development control board agenda - Borough Council of King's ...

Housing need
Notwithstanding the construction of affordable dwellings on the adjoining site to the east off
Basil Drive (Members will recall approval for 78 dwellings on 4 tranches of land within the
estate by Persimmon/Longhurst HA last year), there is still a need for affordable dwellings in
the town. The flats and houses to the immediate east of the application site are now
completed and occupied.
The Housing Needs Survey identified that an additional 64 dwellings each year were
required in Downham Market. Our Housing Enabling Officer is in full support of this
application.
In addition this area was shown as being made available for affordable housing in the
masterplan on the adjacent estate approval, although technically it was not part of that
consent.
In order to secure the tenure of these units in perpetuity a Section 106 legal agreement is
necessary. The applicants are aware of this and the S.106 agreement is being
produced/finalised.
Design and layout
This is an L-shaped site which has certain constraints which seriously affect the
configuration of new development in terms of layout and siting of the dwellings. The access
point is fixed from Lancaster Crescent, which presents a continuation of the built form
parallel to the northern boundary of the site. A bungalow is positioned adjacent to the
existing bungalow to the west, and there is a progression with a pair of semi-detached
houses and subsequently a terrace of 4 houses towards the east. In street scene terms, this
presents a natural progression from single storey up to two storey, which relates to the
adjoining development to the east of the site.
A terrace block of three houses lies parallel to the southern boundary of the site, which is
situated adjacent to the adjoining block of apartments which has been constructed on Basil
Drive. In terms of physical massing this relates to the properties to the immediate south and
a terrace of houses to the west of the site, which relate to Lancaster Crescent. The private
amenity spaces related to these houses are to the immediate north with parking facilities
beyond served off the cul-de-sac estate road. In the centre of the site between the two rows
of development is a five bedroomed house - two storey with accommodation in the roof. This
is positioned to achieve surveillance along the new access road, parking areas and
footpath/cycle paths.
Another factor that influences layout is the requirement to link the existing footpath from
Rosemary Way (north) to Chervil Walk (south). This linkage was identified in the Local Plan
and masterplan for the estate, and presents a more direct route for children to travel to
school. Property owners in the Stamford Homes part of the estate will expect this linkage to
be formed as originally planned.
In design terms the elevational treatment of the dwellings has been reviewed and more brick
detailing has been added, and the different coloured brick panelling takes a lead from
Downham ‘By Design’. Modifications to incorporate variations in the roofline of the blocks
have also been undertaken. Additional roof gables have been introduced with brick quoins
and features. To feature gables, panels of darker brickwork are proposed to simulate the
‘carrstone’ features of traditional buildings within the town. Taking into consideration that the
adjoining development to the west of the site is 1950s Council housing and to the east more
09/00558/FM Development Control Board
6 th July 2009