Core Strategy 2011 to 2031
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Stratford-on-Avon District Core Strategy 2011 to 2031 Stratford-on-Avon District Council Local Plan prepared under The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 Stratford-on-Avon District Core Strategy 2011 to 2031 Adopted on 11 July 2016 Planning Policy Stratford-on-Avon District Council Elizabeth House Church Street Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6HX 01789 260334 [email protected] Contents Section 1 Context 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 State of the District 6 1.3 Cross Boundary Issues 11 1.4 Vision and Strategic Objectives 14 Section 2 Sustainability Framework 2.1 Sustainability Appraisal 20 2.2 Sustainable Development (Policy CS.1) 23 Section 3 District Resources 3.1 Climate Change and Sustainable Construction (Policy CS.2) 26 3.2 Sustainable Energy (Policy CS.3) 30 3.3 Water Environment and Flood Risk (Policy CS.4) 36 3.4 Landscape (Policy CS.5) 44 3.5 Natural Environment (Policy CS.6) 48 3.6 Green Infrastructure (Policy CS.7) 53 3.7 Historic Environment (Policy CS.8) 58 3.8 Design and Distinctiveness (Policy CS.9) 63 Section 4 District Designations 4.1 Green Belt (Policy CS.10) 69 4.2 Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Policy CS.11) 74 4.3 Special Landscape Areas (Policy CS.12) 77 4.4 Areas of Restraint (Policy CS.13) 79 4.5 Vale of Evesham Control Zone (Policy CS.14) 81 Section 5 Development Strategy 5.1 Distribution of Development (Policy CS.15) 83 5.2 Housing Development (Policy CS.16) 90 5.3 Accommodating Housing Need Arising from Outside 100 Stratford-on-Avon District (Policy CS.17) 5.4 Affordable Housing (Policy CS.18) 102 5.5 Housing Mix and Type (Policy CS.19) 110 5.6 Existing Housing Stock and Buildings (Policy CS.20) 115 5.7 Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople (Policy CS.21) 118 5.8 Economic Development (Policy CS.22) 121 5.9 Retail Development and Main Centres (Policy CS.23) 127 5.10 Tourism and Leisure Development (Policy CS.24) 132 Stratford-on-Avon District Council - July 2016 Stratford-on-Avon Core Strategy 2011-31 Section 6 Area Strategies 6.1 Stratford-upon-Avon (Policy AS.1; Proposals SUA.1, SUA.2, SUA.3, 137 SUA.4) 6.2 Alcester (Policy AS.2; Proposals ALC.1, ALC.2, ALC.3) 147 6.3 Bidford-on-Avon (Policy AS.3) 153 6.4 Henley-in-Arden (Policy AS.4) 157 6.5 Kineton (Policy AS.5) 160 6.6 Shipston-on-Stour (Policy AS.6) 164 6.7 Southam (Policy AS.7; Proposals SOU.1, SOU.2, SOU.3) 168 6.8 Studley (Policy AS.8) 174 6.9 Wellesbourne (Policy AS.9) 178 6.10 Gaydon/Lighthorne Heath New Settlement (Proposal GLH) 182 6.11 Long Marston Airfield New Settlement (Proposal LMA) 188 6.12 Countryside and Villages (Policy AS.10) 192 6.13 Large Rural Brownfield Sites (Policy AS.11) 199 6.14 Redditch (Proposals REDD.1, REDD.2) 204 Section 7 Infrastructure 7.1 Healthy Communities (Policy CS.25) 207 7.2 Transport and Communications (Policy CS.26) 213 7.3 Developer Contributions (Policy CS.27) 219 Section 8 Policies Map 8.1 Proposed changes to the Policies (Proposals) Map in the 221 Stratford-on-Avon District Local Plan Review Appendices Appendix 1: Local Service Villages Methodology 223 Appendix 2: Relationship between Core Strategy Policies and ‘Saved’ 227 Policies in the Local Plan Review 2006 Glossary of Technical Terms 231 Photographs in the Core Strategy are credited with thanks to: Stuart Purfield, Shakespeare’s England and Bidford-on-Avon and Kineton Neighbourhood Plan groups. Stratford-on-Avon District Council - July 2016 Stratford-on-Avon Core Strategy 2011-31 Section 1 Context 1.1 Introduction – a new Strategy for Stratford‐on‐Avon District 1.1.1 The Government, through the Localism Act and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), has given local communities the freedom to establish and address their own local growth requirements for employment, housing and other land uses through the plan-making process. This Core Strategy provides the strategic context for development decisions up to the year 2031 and will be subject to regular reviews during this period to ensure it remains relevant and accurate. The purpose of the Core Strategy is as followss: To provide a spatial vision for Stratford-on-Avon District to 2031. To set out a Development Strategy and planning policiies, including the allocation of strategic sites for employment and housing, and to guide infrastructure and service provision. This will help to promote economic prosperity in accordance with the Council’s Business and Enterprise Strategy and the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) published by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership. A locally developed plan ensures that: Future housing development is set at a level that meets established local housing needs, supports ecoonomic objectives and reflects the capacity of the area to accommodate growth. Business and commercial activity is enabled in order to support and foster the growth and competitiveness of the District’s economy and to provide more jobs in the area. The infrastructure required to support future development is fully considered, ensuring that appropriate provision is made and improvements identified that will enhance the quality of life for all residents and businesses. 1.1.2 Understandably, local communitties and visitors value and wish to protect those historic and environmental qualities of the area that have led many to locate themselves or their businesses in southern Warwickshire over the years. This Core Strategy gives appropriate weigght to varying issues, such as the need to balance economic growth and housing provision with protecting and enhancing the local environment; and reflects other local pressures, such as an ageeing population and inward migration. The Strategy pays regard to a wide range of related aims, objectives and policies developed both nationally and locally. 1.1.3 In the course of preparing this strategy the Council has fully considered and responded to the need to tacklee strategic cross-boundary issues that relate to the interests of the wider area in which the District is located. It has done this principally through well-established structures within the Coventry and Warwickshire sub-region and via specific working relationships with a further nine authorities with which the District has a common boundary. 1.1.4 There is a significant risk, without an adopted plan, that the atttractiveness of the District means it will be subjeect to ongoing proposals for inappropriate and Stratford-on-Avon District Council - July 2016 1 Stratford-on-Avon Core Strategy 2011-31 Section 1 Context – 1.1 Introduction speculative development that may nevertheless be approved by the Planning Inspectorate or the Secretary of State on appeal. Managing this pressure through the use of agreed policies and proposals will enable the Council to resist inappropriate development and guide appropriate development to the right locations. 1.1.5 This new strategy recognises and responds to ongoing changes to the planning system. The Localism Act was given Royal Assent on 15 November 2011. It argues strongly for a greater emphasis on grassroots planning. In accordance with powers conferred by the Localism Act the Secretary of State has now formally revoked the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy. The planning policy context for this strategy is therefore focused on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as published on 27 March 2012. The NPPF identifies a wide range of fundamental issues that need to be taken into account during the preparation of a Core Strategy and sets out the following expectations that the strategy should meet: To set out a clear economic vision and strategy for the area that positively and proactively encourages sustainable economic growth. To use a robust and up-to-date evidence base to ensure that it meets the full, objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in the NPPF, including identifying key sites that are critical to the delivery of the housing strategy over the plan period. To set criteria, or identify strategic sites, that will help to encourage local and inward investment to match the strategy and meet anticipated needs over the plan period. To maintain a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites with a buffer of either 5% or 20% depending on past performance. To recognise a duty to co-operate between public bodies. To apply a soundness test to ensure that it is ‘positively prepared’. 1.1.6 The Council’s economic vision recognises both the largely rural nature of the District and the fact that its strategic location provides the opportunity for targeted inward investment. The area is entrepreneurial and the need to develop small and home-based businesses is understood. The roll out of superfast broadband is critical in this context. Specific proposals to accommodate small scale business development will be identified in a separate site allocations plan, building on the aspirations set out in Parish and Neighbourhood Plans where such plans exist and are up to date. There is also an acknowledgement that this Core Strategy needs to provide a platform to help strengthen the tourism sector, ensure the District’s economy is strong and diverse and manage the provision of additional retail and commercial floorspace. By identifying land to accommodate both a significant expansion of the Jaguar Land Rover presence and expansion of the Aston Martin Lagonda presence at Gaydon, the Core Strategy supports the focus on advanced manufacturing and engineering consistent with the sub- regional vision established by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership under the SEP.