Site+assessments+for+planning

Criteria for making appraisals of sites
1 To improve the health of the population overall (1) 2 To maintain and improve levels of education and skills in the population overall (1) 3 To reduce crime and anti-social activity (0) 4 To reduce poverty and social exclusion (1) 5 To improve access to key services for all sections of the populations (26) 6 To offer everybody the opportunity for rewarding and satisfying employment (4) 7 To meet the housing requirements of the whole community (26) 8 To improved the quality of where people live and to encourage a sense of community identity and welfare (2) 9 To maintain, and where possible improve, water and air quality ((0) 10 To conserve soil resources and quality (4) 11 To use water and mineral resources efficiently and re-use and recyle where possible (1) 12 To reduce waste (1) 13 To reduce the effects of traffic on the environment (22) 14 To reduce contributions to climate change (2) 15 To reduce vulnerability to climatic events (27) 16 To conserve and enhance biodiversity (0) 17 To conserve and where appropriate enhance areas of historical and archaeological importance (26) 18 To conserve and enhance the quality and local distinctiveness of landscapes and townscapes (1) 19 To achieve sustainable levels of prosperiity and economic growth throughout the plan area (5) 20 To revitalise town centres (1) 21 To encourage efficient patterns of movement in support of economic growth (4) 22 To encourage and accommodate both indigenouis and inward investement (3) 23 Would development in this location comply with the settlement strategy set out in the preferred option Core Strategy? (4)

A total of 33 sites (4 in Rumburgh; 75% provisionally allocated for housing) were included in the appraisals which involved evaluating the impact of the development of each site in relation to each of the above 23 criteria of sustainable development. The following six value jugements were applied to categorise each site according to its impact:-

//Major positive; Minor positive; Minor negative; Major negative; Neutral effect; Uncertain effect.//

The total number of assessments that would be positive (major and minor) was 162 out of a possible maximum of 759. The positive effects of development for each criterion of sustainability are given in brackets in the above list. Only 18 of the assessments were classed as 'major positive'.

The distribution of likely positive outcomes of development for the 33 sites is shown in the following diagram.

Six sites had six or more positive outcomes. With reference to the above map, these sites were 95; land west of Broadway 97; Broadway Farm 100; Halesworth Green, Saxon Way 113; Land between Thoroughfare and Saxon Way 118; Holton Sawmills, Sandy Lane 120;Holton Sparrowhawk Lane.

//Site options for Halesworth and Holton//


 * Map ref. || Site allocation || Suggested use || N. of homes ||
 * 94 || Dairy Farm off Saxon Way || Allocated for housing-alternative suggested use of retail || 58 ||
 * 95 || Land west of Broadway Drive || Industrial ||  ||
 * 96 || 27 Market Place || Housing || 20 ||
 * 97 || Broadway Farm west of A144 || Housing and industrial || 289 ||
 * 98 || Broadway east of A144 || Housing || 30 ||
 * 99 || Dairy Hill playing Fields || Housing || 100 ||
 * 100 || Halesworth Green Saxon's Way || Affordable housing and work units || 80 ||
 * 101 || Holton Rd Garden Centre || Housing and open space (plus existing garden centre and farm shop) || 33 ||
 * 102 || Lands to east of Dairy Hill Playing Fields || Housing || 86 ||
 * 103 || Land to east of Halesworth Middle School (Harrison's Lane) || Housing || 47 ||
 * 104 || Land to east of New Reach || Building such as an alternative energy centre ||  ||
 * 105 || Land to east of Saxon's Way || Housing and community hall/council office || 28 ||
 * 106 || Land to south of Harrison's Lane || Housing || 166 ||
 * 107 || Land to west of Halesworth || Housing || 741 ||
 * 108 || Land to west of Norwich Rd || Housing || 105 ||
 * 109 || Land to west of Roman Way || Housing || 130 ||
 * 110 || Off Hill Farm Rd- phase 1 || Housing || 80 ||
 * 111 || Off Hill Farm Rd- phase 2 || Housing || 160 ||
 * 112 || Off Hill Farm Rd-public access to strategic gap || Publicly accessible strategic gap ||  ||
 * 113 || Land between Thoroughfare and Saxon's Way || Retail or community facility (NB site has permission for retail) ||  ||
 * 114 || Land off Chediston,St Church Farm || Housing || 120 ||
 * 115 || Sparrowhawk Way || Playing fields and sports provision ||  ||
 * 116 || Land off Lodge Rd/Bungay Rd || Playhing fields and sports provision at Sparrowhawk Way plus housing and village green || 50 ||
 * 117 || Holton || Bernard Mathews Ltd (former airfield) || 3900 ||
 * 118 || Holton Sawmills, Sandy Lane || Housing or mixed use (housing and business) || 32 ||
 * 119 || Land to west of Moores Cottages, Upper Holton || Affordable housing || 6 ||
 * 120 || Holton, Sparrowhawk Rd || Industrial ||  ||
 * 121 || Holton, Rosemount, Bungay Rd || Housing || 18 ||
 * 122 || Holton, Land at Bungay Rd || Housing || 85 ||

The council's summary of their planning assessment was:

"The suggested sites with the most positive impacts on Sustainability Appraisal objectives are those closest to the centre of Halesworth. These are within easy access of the services and facilities in the town centre and bus services to larger towns, so the need for car travel is minimised. This makes them generally suitable for the suggested uses of housing, community facilities or retail. However, some sites have flood risk issues and/or impacts on archaeological sites, which should not be overlooked. Suggested housing sites in Rumburgh and the countryside have reduced access to schools and other facilities compared to sites nearer to Halesworth and Holton.

A number of suggested sites are located in the strategic gap between Holton and Halesworth. These could have a negative impact on the open character of the landscape if developed, causing the 2 settlements to coalesce.

The suggested sports field site at Sparrowhawk Way, Holton, would have social benefites, by improving facilites and opportunities for sport in the area. However, once the site is located outside of the built-up area, traffic couild be generated and greenfield land would be lost".