Central Elland SPD

The Design and Layout of Highways and Accesses

The design and layout of highways and accesses should:-

1. ensure the safe and free flow of traffic (including provision for cyclists) in the interest of highway safety;
2. allow access by public transport where appropriate;
3. provide convenient pedestrian routes and connectivity within the site and with its surroundings;
4. incorporate traffic calming, and speed management and reduction measures where appropriate;
5. provide an attractive environment which respects the local character of the area;

6. take account of the Hierarchy of Consideration of POLICY GT4; and

7. help to reduce opportunities for crime.

CCTV and Area Lighting Schemes

Where appropriate, schemes for area lighting and closed-circuit television surveillance (CCTV) will be provided in a manner which:-

1. does not significantly harm amenity;
2. does not have a detrimental impact on the environment; and
3. preserves or enhances Conservation Areas and does not adversely affect Listed Buildings, Historic Parks and Gardens or their settings, where these are material considerations.

Development within Conservation Areas

The character or appearance of Conservation Areas, defined on the Proposals Map, will be preserved or enhanced. New development and proposals involving the alteration or extension of a building in or within the setting of a Conservation Area will only be permitted if all the following criteria are met:-

1. the form, design, scale, methods of construction and materials respect the characteristics of the buildings in the area, the townscape and landscape setting;
2. the siting of proposals respects existing open spaces, nature conservation, trees and townscape/roofscape features;
3. it does not result in the loss of any open space which makes an important contribution to the character of the Conservation Area or features of historic value such as boundary walls and street furniture; and
4. important views within, into and out of the area are preserved or enhanced.

Cycleways

The following routes are designated as cycleways:-

• Calder Valley  Cycleway (National Cycle Network);
• Hebble Trail/ Elland Wood Bottom Lane Link;
• Western Halifax;
• Ovenden Cycle Route;
• Triangle to Sowerby Bridge; and
• Old Lane, Halifax.

Where detailed route proposals are known these are shown on the Proposals Map. However, there are some circumstances where the details have not yet been determined. Therefore, there are some 'Corridors of Interest' also shown on the Proposals Map.The detailed routes will be kept clear of development to ensure that a continuous linear route is available free of obstruction or other impediments. Along the 'Corridors of Interest', the existence of the proposals for a cycleway will be a material consideration in the determination of any planning application, in order to ensure that the overall connectivity of the cycleway is assured. Planning permission for development that may affect the integrity of the protected cycle routes will only be permitted where arrangements are made as part of the planning application for reasonable alternative routeing, which does not disadvantage cyclists and is secured either through conditions or through a planning obligation.

Bicycle Parking Guidance

Bicycle parking shall be provided in accordance with the following guidelines:-

Safeguarding Aerodromes and Air Traffic Technical Sites

Officially safeguarded areas have been established for Leeds/ Bradford Airport and the Hameldon Hill Technical Site. Certain applications for development will be the subject of consultation with the operator of the aerodrome or technical site and restrictions in height, or detailed design of buildings or development (likely to create a bird strike hazard) may be necessary as set out in DfT/ODPM Circular 1/2003.

Primary Employment Areas

Within the defined Primary Employment Areas as shown on the Proposals Map, development proposals within Use Classes B1, B2 and B8 will be permitted provided that the proposed development:-

1. relates well in scale and character to the locality;
2. does not create any unacceptable environmental, amenity, safety, highway or other problems;
3. is accessible by good quality public transport as existing or with enhancement and offers pedestrian and cycle access; and
4. is consistent with other relevant UDP policies.

Any proposals for other employment uses, which can include retail or leisure uses, will be determined having regard to the criteria in this policy and other applicable UDP policies.

Sites Allocated for Employment Use.

The following sites are allocated to provide land for employment purposes within Use Classes B1 to B8 and are shown on the Proposals Map.

 Proposals within Use Classes B1 to B8 will be permitted provided that the proposed development:-

1. does not create any unacceptable environmental, amenity, safety, highway, or other problems;
2. is not for piecemeal development that would prejudice the comprehensive development of the site; and
3. is consistent with other relevant UDP policies.

Proposals for employment uses not within Use Classes B1 to B8 will only be supported in exceptional circumstances where the proposal is justified and complimentary (in terms of size and function) to Use Classes B1 to B8. Proposals for other non-employment uses will be resisted.

PDL = Previously Developed Land       GF = Greenfield

§ = A flood risk assessment is required to be undertaken on these sites. It is the responsibility of the developer or applicant to undertake the flood risk assessment.

*Use of site EM42 (Wakefield Road, Clifton) will be restricted to office/business park development within Use Class B1 (a) Office uses, and B1 (b) Research and development of products or processes.

**EM44 (Southedge Quarry, Hipperholme) A small scale ancillary element of hotel, restaurant and public house development may be acceptable in order to ‘pump-prime’ B1 to B8 development. Development of this site is dependant upon a satisfactory resolution of traffic issues at the Hipperholme traffic lights. Permission will not be granted unless a solution, which may be financial contributions from developers of the site, has been achieved.

Sites Allocated for Mixed-Use

The sites in the table below are allocated to provide land for mixed-use development and are shown on the Proposals Map.

E4A: Within these areas development proposals which include a mix of residential and appropriate employment uses as outlined in the table will be permitted provided that the proposed development:-

1. relates well in scale and character to the locality;
2. does not create any unacceptable environmental, amenity, safety, highway, or other problems;
3. is not for piecemeal development that would prejudice the comprehensive development of the site; and
4. is consistent with other relevant UDP policies.

E4B: Within mixed-use sites, applications for a single use, or that comprise a disproportionately high amount of a particular use, will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. Such applications will need to be justified either in terms of their non-suitability for mixed-use development or in terms of their contribution to the overall mixture of uses within the locality.

E4C: There are significant physical constraints on the development of the former Transco Site (Site MU2), which are regarded as the circumstances justifying an exception to the general restrictions on uses within mixed-use sites. In view of these constraints a residential development or mixed-use development with predominantly residential uses together with limited or ancillary other uses would be acceptable subject to the criteria set out in E4A.

E4D: Ancillary community facilities and other forms of land use (including extensions to existing buildings and proposals which support existing uses) will also be acceptable providing that they are compatible with residential development and comply with the above criteria.

PDL = Previously Developed Land        GF = Greenfield

Footnotes:-

*  Uses subject to an assessment against the sequential approach for retail, key town centre, leisure and office developments, and an assessment of the need for retail developments (POLICY GS2, Policy S1, Policy S2 and Policy E8 are of particular relevance).

§ = A flood risk assessment is required to be undertaken on these sites. It is the responsibility of the developer or applicant to undertake the flood risk assessment.

Primary Housing Areas

Primary Housing Areas are defined in the main settlements of Calderdale as shown on the Proposals Map. Within these areas proposals for new housing on previously developed land will be permitted, along with changes of use to housing and the improvement and extension of existing housing provided no unacceptable environmental, amenity, traffic or other problems are created and the quality of the housing area is not harmed, and wherever possible, is enhanced. Proposals for new housing on vacant land not previously developed and for other uses in Primary Housing Areas will be assessed against the relevant UDP policies.

Development in Wildlife Corridors

Development will not be permitted in a Wildlife Corridor if it would:-

1. damage the physical continuity of the Corridor; or
2. impair the functioning of the Corridor by preventing movement of species; or
3. harm the nature conservation value of the Corridor.

Where necessary, Environmental Impact Assessments will be required to be submitted with development or other proposals.

 Where development is permitted the Council will make use of conditions or planning obligations to:

1. minimise disturbance;
2. protect and enhance the site’s nature conservation value; and
3. where damage is unavoidable, require, where necessary, the developer to provide new or replacement habitats so that the total ecological resource remains at or above its current ecological level.