Quality of Life Site Capital Analysis.

Site # 7 : Character Areas 6b. Severn Vale

Planning

Environment

Criteria Score Constraints And Opportunities

FoDDC Core Strategy

Garden Communities Principles

Mitigates biodiversity loss and loss of habitat.

Opportunities to provide green infrastructure.

Blue infrastructure.

Opportunities for sustainability energy.

Benefits and protects existing designations.

Proximity to existing services and community infrastructure.

Opportunities to place make.

Social

The site fits well within the core strategy and has potential to be sustainable in its design and location with regard to transport links and potential to be energy positive.

Potential to offer well designed car free well connected infrastructure to encourage active travel yet distinct enough to give a sense of place.

The area has many ancient hedgerows and predominantly oak copses and hosts Ley Park protected semi native woodland. The area is predominantly well managed pasture land and wet meadows

There are orchards and opportunities for increasing biodiversity and woodland planting to increase green infrastructure within the site and its environs.

The area is crisscrossed by streams and the meadow become saturated at times of heavy rain and the run off from the Blaisdon escarpment. The Longhope Brook and the Westbury Brooke flow into the Severn at Westbury on Severn. No parts of the site are flood zone 3.

The rolling gentle nature of the landscape offers many south facing gentle slopes and opportunities for solar gain. Also land for growing biofuel crops is a potential.

There is capacity for the site to be developed on grade 3 agricultural land and not infringe on any protected areas. With sensitive design and inclusion of native planting in the GI a new settlement could well into the landscape.

The area is close to Gloucester which has the service a city of 150,000 affords. Nearby is Blaisdon which has a local shops doctors surgery and a pub. There is a primary school in Huntley off the A40.

The area is characterful and distinctive notable in ancient structure of its field system of large arable fields and smaller copses. Older structure have characteristic brick and timber construction distinct to the area.

Economic

Protects and enhances local heritage assets.

Access to open spaces and recreation areas.

Supports economic growth potential for employment.

Connectivity to other settlements local and regional.

Local food production and higher productivity through diversity.

Supports sustainable transport.

The ridge and furrow of the field systems and churches of the villages are key heritage features. A disused railway cuts though the site heading north from Norwood green to ross on wye. Flaxley Abbey is adjacent to western boundary of the area

There is good access to open spaces and the site borders ancient and semi native woodland and open pasture. Flaxley woods Blaisdon woods and Ley Park are in close proximity and there are open fields within the area.

With the railway, the A40 and the A48 in close proximity there is scope for attracting business to the settlement and for employment opportunities in tourism and the potential to open a station at Northwood Green would increase employment opportunities.

There is good access to existing transport infrastructure. The A40 to the north runs between Gloucester and Ross- on Wye. the A416 runs from the A40 through Longhope to Drybrook. The main Gloucester to Newport line runs along the eastern boundary of the site.

The nature of the field and farming practices largely arable with small paddocks orchards and copses lends itself to mixed and diverse local food production

The area is roughly 12km from Gloucester centre and would be deemed a moderate commute on a bicycle. The disused railway offers opportunity for new active travel infrastructure. A new station at Norwood Green would create a sustainable travel option and potential for park and ride.