The vehicular access arrangement comprises one vehicle access from Chalk Road on the southern boundary of the site as a priority access junction.
A pedestrian/cycle access to the existing footpath on the northern side of Chalk Road to the east of the Site will also be incorporated.
Future residents will be able to walk or cycle to local facilities within Lower Higham, including the school and public transport links. There are also additional services in Higham which can be reached on foot or by bike, including shops, pubs and restaurants.
The potential proposed area of public parking will be of benefit to the existing residents of Lower Higham, ensuring the existing on street parking along Chalk Road is effectively managed and reduced.
The Site is in close proximity to existing bus stops on Chalk Road and there is an opportunity for residents to access frequent rail services to Strood, Gravesend and London from Higham Station.
A Transport Assessment is being prepared, with initial analysis indicating that there will be no impact on highway or junction capacity in the local road network as a result of the proposed development.
The northern part of the Site is within Flood Zones 2 and 3 with further small areas of medium and low surface water flood risk in the western section of the Site. The Illustrative Framework Plan has been designed to sequentially develop land outside of the fluvial flood zones. It is proposed that attenuation basins will be incorporated into the design to ensure surface water drainage will be discharged at a greenfield runoff rate. The sustainable drainage features also provide the opportunity to improve biodiversity, water quality and amenity within the site.
Foul water from the development will be drained to the public sewer network.
Whilst there are no ecological designations onsite, the Thames Estuary and Marshes SSSI, Ramsar and Special Protection Area is located to the north, beyond the train line and canal. The application will include a Habitat Regulation Assessment that outlines mitigation measures to be implemented to minimise impacts on these features.
Ecology has been at the forefront of the considerations and as such, the Site design retains the existing soft landscaping, hedgerows and tree lines on the Site boundaries. It is also proposed to introduce new landscape buffers on the western edge of the Site.
As part of the background work, detailed botanical assessments, as well as bird and bat surveys have been undertaken to assess the ecological baseline of the Site. As part of the development, new habitat creation will result in a net gain in biodiversity which will exceed the national requirement of 10%.
The Site is not situated within a National or local landscape designation. The development of the Site would afford opportunities for new areas of public open space, enhancing public access through a landscape driven design. The landscape buffers are designed to partially screen the development whilst also providing opportunities for wildlife and functional drainage solutions. New planting would include native species of local importance complementing the variety of species found around Lower Higham.
The application will include a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment of the proposed development and will identify mitigation measures to protect the setting and character of the landscape.
The Site does not sit within a Conservation Area, nor is it in close proximity to any designated built heritage assets.
Whilst there are Listed Buildings within Lower Higham and the Lower Higham Conservation Area lies to the east of the Site, there is no historical association between the assets and the land. The Illustrative Framework Plan shows a landscaped development buffer to the west of the Site which will ensure the character of the heritage assets that have intervisibility with the Site are maintained.
The preparation of a Heritage Assessment in support of the planning application will outline the measures taken during the design process to mitigate against any heritage impact of the proposed development against existing heritage assets.
The number and quality of the existing trees within the Site has been assessed by a qualified Arboriculturist (to British Standard 5837: 2012). The survey that will accompany the planning application will guide the development proposals by highlighting those trees and hedgerows that are of significance, and how best to protect trees during construction works through standard mitigation measures.
The Site is not located within an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). There are no main pollution sources in the vicinity of the Site; however, modelling will be undertaken to assess the potential impact of traffic associated with the proposed development at receptors which are considered to be sensitive to air quality. An air Quality Assessment will be submitted with the application.
The existing noise climate is likely to be dominated by the train line and possibly road traffic on Chalk Road. A noise survey shall be undertaken to inform a Noise Assessment which will demonstrate that noise standards are met. It is not expected that there will be a requirement for noise mitigation measures, such as the inclusion of acoustic fencing.
The Site comprises previously developed land and therefore there are elements of potential contamination which will be tested and mitigated against as part of the demolition and construction phase.