Agenda item

Report of the  Corporate Director of Development and Growth

Gill Callingham, Regeneration Specialist at Nottingham City Council, delivered a presentation to the Committee, as circulated with the first publication of the minutes. She provided the following additional information:

(a)  the Core Strategy identifies which areas of the city should be allocated for different uses, such as housing, commercial, business etc. Sometimes a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is also produced to outline what is required in more detail for a specific area. As the proposals for the Waterside area are for an entirely new neighbourhood, it was felt that an SPD would be appropriate;

(b)  Nottingham has not had a new neighbourhood in a number of years. The aim will be to create a new residential community, making the most of the riverside area. A lot has been learned from other cities with riverside areas, by analysing what has worked elsewhere and what has not;

(c)  the SPD includes provision of 1,200 family homes (with 4 residential development schemes already approved), retail space along the waterfront, a new primary school (Greenwood Academy Trust have put in a bid to start a free school), a new road through the middle of the area, and a continuous riverside path all the way from Victoria Embankment through to Colwick Park;

(d)  the area is very close to the city centre, and it would be easy to walk there. Existing use of the riverside area includes the residential developments of Turneys Quay at one end and Trent Basin at the other, with low quality commercial buildings in-between. The area is not currently well served by public transport; consideration will be needed as to how it will connect to the rest of the city;

(e)  the SPD is not without challenges, and will require the relocation of some fairly major existing industrial and commercial facilities over the next 10-15 years;

(f)  any feedback on the proposals, including anything else citizens, Councillors, colleagues and partners would like to see included on the SPD would be greatly appreciated.

Following questions and comments from the Committee, some additional information was provided:

(g)  there are currently no plans to increase the number of GP surgeries in the area, as those nearby can cope with the increased projected demand from these developments. However usage and provision will be monitored;

(h)  the roundabout at the top of Trent Lane is currently felt by some to be dangerous and difficult to access. Due to the increased traffic demands on the roundabout, it will be altered as the residential developments are completed;

(i)  there will be shared equity and social housing throughout the developments, including on the waterfront. As more phases are completed and the area becomes more desirable, it may be possible to require higher levels of social housing than on earlier phases;

(j)  as a development of this nature will be very expensive to complete given the cost of land and decontamination, the development will not attract a large amount in Section 106 funding. It would not be possible to fund a new school from the limited Section 106 funds, which is why a Free School is being considered for the area;

(k)  the riverside path will be a walking and cycling route;

(l)  retail space will be limited to along the waterfront, and at the edge of the residential areas where they meet commercial industrial units nearby, to act as a buffer. Whilst the market will manage what sort of retail space is required based on demand, ideally local amenities such as cafes, takeaway shops or pubs would help the area to feel more like a community;

(m)  the area already has flood protection measures in place.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  note that the draft Waterside SPD has been published for consultation;

(2)  note that the period for making comments ends on Friday 25 January 2019 at 5pm;

(3)  make any further representations on the SPD to colleagues in the Planning team at Nottingham City Council.