The Future for Ottery St Mary from the East Devon Draft Local Plan

12 Ottery St Mary

The Future for Ottery St Mary

12.1 Our summary vision and strategy for Ottery St Mary is one of:
In recognition of its proximity to the West End, potential for expanding high quality West End public transport to Ottery St. Mary and current retail expansion in the town moderate housing growth is proposed. This will include a strategic allocation to the West of the town for 350 new homes, school enhancement and other facilities, to reflect local desires for improvements to
the King’s School which is now an Academy. Modest employment growth is proposed, primarily to support locally generated needs with a focus on town centre regeneration and enhancing the retail and commercial vitality of the town, whilst conserving and enhancing the fine built heritage of Ottery St Mary.

12.2 Evidence and feedback is set out below:
What you said about the future of Ottery St Mary:
Modest future residential development (up to 250 dwellings) was the most favoured scale of development from the Issues and Options consultation.
Housing most importantly should be for local needs with supporting infrastructure.
Development West of town received most support with some support for Southerly development.
Inadequate road system and congestion in Ottery St Mary was highlighted.
Support for increased employment provision, though less so if using green field land.
Potential for tourism expansion, sports provision was felt to be inadequate,
Town centre enhancement required with support for more retail provision. Marginally higher support for than opposition to a supermarket.
Green spaces around Ottery should be conserved and enhanced.

What the Sustainability Appraisal and Evidence tells us about the future of Ottery St Mary:
The GVA Grimley Retail Study24 showed that prior to the completion of the Sainsbury store many Ottery residents shopped elsewhere. Concern has however, been raised that the new supermarket in the town It could harm existing traders and increase the food's carbon footprint. A counter view is however, that it will provide jobs and encourage residents to shop in the town and attract people form elsewhere.
Development within the town or on surrounding greenfield land could well damage protected wildlife and habitats.
There is no support for large numbers of new homes in or adjoining Ottery. It could become dormitory accommodation for Exeter and increase commuter out-flow.
The Sustainability Assessment 2010 suggested that major employment development would be unable to compete with the 'West End' and Honiton.

24GVA (2011) “East Devon Retail Study – Update 2011”
East Devon District Council – The New East Devon Local Plan 2006–2026 – Consultation Draft December 2011 Page 91
The March 2011 Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment shows potential for around 580 new homes in Ottery St Mary Parish in the next 15 years although the parish includes a number of surrounding rural settlements.
Development on greenfield sites could help social and economic well-being but the environmental impacts would be poor. Air and noise pollution, water and soil quality could be adversely affected by regenerating brownfield sites.

Ottery St Mary Now
12.3 Ottery St Mary has around 4,500 to 5,000 residents and is a very attractive and long established small town with a historic core of great architectural value. The town centre has however, struggled to remain vibrant and parts of the town are subject to flooding from the river Otter. The sewage plant serving Ottery St Mary is at capacity and major works are required before extra larger scale development can be permitted. This will reduce potential for development in the shorter term, although it will be possible for South West Water to plan for the major works required in order to deliver the scale of development proposed.

12.4 A major supermarket of 20,000 square feet floor space has recently been completed and should reduce the number of residents of the town leaving Ottery St Mary to shop elsewhere. Furthermore, the new supermarket should attract additional people into the town and encourage additional retail visits to other shops and businesses. The updated GVA Grimley retail study25 has found that Ottery St Mary has a high proportion of food and service outlets with low numbers of non-food units. There are low vacancy rates but poor levels of bulk food trip retention although this may be redressed with the new supermarket.

12.5 Ottery St Mary has reasonable bus links but does not have a railway station. Road links out of the town, going Westward towards Exeter, are very good but narrow roads and one way streets and pinch points affect the flow of traffic in a number of parts of the town. The proposed high quality transport to serve Cranbrook might usefully connect to Ottery St Mary resulting in a more attractive bus service. Many residents commute to work and there are limited jobs available in the town. The King’s School has developed a very good reputation attracting students from a wide surrounding area but it operates from a constrained site with sports pitches separated from the school by a main road. A new proposed allocation for mixed uses (residential and education) could cater for 350 homes and allow for expansion or redevelopment of the King’s School. A report produced for Procter Land LLP in September 2011 provides more details on possible potential for development West of Ottery St Mary26. Whilst the town has a range of facilities the library is substandard and difficult to access for the disabled. The town attracts a small number of tourists but with its connections to Coleridge, fine buildings and impressive setting alongside the River Otter offers further potential.

25 GVA (2011) “East Devon Retail Study – Update 2011”

26 LHC Urbanism and PCL Planning for Prockter Land LLP (2011) “Land at ‘Island Farm’, Barrack Road” East Devon District Council – The New East Devon Local Plan 2006–2026 – Consultation Draft December 2011 Page 92 Ottery St Mary: The Future
 
12.6 Ottery St Mary will continue to be an appealing town where employment and housing development will be promoted to meet local needs. The focus of attention will be on the town centre with enhanced retail provision and commercial vitality being key priorities. Ottery St Mary town centre and its facilities serve the town and surrounding hinterland and we will aim to consolidate and enhance this.

12.7 We will enhance Ottery St Mary by:
Promoting linked shopping trips to the shops and businesses in the town. High quality pedestrian access from the supermarket to the town will be critical.
Identifying sites to accommodate 400 dwellings to include a site for education uses and 350 new homes.
Improving sporting, cultural and community facilities to serve Ottery St Mary and the surrounding rural area by seeking new facilities or enhancements to existing facilities in parallel with other developments.
Promoting a mixed use redevelopment of the redundant Cutler Hammer factory site to include housing, community uses and potentially a library.
In working with the education authority to identify potential options for improved facilities at the King's School (now an Academy).
Conserving the built environment and historic qualities of Ottery St Mary, especially in the town centre, and promote these as assets for visitors to the town and residents. An Ottery St Mary town plan picks up on may of these themes27:.
Supporting community initiatives to extend the network of green links to the surrounding countryside.
Promoting links to the river Otter and to footpaths along the river.
Working with partners, seek to reduce the congestion in the town centre, taking the town's narrow streets into account.
Promoting measures to reduce potential future flooding and avoid development on the extensive flood zones to the West and North of the town.
Enhancing the visual appearance of the Western side of the town, recognising its importance as a 'gateway entrance' to Ottery St Mary.

27 OSM Town Council (2007) “Ottery St Mary Town Plan” East Devon District Council – The New East Devon Local Plan 2006–2026 – Consultation Draft December 2011 Page 93 Consultation Local Plan – Draft Strategy 19 Development at Ottery St Mary:
The preferred approach for Ottery St Mary will see development focused on meeting local needs and making the town a more vibrant centre. The viability of the town centre will be enhanced through additional housing development which reflects the town’s proximity to the West End and potential for expanding high quality public transport links to it. Working with our partners in Ottery St Mary, over the 2011 to 2026 period, we will specifically plan for and promote:
1. New Homes - an additional 400 new homes to be provided on sites, including 350 homes as part of a strategic allocation for mixed uses (residential and education) to allow for expansion or redevelopment of the King’s School.
2. Jobs - provision of up to 3 hectares of additional employment land;
3. Town Centre - enhancement of the environment and the promotion of business opportunities.
4. Social and Community Facilities - new and enhanced community facilities to serve the town, to include new library provision;
5. Infrastructure - better management of road space in the town centre to alleviate congestion.
In addition to a strategic allocation for 350 homes provision will also be in future work for an
additional 50 houses elsewhere in the town.

Rejected Options
12.8 The following options for development at Ottery St Mary have been rejected:
1. Development without supporting infrastructure - consultation responses highlighted the fact there are limitations on social and community infrastructure provision. It would be inappropriate to not seek to secure extra facilities for the town.
2. Smaller scale development – additional housing development through a strategic allocation is proposed when compared to the Preferred Approach. This recognises the proximity of Ottery St. Mary’s to the West End, potential for expanding high quality West End public transport links, current retail expansion and the local desire to improve the King’s School.

East Devon District Council – The New East Devon Local Plan 2006–2026 – Consultation Draft December 2011 Page 94
How we reached this Policy Position The Preferred Approach envisaged about 250 dwellings for Ottery St Mary apart from current commitments, which received mixed responses from the consultation. The Town Council considered the figure too high and did not take into account the proposed development in the Western area of the District. It considered that deferring identifying allocations ‘creates delay, uncertainty and concern for residents’. Public meetings in the parish expressed the view that infrastructure to service developments should be major determinants of planning decisions, e.g. South West Water should upgrade their sewage facilities at Fluxton and Ottery St Mary as soon as possible – they are at capacity, which is a barrier to development. Also the overcapacity King’s School needs to have a new site identified now. Nevertheless, Ottery St Mary has excellent road links to the West and improving the School’s situation could be assisted by residential development, and perhaps other associated uses: hence the suggested allocation at and around the school site. Whilst some representations made the point that there is allocated employment land adjoining the Finnimore Industrial Estate, it has not come forward for development, so 3 hectares of employment land is still to be identified.

TO MAKE COMMENTS ON CHAPTER 12:
OTTERY ST MARY visit:
www.eastdevon.gov.uk/draftlocalplan12