Agenda Item 8 Report PC 04 /11 Report to Planning Committee

Date 17 January 2011

By Head of Planning

Title of Report : Local Development Framework – Consultation on Local Housing and Employment Growth

Purpose of Report To seek members’ agreement to comments to be submitted on this consultation to Arun District Council

Recommendation: The Committee is recommended to approve the comments set out in Appendix 2 to this report as the National Park Authority’s response to the Council’s consultation on local housing and employment growth

1. Introduction 1.1 In November last year Arun District Council launched a consultation on what the housing target for the district and the amount of employment land allocated over the next 17 years (until 2028) should be, to inform its proposed local planning document. 1.2 The northern part of Arun District (approximately 30% of the total district in area, although only approximately 2.5% of the population) lies within the National Park. This area includes the villages of , , , , , Clapham and Findon. 1.3 This report explains the current consultation and recommends comments to be submitted to Arun District Council.

2. Background Current policy situation 2.1 The adopted Arun District Local Plan dates from 2003. In September - November 2005 the District Council undertook a consultation on the Issues and Options for its Core Strategy. A consultation on the Preferred Options was due to start in August 2006, but was delayed because of the need for further work on strategic flood risk. Further work on the Preferred Options was subsequently suspended in 2007 in response to the publication of the report of the Panel of Inspectors that conducted the Examination in Public of the South East Plan. 2.2 Between February and April 2009, Arun District Council consulted on Options for Growth. Three alternative options were considered: sustainable urban extensions, an eco-town at Ford and a mix of coastal and inland development (subsequently the eco-town option was rejected by the previous Government). 2.3 With the Coalition Government’s stated intention to abolish regionally imposed house- building targets and introduce locally-derived housing targets, the District Council is currently consulting on levels of housing and employment growth for the District. Future policy situation 2.4 Arun District Council is now proposing to combine its Core Strategy, a Site Allocations DPD, a Development Management DPD and a Gypsy and Traveller DPD into one document – a new-style Plan. The District Council proposes to undertake further consultation in 2012 and adopt the Plan in September 2013.

25 2.5 The report to the National Park Authority meeting on 9th December 2010 (report no. SDNPA 36/10) explained that for Local Authority Development Plan Documents (DPDs) relating to the National Park to be adopted after 1 April 2011 but which have not yet been submitted, a key question to be addressed is whether the DPD should include the National Park or not. The report also set out the factors to be considered in making that decision. 2.6 Based on these factors, it was suggested in the report that Arun District Council exclude the National Park from its Core Strategy. However, this position has yet to be agreed with the District Council. 2.7 If the Arun District Plan includes the National Park, then it will be for the National Park Authority and Arun District Council to agree jointly the proposed provision of housing and employment land. If the National Park is excluded from the Plan, then the issue of housing and employment land provision is still relevant to the National Park Authority because of potential implications for the National Park. 2.8 Comments are invited by means of responses to a questionnaire, a copy of which is attached to this report as Appendix 1, by 28 February.

3. The Consultation 3.1 Arun District Council is consulting on four potential housing scenarios:  1. 362 houses per year (90 affordable homes @ 25%)  2. 447 houses per year (112 affordable homes @ 25%)  3. 548 houses per year (137 affordable homes @ 25%)  4. 628 houses per year (157 affordable homes @ 25%) (The level of housing actually delivered in the past five years is 468 units per year and the current South East Plan target is 565 houses per year). 3.2 The District Council explains that scenario 1 could place a constraint on economic growth and local jobs and lead to an increase in local house prices. Scenario 2 would support a minimal level of employment growth of just over 4% over the Plan period, compared to an actual job growth of 4.7% between 2000 and 2007. Scenario 3 is the level of housing required should the district grow in line with the forecast for the national economy, whilst scenario 4 assumes a greater level of economic growth and is higher than both the annual average provision in recent years and the South East Plan target. 3.3 The questionnaire asks for expressions of degrees of support for or objection to a number of statements relating to housing and employment land provision. 3.4 For employment land, Arun District Council’s Councillors have expressed a preference for a level of employment land greater than that needed to support any of the four housing growth scenarios. The District Council asks for views on this approach.

4. Assessment 4.1 The four suggested housing land scenarios are unnecessarily precise, but they do demonstrate, in simple terms, the implications for the economy and housing affordability of different levels of house-building. However, there is no indication of where new housing development (or employment development) might be accommodated or the environmental impacts of the different levels of house-building (or commercial development), particularly on the National Park.

4.2 The statements are understandably broad with little detail, but they do raise important issues, such as the balance between development and protection of the countryside and the link between housing and employment.

5. Conclusion 5.1 Given that the National Park Authority will be the planning authority for part of Arun District as from 1st April next year and the proposed Plan will therefore either be a joint Plan or exclude the National Park, it is unfortunate that this consultation is being undertaken

26 without any prior discussion with the National Park Authority. However, there is an opportunity for future liaison to decide the most appropriate way forward prior to public consultation on the identification of sites. 5.2 Without an indication of where new housing development might be accommodated or the environmental impacts of the different levels of house-building, it would be premature for the National Park Authority to indicate support for any particular level of house-building in Arun District. The level of house-building for the National Park will need to be determined through the National Park Authority’s own LDF process and evidence base. 5.3 Given this, and the future role of the National Park Authority as the planning authority for part of Arun District, it is not considered appropriate to complete the questionnaire but rather to make some general comments. These are set out in Appendix 2.

6. Resource implications

6.1 Member and staff time, potential financial contribution towards the costs of public consultation and the Examination in Public (if a joint Plan) (to be met from the budget for planning policy).

7. Risk management

7.1 The main risk identified with the proposals in this report is that the interests of the National Park are unlikely to be properly protected if the strategy of the proposed Plan is based solely on the need for housing and commercial development. However, it is unlikely that this will be the case and therefore this risk is considered to be low. The recommended comments in this report will help to minimise this risk by reflecting the interests of the National Park.

8. Human rights, equalities, health and safety

8.1 There are not considered to be any human rights, equalities, or health and safety issues arising from this report.

9. External Consultees 9.1 None

JIM REDWOOD Head of Planning

Contact Officer: Martin Small LDF Policy Lead Tel: 01243 558708 email: [email protected] Appendices Appendix 1 Copy of consultation questionnaire Appendix 2 Recommended comments SDNPA Consultees Senior Solicitor.

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