scotia homes foveran villagecommunity engagement 09/14

FOVERANSCOTIA HOMESFOVERAN VILLAGE50 NO. HOMES+ MIXED USE

SCOTIA HOMESCROMLEYBANK980 NO. HOMES+ MIXED USE

SCOTIA HOMESKNOCKHALL ROAD49 NO. HOMES

ENERFIELD BUSINESS UNITS(by another)

SCOTIA HOMESDUBFORD550 NO. HOMES+ MIXED USE

SCOTIA HOMESCASTLETON130 NO. HOMES

SCOTIA HOMESINVERUGIE MEADOWS354 NO. HOMES

Location Map for Foveran Village and Enerfield

FOVERANVILLAGE

ENERFIELD

Phasing plan of Foveran Villagefrom the Westfield Foveran Masterplan 2013 prepared by Halliday Fraser Munro and Harper Cochrane Ltd.

Scotia Homes Ltd.

Scotia Homes is a privately owned, multi-award winning propertydeveloper based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. Scotia has set itself apartby adopting a flexible approach to its developments, having theability to create both suburban and innovative urban “townbuilding”style developments which prioritise placemaking.

The Company was founded in 1990 and its prudent approach to riskmanagement has ensured continued successful trading, eventhrough the years following the world wide financial crisis of 2008.

In order to differentiate itself from other developers Scotia identifiedurban design principles as the way forward by creating sustainableneighbourhoods, providing better places for people to live and work.

Scotia’s first mixed use urban development at Glenside,Rothienorman was awarded Overall Winner in the ScottishGovernment Awards for Quality in Planning in 2010 and the companyhas continued to develop urban design led developments within theCity and Shire.

Scotia have recently completed a successful and award winningscheme at Drumrossie Incsh. Current developments underconstruction along the Energetica/A90 corridor include CastletonEllon, Knockhall Newburgh, Dubford Bridge of Don and CharlestonCove.

Foveran Village - A new additionto Scotia Homes commitment tolocal developments within theEnergetica Corridor andAberdeenshire.

LDP Allocation Phase 1 Housing

Phase 1 Housing

Phase 2 Housing / Mixed Use

Phase 1 Employment

Phase 2 Employment

2. View along field boundary towards Foveran Primary School, with a backdrop of woodland surrounding Foveran House, to the right is the A90 Pitgersie bridge,crossing the Foveran Burn.

1. Panorama of the eastern part of M1 site from the Cultercullen Road.

3. Looking west up-stream of the Foveran Burn, at the heart of the site. 4. View over existing woodland to Hill of Minnes.

process foveran villagecommunity engagement 09/14

Background

The M1 site is currently allocated for 50 houses, alongside 5ha ofemployment land (2ha employment & 3ha strategic reserve) in theAberdeenshire Local Development Plan (LDP). The LDP also allocatedthe EH2 site for 6 houses.

The Westfield Foveran Masterplan prepared by Halliday Fraser Munroand Harper Cochrane Ltd in Sept 2013, received AberdeenshireCouncil Formartine Area Committee Approval on 24th September2013.

To date the Westfield Foveran Masterplan as presently approved wassubject to a programme of extensive public consultation as follows:• Attendance and presentation at Foveran Community CouncilMeetings (25th February 2009, 26th January 2011 and 27th March2013).

• Public Consultation event in Foveran (31st January 2011)• Public Consultation event in Foveran (25th March 2013)

Scotia Homes have an agreement with the landowner to develop 50housing units with a potential mix of uses and to co-ordinate theassociated masterplan footpath connections and movement links tothe wider subjects and existing Foveran settlement.

Your Views

We seek your comments to help inform and shape the proposals forFoveran Village. Stakeholders and the local community are invited toexpress their views through dialogue with the team and through writtenfeedback forms.

Planning Process & Timescales for Phase 1

A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for Foveran Village wassubmitted in May 2014 with the intention of submitting a detailedPlanning Application in October 2014.

The outcomes of the consultation event and feedback received, willbe collated and reviewed by Scotia Homes team in order to informthe design development in preparation for the detailed planningapplication.

PLEASE NOTE: No detailed application has been submitted toAberdeenshire Council in relation to this proposal. Any commentsmade at this time are not formal representations to the Council andwould not be considered as part of any future application. When aformal application for detailed planning permission is submitted byScotia Homes there will be an opportunity to make statutoryrepresentations on the application to the Aberdeenshire Council.

PAN boundary

The PAN area is significantly larger than that required for theproposed 50 units application. The identified area encompasses theallocated site EH2 (6 units) and part of FM060, the whole of M1employment land (2ha) and potential future development bid landFM061 (50 units + 3ha Strategic Reserve Land) in order to providesufficient scope within this application for the 50 units to bedesigned with full consideration of the wider Approved Masterplansubjects and associated linkages to existing settlement.

M1

EH2

5. Panorama of the western part of M1 site from the Cultercullen Road. The recent Cala Homes development is visible on the left of the photo.

6. Housing at McBey Way with private garden boundaries facing towards the Foveran Burn valley.

Proposal of Application Notice Plan

8.The Mill of Foveran’s Outbuilding, lies long and linear, parallel to the lade which was channelled between outbuildingand the road. A large slab and long stones formed a bridge crossing (in the foreground).

7. The Mill of Foveran is 1.5storey with a narrow gable.

Professional Team

Developer SCOTIA HOMES

Urban Design and Architecture AREA

Landscape Architecture IAN WHITE ASSOCIATES

Engineering FAIRHURST

place foveran villagecommunity engagement 09/14

The Site

The northern site (M1) is bounded by the A90 and the CultercullenRoad. The remainder of the site, also agriculture land is south of theburn and includes the EH1 site.

The land falls gently towards the east and is steeply intersected bythe Foveran Burn valley running west to east, separating the northernsite and Foveran Primary School from the neighbouring peopleacross the valley.

The burn was historically diverted to form a northern lade. Thefloodplain between the two watercourses is currently used for cattlegrazing.

Existing woodland follows the burn valley, with the majority ofwoodland on the northern slopes, to the west of the M1 site. On thesouthern slopes planting is less substantial and includes isolatedtrees and hedges associated with rear garden boundaries.

Place and Historical Patterns

Each settlement has a unique urban form and character determinedby the physical, political and economic climate in which it developed.Through historical research and context analysis we aim to identifyand enhance the specific qualities of place that make Foveran.

Water and topography have historically shaped the local context ofFoveran. Movement north-south was dependent on the location ofthe Pitgersie Bridge to cross the burn. People sought to harness thepotential of the burn for both irrigation and powering mills, leadingto the formation of man-made lades.

Westfieldsteading

to UdnyStation

Old Mill

Mill ofFoveran

lade

schoolsourceof lade

Pitgersie Bridge

Pitgersiesteading

Linnheadsteading

Church

structure plantingperpendicular tocontours

a sinuous avenueof trees, followsthe contoursleading to FoveranHouse

Historical morphology of Foveran c.1867

NewMill

HomeFarm

FoveranHouse

Foveran Burn

to Newburgh

Ardgill Farm isprominent onhigher ground.

Crown copyright 2014. All rights reserved. License number 100044679.

to Udny Station

A90 to Ellon

A90 to Aberdeen

Westfield‘The Store’

highpoint

flood plainexisting woodland on steepslopes that follow the sinuousroute for the burn.

steep contours

lade

bus stop

bus stop

hall

Foveran Burn

Old Quarry,low point withpossiblestanding water

hedgehedge potential

culvert

schoolbus stop

Mill ofFoveran

to FoveranHouse

PitgersieBridge

Blairytha

n Terrace

existingagriculturalland

existingagriculturalland

overhead power line

overhe

adpow

er line

overheadpow

er line

FoveranPrimarySchool

historical andexisting fieldboundaries runnorth/south

Cultercullen Road

Existing Site Plan

Linear mill buildings were aligned to the watercourse and generatedeast-west movement routes, whilst the majority of agricultural fieldboundaries ran perpendicular to the burn to provide irrigation anddrainage.

Following the line of the valley the movement route followed theFoveran Burn and was populated by several mills. This routeconnected Udny Station, Westfield, Mill of Foveran, the FoveranChurch and Newburgh. To the south of the M1 site, water wasattenuated in a pond and diverted to form the Foveran lade, whichforms the northern boundary of the flood plain.

Foveran House has a sinuous avenue of trees, following the contoursand connect with Foveran Church. This valley and movement linecontinues west on an informal axis to Foveran School. Historicallypedestrian and connections to this were truncated by the A90. Tothe northern edge of Foveran House and gardens, structure plantingbelts were designed perpendicular to the contours.

Traditional built form is a combination of long thin mill/weavingbuildings and farm steading cluster groups, such as Westfield,Linnhead and Home Farm, expressing the two main historicindustries of the Formartine area.

Existing houses on McBey Way and Blairythan Terrace have privateboundaries to the burn landscape. Apart from houses that front ontoBlairythan Terrace the majority of existing housing is in cul-de-sacformat offering no opportunities to connect to landscape.

Foveran Primary School is to the south-east of the M1 site. Currentlya safe walking route to the school is impaired by the traffic on theA90 and children are bussed to and from the playing fields onBlairythan Terrace.

park,playing field& recycling

Keyoverhead power lines0.5m contoursbuiltformwoodlandburnside vegetation

hedgeplaying fields

dispersed trees and hedges

possible flood area

framework foveran villagecommunity engagement 09/14

Implementation Masterplan

These following spatial proposals are a response to the intrinsic qualities of Foveran. They intend to rootthe settlement into the wider landscape and through a layout of intimate and attractive new streets,generate a strong sense of place and local identity.

Water and Topography

Recognising the potential of the Foveran Burn and lade as a landscape asset, the ImplementationMasterplan takes as its starting point a series of new watercourses that form part of the approach to thesustainable management of storm water on the site. These swales are linear soft landscape elements thatfollow the gentler topography of the site from high to lower gradients. They are designed integral to thestreetscape, run parallel with movement and echo the historical relationship of builtform to lade that wasonce typical of Foveran. The swales also provide valuable habitat connections to existing woodland andburnside landscape.

Open Space

The linear swales form linkages between proposed open spaces including the new ‘Square’ at The Store,gateways, the ‘old quarry’ and open spaces to the south that overlook the burn.

The Square is proposed as a new gateway space framed by woodland and anchored by the existing uses atThe Store. Other spaces will vary in character appropriate to their location within the masterplan. They arefronted by new housing which provides enclosure and passive surveillance. Children’s play will be informalin character, designed in response to the topography and integrated with the landscape.

Woodland

Existing woodland following the valley is retained and reinforced with new tree planting on steeper slopes.

New tree tree lines will form strong linear elements, taking their cue from the orientation of historic fieldpatterns that run perpendicular to the burn. These will provide attractive edges to developmentboundaries. They connect with the network of swales and existing woodland to provide wildlife corridors.These wooded belts will be managed to provide visual permeability and potential connections through tofuture phases of development.

swale

swale

swale

swale

swale

pond

lade

swale

Foveran Burn

Mill ofFoveran

park

gateway

open space

gateway

Ardgill

viewto A

rdgill o

n high

point

oldquarry

new woodlandplanting relating toexisting tree beltframes the ‘Square’

the‘Square’

strategicreserve (futureemployment)

Westfield ‘TheStore’

A90

A90duallingroute

school

overbridge

new woodlandfollows steepcontours

newplantingconnectingwithexistingtrees bythe school

newwoodlandplantingalongwesternedge

newwoodlandplantingalongwesternedge

Foveran Burn

Westfield‘The Store’

the‘Square’

the‘Square’

A90 leading toAberdeen

A90 leadingto Ellon

existingbus stoppark, playing

field &communityrecycling

hall

existingbus stop

schoolbus stop

A90 duallingoverbridge andassociated newtree planting

potential forconnection in futureto de-trunked A90

futureresidentialland/school

existing hedgeretained wherepossible

Movement

The M1 site will be accessed from the Cultercullen Road with the potential for future connections from thede-trunked A90. A clear hierarchy of streets and lanes are designed to fit with existing contours.

Following national placemaking and street design policy, Designing Places and Designing Streets, thestreets will be based on shared space principles. These types of pedestrian friendly streets already exist inmany historic towns in Scotland. Enclosure of the street, proximity of front doors and minimal privatefront gardens encouraging activity within the street and reduce vehicle speeds.

footbridgeparallel towater main

streetsfollowcontours

grid ofstreets

Blairytha

n Terrace

Cultercullen Road

Existinghedge

reinforced

potential for culvertedtributary (dotted blue)to be integrated withsurface water swale

Westfield‘The Store’

EH2access

fromMcBey

Way

footpath

potential futurefootbridge

Foveran Burn

footpath

Housing fronting on to swales and accessed by bridges atScotland’s Housing Expo, Inverness

Textured and robust natural materials. Housing addressing the landscape and integrated SUDS ponds,Finland.

Planted thresholds and front doors onto a footpath, overlookinglandscape at Accordia, Cambridge.

Housing within mature woodland, Finland.

phase 1 foveran villagecommunity engagement 09/14

newwoodlandplantingforming anedge tophase1housing

footpath toCultercullenRoad, leadingto the Store

swale

swale

swalepark

WestfieldCottage

Cultercullen Road

new tree lineforming a permeableedge to futureresidential land

footpath SUDSpond

potential for existingculverted tributary(dotted blue) to beintegrated withsurface swale.

existing hedgeretained wherepossible

future residentiallandor school site

landscapeedge toexisting existing

bus stop

Foveran Burn Valley

0 100

Lade

potentialschoolexpansionopen space

incorporatingplay

footpath leadingto footbridge

SUDS pond

new tree plantingconnects withexisting trees by theschool

FoveranPrimarySchool A9

0

Phase 1 Layout

Phase 1 Key

2 bed terrace

2 bed semi-detached

2 bed semi-detached

3 bed terrace pend

3 bed detached

3/4 bed detached

4 bed detached

4 bed detached

Vision and Aims for Phase 1

The creation of a 50 house residential area based on best practiceUrban Design and Designing Streets principles, with local vernacularhouse designs that are a contemporary re-interpretation of historicrural architecture designed to compliment the local area andcontribute positively to the creation of a new ‘sense of place’ withinthe existing settlement of Foveran.

The proposals provide walking and cycling routes towards new parksand open space that anticipate a framework for Foveran to expand,creating an attractive parkland setting and enhancing existingwatercourses associated with the former Mill of Foveran.

Phase 1 Layout Sequence

The layout is inspired by landscape. At the entrance, walled gardenswill link to detached houses to form a gateway at the CultercullenRoad, extending the existing hedge line to form a well defined edge.

Beyond the entrance, housing in linear terrace format will create acalm and restful frontage, typical of rural buildings, facing a lineartree belt typical of tree patterns in the wider landscape and framing aroute south to school.

Likewise, further terraced houses with pend parking frame a newriparian landscape opening towards a small park, the swalecontinuing the line of historic mill lades.

The remaining housing forms a simple network of streets and lanescharacterised by hedged garden boundaries, a further riparian swaleand by detached houses facing outwards. Gardens are containedbetween buildings for privacy and security, creating an intimate andsheltered living environment.

At key locations corner windows and components such as glass baysand dormers are carefully placed to overlook the street and helpdefine a sense of place and character.

A small mixed use square St. Andrews. Foot and cycle path through a meadow. On-street parking integrated with landscape, swales and play. Stepping stones and swales can be incorporated with the informalplay.

Safe Routes to School

High quality pedestrian and cycle routes (shown red in the diagram)will connect with the existing wider network including:

• Pedestrian access to the western edge of the existing FoveranSchool.

• A new footpath on the south side of the Cultercullen road linkingthe A90 footpath to the extent of phase 1 development boundary.

• A new footpath within the Foveran Burn valley connecting thenorthern and southern sites by a footbridge (dotted red indiagram).

Additionally:

• Following the down grading of the current A90 to a 30mph road asafe route to school will be possible from Blairythan Terrace(dotted purple in diagram).

Phase 1 - Housing mix Phase 1 - Safe route to school diagram

Phase 1

EH2

School

Glass bay and minimal front gardens, Accordia, Cambridge.

phase 1 foveran villagecommunity engagement 09/14

Architecture and Streetscape

The architecture will be a response to rural scale and local character:

• The scale of building is carefully considered so that the proportion,gable width and roof pitch has a cohesive character fitting to therural character of Foveran.

• A mix of house types is proposed with a 20% affordable which willbe indistinguishable.

• 1.5-2 storey houses are proposed, the scale of rural buildings andcreating intimate streets.

• The materials palette will provide a reference to local character.

• Passive low energy design through good day-lighting, solarshading, careful orientation of large windows, natural ventilation.

• Kitchen windows are orientated to overlook the streets.

• Externally rainwater would be collected or used in gardens.Permeable surface materials such as permeable paving or gravelwill be used in non-adoptable parking areas.

• A simple palette of materials will unify streetscape and landscapedesign with the architecture.

• Building elevations, garden walls and hedges are used to definespaces and create enclosure.

• Car parking will be integral to the design of the pubic realm. Incurtilage parking and garages will be designed to be discreet so asnot to dominate the street. (Car parking levels will be provided inaccordance with Aberdeenshire standards).

• The layout of housing is integrated with the landscape elementssuch as swales and designed to address the landscape andmaximise views.

• Management and maintenance of streets spaces, parks andwoodland is being considered at each stage of the design process.

View east from the open space south of Westfield Cottage.

Aerial view of Phase 1 proposal

Terrace housing with minimal threshold fronting a tree-linedstreet.

Architecture, street and landscape designed as a singlecomposition.

Play area set within trees and overlooked by housing. Planted swales appropriate to the scale of the street, Upton. Play and art incorporated within the landscape.

Typical street section through a riparian swale and street.