Oxley Woods: comments on high street character area

18th November 2013 – Comments re Oxley Woods High Street Character Area

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Further comments on Taylor Wimpey proposals for completion of

Oxley Woods – Site 6, Oxley Park East, 13/00621/FUL

We recognize that the revised proposals from Taylor Wimpey incorporate feedback

made by MKC Urban Design on a number of design elements of the originally

submitted scheme. However we believe that both the revised designs and the

comments from MKC Urban Design have failed to adequately address prior design

guidance relating to the Oxley Park High Street Character Area.

The revised proposal features a series of narrow-fronted detached properties along

the High Street frontage. We believe that this fails to engage with the treatment of

the High Street character area throughout the whole of Oxley Park, as well as

clashing with the approach taken within Site 6. We had highlighted the importance

of maintaining a coherent approach to the High Street Character Area in our

Outline Context Appraisal document of April 2013, so here provide some additional

comments.

This note considers these matters with reference to the Oxley Park Development

Framework, the Oxley Park East Design Code, and the Site 6 Design Brief. We then

look at how this planning guidance has been implemented across the rest of Oxley

Park, and consider its interpretation in the recent Taylor Wimpey proposals. We refer

back to the approved original designs from RSHP to discuss how the current

proposals could be improved, given the constraints of the site.

Planning guidance of relevance

Oxley Park Development

Framework (Supplementary

Planning Guidance)

Page 32 of the OPDF provides

an overview plan of the whole

of the Oxley Park Grid Square

and the Character Areas. The

‘High Street’ character area

snakes through the whole of

the estate from south west to

north east. White blocking

indicates the intention for the

High Street to be dominated by

terraces and linked buildings.

Undeveloped land parcels of

Site 6 indicated as continuing

the strong built line intended for

the rest of the High Street

character area through Oxley

Park.


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The overview table on page 31 similarly states that the built form for the High Street

character area should be ‘Apartments, townhouses and terraced housing.

Detached forms will be used particularly at the transition between Oxley High Street

and the low density Oxley Mead’.

Page 33 then provides further detail, stating:

5.4 The High Street will run through the grid square from the V2 access in the

north-east corner through to the south-west access off the H6. There will be

limited set backs from the road providing a strong sense of enclosure and the

junctions and ends of vistas will be strongly defined by the built form. The High

Street will be the primary bus route through the development along which the

curvilinear route and series of 'events' in the built form or landscaping

structure will help to limit the traffic speeds to 20mph.

Oxley Park East Design Code

Page 35 provides an overview table of the character area:

Section 6.6 (p91 onwards) provides more details on the different building types

proposed. This highlights that:

6.6.2 Detached dwellings will not be the predominant dwelling type and will only

appear in the ‘lower’ density areas.

Further guidance is also given on other building types. Terraced homes are defined

as 2-storey properties, while townhouses will be larger and more refined, and ranging

in height from 2.5 to 4 storeys.


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Site 6 Development Brief

Page 21 states:

4.5.3 Built Form

Appropriate massing of built form around the High Street will ensure a sense of

enclosure for this high activity area. The High Street design proposals must

respect the different zones defined by a level of enclosure, activities,

thresholds between sites, etc. Special consideration is required for the

threshold between EP’s and Westbury’s site and an opening into the linear

park.

The layout for Site 6 must achieve opportunities for the future seamless

integration with the mixed-use development of Site 4. The parts of the High

Street with housing to both sides should have a feel of a traditional small town

High Street.

The intent of these respective pieces of planning guidance was therefore to require

a strong built line and sense of enclosure throughout the High Street Character Area.

Detached homes were generally discouraged, although their potential use was

noted in respect to areas alongside the Oxley Mead and Oxley Wood character

areas.

New Residential Development Design Guide, April 2012

More recently, the adoption of the Design Guide provides updated guidance on

design and layout issues. Where this sets new standards that differ from the specific

guidance of the original Oxley Park framework and design code, it might be

expected to take precedence, alongside other updated city-wide standards, for

example in relation to car parking.

Implications for Oxley Park?

Importantly, the Design Guide reinforces the centrality of context and the effective

appraisal of local surroundings as an integral part of good design. On this basis, the

Design Guide reaffirms the need for any proposals to engage with the existing

design guidance for Oxley Park and the form in which it has been implemented

across the estate to date.

As noted in Neil Sainsbury’s comments of 04/06/2013 on the originally submitted

scheme, the Design Guide does however set out a presumption against the use of

rear parking courts. Similarly, updated parking standards guidance is noted in the

response from Highways of 29th May 2013.

However the original approved scheme by RSHP for the remaining undeveloped

parcels of Site 6 did not use rear parking courts due to the constraints of the site.

Moreover, a range of parking approaches were provided for the High Street

character area in the original planning guidance – as detailed in the table below.

On plot and garage parking are both acceptable options for the High Street

character area. [Oxley Park East Design Code, 3.3).


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Our conclusion on reviewing the Design Guide is that it strengthens the requirement

for any revised scheme to effectively respond to the existing context of both Site 6

and the wider Oxley Park grid square. We have been unable to identify any policy

changes that would require a developer to propose a series of narrow-fronted

detached properties in this location. In our view the current proposals appear to be

intended as a means of maximising potential sales values, rather than as a means of

providing an appropriate design solution – which MKC officials have consistently

noted should be the underlying requirement for any proposal seeking to complete

Site 6.

We recognise that any revised scheme should of course integrate any updated

requirements for parking standards etc (for example length of driveways for on-plot

parking), but this should not in itself necessitate a deviation from the original intent

and subsequent implementation of the Oxley Park design guidance.

The existing approved scheme for Site 6 by RSHP additionally provides a starting

point for consideration of design and layout options that would be acceptable. We

return to this option below when we review the approved and proposed schemes

alongside each other.

The following section considers the broader context of the Oxley Park grid square as

a means of assessing whether the proposed series of narrow-fronted detached

properties is in keeping with the design guidance and existing development.


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Oxley Park today

The majority of the Oxley Park grid square has now been developed. The only area of the

High Street character area not yet developed is the designated mixed-use area at

entrance to Oxley Woods from the V2.

Here we look at how detached properties have been integrated into the High Street

character area. It must be highlighted that detached properties are in a small minority,

and are mixed in with other property types.

The images of properties included here are to enable comparison with the rest of Oxley

Park, and should not be interpreted as appropriate designs for the remainder of Site 6.

South West Oxley Park

A small minority of detached properties in a

townhouse style are included in this part of Oxley

Park. All are double-fronted properties, with narrow

gaps between buildings.

Detached houses are mixed in with a majority of

semi-detached, terraced, and apartment properties

and are of a similar frontage width and building

height.

There are no narrow-fronted detached properties in

this area of the High Street Character Area. Parking is

in rear parking courts and / or on street, including in

central squares.


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Central Oxley Park

See page 7

See page 8

Detached properties next to Oxley Mead character area (Oxley Park West)

An entrance to houses under construction in the

Oxley Mead character area is accessed between

detached properties facing on to the High Street

character area.

The properties are again double-fronted in a

townhouse style, and provide a wide frontage on to

the High Street.


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Detached properties close to local centre (Oxley Park East)

This property on the corner of Powis Lane is

connected to its neighbor via a roof over the

parking area.

As with other properties elsewhere in Oxley Park, it

is double-fronted and gives a wide aspect on to

the High Street frontage.

This property on the corner nearest to the local

centre has the narrowest frontage of any property

on the High Street character area. It stands out as

not in keeping with the adjacent properties, but

appears to have been included to enable the

frontage to follow the curve of the road at this

point. It is however joined to a garage, which is in

turn connected to the neighbouring property –

see photo below.

This wider double-fronted property connects to

the garage of the above narrow-fronted

property.

This is the second-narrowest property on the High

Street character area. However it is also

connected to neighbouring properties – this time

via both a garage and a ‘bridge over unit’ above

the entrance to a rear parking court.

This and the above example are the only two

narrow-fronted properties in the whole of the High

Street character area, and both are connected

to neighbouring properties rather than being

completely detached.


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As with the first property pictured on page 7, these properties also use feature roofs over

parking spaces to provide a continuation of the built line.

Detached properties to the

Northern edge of Site 1

(Oxley Park East)

This part of the High Street is on the approach

to Oxley Mead (located in Oxley Park West,

see p6 above).

A series of detached and semi-detached

properties are used in this area of Oxley Park

along the High Street frontage.

Given the limited depth of the plots either

side of the High Street there was no scope for

rear parking courts. This section of the Oxley

Park High Street therefore provides the best

comparator for the as yet undeveloped land

parcels on Site 6.

As a consequence of the absence of rear

parking courts, these properties have a

slightly wider spacing to enable the inclusion

of car parking and garages. They are

however aligned so as to provide a coherent

built line when viewed from along the street.

As with other detached properties elsewhere

in Oxley Park, all but one of these houses are

double-fronted with a wide aspect facing on

to the High Street, and are mixed in with

other property types – semi-detached properties in the same style are shown here.

The one property that is not double-fronted is pictured in the bottom left of page 9 - it is a

corner unit, and presents a wide frontage to both elevations (only one elevation shown).


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(Site 1 continued)


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North Oxley Park

Remaining undeveloped

land adjacent to High

Street

No detached properties

in existing Site 6

development alongside

High Street.

See below for discussion

of semi-detached and

short terraces in existing

Site 6.

High Street frontage of

Site 6 land parcels under

consideration.

Persimmon site now nearing completion. (Oxley Park West). There are no detached

properties facing on to the High Street in this site adjacent to Site 6 – the dominant forms of

construction are apartment buildings and terraces of townhouses:


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The properties on the Persimmon development immediately adjacent to the threshold

between Oxley Park West and the existing Oxley Woods estate have been completed in

November 2013. These provide the immediate neighbouring context for the land parcels

under consideration in this application.

The following images are taken from Milland Way looking into Oxley Park West through the

hedgerow division between sites. The strong built line is continued with a mix of terraced

homes and apartments. No detached properties are present on the High Street frontage.

Two large apartment buildings mark the entrance to the site. The apartments in the image

on the right below will be diagonally opposite the end properties proposed for the Milland

Way frontage, and will be clearly visible across the road and through the break in

hedgerow.

Summary of detached properties in the rest of the existing Oxley Park High Street

Planning guidance indicated a strong presumption against the inclusion of detached

properties within the High Street character area, except on the approach to Oxley Mead.

Detached properties have however been integrated successfully into different parts of the

Oxley Park grid square, as a minority among other house styles:

• In the South West of Oxley Park this has seen occasional detached townhouse-style

properties included alongside similarly large semi-detached and terraced units. As

a result of having access to rear car parking, these properties have narrow gaps

between them.

• In the central area of Oxley Park detached houses have been used along the High

Street. Some of these are in the approach to Oxley Mead while others are along an

area where rear car parking was not possible. These houses are again interspersed

with semi-detached properties, and have wider gaps to allow for car parking and

garages.

• Out of all the properties on the High Street throughout Oxley Park, only 2 have

narrow frontages – and even these are not fully detached, as they are joined to

neighbouring properties via garages and a ‘bridge over’ unit. All other detached

properties are double-fronted and / or with a wide aspect on to the High Street.

• There are no detached properties on the High Street in the Persimmon site adjoining

Site 6.


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The existing High Street frontages within Site 6, Oxley Woods

The dominant form of construction in the areas of Site 6 fronting on to the High Street is

terraced properties, predominantly 3 storeys high, with some 2 storey. Although the

original Oxley Park design guidance noted that detached properties could be considered

for the transition with the lower density Oxley Wood character area, no detached

properties are present on the High Street. Detached homes are successfully used

elsewhere in the Oxley Woods estate in the lower density areas fronting The Parks and

Oxley Wood character areas. There are however some existing configurations of homes

on the High Street that could help inform design options for the remaining land parcels of

Site 6.

3 homes together

The entrance to Oxley Woods sees 3 homes together (plots 39-41), then a space for 3

parking spaces before the start of a large curving terrace:

When viewed from the entrance to Oxley Woods, there is a clear continuation of the built

line of the High Street due to the alignment of these plots in a way that successfully

integrates the parking spaces between plots 41 and 42.

This approach is then replicated in the layout of properties marking the entrance to

Swanson Drive. Situated at the most prominent part of the main route into the estate,

these properties are similarly separated from others by the entrance to a parking court to

the left of plot 56 and the start of Swanson Drive to the right of plot 54:


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A similar use of 3 properties together on the High Street is located on the north side of

Milland Way overlooking the linear park. As above, the properties are flanked by the

entrance to Lorre Mews to the left of plot 69 and a rear parking court to the right of plot

67. This time wider, double-fronted property styles are used:

Semi-detached 2-storey properties

Further along the north side of Milland Way, there is a pair of semi-detached properties. As

with the above examples, these houses sit between the entrance to Welles Lane on the

left (between plots 105 and 93) and a rear parking court to the right of plot 92: Given its

location opposite the land parcels under consideration, these properties provide an

immediate reference point for any new proposals.

Semi-detached 3-storey properties

Similarly, two larger semi-detached properties are

located at the eastern end of the land parcels under

consideration. These properties are located with the

entrance to Lorre Mews to the side of plot 85. They

are separated from the neighbouring long terrace

by two on plot parking spaces for plot 86 and

neigbouring plot 87. These have been designed to

enable the built form to follow the curve of the

street. Importantly, this example provides a

precedent of how adjacent on plot parking could

be appropriately incorporated into the street scene – see further image below.

As with examples noted above, these properties feature a wide double-fronted unit

couple with a ‘standard width’ Oxley Woods unit, providing a substantial built form that

leads the eye into the subsequent long terrace.


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Example of existing adjacent on-plot parking spaces for neigbouring properties on Milland

Way in the Oxley Park High Street Character Area.

These examples provide a number of options that could help inform the layout of the

remaining undeveloped land parcels. Similar semi-detached, short terraces and double-

fronted properties could all be in keeping with the existing Oxley Woods High Street area.

What approach for the remaining land parcels of Site 6, Oxley Woods?

Based on the above discussion, we believe that it should be uncontroversial to suggest

that the following key principles should inform the design and layout of the High Street

frontage of any scheme proposed for the remainder of Site 6.

1. Coherence with rest of Oxley Park grid square

The layout for the High Street should follow the Character Area guidance and the

built forms implemented across the rest of the Oxley Park grid square.

2. Coherence with Site 6 High Street

Proposals should be informed by design approaches already undertaken in the

existing High Street properties through Site 6 – for example by using pairs of semi-

detached properties and / or groups of 3 buildings positioned together, rather than

detached properties.

3. Coherence with approach to detached properties elsewhere

Where detached properties are unavoidable, they should ideally be double-

fronted (as in the townhouse style used elsewhere) and must present a wide aspect

on to the High Street, so as to remain in keeping with the rest of the Oxley Park grid

square. Detached properties should also ideally be mixed in with other housing

types as a minority among other styles.

4. Coherence with parking standards

The majority of parking provision will need to be located between properties, as

rear parking courts are neither feasible due to site size nor desirable under updated

planning guidance. The example provided above shows how this has already been

achieved successfully under the original RSHP scheme.


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Comparing High Street frontages

With the above principles in mind, we can compare the original approved scheme with the revised proposals from Taylor Wimpey.

The approved RSHP scheme featured 8 built forms for 11 homes, separated by 6 gaps for car parking spaces. This consisted of 5 double-

fronted detached homes and 3 pairs of semi-detached properties, all closely related in design. There were 9 car parking entrances

provided between buildings on the High Street elevation, with 2 to the side. The central pair of semi-detached properties in the RSHP

scheme matched the pair already present to the northern side of Milland Way. The end pairs of semi-detached properties rose in height

to mark the transition to Oxley Park West and the start of Holden Avenue, as required under the original Oxley Park design guidance.

The proposed Taylor Wimpey scheme features 10 built forms for 13 homes, separated by 8 gaps. These consist of a mix of design styles:

one set of 3 properties positioned together, one set of 2 double-fronted semi-detached homes, and then 8 narrow-fronted detached

homes. There are 10 car parking entrances provided between buildings on the High Street elevation, with 3 to the side / rear. The final

property in the Taylor Wimpey scheme is supposed to mark the transition to Oxley Park West (see photo p11 for neighbouring flats) but is

smaller in size. Most importantly, the proposed series of narrow-fronted detached properties is not found anywhere else in Oxley Park and

would be visibly not in keeping with the design intentions for the High Street. The current proposals would therefore break up the High

Street frontage. We see no impediment to an alternative approach that would use 4 sets of semi-detached properties. This would

provide a street scene more in keeping with both the original approved RSHP scheme and the High Street Character Area guidance.


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Conclusions

This note has reviewed the planning guidance for Oxley Park and the approaches taken

in response by different developers across the rest of the grid square.

Given how the Oxley Park Development Framework and Oxley Park East Design Codes

have been interpreted to date, we would suggest that a key test for any scheme

proposed for the remaining areas of Site 6 should be whether it is able to provide a

continuation of wide frontages and linked properties.

This should be required so that the development is in keeping with the strong (and often

unbroken) built line implemented across other developments facing on to the Oxley Park

High Street character area. Such an approach would also provide a better basis for

engaging positively with the terraced properties located opposite the proposed

development on the existing Site 6 High Street.

We have highlighted that nowhere else on the Oxley Park High Street can a series of

narrow-fronted detached properties be found. The proposed scheme is clearly therefore

not in keeping with the original design guidance nor its interpretation across other Oxley

Park developments, and this is recognised by MKC Urban Design in their latest comments.

We agree that rear parking courts are infeasible for the land parcels in question, although

there would be scope for some limited parking for end properties to be provided via side

access points. Other areas of the High Street have however successfully integrated wide-

fronted detached properties with on-plot parking, providing a design precedent that

could readily be applied to Site 6. Indeed, this approach was proposed in the original

approved RSHP scheme.

As a consequence, we believe that a comparison of frontage widths between the existing

terraced properties on Site 6 and the proposed detached houses in the current scheme is

therefore not an appropriate approach. We would suggest that the comparison should

instead be on a like-for-like basis with other detached properties elsewhere on the Oxley

Park High Street (or with any double-fronted, detached houses found elsewhere on Site 6).

The comparison of frontages on page 15 above clearly shows the difference in width

between the previously approved double-fronted and semi-detached units and the

currently proposed narrow detached frontages.

Additionally, we would suggest that the grouping of properties into semi-detached pairs

(and / or groups of 3) would be by far the better option for any scheme proposed for this

location. The existing Oxley Woods estate features groups of 3 properties in prominent

locations on the High Street, situated between entrances to roads and rear car parking

courts. There are also 2 pairs of semi-detached properties on Milland Way facing on to the

land parcels under consideration, one of which incorporates on-plot car parking. We

therefore believe that a coherent built line can be maintained through the careful

alignment of built forms, even if greater spacing between properties were to be required

to allow for on plot car parking as per the original approved scheme.

We believe that the existing approved scheme by RSHP would have successfully achieved

the aims of the planning guidance. The challenge for any alternative scheme is to find a

sufficiently sympathetic approach to engage with the existing Oxley Woods homes while

also meeting the planning guidance for the whole of Oxley Park.

At present, we believe that the current proposals from Taylor Wimpey fail to achieve both

of these elements. The analysis contained here further reinforces our view that the current

proposals should be recommended for refusal, including on the additional grounds of

failing to provide a design and layout that follows the planning guidance for the High

Street character area and its implementation across Oxley Park.

Oxley Woods: comments on high street character area

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