CABI Design and Access Statement v3

CABIREDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITEOUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATIONDESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

2 CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE

Our Member Countries

ZimbabweZambiaVietnamUnited KingdomUgandaTrinidad & TobagoTanzania

SwitzerlandSt HelenaSri LankaSouth AfricaSolomon IslandsSierra LeoneRwandaPhilippines

Papua New GuineaPakistanNigeriaNetherlandsMyanmarMontserratMauritiusMalaysia

MalawiKenyaJamaicaIndiaGuyanaGrenadaGhanaGambia

DPR KoreaCyprusCote d’IvoireColombiaChinaChileCanadaBurundi

BruneiBritish Virgin IslandsBotswanaBermudaBangladeshBahamasAustraliaAnguilla

3OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT

About CABICABI is a not-for-profit international organisation. CABI improves people’s lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment

Current situation

• One billion going hungry

• Water and energy scarcity

• Climate change

• 40% of the food currently grown is lost to pests and diseases

• Reducing crop losses by 1% would potentially feed up to 25 million more people

• The key is knowledge

CABI operates as an efficient organization so as to be financially self-sustaining whilst delivering benefits to its members through not-for-profit development projects

What problems are we solving?

• Improving food security in order to help alleviate poverty

• Providing information and improving access to agricultural and scientific knowledge

• Supporting farmers through training and advice on good agricultural practice

• Protecting biodiversity by managing pest and diseases

By 2016, five million more farmers will have access to the knowledge they need, to feed their families and lift themselves out of poverty


0.0Title


ContentsExecutive Summary 6

1.0 Introduction 10

2.0 Planning Context 14

3.0 Design, Materials, Landscaping & Appearance 16

4.0 The New Office Building 23

5.0 The Care Village 29

6.0 Access and Public Transport 30

7.0 Good Design and Local Distinctiveness 34


In Conclusion

The Masterplan allows for:

1. A layout which respects the site’s topography, surrounding landscape and existing residents’ amenity;

2. The improvement of the architectural quality of the site;

3. The improvement of the biodiversity of the site;

4. The development to become part of the natural environment into which it is placed, through substantial landscaped site boundaries and the protection of biodiverse habitats and native planting;

5. Demolition of the existing office building and construction of an exemplar building to reflect the ethos of CABI;

6. Shared surface space for the roads within the site to provide a safe pedestrian environment;

7. Passive solar gain to be maximised, through the orientation of the layout and use of the topography;

8. Low carbon development to benefit from passive solar gain, good design and renewable energy technology to significantly reduce energy demands;

9. Code for Sustainable Homes (Code 4) and BREEAM Excellent for the office building;

10. The use of high quality, locally sourced and sympathetic materials and careful placing of built form to blend into its setting and be visually unobtrusive;

11. A community building which can serve local groups and organisations;

12. Much needed local services and uses to address a current shortfall in housing and care provision within the Wallingford area as well as protecting existing jobs. In addition the provision of additional jobs so as to offer a wide range of employment opportunities on this site;

13. A development which will allow for the retention of approximately 155 jobs on site and will generate an additional 70 jobs

Content of Proposal

This Design and Access Statement has been developed to support the Outline Planning Applica-tion for land north of Nosworthy Way, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, the existing CABI site. The scope and content of the document demonstrates the commitment of CABI to deliver a high quality sustainable development on the site in line with its business ethos, based on a thorough process of contextual application, design evolution and community engagement, embodying best practice in spatial plan-ning and urban design. The proposal seeks to deliver a balanced mixed-use development for the site, comprising a new office building for CABI and a Care Village.

A Summary Design and Access Table are included to provide a quick reference for the key headings and information within the Statement. All matters of detail are reserved for subsequent approval, but in order to comply with legislative requirements, guidance is provided within this Design and Access Statement to assist in the consideration of design and access issues.

Process

The process undertaken in developing the Masterplan and preparing the Design and Access State-ment follows best practice set out in various guidance and policy documents. This Statement details the contextual relationship of the site with its surroundings, the national, regional and local policy context, and the design process undertaken to establish the Urban Design Principles and Illustrative Masterplan. The Masterplan doubles as the Indicative Layout to demonstrate the site’s capacity, func-tionality and detail. Artist’s impressions have been developed to help illustrate and reinforce the design message. It should be stressed that these are indicative only and permission is not sought for these matters at this stage.

Executive Summary


Design and Access Element

Description / Approach Taken

Uses and Quantum

This application relates to a mixed-use development on a previously devel-oped site north of Nosworthy Way, Wallingford, Oxfordshire. It will entail a balanced mix of uses including:

• A new office building for CABI (up to 3,108 sq m) (B1 Use Class)

• A dedicated ‘extra care’ retirement development up to 17,165 sq m comprising up to 49 extra care units and care home comprising up to 64 bed spaces (C2 Use Class)

• Up to 56 retirement units (C3 Use Class)

• Up to 24 key worker flats (C3 Use Class)

• A community/ leisure use building up to 375 sq m (D1/D2 Use Class), and

• Open space, footpaths and landscaping

Layout Detailed approval for the layout is not sought at this stage, but an Illustra-tive Masterplan/ Indicative Layout has been prepared to illustrate the design principles for the development and to demonstrate the ability of the site to accommodate what is being applied for, whilst still achieving a sustainable and well considered proposal, which is part of the landscape in which it sits.

Scale Height and scale is indicative at present but parameters are identified on the Masterplan. Consideration of the visual impact on the surrounding landscape has been informed by the supporting Landscape and Visual Impact Assess-ment and incorporated into the proposals. The built form is concentrated in the previously developed land area which is less visible from the surrounding countryside. Two storey built form has been used for the retirement dwellings to reduce impact, whilst the care home and extra care units will be no more than three storeys. All of the proposed buildings will be lower than the exist-ing main building on site.

Landscape and Open Space

Landscape is reserved for subsequent approval; however an indicative strategy has been developed as part of the Masterplan response. This is based on the retention and enhancement of significant landscape features, the protection of wildlife habitats and the provision of amenity space. The landscape setting is also part of the intended character of the development, which draws its inspiration from the character of the AONB. The intent is to improve the biodiversity of the site which at present is predominately main-tained lawns.

Appearance Approval is not sought for appearance and therefore much of the material in this document is illustrative. We have sought to incorporate best practice to identify the key principles with regard to design and appearance, so as to promote a highly sustainable, contemporary design.

Access Access is illustrative at this stage but the clear intention is to use the exist-ing access off the A4130 but to incorporate improved pedestrian and public transport access, which can be reserved for subsequent approval.

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Based on the Ordnance Survey Map with the sanction of the controller of H.M Stationary Office © Crown copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Licence number 100018178.

CABI REDEVELOPMENT OF WALLINGFORD SITE 8

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0.0Existing developed site with maintained grassland

OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION ACCESS STATEMENT


1.0Introduction1.1 Purpose of this document

This document has been prepared to support an outline planning application for a sustainable, mixed use development on land north of Nosworthy Way, Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

The scope and content of this document sets out a design process, which works with the grain of the landscape, topography, vegetation, local character and the current surrounding uses.

The development proposal seeks outline planning permission for:

• A new office building (up to 3,108 sq m) (B1 Use Class) for CABI with associated car parking;

• A dedicated “extra care” retirement development (up to 17,165 sq m) comprising up to 49 extra care units and care home containing up to 64 bed spaces (C2 Use Class);

• Up to 56 retirement units (C3 Use Class);

• Up to 24 key worker flats (C3 Use Class);

• A community/ leisure use building up to 375 sq m (D1/ D2 Use Class); and

• Open space, footpaths and landscaping

1.2 Site Overview

The site has an area of approximately 14 ha (but the application area is much smaller at 3.7ha) and is located to the north of the A4130 Wallingford Bypass and east of the River Thames, and adjacent to the Wallingford urban area. Originally the former junior school of Carmel College to the south, the existing buildings date from the 1960s, and have been used principally as a scientific research centre since 1985. The work of CABI relates to applied life sciences, agriculture and the environment, includ-ing climate change.

The existing buildings occupy the central part of the site; to the east is a playing field which is unused, whilst to the west are vegetated areas, and farmland beyond leading to the River Thames. The build-ings are uneconomic in terms of layout and energy efficiency, and require a high level of maintenance and energy use compared with modern purpose-built offices. By current standards, the buildings are obsolete. The Energy Performance Certificate produced for the building shows a rating of 149, which is very poor and compares with a rating of 47 for similar newly built premises and 82 for typical exist-ing stock. CABI has examined the options of either moving into a modern purpose-built office building on the site, as part of a comprehensive redevelopment of the site, or relocating entirely from the site possibly onto a science park within South Oxfordshire District or to locations further afield such as their other UK site in Egham, near London. The preferred option for CABI is to occupy a new office building on the current site. Should this not be possible then CABI will have to relocate, as continuing to occupy their existing dilapidated buildings is not feasible.

Problems with flat roofs Water ingress

Greenhouse effects Not built for office purposes Deteriorating infrastructure

Poor lighting Heating system repairs


1.0The existing floor area of all the buildings on the site is 6,701 sq m whilst the office building is some 5,690 sq m (61,250 sq ft) and some 135 people are employed. Together with some 20- 25 tenants of rented office space, 160 people are employed on the site. New requirements would be lower at 3,108 sq m (33,414 sq ft). As detailed in the Business Plan and the Planning Statement, the optimum position for CABI is to remain on site as part of a comprehensive mixed-use sustainable development.

1.3 Design Process

The design team has utilised national best practice and local guidance, and its own considerable experience, to develop a contextually responsive sustainable Masterplan, which is site-specific and contemporary in form and structure.

This Statement details the contextual relationship of the site to its surroundings, the national, regional and local policy context and the design process undertaken. That process establishes the design principles leading to an illustrative Masterplan and layout, demonstrating that the development can be delivered in terms of the capacity and functionality of the site.

1.4 Saved Policy D1 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011 advises that the principles of good design and the protection and reinforcement of local distinctiveness should be taken into account in all development through:

i. the provision of a clear structure of spaces;

ii. respecting existing settlement patterns;

iii. providing for a choice of routes and transport modes to, from and within the development;

iv. providing a development that users find easy to understand through the use of landmarks, vistas and focal points;

v. providing landscape structure as a framework for new development;

vi. respecting the character of the existing landscape;

vii. respecting distinctive settlement types and their character;

viii. providing good quality site and building design and appropriate materials; and

ix. providing well-designed external areas.

1.5 We will use these criteria subsequently to describe the scheme. In designing the new office building and Care Village regard has been paid to the South Oxfordshire Design Guide published in July 2008. The bulk of the advice relates to residential buildings but one of the exemplar buildings in the South Oxfordshire District is the Henley Rowing Pavilion and Museum shown at page 44 of the Design Guide. Such contemporary design can also be a feature of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Carmel College site contains a number of buildings built more than forty years ago in a modernist style that are now protected by being statutorily listed.


1.01.6 We have had regard to the design advice published by the Chilterns Conservation Board. At paragraph 4.1 the document contains a checklist which indicates that in general terms the location of new buildings should:

• Avoid skylines and prominent spurs

• Avoid open slopes

• Be in harmony with the landscape when considered from all views

• Not extend ribbon development

• Make maximum use of a site’s contours without major earthworks and the need to excavate basements

• Make maximum use of existing trees and landscape features

1.7 This has influenced our approach and is described fully in the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment. Because the Chilterns AONB is a nationally protected landscape, the way in which the new building respects the landscape is of paramount importance. One of the major features of the CABI site is its inclusion of part of the River Thames. As set out in the LVIA, establishment of flower-rich water meadows on land alongside the river, together with a programme of woodland refurbishment, will enhance views from the Thames Path towards the site, whilst views towards the river from the footpath that dissects the site can be opened up.

1.8 The Chilterns Buildings Design Guide acknowledges (paragraph. 3.31) that there is a place for contemporary and innovative architecture that demonstrates adherence to the basic principle of being in harmony with the site and surrounding buildings and countryside. Such buildings should also demonstrate the highest principles of sustainability in terms of design, use of materials and renewable energy provision. As expanded on in this document, this has been our approach to this development.


1.0CABI has around 400 staff across 17 locations worldwide

CABI is a not-for-profit international organisation with its headquarters in Wallingford

UK 195 Netherlands 1 Switzerland 22 Hungary 1 Serbia 1

Bulgaria 1

China 4

Malaysia 22

Australia 1

India 9Pakistan 65Kenya 30Cameroon 1

Brazil 1

Trinidad & Tobago 5

Costa Rica 1

USA 3


2.1 National Context

The National Planning Policy Framework published on the 27th March 2012 sets out the national planning policy requiring good design. Among the aims are the following:

“56. The Government attaches great importance to the design of the built environment. Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, is indivisible from good planning, and should contribute positively to making places better for people.”

“60. Planning policies and decisions should not attempt to impose architectural styles or particular tastes and they should not stifle innovation, originality or initiative through unsubstantiated require-ments to conform to certain development forms or styles. It is, however, proper to seek to promote or reinforce local distinctiveness. “

“63. In determining applications, great weight should be given to outstanding or innovative designs which help raise the standard of design more generally in the area

2.2 Local Context

The CABI site is located on the western edge of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) adjacent to the River Thames. It is not identified on the proposals Map of the South Oxford-shire Local Plan (adopted January 2006) but benefits from planning permissions granted in 1985 for change of use to scientific research, review and training, and in 1989 for a journal store and despatch centre. Access to the site was subsequently substantially improved by the construction of the link road past the site from the A4074 across the River Thames to the A329. Therefore since the desig-nation of the AONB in 1965, there has been substantial additional development on the site, and the immediate character of the site was significantly changed by the construction of the link road past the site. The area that has not changed is that adjacent to the River Thames, and this area is excluded from the development proposals..

2.3 Policy E6 of the Local Plan 2011 seeks to retain employment sites in the District, whilst the South Oxfordshire Core Strategy March 2011 is supportive of the growth of local businesses and recognises the need for additional specialised accommodation for the elderly in the District. Meetings between CABI and members and officers of SODC have demonstrated support for CABI’s preferred option, which is the subject of the planning application. A full description of the relevant planning poli-cies is contained in the Planning Statement.

2.0Planning Context

Celebrating BiodiversitySupporting the decade on biodiversity

Zero CarbonLow cost in use, ‘passive’ design

Low MaintenanceLow cost to maintain, long life span


3.1 Design Process

Following from the pre-application advice received from SODC, the decision was taken to site the development as much as possible within the previously developed area of the site, so that although the overall floor space developed on the site would increase, there would be only a modest increase in the area of the site given over to development. A plan was prepared by Ridge and agreed by SODC which shows this area delineated by a blue line within the overall area owned by CABI identified by a dashed light blue line (Page 19). The extent of this blue line area is 3.7ha.

3.2 CABI is an important international development and information organisation and a major local employer. Its worldwide headquarters is in the UK and there are 135 full time staff based in Walling-ford. Almost half of these people currently live in South Oxfordshire District. Having looked at other sites and faced with an inadequate and ageing headquarters building, CABI has been working on a proposal to build a new office on their existing site for over two years and now wishes to submit an outline planning application.

3.3 To fund the new office, CABI is proposing a care village to be built on part of the remaining land which will also help meet the requirements of the District as it considers how to meet the chal-lenges of housing an ageing population. CABI is not undertaking this development as a profit making exercise. The floor area of the care village has been calculated to generate sufficient value to fund the office building.

3.4 The current proposals are a result of extensive discussions with SODC, which have been on-going during 2010- 2012. Development is proposed on land that is currently occupied by the curti-lage of existing buildings, car parking and formal grounds, with the remaining land left open. The new office will be constructed while CABI continues to operate from its existing buildings. Once the new office is complete, the care village will be built. Occupation of the existing office building has been a significant driver in the design of the proposed Masterplan.

3.5 Both CABI and SODC have high ambitions for a sustainable development that does not cause harm to the AONB. Views into the site of the proposed development are, fortunately, very limited. Both the new office and the care village will incorporate energy saving measures which are significant-ly in excess of current Building Regulations.

Design, Materials, Landscaping & Appearance 3.0


3.03.6 Within these constraints (see the Constraints and Opportunities Plans on pages 20 and 21) two development options were prepared, but only one is financially viable. The alternative option would not work financially without more development and all of the additional sustainability measures removed which is not to the benefit of any party, the community or the longevity of the site. The pro-posed office would be functional but not innovative.

Following discussions with senior members and officers at SODC, the revised proposal has moved the office building further east so that it is visually separate from the care village and the area around the building is sufficiently spacious. The building is architecturally striking and will be something of which Wallingford can be proud.

3.7 This option, therefore, is the proposal which has been endorsed by the CABI board and for which the development team is seeking outline planning approval. (The option is shown on page 19).


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OFFICE HQJob Title

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St Catherine's Court46-48 Portsmouth RoadGuildford GU2 4DUT +44 (0)1483 568686F +44 (0)1483 575830W scottbrownrigg.com

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B Revised for PV areas EH 25Oct11 EH

C Revised for layout 03Apr12

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F Outline revised based onOS Data 16Apr12 EH

G Email request 16/04/2012 17Apr12 EH

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4.1 Aims and Aspirations

The objective is to deliver an A- rated, BREEAM Excellent HQ Building for an international organisa-tion which:

• Is an office development which sits in harmony with the landscape;

• With the care village, provides a symbiotic development with shared facilities such as the lecture theatre, leisure building and landscaped gardens;

• Creates a delightful, collaborative, flexible and productive environment;

• Promotes and celebrates biodiversity, supporting the decade on biodiversity, having a minimal impact on the environment (energy, water, waste, materials) and a positive contribution to the site;

• Is designed for low carbon, ‘passive’ design, which minimises energy requirements and minimises its reliance on fossil fuels for this reduced requirement;

• Uses sustainably sourced materials with low embodied carbon wherever possible;

• Is a building of which both CABI and Wallingford can be proud – truly exemplary.

The architects Scott Brownrigg are an international practice with a proven record for sustainable design including the award winning Red Kite House at HR Wallingford. The CABI HQ will be a low impact two- storey office with a gross internal area of approximately 3,108 sq m. The accommodation will provide a range of associated amenities such as a café restaurant, meeting rooms and a lecture theatre. These will be able to provide facilities to the local community in the evenings and at week-ends and will become a valuable resource within the area.

4.2 Orientation Strategy

The unique form is derived from passive solar design principles. The plan is orientated East-West, which minimises the exposure to low-level morning and afternoon sun which is difficult to screen. The southern elevation incorporates horizontal blades that provide screening and harvest energy from the sun. The ‘Loggia Street’ which runs North-South is also shaded using solar photovoltaic panels incor-porated into the roof. The orientation as illustrated on the master plan is the most energy efficient and has been one of the drivers for the master plan.

4.3 Passive Ventilation Strategy

The narrow floor-plate wings are combined with a 3.4 m high clear exposed soffit. Cross ventilation can enter and exit the building via full height openings in the elevations. However, during hot, still days when there is limited air movement, ventilation is encouraged via fan- assisted extract. The open floor plates and light wells allow air to rise up through the building where it is extracted to the air handling plant at the rear of the core; this air movement provides a cooling effect.

The New Office Building 4.0


4.0Siting the building away from the road has allowed the design team to major on passive ventilation as road noise has been a diminutive factor, although noise attenuation will still be required in some circumstances.

4.4 Daylight Strategy

Natural day-lighting principles have been adopted throughout the design, which will reduce the requirement for artificial lighting and minimise energy consumption. The narrow 14m wide floor plate ensures that no desks are further than 7m from a window. Generous floor to ceiling height and roof lights located above the centre of the floors allow natural light to enter the centre of the plan.

4.5 Structural Strategy

This is provided by a 9m x 9m offset column grid containing the concrete required for foundations and structure generally. The first floor is supported by a concrete flat slab, which is post tensioned to reduce materials and provides thermal mass to the ground floor ceiling. A hybrid system has been envisaged for the roof construction, with steel beams for the large spans and timber for smaller distances to reduce the amount of steel required. Internal partitions provide additional thermal mass to both floors. Double height spaces encourage light to flow throughout the floor plates and encourage a sense of community and communication.

4.6 Water Strategy

Water mitigation is also approached in an integrated manner, green roofs, swales, and permeable paving provide a mitigating effect. These are combined with the balancing pond, which provides an integrated sustainable drainage solution with the care village.

4.7 Travel

The project will also incorporate electric car charging points, a green travel plan, drop-off for a mini-bus, and cycling and changing facilities.

4.8 Landscaping

With an organisation such as CABI, one of the principles for the design team was to strive for was increasing biodiversity wherever possible. The existing grounds are maintained lawns and provide poor biodiversity. The proposed office green roofs and the surrounding landscaping will be designed with the CABI scientific team to create a biodiverse landscape in keeping with the natural habitat.


4.9 Energy Performance

One of the primary goals set by CABI for the design team was to create a building with very low in-use energy consumption far in excess of any current regulations. The Design is inherently energy efficient and enables the achievement of the highest sustainability targets. The Energy Performance Certificate rating will be very close to an A-rating even before the introduction of low carbon technolo-gies (i.e. Combined Heat and Power plant and Photovoltaics). A flexible and future-proofed approach has been adopted, enabling several increments to ensure that the CABI office will be an exemplar design which will enhance CABI’s international standing as a world leader in agricultural and environ-mental scientific research. This strategy can provide a low carbon building matched to performance and operation.

4.0


4.0The design team’s approach is to target a building with passive technologies which result in a building with low energy use. The energy which will be required will be used sparingly and the target is to gen-erate energy on site with photovoltaics and a Combined Heat and Power plant, where the heat will be used to warm the care village and the electricity used for the office building.

Where possible the materials selected to construct the building will be low in embodied energy and will be from the A rated list, as defined by the Green Guide.

During the detailed design process every element of the building will be scrutinised to reduce energy consumption in construction and operation.


4.0


5.1 Vision

The vision for the Wallingford care village is an integrated community for older people that provides a range of services designed to meet their current and future care needs.

• The care village layout is entirely located within the existing footprint and curtilage of the existing buildings;

• The care village will be run by a specialist operator and will include a small shop, hairdressing salon, restaurant and laundry to encourage a community environment;

• The assisted living apartments are designed to meet the requirements of older people. Every prospective resident will be subject to an independent care needs assessment on entry and a care package will be offered to them to meet their individual needs and requirements;

• The provision of services to the assisted living units will be secured through a S.106 Unilateral Undertaking. As a consequence, both the care home and the assisted living units are classified as Use Class C2;

• The retirement housing units are predominantly targeted at people with a lower level of dependency and there will be no requirement for residents to undertake an individual care needs assessment or for the care home to make services available to the occupiers of these units. They are classified as Use Class C3;

• The key worker units will be offered through an RSL to people working in the care home. The care village will generate approximately 70 full-time jobs;

• It is intended that the buildings will be designed as a contemporary interpretation of the local vernacular. Materials will reflect the Chilterns character of the area;

• In conjunction with CABI, there will be a mini-bus to bring residents and staff into Wallingford and to Cholsey Station. Public transport access is described in the Access and Public Transport section;

• The gardens will be managed as a single entity, which means that the site will take on an open appearance rather than being segregated with fencing and the external appearance will be carefully controlled to ensure that the development is not compromised by unsympathetic future additions.

5.0The Care Village


Access and Public Transport 6.06.1 Access and public transport are fully described in the Traffic Impact Assessment prepared by the consultant, Glanville. The intention is to use the existing vehicular and pedestrian / cycle access to the site, but to incorporate improvements both to public transport access and to pedestrian access. The proposed bus stop improvements are shown on plan No. TR812043/SK01 and the proposed footway improvements on plan No. TR812043/SK02, which are included on pages 29 and 30 of this Statement. In addition, in conjunction with CABI, there will be a minibus service into Wallingford and to Cholsey Station that will cater for the travel requirements of CABI staff, Care Village residents and visitors and the staff. These improvements will be secured by either a unilateral undertaking or S.106 Agreement with Oxfordshire County Council, the Local Highway Authority.

View from Nosworthy Way of main site access

View from the Thames Path looking east.

Footpath (looking north) that divides the CABI site in two. The developed areas can be seen to the right, agricultural land just visible to the left.

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7.0Good design and local distinctiveness


The application of Policy D1 (SOLP 2011)

5.1 We set out below how good design and local distinctiveness is proposed in the scheme:

i. The provision of a clear structure of spaces;

The Care Village has a formal axial structure that provides ample opportunity for the provision of a series of linked open spaces. The office building is sited east of the Care Village but has pedestrian links to the leisure building and will be viewed against the open aspect of the eastern part of the CABI site which is undeveloped.

ii. respecting existing settlement patterns;

The development respects existing settlement patterns with structure and carefully designed landscaping.

iii. providing for a choice of routes and transport modes to, from and within the development;

As detailed in the Transport Assessment and the proposed S.106, there is a choice of routes and transport modes.

iv. providing a development that users find easy to understand through the use of landmarks, vistas and focal points;

The office building will provide a landmark, whilst the formal square allows the whole of the Care Village to be easily understood by the user through vistas and focal points.

(i) providing landscape structure as a framework for new development;

The Care Village and new office building are contained within a strong landscape structure that utilises the existing vegetation. More details are contained in the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment.

(ii) respecting the character of the existing landscape;

This is an over-riding objective of the proposals.

(iii) respecting distinctive settlement types and their character;

The CABI site is located away from existing settlements and not visible from them.

(iv) providing good quality site and building design and appropriate materials;

Again, this is an over-riding objective of the proposals. The design of the office building is contemporary and will achieve the highest sustainability standards. The design of the Care Village is complementary to that of the office building, and to reflect the Chilterns character, appropriate materials will be used.

(v) providing well-designed external areas;

The Masterplan shows how the external areas can complement the new buildings and be enhanced by additional landscaping.

Good design and local distinctiveness 7.0

CABI Design and Access Statement v3

Documents

Transcript of CABI Design and Access Statement v3