University of Gloucestershire - Oxstalls Campus Masterplan

University of Gloucestershire - Oxstalls Campus Masterplan

1

Introduction

University of Gloucestershire A40

The University of Gloucestershire is planning a major enhancement of its higher education provision.

The main objectives of the development are to: - re-locate the University’s Business School from Cheltenham to its Oxstalls site within Gloucester to enhance its integration with the new Growth Hub; - enhance the sports facilities at Plock Court through a partnership between the University, the City Council and a number of sports bodies; and - provide additional student accommodation to support the increase in student numbers due to the University’s expansion.

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Objectives

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Site Plan

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Masterplan site area 400m / 5min walk intervals City centre

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1. Oxstalls campus 2. Halls of residence 3. Hospital 4. School 5. Rugby club 6. Cathedral 7. Museum 8. Rail station 9. Park 10. Crematorium

Local Facilities & Surrounding Context

ARCHITECTS AND TOWN PLANNERS

westwaddy ADP


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Introduction

Project Background A40

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- A partnership comprising the University, the City and County Councils and a number of sports bodies is proposing a major enhancement of sports facilities at Plock Court. rd L

- This is linked to the City Council’s strategy for playing fields, as well the University’s plans for the development of sport programmes.

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- The County Council’s adjacent former Bishops College site is surplus to the Council’s requirements. The former school playing fields will be considered for the overall reconfiguration and enhancement of sports facilities within the Plock Court area.

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Land Ownership

Masterplan site area City Council County Council University of Gloucestershire

2010 Bishops College closed

2015 - March University backs City and County vision for Blackfriars / Quayside 2015 - March University, City and County working together to develop joint vision for Plock Court Playing Fields, Tennis Centre, Bishops College Playing Fields, Oxstalls Campus and Debenhams Cricket Pitch.

Th e Sto ry S o Far . ..

2014 - July Government awards Local Enterprise Partnership £5m

2013 - December HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) awards £2.7m for The Growth Hub

2015 - June Specialist Technical Consultants appointed to assess all planning concerns related to the site

2014 - October The Growth Hub opens in Oxstalls 2015 - March University of Gloucestershire buys Debenhams Cricket Pitch

Government Funding The scheme being developed is supported by a grant from the Government Growth Deal fund to support the University and the Local Enterprise Partnership to develop the Growth Hub.

2015 - April Initial Exhibition held by University of Gloucestershire 2015 - May West Waddy ADP appointed to prepare an Outline Planning Application for the site 2015 - July Initial Residents’ Stakeholder Meeting held

2015 - July Public Exhibition held

Next Steps

2015 - August Proposed Outline Application to be submitted to Gloucester City Council

Project Timeline


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Site Constraints

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Plock Court Sports Centre

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Plock Court playing fields

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Allotments

Campus sports facilities

University land split by allotments and Wotton Brook

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Access to Oxstalls Campus

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Masterplan site area Flood zone 2 Flood zone 3 Rear boundaries to existing properties Public right of way Poor connectivity Existing vehicular access


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Flooding & Drainage A40

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Environmental Agency flood zone 2 Environmental Agency flood zone 3

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Key Points

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Existing university buildings University building under construction Wotton Brook river flow

Please note: Environmental Agency flood zones are the result of a general survey. A more specific survey is currently being undertaken to generate more accurate flood zones and assess their impacts.

• The site is located within a mix of Flood Zones 1, 2 and 3 with land located in Flood Zone 1 considered to be at low risk of flooding and land in Flood Zone 3 considered at high risk. Flood risk therefore varies across the site. • Modelled flood levels have been obtained from the Environment Agency and this data will be compared with topographical survey information to assess the extent of each zone. • Using this information, due consideration will been given to ensure that more vulnerable development (i.e. new buildings) is located in areas considered at lower risk of flooding. • Proposed buildings will be constructed with ground floor levels set at least 300mm above the modelled 1:100yr flood level with an allowance made for climate change. • Ponds and wetland areas are being considered to provide additional flood plain and surface water storage, in combination with creating biodiversity and amenity benefits. • Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) will be utilised to drain surface water from the development. Porous paving will also be considered to provide additional surface water storage, remove contaminants and improve water quality. • The mitigation measures proposed will combine to reduce flood risk to the development and ensure that flood risk is not increased elsewhere.


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Allotment Location Options A40 Option 06?

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Option 05 Option 03

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Option 01

Prevents an opened up, accessible landscaped campus area. Access would be difficult to achieve, and Wotton Brook would divide Option 02 the allotments into two parts. Allotment holder representatives did not feel this was a satisfactory Option 03 option. Option 04 Restricts the growth of the University County Council cannot release the land for this purpose through the Option 05 statutory disposal process. Allotment holders suggested that areas such as these are prone to Option 06 flooding, and flooding consultants have confirmed this. Raised as an option in Allotment Holder consultations; latterly Option 07A / B developed into Option 8. Allows the University the majority of the intended new campus area. Allows for some of the allotments to be retained. Some of the Option 08 replacement allotment plots would be outside of flood zone 2 and 3. Minimises impact on playing field land of Plock Court. Allows the University some of the intended new campus area, including the landscaped area. Allotments relocated, predominantly Option 09 in area of less flood risk. Minimises impact on playing field land of Plock Court.

Option 08 Option 09 Option 01 Existing

For the reasons listed, options 1-7 have not been taken forward, meanwhile two options are still being considered (Option 8 and 9).


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Sports Facilities and Open Space

Current sport facilities

Current issues • The number of playing fields that can be used on Plock Court is very low - a lack of changing room facilities and grounds maintenance limits the number of teams that can play.

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• There is no community artificial grass floodlit pitch in Gloucester available for the purpose of rugby.

Oxstalls Sports Park

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• The area is not fulfilling its potential for sharing facilities (between Oxstalls Sports Park and the University). • The University has to travel externally if they require matches with a stand for spectators.

Proposed benefits The masterplan proposal will: • provide additional facilities that can be used by the Sports Park, the University and the general public; 3G pitches

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• provide a floodlit artificial grass surface designed for rugby, with a 500-seat spectator stand. Additionally it will provide a floodlit artificial grass surface designed for football use. Exterior lighting will be installed adjacent to where existing lighting is located; • provide a sufficient number of changing rooms to fully utilise the playing pitches of Plock Court; and

Playing fields

Other current land uses

• enable the University to work in partnership with other sporting bodies in order to help young people and families get more active and engage in healthy sport, promoting public health.

Current issues • Physical barriers divide the campus.

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• Lack of legibility, permeability and access. • Lack of connection between the main campus area and the sports facilities. • Limit to the potential of University enhancements because of location of some of the existing uses. Public footpaths and cycle routes

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Proposed Benefits The masterplan proposal will: • provide landscaped green space; • provide improved community access; • provide an excellent campus environment for learning;

Allotment facilities

• provide improved connections between Oxstalls campus and sports facilities; • provide improvements to the quality of the public realm, including the public rights of way; and • ensure pedestrian routes will be provided with better lighting, improving safety and navigation at night.


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Transport

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• The planning application will be supported by a full Transport Assessment. This will be in accordance with Department for Transport guidance. • Improvements are being considered to the Oxstalls Campus access off Oxstalls Lane and the adjacent Cheltenham Road / Oxstalls Lane junction to address existing congestion problems and accommodate traffic generated by the development. • T raffic and parking surveys were undertaken in June 2015 at various locations around Oxstalls Campus and wider area. Further surveys will be undertaken in the autumn of 2015 at periods of peak traffic use. • These surveys will be used to see what additional traffic will be on the surrounding roads and to see if any further mitigation measures are needed. • Other accesses are also being explored. • The amount of parking related to the scheme is being considered to ensure that there are enough for students, staff and visitors to both the campus and enhanced sports facilities. • The University’s Travel Plan will be updated to reflect the growth in staff and student numbers as a result of the development. It will encourage sustainable journeys, with an emphasis on reducing car use. • Vehicle access to the new sports facilities will be taken from Plock Court via the existing Tewkesbury Road junction. • New pedestrian and cycle links are proposed between the University campus and sports facilities. • The need for improvements to public transport services and infrastructure is being considered in the context of other planned public transport improvements such as Elmbridge Court Park & Ride. ARCHITECTS AND TOWN PLANNERS

westwaddy ADP

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Ecology & Landscape Ecology

• In May 2015, a Phase 1 habitat survey and an ecological desk study of the University of Gloucestershire site was undertaken. • To date, surveys for great crested newt have been undertaken on the site. The surveys did not reveal the presence of this species. • Surveys for reptiles and bats will be undertaken over the next few months. The need for surveys of aquatic invertebrate, badger, water vole and otter are also being assessed. The surveys will be undertaken following best practice survey guidelines.

Relocated allotment facilities

There are numerous opportunities to include ecological enhancements as part of the redevelopment of the site. These include: • inclusion of a sensitive lighting strategy to reduce impacts to invertebrates, bats and birds; • retaining and enhancing existing vegetation; • using a largely native species mix within any new planting; • creating areas of wildflower meadow; • installation of bat and bird boxes within new buildings and on retained trees; • inclusion of bug hotels in close proximity to the Wotton Brook; and

Retained / additional planting

• consideration of how Wotton Brook can be utilised to reduce shading and increase species diversity.

Landscape The masterplan proposal will: • seek to retain trees where possible - these will provide natural buffering of the development to existing uses surrounding the site; • enhance public rights of way to provide safe and attractive access routes including hard surfaces, lighting and vehicle control;

Aerial view from the north west

• create the Community Park opening up the University site with the playing fields and open space; • provide large-scale meadow and tree planting on land surplus to games pitch provision; • provide a new Business School with associated parking and landscaping; • enhance vehicular access to the campus and the new Business School via the main entrance to the existing campus; and • seek to investigate and mitigate the impacts on visual amenity through selective boundary planting.

View from west


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Developing the Masterplan

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Ri Area for improved public realm linking existing / proposed campus to possible student accommodation

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Key Masterplan site area Possible business school expansion locations Possible area for student accommodation Public realm Existing allotment location Possible relocated allotment areas Possible retention of allotments

Improved pedestrian / cycle links

Improved vehicular access ARCHITECTS AND TOWN PLANNERS

westwaddy ADP


10 Proposed Masterplan A40

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Key Masterplan site area County Council preferred site boundary location 1. Existing University Campus 2. Proposed Business School and Growth Hub 3. Proposed location for student accommodation 4. Possible alternative locations for allotments 5. Enhanced high quality landscaping 6. Existing playing fields 7. Proposed 3G pitches 8. Proposed sports centre 9. Existing sports centre 10. Tennis Courts 11. Improved vehicular access

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Option 08 - Allotments partially retained

Option 09 - Allotments on Debenhams Fields

1. Relocated allotments 2. Retained allotments 3. Proposed student accommodation 4. Landscaped access road with student drop off points and allotment parking

1. Relocated allotments 2. Proposed student accommodation 3. Landscaped access road with student drop off points and allotment parking


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