LITTLE CANFORD, WIMBORNE

Case Study

Nest Homes were asked to review Little Canford as part of a wider portfolio review of Office and Depot sites by the owner Wessex Water Services Limited (WWSL); the review proposing to rationalise reporting and operational centres across the Southern operating area. The challenge - can the relocation be self-financing. Is there land available within the existing portfolio. How do we assess the operational need. The strategic need-we defined and agreed with Group Executive Directors:

"The new asset should only be equivalent to (with modest room for expansion) that which is currently actively and effectively employed".

Our knowledge of the portfolio coupled with that of the Estates team facilitated a high level review, shortlisting several locations for more in-depth investigation.

Working with the business units we began to understand the potential opportunities and impacts of the sites, however we identified a preferred site located in Dorchester and detailed plans have been developed and costed, engagement with the Local Planning Authority is complete and Planning our application is being prepared for submission later in 2020.

We have separately agreed with the Client to promote one of the shortlisted sites as B Class employment land within the Dorset Local Plan Review for determination early 2021.

In parallel our residential design team was engaged, and we developed a scheme that would maximise the development potential for Little Canford managing the opportunities and constraints that the site presented.

We recognised that the main constraint was the Greenbelt designation of the site and to tackle this aspect we agreed with the client to promote the site for a residential use within the Local Plan Review, this would facilitate the site being removed from the green belt and allow intensification of development, secondly we would submit our development plans at Pre App to the planning authority for comment.

Green belt policy in relation to Brown Field sites is covered within several paragraphs of the National Planning Policy Framework, specifically we considered the impact of openness of the Green Belt and alternative uses having no greater impact than the existing use.

Importantly we have agreed an existing built form square and cubic meterage and that current operations are unrestricted with the planning authority and as a result we have tacit approval for up to 40 residential units and we are promoting a 100 units scheme within the local plan review.

We have agreed with the Client to progress a planning application for a 40 unit scheme which allows for a second phase of development of 40 to 60 units depending upon a final agreed strategy.

Phase one, Disposal of the site is anticipated to be c. £4.3m with overage captured at later stages.