TO:
EXECUTIVE
MEMBER FOR CULTURE, DELIVERY AND PUBLIC
PROTECTION
27 September 2021
Parks and Open Spaces Quality
Improvement – outdoor recreation improvements at Horseshoe
Lake
Director of
Place, Planning and
Regeneration
1
PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To
seek approval for the allocation of S106 funding (£35,360) to
support improvements to outdoor recreation facilities at Horseshoe
Lake.
1.2 To confirm which financial
contributions secured from developers under Section 106 of the Town
and Country Planning Act 1990 will be applied to the project.
(ANNEX
1).
1.3 If approved, the S106 monies
will be used to provide a new natural play space and will enable
improvements to facilities at the water sports centre, including
better parking, more accessible paths and new outside changing and
toilet facilities.
1.4
The funding will be split between
the Horseshoe Lake Activity Centre and Bracknell Forest Council and
used towards providing new accessible toilets and shower facilities
(led by watersports provider) and improved car parking and natural
play facilities (led by BFC).
2
RECOMMENDATION(S)
2.1 That
£35,360
of S106 contributions (as summarised in ANNEX
1)
are allocated to fund improvements to recreational facilities at
Horseshoe Lake, subject to appropriate planning permission being
awarded.
3
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION(S)
3.1 Developer contributions are
collected through S106 agreements to support “providing,
expanding or improving open space, and/or outdoor recreational
facilities (which may include the acquisition and/or improvement of
land and/or buildings and/or carrying out or assisting in the
carrying out of nature/landscaping conservation projects) within 3
kilometres of the Site.”
3.2 The justification for
requiring developers to supporting the improvement of open space
and outdoor recreational facilities is given in
The
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF):
‘8. Promoting healthy and safe communities
98. Access to a network of high quality open spaces and
opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the
health and well-being of communities, and can deliver wider
benefits for nature and support efforts to address climate
change…’
3.3
The improvements deliver key objectives in
The Council Plan
2019-2023:
·
continue to provide easy access to the natural
environment
·
protect our highly valued green spaces and strategic green
gaps
·
protect green spaces, the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection
Area and maintain strategic gaps between communities
·
enhance facilities and customer experience at Horseshoe Lake and
maintain other council open spaces
3.4 The
borough council has adopted a
Parks
and Open Spaces Strategy (2012)
and the improvements at Horseshoe Lake are in accordance with
delivering the following three priorities:
1. Monitor and assess
quality standards across parks and open spaces. Manage sites to a
high standard; carry out improvement works to sustain and improve
quality in line with the Bracknell Forest Council ‘Plus One
Principle’ and relevant national guidance.
8. Enhance outdoor sport
and play provision (including ancillary facilities).
11. Encourage greater
community involvement and additional partnership working between
agencies, groups and organisations.
4
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED
4.1 It is necessary to improve
access to facilities at Horseshoe Lake, to be inclusive to all
users, and compliant with the Disability and Discrimination Act.
It’s mandatory for all establishments and service providers
that are open to the public to take reasonable steps provide access
for disabled people.
4.2 The site doesn’t currently
have any play features, which is a missed opportunity to cater for
young families. The play area will be sympathetically designed so
that it’s within the keeping of the natural character of the
area.
4.3 The land at Horseshoe Lake is
managed as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), to
provide an alternative place for recreation away from the Thames
Basin Heaths Special Protection Area. SANGs funding is already
committed to improvements outside this project scope (see 5.3).
S106 funding is required to deliver these wider improvements to
play and ancillary recreation and sports provision.
4.4 Not using the s106 development
monies could result in a failure to mitigate the impact of
development and a missed opportunity for ‘providing,
expanding or improving open space, and/or outdoor recreational
facilities.’ It could also lead to funds being returned
to the developers if no other qualifying scheme was located through
which to deliver enhancements in the time available.
4.5 The wide range of S106 open
space and recreation contributions available in the borough have
been assessed in order to eliminate those lying outside the
distance constraints of the developments as set out in the
respective s106 agreements.
5
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
5.1 Horseshoe Lake is a 22-acre (8.9
hectare) open space in Sandhurst. The site consists of natural open
space and a lake, which is a popular venue for water sports
activities such as open water swimming and sailing.
The lake edge and
water sports facility that sits within the wider SANG is well used
by residents, however, during school holidays and at weekends the
site can become very busy, a point that has been raised by
residents.
Many residents
experience barriers to enjoying healthy time outdoors. This
includes limited access to toilets, seating and shelter; with a
need to be more appealing to children and finding enough
opportunity to be close to nature, with long walks.
5.2 A project to carry out
sensitively delivered small-scale enhancements at Horseshoe Lake
will address some of these issues, and increase the accessibility
of this beautiful open space, whilst protecting its natural
character.
Simple upgrades
will be made to the existing core functions of the site, including
the provision of the lake for water sports and the management of
the wider site as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG).
The priority is to improve the experience for site users, while
protecting the important local wildlife.
The upgrades
specifically include:
·
formalising the existing non-chargeable parking areas
·
enhancing the landscape quality, including the creation of spaces
for natural play and discovery
·
continuing to make the lake and existing building available to the
site-based water sports operator
·
Making accessible public toilets available as well as outdoor
shower facilities which will be managed by the tenant on site
See our
Horseshoe Lake enhancements page for details of previous
improvements.
5.3 This report relates to
additional improvements required to recreation facilities, which
aren’t listed in the SANG open space management
plan.
5.4
The landscape around the buildings will be designed to incorporate
opportunities for natural play and discovery while learning about
wildlife habitats. These spaces are currently of low biodiversity
value, and they will be sympathetically designed so that it’s
within the keeping of the natural character of the area. They will
be free to access and will require very little maintenance.
5.5 Improvements to parking at
Horseshoe Lake are proposed that aim to support the function of the
existing road network by making sure that adequate space is
available on the site for people to arrive and easily park their
vehicles. There are no new parking charges proposed or limitations
on the duration of the stay.
The proposal
concentrates on parking provided within the site for water sports
which are currently informal. This is intended to be improved, to
make sure the spaces for water sports function effectively and to
make sure separate access to the SANG is not made difficult when
the water sports use is high. To achieve this the site compound,
which is used for storage, will be moved, with the space
reallocated to accommodate parking. Three new disabled parking bays
will be provided within the new parking layout. Relocating the car
park and connecting path, which is subject to the relevant planning
permission being obtained, will help to improve the flow of
visitors to the site.
This parking area
will continue to be managed by the watersports company who run the
building, as part of their provision of activities. The main SANG
car park is unaffected by the proposals.
5.6 There
are no existing public toilets and the shower facilities are very
outdated. The
proposals are to offer outdoor facilities to current users to
enable them to enjoy the
site in comfort, which will be managed by the watersports company
who run the building. The facilities will be made fully accessible,
with a hoist for access and adult changing tables
provided.
5.7 See ANNEX
3
for a site plan of how the new improvements will look. All these
enhancements are designed to benefit existing site users rather
than attracting new users and will compliment and add to existing
facilities.
5.8 They will be subject to being
awarded planning permission for the new car park and paths and for
the outside changing and toilets.
5.9
Horseshoe Lake Activity Centre and
Bracknell Forest Council will receive an even split of the
£35,360 s106 funding if approved with small a proportion of it
going to project facilitation costs. Horseshoe Lake Activity Centre
is contributing £15,000 of its own funding towards the toilet
and shower facilities.
5.10 Parks and countryside are consistently
rated by residents as one of the things they most like about living
in the borough. During the coronavirus pandemic these spaces have
become even more important to residents and were vital in helping
to maintain their health and wellbeing. It’s important that
we continue to invest in them to factor in greater use and an
increasing population. See ANNEX
6
for the results of a resident’s phone survey conducted last
year.
5.11
S106
funding is secured in accordance with adopted planning policy. Of
significance is Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning
Document (2005) (ref. section 5.11 Open Space of Public Value and
the ‘Plus One’ Principle whereby works are prioritised
towards improving quality of existing open spaces over
time.
5.12 In
addition to being secured to fund quality improvements, there is a
requirement that developer contributions are allocated to open
spaces capable of serving the development from which the
contribution was paid. Available funding usually needs to be
allocated to a specific project identified in the s106 agreement,
or to a site within a specified distance (usually 3kms) of the
contributing development. The contributions to be allocated are set
out in ANNEX
1.
6 ADVICE
RECEIVED FROM STATUTORY AND OTHER OFFICERS
Borough Solicitor
6.1 The allocation of funding
proposed in this report complies with the requirements of the s106
agreements.
The approval of
the recommendation in the report falls within the decision making
remit of officers in consultation with the Executive member
pursuant to the Bracknell Forest Council Constitution June 2020
Part 2, section 6 paragraph 6.2 (a)( vi).
Executive Director: Resources
6.2
The financial implications are set out in the report.
Equalities Impact Assessment
6.3 An EIA scoping assessment
has been carried out for this project and included in
ANNEX
4.
There are no negative impacts resulting from the proposed
project.
Strategic Risk Management Issues
6.4 S106 contributions will
need to be refunded should they not be allocated in accordance with
the respective legal agreement. Providing these new
facilities would reduce the future maintenance requirements at
Horseshoe Lake while increasing the quality and accessibility of
services and represent a cost saving to the borough
council.
Assistant Director: Planning
6.5
The proposed improvements to outdoor play and recreation are within
the terms of the relevant S106 agreements. This will help to
improve the quality and capacity of outdoor leisure in the area,
thereby mitigating the impact of the relevant development in this
regard.
7
CONSULTATION
Principal Groups Consulted
7.1
Horseshoe Lake site users
Residents
Representations
Received
7.2 Local feedback from a
questionnaire carried out in 2019 has been used to shape the
enhancements. See ANNEX
5.
See ANNEX 6 for findings from
the Coronavirus phone survey of Bracknell Forest residents - July
2020.
Background Papers:
ANNEX 1: S106 Allocation
details and map
ANNEX 2:
Application form
ANNEX 3: Plan of
improvements
ANNEX 4: EIA
Scoping assessment for project
ANNEX 5:
Bracknell Forest Council: Horseshoe Lake Customer Survey, August
2019
ANNEX 6:
Coronavirus phone survey of Bracknell Forest residents, July
2020.
Contact for further
information
Rangers Enquiry Line
Email: rangers@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
Tel: 01344 354441
Revisions:
V1 02.08.2021
V2 18.08.2021
V3 01/09/2021
V4 09.09.2021
V5 16.09.2021
ANNEX
2: Parks and Countryside Service Application Form
|
Section
|
Criteria
|
Project 7
|
|
1: Contact Details
|
Name
|
Chris
Swatridge
|
|
|
Contact
|
Chris
Swatridge
Chris.Swatridge@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
|
|
2: Organisation Information
|
Name of organisation
|
Bracknell
Forest Council
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
Department/service area/section
|
Parks and
Countryside Service
|
|
|
Lead officer
|
Stephen
Chown
|
|
|
Lead member
|
Cllr John
Harrison
|
|
|
Lead director
|
Andrew
Hunter
|
|
|
Decision maker
|
Cllr John
Harrison
|
|
|
Date of decision
|
TBC
|
|
|
Reason Key
|
|
|
|
Making representations
|
|
|
|
Financial impact
|
|
|
|
Consultation carried out?
|
Yes
|
|
|
Consultation details
|
Park visitor
questionnaire
Covid-19 Residents' Survey
2020.
|
|
|
Equalities scoping report completed and provided
with the application?
|
Yes
– see annex 3
|
|
|
Document(s) to be considered
|
|
|
|
Background papers
|
|
|
|
Open/exempt?
|
|
|
|
Explanation for exemption
|
|
|
|
Key decision
|
|
|
|
Exempt report
|
|
|
2: Project Description
|
Type of project
|
Blue and Green
Infrastructure - Active Open Space of Public Value (Active
OSPV)
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
Project Address
|
Horseshoe Lake
Activity Centre
Mill
Lane
Sandhurst
Berkshire
GU47
8JW
|
|
|
Accompanying map
|
Yes – see
annex 1
|
|
|
Parish
|
Sandhurst
|
|
|
Ward
|
Little
Sandhurst and Wellington
|
|
|
POSS reference number
|
69
|
|
|
Brief description of scheme
|
Recreation
improvements including new natural play spaces and car park
improvements.
|
|
|
Policy / Strategy Objectives Being
Delivered
|
·
The Parks and Open Spaces
Strategy
·
The POSS Study
·
Council Plan – protecting and
enhancing our environment
|
|
|
Total estimated cost of scheme
|
£50,360
|
|
|
Estimated amount of s106 funding
required
|
£35,360
|
|
|
Existing funding
|
Yes
|
|
|
Timeline
|
The project is
underway, with the work to improve natural play spaces and car
parking facilities due to take place this year. The plan is to
complete the project by 1 April 2022.
|
|
|
Details
of previous improvement projects
|
The
first upgrade to connect the water sport building to mains drainage
was completed in the spring of 2020. Further enhancements have been
carried out to the footpaths, car parking and wildlife habitats.
For further information see our
Horseshoe Lake
enhancements page.
|
|
|
Additional information
|
The updated
site
open space management
plan, which has been
approved by Natural England, describes some of the other
enhancements, which will maximise the public enjoyment of the
SANG’s open spaces and minimise the impact on the
borough’s Special Protection Areas (SPA).
|
|
|
Project finished?
|
No.
|
Lead Contact: Chris
Swatridge
Position (Officer /
Member): Senior
Ranger
Date: 1 August 2021
ANNEX
3: Site plan showing improvements
Current site layout visible on Google
maps:
https://g.page/horseshoelakeactivitycentre?share
Initial proposed layout of the improvements,
which are subject to change. Further plans of the proposed
improvements to the car park / path and the toilets and changing
facilities will be made available in the subsequent planning
applications.
ANNEX
4: Equality Impact Assessment Scoping
Initial Equalities Screening Record
Form
|
Date of Screening:
01.08.2021
|
Directorate:
Place, Planning and
Regeneration
|
Section: Bracknell Forest
Council Parks and Countryside Service
|
|
1. Activity to be
assessed
|
Quality improvements to outdoor facilities at
Horseshoe Lake
|
|
2. What is the
activity?
|
Policy/strategy
Function/procedure
Project
Review
Service
Organisational
change
|
|
3. Is it a new or
existing activity?
|
New Existing
|
|
4. Officer responsible
for the screening
|
Chris Swatridge
|
|
5. Who are the members of
the screening team?
|
Chris Swatridge, Rose
Wicks and Carl
|
|
6. What is the purpose of
the activity?
|
The aim is to upgrade outdoor
recreation facilities at Horseshoe Lake using s106 developer
contributions, in accordance with Planning Obligations SPD (section
5.11) and the BFC Parks and Open Spaces Strategy 2012.
|
|
7. Who is the activity
designed to benefit/target?
|
The improvements will benefit all users of the site.
|
|
Protected
Characteristics
|
Please tick
yes or no
|
Is there an impact?
What kind of equality impact
may there be? Is the impact positive or adverse or is there a
potential for both?
If the impact is neutral,
please give a reason.
|
What evidence do you have to
support this?
E.g. equality monitoring data,
consultation results, customer satisfaction information
etc
Please add a narrative to
justify your claims around impacts and describe the analysis and
interpretation of evidence to support your conclusion as this will
inform members decision making, include consultation
results/satisfaction information/equality monitoring
data
|
|
8. Disability
Equality – this can include physical, mental health, learning
or sensory disabilities including conditions such as dementia.
|
Y
ü
|
N
|
By having fully
publicly accessible toilets on site anyone with a disability will
be positively affected by the changes. The lack of toilet
availability is often a barrier for visiting the countryside.
A
hoist and changing tables are proposed as part of these
improvements, to make the facilities fully accessible.
|
A government
report in 2008 recommended the provision of toilets to encourage
more visitors to the countryside. It also found that lack of public
toilets disproportionately affected disabled visitors.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmcomloc/636/636.pdf
|
|
9. Racial
equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
10. Gender equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
11. Sexual orientation
equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
12. Gender
re-assignment
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
13. Age equality
|
Y
ü
|
N
|
As above, a lack of toilets could affect elderly visitors more.
|
Government report found that elderly people need to use the toilet
more:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmcomloc/636/636.pdf
|
|
14. Religion and belief
equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
15. Pregnancy and maternity
equality
|
Y ü
|
N
|
The lack of toilets also disproportionately affects pregnant women
and nursing mothers.
|
A 2008 government report found that women in these groups
“needed to use the toilet more often”
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmcomloc/636/636.pdf
|
|
16. Marriage and civil
partnership equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
17. Please give details of
any other potential impacts on any other group (e.g. those on lower
incomes/carers/ex-offenders, armed forces communities) and on
promoting good community relations.
|
|
|
18. If an
adverse/negative impact has been identified can it be justified on
grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one group or for
any other reason?
|
N/A
|
|
19. If there is any
difference in the impact of the activity when considered for each
of the equality groups listed in 8 – 14 above; how
significant is the difference in terms of its nature and the number
of people likely to be affected?
|
Yes.
|
|
20. Could the impact
constitute unlawful discrimination in relation to any of the
Equality Duties?
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
21. What further
information or data is required to better understand the impact?
Where and how can that information be obtained?
|
N/A
|
|
22. On the basis of
sections 7 – 17 above is a full impact assessment
required?
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
23. If a full impact
assessment is not required; what actions will you take to reduce or
remove any potential differential/adverse impact, to further
promote equality of opportunity through this activity or to obtain
further information or data? Please complete the action plan in full,
adding more rows as needed.
|
|
Action
|
Timescale
|
Person Responsible
|
Milestone/Success
Criteria
|
|
Ensure any signage put in place
is clear and accessible to all.
|
2021-2023
|
Chris Swatridge
|
Feedback received from site
users.
|
|
Paths and car park are designed
with accessibility in mind.
|
2021-2023
|
Chris Swatridge
|
As above
|
|
Outside changing facilities and
toilets are accessible to all users.
|
2021-2023
|
Horseshoe Lake Water Sports
Centre
|
As above
|
|
24. Which service,
business or work plan will these actions be included in?
|
Parks and Open Spaces Strategy - S106 quality improvement
programme, based on the Plus 1 Principle.
|
|
25. Please list the current
actions undertaken to advance equality or examples of good practice
identified as part of the screening?
|
When carrying out site quality improvements,
the following actions are undertaken to ensure that any new /
improved site features are made accessible to all park users:
Follow guidance from the Sensory Trust:
·
Advice
and guidance – Sensory Trust Guides
·
Developing inclusive communication - Sensory Trust
Provide appropriate specifications to
contractors, which include the need to adhere to equalities best
practice guidelines.
|
|
26. Director’s
signature.
|
Signature:
Date:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When complete please send to
abby.thomas@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
for publication on the
Council’s website.
ANNEX
5: Bracknell Forest Council: Horseshoe Lake Customer Survey, August
2019
Use and impact of proposed
improvements
13% of the survey respondents, on the day of
the interview, said they were visiting the lake for play or
to have a picnic, and 26% said they have visited the lake for this
purpose in the last 12 months. Also, 5% (recorded under
‘other’ responses), said they visited for recreation,
to relax and/or to meet friends.
On the day of the interview, 18% of
respondents to the survey said they were visiting the lake for
water sport activities as a participant and 22% as an
observer (in total 36% said they participated in and/or observed
water sports – some people selected both responses). Also, 5%
(recorded under ‘other’ responses) said they were
involved in the Triathlon as either a participant, observer or
volunteer).
Number of respondents: 204.
Question asked: If the Council was to enhance
the existing Horseshoe Lake site with the following facilities,
which would you use?
Note: Respondents could select more than one
answer.
A Town Centre Natural Space Survey, also
conducted in October 2019, revealed that enabling children to play
(40%) was one of the two most cited reasons for visiting natural
spaces.
In July 2020 we asked 1,800 residents about
their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic through a phone
survey.
All responses were confidential and the
results are now being used to help us plan for the borough's
recovery from coronavirus over the next 3 years.
The survey was carried out by independent
company Public Perspectives. It included a range of questions on
the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on residents, their family
and the local community. Residents were asked to list their
favourite 3 things about living in the borough. The main things
residents enjoy are:
·
the borough’s parks and
countryside
·
council run sports and leisure facilities
·
highways
As part of this survey, residents
provided views about accessing healthcare and the support they need
to recover from the experience of the pandemic. Around six-in-ten
residents spent more time in nature, visiting open spaces since
lockdown began on 23 March and about half of residents tried a new
form of exercise or exercised more, while smoking and drinking
levels remained about the same.
Of the residents surveyed, 67% agreed that
they are more likely to walk or cycle and 62% agreed they are more
likely to use local parks and open spaces.
