For and on Behalf of Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd
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For and on behalf of Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd REPRESENTATIONS TO FINAL DRAFT ROTHERHAM SITES AND POLICIES DOCUMENT – OCTOBER 2014 LDF0849 - Land off Wood Lane, Treeton Prepared by DLP Planning Limited Sheffield November 2014 Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd Contents Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION 4 2.0 The Test of Soundness 5 National Planning Policy Framework (the “Framework”) 5 The test of soundness 5 Positively prepared 5 Justified 6 Effective 7 Consistent with national policy 7 3.0 Housing Allocations and Safeguarded Land 8 Population and Housing Distribution 8 4.0 SITE APPRAISAL: SITE REF: LDF0849 LAND AT WOOD LANE, TREETON 15 Site Description 15 Site Access 17 Proximity to Local Facilities 17 Movement Networks 18 Townscape Impact 18 Landscape/Visual Impact 20 Flood Risk/Drainage 20 Ecology/Trees 21 Agriculture 22 Appraisal Summary 22 Capacity 22 Suitable 22 Available 25 Achievable 25 5.0 Conclusion 26 3 Land off Wood Lane, Treeton \\Dlpsheffield\sheffield job files\Yorkshire\NEW YK\YK1422-4\FinalSitesandPoliciesDocument Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report has been prepared by DLP Planning Ltd for and on behalf of Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd who have land interests in the site off Wood Lane, Treeton (LDF0849). The site is shown in Figure 1 below. Figure 1: Site Location Plan 1.2 The site is located to the east of the settlement of Treeton. These representations support the removal of this site from the Green Belt and support the allocation of site LDF0849 for housing delivery in the plan period. The site represents a sustainable extension to the settlement of Treeton and is available, suitable and achievable within the plan period. 1.3 The site is within a suitable location for residential development. In addition to the services and facilities available within the settlement of Treeton, there are good road and public transport links to Rotherham Town Centre, Sheffield City Centre and the M1. 1.4 There are no physical constraints that would restrict carefully designed residential development from being brought forward during the first five years of the plan period. The allocation of this site for residential development would not undermine the role of the Green Belt as set out in Paragraphs 80 and 89 of the Framework. It would form a natural extension to the settlement envelope and suitable access can be achieved off Wood Lane to the north. 1.5 The site can contribute 110 new dwellings towards the Borough’s housing requirement over the plan period. 4 Land off Wood Lane, Treeton \\Dlpsheffield\sheffield job files\Yorkshire\NEW YK\YK1422-4\FinalSitesandPoliciesDocument Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd 2.0 THE TEST OF SOUNDNESS National Planning Policy Framework (the “Framework”) The test of soundness 2.1 The approach that should be adopted to the preparation of a Local Plan is best explained by the tests that the Inspector must apply during the Examination (Framework paragraph 182) which are that a plan should be: a. positively prepared – the plan should be prepared based on a strategy which seeks to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements, including unmet requirements from neighbouring authorities where it is reasonable to do so and consistent with achieving sustainable development; b. justified – the plan should be the most appropriate strategy, when considered against the reasonable alternatives, based on proportionate evidence; c. effective – the plan should be deliverable over its period and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic priorities; d. consistent with national policy – the plan should enable the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in the Framework. 2.2 The next section considers how each of the above points should be addressed in terms of the proposed policies including how the selected policies will deliver the required level of housing to meet the housing need as required by paragraph 47 of the Framework and setting the housing requirement. Positively prepared 2.3 The 12 principles of the planning system identified in the Framework (paragraph 17) which should underpin decision-taking include: Planning should be genuinely plan-led, empowering local people to shape their surroundings but that Plans should be kept up‑to‑date, and be based on joint working and co‑operation to address larger than local issues. Planning should proactively drive and support sustainable economic development to deliver the homes that the country needs. The Framework requires that every effort should be made to objectively identify and then meet the housing needs of an area and take account of market signals, such as land prices and housing affordability, and set out a clear strategy for allocating sufficient land which is suitable for development in their area, taking account of these needs 2.4 The Government requires that Local Authorities should significantly boost the supply of housing (paragraph 47) and should use their evidence base to ensure that their Local Plan meets the full, objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing in the housing market area (paragraph 47), as far as is consistent with the policies set out in the Framework. 5 Land off Wood Lane, Treeton \\Dlpsheffield\sheffield job files\Yorkshire\NEW YK\YK1422-4\FinalSitesandPoliciesDocument Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd 2.5 When considering alternative development scenarios the requirement for plans to be positively prepared requires that planning should act as an enabler rather than an impediment to sustainable growth (paragraph 19) and that it should be proactive in meeting the needs of the economy. This means that decision makers and, more importantly, researchers generating scenarios, should not plan for the most conservative levels of growth that maybe are justified from the evidence base or those scenarios that reflect a prolonged period of very slow economic recovery. Likewise future planning decisions should not be based upon the exclusion of longer term aspirations regarding homeownership by many of the population or the long term repression of housing demand for the younger age groups. Justified 2.6 This requires the strategy to be the most appropriate when considered against reasonable alternatives and based upon proportionate evidence (Framework paragraph 182). 2.7 The Framework identifies that the evidence base for the objective assessment of housing needs should be adequate, up to date and relevant (paragraph 158) and paragraph 159 states that local planning authorities should have a clear understanding of housing needs in their area. To do this they are required to; Prepare a Strategic Housing Market Assessment to assess their full housing needs, working with neighbouring authorities where housing market areas cross administrative boundaries. The Strategic Housing Market Assessment should identify the scale and mix of housing and the range of tenures that the local population is likely to need over the plan period which: o meets household and population projections, taking account of migration and demographic change; o addresses the need for all types of housing, including affordable housing and the needs of different groups in the community (such as, but not limited to, families with children, older people, people with disabilities, service families and people wishing to build their own homes); and o caters for housing demand and the scale of housing supply necessary to meet this demand; Prepare a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment to establish realistic assumptions about the availability, suitability and the likely economic viability of land to meet the identified need for housing over the plan period. 2.8 The local planning authority should also have a clear understanding of business needs within the economic markets operating in and across their area (paragraph 160). To achieve this, they should (paragraph 60): work together with county and neighbouring authorities and with Local Enterprise Partnerships to prepare and maintain a robust evidence base to understand both existing business needs and likely changes in the market, 6 Land off Wood Lane, Treeton \\Dlpsheffield\sheffield job files\Yorkshire\NEW YK\YK1422-4\FinalSitesandPoliciesDocument Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd work closely with the business community to understand their changing needs and identify and address barriers to investment, including a lack of housing, infrastructure or viability. Effective 2.9 For a plan to be effective the proposed allocations must be based upon realistic assumptions regarding a site’s availability, its suitability and likely economic viability to deliver completions over the plan period (paragraph 160). This assessment includes a consideration of the timescale that will be required to deliver the necessary consent and legal agreements together with an assessment of likely build rates given the location and nature of the proposed development. 2.10 To be effective the Council also has to demonstrate it has met its statutory duty for local authorities to cooperate on planning issues. 2.11 Paragraphs 178 to 181 of the Framework sets out how this is to be achieved. Paragraph 178 states that public bodies have a duty to cooperate on planning issues that cross administrative boundaries, particularly those which relate to the strategic priorities set out in paragraph 156, including housing and migration. The Government expects joint working on areas of common interest to be diligently undertaken for the mutual benefit of neighbouring authorities. 2.12 Paragraph 181 requires evidence to demonstrate evidence of effective cooperation to plan for issues with cross-boundary impacts when their Local Plans are submitted for examination. This evidence can consist of: Preparation of plans or policies by a joint committee; a memorandum of understanding; or a jointly prepared strategy which is presented as evidence of an agreed position. Consistent with national policy 2.1 Generally there is a requirement for the strategy to deliver sustainable development in accordance with the Framework. This requires an assessment of the plan as a whole in terms of its ability to actually deliver sustainable development across all three dimensions of sustainability, social, economic and environmental.