Potential For Residential Homes
Whiteley fareham Hampshire PO15 7JXFor Sale
Price On Application
DESCRIPTION
- The following site has significant History as a brownfield site and has been marketed as such with various planning
- permissions granted for largescale B1/B2 and B8 use. However, the site is now looking to be sold unconditionally with a view of obtaining planning for residential use.
- It is to be noted that any such approval is likely to be achieved at appeal rather than local Authority due to its allocation but over the past 2 years conditions surrounding the site have changed significantly and with the local housing supply being vulnerable a robust case could be made.
- The site has planning Under Regulation 5(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 for the erection of three buildings of approximately 6,747 sqm of B1 and 18,651 sqm of mixed B1/B2 and B8 Uses. Totaling 25,398 sqm. In addition to this an application (P/19/0870/FP) has been submitted for the erection of 32 residential dwellings (yet to be determined).The site is allocated in both the Adopted Local Plan (Part 2: Development Sites and Policies, 2015), and the emerging Local Plan, which is at an advanced stage having been Examined during March and
April 2022. - Allocated as an existing employment site under Policy DSP18 (Employment Allocations)
- The latest Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) for the period 2020-21 Published in February 2022 states that; a total 62,928sqm of employment floorspace with planning permission (including Gull Coppice) remains to be built. It’s worth noting that whilst its allocated under Policy DSP18 that the Local Plan Part 2 has delivered a 17,544sqm surplus of industrial/warehouse floorspace.
- This means that there is still a large amount of employment space with permission that is just not being built.
- It is clear from the Adopted Local Plan Part 2, and Emerging Local Plan, that the Council considers the site to represent an important commercial site that has the potential when built to contribute to the local economy, and as such has a significant role to play in the District and therefore at local level is likely to be retained for employment.
- Given the constraint imposed on the District by the nitrate neutrality issue within the Solent, the Council’s historic delivery of housing land supply in recent years has faltered. Consequently, the Council has been unable to demonstrate a 5 year housing land supply.
- At best the Council’s 5 year housing land supply is vulnerable, but more likely with further scrutiny the Council are unlikely to have a 5 year supply of housing land.
LOCATION
Whiteley is a modern residential area which has been created over the last three decades, it is situated just north of J9 M27 and centers around a vibrant shopping and leisure Centre.
The housing is designed to cater for all requirements and price ranges and in recent years the infrastructure has been developed to enable easy access to Park Gate which provides access to Swanwick and Warsash, as well as the M27 to Portsmouth and Southampton.
It also provides very good access to both the M3 and A3 allowing alternative routes to London.
Whiteley has the benefit of two primary schools and excellent medical and shopping facilities.
PLANNING STRATERGY
The success of any planning strategy for Residential use or mixed use going forward may benefit from demonstrating some of the following points.
- There is no demand for the site.
The site has been marketed for a continuous period of about 10 years and the Commercial Agent will therefore be able to provide a report that at a commercially viable rate, there has been little or no interest, other than from residential Developers. - There is no need for the site to be developed for office development.
producing a schedule of all vacant office buildings within the locality, including their appointedAgents, how long the premises have been marketed for, whether the market rents/asking price is commercially competitive, the level of interest (or not as the case may be). - There are no alternative employment generating uses.
An assessment is likely to conclude that old uses class B2 (general industry) and B8 (warehouse) is inappropriate adjacent to existing residential areas. Town Centre uses such as retail/leisure can also be ruled out as they will fail the NPPF sequential test. This will demonstrate that there are no appropriate alternative employment uses and that residential development of this vacant undeveloped site is a last resort. offering some “post construction employment” may benefit the planning strategy going forward by incorporating a care home or mixed use. -
There is a need for housing within the District.
As shown in the attached table, the local council has consistently been unable to demonstrate a 5-year supply. We are of the opinion that a housing land supply assessment is more than likely to come to the same conclusion.
In addition to the above, note the Council’s position in the undetermined planning application on the adjacent parcel of land by Foreman Homes. In that case the Council has accepted, notwithstanding the overwhelming policy evidence, that there are several vacant office plots within the Solent Business Park and are discouraging new office premises within the area.
The Council must accept therefore that there is no need for the site to be developed for office floorspace. This should be further explored as part of pre-application discussions.
We are also aware that the Council recently refused an office to residential prior approval application (Queen Street), a decision that was overturned by an Inspector on appeal.
We are of the opinion that a robust case can be made for the release of this site for employment and development for residential purposes.
Should the site be successful in achieving 200+ residential dwellings including affordable housing and some First home allocation we have estimated the following contributions;
Nitrate Mitigation Contributions circa £500,000. 106 contributions circa £2.3m
CIL contributions based on Fareham borough council’s charging scheme at £156.79 per sqm for residential including an affordable housing relief totalling £2.5m
The site with all its existing planning permissions for commercial use is being sold unconditionally with a new view to becoming mixed use or residential.
- There is no demand for the site.
Property Features
- House
- About