Station Hill

13.18 Land around the railway station offers significant potential for mixed use development including residential, retail and business use. The site is bounded by Out Northgate, Tayfen Road and the Ipswich-Cambridge railway line. A significant proportion of the site is underused or vacant but there are a number of existing premises including a health and fitness club, a nightclub, shops fronting Out Northgate and a mix of business units next to the rail sidings. The continuation of Station Hill as a rail freight depot will inhibit the wider regeneration of this important brownfield site and for this reason it will not be encouraged. However, development will not be permitted on the rail sidings until either alternative provision is made or it can be demonstrated that they are operationally redundant.

13.19 Any redevelopment of Station Hill should enable it to serve as a transport interchange, improving the links between rail and town bus services and other modes of travel. Redevelopment should also allow for the provision of car parking, encouraging the use of trains by people living in villages around the town. To help achieve a comprehensive and high quality redevelopment of this important gateway to the town, the Borough Council will prepare a concept statement to inform the preparation of a masterplan for the site. Proposals for pure office and leisure uses will be required to satisfy the relevant requirements of Policy TCR1. Some of the land may be contaminated and should be investigated as appropriate with suitable remedial measures taken if contamination is identified.

13.20 In particular, the Borough Council will seek coordinated development in this area. There are a number of land ownerships involved and, if necessary, compulsory purchase powers will be used to put the masterplan into place.

POLICY BSE6: STATION HILL DEVELOPMENT AREA - BURY ST EDMUNDS

The site bounded by Out Northgate, Tayfen Road and the Ipswich - Cambridge railway line is suitable for mixed development and is allocated for:

• a) Residential
  b) Offices and other B1 industry
  c) Leisure Uses
  d) Small scale retail uses to serve local needs
  e) Parking ancillary to these uses and to supplement the requirements of the railway station; and
  f ) Strategic landscaping.

Small scale retail development shall be interpreted as units not exceeding 150 sq. metres in net floor area. Proposals for pure B1 office development and/or leisure uses will be required to satisfy the relevant requirements of Policy TCR1.

The amount of land available for development, location of uses, access arrangements, design and landscaping will be informed by a masterplan for the site.

Applications for planning permission will only be considered once the masterplan has been adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document by the local planning authority. The developer will be expected to prepare the masterplan which should be prepared in accordance with the content of the concept statement for the site.

Permission for development which limits the use of the rail sidings will not be granted until satisfactory alternative provision is made or it has been demonstrated that there is no demand for rail sidings in the area.