“Allerdale – a Great Place to Live, Work and Visit”
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“Allerdale – aStrategy great place for to live, Infrastructure work and visit” September 2013 PART ONE: BASELINE ASSESSMENT 1. Introduction Background 1.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires local planning authorities to assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure for transport, water supply, wastewater and its treatment, energy (including heat), telecommunications, utilities, waste, health, social care, education, flood risk and coastal change management, and its ability to meet forecast demands. 1.2 With specific reference to infrastructure, the NPPF states that in producing local plans, local planning authorities should develop policies that: • Identify priority areas for economic regeneration, infrastructure provision and environmental enhancement • Create, protect, enhance and manage networks of biodiversity and green infrastructure • Address potential barriers to investment including any lack of infrastructure • Develop strategies for the provision of viable infrastructure necessary to support sustainable development 1.3 The NPPF states that in order for local plans to be found sound they must demonstrate that they are deliverable across the period over which they will run. This includes making it clear what infrastructure is needed, its criticality and when it is likely to be provided. Policy Context 1.4 The NPPF states that Local Plans should be supported by evidence of what physical, social and green infrastructure is needed to enable the amount of development proposed for the area over the plan period. The process should identity infrastructure needs and where possible, phasing, costs, funding sources and responsibilities for delivery. 1.5 Guidance from the Planning Inspectorate suggests that it should be clear what new infrastructure is required to enable the delivery of the plan and who is going to fund and provide it. Infrastructure that is critical to the delivery of the aims and objectives of the plan needs to be identified. In circumstances where an element of infrastructure is critical but there is an element of uncertainty whether it will delivered, the consequences of non-delivery should be identified. Aims and Objectives 1.6 This document seeks to provide a baseline with regards to current physical, social and green infrastructure items in the Borough and then consider the implications of the growth strategy set out in the Local Plan on those items. The aim and purpose of this document is to ensure that any potential deficits in infrastructure that could 1 prevent the identified growth targets from being met are identified. In this regard, the study has four key objectives: • Identification of existing infrastructure provision and their relative pressures. • Identification of the growth strategy set out in the Local Plan • Identification of critical infrastructure deficits • Identification of specific infrastructure requirements with regards to the phasing, costs, funding sources and responsibility for delivery. Structure of report 1.7 The subsequent chapters of the report comprise of the following: Part 1: • Chapter 2 outlines the methodology used and defines the infrastructure items to be considered in the study • Chapter 3 provides a baseline assessment of these infrastructure items and identifies existing and/or projected deficits Part 2: • Chapter 4 sets out the population and household projections for Allerdale and the future strategy for growth that is set out in the Local Plan. • Chapter 5 identifies specific requirements that have been identified by infrastructure providers that will be required in order to support the delivery of the local plan. 2 2. Methodology Approach 2.1 This ‘Strategy for Infrastructure’ document updates and supersedes the ‘Infrastructure Delivery Plan’ that was produced in 2010. Information and data used in this study were collected over the period of 2009-2010 and where necessary and relevant, updated in 2013. 2.2 For the purposes of consistency, the study area is broken up into the six localities used in the Local Plan: Workington, Maryport, Cockermouth, Wigton, Aspatria and Silloth. These were originally defined in the West Cumbria Sustainable Community Strategy and are an amalgamation of parish council geographies. Levels of infrastructure provision have been assessed within the context of these six localities. The locality boundaries for Allerdale are illustrated in Figure 2-1. Figure 2-1 Localities in Allerdale 2.3 Using locality level geography to appraise infrastructure may, inevitably, mask deficits that may exist at the local level. The fact that an infrastructure deficit is not identified in this document does not mean that it cannot be recognised in future decision-making. Conversely, locality geographies are inappropriate for the analysis of particular infrastructure items, especially ‘networks’ within the physical and utilities typology, which must be assessed at a wider spatial scale. Infrastructure Items 2.4 The infrastructure items included in this study fall within two main categories: physical/utilities and community infrastructure. Infrastructure items included are based on the list indentified within Section 216 of the Planning Act 2008 and are highlighted in Table 2-1. 3 Table 2-1 Infrastructure Items Physical/Utilities Community Road Network Primary Education Public Transport Secondary Education & Further Education Off Street Car Parking GP Surgeries & Community Hospitals Water supply Network Dental Surgeries Waste Water Network Elderly Care Energy Distribution Network Sports & Leisure Facilities Flood Defences Open Spaces Source: Planning Act, 2008 Measuring levels of accessibility to infrastructure items 2.5 In order to measure accessibility, appropriate core travel time indicators have been applied to measure the relative accessibility of different parts of Allerdale to different types of infrastructure items. The relative accessibility thresholds applied to the different types of infrastructure items is shown in Table 2-2. Table 2-2 Travel Time Indicator Lower Threshold Upper Threshold Primary Schools <15mins <30mins Secondary Schools <20mins <40mins FE Establishments <30mins <60mins GP Surgeries <15mins <30mins Hospitals <30mins <60mins Source: Department for Transport 2.6 Five types of infrastructure items have been included for the assessment of accessibility within Allerdale, these are: primary schools, secondary schools, further education establishments, GP surgeries and hospitals. Criticality of infrastructure items 2.7 Infrastructure items have been categorised in terms of their critically in supporting the levels of housing and economic growth, and specific projects, set out in the local plan. The criticality levels employed in this study are highlighted in Table 2-3. Table 2-3 Criticality Levels Level Definition Infrastructure Types 1 The delivery of the identified infrastructure is Road Network, Public Transport, critical, without which development cannot Water Supply, Waste Water commence (i.e. a “show stopper”) Network, Energy Distribution, Flood Defences 2 The delivery of the identified infrastructure is Primary Education, Secondary & essential to support new development, but the Further Education, GP Surgeries, precise timing and phasing is not critical Community Hospitals, Dental Practices 3 The delivery of the identified infrastructure is Off Street Car Parking, Elderly preferred in order to build sustainable communities. Care, Sports & Leisure Facilities, Timing and phasing is not critical Open Spaces 4 2.8 Where critical deficiencies in infrastructure are identified but the project is not committed or requisite funding not secured, a risk assessment of the upgrade(s) not proceeding is required. The risk levels on which such an assessment will be based are set out in Table 2-4. Table 2-4 Risk Levels Level Definition High Critical infrastructure requirements with no clear responsibility for delivery or mechanism for funding. Medium Critical infrastructure requirements with clear responsibility for deliver and robust mechanism for funding. Low Critical infrastructure requirements with clear responsibility for delivery and (fully or partly) secured funding. Sections and Identifiable Tasks 2.9 The remainder of this study is divided into three key sections, underpinned by a number of identifiable tasks: • Section 3: Baseline Assessment: • Identify existing infrastructure provision in Allerdale and where relevant, the level of accessibility. • Identify any existing infrastructure deficits. • Section 4: Development Context • Identify the current and projected population and demographic structure in Allerdale. • Identify the growth/spatial strategy and settlement hierarchy set out in the emerging Local Plan for the period 2011-2028. • Section 5: Identification and delivery of infrastructure • Identify specific infrastructure items required for Allerdale over 2011-2028 with regards to the phasing, location, costs, funding and responsibilities for delivery. • Assess the criticality of specific infrastructure items to the delivery of objectives of the Local Plan. • Identify the consequences and mitigation measures where an item has been assessed as being critical but its future delivery is not certain. 5 3. Baseline Assessment Strategic Road Network 3.1 Access to the Allerdale area from the strategic (motorway) highway network is via the A66 and the A595, the former being wholly trunked and the latter partially in specific sections. Other notable routes within the study area are the B5289, A596, A5302, A597