Derbyshire Dales Local Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan May 2014 Contents Page Introduction 2 Assessment of Infrastructure Needs 3 Main Infrastructure Issues 3 Delivering Infrastructure Needs 4 The Infrastructure Delivery Schedule 6 Appendix 1: Supporting Documents 14 Page | 1 Introduction 1 The National Planning Policy Framework expects local plan strategies to be deliverable and to form part of a planning system that successfully promotes and co-ordinates sustainable development: ensuring that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right places; identifying and co-ordinating development requirements, including the provision of infrastructure. A Local Plan is not be considered to be sound without a sufficiently robust assessment of infrastructure needs and the ways in which these will be met in order to deliver its strategy for sustainable development. 2 Infrastructure comprises those things necessary to support the sustainable development of communities and economies. It includes: • Social and Community Infrastructure (education, social and health care, community safety, cultural, leisure and community facilities) • Physical and Environmental Infrastructure (water supply, sewage, waste water, flood risk management, waste solids, energy including heat and telecommunications) • Transport and Access Infrastructure (highways, public transport, walking and cycling) • Green Infrastructure (networks of open space, waterways, woodlands, green corridors and open countryside within and between settlements) 3 The delivery of infrastructure involves a wide range of bodies including the District Council, Derbyshire County Council, Town and Parish Councils, Water, Telecommunications and Energy companies, the National Health Service and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG), hospitals, GP’s and dentists. The purpose of this Infrastructure Delivery Plan is, therefore, to help ensure that the infrastructure necessary to support the development strategy put forward by the Local Plan is delivered in a timely manner. It is intended to provide the framework for an ongoing process of co-ordination and should help to promote a shared sense of ownership and commitment for programmes of action and investment that may be necessary. 4 This Infrastructure Delivery Plan concentrates on infrastructure needs that can realistically be addressed in the near future: identified in consultation with the public and with partner agencies whilst drawing up the Local Plan. Other infrastructure of a desirable rather than essential nature is, nevertheless included in the infrastructure schedule where communities have drawn attention to them . Community conversations have indicated that existing infrastructure (in particular education and healthcare services) should not be compromised by future growth. The practicality and relative priority of items of infrastructure delivery will be subject to periodic review to help achieve the successful implementation of the strategy set out in Derbyshire Dales Local Plan. 5 The Infrastructure Delivery Plan also concentrates on requirements for capital investment in the provision of new infrastructure and services or their Page | 2 improvement. Although some infrastructure providers suggested that as part of the implementation of the Local Plan, ongoing service revenue costs should be taken into account, the District Council is of the view that this is not something that can be reasonably addressed at this time. 6 The County Council’s analysis of education infrastructure has been undertaken on a site by site basis and in appropriate cases the requirement for Section 106 contributions have been identified as being required from development sites. Assessment of Infrastructure Needs 7 Effort has focussed on gathering an evidence base and assessment of infrastructure needs proportionate to the scale of anticipated additional development in Derbyshire Dales. This includes: • In-house research including a 2008 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment and Transport Topic Paper • A series of joint workshops 1 for providers in 2009 • Green Infrastructure Assessment: 2009 • Derbyshire Dales Rural Accessibility Study: 2009 • Peak Sub-Region PPG17 Open Space, Sport and Recreation Study: 2009 • A series of Community Conversations in 2011 • Sub Area Appraisals (2012): Drawing together the findings on service and infrastructure picture (adequacy / main requirements etc.) with correspondence to update the 2009 workshops. • Consideration of responses to the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan Pre Submission Draft: June 2013. • Follow up and ongoing discussion with infrastructure and service providers and relevant authorities: this includes taking account of the district’s relationship to the county-wide Derbyshire Infrastructure Plan and cross- boundary matters. Those documents highlighted above in italics are set out in Appendix 1. The remaining documents form part of the evidence base to the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan and are available on the District Council’s website 2 Main Infrastructure Issues 8 The Derbyshire Dales Local Plan Pre Submission Draft (June 2013) consulted on infrastructure issues for sustainable development that had already identified and the outcome of that is carried forward into the submitted plan. 9 Discussion with infrastructure providers shows that there are few matters of serious immediate concern. Indeed, given the modest scale of growth proposed in the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan relative to existing population numbers, the 1 In collaboration with The Peak District National Park Authority and High Peak Borough Council, and reflecting emerging strategies for all 3 planning authority areas. 2 http://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/planning-a-building-control/planning-policy/local-plan/evidence-base Page | 3 District Council does not consider that any of the wider scale infrastructure and service matters identified to date are such that it is necessary to prevent or delay new development until they are fully resolved. In addition, the District Council is confident that site specific matters such as local access (by road or on foot), local parking, digital communications compatibility and contributions towards wider services can be dealt with on a site by site basis for sites allocated in the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan and those that come forward as windfall sites. The main findings of the process to date are: Plan - Wide 10 • faster broadband connections • green infrastructure (including rights of way, recreational trails and open space) • local sports and recreation facilities • local health care services Matlock / Wirksworth Sub Area 11 No additional main infrastructure issues for sustainable development have been identified. Ashbourne Sub Area 12 Additional main issues for sustainable development have been identified as: • Educational capacity at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School • Congestion in Ashbourne town centre • Maintaining good public transport links between Doveridge and Uttoxeter • Mitigating A50 road noise for new development in Doveridge Some representations called for an increase in proposed development for Doveridge in order to support more local services and facilities. The District Council, however, considers that on balance, taking all things into consideration, including the overall level of development contained and required within the Sub Area there is no justification for an increase in the housing provision within Doveridge. 13 Southern Parishes Sub Area No significant main issue s for sustainable development have been identified. There is, however, an opportunity for development in Brailsford to help fund a replacement primary school. Delivering Infrastructure Needs 14 The timely provision of infrastructure is an important contribution to community well-being and sustainable development, and should be addressed in a coordinated manner between the various agencies and stakeholders, and where appropriate developers. Derbyshire Dales District Council is committed to using this Infrastructure Delivery Plan in a positive, active manner to help achieve just that. It is intended to be a ‘living’ document of direct benefit to all interested in the future of Derbyshire Dales. It will be updated as part of the monitoring and review Page | 4 process for the Local Plan: identifying when infrastructure needs have been met and reflecting new requirements as they become evident. On-going discussions are already under-way in relation to main issues and are included in the infrastructure delivery schedule. 15 Finance for new or improved infrastructure will come from a combination of local authority and other provider’s primary budgets together with funds generated by new development. The latter comprises: • Developer Contributions related to particular developments and sites: whether by legal agreement as at present or in the future by way of the ‘Community Infrastructure Levy’ if implemented by the District Council o Legal agreements known as ‘Section 106 Agreements’ or ‘planning obligations’ 3 are negotiated on a case by case basis and put in place by the District Council as local planning authority, having regard to the effect of any charges on the viability of development. In doing so it can take account of the direct impact that each development has, including on infrastructure and service provision. Derbyshire County Council has produced a Developer Contributions Protocol to assist local planning authorities in this throughout the county. It deals with both capital and revenues contributions. o The Community