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WESTERMILL, BURRAY

Housing Development Brief

ORKNEY ISLANDS COUNCIL
Development Brief
April 2010

IMAGE: Cover photographs show the Westermill site viewed across the bay, a site location plan, existing houses arranged around a communal space, and a view towards Phase 1 from Burray Primary School. The cover title reads “WESTERMILL, BURRAY” and “Housing Development Brief”.

Introduction

This Development Brief sets out the main opportunities and constraints relating to the housing sites H1 and H2 at Westermill, Burray and provides an outline framework for the phased development of the area. Although no Development Brief has been previously prepared or approved, development of the site has taken place in the form of 9 units of affordable housing. This Development Brief aims to ensure that future development takes place in a planned and coordinated series of phases, linking where possible into previous development of adjacent sites and to the conveniently located Community School. Future development of the Westermill area will be expected to respond to the design criteria set down in this Development Brief.

Site description

The Westermill development area is a substantial area of land lying to the north of an area of low density housing which has taken place at the back of Burray’s historic waterside. The centre of the proposed development area is located directly opposite some Council housing organised around a central communal space.

The site covers approximately 3.7 ha. Of this, 2.5 ha forms housing site H1 with the remaining 1.2 ha forming H2, which lies between H1 and the Community School to the east. These sites are identified in the Orkney Local Plan for residential development with an indicative capacity of 13 dwellings. The densities specified for both H1 and H2 are considered low and it is proposed that these figures will be exceeded by new development. The status of the various phases and elements of the site are as follows:

  • Phase 1 – built
  • Phase 2 – access roads built
  • Phase 3 – no services, roads or buildings on site

This Development Brief applies to phases 2 and 3 of the Westermill development as detailed at figure 1. Further information on the phasing of the development areas is provided overleaf at figure 2.

IMAGE: Figure 1, the phasing plan, is a site map showing the Westermill development area divided into three numbered phases. Phase 1 contains existing buildings and roads; Phases 2 and 3 are outlined areas to the west and north-west. The site lies north of Burray’s waterfront and existing housing.

Development aspiration

The aspiration for the site is that it should provide a high quality mixed density and tenure residential development which takes advantage of the site’s location adjacent to previous development around a central communal space, and the excellent views over the surrounding landscape. At the same time, it is expected that great effort should be made to integrate the new development in the landscape, pay due regard to existing landscape features and local ways of building, provide a reasonably sheltered environment for new homes and adopt a layout and landscape framework which will reduce the impact of the housing on the surrounding landscape. The development should also set new standards of building and external space which are appropriate for the 21st century and meet the aspirations of the residents of the area.

IMAGE: A photograph shows a traditional-style house at the Westermill development, using white render, grey roofing and timber cladding. Caption: “traditional style, appropriate materials and colour”.

Design criterion

DESIGN CRITERION 1

Development Phasing and site layout

Phase 1 of the development of this area has been completed. It is anticipated that the remainder of development will take place in a further two phases (phases 2 and 3).

This Development Brief seeks to establish the layout of phase 2 and 3, reflecting new housing pressures, and an improved standard of layout and design.

  • phase 2 – a layout is proposed to allow for 5 self build and 6 semi-detached homes incorporating a children’s play area (CPA) providing pedestrian and cycle links to previous development around a communal space to the south of the site. It is expected that this phase will be delivered within the next 5 years.
  • phase 3 – a mixed tenure development of 5 self build detached dwelling sites and 8 semi-detached homes are proposed. The latter will complete the building line to the west of the play area. Pedestrian and cycle links to phases 1 and 2 and to the Community School to the east will be provided. It is expected that this phase will be delivered within the next 5–10 years.

OIC Roads Services has advised that a pre-requisite for the development of the Westermill Site will be the widening of Westshore Road from its junction with Upper Waston Road to the Bloomfield Road Junction. This should include an extension of the cycle track, as well as drainage and services to accommodate new development. An early dialogue with OIC Roads Services is required to address these issues.

IMAGE: Figure 2, the layout plan of phases 2 and 3, shows the proposed roads, housing plots, children’s play area, open green space and pedestrian/cycle links for the two development phases. The legend identifies CPA as “children’s play area” and distinguishes phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, open green space, footpath/cycle linkages and vehicular access.

A site layout plan has been prepared for each phase (above). This layout details the broad location of the main road and pedestrian networks, public spaces, play area, building lines and orientation of buildings. These plans are intentionally illustrative of the anticipated end product of development in this area. There is room for some amendment as the development process moves forward. However, it is intended that the broad principles set out in this site layout plan will be adhered to throughout the development process. Design Statements should explain how individual proposals respond to the plan and will contribute to the delivery of this coordinated vision for the future layout and design of the Westermill area.

DESIGN CRITERION 2

Buildings and Placemaking

It is expected that building design will reflect the prominent location of the site and sensitivity to the traditions of building in Orkney. Traditional building is acceptable as is contemporary building which has clearly developed from local styles of vernacular building. Suburban styles finished in brick or which include barge boards and boxed in eaves will not be acceptable.

In addition to the above, development proposals must respond to the following more detailed criteria:

Development of all three phases must respect the following Design Criteria:

  • the development should demonstrate efficient use of energy and resources in terms of layout, orientation, construction and energy supply
  • the buildings should be 1 or 1.5 Storey
  • building colour themes should be white into buff render with grey roofs
  • consideration should be given to the use of sustainable materials, particularly stone and timber throughout the development

IMAGE: A photograph shows a group of houses using white render, grey roofs and timber cladding, illustrating appropriate materials and building form. Caption: “appropriate materials and building form”.

Buildings within Phase 2 must respect the following Design Criteria:

  • building layout must present frontage to the internal street system and overlook the children’s play area [semi-detached or terraced buildings are anticipated]
  • development should avoid presenting rear garden fencing to the principal streets
  • new development should achieve plot sizes and building lines which create sheltered spaces and a pleasant public realm
  • new developments should include stone boundary walls between 600mm and 3000mm in height to public areas rather than be ‘open plan’
  • new development should adopt designed-in traffic amelioration wherever possible rather than traffic calming (ie narrower streets, shared surfaces, limited regulation signs etc)
  • new development should be a mix of building types, including semi-detached and terraced buildings which have advantages over detached dwellings in delivering better urban form and sheltered spaces

Buildings within Phase 3 must respect the following Design Criteria:

  • access will be taken directly from the road
  • development must respond to and work with the topography and landscape rather than against it
  • the development should incorporate a footpath network through the site linking to the proposed public space in phase 2 and to the community school

DESIGN CRITERION 3

Boundaries and edges

All development must respond to the following:

  • the development should avoid making ‘compartments’ – ie overly uniform boundary planting around each site margin
  • the use of brick walls, coniferous hedges or decorative gateways to individual developments is not acceptable
  • existing field walls within the site should be retained where possible and incorporated in the new layout of the development area.
  • edges along the roads through the site should take references from the surrounding countryside – stone walls and grass verges
  • a sense of enclosure should be created throughout the development by linked frontages and garden walls and verges with consistency of materials
  • new developments should include stone boundary walls between 600mm and 3000mm in height to public areas rather than be ‘open plan’
  • development should orientate towards new pedestrian and cycle links both within the sites and externally.
  • the edges of the development are particularly important in phase 3 where there is an imperative to integrate the new buildings in the surrounding landscape:
  • Individual site boundaries should avoid suburban detailing such as timber hit-and-miss fencing
  • stone walls built in the local tradition of flat dry construction are encouraged and where this is not possible, post and wire fencing should be used to demark boundaries as an alternative to hit and miss boarded fencing. Planting the site boundary with appropriate species is also encouraged as a means of defining the site to address concerns such as privacy, shelter, security and safety.

IMAGE: A photograph shows a traditional flat-laid dry stone wall beside a road and houses. Caption: “traditional laid dry stone wall”.

DESIGN CRITERION 4

Open space and play areas:

The development should include a network of linked open space areas incorporating a children’s play area, passive open space and habitat supporting natural areas which may also be part of the development’s Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS). These open space areas should be linked to the green space to the south of the site. This concept is shown on the design guidance plan. Specific proposals should be produced for a well designed and appealing play area which should include play equipment and seating for the enjoyment of young children and families living on the site. This should be produced and agreed in partnership between the planning authority and the community council.

IMAGE: A photograph shows a wetland or drainage area with water plants, grass and a footbridge, illustrating the combination of new habitats, open space and SuDS. Caption: “combination of new habitats, open space and SuDS”.

DESIGN CRITERION 5

Hard and soft landscaping:

The environment of Orkney can be quite hostile to many plant species and it would be inappropriate to plant up the development with species taken out of context from the UK mainland. Trees and shrubs that already grow successfully in the village should be used in preference to ‘alien’ species. It is noted that there are currently no trees on the development site. However, new development should seek to establish new areas of shrub and tree planting, particularly in public areas, which will contribute to the long term appearance of the area.

Specific landscape criterion will include:

  • existing landscape features represent opportunities for place-making and care should be taken to integrate important features as indicated above
  • new tree planting may be incorporated where there is shelter from new building groups
  • existing patterns of field walls/hedges/woodland blocks/shelterbelts in the surrounding countryside should be used as clues for new boundary or subdividing elements
  • generic suburban detailing should be minimised and in Phase 3, the use of kerbs, introduction of urban footpaths on rural roads where not really necessary, use of brick for walls, coniferous hedges, decorative gateways to individual developments are not acceptable
  • planting should focus on native species, including native grasses for landscaped areas.

IMAGE: A photograph shows a grassed landscape with mature trees, a stone wall and a path leading towards a stone gateway, illustrating trees and open space in the Orkney environment. Caption: “trees and open space in the Orkney environment”.

DESIGN CRITERION 6

Access and road design

General requirements for all development phases:

Road construction should not be conceived in isolation but as an integrated element of the overall design of the development. The Council’s standards should serve as a guide for the form of development on the site but should be flexible enough so as not to inhibit the design of an innovative, less car dominant layout which respects the landform and character of the area. The concepts laid down in PAN76 ‘New Residential Streets’ and the March 2010 ‘Designing Streets’ issued by the Scottish Government.

These documents promote an informal system of well connected streets with natural traffic calming (building lines, shared road surfaces etc) built in and equal priority given to all modes including walking and cycling. It should also be noted that while Phases 1 and 2 can be described as suburban in character, the elements of Phase 3 will be more rural and the design of roads should acknowledge that. Traffic attenuation should be introduced as a self-enforcing measure to maintain vehicle speeds below 20 mph – taking best practice from Designing Streets.

Specific access requirements:

Vehicles: access to and from the site will be taken from the established access into Phases 1 and 2. Access to Phase 3 will be from the proposed spur in the drawing above. Negotiation will be required with the Council’s Roads Department.

Pedestrians and cyclists: pedestrian and cycle links throughout the development should connect to the footpath link to the Burray Community School.

Parking requirements:

Where parking spaces are allocated to individual properties the provision requirement will be 2 parking spaces per dwelling unit (discounting garages) along with 25% visitor parking which should be provided in groups of at least 2 spaces and must be strategically located.

For communal parking the provision requirement (including visitor parking) is 1.5 to 1.75 spaces per dwelling unit. The developer should consider a range of solutions to reduce the impact of car parking on the residential environment. These might include a combination of:

  • avoiding front garden space being given over to parking
  • using traditional front garden walls to structure the street appearance
  • designing in shared small scale semi-private courtyard parking
  • building shared surfaces in traditional materials rather than using coloured concrete block surfaces for example in parking zones and domestic runways

IMAGE: A photograph shows houses with parking spaces set behind a low fence and grassed frontage, illustrating a low-key setting of parking areas. Caption: “Low key setting of parking areas”.

Pedestrian access and provision:

In addition to the road access points described above, pedestrian access provision should be made between the two site access roads, and to the existing development to the south. These should all link together through the open space/children’s Play Area, as illustrated on the design guidance plan.

DESIGN CRITERION 7

Water resource management

General requirements for all development phases:

The SEPA Flood Map indicates that the area is not at risk from flooding from the sea. Clarification of the accuracy of this will be contained in the new Local Development Plan. In line with the requirements of PAN61 ‘Planning and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems’, an appropriate SuDS will be required as part of the site development. This must be designed as part of the overall site and should be visually attractive, safe and accessible for maintenance purposes. Scottish Water has indicated that there could be water and waste water infrastructure constraints on this site. There is a requirement for a DIA to be prepared to accompany planning applications. This should be completed before the 1st planning application is submitted, and it may be that the development will require to contribute towards works to address these infrastructure deficiencies.

Further information

For further information, please contact:

Michael Harvey

Policy Planner (Development Planning and Regeneration)

Development and Environment Services

Orkney Islands Council

School Place

Kirkwall

KW15 1NY

Tel 01856 873535

IMAGE: The Orkney Islands Council crest and logo appear above the contact information.