order to create a distinctive and attractive southern edge to the town and a high quality riverside living environment whilst respecting the character of existing development in the town. 1.10 This brief has therefore been prepared by Terence O’Rourke Ltd to establish a planning and design framework that can guide the formulation and submission of future planning applications for residential development which have the potential to be approved by the District Council. Specifically, the brief: 1. provides an overview of the site and its surroundings and summarises some of the key findings of the Environmental Statement submitted with planning application 3/08/1109/FUL 2. identifies the key planning policies that are relevant to the redevelopment of the riverside site 3. identifies the key design objectives 4. establishes strategies dealing with access and movement, the form of built development (including building heights), landscape planting and open space 5. identifies the extent of likely developer contributions required to mitigate the social and environmental impacts of the site’s development 6. puts forward an indicative layout for the site which is acceptable to East Dorset District Council in principle because it broadly satisfies the Council’s design guidelines and addresses a large number of the reasons for the refusal of planning application 3/08/1109/FUL. 1.11 A draft version of this brief was the subject of a limited public consultation exercise involving individuals and organisations who had commented upon planning application 3/08/1109/FUL in early 2009. These comments were brought to the attention of East Dorset District Council’s Planning Committee on 3 November 2009, and a summary of them can be found in <strong>Appendix</strong> E. 1
Photograph showing the views southwards from the site Source: Terence O’Rourke Ltd 2
Change language