Vale Royal Borough Council - The Heart of Cheshire
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Where to find us:

Vale Royal Borough Council,
The Drumber, Winsford,
Cheshire, CW7 1AH
Maps of Vale Royal Area

Tel: 01606 862862
Fax: 01606 862100
Minicom: 01606 862862

Email:
webmaster@valeroyal.gov.uk

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Chapter 10

Public Services

  Introduction
PS1 Public Services Development in the Open Countryside
PS2 Redundant Institutions in the Open Countryside/Green Belt
PS3 Child Care facilities

Introduction

10.1 Public service providers include a variety of bodies, in both private and public ownership, who carry out functions of a public character under statutory powers. They include the provision of facilities such as gas, water and electricity supplies. The Borough Council supports improvements to existing public services.  A key priority of the Community Plan is to create better environments for people to live in, work in and visit.  As the population of the Borough increases and there is pressure for further development, there will be a need for new and improved public services, which meet the needs of the Borough’s communities.

10.2 This chapter provides guidance about how proposals for new public service development will be dealt with by the Borough Council. Sites which have already been identified for future public service development are shown on the proposals map. The policies also deal with potential future proposals for the re-use of redundant public service buildings, such as hospitals and schools. These policies aim to ensure that the needs of the population of Vale Royal Borough are satisfied, in terms of public service provision and that, where redundant public service buildings exist, the buildings or sites are brought into an appropriate alternative use.

PUBLIC SERVICE DEVELOPMENT IN THE OPEN COUNTRYSIDE

Policy PS1

PROPOSALS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE OPEN COUNTRYSIDE, AREAS OF SPECIAL COUNTY VALUE OR AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE WILL BE ALLOWED, PROVIDED IT CAN BE SHOWN THAT THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING IT DOES NOT CONFLICT WITH THE RELEVANT POLICIES CONTAINED IN THE GENERAL STRATEGY, BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CHAPTERS IN PARTICULAR.

Reasons and Explanations

(i) Statutory undertakers include private and public bodies, who carry out functions of a public nature, such as water supply, education and road, rail and water transport.

(ii) The Borough Council recognises that it may be necessary for statutory undertakers to carry out certain kinds of development in order to maintain and improve the provision of services.

(iii) Every effort should be made to minimise the impact of such development on the existing rural environment.

(iv) A development within the Open Countryside, Area of Special County Value/Significant Local Environmental Value to be carried out by a statutory undertaker will be allowed where it is a limited development which will form part of and be essential to the provision and improvement of public services and utilities. Where uses such as hospitals, electricity generating plant and substations, gas distribution substations, water and sewage treatment installations and public transport and related facilities are already established on sites within these special areas, this would not inhibit the continuation, improvement or reasonable extension of the use. However, where a proposal is made to locate within Areas of Significant Local Environmental or Special County Value an entirely new development, or a significant addition to or consolidation of an existing facility the Council will require the various public bodies concerned to show compelling reasons why a site outside these areas was not considered by them to be acceptable; and development of this kind will not be allowed, where no such compelling reason appears to exist.

(v) Proposals for the redevelopment or change of use of such public buildings and facilities for purposes unconnected with operational requirements will continue to be assessed on their merits. This means that development considered inappropriate in these special areas will not be allowed.

(vi) Although there is a general presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt the Council will consider whether very special circumstances exist in relation to public service development in the Green Belt that justifies an exception to the Policy.

Policy Derivation
PPG 12 - “Development Plans”
Cheshire 2016 Structure Plan Alteration

REDUNDANT INSTITUTIONS IN THE OPEN COUNTRYSIDE/GREEN BELT

Policy PS2

CROSSLEY HOSPITAL (EAST), MANLEY, AS SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP, IS IDENTIFIED AS A REDUNDANT MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL SITE IN THE GREEN BELT. THE BOROUGH COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT THE VIABLE CONVERSION AND RE-USE OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE SITE PROVIDED THAT THE WORKS COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

(i) THE PROPOSAL SHOULD HAVE NO GREATER IMPACT ON THE PURPOSES OF INCLUDING LAND IN THE GREEN BELT THAN THE EXISTING DEVELOPMENT;

(ii) THE PROPOSAL SHOULD NOT EXCEED THE HEIGHT OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS;

(iii ) INFILLING PROPOSALS SHOULD NOT LEAD TO A MAJOR INCREASE IN THE DEVELOPED PROPORTION OF THE SITE AND REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS SHOULD NOT OCCUPY A LARGER AREA OF THE SITE THAN THE EXISTING BUILDINGS UNLESS THIS WOULD ACHIEVE A REDUCTION IN HEIGHT WHICH WOULD BENEFIT VISUAL AMENITY: AND,

(iv) REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE USE OF LAND IN GREEN BELTS.

ANY INFILLING OR REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WILL NEED TO BE ASSESSED AGAINST OTHER PLAN POLICIES (PARTICULARLY, IN THE CASE OF RESIDENTIAL INFILLING OR REDEVELOPMENT, POLICY H6) AND SHOULD ALSO COMPLY WITH THE CRITERIA (i) – (iv) SET OUT ABOVE

Reasons and Explanations

(i) The Policy aims to make the best use of existing resources at Crossley Hospital (East) whilst maintaining the open character of this area. As the site lies in the Green Belt any proposals for the re-use of the site should be in accordance with advice in PPG2 ‘Green Belts’.

(ii) Crossley Hospital (East) lies in the Green Belt. Therefore the re-use of this site should provide for environmental improvements without reducing the openness of the Green Belt.

(iii) In calculating the relevant floor area of existing buildings, the aggregate ground floor area of the existing buildings (the ‘footprint’) which excludes temporary buildings, open spaces with direct external access between the wings of a building and areas of hardstanding will be used.

(iv) Crossley Hospital (East) includes a number of Listed Buildings and therefore reference should be made to the relevant policies in the Built Environment chapter.

Policy Derivation
PPG2 - “Green Belts”
Cheshire 2016 Structure Plan Alteration

CHILD CARE FACILITIES

Policy PS3

THE COUNCIL WILL PERMIT PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND, OR CHANGE OF USE OF AN EXISTING BUILDING, TO PROVIDE A NEW CHILD CARE FACILITY, PROVIDED THAT IT MEETS ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

(i) THE SITE IS ACCESSIBLE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND HAS GOOD CONNECTIONS TO THE SURROUNDING AREA BY FOOT AND CYCLE;

(ii) THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED SITE ENSURES THAT THE NOISE AND DISTURBANCE, LIKELY TO RESULT FROM THE OPERATION OF A DAY NURSERY, WOULD NOT BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE AMENITIES OF NEARBY OCCUPIERS;

(iii ) THE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL SHOULD INCLUDE ADEQUATE CAR PARKING PROVISION (SEE CAR PARKING STANDARDS) AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE CHARACTER OR APPEARENCE OF THE AREA;

(iv) OUTDOOR PLAY SPACE ADJOINING THE PREMISES SHOULD BE PROVIDED. THE PLAY AREA SHOULD BE SAFE, SECURE, SCREENED, ENCLOSED AND PHYSICALLY SEPERATED FROM ANY DRIVE, PARKING AREAS OR ROADS;

(v) THE PROPOSAL SHOULD PROVIDE FOR THE SAFE DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP OF CHILDREN.

Reasons and Explanations

(i) Child care facilities for pre-school children includes different types of provision such as child-minding, play groups, day nurseries and crèches.  This policy relates to those facilities which require planning permission.

(ii) To ensure that there is not a detrimental effect on an area through the noise, appearance, or the level of traffic generated and that the character of residential areas is maintained.

(iii) To ensure that the development is accessible by sustainable modes of transport.

(iv) To ensure that the development meets the needs of the users.

(v) It should be noted that, when the proposed location is within a residential area, the consent, if granted, may be subject to conditions such as those which limit the hours of operation.

Policy Derivation
The National Standards For Under 8s Day Care And Childminding (Office For Standards In Education)

 

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