Lancaster District Local Plan

Supplementary Planning Guidance Note 2

Lancaster Moor Development Brief

Lancaster City Council

www.lancaster.gov.uk

Charles Wilson MA DA Dip Arch.RIBA MRTPI

Town Clerk and Director of Development

Victor Crumley DMS Dip TP MRTPI

Chief Planning Officer

June 1998
 Lancaster District Local Plan
Supplementary Planning Guidance Note 2
Lancaster Moor Development Brief
www.lancaster.gov.uk

2
A large print version of the text in this
document can be supplied on request
Contents

Page No.
1 Introduction……………………………………………. 1
2 The Site and its surroundings……………………….. 2
3 The Principles of Development……………………… 4
4 Infrastructure………………………………………….. 7
5 Housing Mix and Building Design…………………… 9
6 Further Information……………………………………. 10

List of Diagrams

1 Site Features………………………………………….. 2
2 Development Proposals……………………………… 5

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 Lancaster Moor Development Brief

1 Introduction 1.5 The main principles of the

1.1 This Development Brief is concerned
with the site of the Lancaster Moor
Hospital which is in the process of
closure. It provides guidance on future
uses, buildings and site features to be
retained, constraints and opportunities.
1.2 This Brief was approved by the
Planning Policy Committee on the 24
June 1998 following two rounds of
public consultation. This brief will be
used to guide development proposals.
Once the Lancaster District Local Plan
is adopted this brief will become formal
supplementary planning guidance.
development of the Lancaster Moor
site are:
• The retention and reuse of the
most important historic buildings
on the site;
• The retention and reinforcement
of the existing landscape structure
and the safeguarding of the
appearance of the urban edge;
• The integration of the site with
Williamson Park
• Retention of sports facilities

1.3 The closure and redevelopment of the • Predominantly residential use but
site is taking place in phases. Phases with some opportunities for
1, which consists of the development business use; and
of 96 houses through a mixture of
conversion and new build, has already • Investigation into the impact on
begun south of Quernmore Road. An residential amenity of Nightingale
outline planning application for Hall Farm
residential development on the
remaining land south of Quernmore
Road was approved in 1998.

1.4 The Deposit version of the Lancaster

District Local Plan contains a number
of proposals which affect the
Lancaster Moor site. These can be
summarised as follows:

• 6.8ha of land south of Quernmore

road is allocated for residential
use;

• the Annexe and a further area of

land north of Quernmore Road is
allocated as a Housing
Opportunity Site;

• the Annexe and its surrounding is

also identified as a Business
Opportunity Site where office
development will be permitted;

• the area currently occupied by the

Lancaster Moor Social Club and
part of the adjoining park is
identified as an existing
recreational facility which should
be retained or relocated to a
suitable alternative site;

• open space and woodland north

of Quernmore Road protected as
Urban Green Space; and

• a County Biological Heritage Site

in the southern part of the site is
also protected from development.

1 June 1988
2 The Site and its
Surroundings
2.1 The Lancaster Moor Hospital lies east
of Lancaster, on the west side of a
valley which includes the M6 and
which rises on the other side to higher
ground which is part of the Forest of
Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty (AONB). The site is divided by
Quernmore Road and is bounded on
the western side by Williamson Park
and playing fields at Far Moor. The
wooded slopes at the southern end of
the site merge into the woodland in
Williamson Park.
Diagram 1: Site Features
2
2.2 The northern part of the site is
dominated by the “Annexe”, a Victorian
hospital of gothic design which is a
grade II Listed Building. It is highly
visible, particularly from the east and
the M6 motorway, and makes a
significant contribution to the character
of this part of the City.
2.3 The most important building on the
south of Quernmore Road is the
original Moor Hospital building, a
Grade II* Listed Building. Built of
Lancaster stone to a distinctively
institutional Victorian design, it is
currently being converted into
dwellings.
 Lancaster Moor Development Brief

2.4 The site contains a number of other

important buildings which contribute to
the overall character of the area and
should be retained. These buildings
are identified on Diagram 2 and
include:

• On the south side of Quernmore

Road, Harvey House and Jenner
House are of a neat scale and
appearance and distinctly different
from other buildings on the site;

• The church on Quernmore Road,

Listed Grade II, and the adjacent
former Red Oak House including
the surrounding formal gardens;

• The large building housing ward

13 and office accommodation has
a dignified institutional character;
and

• On the north side, Campbell

House and De Vitre House which
stand out as buildings of particular
interest, particularly in their
relationship to the adjacent
playing fields and trees.

2.5 The remaining buildings are

unremarkable and need not be
retained.

Trees and Woodland

2.6 There is a major area of woodland

west of the Moor Hospital running from
Wyresdale Road to Williamson Park
and across Quernmore Road to the
cemetery and Ridge Lea areas. Trees
within the southern site contribute
significantly to the woodland at
Williamson Park and form an attractive
backdrop to the original Moor Hospital.
Within both sites trees are important to
the character of the area and soften
the appearance of what might
otherwise be austere buildings.

2.7 Together, the combination of historic

buildings, open spaces and wooded
slopes contributes significantly to the
character of the east side of Lancaster
and figure prominently in views from
the M6 motorway and roads leading to
the Trough of Bowland and
Quernmore (both of which are
significant tourist routes). It is,
therefore, of great importance that new
development is integrated satisfactorily
with the retained buildings, trees and
open spaces on the site and
contributes positively to views of the
area.

3 June 1998
3 Principles of Development
3.1 The primary aims of any development
of the Lancaster Moor site are finding
new uses for the main buildings,
3.8
protecting their setting and retaining an
attractive edge to the built up area. To
help achieve this, the following
principles of development should be
followed.
Listed Buildings
3.2 The original hospital buildings south of
Quernmore Road are listed Grade II*
while the Annexe on the north side of
Quernmore Road has been listed
Grade II. The church has also been
listed Grade II.
3.3 The size of these buildings will render
viable re-use difficult. A high standard
of conversion will be needed for listed
buildings, particularly the Annexe. The
historic importance of the Annexe
means that every effort to find new
uses must be made before any
alternative approach can be followed.
3.4 The Council has, in consultation with
English Heritage, indicated that it will
look flexibly at the need to retain all of
the Annexe. In considering
applications for Listed Building
Consent which involve partial
demolition. The Council will require
evidence of efforts made to find
alternative uses and information on the
cost and viability of conversion.
Opportunities for Redevelopment
importance and attractive landscape
surroundings. Finally, the potential of
this area may be affected by the cost
of providing services.
The areas of development potential
are shown on Diagram 2. The
remaining areas of open land should
be protected from development,
incorporated into new development
and provision made for their future
enhancement and/or management.
These are:
• The sloping woodland east of
Williamson Park which has been
conveyed to the City Council to
extend the park;
• The formal gardens south of
Quernmore Road in front of the
original hospital building which will
be retained as part of the
residential development already
approved;
• Land east of the southern access
road from Wyresdale Road is a
County Biological Heritage Site
and should be protected from the
effects of development. This may
require an ecological assessment
and developers must consult with
the County Planning Officer; and
• Land east of the Annexe building,
including the bowling green,
cricket field, an amenity strip
along the site’s north east
boundary and woodland at its
northern end.

3.5 The retention of these buildings and
the others set out para 2.4 will help to
provide a record of the former use of
the Moor Hospital, retain the
architectural character of the site and
soften the impact of new development.
3.9 In addition, development proposals
must ensure that the recreation and
supporting facilities currently offered
by the Lancaster Moor Social Club are
retained or relocated to a suitable
alternative site.

3.6 The remaining buildings may be
demolished and their sites
redeveloped. Other areas of
previously undeveloped land may also
be developed including:
• The land between ward 33 and
Harvey and Jenner Houses;
• Land surrounding the buildings
north of the Annexe and Campbell
House.
3.7 Both these attractive areas of land lie
on the open eastern edge of Lancaster
and are highly visible from the M6 and
may be affected by motorway noise.
Development should reflect its visual
New Uses for the Site
3.10 The Lancaster District Local Plan
allocates land within the former
hospital complex south of Quernmore
Road for residential development.
Planning permission for around 240
dwellings has now been granted. The
plan also identifies land north of
Quernmore Road as a “Housing
Opportunity Site” with a potential
capacity of between 220 and 400
houses depending on the future use of
the Annexe and the impact of the
nearby Nightingale Hall Farm.

4

Diagram 2: Development Proposals
3.11 The animal waste processing plant at
Nightingale Hall Farm, about 0.75km
to the west, regularly creates
unpleasant smells. It is believed that
the area of the former hospital site
north of Quernmore Road is most
likely to be adversely affected.
5 June 1998
Lancaster Moor Development Brief
3.12 The Council monitors emissions from
the Farm and are committed to
minimising the nuisance caused.
Major housing development in this part
of the site will not be permitted without
an assessment of the likely impact of
the Farm on any proposed dwellings.
3.13 Prior to approving any housing
development north of Quernmore
Road, therefore, the Council will need
to be satisfied that smells from the
plant will not have a significant
adverse impact on residential amenity.
The Council will require an
independent survey of the frequency
and intensity of smell problems. The
method of survey and interpretation of
its results should be agreed with the
City Council’s Chief Environmental
Health Officer.

3.14 A survey will not be necessary for

proposals for non-residential use.

3.15 The Local Plan also allocates the

Annexe as a “Business Opportunity
Site”, where it is proposed to
encourage office development as part
of a mixed use scheme. Other
acceptable uses could include:

• Food and Drink

• Hotels and Hostels

• Private Residential Use

• Residential Institutions

• Non- Residential Institutions

3.16 In each case it will be important to

ensure that:

• In the case of building

conversions, the physical effect of
the proposals does not adversely
affect their character and
appearance of the building;

• The character of the use or the

appearance of any proposed new
building, must not adversely affect
the amenities of adjacent
buildings or uses;

• The design of new buildings is

carried out to an appropriately
high standard and complies with
the design advice in the Local
Plan;

• Adequate arrangements can be

made to provide for vehicle
servicing, parking and the
management of traffic within the
site.

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 Lancaster Moor Development Brief

4 Infrastructure traditional materials referred to later in

this Brief.
Pedestrians, Cyclists and Vehicles
4.7 Developers should consult the
Council’s Cycling Strategy and provide
4.1 Most new development should be
well-lit pedestrian and cycle routes
served from the three principle access
through the site, linking housing areas
points from Quernmore Road shown
with other main uses, open spaces
on Diagram 2 although there may be
and the school. The most appropriate
scope for making some use of the
routes will not always follow vehicle
existing access point serving the
routes. On Quernmore Road, suitable
Annexe. Alterations will be required to
crossings for pedestrians and cyclists
achieve improvements to visibility
should be provided. Pedestrian and
though these should be kept to the
cycle links should also be provided
minimum needed to meet safety
from the north western boundary of the
standards and minimise the
site to the Far Moor Recreation
disturbance to the local environment.
Ground.
4.2 It may be possible to serve a modest
4.8 Developers should ensure that all
phase of development south of
dwellings are within a reasonable
Quernmore road with a new access
walking distance of a bus stop. As an
road from Grab Lane. However, Grab
existing bus route runs past the site,
Lane is unsuitable for major volumes
developers should take this into
of traffic and a major upgrading would
account in planning the details of road
have an adverse impact on the
layouts and land use arrangements.
character of the surrounding area.
4.9 Car parking provision should be to
4.3 All roads into the site must meet the
County Council standards. Proposals
Highway Authority’s standards for
for employment uses should provide
adoption. The private road to
for travel to work by bus, foot and
Wyresdale Road and Grab Lane will
bicycle and be accompanied by a
need upgrading if used. Traffic
Business Travel Plan if more than 100
calming measures, including mini-
people would be employed on the site.
roundabouts at access points may be
necessary. The final agreed pattern of
Foul and Surface Water Drainage
development will determine the scale
and nature of access improvements.
4.10 The capacity of the original drainage
system was severely limited. A
4.4 Quernmore Road has sufficient
system of private drains leads to the
capacity to accommodate likely traffic
public combined sewer which is of
flows to and from the site. Between
limited capacity. The existing surface
the site and Lancaster City Centre,
water system has not been fully
however, it runs between the two sites
investigated.
of Lancaster Royal Grammar School
and pupils crossing the road are a
4.11 As the long length of private sewer to
constant cause for concern.
Wyresdale Road cannot be improved
to an adoptable standard because of
4.5 Development which could significantly
its shallow fall, residential development
increase traffic on this stretch of road
will require the provision of pumped
will be required to provide suitable
foul discharges to the public sewer
road safety measures at the school.
(pumps can be adopted and do not
These should be in place before traffic
involve payment of commuted sums).
volumes have increased to a
A new on-site foul drainage system is
significant degree.
currently under construction.
4.6 All roads within the site should be
4.12 The public off-site sewer operates
constructed to Lancashire County
close to its capacity. At present
Council’s standards. These should be
combined foul and surface water flows
applied imaginatively and, where
from the site entering the sewer.
housing is the main use, should
Surface water fun off to this sewer
employ access ways, housing
must not exceed that arising from the
squares, mews courts and private
existing hospital. If the area of hard
drives. Surfacing other than asphalt
surfaces is increased, additional
will be encourages where appropriate
provision will be necessary.
and the chosen treatment should
complement the emphasis on
4.13 If ground conditions prove suitable,
surface water may be disposed of by

7 June 1998
 soakaway. The controlled discharge Leisure Service, should be provided in
of storm water to Burrow Beck via an each major residential area, and
on-site storage system may also be arrangements made for their future
acceptable. Uncontrolled discharges maintenance.
to Burrow Beck will not be permitted.
On-site surface water storage will not
be adopted as part of the public
sewerage system. All drainage works
must be agreed with the City Council’s
Chief Engineer and the Environment
Agency before any permissions for
significant development are granted.
All developers will be expected to
contribute to upgrading drainage works
on site.

Schools

4.14 The Moor Hospital area is remote from

existing primary schools and there is
little spare capacity in nearby schools.
Once more than 300 dwellings are
built, a site for a 1-form entry primary
school will be required. This should be
provided within northern development
area and be provided with good links
to public transport, footpaths and
cycleways. The timing and funding of
a new school must be discussed with
the County Education Authority.

Trees and Open Spaces

4.15 The site’s mature trees and extensive

open spaces are important to the
general character and appearance of
the eastern fringes of Lancaster. The
trees and gardens have been well
maintained. Developers should take
advantage of the opportunity to design
in a mature landscape.

4.16 Tree Preservation Orders have been

placed on all-important trees
throughout the site. Whilst it may not
be realistic to retain every single tree,
removal must be kept to an absolute
minimum. Existing trees to be retained
must be protected from the effects of
development.

4.17 The main open spaces to be retained

are listed earlier in this Brief. The
bowling green and cricket field should
be retained in their present form. The
formal gardens in front of the original
hospital building must also be
preserved and maintained.
Landscaping along the north eastern
edge of the site and its subsequent
maintenance is of great importance.

4.18 New landscaping and amenity areas

within the site and children’s play
facilities will be required. Play areas
for older children, designed and
equipped to standards of the Council’s

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 Lancaster Moor Development Brief

5 Housing Mix and Building

Design

5.1 The Council will require a mix of house

types and designs across the site.
This must include an affordable
housing element of 20% of all new
dwellings.

5.2 The Council’s Residential Design

Code which forms supplementary
planning guidance to the Local Plan,
sets out the need for high design
standards which all new housing
development must meet. This
emphasises the use of traditional
materials of appropriate substitutes
and the use of simple shapes, with
vertically proportioned windows and a
predominance of wall area over
window.

5.3 The Council acknowledges that the

housing mix that can be achieved at
Lancaster Moor may be modified by
the requirement to retain a re-use
major listed buildings, and by the
design requirements of constructing
new buildings adjacent to large scale
listed structures.

The Re-Use of Natural Materials

5.4 The demolition of stone buildings will

provide a supply of natural materials
for re-use. New developments should
make use of these materials in walls
and roofs, boundary walls and other
structures.

9 June 1998
6 Further Information

6.1 Further information can be obtained

from the following sources. (This has
been updated).

Lancaster City Council

Planning and Building Control Services

Palatine Hall, Lancaster

Andrew Dobson Head of Planning and

Building Control
David Lawson, Forward Planning
Manager
David Hall, Development Control
Manager,
Brian Fagan, Building Control Manager

Engineering Services
Morecambe Town Hall

Philip Bundy, Highways

Brian Abraham, Drainage

Lancashire County Council

6.2 Environment Directorate

Guild House, Cross Street, Preston

Bill Jopson – general traffic and

transport advice

10