IPA 16 - North of Metrocentre

Interim Policy Advice 16

North of MetroCentre Development Brief

Gateshead UDP: Re-Deposit Draft Replacement Plan

March 2006

PREFACE This document is one of a series of Interim Policy Advice (IPA) which is being made available for comment in association with the Gateshead's Re-Deposit Draft Replacement Unitary Development Plan (UDP). It emerges from the (UDP) and is intended to clarify and amplify policies contained in it. The IPA documents were originally produced as Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) in support of the first Deposit Draft UDP. However, following changes to the development plan system emanating from the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the production of SPGs is no longer possible. Where appropriate, comments that were made in response to draft SPG have been incorporated into the IPA. Whilst not having the statutory status of SPG, the IPS documents are adopted Council Policy, and are material considerations in determining planning applications. If you would like any further information or assistance with IPA, or to purchase further copies, please contact the Spatial Strategy Team at the following address or by telephone on 0191 433 3000:

Spatial Strategy Team Planning and Environmental Strategy Development and Enterprise Gateshead Council Civic Centre Gateshead NE8 1HH

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Interim Policy Advice (IPA) documents are being prepared to amplify and clarify policies contained in Gateshead's Re-Deposit Draft Replacement Unitary Development Plan. The full list of documents intended to accompany the plan is as follows: IPA1 Crime Prevention in New Development IPA2 Children’s Play Area Standards IPA3 Provision of Open Space and Landscaping in New Developments IPA4 Tyne Gorge Study IPA5 Lifetime Homes and Wheelchair Housing IPA6 Public Open Space Needs and Standards IPA7 Affordable Housing IPA8 Northside, Birtley IPA9 Development Control Policy on Hot Food Take-away Shops IPA11 Car Parking in New Development IPA12 Chopwell, Heartlands IPA13 Kibblesworth North IPA14 West of Derwenthaugh Road IPA15 Derwent West Bank IPA16 North of MetroCentre IPA17 Conservation Area Character Statements

• The Cycling Strategy for Gateshead was prepared in consultation with the cycling organisations in 2002 and has been adopted as Council Policy. It is not intended to republish this as IPA.; and

• The Council intends to review existing adopted SPG on Areas of Special Character and the MetroCentre, which will be published as IPA documents.

• Additional items of IPA may be identified at a future date.

IPA 16 North of MetroCentre Development Brief

Gateshead UDP Re-Deposit Draft Replace20061

1. PURPOSE

1.1 The brief is intended to assist with securing the satisfactory overall

development of the site as efficiently and expeditiously as possible.

1.2 The requirements and guidance within the brief are both general and

specific but not necessarily exhaustive. Additional requirements may be

sought and further guidance given. It is recommended that prospective

developers have early discussions with the Development Control Manager

before finalising their proposals and submitting a planning application.

2. CONTEXT

The Site

2.1 The whole North of MetroCentre site has a gross area of 39 hectares, with

23.65 hectares undeveloped. It is located north of the MetroCentre,

between the River Tyne and Riverside Way/ Handy Drive. The confluence of

the Rivers Tyne and Derwent mark its western boundary and its eastern

boundary is the point at which Handy Drive passes very close to the River

Tyne.

2.2 Beyond the northern boundary of the site lies the Tidal Mud Flats Site of

Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI- GAT 87).

2.3 The site has been subject to considerable change over recent years.

Demolition has occurred of Dunston Power Station at its eastern end and the

Delta Ironworks at its western end.

2.4 Metro Riverside Business Park has been completed on part of the former

ironworks site, and incorporates eight large commercial units. City &

Northern are developing the remainder of the former ironworks site as “The

Watermark”. Phase 1 of the development comprises three office buildings,



providing a total of 9460m2 of office space which are occupied by

twenty4help, the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health

(Regional Centre), EAGA Partnership and Tyne Tees TV. Phase 2, Keel Row,

was completed in October 2004. It is 3,300 m2 studio office development

comprising of thirteen units ranging from 160m2 to 539m2 , with occupiers

including J B Skillcare, Ian Bensham Associates, Lambert Laidlaw, City &

Northern, Easter Group, Russell Telecom and Gateshead LEAWatermark

Phases 3 and 4 are scheduled for completion in May 2006. Phase 3,

Bankside, will consist of 16 studio office units providing a total office

floorspace of 3306m2. Watermark Phase 4, Staiths, consists of six two

storey office units (four units of 434m2, one unit 383m2 and one unit 902m2)

that will provide 2984 m2 of office floorspace.

2.5 A Northern Electric compound, which accommodates a sub-station and main

overhead power supplies, is located off Handy Dive. Costco Warehouse Club

is located between the River and the Northern Electric compound. The

remainder of the site is vacant.

2.6 Development of MetroCentre and Riverside Way/ Handy Drive has

transformed the character and potential of the area. The site occupies a

highly marketable prime location, in a prominent riverside setting near to

the A1. It is highly accessible and has the potential to develop good

connections to public transport nodes, with a large labour catchment area.

The Derwenthaugh/MetroCentre employment area is a regionally significant

employment centre, which provides local employment and significant

numbers of workers from Tyne & Wear as well as districts in Durham. Parts of

the available employment site are within 500m of the MetroCentre Public

Transport Interchange and therefore in accordance with PPS6 office

development should be regarded as edge-of-centre locations for the purposes

of the sequential approach.

2.7 The site is one of only three employment sites in Gateshead larger than 10

hectares. It makes an important contribution to Gateshead’s employment

land portfolio and the amount of employment land Gateshead is required to



provide under the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy i.e. 100ha. It has

strategic potential, and is capable of being developed by several large users.

Economic development of the site will contribute to the regeneration of the

Tyne Corridor within the Tyne and Wear City Region within a core urban area

and within close proximity to a public transport node. These are spatial

priorities for economic growth within the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy,

the Tyne and Wear Economic Strategy (2005), City Region Development

Programmes for Tyne and Wear (2005) and the Draft Regional Economic

Strategy (2006). ONE Northeast, the Regional Development Agency, are a

statutory consultee who may need to be consulted about applications on this

site given the potential impact upon regional/sub-regional investment and

employment.

2.8 The site (or part of the site) may have the potential to accommodate

sustainable waste management facilities given its proximity to large

commercial and industrial waste sources, including the MetroCentre, and

the importance of communities to take responsibility for their own waste.

2.9 The attached plan illustrates the split of land uses on the site.

Planning History

2.10 There have been a number of planning applications on this site, from west

to east the available parcels of land are covered by the following

applications:

• The Watermark – planning permission for a mix of 2 and 3 storey offices

and studio office units (ref 920/00, 164/01, DC/03/00739/FUL,

DC/03/01339/FUL, DC/04/02059/REM & DC/05/01644/REM)

• Planning permission has been granted for some complementary

supporting uses including retail/café mixed use development

(DC/05/01645/FUL) and a change of use from office to a learning centre

(DC/05/01601/COU) within the Watermark.

• Land between Metro Riverside Park and Costco - planning permission was

refused in August 1998 for: “Reclamation and landraising works,

construction of access roads and development of 11.7 ha of land for



development of leisure and restaurant facilities (use classes D2 and A3)

and associated car parking, servicing and landscaping together with the

re-alignment of Mandela Way.”

• Land to the east of Costco – Reserved matters planning permission was

granted on 12 August 1996 (ref 159/96) for a mixed use development on

the Wing Hong land towards the east of the site. The scheme was for a

Chinese village and incorporates a cash and carry warehouse,

restaurants, offices, commercial units and security flats.

• A number of planning applications have been withdrawn on the land

east of Costco:

-DC/03/00409/FUL (erection of one single and one two-storey building)

in October 2003;

- DC/04/01545/OUT (new build development of 3 storey office buildings

and car parking) in October 2004;

-DC/04/01546/FUL (new build development of 13 single storey trade

units with associated service road/ yard and car parking and 2 storey

speculative office building with undercraft parking and separate visitor

parking site signage) in September 2004;

-DC/04/01826/FUL (Erection of 13 single-storey trade units (use classes

B1, B2, B8) with associated service road and car parking (Phase 1 -

detailed application) and outline permission sought for Phases 2 and 3

(use classes B1, B2, B8) in January 2005;

-DC/04/01823/OUT (new build development of 3 storey office buildings

and car parking) in November 2004.

Ownership

2.11 The site is in private ownership. The main property owners of the vacant

land (from west to east) are:

• Church Commissioners

• UK Land Estates

• Mr Cheng (Wing Hong)

• T J Thompson



Services

2.12 It is understood that all services (water, drainage, electricity, gas and

telephone) are available, but developers should satisfy themselves that this

is so.

Ground Conditions/ Methane

2.13 The western end of the site is within the 250 metre consultation zone of a

former landfill site. Site investigations have revealed the presence of

methane. Further advice can be obtained from the Environment Agency.

3. DEVELOPMENT PLAN

3.1 The Re-Deposit Draft Replacement Gateshead UDP provides the policy

context for the preparation of an acceptable development scheme.

Developers should consult the UDP Written Statement to identify relevant

policies and to note proposals for the area surrounding the site.

3.2 General policies on new employment development are contained in Chapter

7, “Jobs and Employment”. These policies aim to improve employment

opportunities in the Borough but also recognise that the long term economic

future of the area depends on continuing and strengthening environmental

protection and enhancement. The following policies will be particularly

relevant in the consideration of any planning application for the

development of the site:

• General Development Control Policy (DC1, DC2, DC3, DC4, DC5)

• Planning Obligations (PO1 and PO2)

• Primary Employment Areas (JE1)

• Sustainable Economic Development (JE4)

• Transport Network (T1)

• River Tyne Corridor(T6)

• Character and Design (ENV3)

• Green Corridors (ENV28)

• Open Space in Retail and Employment Uses Developments (ENV29)



• Crime Prevention (ENV30)

• Creating an Accessible and Inclusive Environment (ENV32)

• The Durham Biodiversity Action Plan (ENV6)

• Wildlife Habitats (ENV47)

• Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (ENV49)

• Wildlife Corridors (ENV51)

• Flood Risk (ENV 57)

• Micro-renewables, energy efficiency and sustainable design (MWR36)

• Appendix 1 – Employment Sites

Land Allocation

3.3 Within the Re-Deposit Draft Replacement UDP the site is allocated for

employment uses and lies within the Dunston Primary Employment Area.

The site could, subject to detailed considerations, be developed for any

type of employment uses falling within use classes B1, B2 and B8 (Policy

JE1). Exceptions may be made for complementary supporting uses A1, A2,

A3, A5 and D1 (less than 200 sq m) where the uses would meet the needs of

the employment area’s workers (Policy JE1). Provision of these small scale

community facilities should reduce the need to travel, develop linkages

between uses, improve the vitality of the employment area and should not

undermine the vitality and viability of existing centres.

4. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1 A number of requirements apply to all sites:

• IPA 1 Crime Prevention in New Development

• IPA 3 Provision of Open Space and Landscaping on New Developments

• IPA 11Parking Standards

5. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS



Design

5.1 The design should reflect the site’s prominent location on the river frontage

and its relationship with the MetroCentre.

5.2 For any large portion of the site it is essential that its overall layout will be

decided upon at the outset by a planning application showing roads,

footpaths, landscaping and other infrastructure. The forthcoming

amendment to the Town and Country Planning (General Development

Procedure) Order is anticipated to come into force in April 2006. Design and

Access Statements will then be required be submitted with most planning

applications and should be in accordance with Government guidance.

5.3 Development will need to meet the policy requirements of Policy MWR36 in

order to minimise energy and resource consumption and reduce carbon

emissions. All development should achieve BREEAM very good or excellent

rating through the incorporation of sustainable building design measures. In

addition, development with a floorspace of 1,000m2 should, wherever

feasible, incorporate renewable energy production equipment to provide at

least 10% of the predicted energy requirements.

Access/ Highway Implications

5.4 Three vehicular access points have been constructed into the site off

Riverside Way and Handy Drive. There is the potential for a fourth at the

eastern end of the site.

5.5 Increasing levels of congestion on the A1 through Tyneside are a major

concern for the Council and the Highways Agency. This concern has led the

Highways Agency to direct refusal for a number of planning applications for

developments where the Agency felt that the traffic generated by the

proposals would have an adverse impact on the trunk road.

5.7 In order to try to ease this situation, the Council and Highways Agency have

jointly commissioned a study to determine the likely traffic generations of



development sites in the MetroCentre area and look at how this generated

traffic can be managed to minimise impact on the trunk road.

5.8 Potential developers should be aware that a stringent approach to demand

management must be employed in developing and subsequently managing

the use of the site. In addition, proposals for the site must take full account

of the outcomes of the above study.

5.9 Development on the site should take account of the operation of Centrelink,

a dedicated bus route from Gateshead Town Centre to the MetroCentre,

running along the southern edge of the site. The site must be integrated

with the local bus network and the potential for, and benefits of,

integration with the MetroCentre shuttle services must be fully investigated,

in order to provide a public transport link with the MetroCentre bus and rail

stations.

5.10 Development should also take account of the need to maintain an access

capable of carrying vehicles adjacent to the river’s edge for maintenance

purposes. Any works to the river should maintain or enhance the existing

areas of inter-tidal mud. The developers should be aware that the prior

consent from the Environment Agency is required for any development

within the main river bye-law distance (5m) in addition to planning

permission.

5.11 A Transport Assessment and Travel Plan will normally need to be submitted

as part of any planning application for the development of the site.

Recreational Riverside Route

5.12 The UDP requires the provision of a continuous recreational riverside route

of between 10-30 metres in width, within a landscaped setting linked with

any future development (Policy T6), this route is also identified as a Green

Corridor (Policy ENV28). The line of the recreational route and the width

and form of the landscape strip will largely be determined by their



relationship to the Tidal Mud Flats SNCI and adjoining open ground noted in

paragraph 5.12.

5.13 The recreational riverside route should link with the existing footpath that

runs along the eastern side of the River Derwent in order to ensure it is part

of the network of pedestrian routes and green corridors within the general

area. This may require the creation of a pedestrian and cycle route over/

under the railway line at the western end of the site.

5.14 Pedestrian links should be provided between each portion of the site and to

the bus and rail stations at the MetroCentre. These should include a fully

segregated footpath link from the recreational riverside route to the

MetroCentre. This will require a safe pedestrian link to the MetroCentre

public transport interchange.

5.15 Developers would be required to contribute towards the riverside

recreational route:

• Where the route crosses an application site, developers would be

required to construct that section of the riverside route.

• Where the route lies outside an application site, developers would be

required to provide suitable links to the riverside route from their

development.

Works would be required to be in accordance with the construction

standards detailed within the Council’s Cycle Strategy (IPA 10 ).

Nature Conservation

5.16 The Tidal Mud Flats SNCI adjacent to the site is an increasingly significant

habitat for birds of regional significance. This area, and the adjoining open

ground, will require sensitive handling to avoid disturbing the birds and to

provide opportunities to observe them, without prejudicing the use of the

riverside for informal recreation, including the recreational riverside route.

It should be possible to incorporate a “buffer” zone between development

and the mud flats, without prejudicing the development potential of the



riverside setting. This zone will provide opportunities for complementary

habitat creation in relation to birds feeding on the mud flats.

5.17 Otters are also known to use this section of the River Tyne. Otters and their

habitats are afforded statutory protection under European Law. This

species is also susceptible to disturbance, underlining the need for

sympathetic design of the river frontage. Developers will need to check for

the presence of otters and other protected species and extent of impact of

development before planning permission can be granted.

Landscaping

5.18 Full landscaping details should be submitted as part of any planning

application for this site. Landscaping proposals should have regard to the

site’s location within a wildlife corridor and its close proximity to the Tidal

Mud Flats SNCI.

Drainage

5.19 Surface water drainage into the Rivers Tyne and Derwent will need to be

controlled to ensure that there is no adverse effect on wildlife within the

Tidal Mud Flats SNCI. An assessment of the proposed drainage system should

be undertaken during various stages of flood as part of the Flood Risk

Assessment. It may be appropriate to utilise sustainable drainage system

(SuDS) within the landscape strips provided there would be no adverse

impact on the Tidal Mud Flats SNCI.

Flooding

5.20 Based upon the current Environment Agency Flood Zone Map the site is

within a high (3) and medium (2) risk flood risk zones1. As part of any

application for development in accordance with Policy ENV57 a satisfactory

Flood Risk Assessment should be submitted. This should have regard to the

Environment Agency’s technical guidance notes on Flood Risk Assessments

1 Flood Zone 3 covers all land where there is a 1 in 100 (1%) or greater chance of flooding from rivers in any one year or a 1 in 200 (0.5%) or greater chance of flooding from tidal/coastal sources in any one year. Flood Zone 2 covers all land where there is a between a 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 (1%



and it is probable that the Council will require the applicant to submit with

FRA a Letter of Compliance from the Environment Agency. The land may

need to be raised but this would have to be in accordance with the advice

of the Environment Agency and the Flood Risk Assessment and there should

be no adverse impact upon Tidal Mud Flats SNCI. In relation to the Costco

Warehouse Club and other planning applications, the Environment Agency

advised a minimum floor level of 4.55 metres AOD.

Contamination

5.21 The ground conditions of the site are such that ground water and tidal

influence could result in an aqueous migration of contaminants. It is

therefore essential that developers address contamination in an integrated

and comprehensive manner and investigation and remediation may well

have to be undertaken in conjunction with adjoining landowners.

-0.1% ) chance of flooding from rivers in any one year and between a 1 in 200 and 1 in 1000 (0.5% - 0.1%) chance of flooding from the sea in any one year.





IPA

16 N

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ntre

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