Agenda Item: 5B Wolverhampton City Council OPEN EXECUTIVE DECISION ITEM (AMBER) CABINET Date 22 MAY 2013 Portfolio COUNCILLOR P BILSON/ ECONOMIC REGENERATION AND PROSPERITY Originating Service Group(s) EDUCATION AND ENTERPRISE Contact Officer(s)/ TOM PODD IAN CULLEY Key Decision: Yes Telephone Number(s) 5638 5636 Forward Plan: Yes Title/Subject Matter STAFFORD ROAD CORRIDOR AREA ACTION PLAN PUBLICATION DOCUMENT Recommendation 1. That the Stafford Road Corridor Area Action Plan Publication Document (the AAP) be approved and published for the purposes of consultation. 2. That in the event of no representations being made to the consultation that may challenge the soundness of the AAP resulting in significant changes, the Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Prosperity is authorised to approve any further amendments of a technical nature to the document prior to submission. 3. That the AAP be referred to Council for approval and submission to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. 4. That if significant changes are required to the AAP prior to submission, a further report be submitted to Cabinet to consider these proposed changes. 5. The Cabinet approve the designation of extensions to the Wolverhampton Locks Conservation Area and additions to the Local List as specified in paragraphs 5.1 and 5.3 of this report and agree minor amendments to the Wolverhampton Locks Conservation Area Appraisal and Management proposals. 1 1. Purpose 1.1 To note the progress on the Stafford Road Corridor Area Action Plan (AAP). 1.2 To consider and seek approval to publish the AAP for consultation. 1.3 To consider and seek approval for the Wolverhampton Lock Conservation Area designation and additions to the Local List. 2. Background 2.1 The Stafford Road Corridor Area Action Plan (AAP) is being produced by the Council as part of Wolverhampton’s Local Plan (formerly known as the Local Development Framework). The Stafford Road Corridor is a key regeneration priority for the City as identified in the Black Country Core Strategy (BCCS). The Corridor follows the Stafford Road (A449) and includes parts of Fordhouses, Bushbury, Oxley, and Low Hill. 2.2 Along with the BCCS, the AAP will be an important document for guiding future development in this area. The AAP will provide the planning framework for the period up to 2026. It identifies sites for future development and will give certainty for communities, investors, developers and other agencies about the priorities for the area. The Plan intends to deliver an improved Stafford Road Corridor which continues to attract appropriate investment and encourages more people to work and live in the City. 2.3 Preparation on the AAP began in 2009 with a public consultation on the Issues Paper. This document sought the views on the issues the AAP needed to address. Generally there was support for the AAP. The importance of i54, jobs, transport, housing, local character and the environment was highlighted. 3. Issues Identified in the Options Report Consultation 3.1 The Options Report was the second key milestone in preparing the AAP. Where possible, the report addressed the issues identified through previous consultations and incorporated the conclusions of a number of technical studies. The Options Report gave local communities, businesses, developers, and others the opportunity to give their views on the options to guide the future development of the area. 3.2 During the consultation approximately 200 individual comments were received from 47 members of the public, businesses, planning agents, community groups and other stakeholders. Generally the comments were supportive of the AAP and there are a number of representations that have been incorporated into the final policies within the plan or the issues were already addressed in other BCCS policies sufficiently. However some comments sought particularly significant amendments to the AAP • Housing and Employment Land (Site allocations) • Transport policy (level of detail in the plan) • Cannock Chase SAC (mitigating impacts through developer contributions) 2 3.3 These issues are summarised below: Housing and Employment Land (Site Allocations) 3.4 The Options Report had put forward a preferred option to deliver approximately 1250 new homes in the area. Over half of these already have planning permission. The sites identified for housing were based on discussions with landowners and the Land Interests Study findings. However, representations were received from landowners seeking amendments to the allocations in the plan: o Two landowners stated a preference for their land at Hives Industrial Estate and Land to the Rear of Guy Avenue to remain identified employment land rather housing. o One representation was received requesting the Local Quality Employment Area, Development Opportunity Site, at Cross Street North be allocated for housing. o A representation from on behalf of the Goodyear development requested that the capacity of the Goodyear site and Promise House be increased to reflect likely delivery. o The Options Report had raised the possibility of development on part of Fowler’s Playing Field for approximately 45 dwellings to support improvements to the existing open space. However, responses to the consultation were predominately negative to the option, including a representation from Sport England objecting to the loss of open space. 3.5 As a result of these comments the Hives Industrial Estate and land to the rear of Guy Avenue are now to be retained for employment use rather than the housing use that was proposed in the Options Report. Cross Street North is retained for employment as it is considered unsuitable for housing due to the close proximity of the incinerator and the option for approximately 45 dwellings on Fowlers Playing Fields has been discounted due to a lack of support for the option. However, given the increase in housing numbers at Goodyear and Promise House, the overall number of dwellings is the same as in the Options Report. Although it is approximately 25% below the indicative target in the BCCS it represents a more realistic figure for the area given the more detailed evidence that has been produced to support the plan since the BCCS targets were developed. 3.6 The provision of employment land in the Options Report was broadly in line with the BCCS targets. Given the change in allocations from housing to employment at Guy Avenue and Hives Industrial Estate the employment land position is further enhanced and would result in the overall BCCS employment land target being met in full. Transport 3.7 A number of representations made general comments in relation to transport such as the need to provide more information about specific junction improvements, the need to address parking problems or possibilities for improving public transport along the Stafford Road. In response to these, detail has been added to the plan where possible. However in terms of junction improvements for example, the detailed design will be subject to further refinement in consultation with local communities, as and when funding is secured. The role of the AAP is to identify the key locations and support those future improvements by setting an appropriate planning framework. 3 Cannock Chase SAC 3.8 The Options Report identified the need to address the possible impact of housing development and population growth within the AAP boundary on the Cannock Chase SAC (as a result of increased visitor numbers). The Preferred Option was for local mitigation through the provision of high quality open space within Wolverhampton alongside housing development. 3.9 Representations were received from Natural England and Cannock Chase District Council. While Natural England deferred their position until they had undertaken further work, Cannock Chase DC stated that, where mitigation was required, this may be through a combination of local provision (the preferred option in the Options Report) and financial contributions to the management and improvement of the SAC. 3.10 Officers still consider the preferred approach in the Options report to be appropriate. Requiring contributions from developments within the AAP boundary would not be reasonable or justified and there is no policy in the AAP to specifically require contributions to the Cannock Chase SAC. Summary 3.11 Overall responses were positive about the AAP and some representations sought potentially significant changes whilst other representations provided comments for the AAP to consider when drafting policies. All of the representations made during the consultation period have helped shape the final AAP publication document. The various options from the Options Report have been further developed to provide the final policies of the plan. 4. The Publication Plan 4.1 The publication document is the next key stage in the plan making process. The Publication document is based on the Options Report and updated in light of evidence and the representations received during the public consultation. It includes the policies and designations to provide the planning framework to deliver the aims of the AAP. 4.2 The Publication document includes a Vision for the AAP area, policies to guide regeneration, and identifies a number of development opportunities. Key policies and proposals in the AAP include: • Refining the BCCS approach to employment land by identifying specific boundaries for High Quality Employment Areas and Local Quality Employment Areas with approximately 165 ha of employment land being