Agenda No 3 AGENDA MANAGEMENT SHEET
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Agenda No 3 AGENDA MANAGEMENT SHEET Name of Committee Cabinet Date of Committee 19 June 2008 Report Title Government Consultation: 'Eco-towns - Living a greener future' Summary Government is consulting on its document ‘Eco-towns: Living a greener future’ including its short-list of 15 preferred locations for ‘eco-towns’. One of these is the Long Marston former MOD depot, the subject of a bid to Government last year by the landowners. The 12 week consultation period ends on 30 June and is to be followed by publication of a sustainability appraisal and a draft planning policy statement later in the summer for further public comment. The final planning policy statement, to be published later on in the year, will establish the principle and location of eco-towns. The Director’s report recommends an appropriate response to the consultation. For further information Andy Cowan please contact Chief Planner Tel. 01926 412126 [email protected] Would the recommended Yes/No decision be contrary to the Budget and Policy Framework? Background Papers None. CONSULTATION ALREADY UNDERTAKEN:- Details to be specified Other Committees .......................................................................... Local Member(s) .......................................................................... (With brief comments, if appropriate) Cabinet/0608/ww1 1 of 17 Other Elected Members X Councillor P Barnes Councillor M Jones Councillor P Morris-Jones for information Councillor B Stevens Councillor Mrs I Seccombe - The proposal of this Eco Town has considerable impact on WCC and its planned service delivery for the future. Concern over the redirection of strategic funding and the priority changes that may be necessary is just one of very many issues this raises, including problems of infrastructure, sustainability and appropriateness of this site for this size/type of growth. Cabinet Member X Councillor C Saint – comments incorporated. (Reports to The Cabinet, to be cleared with appropriate Cabinet Member) Chief Executive .......................................................................... Legal X I Marriott – comments incorporated. Finance .......................................................................... Other Chief Officers X Chief Executive and all Strategic Directors District Councils .......................................................................... Health Authority .......................................................................... Police .......................................................................... Other Bodies/Individuals .......................................................................... FINAL DECISION YES/NO (If ‘No’ complete Suggested Next Steps) SUGGESTED NEXT STEPS : Details to be specified Further consideration by .......................................................................... this Committee To Council .......................................................................... To Cabinet .......................................................................... To an O & S Committee .......................................................................... To an Area Committee .......................................................................... Further Consultation .......................................................................... Cabinet/0608/ww1 2 of 17 Agenda No 3 Cabinet - 19 June 2008 Government Consultation: 'Eco-towns - Living a greener future' Report of the Strategic Director for Environment and Economy Recommendation That the response to the consultation document: ‘Eco-towns: Living a greener future’, includes the advice that Government should re-think its approach to reconciling housing growth and affordability with climate change objectives as set out in the consultation document, for the reasons explained in the conclusions of the Director’s report. In outline, the Council:- 1. Considers that these objectives can better be reconciled in the sustainable redevelopment and expansion of existing cities, towns and communities being brought through the statutory development plan process, starting with the Regional Spatial Strategy Phase 2 Revision and then followed through in local development frameworks. 2. Believes that the construction of an ‘eco-town’ at Long Marston Depot would undermine agreed strategic policy to bring about a ‘step-change’ in development of the Region and Sub-region, widen the gap between the less prosperous and more prosperous parts of the County, and bring about a fundamental and inappropriate change in the character of this rural area and, therefore 3. Concludes that the proposal for an ‘eco-town’ at Long Marston Depot should not be taken forward to the final list of proposed ‘eco-towns’. 1. Introduction 1.1 The Council’s engagement in the spatial planning for housing growth in the Region and the Coventry Solihull Warwickshire Sub-region is an important part of the background against which this consultation has to be viewed. In December 2007, the Regional Assembly presented Government with the culmination of two years work with its regional and sub-regional partners, including the County Council, to produce new housing growth proposals for the Phase 2 Revision of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). However, Government has since declared that these proposals do not take account of higher levels of new housing development that it considers are needed to increase general affordability and has commissioned a separate study to identify Cabinet/0608/ww1 3 of 17 where more housing could be built. This study is not likely to report until the end of the year, further delaying the Public Examination of the RSS proposals until Spring 2009 at the earliest. 1.2 The national context for this particular regional train of events was the publication last summer of the Government’s Housing Green Paper. Its main thrust is to increase the general affordability by increasing the supply of housing and, at the same time, address climate change. It launched the idea of ‘eco- towns’ as a means of fulfilling these objectives at the same time, inviting schemes to be submitted direct to Government (on a confidential basis) from anyone who could deliver a town of 5-20,000 new dwellings that met a list of ‘eco’ criteria. 1.3 The need for national level reconciliation of housing/ economic growth objectives with climate change objectives by Government has already been raised by the Council in consultation responses over the past year i.e. Cabinet meetings: 27 Feb 07 – Planning and Climate Change; 19 July 07 – Planning White Paper; 27 September 07 - Housing Green Paper; 13 March 08 – Planning for Sustainable Economic Development. 1.4 As part of this national ‘eco-towns' initiative, a proposal to develop a new settlement of 6,000 dwellings was submitted to the Government last Autumn by the private landowners of a 240 hectare site, largely comprising the former MOD Depot at Long Marston. On 3 April 08, Government published a short-list of 15 preferred locations for eco-towns that included the Long Marston proposal. (The full list is set out in Appendix A). In addition Government published a consultation document on 3 April, titled ‘Eco-towns: Living a greener future’, canvassing views by 30 June 08 on the initiative, its benefits, scope for innovation, and 15 short-listed locations. 1.5 This report outlines the Government’s ‘eco-town’ consultation proposals (in section 2); the particular ‘eco-town proposals for Long Marston (in section 3); the strategic policy context (in section 4); infrastructure implications (in section 5); sustainability and affordability implications (in section 6); and conclusions (in section 7). Appendix A provides maps of the context and the site of the Long Marston Depot; Appendix B gives the full list of the 15 short-listed locations; Appendix C includes an extract of the Government’s appraisal of the Long Marston Depot location; Appendix D shows area of high risk flood areas affecting Long Marston Depot. 2. The Eco-town Consultation 2.1 Government’s consultation document: ‘Eco-towns: Living a greener future’ seeks views on:- (i) “the way in which the eco-towns concept is being developed and the different potential benefits that an eco-town could offer”; (ii) “how particular features such as green-space or innovative approaches to housing can best be developed in an eco-town”; and Cabinet/0608/ww1 4 of 17 (iii) “preliminary views on the 15 locations going forward for further assessment” (Part 1, para.2), and (iv) More specifically, views are invited on the inclusion of ‘Middle Quinton’ in the short-list; other “potential benefits or challenges” that (the Council) would wish to see addressed for this location and whether there are particular issues which (the Council) “would like to see proposals for this location address”. (p.29) Comment:-These questions are unusually ‘closed’, directing the reader towards refinement of what is proposed and away from more fundamental issues. For this reason, the following text addresses these questions as part of its wider discussion of the issues. 2.2 The key criteria for eco-towns, set out in the Eco-towns Prospectus published by Government in July 2007, are reinforced in the consultation document i.e. (i) Eco-towns must be new settlements, separate and distinct from existing towns but well linked to them. They need to be additional to existing plans, with a minimum target of 5,000-10,000 homes; (ii) The development as a whole should reach zero carbon standards, and each town should