Contents Page EN12: Health and wellbeing EN13: Design of Buildings/ Extensions Foreword 3 EN14: Designated Heritage Assets 1.0 Introduction 5 EN15: Non-Designated Heritage Assets EN16: Tourism, cultural 2.0 Area Portrait 23 developments and tourist accommodation EN17: Land south of Chelveston 3.0 Vision and Outcomes 35 Road, Higham Ferrers 4.0 Spatial Development Strategy 43 7.0 Economic Prosperity – employment, 103 economy, town centres/ retail EN1: Spatial development strategy EN18: Commercial space to support economic growth EN2: Settlement boundary criteria – urban areas EN19: Protected Employment Areas EN3: Settlement boundary criteria – freestanding villages EN20: Relocation and/ or expansion of existing businesses EN4: Settlement boundary criteria – ribbon developments EN21: Town centres and primary shopping frontages EN5: Development on the periphery of settlements and EN22: Impact test thresholds for rural exceptions housing retail development EN6: Replacement dwellings in EN23: Development of main the open countryside town centre uses around the local centres 5.0 Natural Capital – environment, Green 63 Infrastructure, energy, sport and 8.0 Housing Delivery – housing mix/ 131 recreation tenure, affordable housing, specialist housing, market delivery, site specific EN7: Green Infrastructure allocations corridors EN24: Oundle housing EN8: The Greenway allocations EN9: Designation of Local Green EN25: Land rear of Cemetery, Space Stoke Doyle Road, Oundle EN10: Enhancement and EN26: Cotterstock Road/ St provision of open space Peter's Road, Oundle EN11: Enhancement and EN27: St Christopher’s Drive, provision of sport and recreation Oundle facilities EN28: Land east of the A6/ Bedford Road, Rushden 6.0 Social Capital – design, culture, 81 EN29: Delivering wheelchair heritage, tourism, health and wellbeing, accessible housing community infrastructure EN30: Housing mix and tenure to East Northamptonshire Council Page 1 of 233 East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2: Submission Plan (2011-2031) meet local need EN31: Older people's housing 12.0 Glossary 225 provision Index of Figures and Tables 231 EN32: Self and custom build housing 13.0 Appendix 1 – Policy Index 9.0 Delivering Sustainable urban 167 Appendix 2 – Economic Use Classes extensions Appendix 3 – Protected Employment EN33: Rushden East Areas Sustainable Urban Extension Appendix 4 – Town Centres and Primary Shopping Areas/Local Centres 10.0 Town Strategies – Rushden, Higham 175 Appendix 5 – Specialist and Older Ferrers, Irthlingborough, Oundle, Persons Housing Provision Raunds, Thrapston EN34: Reimagining Town Appendix 6 – Rushden East Centres – guiding principles Sustainable Urban Extension Masterplan Framework Document EN35: Splash Pool and Wilkinson site redevelopment, Rushden 14.0 Policies Map EN36: Former factory site, between 71 Oakley Road and 37-51 Washbrook Road, Rushden EN37: Rectory Business Centre, Rushden EN38: Federal Estates/ former Textile Bonding factory site, Newton Road/ Midland Road, Higham Ferrers EN39: Former Select & Save, 13-21 High Street/ St Peter’s Way Car Park, Irthlingborough EN40: Former Rushden and Diamonds FC Stadium site, Nene Park, Diamond Way, Irthlingborough EN41: Riverside Hotel, Station Road, Oundle EN42: Cattle Market, Market Road, Thrapston 11.0 Monitoring and implementation 213 East Northamptonshire Council Page 2 of 233 East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2: Submission Plan (2011-2031) Foreword This plan sets out a vision for East Northamptonshire, building on the proposals and land use allocations as set out in the Joint Core Strategy. The North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031 includes significant proposals such as the Rushden East sustainable urban extension and a new garden community at Tresham in the north of the district. It seeks to add local value through its policies which reflect the distinctive characteristics and attractiveness of the area. The plan supports the growth and diversification of business opportunities across the district, recognising the need to ensure its market towns remain as thriving and competitive centres by providing a range of services and facilities for their local communities as well as encouraging town centre regeneration schemes to encourage future redevelopment opportunities. As the growth town for the area, Rushden will provide the majority of new housing and employment development during the plan period. This will help deliver future housing and employment needs, supported by infrastructure and services including transport, retail and leisure, to help ensure a sustainable, high quality environment. Much of the district is rural, interspersed with villages and market towns. It is bisected in a north/ south direction by the Nene Valley, a focus for blue and green infrastructure that provides a significant natural asset which enhances the district The Plan aims to ensure those rural communities have the ability to meet local needs, as well as providing opportunities to improve local connections, create local employment prospects and develop the visitor offer. To meet the needs of the wider community, the plan seeks to provide a range of housing types including for the older population who may be looking for quality housing for downsizing or meeting a specialist need through care and extra care provision. The plan recognises the need to provide for aspirational choice and the variety of demand and need across the district, from predominantly smaller properties in the rural north to larger properties in the south. It also considers those who wish to be more proactive in designing the type of home they wish for through exciting opportunities such as custom build. This plan also recognises the importance of the area’s natural and built assets and includes a number of policies that seek to enhance and protect its distinctive green spaces as well as meeting the challenge of sensitively designed development. In drafting this plan, we have engaged with many different organisations and we are now asking for your views on what the plan says and whether you think it needs to include any further proposals for addressing the area’s future needs. This plan also recognises the importance of the area’s natural and built assets and includes a number of policies that seek to enhance and protect its distinctive green spaces as well as meeting the challenge of sensitively designed development. In drafting this plan, we have engaged with many different organisations and we are now asking for your views on what the plan says and whether you think it needs to include any further proposals for addressing the area’s future needs. Cllrs Steven North (Leader of the Council) David Brackenbury (Chair, Planning Policy Committee) East Northamptonshire Council Page 3 of 233 East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2: Submission Plan (2011-2031) 1.0 Introduction Layout of the Local Plan Part 2 1.1 The Local Plan Part 2 is a statutory development plan document covering the district of East Northamptonshire. While this Plan is self-contained, it should be read in conjunction with the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031 (the Local Plan Part 1; referred to as the “Joint Core Strategy” in the document)1, Neighbourhood Plans and national policies. This document contains appropriate planning policies for the growth and regeneration of the district up to 2031. It is proposed that this will present a vision of the eastern district of the county through the objectives and policies which will set out what and how much development should take place and the sites and strategies required to meet this target growth for the plan period of 2011- 2031. 1.2 The Plan consists of the following key elements: • Sections 1.0-3.0 – Introduction, Area Portrait, and Vision and Outcomes (introductory sections) – sets the scene in terms of the evidence base and the context of higher level national or Joint Core Strategy policies; outlines key reasons and factors that entail the need for suitable local policies; and sets out Plan-level Vision and Outcomes to be achieved; • Section 4.0 – Spatial Development Strategy – provides additional strategic and spatial policy direction for the district, over and above the overarching spatial policy framework set out in the Joint Core Strategy; • Sections 5.0-6.0 – Natural and Social Capital – sets out additional policies for the protection and enhancement of natural, heritage, cultural and community assets; • Sections 7.0-9.0 – Economy and Housing – sets out proactive policies and proposals for delivering economic growth and the housing requirements for the remainder of the Plan period (to 2031); • Section 10.0 – Town Strategies – sets out detailed policies and proposals for the re-imagination of existing urban areas; • Section 11.0 – Monitoring and Implementation – each policy is supported by relevant indicators and targets, which will be reviewed annually through the North Northamptonshire Authorities’ Monitoring Report (AMR); 1 http://www.nnjpdu.org.uk/publications/adopted-north-northamptonshire-joint-core-strategy-2011- 2031/ East Northamptonshire Council Page 5 of 233 East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2: Submission Plan (2011-2031) • Appendices – glossary and other supporting evidence and information for the Plan, including the Policies Map 1.3 The Plan includes the following details of policy guidance: Policy type(s) Relevant section heading(s) Spatial Development Strategy; Natural Spatial policies Capital; Town Strategies Spatial Development Strategy; Natural Development