Minutes of previous meeting held 18th November 2004

NORTH AREA PANEL

Meeting held 18th November, 2004

at Corus, Stocksbridge Works

PRESENT:

Councillors Trevor Bagshaw (Chair) and Martin Davis.

Council Officers:-

Vicky Savage

Dave Mason

-

-

Community Regeneration

Neighbourhoods Directorate

Paul Gordon

-

Development Services

Jason Dietsch

-

Committee Secretariat

Representatives of Panel Partners

Councillor Malcolm Glover

-

Bradfield Parish Council

Richard Knight

-

GVA Grimley

Matthew North

-

Steel Valley Project

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE PANEL

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Baker, Kathleen Chadwick, Arthur Dunworth, Martin Brelsford, Pat Fox and Graham Oxley.

2.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

            The Panel received and approved the minutes of the meeting held on 23rd September 2004 as a true and correct record.

3.

CONSULTATION RESPONSES ON THE DRAFT DEVELOPMENT BRIEF FOR THE STOCKSBRIDGE WORKS

            The Panel received a progress report on the Draft Development Brief Consultation.  Paul Gordon, Development Services outlined the consultation process and the issues which had been raised as part of that process.  The consultation had taken place over a six week period from 16th August 2004 to 27th September 2004 with copies of outline proposals displayed in local libraries, at Howden House and at Stocksbridge Town Council.  Meetings had been held with various local organisations and documents were downloadable from the City Council’s website.  Consultation had taken place with statutory stakeholders and local community organisations.  A presentation of the Draft Development Brief had taken place at the North Area Panel meeting held on 23rd September 2004 and an exhibition had been held at the Corus Conference Centre between 9th and 11th September 2004.

            Issues raised and initial responses had been received as follows:-

Transport and Highways Issues

• Footpath network – Trans Pennine Trail links, pedestrians crossing the bypass, linking the development to the Town Centre, adoption of permissive footpaths.

• Rail usage – increased frequency of use, passenger usage of the line, retention of the rail link.

• Public transport issues – provision for buses, cyclists and pedestrians and interchange provision on site D.

• Vehicular access issues - Hunshelf Road/Manchester Road junction, Tankersley roundabout, dangerous East Bank exit, access to property on Ford Lane, Deepcar junction, Vaughton Bridge, diverting site B traffic west, improvement of Underbank Lane and the design of the western access to the site.

Land Use and Economic Issues

• Land use – possible leisure centre, Mill Buildings used for community benefit, ownership of Mill Buildings, garages provided for Mill Building homes, removal of the Conference Centre, suggestion that Mill Buildings used as a sixth form college, information centre, museum or town hall, mix of residential use required in the area.

• Retail land use – retail growth to be encouraged in the town centre and on site B, importance of not relocating shops from Manchester Road to the new centre, potential fragmentation of the Stocksbridge town centre.

• Employment issues – employment generating uses, questions concerning the need for residential use and support for use of entire site for employment generating use, site B should be for construction skills, training, rebuild facility, managed workshops and warehousing, sites E and F should be used for STEP managed work spaces.

• Outokumpu – any proposals on adjacent land should be integrated with the Corus’ proposals, creation of new town centre, supermarkets should be provided.

Community Services and Amenities

• Capacity of schools, dentists and doctors, consideration of medical and social services, transport and amenities.

• Lack of space for housing health staff to serve the new population.

• Increased demand for churches – discussion with church authorities.

• Use of site D to house new community facilities.

•  Incorporate Deepcar Medical Centre.

• Except proposals if due consideration given for safety, sewerage, local schools, existing Medical Centre and the provision of small residential dwellings.

• Child care facilities were limited.

• Public services were stretched and the situation may worsen.

Housing Issues

• Affordable housing – should be a minimum of 20% and might be restricted to Stocksbridge residents, should meet local needs, social housing on site A and C.

• Housing types – disabled and elderly persons’ housing should be provided, flat field provision of disabled/mobility housing, sites A and C should incorporate a retirement village and housing for young people if required.

• Renewable energy housing – energy efficient housing to be encouraged.

Pollution, Environment Impact and Drainage Issues

• Pollution – concern regarding the noise levels of remaining industrial activities, noise for future residents particularly at sites C and D, suitability of site A which was located on tipped colliery waste and therefore maybe unsuitable for housing and suitability of site C as the area around was undermined. 

• Environmental impact – would an environmental impact assessment be carried out?

• Drainage/sewerage – waste water treatment works capacity, pollution control and the need to improve the infrastructure in terms of drainage, flood control and sewerage disposal.

Heritage

• Archaeological assessment requested to determine what would need to be done to protect the historic environment during redevelopment.

• Establishment of a museum for Corus work and products.

• To celebrate the town’s past through the provision of a museum or a statue.

            Paul Gordon set out the approval process for the development brief which it was intended should be considered by the Council’s North and West Area Planning and Highways Board on 21st December 2004 with approval sought from Cabinet on 12th January 2005.

            Dave Mason, Neighbourhoods Directorate, was invited to comment on local housing provision and in particular on the issue of a local allocations policy, which he stated was legally possible, however, such a policy may be contrary to the Race Relations Amendment Act as it would restrict access to housing. Moreover, it would be difficult to identify or define what 'local' meant in these circumstances. The Council is not looking to implement local allocations policies on other affordable housing schemes in the City. The housing needs survey was complete and showed a largely self contained market in the Stocksbridge area in that most of those wanting to move to properties in Stocksbridge were already living in the area.

            Richard Knight, GVA Grimley, outlined approximate timings for the development phase 1 to include sites A and B on which work including the commissioning would start July 2005.

            Discussion was held on a number of issues including highway provision and the proportion of housing set aside as affordable housing.  In addition, Paul Gordon stated that information was awaited regarding the impact of the proposed development on highways provision.

            Richard Knight reported that Corus had commissioned a piece of work on an assessment of contamination on site A, which would be required before any planning application was submitted.  The Chair thanked those attending the meeting for their contribution.

4.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

            The next meeting of the Area Panel would be held on 15th December 2004 at Stannington.