Questions raised at the 25th March Open day ( word doc)

What does the extension at Lawley involve?

What is a Sustainable Urban Extension?

Does Telford need this number of new houses?

How will existing Lawley residents benefit from this development?

How have the local community been consulted?

What are design codes?

Will the development provide affordable housing?

What impact will new traffic have on the surrounding roads?

What consideration has been given to public transport?

What provisions have been made to ensure the environment is protected?

What provision has been made for new schools?

What provision will be made for leisure and play areas?

What is the current status of the planning application?

How will this project be delivered?

What does the extension at Lawley involve?
The extension at Lawley will provide up to 3,300 new affordable and for sale homes to form a sustainable mixed use community, areas of public open space, office and new and improved traffic and public transport infrastructures. It is anticipated that it will take 15 years to develop the site fully and will be delivered by a private sector partner appointed by English Partnerships. Expressions of interest are currently being sourced from interested parties and it is expected that a partner will be appointed by May 2005 to take the lead on the development.

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What is a Sustainable Urban Extension?
As part of the Sustainable Communities Plan outlined by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, English Partnerships is pioneering a number of housing projects across the country highlighting sustainable design and construction methods. In Lawley English Partnerships is extending the existing housing provision by utilising brownfield land previously used for mining to provide much needed housing, retail and public space.

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Does Telford need this number of new houses?
The delivery of 3,300 new homes will fulfil 20% of the growth needed to meet Telford’s requirements for housing to 2018 and to meet the shortfall within the West Midlands. The current shortage of housing is causing problems within the Borough and wider area, constraining the housing market, contributing to increased housing costs and long–distance commuting. The development of housing land at Lawley is vitally important to address the housing supply situation in the Borough.

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How will existing Lawley residents benefit from this development?
The development of Lawley will bring huge investment into the area including new roads, improved public transport links and a range of new community and leisure facilities including a new Primary School. The expansion of Lawley will create a sustainable community with a clear sense of place and character. It will establish a safe, healthy and inclusive environment that will meet the needs of existing and future generations.

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How have the local community been consulted?
The local community and relevant stakeholders were given the opportunity to take part in a process called "Enquiry by Design" as well as attend a number of public meetings and exhibitions. The Enquiry by Design process is far more comprehensive than other forms of consultation involving people directly in the design of the development. The volunteers collaborated in producing a masterplan through a series of workshops which tackled a range of issues from traffic management to the overall look and feel of the development. The resulting plan submitted to the Borough is a truly unique vision of a place with a real sense of identity which both enhances and respects the local character of the area.

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What are design codes?
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott recently confirmed his support for the implementation of design codes with the announcement of a number of sites across the UK where the codes will be put into practice. The thinking behind the codes is to encourage developers to build more innovative developments by adhering to a set of pre–agreed codes which set out the character and design ethos for the area. These codes have been developed in consultation with the local community and stakeholders. It is expected that the codes will improve the quality of new homes and the speed at which they are built, by gaining planning permission more quickly. The codes must reflect the local context of the area and fit into the local community, taking account of what is already there.

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Will the development provide affordable housing?
The residential development at Lawley will provide 3,300 new homes which will include a range of housing types and tenures. This will include a mixture of affordable, shared ownership and rented accommodation.

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What impact will new traffic have on the surrounding roads?
A comprehensive movement study was undertaken by consultants as part of the planning application. The study evaluated different traffic movement scenarios in and around the area. As a direct result of the public consultation, issues relating to traffic at Newdale, Station Road and Lawley Common were given priority within the study. The outcome of the Movement Study has been to revise the plans in order to encourage traffic on to new roads and discourage the use of existing residential roads. The study has resulted in improved accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport whilst also managing the impact of new traffic in the area.

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What consideration has been given to public transport?
Good quality public transport is extremely important in terms of reducing reliance on cars and also providing a socially inclusive transport network for young people, the elderly and those who do not have a car. Two main bus routes will serve Lawley from Telford town centre to both North and South Lawley. Local facilities have been provided within walking and cycling to encourage their use. Transport linkages between the Town Centre and English Partnerships’ exemplar Lightmoor scheme will also be included.

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What provisions have been made to ensure the environment is protected?
A comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment has been carried out to accompany the outline planning application. The assessment identifies the potential environmental impacts of the scheme and proposes appropriate mitigation measures, such as the protection of ecologically important habitats. The assessment fully considers the impacts of the scheme on local ground conditions, hydrology, ecology, cultural heritage and archaeology, landscape character, air quality, noise, socio–economics and transport.
All new build elements of the scheme will need to achieve the "very good" standard for BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and ECOHomes sustainability charter marks, regarded by the UK's construction and property sectors as the measure of best practice in environmental design and management.

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What provision has been made for new schools?
A new primary school will be included in the plans as part of the development in Lawley Common.

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What provision will be made for leisure and play areas?
The green spaces will be created from the existing undulating landscape in order to contribute to the overall structure of Lawley and to link the existing countryside with urban Telford. In addition to the open spaces there will be a series of local parks with play facilities serving each neighbourhood. The open spaces will support a range of leisure and recreation activities supplying the venue for active and passive pastimes to provide a healthy living environment and to meet the needs of a healthy community.

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What is the current status of the planning application?
The Borough of Telford and Wrekin have formally been minded to grant approval to the comprehensive outline panning app. Formal approval under planning departure procedures has been sought from the Government Office of the West Midlands.

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How will this project be delivered?
English Partnerships is the landowner of the site and has appointed Jones Lang LaSalle to assist in the appointment of a private sector partner in early Spring 2005.
The private sector partner will take the lead role in developing the project and the infrastructure required. A development prospectus is available from November 2004.

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Closing date for Stage 1 Expressions of Interest
Monday 13th December 2004

Invitation to Stage 2 selected bidders issued with Bidder Pack 10th January 2005

Closing date for Stage 2 bids
28th February 2005

Partner selected
April 2005

Simon Bedford or David Jones
Jones Lang LaSalle
82 King Street
Manchester
M2 4WQ

Email: simon.bedford@eu.jll.com / david.s.jones@eu.jll.com

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