Agenda Item No Report No. 170/11 ANGUS COUNCIL INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES COMMITTEE 1 MARCH 2011 ANGUS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN RESPONSE FROM INITIAL CONSULTATION AND KEY AGENCY ENGAGEMENT REPORT BY DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES Abstract: This report provides Members with an overview of the response to the recent awareness raising and initial consultation exercise and outlines the next steps towards preparation of a Main Issues Report. 1 RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Committee note the range and scale of the response to the recent awareness raising and initial consultation exercise and how this will be progressed to produce a Local Development Plan. 2 INTRODUCTION 2.1 The Infrastructure Services Committee at their meeting of 24 August 2010 approved the commencement of the preparation of the first Angus Local Development Plan (LDP). The Committee also approved arrangements for initial awareness raising and stakeholder and community engagement, including the raising of issues and potential development sites for consideration during preparation of the Angus LDP Main Issues Report (Report No. 582/10 refers). 2.2 This report provides an overview of responses to initial consultation from those with an interest in the Angus LDP (including Key Agencies, landowners, developers, agents, community groups and the general public). 3 AWARENESS RAISING & INITIAL CONSULTATION Awareness Raising 3.1 Following Committee approval to commence the preparation of the Angus LDP Planning & Transport undertook to raise awareness of commencement of the LDP process and seek initial views on main issues and potential development sites for consideration during preparation of the Main Issues Report (MIR). In the period since August 2011 Planning & Transport staff have: • Updated the Development Plan pages on the Angus Council website to announce commencement of the preparation of the first Angus LDP; • Reviewed and updated the LDP mailing list and made direct contact by letter or e-mail to around 550 bodies, organisations, agents, community groups and interested individuals; • Prepared and published the first edition of the Angus Local Development Plan 2 Report No 170/11 Newsletter which was made available at all Public Libraries and Access Offices and Receptions at Angus House and County Buildings, Forfar, and Bruce House, Arbroath. The Newsletter was available to view or download from the Angus Council website or was available on request from Planning and Transport; • Arranged and held initial Key Agency Meeting with representatives of: o Scottish Natural Heritage o SEPA o Historic Scotland o Transport Scotland o Scottish Water o Scottish Enterprise o Architecture + Design Scotland o TACTRAN • Undertaken initial web based consultation via an online questionnaire on issues to be addressed by an LDP Main Issues Report (MIR) and invitation to submit sites. Initial Consultation: 3.2 The Consultation exercise, was conducted between 5 November and 23 December 2010, and sought views on what people considered to be the most important land use planning issues and constraints affecting Angus over the next 5 – 10 years. In addition the Council invited suggestions on potential sites to meet the future development needs of Angus. The consultation would provide an early insight into areas of public interest and be used to inform the preparation of the Main Issues Report which is the first main stage in the Angus LDP process. 3.3 To assist in the submission of comments on key issues and potential development sites, a two part on-line questionnaire was prepared and made available through the Councils website as follows: • Part 1 – Identification of Land Use Planning Issues • Part 2 – Development Site proposal Form 3.4 A total of 190 responses were received with the vast majority received using the online questionnaire forms. Analysis of the Councils web site during the consultation period shows a total of 782 individual visits to the Development Plan website; 160 ‘hits’ on the Angus LDP newsletter; 215 ‘hits’ on the Part 1 Questionnaire and 210 ‘hits’ on the Part 2 Questionnaire. Key Issues Raised 3.5 A total of 41 responses were made to Part 1 of the Questionnaire from a number of sources – Members of the Public (4), Agents (6) and Developers/Landowners (15), Public Sector Bodies (including key Agencies) (13), and Community Councils (3). 3.6 Issues identified for consideration during preparation of the Angus LDP were as follows: • Climate Change o Improved energy efficient construction o Impact of severe weather events (e.g. Flooding) 3 Report No 170/11 o Impact of coastal erosion o Local food growing & use of prime agricultural land o Use of renewable technologies o Reducing the need to travel o Ensuring development is located close to existing services & facilities o Promote the use of brownfield land o Protection of carbon stores (e.g. retaining woodlands, peatlands etc.) o Safeguarding soil quality o Reducing greenhouse gas emissions • Environmental Quality (Natural & Built Environment) o Protection of the natural and built environment quality of Angus. • Housing o Requirement for more housing of all types and tenures in a range of Angus towns and villages. • Employment Land o Requirement to provide a range of employment sites within Angus, including the rural area. o Need for more employment land. • Shopping o Mixed views expressing both concern and satisfaction in respect of shopping provision in certain towns and villages. • Accessible Development o New development should take place in accessible locations that reduce the need to travel by car and which promote travel by public transport/walking/cycling. • Rural Development o Problems relating to de-forestation o Provision of opportunity sites around small towns & villages to support local services and facilities o Requirement for and importance of well designed rural housing o Community renewable energy opportunities o Improved broadband connections o Rural Tourism o Continued support for the rural economy • Towns and Villages o Need for additional housing within a number of towns and villages. Development Sites promoted for consideration 3.7 A total of 149 separate sites have been submitted by a range of developers/ landowners, planning agents and members of the public for consideration in the plan preparation process. Table 1 below sets out the distribution of the sites submitted across the four Housing Market Areas. An initial review indicates that the sites range from large long term sites/extensions to settlements down to small rural sites some of which would normally fall below the threshold of what might be considered in the LDP process and indentified in future Proposed Plan. In some instances sites put forward 4 Report No 170/11 for consideration could be pursued through the development management process in the context of the policies and guidance contained in the existing adopted Angus Local Plan Review. 3.8 It should however be stressed that the sites identified by respondents at this stage do not represent all the possible options to be considered in the assessment of possible development options/land for the Angus towns and villages. In addition it should be noted that the emerging Strategic Development Plan – TAYplan – will provide the policy context for development, particularly in relation to the amount and distribution of housing land required for the housing market areas in Angus. 3.9 It should also be noted that the listing of the sites within this report (including the Schedules and Maps set out in Appendix 1) is for information purposes only and does not indicate or imply Angus Council support for any particular site. Members are advised that at this stage of the Development Plan process they should guard against making statements which can be seen as supporting or not supporting a potential development site. Table 1: Distribution of Sites Housing Market Area (HMA) Individual Development Sites Submitted East Angus (Arbroath) 12 North Angus (Brechin & Montrose) 32 West Angus (Forfar, Kirriemuir & Glens) 49 South Angus 56 Total 149 3.10 A detailed schedule of the sites submitted for consideration is available in Appendix 1. This sets out the site reference, site proposer, site location and scale and type of development proposed. The Appendix includes a schedule and plan for each Housing Market Area (HMA) showing the general location of each site submitted. Although the sites submitted have been predominantly for housing development, a number of large scale sites are being promoted for mixed development. A number of largely rural sites are being promoted for leisure/tourism based development. East Angus (Arbroath) 3.11 Four sites within the existing built up area of Arbroath are promoted for reuse for housing, retail and business activity. In addition a greenfield site is promoted at East Seaton Farm for housing. 3.12 Outwith Arbroath, sites for housing have been promoted at Friockheim (2); Leysmill (1) and Letham Grange (2). Two sites in the landward area have also been submitted for potential housing use at Friock Mains Farm and the former Muirheads Service Reservoir, Colliston. North Angus (Brechin – Montrose) 3.13 Several sites in and around Brechin (including land at Dubton Farm; Maulseden; west of Brechin; east of Drumlachlie; Unthank; Mains of Pitforthie Farm) have been promoted for a range of housing, tourist and mixed land use. Three sites have been promoted for new tourist/holiday accommodation at the Brechin Golf Course/Limefield area. 5 Report No 170/11 3.14 Around Montrose there is interest in developing land for housing on sites at Ferryden (1), Charleton Farm (2) and Hillside (3). 3.15 In the landward area sites at Rossie Mills (1), Barnhead (4), Logie Pert (3), North Craigo (3), Edzell (2) and the wider rural area (1) have been submitted for housing. Development of additional facilities at the existing Stracathro Service Centre has been promoted. West Angus (Forfar, Kirriemuir and the Glens) 3.16 Considerable interest has been expressed across the HMA.