5 Winsford

5 Winsford

5.1 Winsford is one of the borough's four main towns, located in the eastern part of the district. The Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 6 sets out a requirement for at least 3,500 new dwellings and 35 hectares of additional land for business and employment development in the town. The Winsford Neighbourhood Plan provides a framework for the future development of the town and allocates specific sites for residential and employment development, and the settlement boundary has been drawn to reflect these allocations.

5.2 Regeneration of the town centre and improvements to open space are key priorities of Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 6 and the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan. The Winsford Development Framework has been prepared as part of the implementation of the neighbourhood plan and sets out development and design principles for the town centre and surrounding area. The Winsford Transport Strategy has been developed alongside the development framework and establishes a package of transport improvements which would support delivery of the proposals set out in the neighbourhood plan and improve linkages with the wider area.

5.3 The Local Plan (Part One) and the neighbourhood plan both allocate land at the Station Quarter for development of around 1,000 dwellings. The Station Quarter Development Brief was endorsed by the Council in March 2016 and establishes principles for the development of this area. The aim is to ensure that a comprehensive approach to development of this area is achieved, maximising the community benefits identified in the neighbourhood plan.

5.4 As part of the work on the transport strategy, a modelling exercise was carried out to assess the impact on the highway network of the proposed growth in Winsford and Middlewich. The strategy provides information on which junctions would exceed capacity and require mitigation or upgrade to support the growth. Through consultation, 23 transport schemes were identified which were allocated into 11 packages, ranging from small scale operational changes and improvements to more strategic, longer term schemes. The Council will support transport infrastructure proposals coming forward in relation to the schemes identified in the transport strategy.

5.5 The policies in this section set the employment land allocations and the requirements for development within the Winsford settlement area, reflecting the aims of those plans and strategies referred to above.

W 1 - Winsford settlement area

Policy W 1

Within the defined settlement boundary of Winsford as identified on the policies map, development proposals will be supported which are in line with the relevant development plan policies and are consistent with the following principles, where relevant, aimed at delivering the Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 6:

  1. developing sites allocated in the neighbourhood plan in accordance with the principles set out in that plan;
  2. developing sites in the Station Quarter in accordance with the principles set out in the neighbourhood plan and the Station Quarter Development Brief (2016);
  3. improving accessibility to the railway station, including additional parking spaces for vehicles and cycles at the station, or dedicated taxi rank facilities;
  4. enhancing the old High Street area through improvements to public realm, environmental enhancement and improved links to the town centre and waterfront area for pedestrians and cyclists;
  5. maximising opportunities to improve open space, especially at Town Park, create new habitats and to protect and enhance water quality, biodiversity, and heritage assets in accordance with the historic environment polices of the plan (DM 46-DM 50), where relevant;
  6. improving the existing network of cycling and walking infrastructure in the town as recommended in the Winsford Transport Strategy, including the provision of leisure routes around Bottom Flash;
  7. regenerating and enhancing the town centre, having regard to the principles in the Winsford Development Framework and the Winsford Transport Strategy.

Explanation

5.6 Local Plan (Part Two) policy W 1 supports the delivery of the Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 6 and the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan. It provides further detail to reflect recent work on the Winsford Development Framework and Winsford Transport Strategy that seek to deliver the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan. Key issues and proposals include:

  1. supporting the redevelopment of part of the Winsford Cross Shopping Centre to provide high quality mixed use development including contemporary retail, leisure, residential and community facilities;
  2. retaining key community facilities;
  3. creating an attractive public realm incorporating public space, with high quality materials, lighting, street furniture and landscaping;
  4. improving gateways into the centre from all directions;
  5. improving the market through refurbishment, replacement or relocation to a more prominent site location;
  6. providing good quality parking facilities for vehicles and cyclists that allow for ease of access to the centre and allow for linkages with the wider cycle network;
  7. providing improved public transport infrastructure, including a new bus station/interchange in close proximity to the shopping centre with covered waiting areas, layover facilities and new taxi stands;
  8. providing improved linkages to the old High Street and Town Park areas for pedestrians and cyclists.

5.7 In addition to taking into account the Winsford Development Framework and Transport Strategy, proposals for development of sites within the Station Quarter should have full regard to the Station Quarter Development Brief (2016). These documents should be read alongside the above policy.

W 2 - Employment land provision in Winsford

Policy W 2

The following sites in Winsford, as identified on the policies map, are allocated to meet the strategic requirement for new employment development:

  1. land West of Road One (9 hectares, use classes B1, B2, B8)
  2. remaining land at Woodford Park Industrial Estate (1.5 hectares, use classes B1, B2, B8)

Employment land provision will be met from the following sites allocated in the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan:

Site O5 - Land to the west of Oakmere Road and north of the existing employment land (11 hectares, use classes B1, B2, B8)
Site W6 - South of Bostock Road (3 hectares, use classes B1, B2, B8)
Site W7 - Extension to Winsford 1 - 5 Industrial Estate, east of Road One (27 hectares, use classes B1, B2, B8)

Sites must be developed in accordance with the specified use class and criteria for each site. To ensure the borough-wide strategic development requirement can be met, these sites will be protected from alternative forms of development.

Explanation

5.8 Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 2 sets out that over the plan period at least 365 hectares of land for employment development to meet a range of types and sizes of site, will be delivered, and Local Plan (Part One) policy ECON 1 states that the supply will be met through existing planning commitments and new sites allocated for employment use.

5.9 The Winsford Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared to reflect the strategic policies of the Local Plan (Part One) and identifies employment land allocations to meet the requirement set out in Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 6 for at least 35 hectares of additional employment land. It also safeguards employment land within the current Winsford Industrial Estate and Woodford Business Park to support local employment opportunities.

5.10 The Local Plan (Part Two) policy W 2 confirms the range of sites necessary to meet the employment land requirements for Winsford, both within the existing employment areas and taking account of the additional land identified through the neighbourhood plan process. The neighbourhood plan also encourages mixed use development to assist the regeneration of town centre development sites, which will contribute towards a flexible mix of types and sizes of employment site for Winsford.

5.11 The policy does not identify which uses should go to a particular site but sets out a number of criteria which proposals for development on those sites will be judged, and which must be read in conjunction with other relevant development plan policies. The site areas identified within the policy relate to the boundary of the proposed allocation. The net developable area and resultant employment floorspace will vary according to site specific characteristics and the mix/type of employment uses proposed. Any development proposals should take account of the design requirements of the relevant neighbourhood plan policies where appropriate.