Services.salford.gov.uk



REPORT OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND PLANNING

TO THE LEAD MEMBER FOR PLANNING

FOR DECISION ON 16 SEPTEMBER 2008

TITLE: CORE STRATEGY ISSUES AND OPTIONS REPORT

RECOMMENDATIONS:

That Lead Member for Planning:

1. Approves the Issues and Options Report, and the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal Report, for public consultation

2. Approves the publication of a determination that the Core Strategy is likely to have significant environmental effects and therefore must be subject to a strategic environmental assessment

3. Endorses the proposed consultation arrangements for the Core Strategy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Core Strategy will form the central part of Salford’s Local Development Framework. The Issues and Options Report is the first major consultation stage of the Core Strategy production process. It sets out a spatial vision, a series of strategic objectives, and four strategic options for delivering the vision and objectives. Option 1 is based very much around the current policy approach, with Options 2 and 3 seeing a moderate evolution of that approach. Option 4 proposes significant greenfield release in Salford West, including some Green Belt, in order to deliver more family housing, but raises concerns around sustainability, compliance with national and regional policy, and whether it would fully deliver the proposed vision and objectives. The Issues and Options Report is accompanied by a Sustainability Appraisal Report.

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: None

ASSESSMENT OF RISK: In order to minimise the risk of the Core Strategy being found to be ‘unsound’ when it is subject to an independent examination later in the process, it is essential that the city council can demonstrate that all reasonable and realistic options have been considered given the evidence available.

SOURCE OF FUNDING: LDF budget

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:

Contact Officer and Extension No: Richard Lester (0161 793 2129)

Date Consulted: 22 August 2008

Comments: Production of these documents is a statutory requirement. There are no adverse legal implications arising out of this report.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

Contact Officer and Extension No: Nigel Dickens (0161 793 2585)

Date Consulted: 22 August 2008

Comments: Whilst the implications can be managed from the LDF budget, the consequence is such that this is now fully committed for the current year and in all probability next year as well.

COMMUNICATION IMPLICATIONS: Press release required; summary leaflet to be sent to every address in the city (see section 4 of this report for further details)

VALUE FOR MONEY IMPLICATIONS: N/A

CLIENT IMPLICATIONS: N/A

PROPERTY: The Core Strategy will provide the strategic planning framework for the city, and therefore could have some impact on the city’s property portfolio

HUMAN RESOURCES: N/A

CONTACT OFFICER: David Percival Extension No: 3656

WARD(S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE(S): All

KEY COUNCIL POLICIES: Local Development Framework

DETAILS:

1. Background

1.1 It is a statutory requirement for the city council to produce a Core Strategy. Government guidance states that the Core Strategy should set out the long term spatial vision for the authority’s area and the strategic policies required to deliver that vision. It will effectively provide the main framework for all of the city’s planning activities, particularly in terms of the determination of planning applications and the production of other planning documents.

1.2 It is important to note that the Core Strategy should be a high-level document. It should not repeat national or regional guidance, but must be consistent with such guidance. Additional detail would be provided in the Allocations Development Plan Document, a range of Supplementary Planning Documents, and other strategies, masterplans, etc.

2. Process for producing the Core Strategy

2.1 The process for producing the Core Strategy is governed to some degree by primary legislation and statutory instruments. Recent changes to The Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004 have provided more discretion for local authorities, particularly in the early stages of the process, although Government Office for the North West, the Department for Communities and Local Government, and the Planning Inspectorate have all offered strong advice as to what they consider are the minimum requirements. Such advice has informed the process set out below.

Initial work

2.2 A significant amount of work has been undertaken assembling and analysing baseline evidence, and assessing the results of other recent public consultations undertaken by the city council. In addition, three strategic spatial planning questions were included in the recent Big Listening survey to help inform the development of the Core Strategy.

Issues and Options Report

2.3 Government guidance emphasises that the Core Strategy must be properly justified, in terms of being founded on a robust and credible evidence base, and being the most appropriate strategy when considered against the reasonable alternatives[1]. It states that:

Being able to demonstrate the plan is the most appropriate having gone through an objective process of assessing alternatives will pay dividends in terms of an easier passage for the plan through the examination process [see below]. It will assist in the process of evaluating the claims of those who wish to oppose the strategy[2].

2.4 The purpose of the Issues and Options Report is therefore to summarise the key issues that the Core Strategy needs to address, having regard to the evidence available and the contents of other plans and strategies, and to identify what are considered to be the reasonable and realistic alternatives for addressing those issues and delivering an agreed vision. Government guidance is clear that: “There is no point inventing alternatives if they are not realistic”[3], but equally it is important to consider all options that could be appropriate and deliverable in order to ensure that the document is as effective as possible.

2.5 This is the first opportunity in the Core Strategy process for widespread stakeholder involvement, and an 8 week consultation period on the Issues and Options Report is proposed starting on Friday 17 October 2008. It is an opportunity not only for people to comment on the options that are being considered, but also to propose alternative options and identify other issues and evidence that needs to be taken into account. Details of the contents of the Issues and Options Report and the proposed consultation arrangements are set out later in this report.

Identification of the option to be taken forward

2.6 Following an analysis of the results of the Issues and Options consultation, a further four week consultation is proposed in April/May 2009. The purpose of this second stage consultation will be to:

• Publicise the main issues raised during the Issues and Options consultation, and in particularly any alternative options that have been suggested

• Set out the option, or combination of options, that the city council is intending to proceed with (this will be in outline, rather than consisting of detailed policy wording)

Draft Core Strategy

2.7 The chosen option will then be worked up into a full draft Core Strategy, which will be published in October 2009. It is important that this is the version of the document that the city council would ultimately wish to adopt, as there is no scope for making ‘pre-inquiry changes’ as was done with the UDP without at the very least repeating this stage and delaying the independent examination.

2.8 There would be a period of at least six weeks following publication for people to make representations on the draft Core Strategy.

Submission of the draft Core Strategy

2.9 The draft Core Strategy then needs to be submitted to the Secretary of State for an independent examination. All of the representations received on it, together with a summary of the main issues they raise, also need to be submitted. As a result, there is some delay between publication and submission, with the latter not taking place until March 2010.

Public examination

2.10 The public examination into the draft Core Strategy will be overseen by an independent inspector appointed by the Planning Inspectorate. They will seek to test the legality and soundness of the document.

2.11 In terms of legality, the Core Strategy will need to:

• Have been prepared in accordance with the Local Development Scheme, the Statement of Community Involvement, and Government regulations

• Have been subject to a sustainability appraisal

• Conform generally to the Regional Spatial Strategy

• Have regard to Salford’s Sustainable Community Strategy

2.12 In terms of soundness, the Core Strategy will need to be:

• Justified (see paragraph 2.3 above)

• Effective (deliverable, flexible, and able to be monitored)

• Consistent with national policy

2.13 It is anticipated that the public examination will take place in June-July 2010. The inspector may invite some of those who have made representations to appear at the examination, as well as other stakeholders who have not commented.

Adoption

2.14 The recommendations of the inspector will be binding on the city council. It is anticipated that the inspector’s report would be received in October 2010, with adoption taking place in January 2011.

3. Contents of the Issues and Options Report

3.1 The Issues and Options Report includes a ‘spatial portrait’ that sets out the main spatial issues currently affecting the city. This is followed by a ‘spatial vision’ for how Salford should be in the year 2027, and a series of strategic objectives for delivering that vision. The strategic objectives are generally target-based and locally specific. They are intended to be headline objectives, rather than comprehensively covering every aspect of the Core Strategy. Broader and more generic objectives are included in the accompanying sustainability appraisal.

3.2 The majority of the report focuses on setting out four strategic options for delivering the spatial vision and strategic objectives. These are summarised initially, and then set out in detail in a series of topic-based tables. Some of the elements of the options are potentially interchangeable, meaning there are effectively options within options, but the different elements have been packaged together to help people understand the overall strategic decisions that need to be made as well as the choices on individual issues.

3.3 The four strategic options can be summarised as follows:

1) Where we are heading = essentially takes forward current policy approaches, with a general emphasis on high density development within the urban area

2) Moderate change in approach = involves slightly higher levels of redevelopment and change within the urban area, with the Regional Centre and the rest of Central Salford not dominating quite as much as in Option 1, and effectively offers a compromise between Options 1 and 3

3) Maximising opportunities across the city = involves a greater level of investment and change across the whole urban area, with more development opportunities in Salford West and more investment in new transport infrastructure

4) Major greenfield release = involves significant release of greenfield land in Salford West, including some of the Green Belt, to provide more opportunities to build houses rather than apartments

3.4 Given that they are all seeking to deliver the same spatial vision and strategic objectives, there are many similarities between the options. For example, they all seek to deliver a net increase of 38,600 dwellings over the period 2007-2027, they all include major proposals such as MediaCityUK and Irwell City Park, and they all support ongoing regeneration in Central Salford.

3.5 However, there are also some significant differences, which essentially fall into two categories:

a) The overall spatial approach – the distribution of housing in particular varies between the four options. All of them have very similar levels of additional housing in Central Salford outside the Regional Centre, but the balance of the remaining housing between the Regional Centre and Salford West varies significantly with the proportion in the latter increasing from Option 1 through to Option 4. This is achieved in Options 2 and 3 by releasing more of the existing employment estates for housing redevelopment, but in Option 4 it also includes the release of around 35 hectares of Green Belt and 50 hectares of other greenfield land for housing. The spatial distribution of new employment opportunities also varies, with Option 2 supporting the Cutacre proposal, and Options 3 and 4 also proposing the release of around 40 hectares of Green Belt at Barton for employment use, with replacement Green Belt being designated around the western edge of Little Hulton

b) The strength of the policy approach – there are some exceptions, but generally the strength of the policy approach proposed increases from Option 1 through to Options 3 and 4. For example, the proportion of affordable housing sought increases, the space standards for new dwellings increase, and the approach to renewable and decentralised energy strengthens. However, many policy proposals are common to all four options.

3.6 Option 4 has been included because of concerns expressed by some stakeholders that the supply of new dwellings is dominated too much by apartment development within the Regional Centre, and that there need to be more houses provided particularly in Salford West in order to attract and retain families, and to improve the overall housing offer to support economic growth objectives. Option 3 already involves the loss of a considerable number of Salford’s existing employment areas to housing, and the only way more sites for a significant number of additional family houses could be made available without potentially compromising the city’s economic base would be to release relatively large areas of greenfield land, including Green Belt, around Walkden, Boothstown/Ellenbrook, Worsley and Irlam (with some much smaller areas around Swinton/Wardley).

3.7 This approach would help to deliver a more equal balance between apartments and houses in the new dwelling stock, but it comes at the expense of a number of other important objectives. In particular,

• It begins to water down the strong prioritisation given to the Regional Centre and the rest of Central Salford, and therefore risks falling out of line with Policy RDF1 of the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy

• It would result in the net loss of Green Belt land, contrary to the spatial vision and one of the strategic objectives (xx)

• It would result in the proportion of new dwellings that are provided on previously-developed land falling below the 90% target in the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy

• It would involve major greenfield residential development when sufficient previously-developed land within the urban area is available to accommodate the scale of housing proposed albeit at higher densities

• Of its environmental impacts as identified through the sustainability appraisal (see below and the separate Sustainability Appraisal Report), particularly when compared to the other three options

3.8 As a result, the Issues and Options report includes the following statement:

The city council considers that there would need to be special justification for Option 4 to be taken forward, and that there would need to be clear evidence that the other three options were not appropriate and were unable to deliver the spatial vision.

3.9 A copy of the Issues and Options Report is attached. Maps and diagrams have been produced as a separate appendix at present, but will be integrated throughout the document when it is transferred into the published format. It is also intended that a Background Report should be published setting out the evidence underpinning the Issues and Options Report and the four strategic options within it. This is currently in production and will be reported in due course.

4. Consultation proposals

4.1 The consultation and publicity arrangements for the Issues and Options Report are currently being finalised, but it is envisaged that they will include the following:

• 6 page summary leaflet, including a questionnaire, sent to every address in the city (distributed early November)

• Letters sent to key organisations and others who have registered an interest in the Core Strategy (including a copy of the Issues and Options Report and accompanying documents where appropriate)

• A stakeholder event for community representatives (end October)

• A stakeholder event for planning professionals (end October)

• Salford West business breakfast (mid October)

• Drop-in events at libraries and sports centres

• Press release

• Advert in the Salford Advertiser (16 October and 13 November)

• Adverts on Salford Community Radio

• Facebook page, and possibly a linked video

• Housing and Planning staff event

• Articles on the Intranet and in TheOne

4.2 Discussions are ongoing to determine additional measures required to engage with hard to reach groups.

5. Sustainability appraisal and strategic environmental assessment

5.1 A Sustainability Appraisal Report (SA Report) has been produced (copy attached) to accompany the Issues and Options Report, which will need to be updated at each stage of the Core Strategy production process. It assesses each of the four strategic options against 21 sustainability objectives, and also assesses the ‘no plan’ option (which means relying on the existing UDP and emerging Regional Spatial Strategy, i.e. no Core Strategy, rather than there being no plans at all).

5.2 The Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report published in July 2007 concluded that the Core Strategy would be likely to have significant environmental effects, and therefore must be subject to a strategic environmental assessment and an Environmental Report must be produced accordingly. The SA Report incorporates the requirements for an Environmental Report under the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, and the relevant sections in this regard are highlighted at the start of the SA Report.

5.3 The city council must publish a formal determination that a strategic environmental assessment is required, in accordance with Regulations 9(1) and 11 of the aforementioned regulations. It is therefore proposed that the following should be published on the city council’s website and sent to Natural England, English Heritage and the Environment Agency, with a similar statement included in the SA Report:

In accordance with Regulation 9(1) of The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, following consultation with statutory bodies, the city council has determined that the Core Strategy is likely to have significant environmental effects, and therefore must be subject to a strategic environmental assessment in accordance with the requirements of European Directive 2001/42/EC (the SEA Directive).

5.4 It has been concluded that an appropriate assessment in accordance with the Habitats Directive, appraising in detail the potential impacts on Natura 2000 sites, would not be required. This conclusion has been reached in part having regard to the appropriate assessment of the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy.

6. Conclusions

6.1 It is recommended that the Lead Member for Planning:

1) Approves the Issues and Options Report, and the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal Report, for public consultation

2) Approves the publication of a determination that the Core Strategy is likely to have significant environmental effects and therefore must be subject to a strategic environmental assessment

3) Endorses the proposed public consultation arrangements for the Core Strategy

Bob Osborne

Deputy Director of Housing and Planning

Appendices :

Sustainability Appraisal Report : [pic]

Issues and Options Report [pic]

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[1] ‘Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning’ – DCLG (2008), paragraph 4.52

[2] ‘Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning’ – DCLG (2008), paragraph 4.38

[3] ibid

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Part 1

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