Plymouth Sustainable Neighbourhood Study for Hooe, Turnchapel and Oreston

July 20, 2009 | By | 1 Reply More

Very little info on this document from the Plymouth.gov website and no date as to when it was produced but it is  relevant to the area.

The neighbourhood of Hooe, Turnchapel and Oreston is 401 hectares in area, and is located in the south east sector of the city.  It is a coastal neighbourhood which lies on the mouth of the River Plym and the Cattewater and contains Hooe Lake and Radford Lake. It contains four communities that have distinct identities: Oreston, Hooe, Turnchapel and Mountbatten. Oreston, Hooe and Turnchapel all have historic waterfront areas but have grown through post-war development, while Mountbatten has developed as a residential community relatively recently. Oreston is separated from the other communities (except for cyclists and pedestrians) by Hooe Lake, Radford Lake and Radford Park. The neighbourhood is relatively isolated from the rest of Plymouth as road access is via the A379 and Laira Bridge. However, there is a foot ferry service from Mountbatten to the Barbican.

The population of Hooe, Turnchapel and Oreston has a good employment rate, little deprivation and relatively good health although a large elderly population. There are local employment opportunities, including boat-building and other marine industries, but most of the working population travel outside the neighbourhood to work. Hooe, Turnchapel and Oreston is a safe neighbourhood in which to live. It has clearly defined neighbourhood centres in Oreston and Hooe which are located close to the neighbourhood’s two primary schools. It has high quality green spaces that also have a high biodiversity value. The South West Coast Path runs along the coast, providing an important pedestrian
link and a high quality recreational amenity. The neighbourhood has a strong sense of place which derives from its waterfront location, topography, historic character and wooded areas.

The population is generally well served by the neighbourhood centres but there is a concern that the population is not large enough to support two centres. However, the communities of Turnchapel and Mountbatten do not have any shops and might benefit from a local centre. There is also no equipped play provision for older children. The majority of housing is owner-occupied and either detached or semi-detached. There is a lack of affordable housing for rent. Much housing has also been built at a very low density. The remoteness of the neighbourhood from the rest of the city means that access to city-wide facilities is difficult, and the neighbourhood might benefit from more water-based transport services. However, the neighbourhood is relatively close to the Broadway shopping centre and secondary school at Plymstock. The majority of the neighbourhood is served by bus services but there is a low proportion of residents who travel to work by bus. This may reflect the frequency and speed of bus services, but also the steep topography of the neighbourhood which may deter residents from walking to access buses. Much post-war housing development has been in the form of cul de sacs which can add to walking times, although many have footpaths linking to neighbouring streets. The neighbourhood’s waterside location means that there are areas of flood risk but but these are away from the residential areas. There is a sewage works within the neighbourhood. 
See more about the Sustainable Neighbourhood Study

Tags:

Category: Documents, Resources

Comments (1)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Ros Dow says:

    I think the description of Mount Batten-NOT Mountbatten – is rather dismissive. The area is named after Sergeant Batten who held the fort in the Civil War. The fort is listed as are the flyingboat hangars.

    The reason there is no old housing or established community is because the land was only released by the MOD in the 1980/1990s.

Leave a Reply