Assignment Paper

You currently work for a specialist planning and development consultancy. Your role has recently
changed, and the scope of your regular work flow has been extended to include detailed site and financial
appraisals for retained clients. One of the clients you have been assigned is Housman
Holdings, a regionally-based, commercial-sector developer. Housman’s Director of Development has
instructed you to provide detailed advice on Beaufort’s Mount, Baidley, a site that Housman may consider
purchasing for future development.
Beaufort’s Mount, Baidley
A plan showing the Beaufort’s Mount site is shown in the Appendix and is available as a separate
downloadable drawing in the module.
Location and surrounding built area
The site, Beaufort’s Mount, is situated two miles to the west of Baidley town centre and on the urban
fringe. It is within an area that was subject to the development of an out-of-town retail park, Dexter Park,
in the late 1980s. The current occupiers in the retail park include national sofa and bed retailers, house
and garden outlets and a franchised, casual dining ‘restaurant’. To the south of Gresham Road is a local
authority park and ride hub (capacity 300 cars) and smaller retail scheme comprising of units let to a car
accessories and bicycle outlet, a discount home products retailer and sportswear outlet.
Current use and boundaries
Beaufort’s Mount, an irregular shaped site, extends over 0.93 hectares (2.3 acres) and has not been
previously developed. While the site has historically been used for irregular and informal horse grazing, it
is currently covered by low scrub. The boundaries of the site are formed to the north and east by the waste
water treatment works that is operated by Mayfield Environmental, the southern boundary is formed by
Gresham Road which is the main arterial road in to the town centre and the western boundary is the rear
of the Dexter Park retail units.
The site can typically be reached from the town centre by car in about 15 minutes due to the traffic
management currently operative.
Ownership
The freehold of the site is owned by the local planning authority (LPA). The LPA is also the landlord of
the adjacent retail park but not the steel fabrication business to the north nor the waste water treatment
works to the east of Beaufort’s Mount.
The context to the proposal
The LPA’s ambition for the larger area of the town is outlined in the Baidley and District Borough Council
Local Plan (2016). The LPA identifies the site as an ‘independent but limited infill opportunity’ as it is
doubtful that the adjacent waste water works will be relocated and its capacity increased, despite the
upward revision of housing numbers identified in a recent Housing Needs audit. The LPA is under a
statutory obligation to obtain the best financial consideration for the site. It must act prudently and be able
to demonstrate that it has achieved the best available use or uses for the site.
Transport
A preliminary transport study at the site, commissioned by the local authority, identified potential
difficulties in gaining access into and particularly in exiting the site. The scheme presented would need
to demonstrate in greater detail the potential impact on the local and wider route network and provide
solutions for a revised transport hierarchy.
Task
You must refer to the details of the site plan provided in the Assignment.
Prepare a detailed Report for Housman Holdings’ Board of Directors that appraises the physical, legal,
economic and planning issues that may influence Housman’s decision to consider commencing
negotiations to purchase the site. An important aspect of the Report is to identify the factors that you
consider carry the greatest risk in the project and how these may be mitigated.

Reference list
You should include a reference list of the separate relevant and appropriate sources that you have written
about and cited within your work.
A bibliography of uncited sources is not required