Multi-disciplinary design practice, rg+p Ltd is lead consultant, masterplanner, planning consultant and principal designer (CDM) for the scheme, and has led preparation of the planning application on behalf of Lindum Group and Messrs A & W Laughton.
As well as up to 335 new homes (including the provision of affordable housing), the masterplan also includes associated access onto Legbourne Road; pedestrian and vehicular connectivity throughout the site; resident and visitor parking; Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS); and areas of public open space, play space and landscape planting.
“Strategic land promotion plays a vital role in providing a resilient pipeline of land to meet pressing national housing targets,” observes Chris Lindley, planning director at rg+p Ltd and project lead for the Legbourne Road development. “Sustainable urban extension sites like this are important for bringing forward the volume of new homes needed but in an environmentally responsible and socially inclusive way.
“Louth is a key service and economic centre for the surrounding rural area so our masterplan for Legbourne Road includes a range of house types to appeal to a wide demographic, enabling local people and families to remain in the area, retain their roots, and continue contributing to the town’s community. Both pre-application feedback and public consultation have strongly informed the design, which has also taken cues from the existing architecture of this important market town. We are hopeful this collaboration will lead to a positive outcome from this application,” adds Chris.
The sustainable urban extension to Louth is one of several sites rg+p is currently masterplanning and promoting in collaboration with land promoters, developers, landowners and local planning authorities. Others vary in size from 50 – 1,000+ homes and are located in key growth areas such as Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Shropshire and Essex.
Chris continues:
“Nationally, the planning climate to encourage strategic land opportunities remains positive. There is cross party support for housebuilding, and this has been signalled by a range of planning reforms, including impactful and ongoing changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and emerging legislation through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
“Many Councils are currently consulting on their new Local Plans and where these are not in place, or housing delivery has not kept pace, the powerful presumption in favour of sustainable development is engaged. This creates opportunities to promote strategic land via well-conceived and evidenced planning applications like the Legbourne Road scheme, allowing us to positively influence meaningful change in towns and cities across England,” concludes Chris.
The full technical team for Legbourne Road, Louth includes rg+p Ltd (lead consultant, masterplanner, planning consultant, principal designer CDM), Lindum Group (developer), Aspect Landscape Planning (landscape architect), Koda (drainage design), Rachel Hacking (ecology and biodiversity net gain) and SLR (highways and transportation).