Proposed Submission Version of Plan:MK
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ANNEX Proposed Submission Version of Plan:MK October 2017 www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/PlanMK Contents 1 Introduction 2 2 Vision and Objectives 7 3 Sustainable Development Strategy 11 4 Development Strategy 13 5 Strategic Site Allocations 35 6 Economy and Retail 58 Plan MK Proposed Submission 7 Homes and Neighbourhoods 84 8 Transport and Connectivity 105 9 Education and Health 123 10 Infrastructure Delivery 134 11 Managing and Reducing Flood Risk 137 Milton Keynes Council 12 Environment, Biodiversity and Geodiversity 142 13 Heritage 156 14 Public Open Space, Leisure and Recreation 163 15 Design 173 16 Culture and Community 184 17 Sustainable Construction and Renewable Energy 194 18 Appendix A. Open Space and Recreation Facility Provision 201 19 Appendix B. Horse-related development 211 20 Appendix C. Proposals for the Provision of Childcare Facilities 212 21 Appendix D Heritage 214 22 Glossary 217 23 Appendix E - Housing Sites 223 24 Monitoring Framework 229 1 . Introduction Milton Keynes Council 1 Introduction What is a Local Plan? 1.1 Local plans set out the vision and framework for the future development of the area, addressing issues such as housing, the economy, infrastructure, the environment, adapting to climate change and securing good design. Local plans, together with any Plan MK Proposed Submission neighbourhood plans that have been made (adopted), are the starting-point for considering whether planning applications can be approved. The purpose of the Proposed Submission version of Plan:MK 1.2 This Proposed Submission version of Plan:MK sets out the Council’s strategy for meeting the Borough’s needs until 2031. As is explained, the plan will be reviewed prior to that end date in order to be able to respond to a number of emerging strategies and infrastructure developments, notably the MK Futures 2050 work, progress on East-West Rail and on the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford growth corridor by the National Infrastructure Commission(1) 1.3 This final version of the plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State in spring 2018 for it to be examined by an independent Planning Inspector. The plan will be submitted together with the representations which are received on it during the Proposed Submission consultation and the evidence which has been prepared to support its policies and proposals. The Structure of the Draft Plan:MK 1.4 This document sets out the Council's approach and policies for the Borough of Milton Keynes for the period up to 2031. It sets out: the Council’s vision and objectives for the Borough’s development over the Plan period; the scale and distribution of growth for homes, jobs and retail and leisure uses; strategic policies to provide context for the more detailed Development Management policies, including infrastructure, place-making principles, climate change and green infrastructure; policies to shape new development and areas of change; policies for the built and natural environment and to address climate change; policies to build a strong, competitive economy, including maintaining and enhancing the vibrancy and vitality of Central Milton Keynes and other centres, and encourage small businesses and start-ups; policies to deliver the homes, neighbourhoods and facilities to support thriving and healthy communities; policies to support a sustainable mobility and road and public transport network; and 2 proposals to deliver these aspirations including infrastructure requirements and funding mechanisms. 1 National Infrastructure Commission Interim Report, November 2016 1 . Introduction The existing Development Plan 1.5 The statutory Development Plan that is used in determining planning applications comprises the following documents: Core Strategy (2013) Milton Keynes Local Plan (2005) Waste Local Plan (2008) Minerals Local Plan (2017) Plan MK Proposed Submission 1.6 Once adopted, Plan:MK will replace all of the existing policies in the Core Strategy (2013) and the Milton Keynes Local Plan (2005). Planning policies dealing with Waste and Minerals in Milton Keynes are set out in separate plans – the Waste Local Plan 2007-2026 (2008) and the Minerals Local Plan adopted in July 2017. 1.7 A review of the Core Strategy and Local Plan policies has informed this version of Plan:MK. All existing Supplementary Planning Documents and Supplementary Planning Milton Keynes Council Guidance will remain in force as material considerations in the determination of planning applications until individually superseded or withdrawn. 1.8 In addition, there are a number of made (adopted) neighbourhood plans covering the following areas: Woburn Sands, 2014 Lakes Estate, 2015 Central Milton Keynes (Business Neighbourhood Plan), 2015 Wolverton Town Centre, 2015 Great Linford North, 2016 Great Linford South, 2016 Newport Pagnell, 2016 Walton, 2017 Olney, 2017 Castlethorpe, 2017 [to be approved in October] Sherington, 2017 [to be approved in October] 1.9 A number of other neighbourhood plans are in preparation. 1.10 Neighbourhood plans provide detailed policies for the local areas that they cover and complement the strategic policies elsewhere in the Development Plan. Several of the made and emerging neighbourhood plans allocate sites for new development and this approach is strongly encouraged for future plans. Wherever possible, it is expected that the policies in made neighbourhood plans will continue to be applied once Plan:MK is in place. There may, however, be exceptional circumstances where revisions to over-arching strategic policies will affect neighbourhood plan policies and, in those cases, a parish council may want to consider revising its plan. 3 The Plan-Making Process 1.11 The key stages involved in putting the Plan:MK together are outlined in Table 1.1 below. 1 . Introduction Milton Keynes Council Table 1.1 Stages in the Plan:MK preparation process Plan-making stage Dates and timetable Evidence gathering and background work 2013 onwards Consultation on the Plan:MK Topic Papers September 2014 Plan MK Proposed Submission Plan:MK Vision Workshops Spring 2015 Consideration of the responses to the Topic Papers and Autumn 2015 Vision Workshop Consultation on Strategic Development Directions (SDD) January - April 2016 document Consideration of responses to SDD consultation. Further Spring to winter 2016 evidence gathering and preparation of the Draft Plan Consultation on Draft Plan:MK with initial sustainability March - June 2017 appraisal Consideration of responses to draft Plan:MK consultation, Summer/autumn 2017 further evidence gathering and sustainability appraisal Proposed Submission version of Plan:MK approved for Publicity winter 2017 publicity and then submission to the Secretary of State Publicity and consultation on the proposed submission Winter 2017 through to early version of Plan:MK spring 2018 Submission of Plan:MK to the Secretary of State Spring 2018 Examination of Plan:MK Summer 2018 Adoption of Plan:MK Winter 2018 1.12 The Council has consulted throughout the preparation of the Plan and in particular through three formal consultations – the Topic Papers (2014), the Strategic Development Directions (2016), which was informed by a community visioning exercise in 2015, and on draft Plan:MK in spring/summer 2017. There has been ongoing engagement and discussion with parish and town councils through a range of workshops and briefings. 4 1.13 The results of the previous public consultations can be found on the Council’s website at the following location: Plan:MK. All of the comments received to date have been considered during the production of the draft Plan:MK. 1.14 Prior to the submission of the plan for examination a full consultation statement will be prepared. 1 . Introduction The Requirements of Plan-Making 1.15 Plan:MK has been prepared under the legislative provision of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and appropriate regulations including the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. The plan has taken into account national planning policy, currently set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (Department for Communities and Local Government [DCLG], 2012), Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (DCLG, 2015) and the web-based published Planning Practice Guidance. 1.16 The NPPF sets out a presumption in favour of sustainable development, which is Plan MK Proposed Submission the core aspect of national planning policy. 1.17 Evidence base: The Council’s policies must be backed up by credible, robust and proportionate evidence that supports the approach taken and justifies what is proposed. The evidence base for Plan:MK is extensive and is listed at Evidence base documents. It is the Council’s job to balance all of the evidence and find the most suitable way forward. This evidence base includes research on housing, employment, retail, health and wellbeing, Milton Keynes Council the built and natural environment, accessibility and flooding as well as the views of local people, businesses, landowners, developers and public agencies involved in the Borough. 1.18 Viability: The Council must identify needs for development in an objective manner and seek to provide for the development needs that have been identified. As well as meeting the identified need, the proposals in the Plan have to be economically viable for delivery by the market and achievable. Viability testing of the policies and proposals in Plan:MK has therefore been undertaken as part of the preparation of this Proposed Submission plan. 1.19 Duty to cooperate: In accordance with the ‘Duty to Cooperate’ which was introduced by the Localism Act 2011, Plan:MK has been produced through close partnership working with the neighbouring local authorities to ensure that sub-regional and cross-boundary planning issues have been taken into account. This work under the ‘Duty to Cooperate’ replaces the role of regional planning. Milton Keynes still has sufficient land in areas where it is viable to develop to meet the Council’s Objectively Assessed Need (OAN) for homes entirely within the Milton Keynes Council administrative area. There has therefore been no necessity to request neighbouring authorities to assist in the provision of any unmet housing, or indeed any other development, needs.