Public Consultation for a Proposed Residential Community at
Sniperley Park, County Durham
Technical Considerations
Planning Policy Context
Following adoption of the County Durham Plan in October 2020, Policy 5 of the Plan allocates land for Durham City’s Sustainable Urban Extension. This includes the site at Sniperley Park, following its removal from the green belt. It states that ‘Development is required to be comprehensively masterplanned and to demonstrate how the phasing of development on these sites will have regard to the provision and timing of the infrastructure and services necessary to support them’.
Sniperley Park offers the opportunity to deliver approximately 1,700 homes, and this can be achieved through the submission of this outline planning application which will be in accordance with Policy 5 of the adopted Local Plan.
The development proposed by Co. Durham Land LLP will be brought forward as part of a masterplan for the wider allocated site. A separate application will be submitted by Bellway Homes for the remainder of the site.
Highways
Access to the Sniperley Park development will be from the Sniperley Park and Ride Roundabout, the B6532 Sacriston Road, Potterhouse Lane and a new roundabout onto the A167. Within the site a comprehensive network of footpaths and cycleways are proposed connecting to Durham City, the surrounding communities and countryside.
Bus services will be accessible to the site with the potential for existing services to be extended through the development and/or the provision of new bus routes to serve the development. In addition, as part of the wider development it is proposed that the Park and Ride will be expanded.
Finally, a contribution will be made to enable the Council to implement wider highways improvements on the A167 corridor towards Nevilles Cross.
Click on the plan to view a larger version
Ecology
Ecological surveys of the site have been undertaken which has helped us to gain a full understanding of the habitats present on the site. The work undertaken to date indicates that the ecological value of the site is limited to the existing areas of vegetation including Caterhouse Pit, Folly Plantation and the existing field boundaries.
We have sought to retain existing trees and hedges as far as possible and to apply buffer areas where appropriate to ensure that habitats are retained and designed into the development. New habitat opportunities will also be introduced.
The proposed central linear park, together with the area of compensatory improvements to the Green Belt located north of Potterhouse Lane, provides focused areas for additional planting. Further, the development will include new ponds (which also assist with the management of surface water) enhancing opportunities for new habitat creation.
Flood Risk and Drainage
The development proposals have been assessed in relation to the flood risk and all new buildings will be located within Flood Zone 1 which the Environment Agency defines as the area at least risk of flooding. Furthermore, it will be ensured that the development does not increase the risk of flooding to any existing areas away from the site.
A comprehensive drainage strategy has been designed for the site which includes the provision of attenuation ponds to assist with the management of surface water on the development. These ponds will store water following rainfall and release water into the watercourses in a controlled way. The Council’s Drainage Engineers, the Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water Ltd will all be consulted during the forthcoming planning application.
