Brackley Master Plan - Global Mapping

The Draft Brackley Masterplan (SPD)Consultation DraftJune 2010at the very heart of England

Foreword"Brackley's wide open Market Place with the beautiful 18 th century Town Halland many other fine historic buildings provides as good a setting as any for thecentre of a small Market town in England. As you approach Brackley across theflat countryside of North Oxfordshire the landscape suddenly changes into thegentle rolling countryside of middle England, for Brackley is the Gateway to theMidlands. Its central geographical position midway between Oxford andNorthampton and close to Milton Keynes, Banbury and Bicester has made thetown a very convenient place to live, and there has been a large increase inpopulation over the past 20 years. Although efforts have been made toimprove the Town Centre there are still too many empty shops, a sure sign, aswith many other small market towns, that more needs to be done to make thetown really work for its people.The authors of this Masterplan have analysed all aspects of Brackley; itshistory, character and geographical layout. With their experience of looking atother similar towns elsewhere around the country the plan looks at many ofthe big issues that will need to be tackled in the years ahead. It presentssome radical suggestions as to how these issues could be addressed.Being the largest town in South Northamptonshire, if Brackley is to prosper,there will be both new development and redevelopment. The aim of thisMaster Plan is to ensure that new investment is directed to the right locationsand reinvigorates the Town Centre. The town also needs to continue to attractthe high skilled technical industry which will provide good opportunities foremployment and encourage people to both live and work in the town.The Brackley of the future should be a town that both meets the needs of itsown population and also those of the villages and farms surrounding the Town.It will only do so if we have a centre that people want to visit. There are manypeople already working hard for a better Brackley, not least Brackley TownCouncil as well as many business and civic groups. Through the year many ofthese Groups organise events and activities that attract residents and visitors.We hope that they will take advantage of the opportunities that this planhighlights.We commend this plan to you and welcome your comments"Councillor John TownsendSNC Cabinet Member, Environmental PolicyCouncillor Rupert FordhamSNC Cabinet Member, Community Regeneration1

Consultation ProcessConsultation has been a critical element in shaping the masterplan. Thepreparation of the masterplan has involved consultation with a wide range ofstakeholders at regular intervals throughout the commission. Listening to theviews of stakeholders and how they would like to see Brackley in the futurehas helped the team understand the issues affecting the town.Consultation events have also provided an opportunity to present emergingdevelopment options for residential, employment, education and recreationuses on town centre and edge of centre sites; including the urban extension tothe north, to support the town centre's vitality. Feedback at these events hashelped to shape the masterplan.Key consultation dates during the preparation of the masterplan have included:2009• 2 September - South Northamptonshire Councillors / NorthamptonshireCounty Councillors and Parish Councillors.• 2 September - Stakeholder Workshops.• 23 September - Stakeholder Workshops• 21 October - Stakeholder Workshops.2010• 20 January - Stakeholder Workshops.• 9 February - South Northamptonshire Councillors / NorthamptonshireCounty Councillors.• 11 March – Stakeholder Workshops.• 24 March - South Northamptonshire Councillor Workshop.In addition to these consultation dates, a series of one-to-one meetings havebeen held throughout the masterplan process (between July 2009 and June2010), with developers, community groups, residents and local businesses toensure that all issues have been addressed.The consultation process will involve an exhibition displayed in Brackley,allowing members of the public to comment and provide feedback to theconsultant team. The comments will then be used to further refine themasterplan, before a final draft of the report is prepared, and issued to SouthNorthamptonshire Council for approval as formal SPD guidance. The approveddocument will then be a material consideration in shaping the pattern ofdevelopment in Brackley up until 2026.3

Contents1 Introduction .................................................................................. 72 Brackley in 2010 ............................................................................ 93 Vision for Brackley in 2026............................................................ 194 Brackley Masterplan ..................................................................... 235 High Speed Rail (HS2) .................................................................. 246 Brackley Town Centre................................................................... 297 Transport, Movement & Access ..................................................... 398 Housing....................................................................................... 459 Employment ................................................................................ 5110 Leisure, Swimming, Recreation and Open Space ............................. 5511 Community Services ..................................................................... 5812 Education .................................................................................... 6113 Health Services ............................................................................ 6314 Tourism....................................................................................... 6615 Utilities and Services .................................................................... 6716 Delivery and Implementation of the Masterplan .............................. 6817 Appendices.................................................................................. 75Appendix 1 - GlossaryAppendix 2 - Planning Policy Context and Evidence BaseAppendix 3 - Site PlansAppendix 4 - HS2 Plans and Information LinksAppendix 5 - Workshop ConsulteesAppendix 6 - Contact DetailsCommissioned by: South Northamptonshire CouncilPrepared by: WYG Planning & Design, Goodman Associates, Chadwick McRae5

1 Introduction101 South Northamptonshire Council (SNC) with funding fromNorthamptonshire Enterprise Limited (NEL) has prepared the Draft BrackleyMasterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The Masterplan providesa clear vision for Brackley up to 2026 and seeks to:• Re-define the role and function of Brackley as a modern market town;• Identify a strategy for the regeneration of Brackley town centre;• Protect, conserve and enhance the historic heritage and create anattractive natural and physical environment;• Identify the infrastructure and functions to support the towns existingand expanding roles;• Plan and connect the functions together in a sustainable way;• Secure 2,000 high quality, sustainable new homes by 2026;• Secure in excess of 2,000 new jobs and reduce out commuting;• Upgrade and provide a range of new and extended high qualitycommunity, education, recreation, leisure and swimming facilities;• Integrate the planned urban extension to ensure the social cohesion ofthe town;• Maximise the linkages and relationships between Brackley and its ruralcatchment, Silverstone Circuit, Towcester and the wider District;• Meet the objectives of the SNC Retail Study, the CACI Retail Report andthe SNC Economic Development Strategy; and,• Inform the preparation of the West Northamptonshire LocalDevelopment Framework (LDF).102 To achieve this, the Masterplan identifies a series of issues, objectivesand site-specific proposals for Brackley, including a comprehensive land usestrategy capable of phased implementation up to 2026. The result is a flexible,realistic and deliverable blueprint for the town’s long-term growth. As an SPD,the Masterplan will be a material consideration which will guide localbusinesses, land owners and developers in preparing planning applications andwill assist SNC to discharge its statutory planning functions and deliver its otherstrategies. In addition, the SPD will assist the West Northamptonshire JointPlanning Unit (WNJPU) in the production of the West Northamptonshire LocalDevelopment Framework (LDF).103 The Masterplan contains information for a number of identified keyopportunity sites within and around the town in order to highlight suitablelocations for the delivery of its housing, employment and economic objectives.104 The Masterplan is based on extensive pre-consultation with statutory andnon statutory consultees including Brackley Town Council, community groups,7

developers, key local stakeholders and interest groups. A list of these groupsand the key stages of consultation that have been undertaken are included inAppendix 6. The pre-consultation process has helped to define a detailedpicture of the role and function of Brackley, including positive and negativeperceptions of the town and how they would like to see it build its potential.105 The Masterplan will provide a firm foundation for realising this growthand the range of physical and community infrastructure and developmentrequired to enhance Brackley as a distinctive market town that serves thesurrounding rural area and enhances the quality of life of residents, employeesand visitors.106 The Masterplan has been divided into the following key topic areas witheach section identifying issues, objectives and proposals:• Brackley Town Centre.• Transport, Movement and Access.• Housing.• Employment.• Leisure, Swimming, Recreation and Open Space.• Community Services.• Education.• Health Services.• Tourism.• Utilities and Services.• Delivery and Implementation of the Masterplan.8

opportunity sites located on the north and east of the town, including theSawmills and Turweston Road sites which currently have permission foremployment uses. SNC resolved to grant planning consent, in principle, for B1,B2 and some B8 uses on land to the north of Turweston Road in December2009. These are key opportunity sites located on the northern key gatewayinto the town and can accommodate high quality employment space and newgateway and approach from the north. The Council also wish for the publictransport provision to be improved from the town to the train stations to createsustainable travel patterns.207 The Masterplan will identify a range of suitable employment sites thatconsist of existing sites in need of redevelopment/enhancement, sites withexisting permissions that need implementing and new employment sites toreduce the need to commute out of the town into the wider District. Furtherinformation on the opportunity sites is included in Appendix 3.Retail208 Brackley is an historic market town which is linear in nature, stretchingfrom the High Street in the north to Banbury Road in the south. The areaencompasses Market Place, a legacy of the towns historic function. Thebeautiful historic Magdalen College owned by Oxford University is locatedwithin the town centre and brings a considerable student population and keyemployer.209 The majority of retail provision is currently from independent traders witha few brand operators in the form of Boots, Waitrose and Tesco. The townsretail offer is anchored by a Waitrose Foodstore at Drayman’s Walk, withMarket Place and High Street offering a range of quality services andindependent retailers, including Rolands Coffee Café and Restaurant, theCrown Hotel, Brackley Butchers and the Brackley Therapy Centre. The towncentre has experienced increased activity with the completion of the BurgessSquare development with a number of retail units being occupied by wellknown high street brands such as Costa Coffee and Subway. A general marketis held weekly outside the Town Hall, the origins of which date back to theearly 1700's, and includes a varied selection of traders selling groceries, fishand plants. A farmers market is held every third Saturday of the month.210 There are various sites within the town centre and on the edge of thecentre which provide key locations for the enhancement and expansion of theretail and mixed use offer of the town. The Chase and Partners Retail Studyhighlighted a demand for a range of branded and independent retail uses, nonfood shops (clothing cafes and restaurants) together with leisure, recreationand entertainment to secure a mixed offer for the town and increase footfall.The study also identified a need to secure the weekend and evening economyand maximise the opportunities of the busiest trading day - Sunday. In order12

215 The collection of buildings used in connection with Magdalen School,some of which have been in situ since the 1540's, are also positioned inprominent locations within the heart of the town, and these are generallyregarded to be some of Brackley’s finest buildings.216 A number of other features contribute to the quality of Brackley. Thematerials, urban grain, historic plan form, mature vegetation and ornaterailings, together with other features contribute to make Brackley unique andspecial. Public realm and street furniture improvements have taken place inMarket Square in recent years and include new stone paving, new benches andstreet furniture.14

Events, Culture and the Performing Arts217 Brackley is known locally as a venue for festivals and events with 2010being the 15th anniversary of the Brackley Music Festival. The town also hostsan annual motorcycle festival and a weekly town market with a larger farmersmarket held once a month. Brackley currently offers limited space for theperforming and visual arts. Brackley Town Hall is used for a number of eventsbut does not provide suitable acoustics, stage and support space, althoughthere is the capability to upgrade.15

Leisure and Recreation218 Brackley has public leisure provision in the form of both a swimming pooland separate leisure centre managed by the South Northants Leisure Trust andcontracted to Serco Management. There is an aspiration to relocate theswimming pool to the existing leisure centre site and expand the facilities toprovide a higher quality leisure offer. Any new swimming pool facility will needto cater for the local education providers as part of the school curriculum.There is limited private leisure provision in the town, the nearest club is locatedat Whittlebury Hall and currently the majority of people have to commuteoutside the District to Banbury, Milton Keynes and Northampton.219 There are a wide variety of active sports and social clubs across Brackleywhich play an important part in enhancing the sense of community within thetown, driving perceptions of the town as a family orientated and safe place tolive. A number of the clubs use the local swimming facilities. However, manyclubs are facing pressures to expand in order to meet growing demand, butthe absence of suitable facilities in and around the town is currently limitingthese groups aspirations.16

Current Key Assets220 The following are seen as Brackley’s key assets and areas that theMasterplan will build on:• Population of over 25,000 in the town, including surrounding ruralcatchment.• Attractive townscape and heritage / historical value of the town centre.• Attractive countryside and landscape setting.• Well connected to the network of local villages and the rural community.• Good accessibility to Banbury, Bicester, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Londonand Birmingham.• Short distance from train stations in Bicester, Banbury, Milton Keynesand Northampton and the A43, M1, M40 and A5 strategic road network.• Access to Birmingham, Oxford and London in under one hour.• Excellent range of housing choice and employment premises.• Wide choice of education provision for all ages.• High profile employers including the Mercedes GP Petronas (formerlyBrawn GP 2009 World Champions).• Brand retailers including Waitrose, Tesco, Costa and Boots.• High percentage of independent retailers including Rolands BrackleyButchers.• Proximity to Silverstone Circuit as a major employment and tourismdestination.• Range of public leisure provision.• An established range of town festivals and events.• An established town centre market.• Strong social networks and a strong sense of community.• Proximity to Towcester Racecourse and Whittlebury Hall Hotel, Spa,Leisure and Golf Complex.• A quality architectural environment with virtually no crime.17

3 Vision for Brackley in 2026301 Brackley has a vital role to play in the economy of the town, wider Districtand the County and in the life of the residents, employees and visitors itserves. Existing gaps in provision must be addressed and a strategy put inplace to guide the growth and development and investment in the town up to2026 and beyond. The strategic planning objectives seek to balance thenumber of new homes with new jobs that will reverse the historic trends whichhave led Brackley to be seen as a commuter town. Brackley therefore needs toprovide 2,000 additional new homes (approximately 5,400 additionalpopulation), corresponding employment, new physical and communityinfrastructure and town centre revitalisation to become more self-containedand to provide a high quality offer in order to serve residents of the town andsurrounding villages for their day to day needs. Brackley will also need to servethe growing population currently occurring as a result of developments withinthe surrounding rural villages as a result of the Rural Interim Policy.302 The vision for Brackley:“Brackley at the very heart of England – a distinctive town that serves thesurrounding area and enhances the quality of life of residents; providing avibrant town centre, quality housing, schooling and leisure opportunities,sustainable transport links and a dynamic economy. Brackley will be thedestination of choice for people who know what they want in life”19

303 To achieve this vision, the following objectives have been identified:• Deliver a range of new high quality, sustainable housing opportunitiesand economic development that creates a balanced and sustainablecommunity in Brackley.• Revitalise and increase the functionality of the town centre throughhands-on management, public-realm and linkage improvements, newretail occupiers, social, leisure and community facilities and initiatives toimprove car parking provision to make the town centre attractive andfunctional for residents and the growing surrounding rural communities.• Improve accessibility through pedestrian and cycle links from theresidential and employment areas to the town centre and improvedpublic transport links to rural areas, Silverstone and adjacent towns.• Enhance and expand sports, indoor and outdoor leisure, swimming,recreation and open space facilities.• Expand and redefine the employment opportunities and economic focus.• Revitalise markets and promote festivals to make Brackley a recognisedregional ‘event’ centre with range of hotel and conference facilities.• Ensure development expands housing and economic growthopportunities through well-designed, high quality and sustainabledevelopment that is special and relates to the context of Brackley.20

4 Brackley Masterplan401 The Brackley Masterplan will form a Supplementary Planning Document(SPD) which will be a material consideration in pre-application and formalapplication discussions and planning gain negociations. The BrackleyMasterplan identifies the key areas of development and the components toachieve a revitalised, enhanced town centre and to achieve economicdevelopment objectives. The plan delivers the sustainable development to thenorth of the town and enables a new road network to connect intoNorthampton Road to be created. This allows the accessibility of the new urbanexpansion to the north, connection to further development sites to the northeastof the town, and westwards around to the A422 to the south.402 The existing and proposed employment areas are located close to thenorthern gateway into Brackley on land with existing planning approval foremployment or on land previously considered for employment use. Furtherexpansion of the town to the south can not take place due to the A43, largeareas of low lying land and floodplain, and the high quality natural landscape.403 The actions set out in the masterplan will start to deliver the objectivesthat underpin the vision for Brackley. The masterplan is not an end in itself,but provides the framework to start to deliver the agreed vision for the town.The Masterplan provides a framework for developers, landowners, optionholders, Local Planning Authority and its partners, to develop proposals tosecure the future coordinated growth of the town.404 The plan illustrates:• Actions to revitalise, expand and regenerate the town centre;• Housing development on sites D, E, F and part of site A;• Employment development on sites B, C and part of site A;• Redevelopment of Buckingham Road Industrial estate on site M;• Options for Magdalene College School to investigate the potential todevelop a ‘ONE’ site solution either on site K or in a greenfield locationsuch as site G;• The potential redevelopment of surplus education sites J and I afterconclusion of the Education Service provision undertaken by NCC;• New indoor and outdoor Leisure/Swimming/Wellbeing Centre on theexisting Leisure Centre site at site H;• New Health Care Facilities on site C;• New playing pitches and open space provision on sites 2 and 3;• New public open space on sites 1, 4 and 5;• New Cemetery and Allotments in site 2; and,• Improved bus services and improved pedestrian and cycle networks.23

5 High Speed Rail (HS2)"Preferred Route Option"501 The Brackley Masterplan needs to address the issues raised by therecently proposed “preferred route option” by the Department of Transport forthe High Speed Railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham; and ensure thatthe masterplan can be delivered whether a High Speed Railway is developed ornot. The Masterplan does not support or oppose the rail link, but identifies thepotential impact of the “preferred route option” on the key development sitesadjacent to the route.502 The Government published the High Speed Rail Report on 11 th March2010, which identified a proposed “preferred route option” for HS2 (seeAppendix 4) and set out the next steps in the consultation process, includingfurther consultation during Autumn of 2010. The “preferred route option” runsin a north, north-west direction between Brackley and Turweston village andaffects some of the sites identified in the masterplan for mixed use, housingand employment which are included in Appendix 3.503 The HS2 documentation indicates that the proposed “preferred routeoption” is carried on a viaduct over the floodplain between A43 and Turwestonvillage and then transfers to an embankment and bridge over the A43 andTurweston Road. The railway is approximately at ground level as it crossesNorthampton Road, which will itself need to be reduced in level to pass underthe railway. The railway continues into a cutting across the Robson Land (D),becomes elevated over Radstone Road, and is at grade through the corner ofthe Radstone Fields development (E) - illustrated by the HS2 plans in Appendix4.504 If confirmed, the proposed line will have a significant visual impact as itcrosses the A43 and will substantially affect the northern gateway into Brackleyfrom the north. The full impact of the line on land and buildings is difficult tojudge at this early stage in the design and planning process. The exactalignment is not identified and the amount of land required for the route, northe full impact on residual land, has yet been determined by the Government.505 The Government has launched a consultation paper on an ExceptionalHardship Package for those landowners directly affected by the route.506 HS2 has commissioned further technical studies, which will provideinformation for the public consultation process due to start in autumn 2010. Itis therefore likely that some information will be available from the Governmentor HS2 before Autumn 2010 that will indicate the effect of the route on thedevelopment capacity of adjacent land.24

507 In due course it will be necessary for the Government to safeguard theroute of HS2. This is a legal process which would allow the Secretary of Stateto require planning authorities to notify other bodies (such as the HS2promoter) before granting planning permission for any proposals that mightaffect the route. From the published programme it is assumed that the earliestthis could take place would be some time in 2011, but this may extend into2013.508 Until the final route has been safeguarded by the Government, the"preferred route option" will need to be a material consideration in determiningany planning applications, however will not have the same weight asGovernment legislation.509 HS2 have indicated the following outline programme:Implications for the Brackley Masterplan510 The "preferred route option" of HS2 may become clearer later in 2010,but currently affects five of the sites being considered for development in themasterplan. The location plans of these sites can be found in Appendix 3. Theyare:• Site A – Turweston Road South for mixed use employment andresidential development.• Site B – Turweston Road North for employment development.• Site C - Sawmills Site for employment and healthcare development.• Site D – Robson land for residential development.• Site E - Radstone Fields for residential development.25

511 Sites A and E are partly affected, while the "preferred route option"passes across sites B, C and D. In addition the route may have an impact onthe junction of the Northampton Road with the A43 and the BP garage.512 The Brackley Masterplan illustrates the "preferred route option" of HS2and an indicative 100 and 200m buffer zone. This is a general assessment for abuffer zone and will decrease or increase at specific locations when theimplications of the detailed design of the railway is known.513 The five sites will need to consider the potential impacts of the finaldesign of the line. There is therefore short term uncertainty on the future roleof these five sites and the areas that can be allocated for meaningfuldevelopment.514 The uncertainty on the alignment of the route and the blight causedmeans that some of the land required for housing and employment growthmay need to be identified and safeguarded in other locations. But this can onlybe determined once the alignment and environmental implications of the routeare determined by Government.515 The masterplan should therefore be developed in phases, with a strategicreview undertaken once the detailed HS2 route has been determined.516 Further information on High Speed Rail can be obtained from:www.hs2.org.uk.27

6 Brackley Town CentreIntroduction601 Brackley is a key Rural Service Centre meaning that its services andfacilities serve the town and a rural catchment population and they must theneeds of the future expansion. As a Rural Service Centre, Brackley has a keyrole to play in service delivery to meet the day to day needs of its residentsand those in the surrounding villages together with catering for the tourismeconomy. The South Northamptonshire Retail Study was undertaken by Chaseand Partners on behalf of SNC and was approved by Cabinet in April 2010. Thisstudy identifies the current retail position of the town and the key issues forretail, leisure, recreation and town centre functionality and growth. This RetailStudy complements the CACI Retail Study for West Northamptonshire.602 The findings of the study indicate that:• Brackley is largely self-contained for main food shopping spend, withhigh retention rates for main food shopping spend, a pattern that isconsistent with the role and function of Brackley as a market town and aRural Service Centre.• Tesco dominates in Brackley with a market share of 59%. By contrast,Waitrose has a market share of 18%.• There is still a large outflow of food retail shopping to Banbury, Bicesterand Milton Keynes.• Taking into account the current serviced population and the plannedhousing and employment growth, there is capacity for further food retaildevelopment of a limited capacity up to 2026. The Chase and PartnersRetail Study states that capacity exists only for modest extensions toexisting stores or a very small new foodstore as part of a newneighbourhood parade serving new housing development.• Retention rates for comparison goods shopping spend are very low andmost Brackley residents shop for clothing, footwear and other non-foodgoods in surrounding higher order centres, which are located outside ofthe District in locations such as Banbury, Bicester and Milton Keynes.The range of non-food shops in the town are very limited and there is anaspiration and demand for new non-food provision within the town tocater for the current and future population.• The theoretical need for non-food floorspace in the form of specialistbrands is much higher, but the Retail Study cautions that this is not thesame as actual occupier demand and the estimates of theoreticalcapacity should not be used on their own to plan for new development.• The community has aspirations for the provision of a wide range of nonfood retail within the town. A number of existing units in the town,29

together with other town centre opportunity sites, could meet thisdemand.• The community has aspirations for a range of leisure and recreationalfacilities including further cafes, restaurants, a theatre and a cinema,and would welcome this type of provision within the town rather thanhaving to out commute outside the District603 Overall, the Retail Study concludes that Brackley possesses the basicingredients of a vibrant and successful market town, with its high qualityattractive environment, historic architecture, good food shopping provision andavailability of services such as banks and estate agents. However, the RetailStudy suggests that the town centre lacks vibrancy, which could be addressedthrough a stronger independent sector, a wider quality retail, leisure andrecreation/entertainment offer in the town together with opening longer hoursand opportunities for trading on a Sunday. It also suggests a series ofinitiatives, which are carried through into the Masterplan for a proactiveapproach to investment, a clear economic development approach and clearpolicy and pre-application advice.Key Issues Facing Brackley Town Centre604 The key issues for the town centre are:• Current position within the retail hierarchy.• Lack of awareness of the towns existence outside the District andRegion.• Negative image of the vitality and viability of the town centre due to lackof awareness of what the town centre actually offers.• Ground level vacancies higher than the national average.• Unrealistic expectations of landlords in the current economic climate.• A lack of diversity of key trip and activity-generating uses in the towncentre, particularly entertainment, recreation and leisure uses.• Pressure for changes of use of ground floor Use Class A1 retail to otheruses reducing the supply of units available for retail use.• Predominance of small units which are too small to attract nationalmultiples.• Lack of medium to larger units in the town.• Loss of key town centre retail, business and hotel accommodation forresidential use.• Current oversupply and overpriced residential units within the towncentre.• Lack of hotel / conference / training and meeting space within the townfor local businesses and prospective investors.• Waitrose anchors the convenience offer of the town centre, but suffersfrom a lack of visibility and prominence as well as poor linkages withMarket Place.30

• An extended linear retail area which prevents a focused and compacttown centre.• Width of High Street which is too wide for effective visual marketing.• Perceptions of inadequate long term parking and congestion in shortterm parking at peak times.• Poor signage and no visitor map of the main town centre facilities.• Poor southern entrance to the town centre from Banbury Road andBridge Street, which guides traffic away from Market Place.• Limited quality and availability of evening and weekend economy in thetown centre.• Virtually no Sunday trading.• Lack of broadband / WI-FI availability in the town.605 Action is required to enhance the vitality and viability of the town centre.The town centre’s historic environment and attractive setting provides a firmfoundation for encouraging consumers back into the centre by focusing futureretail activity and footfall around the Market Place. Enhancing linkages betweenthe supermarkets and the town centre and delivering flexible parking solutionsand longer opening hours would encourage people to spend longer periods oftime in the town and strengthen the town centre vitality further.31

606 There is a need for investors and landowners to recognise the potentialspending power of existing and new residents, employees and visitors and takeadvantage of current gaps in provision. The Council and its partners need toprovide clear policy and pre-application advice to ensure that high qualityapplications are submitted that meet the aims and objectives of theMasterplan, the SNC Retail Study and the SNC Economic DevelopmentStrategy. The Council will be producing a Town Centre SPD to assist inimplementing the actions recommended in the Retail Survey, SNC EconomicDevelopment Strategy and the Masterplan in order to secure the relevantplanning gain for the town centre.32

To achieve this, the Brackley Masterplan proposes thefollowing:1. Actions to Improve Town Centre Vitality• Provision of a town centre manager and an active marketing strategy.• Identification of a compact town centre boundary.• Manage an appropriate balance of retail (Use Class A1) and othercommercial uses at ground floor level in the town centre. Wherepossible, to direct new retail (Use Class A1) development to the centre.• Protection and flexibility for existing types of retail units to allow toassist in providing a quality retail offer.• Provide opportunities for high quality mixed use development includingthe provision of non food retail, sports, leisure, recreation and healthuses with residential and employment uses on upper floors.• Bring vacant shops back into use by working with landlords, agents andprospective tenants to secure appropriate lease/freehold terms toencourage take up by new tenants and encouraging temporary use inorder to improve the image of the town. Where the Council owns towncentre premises, it can control tenant type and use.• Encourage and promote local/distinctive/niche/specialty shopping. Thisincludes promoting an appropriate range of unit sizes in developmentproposals that are likely to attract a range of occupiers.• Remove inappropriate shop signage within the town and encourage highquality appropriately designed signage.• Encourage and work with shop owners and landlords to upgrade thefrontage of their premises and ensure maintenance is undertaken on aregular basis to improve the public realm and perception of the town.• Re-align High Street to the west of its existing alignment; freeing upspace to the east for flexible open space to be used for car parking orevents and revitalise the town centre with new community uses, aperforming arts facility and new library in Market Place to the north eastof the Town Hall.• Support proposals for the redevelopment of the Key Opportunity Site formain town centre uses including retail, commercial, community andcultural uses such as a relocated library together with potential carparking serving the town centre.• Support longer term proposals for comprehensive mixed useredevelopment of Magdalen College and SNC owned land to the east ofthe town centre for town centre uses, together with car parking,recreational, community, leisure, health, residential and open spaceuses. This option is dependent on the relocation of Magdalen College,transportation and heritage assessments of the potential impact ofredevelopment and the requirements of Oxford University Estates,consultation and financial viability.33

• Create opportunities for off street car parking in the town, near to thetown centre.2. Actions to Improve Town Centre Linkages• Provide clear, quality signage within the town centre to key attractions,including Waitrose, together with public realm improvements to MarketPlace, Halls Lane and Draymans Walk to improve the pedestrianlinkages. Persuade Waitrose to install signage in its car park promotingthe town centre and other attractions.• Physical improvements to the northern and southern gateways of thetown centre to improve linkages between the commercial uses and thetown centre itself.3. Actions to Improve Town Centre Parking• Provide a car parking plan.• Initiate appropriate management of existing parking provision.• Investigate the potential to bring back the under-croft parking beneathWaitrose for use as long-stay parking to support the town centre.• Review options to secure long term parking provision on the Key TownCentre development site or in other suitable locations.• Secure planning contributions for the provision of car and cycle parking,including the relevant amounts of disabled and parent/child parking.4. Actions to Promote the Town Centre• Set up a Town Centre website.• Secure funding for a town centre fund which includes provision for towncentre management (possibly shared with Towcester) through S106agreements with developers.• Expand, promote and coordinate festivals and events and linkages withother events at Silverstone Circuit and Towcester Racecourse.• Establish a Council-led working group incorporating retailers, businesses,landlords and other key stakeholders to promote the town centre.Upgrade of the Town Hall and Historic Town Centre607 The Town Hall is a prominent, attractive, Grade2 * building ofarchitectural merit located within the heart of the town centre and acts as akey landmark and focal building. There is an opportunity to upgrade andrefurbish this facility to widen its appeal and secure further investment in thetown. Planning contributions should be sought to upgrade the building for thecommunity and to extend its current range of facilities including its potentialfor an entertainment venue. Existing community buildings should be upgradedand expanded to ensure their potential is maximised to provide a range ofcommunity services and quality recreational offer.34

Provision for New Public Building in the Town Centre608 Any new development within the historic parts of the town will need toconsider the character of the Conservation Area and the contribution that newdevelopment will make to the historic fabric and townscape. Carefulconsideration will need to be given to building scale and massing, to thehistoric street pattern and the impacts on views and vistas - each of which arefundamental elements in the character of the Conservation Area. Specialregard should be given to securing the retention, restoration and continued useof the historic buildings in the town centre.609 The possibility of a grant scheme for the town centre should beinvestigated, which would provide financial support to repair buildings whichmake a significant contribution to the quality of the townscape. Such a systemcould also help to replace inappropriate modern additions, such as windows,doors and shop fronts, signage or be used as a means to reinstate lostarchitectural features. Brackley's heritage and distinctive character could alsobe used as part of a campaign to promote Brackley’s retail and tourism offer;interwoven with the sprit of community ownership and civic pride.610 The proposed new mixed use community building ‘PLACE’ in Market Placemust be of exemplar design and set the quality standard for all newdevelopment. It must address the context of building in the wide open space ofMarket Place, the Conservation Area and adjacent Listed buildings. But it mustalso become a symbol of regeneration and renewal for the wider area. Anynew building will be subject to a viability study and financial availability.Existing community buildings should be upgraded and expanded to ensuretheir potential is maximised to provide a range of community services andquality recreational offer.35

Longer Term Town Centre Redevelopment Options611 Magdalen College, which is owned by Oxford University, is consideringthe potential long term option to consolidate operations onto a single site inBrackley, subject to funding and viability. One option is for the College torelocate to a new campus on the edge of Brackley. This option would providean opportunity to incorporate the College site and adjacent various Councilownedland to secure a major extension to the town centre and with it,opportunities for comprehensive mixed-use development. The relocation of theCollege would also reduce the town centre traffic and parking congestion,freeing up parking for visitors to the town.612 The potential site is identified opposite which provides an indicativelayout illustrating the scale of development.613 If this opportunity becomes a realistic proposition, policies and proposalsfor the development of the site will be established through the WestNorthamptonshire Local Development Framework (LDF) (including alterationsto the town centre boundary) and a Planning Brief prepared in order to ensurethat the development is plan-led and to secure the proper planning of the area.Piecemeal development applications submitted in advance of this will berefused planning permission on the grounds of prematurity. This is a majoropportunity for a creative, well designed scheme to extend and enhance thecurrent retail, education, housing and leisure offer in the town centre.36

37Potential developmentof Magdalen CollegeSchool site andadjacent land

7 .Transport, Movement & Access701 Brackley is strategically well located on the trunk road network with theA43 providing fast and efficient road links to local urban centres such asNorthampton, Banbury, Bicester, Oxford and Milton Keynes. Brackley has aunique location being located adjacent to the A43 and near to the M40, M1, A5and within near reach of Banbury, Bicester and Milton Keynes train stations.The town is a popular commuter town due to the fact that many other largertowns and cities, including London, Oxford and Birmingham, can be reached inunder one hour. These links have helped to define Brackley as a commutertown, whilst the absence of a railway station, the rural nature of the catchmentarea and generally low level of bus usage results in the majority of peak hourtrips being made by private car.702 Brackley’s role as a market town means that residents in the surroundingvillages travel to the town for food shopping, schools and other key services.Although due to the current limited retail, leisure and recreation offer a largeamount of the towns population and rural catchment out commute outside theDistrict particularly to Banbury and Milton Keynes. Although Brackley generallyexperiences limited inconvenience due to traffic congestion within the town,the use of the private car for the daily school run has created localised issuesparticularly along Manor Road. The traditional market town layout has resultedin the High Street area being dominated by car parking which has a negativeimpact on the town centre as a place for pedestrians.703 The town as a whole, remains relatively compact with existing pedestriannetworks linking the centre to the suburbs. As Brackley continues to expandthere will be a need to provide better public transport and planned nonmotorised sustainable modes of transport to reduce the reliance on the car asthe primary mode of transport. There is a particular need for a regular shuttlebus provision to and from the train stations to reduce the amount of outcommute by private car.704 Brackley provides a high quality rural environment in which families andthe retired choose to live due to the good quality of life and low crime / socialproblems.705 One of the reasons for the high level of out commuting is due to thelimited offer currently within the town. There is a need for the provision of highquality employment land and premises together with an expandedcomplementary mixed use town centre offer. The town has a number ofunique assets and potential development sites to meet these needs.39

706 The key issues for the town are:• Brackley is a commuter town without commuter transport with poorquality bus services and no commuter railway station.• Poor public transport links into the town from principal local villages,nearby towns, Silverstone Circuit and the wider District.• Dominance of road traffic in the town centre and traffic managementissues.• Poor legibility of cycle and pedestrian routes from residential areas.• Congestion from school related traffic in Market Place and Manor Road.• Improving linkages between new housing, employment and communitydevelopment and the town centre.• Poor gateways at the north, south and east entrances into the townfrom the A43 and at the southern gateway between Banbury Road andBridge Street into the town centre.• Lack of town car parking on street and off street.• Lack of employment premises and retail and leisure offer to provide theopportunity for local employment to reduce the need for commuting.The Brackley Masterplan identifies:Actions for Pedestrians and Cyclists• To improve the legibility of pedestrian and cycle routes within existingand new development by providing direct, attractive and well litconnections with good natural surveillance that link to the town centre.Improvements are to be secured through developer contributions andfunding via partnership working.• To provide additional, well designed signal controlled pedestriancrossings at strong desire lines within the town including:– Banbury Road / Bridge Street;– Halls Lane / Market Place;– Manor Road;– Hill Street / High Street;– Buckingham Road; and,– Northampton Road.• To enhance the environment for pedestrians and cyclists within the townincluding the narrowing of Market Place / High Street and to introduceshared surfacing to reduce speeds and the dominance of the car.• To improve the legibility of cycle routes within the town by providingcycle lanes within the carriageway to create linkages to existing andproposed residential and employment developments along:– Radstone Road;– Halse Road;– Manor Road;– Northampton Road;40

– Turweston Road;– Buckingham Road; and,– Bridge Street / Banbury Road / Market Place/ High Street.• To create new links within any new proposals to ensure cohesion andaccessibility between key opportunity sites and the existing urban fabric/ town centre.• To provide covered, visible and secure cycle racks in the town centre.• To explore the potential to create safe and attractive pedestrian andcycle linkages to other nearby settlements e.g. Evenley.Actions to improve Public Transport• To enhance the attractiveness of public transport as a viable alternativeto the private car by providing upgraded bus facilities within the towncentre and serving new development, including the provision of highquality bus shelters with real time information, and installation of raisedboarding platforms.• To engage with bus service providers in order to secure the provision ofan adequate level of service provision linking the various parts of thetown to the principal rural settlements. For example, to enhance theinternal connectivity of the local bus service (Brackley Buzzer) byimproving the frequency of this service to a minimum standard of 15minute intervals, extending the hours of operation from 7.00am to7.00pm to cover commuter time periods and to ensure that this serviceis connected to new developments, regeneration areas within the townand to adjacent settlements including Evenley, Westbury, Turweston,Farthinghoe and Croughton.• To enhance the external connectivity of Brackley to the adjacent townsby bus including Towcester, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Oxford(88, X88), Buckingham and Banbury (131,132) and Bicester.• To deliver good quality sustainable bus linkages to the catchmentvillages and local attractions including Sulgrave, Silverstone Circuit,Towcester Racecourse, Canons Ashby, Stowe and during local eventsand festivals.Actions to address Car Parking• To provide information on the towns car parking provision, availabilityand opening hours.• To improve parking provision within the town for both short and longterm parking arrangements. Improve enforcement of all parking servingthe town centre, but where possible, avoid charging for short termparking.• To create opportunities for new car parking spaces and sites to cater forthe current and proposed population and visitors particularly during localevents and festivals.41

• To reduce the number of residents using town centre parking and createparking availability for other town centre shoppers and visitors.• Any changes to the structure of the parking provision, particularly theintroduction of charging, must be considered in line with parking chargesin neighbouring towns and villages.• To provide clear directional signage to car parking for motorists.• To provide dual use parking areas to cater for the weekend economyand during events and festivals.• To secure on site and adjacent site infrastructure and secure planningcontributions to secure this provision for the long termActions to improve the Strategic Gateways• To highlight and upgrade the northern and southern gateways andadjacent land as the key entrances into the town.• To provide a clear and effective signing strategy from the strategichighway network (A43/A5) and to provide clear directional signagerelating to specific land uses, public amenities and attractions within thetown.• To enhance the accessibility of Brackley town centre from the south withchanges to the priority of the junction between Banbury Road andBridge Street. The priority would be between the straight aheadmovements of Bridge Street to Market Place. This should be undertakenusing suitable techniques to reduce the speed of traffic in this area andto enhance pedestrian and cyclist accessibility.• To continue to work closely with the Government, Highways Agency andNorthamptonshire County Council Highways Authority to monitor thecapacity of the Northampton Road / A43 roundabout junction. Futuredevelopment to the north of the town should provide nil detriment to theoperational performance of this junction via a coordinated approach todevelopment or improvements at this location.Actions to improve Highways• New road infrastructure must be delivered to ensure that it meets thegrowth aspirations of Brackley, connects development sites in a coherentfashion, provides alternatives for sustainable transport and high qualitypedestrian and cycle facilities, and does not create additional capacityproblems on the strategic highway network (A43).• Upgrade and maintain existing roads.• Secure developer contributions for new highway infrastructure throughthe Community Infrastructure Levy of S106 obligations and future localtransport strategies.• Consider promoting a one-way system along Manor Road to reducecongestion primarily associated with school traffic.42

• Provide suitable mitigation measures i.e. traffic calming should beprovided along Turweston Road to ensure that any additional trafficdemand associated with new development in Brackley does notcontribute to the existing problem of ‘rat running’ in this area.• Ensure cohesive links between the existing town and new developmentsites. Ensure comprehensive accessibility between all sites and whereappropriate, the use of Grampian Conditions to ensure cohesiveness.Implications of the HS2 "Preferred Route Option"707 The "preferred route option" of HS2 has an implication on the proposedroad connection from Northampton Road across the Sawmills site and intoRadstone Fields. The route cuts through Brackley Sawmills (D) and part of thissite will become blighted for development until the HS2 route is confirmed andsafeguarded; and the full environmental implications of the design are known.43

8 Housing801 As a historic market town, Brackley has a broad mix of residentialproperty. The towns growth and expansion in the later half of 20th Centurydelivered a predominance of good quality post war family housing stock, whichis mostly privately owned. The River Ouse and the A43/A422 provide bothnatural and man made barriers to the towns expansion moving south resultingin all the recent housing growth taking place to the north and west of thetown.802 The District must currently deliver a 5 year housing supply and provide anannual provision of at least 330 dwellings per annum. Recent provision hasbeen secured in local villages through the Rural Interim Housing Policy. Themain focus for the provision over the next 15 years is to be in the Rural ServiceCentres of Brackley and Towcester. Brackley is anticipated to provide 2,000additional dwellings by 2026. Brackley can only accommodate so muchdevelopment in order that it maintains its unique character and this amountmay assist in securing improvements to the current town’s facilities. Whilstsome housing development is expected within the existing urban area of thetown centre and on brownfield sites, the majority of development is expectedto take the form of sustainable greenfield urban extensions. Forecasting howmany dwellings may be developed within the current settlement limits ofBrackley is critical to estimating potential land requirements for housing outsideof the town. The Education Land Assessment Study, to be undertaken by theNorthamptonshire County Council, may also identify potential residential landin the longer term.The Brackley Masterplan identifies:• The potential for 2,000 residential units identified on brownfield sites inthe town and greenfield locations to the north, east and west of thetown. The options also include flexibility for further growth beyond 2026,as appropriate in line with the review of the LDF and any futureplanning system;• Of the overall requirement for 2,000 dwellings;– 1,000 dwellings to be provided at Radstone Fields together with alocal centre to provide neighbourhood retail, community usestogether with a new primary school and potentially small scaleemployment uses.– 800 units on other green field locations and 200 from windfall sites.– The potential to create a further 400 housing units, in the longerterm, after the review of the Education Site Assessment by NCC.Connect new development into the existing urban areas and into the45

town centre with pedestrian and cycle networks to create a moreintegrated community.• New public open space, pitches and '3 rd generation' provision to makeup for the shortfall in the supply and new provision to provide for theadditional population;• The provision of new indoor and outdoor leisure facilities and anextended leisure centre and swimming pool facility at the BrackleyLeisure Centre;• A range of affordable housing to meet local needs;• The relevant physical and social infrastructure; and,• Creation of a balanced community with the appropriate level ofemployment to address need and levels of out-commute.• Off site related investment in the town centre, public realm, car parkingprovision and public transport links.803 The following sites have been identified to meet the housing requirement:• Radstone Fields (E) 1,000 units• Brackley West (F) 220 units• Turweston Road South (A) 380 units• Robson Land (D) 200 units804 Issues of affordability, although by no means unique to Brackley, aresignificant with the South Northamptonshire District experiencing some of thehighest house prices in the East Midlands region.805 Whilst some town centre apartments, in the form of both conversion andnew development have been built over the last few years, housing needs inBrackley continues to be family orientated accommodation. The change ineconomic circumstances in 2008/09 has led the development industry to moveaway from apartment development in favour of houses. Currently, smaller twoand three bedroom houses are an identified part of Brackley’s housing needsproviding starter family homes and more affordable property. These will need46

to be supplemented by larger four and five bedroom homes to ensure a rangeof housing types caters for residents needs. An appropriate range of affordablehousing and specialist housing will also be required to meet local need,together with a balanced emphasis on town centre regeneration. The lastestinformation on housing needs can be found in the SNC Housing Needs Survey.806 The quality and range of housing choice is an important part of Brackley’soffer. Residential development over the last 20 years has not always beendesigned to reflect Brackley’s Market Town heritage or provide a localenvironment that is immediately identifiable as part of the SouthNorthamptonshire area.807 New housing must address these concerns and create high quality andunique residential areas that are special to Brackley. The internal design of thehousing must be flexible and practical and provide suitable space to provide agood quality of life for future residents to last over their lifetimes. New housingmust create opportunities for the use of outdoor space including spaciousbalconies, roof gardens and provision of realistic size gardens together with theprovision of accessible high quality open space. Nationally recognised bestpractice approaches such as that set out in CABE’s Building for Life should beused to ensure that proposals reflect what is special about Brackley.808 The form, layout and grain of new housing should be carefully consideredto respond to the local context, whilst the architectural design should reflectthe style, proportions and detailing of the local vernacular. The choice ofmaterials should also be chosen to respond to context. These design issuesshould be explored and explained fully through the relevant planningsubmissions and accompanying Design and Access Statements.809 By 2016 all new residential development will need to be zero carbon tocomply with national standards set by the Code for Sustainable Homes. Thedrive to make our communities more sustainable will also change the way newdevelopments are planned, designed and managed. This will be the context inwhich developers will be working to create new schemes in Brackley.47

Implications of the HS2 "Preferred Route Option"810 The "preferred route option" of HS2 has an implication on the supply ofnew housing land in Brackley. The route cuts through the Robson Land (E) andthe north-east corner of Radstone Fields (F), and has an impact on the mixeduse site of Turweston Road South (A). Parts of these sites will thereforebecome blighted for development until the HS2 route is confirmed andsafeguarded; and the full environmental implications of the design are known.This will be subject to the approach taken by the Government as to whetherthey will proceed with HS2 and the "preferred route option" to be adopted. It isessential that housing development is delivered in Brackley to achieve theprojected growth target of 2,000 homes by 2026.811 Due to the blight caused by HS2 it is unlikely that in the short term all the1,000 new homes planned for Radstone Fields can be developed; as theenvironmental impact of the railway line will not be uncertain until the route isfinalised and safeguarded. There is also uncertainty as to whether theproposed road connection from Northampton Road across the Sawmills siteand into Radstone Fields can be delivered. This may also affect the residentialcapacity of Radstone Fields. The developers will need to undertake anassessment of the potential implications of HS2 and consider this during theirdetailed design.48

9 Employment901 A key component of a successful Brackley is enhancing the quality andquantity of employment opportunities and reducing the trend of outcommuting. Brackley will need to deliver in excess of 2,000 new jobs by 2026and build on the opportunities for working from home. The town currently hasa diverse economic base including high technology motorsport, linked tonearby Silverstone Circuit, and is home to the 2009 F1 World Championshipwinning team. Silverstone Circuit currently has plans for major mixed usedevelopment proposals as set out in the Silverstone Circuit Development Brief.902 Brackley also has a range of other more traditional manufacturingbusiness and there remains an opportunity to diversify the number ofemployers further through tourism and leisure related employment. TheBuckingham Road Industrial Estate provides a large proportion of the townsemployment, in a central location and within walking distance of the towncentre. The town centre itself provides a range of employment including retail,business and education etc. There has been the creation of a range of newretail units within the town centre Burgess Square site which was recentlycompleted and one unit has just been taken by Costa Coffee.903 The employment provision needs to take account of the relationship withthe rural catchment and the nature of the rural economy, particularly thefarming industry. Emphasis should be placed on creating sustainable jobs forlocal people and maximising the use of local suppliers / local produce.904 The key issues for employment are:• To create balanced communities with the provision in excess of 2,000new jobs;• Provide new employment opportunities in Brackley to reduce outcommuting;• Provide a range of employment options focusing mainly on B1, B2 withsome B8 uses, together with hotel, retail, leisure, recreation, health andeducation uses;• Provide a range of units for the creative industries to encourage thedevelopment of local talent and skills.• Provide high quality hotels and conference facilities for all year roundevents and cater for users of Silverstone Circuit and TowcesterRacecourse.• Maximise the high technology engineering sector opportunity in Brackleyto support Silverstone Circuit and the wider District;• Improve the environment around existing employment and industrialsites to attract new employers;51

• Provide broadband infrastructure to all new and existing developments;• Provide opportunities to work from home and creation of live/work units;and,• Provide sustainable local jobs to reduce out commuting and createsustainable travel patterns.The Brackley Masterplan identifies:• Create a “Technology Park” for the high performance engineering sector.• Redevelop the entrance gateway to Mercedes GP Petronas.• Promote improvements to Buckingham Road Industrial Estate andprepare a Development Brief for redevelopment.• Promote and secure the Brackley Sawmills for a range of uses fallingwithin Use Classes B1 and B2, together with hotel / conference (UseClass C1), leisure / recreation (Use Class D1) and healthcare. Food Retailand general retail development will be resisted in this out of centrelocation due to its impact on the town centre. The objective is to securea high quality, well designed, comprehensive employment B1/B2 focusedredevelopment on this key northern gateway brownfield site.• Secure the provision of a healthcare facility on a suitable site, subject toplanning requirements and Northamptonshire PCT that maximizespotential for current healthcare relocation.• SNC to work with landowners, developers, potential investors, majorlocal employers and potential employers and other agencies to buildlong term relationships and secure investment.• Work with businesses on Buckingham Road Industrial Estate to addressenvironmental health concerns and upgrade the appearance of the area.• Promote better broadband internet speeds for the town and surroundingvillages.• Promote new hotel development, training and conference facilities to beprovided in Brackley to support the town and maximise the linksbetween Silverstone Circuit.• Develop a complementary offer to Silverstone Circuit and build on theseopportunities as an all year round venue and aspirations contained in theSilverstone Circuit Development Brief.• Deliver in excess of 2,000 new jobs with the majority being ‘knowledge’based employment in office, engineering and the service sector,supported by new jobs in healthcare, education, leisure, recreation,hotel and tourism employment.• Maximise links with local education providers and aim to secure furthereducation facilities together with dual uses.• Build on the current job clubs and improve opportunities for localemployment.• Encourage the provision of wi-fi / broadband access with town centresites.52

Implications of the HS2 "Preferred Route Option"905 The "preferred route option" of HS2 has a profound implication on thesupply of new employment land in Brackley. The route cuts through TurwestonRoad North (A) and Brackley Sawmills (C) and has an impact on the mixed usesite of Turweston Road South (A). These sites will therefore become blightedfor development until the HS2 route is confirmed and safeguarded; and the fullenvironmental implications of the design are known.906 The masterplan should therefore be reviewed and updated when theexact route of HS2 has been confirmed and the environmental and visualimplications of the new railway line can be fully understood. From theinformation available from the Government, it could be sometime between thesummer of 2010 and 2013 before the route can be safeguarded.907 It will therefore be important for the Masterplan to deliver some of theimproved employment opportunities in the short term. The best opportunity toachieve this is in the strategically located Buckingham Road Industrial Estate.The area should be improved and redeveloped to provide betteraccommodation and an improved environmental quality. A number of sites andbuildings are vacant and these could form the basis for the comprehensiveredevelopment of the area.908 SNC should work with existing business and prepare a Development Brieffor the improvement, reconfiguration and marketing of the Buckingham RoadIndustrial Estate.53

10 Leisure, Swimming, Recreationand Open Space1001 Brackley is currently under provided when considering the range and typeof open space, swimming, indoor and outdoor leisure, recreation facilities andplaying pitches usually associated with a town of its size and the catchment itserves. There is a limited provision of competition level facilities. Theconsiderable housing growth through the 1990’s has outpaced thedevelopment of the facilities. SNC has commissioned Nortoft Partnership Ltd toprepare a Leisure Strategy, which will identify the need to provide theappropriate level of recreation space and playing pitches to support thedevelopment of 2,000 homes and 2000 new jobs, which is in addition to thatneeded to address the current shortfall of space. The provision required will besubject to an assessment of the housing mix of development proposals.1002 The primary public leisure facilities in the town are the Brackley LeisureCentre and Brackley Swimming Pool run by the South NorthamptonshireLeisure Trust with the operational site contracted to Serco. Brackley LeisureCentre provides a 65 station fitness centre, indoor sports court, outdoorfootball pitches and a range of health and beauty related facilities. BrackleySwimming Pool operates from a separate site and provides a 25m pool, anadditional 15 station fitness centre and health and beauty facilities. The currentBrackley Swimming Pool building built in 1975, is outdated and not consideredto be fit for modern purpose for the community and education requirements.The Local Education Authority contributes to this provision due to theeducational requirements for swimming in the national curriculum.1003 There is currently a limited provision of private leisure provision in thetown with the nearest gym facility being located at Whittlebury Hall, Spa andGolf Club, in Whittlebury Village. The Chase and Partners Retail Studyhighlighted that the population commute out of the District to undertakeleisure pursuits and therefore potential income is lost and travel patterns arenot sustainable due to the lack of local private and public facilities. There is aclear demand for investment and provision in private and public leisure andrecreational facilities within the town to meet health needs of the current andfuture residents.1004 There are a wide range of sports clubs with facilities across the town.Brackley Town Football Club operate a floodlit pitch at St James Park and haverecently improved terraces and seating at the ground. The club provides socialand sporting facilities with various regular events for local people. Just to thenorth of the football ground is Brackley Cricket Club and Brackley Bowls Club.Brackley Rugby Club is the most recently developed facility operating from a55

purpose built facility to the north of the town with clubhouse facilities and tworugby pitches.1005 Many local clubs are located on town centre/ near town centre sites,some of which are owned by the Council. Some of the clubs would consider theoption to relocate to the edge in order to obtain better quality competitivequality facilities which would in turn provide further town centre opportunitysites.56

The Brackley Masterplan identifies:• The redevelopment and expansion of the Brackley Leisure Centre withnew indoor facilities, outdoor pitches including Astroturf pitch, togetherwith a new Swimming Pool and Wellbeing Centre. SNC will commission aviability study and a development brief for this work.• Provide facilities and activities for 11-18 year olds.• Invest in new play spaces and equipment including all weather facilities.• The under provision of open space, formal play areas and sport pitchesis to be addressed by providing new areas of open space and pitches tothe north-west of the town, next to the planned urban expansion (2 and3).• The provision of '3 rd generation pitches', astro turf and multi-gamesareas.• The promotion and provision of dual use facilities including leisurefacilities within existing and new educational establishments outsideschool operation hours.• Provide of a range of quality public and private indoor and outdoorleisure facilities and activities with crèche facilities. Where possible, newfacilities should be designed to be dual-use to maximise their use byusers and should provide suitable changing rooms and parking wherepossible. There is an aspiration for competition level facilities wherefunding can be secured.• Promotion and development of sports, leisure and recreational facilitiesin line with the health agenda throughout the year.• Provide a continuous pedestrian route and cycleway around Brackley.• Provide new open space by extending St James Park to the north-west(5), enhancement of the disused railway embankment off Glebe Road(1) and redeveloping land off Stuart Road (4).• Develop a new skateboard park on land to the north of St James Park.• Promote redevelopment of the old Fire Station site for community usesrelated to the adjacent park.• Ensure that appropriate key opportunity sites contain sufficient on siteleisure, recreation and community provision and make appropriatecontributions towards off site provision.• Ensure appropriate contributions are secured to wards the swimmingprovision for the town and extension of the Leisure Centre.• Ensure facilities have efficient public transport services and car parkingavailability.Implications of the HS2 "Preferred Route Option"1006 The "preferred route option" of HS2 does not affect the proposals forleisure, sports or open space provision.57

11 Community Services1101 A number of community services are located out of the town centre andthese would be better located in the centre for access to public transport andother services. This would help to stimulate more linked trips to the towncentre retail core, which would help to revitalise the centre and provide arange of services. The Library Service, run by Northamptonshire CountyCouncil, would like to expand and relocate closer to the town centre, possiblywith other complimentary uses. This together with a new Community ResourceCentre could provide the basis for a significant new building in the heart ofMarket Place. This could also be the focus for a Performing Arts Venue,providing a mixed use community ‘PLACE’ in the heart of the town. It shouldinclude accessible toilet facilities in line with the ‘Changing Places’ strategy.1102 The existing Town Hall should be upgraded to provide a range of facilitiesto cater for the community in terms of daytime and evening events. Theremaybe the opportunity to look into the provision of a cinema facility.1103 The existing Cemetery on Halse Road does not have sufficient long termcapacity to serve the town with Brackley Town Council considering usingadjacent allotment space to resolve the problem. A new Cemetery andAllotments site should be identified within the urban expansion to the north ofthe town or in an alternative suitable location that has capacity for the currentshortfall and provides for future need.58

The Brackley Masterplan identifies:• 'PLACE' a new mixed use community destination in Market Placecomprising; Library, Community Resource Centre, café, performancespace, community rooms and a ‘Changing Place’ as part of new multiusedevelopment to help stimulate vitality and linked trips.• Refurbish and upgrade the Town Hall as a key building in the town.• Provide community facilities as part of Radstone Fields development.• Upgrade and expand the Brackley Leisure Centre.• Allocate land for a new Cemetery and community allotments.• Requirements for the provision of culture, arts and performance venuesto be created within existing premises as part of dual use and forprovision within new developments particularly associated with the towncentre.• The opportunities for entertainment and recreation provision in thetown.59

12 Education1201 There is a range of education provision within Brackley which serves thetown and rural catchment. The majority of the schools in Brackley are locatedclose to the centre, but are not generally well placed to serve the mainresidential areas. In particular the primary and secondary schools in the centrehave problems of accessibility, which causes traffic congestion. Manor Road isbadly affected with queuing cars and buses, and Magdalen College School hassubstantial problems caused by students and teachers moving between thetwo sites on Manor Road and Market Place.1202 There is potential for the relocation or merger of the primary schools dueto the current spare capacity. The primary schools could be relocatedelsewhere in the town, or towards the edge of the town to lessen trafficcongestion in the town centre.1203 There would be substantial advantages if Magdalen College School couldoperate from one site; either by relocating all activities to one of the existingsites or moving to a new greenfield site. Either solution is likely to offersubstantial benefits to the town centre; improve the education provision andenable surplus school land to be made available for redevelopment, which cancontribute to the funding of any new schools.1204 There will be a requirement for a range of new education facilities inorder to address current issues and to provide for the increase in the townsand rural catchments population. Currently there is a limited provision forprivate education provision within the town and there is a requirement to outcommute outside the District.The Brackley Masterplan identifies:• Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) is to undertake an EducationLand Assessment to review options, a strategy for the preferred locationof Magdalen College School and the implications for the infant andprimary feeder schools:– Option 1 - No change to the long term capacity of the school, whichcan absorb the extra pupils from the planned new residentialdevelopment,– Option 2 - Close both sites for new green field location,– Option 3 - Close the Manor Road site and transfer all operations tothe Market Place site utilising adjacent sports land in SNC ownership.• Options 2 and 3 offer additional long term benefits for the town centre,which will need to be considered as part of the longer term strategy forthe town centre.• Identify the role for any surplus education land.61

• Current education establishments require enhancement and expansionwhere appropriate and should investigate dual use opportunities duringthe evenings and weekends.• Current education establishments to encourage and promote dual usefacilities for the whole community and increase accessibility particularlyoutside school operational hours.• New educational facilities should include the provision of dual-use indoorand outdoor leisure facilities, including swimming that can also be usedby the school and the wider community.• Any aspiration to widen the further education provision within the townas part of dual use provision or preferably a new build.• Any aspiration for the provision of private education facilities.• There will be a requirement for the provision of to cover the range ofneeds including special needs and adult education.• The provision of a new primary school on the Radstone Fields site withdual use facilities with contributions towards secondary school provisionbased on the provision of 1000 dwellings.• Provision of a children’s centre within the town.• Provision for crèche, nursery and after school and weekend clubfacilities.• Investigation of the options for further education provision.• Creation of sustainable links to the proposed further education provisionat Silverstone Circuit.• Ensure the promotion and provision of safer routes to schools by theprovision of sustainable travel plans for all current and future schools.• Maximise opportunities for partnership working with local employers.Implications of the HS2 "Preferred Route Option"1205 The "preferred route option" of HS2 does not affect the current proposalsfor education.62

13 Health Services1301 The Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), together with a range oflocal health providers are responsible for health provision within Brackley. TheCottage Hospital and local services in Brackley serve the town's population andits rural catchment, however the main A&E hospital is located outside theDistrict. In addition, there are a range of private and alternative health careproviders within the town.1302 The proposed development of 2,000 dwellings will create a 30% increasein the population in addition to the current development taking place in therural catchment villages. This will require the expansion of the current healthfacilities and provision of new facilities and services to meet this need includingpublic, private and alternative health care and associated facilities.1303 The provision of health care, leisure and recreation facilities and activitiesto encourage healthy lifestyles are an important element of the Masterplan. Inorder to promote a healthy lifestyle, there should be recognition of the crossbenefits of investment in education provision, recreation, leisure, swimmingprovision and promotion of exercise in order to deliver health objectives.1304 The planning system recognises the role of health and requiresdevelopers to consider health impacts of their developments through theprovision of Health Impact Assessments (HIA). Developers should activelyengage with Northamptonshire PCT and local health providers in order toaddress these issues.Primary Care Centre1305 The Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) has approved andprovided funding for the development of a major new Primary Care Centre inBrackley.1306 The current proposals include:• The relocation of two GP surgeries (Washington House Surgery andBrackley Health Centre).• A Pharmacy.• A new two chair NHS dental facility.• A 60 bed care home service provided by The Orders of St John CareTrust Facility incorporating an intermediate care bed facility.• The preferred site is on part of Brackley Sawmills. This is a key gatewaysite and the proposal must be of a high quality design.63

1307 The new development the centre will provide much needed state of theart services to replace existing surgeries with additional diagnostic andcommunity facilities on site, and will have sufficient capacity for the populationgrowth planned for Brackley. The new development will provide flexible,innovative and joined up health and social care facilities to meet local need.1308 The new development will provide the community beds that will betransferred from the Cottage Hospital when it is due to close. The Council isworking in partnership with the PCT to facilitate the provision of a high qualitydevelopment proposal which meets the local health needs. BrackleyInvestments who secured the PCT contract for this provision, will shortly belooking to submit a planning application to the Council for this proposal andthis will be subject to a formal public consultation period.The Brackley Masterplan identifies:• Support and promote the provision of a well designed, high qualityPrimary Healthcare Centre, including the 60 bed unit for elderly care andthe replacement of the Cottage Hospital on a suitable and accessiblesite.• The current preferred site is the Sawmills site subject to appropriateplanning requirements and environmental assessments.• Encourage the provision of new health care facilities to meet the currentand future needs of the growing population and rural catchment.• Is supportive and recognises the relationship between healthcare andhealthy living through the investment in leisure and recreation facilitiesand promotion of walking and cycling.64

• Promotion and securing the provision and links between health,planning, leisure and recreation provision.• Is supportive of the relocation of health related facilities to moreappropriate located accessible sites within the town.• Secure planning gain and match funding to fund health and leisureprovision.Implications of the HS2 "Preferred Route Option"1309 The cut profile of the HS2 route across the Sawmills site will have anenvironmental impact on the land, which might extend as far as the identifiedsite for the new hospital on the southern corner of the Sawmills site. The preapplicationdiscussions and subsequent planning application for any proposalson this site will need to appraise the potential impact of the "preferred routeoption" on the development of the Primary Care Centre.1310 There will therefore be uncertainty on the level of blight andenvironmental impact caused by HS2 until the route is safeguarded and theenvironmental assessment made by Government. As indicated earlier in thisreport, this might not be known until after the hospital has been completedand occupied in late 2011.1311 The development of the health facilities is being undertaken by BrackleyInvestments and is planned to take place before the HS2 route is finalised.Brackley Investments is a specialist developer and investor of healthcarefacilities. SNC will work in partnership with, the Northamptonshire Primary CareTrust and Brackley Investments to identify the planning and delivery issues atan early stage related to the design, requirements and implementation of ahealthcare facility on the preferred site.65

14 Tourism1401 Brackley is an attractive tourism destination in itself and is close to manytourism attractions including Silverstone Circuit, Towcester Racecourse,Sulgrave Manor, Whittlebury Hotel, Conference, Spa and Golf Course, BicesterVillage, Moat Lane Waterside site in Towcester, country parks and finebuildings. The area is easily accessible by road and close to Banbury, Bicester,Oxford, Milton Keynes and Northampton. Attractive countryside surrounds thetown with opportunities for many outdoor pursuits.1402 The key issues for Tourism are:• Limited range of hotel and B&B accommodation;• Poor tourism information availability, lack of leaflets and websiteinformation;• Lack of information about visitor attractions;• The history and heritage of the town is not celebrated; and,• No current provision for tourism.• Lack of Retail, leisure and recreation provision in the town.• Lack of food premises including quality cafes and restaurants.1403 South Northamptonshire Council have recently produced their EconomicDevelopment Strategy and the SNC Retail Strategy and are developing theirtourism involvement in the District. They are currently preparing a tourismguide for the District.The Brackley Masterplan identifies the need to:• Promote investment in a range of new visitor and tourismaccommodation.• Provide new hotel and conference development to support the town andmaximise links with Silverstone Circuit and other sporting events andTowcester Racecourse;• Improve tourism with more information about local attractions in thesurrounding area together with website; and,• Interpret and promote the history of the town.66

15 Utilities and ServicesSewage, Sewage Treatment and Water Supply1501 The responsibility for sewage, sewage treatment and water supply fallsunder Anglian Water, whilst consent permission is issued by the EnvironmentAgency.1502 There is currently limited capacity at the sewage treatment works servingBrackley and there will be a requirement for these treatment works to beextended and improved. The provision of any improvements or additionalworks will need to be detailed in Anglian Water’s Asset Management Plan andagreed by the regulator OFWAT and the Environment Agency.1503 It is essential that land owners and developers undertake early preconsultationwith infrastructure providers to confirm and highlight theirrequirements. This will ensure that development proposals can beappropriately serviced, and where additional works are required, that these areplanned and coordinated in line with the phasing program of development toensure adequate service provision and the timely implementation of proposals.Waste and Recycling1504 The waste and recycling capacity of the town will need to be expanded,or an additional facility located to accommodate the additional populationgrowth and development which will take place until 2026.67

16 Delivery and Implementation ofthe Masterplan1601 The production of the Masterplan has already involved extensive preconsultation undertaken by WYG Planning as detailed in Appendices 5 and 6.The Draft Brackley Masterplan will be the subject of a six week publicconsultation period beginning on 28 th June 2010 and finishing on 9 th August2010. The Draft Masterplan and consultation leaflet including a questionnaire,will be available on the Council Website and will be on display in variouslocations around the town, including at Burgess Square and in the BrackleyLibrary.1602 The feedback and comments will be reviewed and a report preparedidentifying the Council’s response to all the comments. The BrackleyMasterplan Report will then be finalised and considered by SNC Cabinet foradoption by the Council as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) inAutumn 2010.Consultation Reponses1603 A consultation leaflet and questionnaire has been prepared. People arewelcome to complete the questionnaire and provide comments and informationon the Draft Masterplan and return in the pre paid envelope. Once theconsultation deadline ends, the responses will be assessed by WYG Planningand the Masterplan revised appropriately to respond to comments made.Public Consultation and Exhibition1604 South Northamptonshire Council and WYG Planning & Design haveinvolved local community groups, businesses, developers and other interestedbodies in the preparation of the Draft Brackley Masterplan. The DraftMasterplan is the result of extensive work by the Council and its consultantssince August 2009 and we welcome comments on all aspects of the document.1605 The Draft Brackley Masterplan has been placed on formal consultation fora period of six weeks, beginning on Monday 28 th June 2010 and ending onMonday 9th August 2010.68

Exhibition1606 An officer manned exhibition will be on display during weeks 1 to 3 of theconsultation between Monday 28th June 2010 and Saturday 17th July 2010 atSales Suite, Unit 46, Burgess Square, Brackley, NN13 7FA. Monday to Friday12.00pm to 7.00pm, Saturday 11.00am to 4.00pm (closed Sundays).1607 An unmanned exhibition will be on display between Monday 28th June2010 and Saturday 7th August 2010 at Brackley Library, Manor Road, Brackley,NN13 6AJ. Monday to Friday 9.00am to 6.00pm, Saturday 9.00am to 5.00pm(closed Sundays).1608 This unmanned exhibition will also be on display between Thursday 22ndJuly and Saturday 7th August 2010 at Sales Suite, Unit 46, Burgess Square,Brackley, NN13 7FA. Thursday to Saturday only, 10.00am to 5.00pm (weeks 4to 6 of the exhibition, closed Sunday to Wednesday).Obtaining a copy of the Draft Brackley Masterplan1609 Copies of the Draft Brackley Masterplan are available for inspection in thefollowing locations:• Sales Suite, Unit 46, Burgess Square, Brackley, NN13 7FA (opening timesdetailed above).• Brackley Town Council, Town Hall, Market Place, NN13 7AB. Monday toFriday 9.00am to 5.00pm (closed between 1.00pm and 2.00pm).• Brackley Library, Manor Road, Brackley, NN3 6AJ. (opening times detailedabove).• Brackley Leisure Centre, Springfield Way, Brackley, NN13 6JJ. Monday toFriday 7.00am to 10.00pm, Weekends 8.00am to 6.00pm.The Draft Brackley Masterplan and Consultation Leaflet, FAQs andQuestionnaire can be downloaded from the South Northamptonshire Council’swebsite at: www.southnorthants.gov.ukQuestionnaire1610 A questionnaire is provided which people are welcome to complete andsend to the Council using the prepaid envelope provided.69

Further Comments1611 The Council welcomes written correspondence of people’s views, andthese responses should be marked ‘Draft Brackley Masterplan’ and addressedto:Brackley Masterplan ConsultationStrategic PolicySouth Northamptonshire CouncilSpringfieldsTowcesterNorthamptonshireNN12 6AEWritten correspondence can also be emailed to the Council on:brackleymasterplan@southnorthants.gov.ukFormal Adoption1612 The Masterplan will then go to SNC Cabinet for formal adoption. Once theMasterplan is adopted, it will become a formal SPD and become a materialconsideration during pre-application discussions, assist in the determination ofappropriate formal planning applications in and around Brackley, and fordetermining the provision of planning contributions on and off site. TheMasterplan aims to address the current planning policy gap, promote economicdevelopment and the document will also be used to form the evidence base forthe production of the West Northamptonshire LDF currently being produced bythe West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit and whatever planning systemmay develop over the coming years.Implementation Strategy1613 Delivering the Brackley Masterplan will require support, partnershipworking, strong leadership and co-operation of the public and private sectors.A new organisation and delivery vehicle will be established to manage,promote and co-ordinate the delivery of the masterplan.1614 While the delivery vehicle is being established a comprehensive ActionPlan will be prepared by the Council and its appropriate partners that identifiesthe short, medium and long term priorities and the public and private sectorbodies who will be responsible for implementation, resources and funding. TheAction Plan for the Masterplan must be able to take account of economiccircumstances, the HS2 proposals and the Education Land Assessment andexisting and forthcoming strategies including Economic Development Strategy,Retail Study and the changing planning system etc.1615 South Northamptonshire Council are the Local Planning Authority who willdetermine any planning applications located within Brackley. Pre-application70

discussions should be undertaken within the Development Services Section andMasterplan, policy, conservation, economic development and housing advicecan be sought from Strategic Policy within South Northamptonshire Council.Development Services at the Council now charge a fee to provide preapplication advice and details of this service can be found on the Councilwebsite. Potential landowners, developers and investors are encouraged toobtain advice from statutory consultees at an early stage before commencingpre-application discussions with the Council.1616 Potential applicants are encouraged to read the various Councilpublications and strategies, including the following documentation, which areavailable from the Council:• SNC Chase and Partners Retail Study.• SNC Economic Development Strategy.• SNC Developer Contributions SPD (Draft May 2010).• SNC Climate and Renewable Energy SPD.• SNC Local Plan Saved Policies.• SNC Pre Application Procedures.• SNC Draft Towcester Masterplan.• The CACI West Northants Retail Study.• West Northamptonshire Local Development Framework Documentationavailable from the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit.• The Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – By Syzygy(2009).• The forthcoming SNC Leisure Strategy by Nortoft.• The forthcoming SNC Transport Strategy.• Various Council SPD’s and guidance notes.• National Planning Documents on www.communities.gov.ukPlanning Obligations1617 SNC have produced an SPD on Planning Obligations which applicants willbe required to consider as part of their development proposals. Emphasis willbe placed on both on and off site provision in the town to achieve theobjectives of the Brackley Masterplan and other strategic documents producedby the Council. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Council at an earlypre-application stage in order to undertake constructive negotiations.1618 Site viability and value will be assessed using the '3 Dragons Toolkit' toensure that an independent assessment of all sites and proposals are made.For further information on this please contact the SNC Housing Strategy Team.71

Action Plan1619 The actions can be allocated into short, medium and long term initiatives.Phase 1: 2010 – 2015. Short term initiatives providing “quick wins” for Brackleyare:• SNC to initiate Town Centre Management (TCM).• SNC to initiate a Town Fund to secure town objectives and deliver themasterplan.• SNC to create a town website and maximise opportunities for marketingand investment in the town.• SNC/TCM to work with local estate agents and landlords of commercialpremises in the town centre and with prospective tenants to facilitatethe beneficial use of vacant or underused units.• SNC/TCM to develop and deliver an events schedule.• SNC to work with NCC, the Highways Agency and Waitrose to secureoff-site highway, directional and promotional signage for the town centreand Waitrose car park.• SNC to secure the beneficial use or redevelopment of the former TouristInformation Centre.• SNC to prepare a Development Brief for the Buckingham Road IndustrialEstate.• SNC to prepare a Development Brief for the Brackley Leisure Centre siteto accommodate its expansion and provision for a new swimming pool.• SNC to prepare a Development Brief for the key town centre site toextend the role of the town centre functions and offer.• SNC to work with NCC to review the planning issues resulting from theEducation Land Assessment.• SNC to secure improvements to bus services through S106 contributions.• SNC to investigate the potential to bring the basement car park underWaitrose into use as a long stay town centre car park.• SNC to maximise planning contributions to secure and deliver theobjectives of the Brackley Masterplan in line with SNC PlanningObligations SPD and ensure cohesive, sustainable development takesplace.• Secure the development of 38 to 50 High Street and land to the rear forthe benefit of the town.• Secure additional car parking in the town centre.• Market key opportunity sites.• Create a parking plan.• SNC to produce a Design SPD.• SNC to produce a Town Centre SPD.• SNC to produce a Key Opportunity Sites Strategy.• SNC to produce a Tourism Guide.72

• SNC to adopt their Planning Obligations SPD.• SNC to investigate external funding opportunities.• SNC to produce an Estates Strategy.Phase 2: 2015 – 2020. Medium term objectives, which are• Complete the Radstone Fields residential urban extension subject to asatisfactory planning submission, meeting Masterplan, policy, designrequirements and section 106 negotiations.• Redevelopment of the Brackley Sawmills site for suitable qualityemployment uses including a new healthcare facility, leisure, hotelfacilities.• Complete the B1, B2 and B8 development on land to the north andsouth of Turweston Road.• Re-align High Street and create flexible open space.• Create improved bus stop facilities in Market Place.• Install town centre signage.• Improvement to main northern and southern Gateways (entrances) intothe town from the A43 and on the south side of the town centre atBanbury Road and Bridge Street.• Improve pedestrian and cycle linkages throughout Brackley.• Improve Brackley RFC.• SNC to secure the funding and implementation of the Brackley LeisureCentre and Swimming Pool development.Phase 3: 2020 – 2026. Longer term objectives, which are:• Deliver the new community and arts facility in the town centre andsecure the appropriate re-development of the existing library site.• Secure the northern link road between the A43 and Banbury Road tofacilitate new residential open space and sports uses on greenfield landto the west of Brackley, possibly including a new site for MagdalenCollege.• If Magdalen College relocates to the west of Brackley, deliver highdensity comprehensive mixed use development on the existing MagdalenCollege town centre site and SNC land to the east, including BrackleyTown Football Club site.• Maintain the role of the town manager and marketing of the town.• Prepare and address market changes to keep Brackley in a prime retailposition to retain local spend.73

Delivery Vehicle1620 The delivery of the Masterplan will need to be carefully considered. A neworganisation will need to be created to rise above past differences and beformed from a group of people, representing the key organisations that havethe vision and determination to work together for the future prosperity of thetown. The role of the ‘delivery vehicle’ will be to:• Set priorities and actions;• Promote the vision for Brackley;• Act as a partner and enabler for the organisations who are involved withdelivering the objectives of the masterplan;• Coordinate the implementation of the masterplan by the various parties;• Provide a single voice to promote change;• Appoint Executive staff to deliver day to day tasks;• Secure appropriate resources and funding; and,• Establish a membership of key stakeholders.1621 A ‘Brackley Regeneration Board’ could be established as the deliveryvehicle, which will guide the delivery of the masterplan, draw together publicagencies with statutory responsibilities and shape investment that flows intothe town. Following from the Daventry and Towcester models, this couldinvolve SNC, Brackley Town Council, Northampton Enterprise Limited,Northamptonshire County Council and the Highways Agency.1622 A wider stakeholder group would work with the Regeneration Board as areactivated ‘Brackley Vision’ which would seek to involve all community andbusiness groups working and operating in the town.1623 The Council and various associated organisations will need to ensure theyhave the appropriate resources in terms of skilled professionals andappropriate budgets in place to deliver the objectives and actions of theMasterplan. This will include the appropriate skilled staff to facilitate thedelivery of the key opportunity sites from the initial discussions, production ofdevelopment briefs, application discussions to the implementation on theground.74

17 AppendicesAppendix 1 - GlossaryAppendix 2 - Planning Policy Context and Evidence BaseAppendix 3 - Site PlansAppendix 4 - HS2 Plans and Information LinksAppendix 5 - Workshop ConsulteesAppendix 6 - Consultation Process75

Appendix 1 – GlossaryAffordable housing - Low cost housing for sale or rent, often from a housingassociation, to meet the needs of local people who cannot afford marketaccommodation in a very similar way to council housing.Brackley Buzzer - Bus service running in various loops around the townapproximately every hour between 8.30am and 5.00pm.Brownfield - Common term for previously developed land as defined byPlanning Policy Statement 3 on Housing.CABE - Commission for Architecture and the Built EnvironmentCode for Sustainable Homes - An environmental impact rating system forhousing in England, setting new standards for energy efficiencyCommunity Infrastructure Levy - A monetary amount which localauthorities are empowered to charge on different types of new developmentCommunity Resource Centre - May comprise a number of communityservices, including adult and children's learning, library, community centre andtourist information centre for example.Conservation Area - An area of special architectural interest, the character orappearance of which is desirable to preserve or enhance.DPD - Development Plan Document.RES - East Midlands Economic Strategy.EDS - Economic Development Strategy.ELAS - Education Land Assessment Study.ECS - Emergent Core Strategy.Greenfield - Sites which have never been previously developed and areusually agricultural in use.HIA - Health Impact Assessment.HS2 - High Speed 2 railway linking London to Birmingham and beyond.Intermediate care bed facility - Health care facility providing less intensivecare than provided in hospitals.LDF - Local Development Framework.77

Listed Buildings - A building (or structure) that has been designated as beingof ‘special architectural or historic interest’. Listed buildings are graded I, II*and II. Grade I and II* are particularly important and are buildings ofoutstanding national importance.NCC - Northamptonshire County Council.NEL - Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited.PPG - Planning Policy Guidance note.PPS - Planning Policy Statement.Primary Care Centre - A health facility where a patient receives first contactwith the health care system, for example a doctors surgery.S106 - Section 106 allows a local planning authority to enter into a legallybindingagreement or planning obligation with a landowner in association withthe granting of planning permission. These agreements are a way of deliveringor addressing matters that are necessary to make a development acceptable inplanning terms and are used to support the provision of services andinfrastructure, such as highways, recreational facilities, education, health andaffordable housing.SHLAA - Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment.SNC - South Northamptonshire Council.SNRS - South Northamptonshire Retail Study.SPD - Supplementary Planning Document.TCM - Town centre management.Use Classes - A grouping of building and land use categories, within whichchanges of use may take place without planning permission being required.WNECS - West Northamptonshire Emergent Core Strategy.WNJPU - West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit.Zero carbon - A general term applied to buildings with zero net energyconsumption and zero carbon emissions.78

Appendix 2 – Planning Policy Contextand Evidence BaseA201 The Brackley Masterplan SPD will form part of South NorthamptonshireDistrict Councils suite of Development Plan Documents (DPDs). Accordingly,the Brackley Masterplan SPD has been produced in the context of the currentstrategic and local planning policy framework and the emerging DPD evidencebase to be a material consideration during pre-application discussions andformal assessment of planning applications.A202 A summary of the current policy and evidence available at regional andlocal level and referenced in the preparation of this SPD are set out below:Evidence Base for the MasterplanA203 Forecasts concerning household growth show that SouthNorthamptonshire is expected to experience the highest increase in projectedhouseholds in the East Midlands with 27.6% growth between 2006 and 2016 1 .The figures also show South Northamptonshire to have the second highestratio of lower quartile housing to lower quartile earnings with house pricesbeing the principal reason for poor affordability. Population projections alsoshow that South Northamptonshire will experience one of the greatestincreases in elderly people with an 81% increase in the number of over 65’smaking up 19.1% of the population by 2026 (14.2% in 2008) 2 . The number ofpeople over 85 is expected to double in South Northamptonshire between 2008and 2025.A204 South Northamptonshire has the lowest joblessness figures and is one ofthe least deprived authorities in the region with the highest average wage inNorthamptonshire. Unsurprisingly it also currently has one of the highestfigures for commuting to work outside of the region driven by its geographicalrelationship with Milton Keynes, Oxford and Banbury. The highest number ofbusiness start up rates is also experienced in South Northamptonshire.1 East Midlands to 2009 summary of evidence base by EMRA2 Older People Housing Needs Study for EMRA 200879

Emergent Core Strategy for West NorthamptonshireA205 The Emergent Core Strategy for West Northamptonshire (ECS) is thelatest phase in the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit sub regionalstrategy. Joint Core Strategy will provide strategic policy guidance forNorthampton Borough, Daventry District and South Northamptonshire councils,and as such, will form part of the policy framework within which the BrackleyMasterplan SPD will sit.A206 The Spatial Portrait for Brackley (para 4.0.20) in the ECS states thatBrackley is an historic market town. It has a population of about 14,000 andhas experienced extensive housing expansion over the last 20-years withoutcorresponding growth in jobs and infrastructure. Although Brackley does havegreater employment opportunities than Towcester, there has been ademonstrable decline in the number of retail outlets in the town, and a rise inprivate car use. Residents are now increasingly travelling to the neighbouringlarger towns of Banbury, Oxford and Milton Keynes. The absence of a railwaystation and inadequate public transport links has created a dependence on thecar for access to services, retail facilities and employment opportunity.A207 The town is recognised a as Rural Service Centre (5.2.13). The ECSrecognises that this places the emphasis on providing local facilities, servicesand development to meet the needs of the local population. Rural ServiceCentre's such as Brackley should be the focus for enhancement proposals andthe maintenance of basic services.A208 The Vision for West Northamptonshire (5.3) states that “Brackley is avibrant, distinctive historic market town that is the major service provider forthe residents of the town and surrounding countryside. It provides knowledgebased, research and high technology based jobs and leisure facilities as well asan invigorated town centre offering a range of retail opportunities.”A209 In achieving the vision, the ECS sets out 17 objectives. The key objectiveswhich relates to Brackley are:• Objective 3 - To support existing and new communities through theprovision of education, health, community, leisure, cultural and socialfacilities, linking new and existing communities physically and socially.• Objective 4 - To direct retail development to the most appropriatelocations that support regeneration of the town centres.• Objective 7 - To ensure future development is based upon sustainabledevelopment principles.• Objective 8 - To protect and enhance the built and cultural assets ofWest Northamptonshire, the character of its towns and settlements andfoster the development of West Northamptonshire as a destination forheritage and cultural tourism.80

• Objective 14 - To foster the regeneration of Daventry, Towcester andBrackley.• Objective 15 - To enable and support the delivery of coordinatedtransport improvements with an emphasis on non-car modes; improvingconnections within and around West Northamptonshire including links tothe wider network.• Objective 16 - To achieve high quality design that takes account ofcharacter and local distinctiveness, enables access and promotescommunity safety.A210 The ECS supports the sustainable urban expansion to the north ofBrackley. Within the ECS there is reference to the additional infrastructurerequirements to support the planned urban expansion. This includes theimprovement of Brackley Library, with an extension to include a children'scentre and community centre / cultural arts space.A211 Whilst policy direction is clearly aimed at re-addressing the balance ofout-commuting trends, future growth and development will be small scale at aregional level ensuring that Brackley and its residents plays a supporting role tohigher order centres in the East Midlands. For people living in Brackley this willcontinue to mean travelling outside of the town for higher order retail, leisureservices and other more specialist facilities.A212 One of the key policy objectives 3 is to support the delivery of coordinatedtransport improvements with an emphasis on non-car modes; improvingconnections within and around West Northamptonshire including links to thewider network. There are limited opportunities to significantly improve thepublic transport system linking Brackley to other local centres. Anyimprovements to the current situation will need to be delivered through thecurrent plans for urban growth along with other minor improvements to theA43 / A422 road network infrastructure.3 PPG13 Transport, WNDC Emergent Core Strategy 200981

A213 Much of Brackley’s growth referenced in the ECS is planned for the northof the town as shown in the plan below 4 .4 WNJPU Emergent Core Strategy 200982

South Northamptonshire Council Local Plan 1997A214 Brackley is defined by its Market Town Heritage with an extended area ofthe town centre being designated as a Conservation Area 5 .A215 Brackley is home to nearly 100 Listed buildings including 2* listings forthe Town Hall and parts of Magdalen College. The National Trust ownsBrackley Park. The attractive and historic core is one of Brackley’s greatestassets and is protected through policy controls such as National Guidancecontained within PPS15 respecting the value of the Conservation Area. Thesecontrols rightly limit the potential, when viewed against the historicenvironment, of significant retail or employment development taking place inthe town centre.Evidence Base for the ECS and South Northamptonshire LDFPolicies for Retail and other Main Town Centre UsesA216 The South Northamptonshire Retail Study (SNRS) written by Chase andPartners was published in April 2010. The SNRS findings for Brackley indicatethat provision by the town centre Waitrose and the out-of-centre Tesco enablethe town to be largely self-sufficient for main food shopping, with the twostores retaining a very high level (77%) of main food shopping tradeoriginating in Brackley 6 . However, the SNRS indicates that almost allcomparison goods shopping trips are to centres other than Brackley, such asBanbury (71%).A217 In terms of the health of the town centre, the SNRS found that serviceuses dominate the town centre (46 units, 57%) against the national average of34%. 13 units (16%) were found to be vacant against the national average of12%. Representation by national multiples is also below the national average,although the SNRS did not conclude that these levels are uncommon in townssuch as Brackley that mainly cater for the needs of residents in Brackley and itsrural hinterland.5 SNC Local Plan 19976 West Northamptonshire Retail Study March 2009, CACI Retail Study for West Northamptonshire83

A218 The SNRS referred to the apparent disconnect between the ability ofpotential tenants to agree terms with landlords for the lease of commercialpremises in the town centre.A219 The SNRS identifies actions aimed at reinforcing Brackley’s town centrerole servicing the town and local villages and the importance of focusing retail 7and other complimentary local services in the town centre, in accordance withthe longstanding “town centres first” approach enshrined in PPS4 and itspredecessors. It recommends inter alia defining a compact Primary ShoppingArea in order to concentrate development for retail and other town centre usesaround Market Place and the south end of High Street, initiating town centremanagement, improving signage, enhancing linkages between Market Placeand Waitrose and public realm improvements. SNC is encouraged to supportdevelopment proposals that create a better functional relationship betweenWaitrose and Draymans Walk.A220 In April 2010 Chase and Partners completed a retail assessment for SouthNorthamptonshire Council. The report concluded that Brackley town centre isan attractive shopping environment, being well maintained and free of anyobvious signs of deprivation. The Waitrose store was noted as a key anchorbringing shoppers into the centre frequently and regularly, although the reportraised concerns about how many of these shoppers link their food shoppingwith a trip to the rest of the centre.A221 The Chase and Partners Report recognised the role of Magdalen Collegewhich provides many of the shops with a source of weekday income tosupplement that from Brackley residents and the many villages in the ruralhinterland. Brackley possesses a full complement of banks, estate agents, apost office and foodstores – all the elements needed to make a visit to thetown centre a productive trip. Furthermore, the town centre has an activecommunity which brings events to the town centre.A222 The high street has vacancy rates that are above the national averageand have reached a level beyond that expected to be caused through thenatural “churn” of businesses. However, SNC are aware of demand for space inBrackley from the independent sector which is being frustrated by an inabilityto agree terms with landlords, or even to discuss them. Chase and Partners7 PPS4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Development (December 2009)84

highlighted a need for landlords in Brackley to be more engaged with potentialoccupiers in order to ensure that their properties are occupied and wellmaintained.A223 The report concludes that the centre fulfils the day-to-day needs ofBrackley residents and those of the surrounding rural hinterland. On strictinterpretation of the PPS4 tests, it is a vital and viable town centre, however,there is no doubt that the town lacks the vibrancy which would result from thepresence of a stronger independent retail sector. The report states that cautionshould be exercised in any new development, which must be tailored to meetactual demand. College Place is an example of new development which - as yet- has not succeeded in attracting tenants and now has a negative effect uponthe town centre’s vitality and viability.A224 The Chase and Partners report also highlights the diversity of uses whichencourages people to make use of the town centre. This includes provision ofhigh quality public and private outdoor and indoor leisure facilities, recreationfacilities, and venues for entertainment, dual use of buildings such as the townhall, local schools etc. This will help ensure that the town centre is used sevendays a week, in the daytime, evenings and weekends.Housing and Economic DevelopmentA225 Current growth plans 8 indicate a further employment extension at‘Brackley East’ providing 25 hectares of mixed ‘B class’ employment with aimsof providing around 2000 new jobs. Attracting investment from new employersis seen as a catalyst for enhancing economic activity 9 and reinforcing the roleof the town centre as well as re-balancing population growth to 2026.A226 The SHLAA 11 has been produced by the West Northamptonshire JointPlanning Unit and evaluates land with residential potential in Brackley. Theevidence base study shows that limited potential exists to deliver housingdevelopment within Brackley over the plan period but that this will not meetthe 2000 planned houses by 2026.A227 Enhancing the town’s visitor economy is one of five key themes within theSNC Economic Development Strategy through promotion of the District’s strong8 WNJPU Emergent Core Strategy 20099 PPS4 Planning for Sustainable Economic Development (December 2009)85

tourism offer around surrounding attraction such as Silverstone Circuit,Brackley Antiques Centre and Sulgrave Manor.A228 The policy focus 10 for the town is focussed on addressing theunsustainable out-commute to work. Brackley is strategically well placed inrelation to Silverstone Circuit and already benefits from motorsport relatedindustry, most notably the Mercedes GP Petronas team located within thetown.A229 The Economic Development Strategy 11 for South NorthamptonshireDistrict identifies the growth of employment in tandem with housingdevelopment to avoid creating a dormitory town; this will also help to reduceunsustainable travel patterns. The Strategy recognises that the BrackleyMasterplan SPD will provide a vehicle for delivering and managing long termeconomic growth in Brackley. The strategy will focus on marketing Brackley,strengthening the retail offering, securing funding for key capital works, resistlarge scale supermarkets in out of centre and edge of centre locations andsecure funding for town centre managers. The strategy also prioritises the roleof tourism as an economic asset in meeting its strategic goals includingsupporting new tourism related development activities, enhance bed spacesand build on the strengths of Silverstone Circuit as a regional touristdestination.A230 Issues of housing affordability, although by no means unique to Brackley,are significant. Current policy 12 aims to increase the supply of affordablehousing to 40% and will be a key focus for new housing growth at BrackleyNorth. Whilst small scale affordable housing schemes have been completed ata College Place and Winston Crescent in the last few years much larger scaleaffordable housing development will be required to improve levels ofaffordability overall in Brackley.A231 Town centre apartments in the form of both conversion and newdevelopment have been built over the last few years. Whilst there may be thepotential for further individual properties to come forward for conversion in the10 Economic Development Strategy SNC July 2007 & Draft Strategic Employment Land Assessmentreport published by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd 200911 SNC Economic Development Strategy 2010-1412 South Northamptonshire Council Housing Strategy 2005 – 201086

town centre, the evidence base and emerging LDF documents indicate a cleardesire to maximise the role of the town centre for retail and other main towncentre uses rather than residential. This, combined with the obvious need toretain land suitable for economic development, could require new greenfieldland release to the north of Brackley for housing growth beyond 2026.LeisureA232 There have been a number of studies 13 produced over the last 4 yearsassessing the levels of leisure provision within Brackley. Improvementopportunity has been identified with a shortage of indoor facilities such asbadminton and gymnastics and outdoor facilities such as an artificial thirdgeneration football pitch. There are also opportunities to improve and extendBrackley RFC facilities in the planned urban extension by providing 2 additionalpitches and an upgrade of the training facilities. It is further recognised thatthe indoor pool, built in 1975 will require considerable investment if it is to beretained for public use. Options have already been raised of the potential torelocate the swimming pool to the Brackley Leisure Centre.A233 Planning objectives 14 relating to open space include provision of a newplay area in north Brackley and a facility for young people in west Brackley. Inthe short term three additional facilities for children are required and longerterm objectives include additional facilities for young people. There is also anidentified requirement for allotments to the west of the town to achieve openspace standards 15 .Key Documents:• PPS1 Delivering Sustainable Development.• PPS3 Housing.• PPS4 Planning for Economic Development.• PPG13 Transport.• Draft PPS 15 Planning for the Historic Environment.• East Midlands Regional Economic Strategy.• West Northamptonshire JPU Emergent Core Strategy.13 West Northamptonshire Sports Facilities Study April 09, South Northamptonshire Opens SpaceStudy 2007, South Northamptonshire Playing Pitch Strategy 200714 SNC Green Space Action Plan from Open Space Study 200715 PPG17 Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation87

• Draft SELA report published by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd.• Secondary Centres of Economic Activity in the East Midlands (ERDUReport).• West Northamptonshire SHLAA.• West Northamptonshire Retail Study.• West Northamptonshire SFRA.• West Northamptonshire Sports Facilities Strategy.• SNC Local Plan 1997.• SNC 5 Year Housing Land Supply Figures.• South Northamptonshire Retail Study (Chase & Partners, April 2010).• SNC Open Space Strategy.• SNC Playing Pitch Strategy.• SNC SPD Energy and Development.• SNC Economic Development Strategy 2010.• SNC Developer Contributions SPD (Draft May 2010).• SNC Climate Change Strategy.88

89Appendix 3 - Opportunity Site Plans

Opportunity Site PlansA301 The following pages contain a range of key opportunity site plans thatcould potentially provide land to accommodate a large proportion of futuredevelopment in and around Brackley. These sites must meet policy andplanning guidance requirements, the objectives of the Masterplan, the Council’sstrategic requirements and must ensure that they provide cohesive links withthe existing urban fabric, in particular to the town centre.A302 Developers and landowners are encouraged to undertake thoroughinvestigations at the pre-application stage, including consultation with all therelevant infrastructure providers, to ensure that there is current servicecapacity available on these identified sites or that viable solutions can be foundto provide the necessary capacity. Developers are encouraged to resolve anypotential issues at an early stage in the pre-consultation process and to ensurethat site proposals are realistic and delivery is in line with planning policy andthe Councils current development strategies.91

Site A - Turweston Road South ('SHLAA - SNC088')Size: 15.16 hectares.Location: Adjacent to the A43 to the east of the town.Current Use: Largely greenfield site in agricultural use with some previouslydeveloped land.Potential Proposed Use: Mixed use development, predominantly residentialwith some B1 employment, together with a landscape buffer along A43.Development Issues: Vehicular access to the site is presently only possiblefrom Turweston Road to the north. The sites design and layout will need toconsider the proximity of the A43 to the east, and this may require a landscapebuffer to mitigate against noise impacts, particularly where residentialdevelopment is proposed. The potential impact of development on the CountyWildlife Site adjacent to the south-west will be required.93

Site B - Turweston Road North ('SHLAA - SNC633')Size: 9.38 hectares.Location: Between Northampton Road and the A43 to the northeast of thetown.Current Use: Greenfield site in agricultural use.Potential Proposed Use: B1 employment uses.Development Issues: Important entrance (gateway) site into Brackley fromthe north and A43. The site was recently granted planning consent in principlefor 38,000 sqm of B1, B2 and B8 employment. Any changes to the design andlayout of the existing consent, or any new proposal will need to consider theproximity of the A43 to the east, and this may require a landscape buffer tomitigate against noise impacts.94

Site C - Brackley SawmillsSize: 7.03 hectares.Location: Adjacent to Northampton Road to the northeast of the town.Current Use: Former sawmills site, currently derelict. Current planningpermission for employment granted in 2007.Potential Proposed Use: Mixed use development (health and employment).Development Issues: Important employment and commercial site,accessible from the A43. The design of the site needs to be considered as partof a wider area and its relationship with Site B - Turweston Road North, Site D- West of BP, and Site E - Radstone Fields. A coordinated access strategy isrequired as this site is key to providing a strategic link around Brackley. ThePCT are in advanced stages of submitting a planning application on thesouthern part of the site for a 60-bed healthcare facility to relocate BrackleyCottage Hospital, Springfield Surgery and Washington House Surgery.95

Site D - West of BP ('SHLAA - SNC020')Size: 5.83 hectares.Location: Close to Northampton Road and the A43 to the northeast of thetown.Current Use: Greenfield site in agricultural use.Potential Proposed Use: Residential development.Development Issues: Important entrance (gateway) site into Brackley fromthe north and A43. The design of the site needs to be considered as part of awider area and its relationship with Site B - Turweston Road North, Site C -Brackley Sawmills, and Site E - Radstone Fields. A coordinated access strategyis required as this site is key to providing a strategic link around Brackley.96

Site E - Radstone Fields ('SHLAA - SNC051')Size: 43.92 hectares.Location: Between Halse Road and Radstone Road to the north of the town.Current Use: Largely greenfield site in agricultural use.Potential Proposed Use: Residential development with local facilities,primary school and open space.Development Issues: The masterplan identifies this as the largest newallocation of housing that should link into the local movement network. Thedesign of the site needs to be considered as part of a wider area and itsrelationship with Site C - Brackley Sawmills and Site D - West of BP. Acoordinated access strategy is required as this site must deliver the strategicroute, and connect to the A43 roundabout, to provide a link around Brackley.97

Site F - West One ('SHLAA - SNC314')Size: 7.33 hectares.Location: Behind development along Humphries Drive to the west of thetown.Current Use: Greenfield site in agricultural use.Potential Proposed Use: Residential development.Development Issues: The potential impact on the ecology and thecountryside will need to be considered in the development of this site. Thesites integration with existing and proposed areas of pubic open space will bekey. The site should be developed at a lower density to reflect its position onthe edge of Brackley and aid its integration into the open countryside adjacent.98

Site G - West Two ('SHLAA - SNC078')Size: 8.58 hectaresLocation: Behind development along Humphries Drive to the west of thetown.Current Use: Greenfield site in agricultural use.Potential Proposed Use: Relocated secondary school or residentialdevelopment.Development Issues: The potential impact on the ecology and thecountryside will need to be considered in the development of this site. Thesites integration with existing and proposed areas of pubic open space will bekey. The site should be developed at a lower density to reflect its position onthe edge of Brackley and aid its integration into the open countryside adjacent.The potential impact of development on the County Wildlife Site on thedismantled railway line to the south will be required.Decisions on this site will be made in line with the NCC Education Review.99

Site H - Leisure Centre ('SHLAA - SNC570')Size: 0.90 hectaresLocation: Between Humphries Drive and Pavilions Way in the west of thetown.Current Use: None / Vacant landPotential Proposed Use: Residential development.Development Issues: The development of the site is identified as key to thecross subsidy of the Brackley Pool relocation and improvements needed to theBrackley Leisure Centre. The proximity of the site to existing residential areasmeans that the impact on neighbouring residential amenity will be animportant consideration.100

Site I - Brackley Church of England Junior SchoolSize: 5.99 hectares.Location: Adjacent to Manor Road close to the centre of the town.Current Use: Brackley Swimming Pool, Brackley Church of England JuniorSchool, Little Oaks Pre School, Brackley Health Centre, public open space.Potential Proposed Use: Residential development.Development Issues: The development of the site requires the phasedrelocation of the junior school and pre school, swimming pool and healthcentre. The loss of the public open space on the site may need to be providedelsewhere. Other key issues to be considered will be the impact of additionaltraffic generated along Manor Road, ways to improve connectivity between theresidential areas and the town centre, and the impact on neighbouringresidential amenity.Decisions on this site will be made in line with the NCC Education Review.101

Site J - Waynflete SchoolSize: 4.97 hectares.Location: Adjacent to Manor Road in the centre of the town.Current Use: Magdalen College School (upper), Waynflete Infants School.Potential Proposed Use: Residential development.Development Issues: The development of the site requires the phasedrelocation of the two schools and playing fields. This development can onlytake place after the replacement of the school facilities on another site (yet tobe determined). Other key issues to be considered will be the impact ofadditional traffic generated along Manor Road, ways to improve connectivitybetween the residential areas and the town centre, and the impact onneighbouring residential amenity.Decisions on this site will be made in line with the NCC Education Review.102

Site K - Magdalen College SchoolSize: 6.33 hectares.Location: Behind Market Place and High Street in the centre of the town.Current Use: Magdalen College School and playing facilities.Potential Proposed Use:employment)Mixed use (retail, recreation, residential,Development Issues: There are two strategies for the development of thissite: Magdalen College School closes the Waynflete School site and relocatesonto this site (and Site L), or Magdalen College School closes both sites andrelocates to an edge of town site (potentially Site G - West Two) allowing thissite to be developed for mixed uses to support and enhance the vitality of thetown centre. Other key issues will be the impact of additional traffic generatedin the town centre, connectivity with the town centre and the impact onneighbouring residential amenity. A number of mature trees are located withinthe site and these should be largely retained. The proximity of the site toBuckingham Road Industrial Estate as a source of noise and other pollution willbe a consideration.103

Site L - Town Centre Recreation FacilitiesSize: 7.73 hectaresLocation: Between the town centre and Buckingham Road Industrial Estate.Current Use: Recreation and sports facilities (bowls, tennis, football ground)Potential Proposed Use:employment)Mixed use (retail, recreation, residential,Development Issues: There are two strategies for the development of thissite: Magdalen College School closes the Waynflete School site and relocatesonto this site (and Site K), or Magdalen College School closes both sites andrelocates to an edge of town site (potentially Site G - West Two) allowing thissite to be developed for mixed uses to support and enhance the vitality of thetown centre. The development of this site will require the relocation of thevarious sports facilities (bowls, tennis, football ground) to an edge of town site.Other key issues will be the impact of additional traffic generated in the towncentre, connectivity with the town centre and the impact on neighbouringresidential amenity. A number of mature trees are located within the site andthese should be largely retained. The proximity of the site to Buckingham RoadIndustrial Estate as a source of noise and other pollution will be aconsideration.104

Site M - Buckingham Road Industrial EstateSize: No defined boundary.Location: Adjacent to Buckingham Road and A43 to the southeast of thetown.Current Use: Light industrial and office development.Potential Proposed Use: B1 employment uses.Development Issues: A strategically important employment area, withlargely 1970s light industrial buildings and some more modern development.Dated buildings and parking areas with a poor quality environment. Large DeBoer site available for development and should be retained and redevelopedfor new B1 employment uses in connection with Buckingham Road IndustrialEstate or comprehensively developed with Site K and Site L adjacent forMagdalen College School, or for mixed use development.105

106

Appendix 4 – HS2 Plans andInformation Links107

108

109

110

111

112

Appendix 5 – Workshop Consultees• Adkin Rural & Commercial• Alpha Rangers Cycling Club• Anglian Water• A5 Rangers Cycling Club• Barton Willmore• Bracken Leas Primary School• Brackley Adult Education Centre• Brackley Ambulance Station• Brackley Athletic FC• Brackley Antique Cellar• Brackley Baptist Church• Brackley Carnival Committee• Brackley CFTS Karate Club• Brackley Churches Together• Brackley Clinic• Brackley Community Association• Brackley Community Church• Brackley Cottage Hospital• Brackley Cricket Club• Brackley C.E Junior School• Brackley Football Club• Brackley Health Centre• Brackley Investments Limited• Brackley Ladies Netball Club• Brackley Leisure Centre• Brackley Livability• Brackley Means Business• Brackley Methodist Church (‘The Zone’)• Brackley Music Festival• Brackley Residents Association• Brackley Rotary Club• Brackley Rugby Football Club• Brackley Running Club• Brackley Scouts• Brackley Sports Football Club• Brackley Squash Club• Brackley Swimming Pool• Brackley Tennis Club• Brackley Town Badminton Club113

• Brackley Town Council• Brackley Town Football Club• Brackley Trampolining Club• Brackley & District Angling Club• Brackley & District Bowling Club• Barratt Developments Plc• Bromford Support• Bronnley of London Limited• Cannon Consulting Engineers• Chase & Partners• De Boer Structures (UK) Ltd• East Midlands Ambulance Service• Environment Agency• Faccenda Group Limited• Framptons Planning• Government Office for the East Midlands• Highways Authority• Indigo Planning• Learning and Skills Council• Magdalen College School• Martin Robeson Planning Practice• Mercedes GP Petronas (previously Brawn GP Formula One)• Northampton Association for the Blind• Northampton College• Northampton Enterprise Limited• Northamptonshire County Council• Northamptonshire County Council Councillors• Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service• Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust• Northamptonshire Police• Northamptonshire Sport• Nortoft Partnerships Ltd• Oasis Dental Care• Orchid Dental Centre• Parish Councils / Parish Meeting• Pegasus Planning Group• Promail Mailroom Technology• Providence Court Investments Limited• Serco Leisure• Silverstone Estates Limited• Sport England• Springfield Surgery114

• Southfields Primary School• South Northants Basketball Club• South Northants Homes• South Northants Leisure Trust• South Northamptonshire Council• South Northamptonshire Council Councillors• Sovereign Vale Housing Association• St John Ambulance Association• St Martin's Roman Catholic Church• St Peter’s Anglican Church• Taylor Wimpey• Team Brackley• Tesco’s Supermarkets• The Source• Towcester Medical Centre• T J Hadland• Waynflete Infants School• West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit• Winchester House School• WSP GroupOther meetings:2009• 30 July - Nigel Ozier• 30 July - Councillor Mary Clarke• 10 August - Presentation / Meeting with Parish Councils• 11 August - Brackley Therapy Centre• 11 August - Councillor John Townsend• 11 August - Peter Maxwell Jones• 11 August - Various Radstone Fields Developers• 24 August - Town Hall• 1 September - Kath Bonner-Durham• 1 September - Neil Jacobs• 1 September - Brackley Means Business• 2 September - Alan Munn• 2 September - Mike Pearson• 2 September - Linda Scaysbrook• 26 October - Mandy Himpson• 26 October - Steve Miles• 26 October - Councillor Townsend• 26 October - Chase & Partners Retail Presentation• 12 November – Waitrose115

2010• 19 January - Members Meeting• 29 January - Radstone Fields Consultation Event• 29 January - Nigel Ozier116

Appendix 6 – Contact DetailsFurther CommentsThe Council welcomes written correspondence of people’s views, and theseresponses should be marked ‘Draft Brackley Masterplan’ and addressed to:Brackley Masterplan ConsultationStrategic PolicySouth Northamptonshire CouncilSpringfieldsTowcesterNorthamptonshireNN12 6AEWritten correspondence can also be emailed to the Council on:brackleymasterplan@southnorthants.gov.ukFurther InformationFor further information and general queries about the plan, please contact:Heidi Antrobus BA(Hons) DipUP DMS MRTPIMajor Projects Lead OfficerTel: 01327 322317Alternatively please contact:Strategic PolicySouth Northamptonshire CouncilSpringfieldsTowcesterNorthamptonshireNN12 6AETel: (01327) 322255 / 322265 / 322267Email: brackleymasterplan@southnorthants.gov.ukDevelopment Services(Development Management and for pre-application advice)Tel: 01327 322248 / 322237117

118

Brackley Master Plan - Global Mapping

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?