12.1 This Chapter of the Plan relates
to Proposals Map Inset 5, which covers Lawford,
Manningtree and Mistley. It considers the land use
planning background and makes policy and site specific
proposals, to meet the needs of the area for the period
to 2011. It is essential that this Chapter is read
in conjunction with the earlier policies that relate to
the whole of Tendring District.
• Identification of appropriate settlement boundaries, including new sustainable locations for housing;
• Strengthening the Economy and Promoting Regeneration - ensuring sufficient land is available for the needs of industry and commerce;
• Maintaining the vitality and viability of the town centre shopping area;
• Safeguarding the particular identity and distinctive
character of each settlement, including the protection
and enhancement of the character of the two Conservation
Areas and the regeneration of Mistley Quayside MaltingsMistley
Maltings and Mistley Waterfront;
• Safeguarding the countryside and riverside setting of the settlements and the Dedham Vale AONB;
• Transport, especially in relation to vehicular traffic in Manningtree Town Centre and at Mistley Quay; and
• The need to improve local community facilities including open space provision, other opportunities for recreation and community facilities.
12.2 Whilst Manningtree is one
of the smallestr towns
in the district, with a range of facilities reflecting
it’s size, it is strategically located on the main
London to Norwich railway line. Given that it has good
communications, a large proportion of residents choose
to commute to other places of work. As a core element
of the approach to developing more sustainable communities,
the Council has decided that the majority of new development,
especially housing, will be contained within Harwich and
Clacton given that these have the access to the widest
range of facilities. To this end new development
in Lawford, Manningtree and Mistley will be limited to
sites within the existing built-up areas.
12.3 The Settlement
Development Boundaries for the Lawford Mistley and Manningtree
area to which policies QL1 and HG3 apply reflect the built
up area of the defined settlements. They include peripheral
industrial and commercial areas, both existing and new
allocations as well as limited new housing land within
the Settlement Development Boundaries.
12.4 In the Replacement Structure Plan,
Policy CS3 gives priority to investments, infrastructure
and allocations that facilitate economic regeneration
and renewal in order to reduce disparities in economic
success across the plan area. Policy QL6 of this Plan
identifies Mistley Waterfront and Village as an Urban
Regeneration Area where permission will be granted for
development that reinforces and/or enhances the function,
character and appearance of the area and contributes towards
regeneration and renewal. The further implications for
this Local Plan of the Regional Strategy are discussed
in more detail in the Strengthening the Economy and Promoting
Regeneration Chapter of this Plan. This Chapter considers
the site specific implications of this approach.
12.5 Traditionally, sources of employment within the three settlements have related to the processing of agricultural produce from an important agricultural hinterland. The production of malt and the merchandising of grain has provided a sound industrial base with Allied Breweries, Edme and Mistley Quay Forwarding Company investing heavily in the area. In addition the industrial estate at Brantham has provided an important means of local employment for residents for many years.
12.6 A further significant
employment area is the Riverside Industrial Estate at
Lawford. Further land for development is identified in
this location.
12.6a A significant employment area is the Lawford Dale Industrial Estate. This site is allocated as protected employment land and further land is identified in this location and listed in Policy ER1. Local businesses that do not require a town centre location will be encouraged to locate here.
12.7 Mistley Port handles the shipment and storage of loose, bulky materials such as granite, stone and other coarse aggregates. The port is linear in shape with port handling facilities adjacent to the berths at the eastern end of the quay with warehousing and storage facilities located to the west of the site. Sandwiched between the port and the warehouses are a number of the former malting buildings and associated office and warehouse buildings. Some of which are offices and light industrial use, while others are being converted into apartments, offices, live-work units and food and beverage uses.
12.8 Policy QL6 identifies
Mistley Waterfront as an Urban Regeneration Area where
the Council is seeking to encourage economic and physical
regeneration. A Master Plan for the area will be prepared
in due course in consultation with relevant stakeholders
including the local community and land-owners. This will
be subject to public consultation before being adopted
as SPG.
12.9 The developer of the Maltings has
producedsubmitted an indicative
m Master pPlan
which seeks to focus all the port related activities to
the east of the site around the ship berths, enabling
the remainder of the site to be redeveloped for a mixed
residential, commercial, leisure and recreational
scheme. This Master Plan has been prepared with key
stakeholders and provides Mmore
detail on the mix of uses and the important townscape
issues that need to be addressed will be contained
within the SPG.
12.10 The Master Plan will
provides an opportunity to consolidate all
the different quayside uses thereby reconciling any conflicts
between the various uses. In broad terms, the Council
supports proposals to bring the commercial wharfage and
ancillary storage facilities together at the eastern end
of the port. Expansion of the port further eastwards beyond
East Quay is supported by the Council in principle,
providing that
would only be considered acceptable if such
proposals could satisfactorily demonstrate that they would
not adversely affect the adjacent special protection
areas, including the SSSI, Suffolk Coast and Heaths
AONB, or proposals to extend that AONB to include the
southern shore of the River Stour. Land has been
allocated for port expansion and is identified on Proposals
Map 5.
Policy LMM1a — Port Expansion
3 hectares of land to the east of Mistley Quayside is allocated as land for port expansion. Proposals will need to demonstrate that they will not cause any harm to the adjacent special protection areas.
12.11 As well as having regard to the
need to preserve and enhance the Conservation Area, and
secure the longevity of the Listed Buildings, a key issue
for that the Master Plan addresses
and any subsequent planning applications will
need to address is vehicular access to the
B1352. The Council will seek to use legal agreements
to secure the route of vehicles through and around Mistley
and Manningtree and Mistley. The centrally
located former maltings buildings arewould
be most suitable for residential uses and the western
end for a mixed use development comprising
residential, commercial, and open,
informal,open space and leisure uses.
Another key principle is that the development must secure
non-motorised public access to the waterfront
in all the non-commercial areas. In addition the
Council will require as part of the redevelopment of the
area access at the western end for the Stour Youth Sailing
Trust.
Policy LMM1 — Mistley
Quayside and Riverside Maltings
Development proposals for Mistley Waterfront
and Village Regeneration AreaMistley Quayside
Maltings will be required to comply with the following
criteria:
(i) pProvide for the
promotion of a balanced community, including an appropriate
range of opportunities for the protection and enhancement
of the historic environmentmaritime
heritage, and the provision of new housing, employment,
tourist, recreation and leisure facilities;
(ii) meet sustainable development principles,
especially the need to reduce the reliance on the car
as a means of personal transport;
(iii) Provide or allow for sustainable and
managed public facilities and non-motorised public
access to the waterfront river
frontage, including a public footpath link in
all the new commercial areas and a public right
of mooring along the quayside;
(iv) Protect the adjoining nature conservation interests, biodiversity and landscape quality during construction work and thereafter;
(v) Provide for affordable housing based
on the most up to date evidence;
(vi) All new port related development to be confined to the East Quay area; and
(vii) New development at the western end of
the regeneration area must respect the character of
the Conservation Area, Mistley Towers Scheduled Ancient
Monument and the need to develop views north across
the Stour Estuary.;
(viii) Provide all necessary highway infrastructure
improvement required of the proposed development; and
(ix) Comply with flood risk assessment
requirements.
12.12 The regeneration proposals for this area
will be required to comply with the Master Plan,and
the key elements of which are shown principles
set out in Diagram 109.
12.13 Further employment
land within the area comprise three parcels of land within
the Lawford Industrial Estate and are listed in Policy
ER1.
[Click to see larger image in a pop-up window]
12.14 The area adjoins Dedham Vale with its nationally and internationally known tourist attractions of Dedham Village and Flatford Mill. These tourists could be attracted to the main local tourist attractions including The Walls, Mistley Towers, Mistley Craft Workshops and the Environmental Centre in Mistley Place Park. The area also offers craft shops and restaurants in Manningtree, although there is very little hotel or guesthouse accommodation.
12.15 The conversion and development
of the WaterQuayside Maltings and
adjacent land at Mistley provide a unique opportunity
for the development of a mix of small-scale shops, restaurants
and bars along with residential and business uses. If
successful tThe proposed redevelopment
will add to existing visitor attractions and collectively
contribute to the revitalisation of Mistley High Street
and the attractive river frontage.
12.16 The “secret” nuclear bunker to the south of Mistley has previously been open as a local tourist attraction. The Council would favourably consider proposals to re-open it as a public visitor facility.
12.17 Manningtree has a quality historic environment with a small town centre that has recently seen investment including the addition of new housing.
12.18 The District wide Town Centre
Health Check Report concluded that Manningtree is in a
good state of health despite significant shopping outflows
to Ipswich and Colchester. However there is pressure on
existing car parking space, with an imbalance in favour
of the western end of the town. There is only limited
potential to increase the shopping offer within the centre
and therefore the Plan’s strategy is to protect
and retain the Primary Shopping Frontages as set out on
the Proposals Map for predominantly Class A1 shop uses
through the application of Policy ER33. There is
scope for the provision of additional small scale Class
A2 office and service uses in addition to Class A3 food
and drink uses outside of the Primary Shopping Frontages
and these will be permitted in accordance with other policies
to protect amenity and highway safety.
12.19 The Main Shopping Area has been extended to include the western part of the Jewson’s yard on the River frontage. Should this existing builder’s merchants site come forward for redevelopment in the Plan Period, it is ideally situated in principle for a mixed development scheme comprising shopping, housing development and car parking with public access to the riverside, subject particularly to compliance with flood risk assessment and no harm to the adjoining SSSI and the Conservation Area.
12.20 The Lawford, Manningtree and Mistley Policy Area comprises three main settlements and their immediate rural surroundings. The settlements which are all quite distinct in terms of their appearance and character, have now coalesced as a result of the large-scale housing developments during the period 1960-1990. However, their attractive setting remains and the preservation of the wedges of countryside which break up the built-up area are recognised as particularly important locally. The settlements also occupy a sensitive location in relation to the Stour Estuary, being fringed by countryside of recognised environmental, ecological or agricultural importance. In Structure Plan housing terms the built-up area constitutes the equivalent of a small town and has an estimated resident population of over 8,000 people.
12.21 Reflecting PPG3
“Housing”, the Plan seeks to meet as much
of the District’s housing requirement as possible
within settlements, including Lawford, Manningtree, and
Mistley, on suitable previously developed sites accessible
to facilities and at appropriate densities making efficient
use of urban land. In accordance with the Plan’s
Spatial Strategy described in Core Policy QL1, the sequential
approach of PPG3 “Housing” and Adopted Replacement
Structure Plan Policy H2, most new housing will be concentrated
in the “large urban areas” of Clacton and
Harwich as set out in Table 1 to Policy HG1. This includes
urban extensions to Clacton and Harwich as insufficient
suitable and available previously developed land is likely
to come forward in the Plan Period in the District’s
settlements to meet the Structure Plan housing requirement
for the District.
12.22 Potential housing
allocation sites were assessed sequentially against a
range of PPG3 sustainability criteria. As a result, sufficient
suitable urban extension sites for housing have been identified
on the edges of Clacton and Harwich such that the proposed
expansion of smaller towns, including the settlements
of Lawford, Manningtree and Mistley, with more limited
accessibility to employment, choice of sustainable means
of transport, shops and other facilities and services,
has not been necessary. Accordingly, following the sequential
approach, a search for greenfield sites for housing on
the edges of Lawford or Mistley was unwarranted for this
Plan Period.
12.23 However, in accordance with Replacement
Structure Plan Policy H2, a combination of rolled forward
large site commitments (Appendix 1) and allocated large
sites within the built-up areas of Lawford, Manningtree
and Mistley (Appendix 2) should provide nearly 2300
dwellings on identified large sites in these settlements
up to 2011, (see Table 1 to Policy HG1).
12.24 The main focus for new housing
development locally will be regeneration sites. Apart
from completion of regeneration of the Dalgety Maltings,
this will include the former School Lane Maltings and
further new housing as part of the regeneration of Mistley
Quayside Maltings through a mixed development
allocation in this Plan (See Policy LMM1).
In addition a number of small windfall housing sites,
residential conversions and possibly larger windfall sites
on previously developed urban land will continue to come
forward for consideration through the development control
process. The scale of housing provision locally in Lawford,
Manningtree and Mistley should therefore make an important
contribution consistent with local community needs and
sustainability principles.
12.25 In accordance with Policy
HG4, housing schemes of 15 or more dwellings will be expected
to provide a substantial element of genuinely affordable
housing, normally for rent from a registered social landlord,
to meet local housing needs. This will apply to both large
allocated and windfall sites that emerge within Lawford,
Manningtree and Mistley. Affordable housing site targets
are set out for allocated sites in Appendix 2, in accordance
with PPG3 Housing, as a basis for negotiation with the
developer.
12.26 It is important to maintain a range of residential accommodation within the settlements. This is particularly important in those areas of older housing that provide a useful stock of smaller, more affordable housing, in sound condition, such as the California Road area of Mistley within the Manningtree and Mistley Conservation Area. Proposals to sub-divide dwellings will be considered with these points in mind and will also have particular regard to Policy HG10.
12.27 Opportunities
for recreational open space and safeguarding existing
open space are covered through policies in the Safer and
Healthier Communities Chapter. Some 17.5 hectares of public
and private open space is available in Lawford, Manningtree
and Mistley for sports activities on pitch and non-pitch
sites, including school playing fields. This is in addition
to amenity space and allotment gardens.
12.28 The overall level
of open space within the Lawford, Manningtree and Mistley
area is modest with a shortfall of playing pitch provision
to meet a combination of current and anticipated future
demand. Consequently it is important to safeguard existing
open spaces for the longer term, and attempt to improve
provision as opportunities arise. School playing fields
contribute to the PPG17 definition of “open space”,
supplement formal open space, and have similar amenity
value. Accordingly school playing fields will also be
safeguarded from development unless required for improvements
to local educational or community facilities.
12.29 Policies in the
Healthier and Safer Communities Chapter set out how the
Council will deliver increased levels of recreational
open space and how it will improve existing facilities
as well as provide new ones. Policy COM6 refers to new
open space proposals. However a key feature is that new
housing development will be expected to provide recreational
open space, or make alternative provision off-site, to
meet these standards.
12.30 Other existing
open spaces, including cemetery land and allotment gardens,
are also safeguarded from development in the Local Plan.
12.30a Policies in Chapter 5 set out how the Council will deliver increased levels of recreational open space and how it will improve existing facilities as well as ensure the provision of new ones. Some 17.5 hectares of public and private open space is currently available in Lawford, Manningtree and Mistley, this is in addition to amenity space and allotment gardens.
12.30b The Council has produced a Supplementary Policy Interim Document (SPID) entitled “Open Space, Sport and Recreation”. This should promote effective communication between the community and the Council towards the creation of more successful areas of open space and recreation in the area.
12.31 The sheltered waters of the Stour Estuary are ideal for sailing. Policy COM15 in this Local Plan supports the development of appropriate water recreation uses. However, as the Stour is an internationally important SSSI, the Council will resist development that will lead to an increase in watersport activity harmful to nature conservation designations and amenity generally.
12.32 As the population of the three
settlements of this area has grown so has the demand for
better services and facilities. The Council will therefore
continue to support and encourage the provision of new
and improved local community facilities to meet the needs
of the local population. Improvements have been undertaken
to the Mistley Health Centre designed to improve primary
health services, and further improvements to such facilities
are supported by the Council subject to the usual considerations
of residential amenity, design and highway safety. Additionally,
a site for a new three bay retained fire station is proposed
and safeguarded in Long Road, Mistley. The site is
shown on the Proposals Map Inset 5.
Policy LMM2 — Land Safeguarded for a New Fire Station
Land adjoining 80 Long Road, MistleyLawford,
is allocated and safeguarded for a new fire station.
Development will be permitted provided the building
and ancillary structures are of an appropriate design
and there is no unacceptable harm to residential amenity
and highway safety.
12.33 Flood protection works have been
carried out in Manningtree. If any further works are proposed
during the Plan Period the Council will look for any structures
to be compatible with Conservation Area and other relevant
policies, and be designed to minimise visual intrusion.
Good quality hard and soft landscaping should be part
of allany schemes especially within
the Manningtree and Mistley Conservation Area.
12.34 Manningtree and Mistley developed in the early Medieval period as planned ports serving inland markets. Victuals intended for the North Sea Fleet based at Harwich were transhipped here, and Manningtree also became a leading fishing port, supplying Colchester.
12.35 Lawford developed as a small agricultural settlement as early as the 14th Century and there is a strong possibility that a deserted early Medieval village exists around the Hall. The historic nucleus is still identifiable although modern development now physically links Lawford with Manningtree.
12.36 Two Conservation Areas exist, these being:-
(i) Manningtree and Mistley Conservation Area designated in 1969 and extended in 1981, 1983, 1989 and 1994; and
(ii) Lawford Conservation Area designated in 1981 and extended in 1990.
12.37 The Council continues to strictly
control development within these Conservation Areas to
ensure that new buildings preserve or enhance local character
and are committed to undertake further improvements as
resources permit. To this end, parts
of the Manningtree and Mistley Conservation
Area are is covered by an Article
4 Directions removing permitted development
rights. This can be seen on Proposals Map 5.and
the Council is committed to undertake further improvements
to the Conservation Areas as resources permit.
12.38 Within the area there are 154 Listed Buildings. Of particular note are three nationally important Grade I Buildings, namely; Lawford Hall, Lawford Church and Mistley Towers. There are also a number of sites of archaeological interest within the area, including extensive remains of Prehistoric and Roman settlements, burial sites, crop marks and roadways. There are also three SAMs of national importance namely Mistley Towers, a Neolithic settlement site west of the recreation ground in Lawford and a tumulus west of Lawford Hall.
12.39a Manningtree is identified by Essex County Council as being of special archaeological importance, the extent of which is shown on Proposals Map 5. Development here must therefore respect Manningtree’s setting as a historic town in accordance with Policy EN30.
12.39 The relevant general
policies for the protection of SAMs and other archaeological
sites are EN28, EN29 and EN30. These policies apply within
the historic core of Manningtree where particular attention
will be paid to development proposals because the town
is identified as being of special archaeological importance
by the County Council. The historic centre is defined
on Proposals Map Inset 5.
12.40 A Landscape Character Assessment
for the Districtarea has been carried
out (Adopted in 2001) and defines the most
sensitive areas of landscape value. Lawford, Manningtree
and Mistley are set within a particularly attractive area
of countryside on the southern shore of the Stour Estuary.
The land rises quite dramatically giving impressive views
over the Stour Valley and the Estuary across to Suffolk.
A major objective of this Local Plan is to safeguard
the setting of the three settlements and to protect the
surrounding countryside and estuary from inappropriate
development.
12.41 Dedham Vale AONB extends into
the western part of the area including the countryside
north of Harwich Road and Wignall Street and west of Cox’s
Hill. The boundary of this nationally important countryside
is shown on the Proposals Map 5.
Policy EN5 will be strictly applied in relation to the
AONB. Also providing further guidance is the Dedham Vale
AONB and Stour Valley Management Strategy, which
was prepared by the Dedham Vale and Stour Valley Joint
Advisory Committee on behalf of all local authorities
within the AONB. (Adopted by this Council in
February 2004).
12.42 In addition, this Council considers
that the southern shore of the Stour Estuary, like the
northern shore, warrants AONB status and a study has been
carried out on the potential of this area to be declared
designated as an AONB. This is supported
by Essex County Council andPolicy NR3 of the
Replacement Structure Plan. Whilst this matter remains
to be considered by the Countryside Agency, the Council
will apply Policy EN5a to protect the character,
ecology and broad landscape setting of the Stour Estuary
eastwards from Dedham Vale AONB, including most of the
area covered by the three settlements. The Council also
seeks to encourage the co-ordination of agencies involved
in the management and use of the estuary. This will ensure
a consistent approach with similar policies operating
on the northern shore of the Stour Estuary. An overall
Management Plan for the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB
additionally includes the southern shore of the Stour
Estuary.
12.43 The Council also wishes to protect the undeveloped and rural coastline. Parts of the Policy Area are therefore designated as part of the Coastal Protection Belt and within these areas Policy EN3 will be strictly applied.
12.44 The particular character of the
three settlements need to be preserved, and their settings
protected, by especially safeguarding the l“Local
“Green Gaps” defined in Policy
EN2 and identified on the Proposals Map Inset
5. These are:
(i) The Walls, Mistley Place Park and other areas of open space and parkland between Manningtree and Mistley;
(ii) The land north of Long Road providing a wedge of countryside between Colchester Road and Trinity Road;
(iii) The land around Dale Hall Farm; and
(iv) The important open break between Bromley Road and Lawford Primary School.
12.45 In addition to landscape and amenity considerations, the countryside and coast in this area has considerable nature conservation importance. The Stour Estuary is designated a SSSI and it is of international importance for its wildlife habitats. It has also been identified as a wetland area of international importance under the Ramsar Convention and has been proposed for SPA designation under the EC Wild Birds Directive. Policy EN11a will be applied within the Stour Estuary SSSI.
12.46 As well as those trees
and woodlands protected by Tree Preservation Orders, other
trees, groups of trees and woodlands exist in the Plan
Area which contribute greatly to the overall quality of
the landscape. Such areas include the woodlands and trees
in the Dedham Vale AONB, the woodland adjacent to the
railway line and the trees in the grounds of Lawford Hall
and Lawford Place. A number of trees in the vicinity of
Lawford Hall and Church Hill have protection as they fall
within the Lawford Conservation Area. In accordance with
policies in the Sustaining Our Environment Chapter of
this Plan, new development must have regard to the contribution
these trees and woodland have to the character and appearance
of the area.
12.47 Other trees and woodland of importance are those in the Furze Hill area, School Wood, the Beech Plantation, trees surrounding Game Keepers Pond and Mistley Green and those within Mistley Place Park and Mistley Lodge. The Manningtree and Mistley Conservation Area covers the whole of Mistley Place Park thus ensuring strong protection for these trees.
12.48 Many historic
features still survive in the landscape and of particular
importance are the ancient lanes and hedgerows which often
date back to Saxon times. In order to protect these lanes
from unsympathetic “improvement” works the
County Council has designated a number of lanes in the
District as “protected lanes”,.Oone
such “protected lane” is Church Hill, Lawford
and development affecting this will be considered against
Policy EN10 of the Sustaining Our Environment Chapter.
12.49 A major issue for local residents
is traffic in the centre of Manningtree. Its historic
building pattern has resulted in narrow roads unsuited
to some modern vehicles. Traffic management measures have
been introduced aiming to reduce unnecessary through movements
of heavy goods traffic, and the road pattern in the centre
naturally discourages this. The Council works with the
County Council, ParishTown Council
and other interested bodies over the introduction of further
traffic management measures, and supports appropriate
schemes by granting planning permission for necessary
development in accordance with Adopted Replacement Structure
Plan Policy T11.
12.49a In order to comply with sustainable transport objectives and in accordance with Policy TR10 the Council will support proposals to bring back the use of the railway at Mistley port.
12.50 The extensive network of public footpaths in the area provide a very useful facility for informal recreation providing access to the surrounding countryside and to Dedham Vale. One important footpath, the Essex Way (running from Epping to Harwich) runs through Lawford, Manningtree and Mistley. Footpath routes within Dedham Vale will be developed in accordance with the principles of the approved Management Plan for the AONB. Policy COM12a of the Local Plan seeks to maintain and improve access to the countryside by protecting and enhancing Bridleway provision.