DESIGN

Link to our plans for connectedness:

A beautiful place that is seamlessly connected to Stamford, becoming a cherished part of the historic town. It will be well-served, sociable and rooted, a place that puts people and their environment first, enabling the entire community to thrive.

You are, quite rightly, passionate that Stamford North contributes positively to – and integrates with – existing buildings and places in Stamford.

We agree. This is the very heart of our vision. It is why the Landowners felt so comfortable with our approach, and why we have gathered a world class design team of Master Developers, engineers, and landscape designers whose aim is to create a beautiful, sustainable place in which residents will feel part of a homely, thriving community.

COMMUNITY HUB

Link to our plans for connectedness:

Where local people can meet, eat, drink, shop, exercise and enjoy life together. This community hub will be beautiful, safe and easy-to-access from all parts of Stamford by foot, bicycle, bus and car.

You want the local centre to include more shops and amenities.

We have engaged with local charities and community organisations interested in the community centre. Together, we've explored design features aimed at creating a flexible venue for maximum use. This collaboration is ongoing. For now:

We have moved the proposed new local centre to a site adjacent to the Borderville Sports Centre.

The centre will be accessible in multiple ways:

• People will be able to walk to and through it without crossing main roads;
• Existing residents can access the new shops via the new valley park or a direct walking and cycling route from the Public Right of Way east of Stamford Welland Academy.

As exciting as these plans are, we continue to carefully consider the impact on the thriving town centre. Shops and amenities in the new community centre should complement, rather than compete with, Stamford’s existing provision. We understand the importance of local, independent retailers in Stamford and will collaborate with all concerned to continue this wonderful tradition.

TRANSPORT

Link to our plans for connectedness:

Roads, bus routes, cycle lanes and footpaths will be created to maximise convenience and safety whilst minimising congestion and pollution.

You want to ensure that Stamford North does not create additional traffic congestion in and around the Town Centre and that an alternative road is created to the north of Stamford.

From our very first plans, we have sought to relieve traffic in the town centre by building a new Main Street that connects Ryhall Road with Casterton Road. It was crucial that this complex solution was independently tested.

This testing took place through a Stamford Transport Model developed by Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) as their primary tool for assessing development impacts. Its use has been agreed with Rutland County Council (RCC) and National Highways (NH) Spatial Planning Team. It uses the most up to date data and meets required levels of technical calibration and validation.

Although we expect that our significant investment in walking and cycling infrastructure and bus services will result in 10-20% fewer car journeys, the proposals have been modelled using a worst-case scenario assuming no shift in behaviour.

Despite this, the independent model demonstrates that the Main Street functions as intended and consumes the traffic from the development while also providing increased resilience and improvement to Stamford’s transport network. We hope this provides you with reassurance and grounds for optimism. In the meantime, we will continue to design Stamford North to maximise opportunities for walking and cycling across the site, reducing the need for residents to travel into Stamford by car. We will continue to consult you as we develop these plans.

Significant investment is also proposed to improve existing routes within Stamford to make them more desirable and safe for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, investment in bus services is also proposed as an additional, sustainable transport option across the town.

NATURE RECOVERY

Link to our plans for sustainability and nature recovery (1 of 2 in this update):

The entire place will be carbon net-zero including homes, roads, utilities and community buildings. We will significantly improve existing levels of biodiversity with Stamford North’s sweeping green areas allowing the growth and reestablishment of native plants and animals.

You were positive about the development’s eco-friendly credentials, particularly our plans to protect and enhance nature without upsetting existing natural habitats. The feedback around the two new parks by the Gwash river was particularly upbeat.

We have doubled-down on our plans for the new parks. These contribute to green and open space that now accounts for 37% of Stamford North (the requirement from the Council was 9%). We have gone further on bio-diversity, designing exceptional habitats for insects, animals and plants.

Our aims for improving the net gain in bio-diversity across the area go well beyond the required minimum of 10%. Compared to existing levels, our latest proposals would create an increase of 26% in habitats and 28% net gain in hedgerows.

These proposals are the product of extensive ecology work and consultation with a range of local environmental groups. They include the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust with whom we have signed a Statement of Common Ground. This statement sets out how we will continue to work together with them and their local network of environmental organisations to deliver further good news.

We are also currently working with local groups to explore ways to restore the River Gwash within Stamford North’s natural and informal open space.

BUND REMOVAL

Link to our plans for sustainability and nature recovery (2 of 2 in this update):

A number of residents living by the bund raised concerns about the impact of its removal.

The geography of the valley enables the creation of a new park and nature corridor facilitating safe walking and cycling. The park and nature corridor can only flourish undisturbed, if the new link road is built to the south of the site where the bund now sits. This is also the shortest and most direct route through our land and minimises the number of houses facing the road. Importantly it also allows efficient and sustainable drainage for the whole of Stamford North.

Moreover, we can reassure you specifically that:

• Noise: Surveys, which have been sent for approval to the Council’s Environmental Protection Officer, confirm that our building and landscaping will screen noise from the football stadium to existing residents as or more effectively than the bund. The road will have a negligible impact on noise for existing residents.
• Light: From the football stadium will not spill across to existing residents. Nor will streetlights (which will be back-shaded) have any impact beyond the site boundary.
• Bio-diversity: We always look at bio-diversity across the whole site. This includes all living organisms such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, as well as their ecosystems and habitats. Overall our latest plans will create a net gain of 26% on habitats and 28% on hedgerows. The bund, a recently developed man-made structure, supports no notable (or protected species). We will design new habitats around the river to encourage bio-diversity and will undertake work at sensitive times (avoiding birds nesting where possible) and in a phased manner to allow mobile species to safely disperse.
• Air quality: will barely change (and remain well-within required levels in the Institute of Air Quality Management Guidance) even in the most extreme road traffic scenarios.

OPEN SPACE

Link to our plans for beautiful and purpose-led green spaces:

Stamford North’s green spaces will be beautifully landscaped; and will serve people across the Stamford community through communal gardens, orchards, allotments, parks, play areas, exercise routes and an amphitheatre.

We were delighted with the reception to our initial plans and have subsequently hosted a design workshop on accessible play and open space, which received fantastic feedback.

As a result we have:

• added more open areas
• committed to ongoing consultation with local residents prior to constructing park spaces to ensure we deliver:
  • appropriate, accessible equipment
  • imaginative and sensory play areas;
• increased the availability of spaces dedicated to youth, with considerations including Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs), outdoor gym areas, and safe recreational spaces for young people.

Our refined proposals include four times the required informal green space (which would now cover 37% of Stamford North). Over half will be parkland (cultivated, tended space) with the rest informal and natural (untended).

You also requested allotments.

We will provide 6,300 meters squared of allotments alongside community gardens and orchards.

A few of you raised concerns about the long-term maintenance of all these play spaces and parkland areas.

This is so important. We all know of developments that have been built and then left alone. We work very differently and that starts with our community-led vision for the future of Stamford North. That’s our legacy and it’s fundamental to our approach. We have budgeted for high ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the highest standards through the lifetime of the development.

We've also engaged with several local garden and horticultural organisations to enhance community involvement in the design process and are exploring opportunities for expansion or additional management on-site.

Further community consultations will be organised to ensure that every open space is inclusive, and as family-friendly, beautiful and as sustainable as possible.

HEALTH

Link to our plans for easy access to sport and healthy living (1 of 2 references in this update):

The Community Hub will include a brand-new, purpose-built Health Centre for the benefit of everyone in Stamford.

We understand just how important this is. Our entire plan is designed to maximise healthy living. A new health centre is central to that. We have offered to build a significant, brand new health centre and are awaiting the NHS’s green light to ink it into our plans. The space is reserved, and we would continue to adapt our design in-line with feedback from the NHS and the needs of the community. We are speaking to a range of healthcare providers, including GPs, dentists and physiotherapists to ensure an excellent and comprehensive healthcare offer is provided in the new community centre.

In addition – healthy living is central to our approach to designing the whole development including:

• Beautiful and safe walking, exercise and cycling routes through the valley park and connecting into the town centre. Exercise has significant and proven links to improved health and wellbeing. Our new paths and walkways will enable residents to cycle and walk the entire length of the Stamford North corridor and on into the town centre.
• Extensive investment in sports facilities to boost the number of opportunities for new and existing residents to participate in sports teams and clubs.
• High-quality, well-designed play areas catering to young people of all ages to encourage active, sociable lifestyles.
• New allotments, orchards and community gardens where residents can spend time outdoors cultivating nutritious, fresh food.

LOCAL SPORT

Link to our plans for easy access to sport and healthy living (2 of 2 references in this update):

Stamford North would enable healthy routines through carefully designed footpaths, cycle paths, new sports pitches and significant funding for local sports clubs and societies. Residents will have the opportunity to enjoy its many amenities without stepping into a car.

We have met several sports clubs and community groups who are looking for the opportunity to grow and expand their offering.As a result, we would:

• Investment in Borderville Sports Centre. It already acts as a community hub with extensive sports facilities. We are working closely with Stamford College and Stamford AFC to explore how investment can help expand community sport and benefit the students studying there.
• Creation of new grass pitches away from the valley (which, by definition, makes it difficult to lay large flat surfaces). One option is just off Kettering Road.
• Financial contributions for the council to distribute to local community sports groups.

EDUCATION

Link to our plans for outstanding educational provision for all young people:

People across Stamford will benefit from a significant investment in nursery and school places. There will be a brand- new kindergarten and primary school with significant upgrades to facilities Stamford Welland Academy.

You asked for reassurance that Stamford’s increased population would not put pressure on the existing number of primary and secondary school places.

Our initial plans included a new two-form entry primary school and additional funding for secondary school and sixth form places. This is still in place. More recently, we have agreed with the Lincolnshire County Council to monitor birth rates and pupil numbers in surrounding schools. This would enable us to complete the primary school at the right time, without flooding the areas with too many spaces and negatively impacting local schools (by building the school too early) or to leave parents without provision (by completing the school too late).

Several residents expressed an interest in nursery provision.

We are exploring this in detail with local operators and the council to aim to provide every family in Stamford with access to a great education.

We understand the short and longer-term consequences of our work here, and the importance of managing timings. Our commitment remains unaltered.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Link to our Vision, Range of wonderful homes for everyone:

Between the parks and fields and around the Community Hub, houses will be built with a focus on beauty, responsibility, and utility. They will provide for households of all sizes and all budgets, providing wonderful and affordable homes for local people. Almshouses will be reserved for existing residents.

You were keen for us to prioritise affordable housing for local people within the new development.

Stamford North would provide a range of beautiful new homes for households of all sizes as well as specialist accommodation. 30% of all new homes will be ‘affordable’.

To ensure that Stamford’s specific needs are met, we commissioned a report to gather detailed evidence of local housing needs. The specific balance we propose would relate directly to its findings.

To demonstrate our commitment to cater for local people, we can now confirm that we would build a number of new almshouses. They will be the latest in a millennia-long tradition of almshouses in Stamford, providing homes for those who need them.