Draft Local Plan to 2031
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Thanet District Council Draft Local Plan to 2031 Submission Draft including Proposed Main Modifications and Additional Modifications December 2019 Please Note: Main modifications are prefixed with “MM/” and are the subject of this consultation. Additional modifications are prefixed with “AM/” are minor text changes included for completeness but do not form part of the consultation. Modifications to the policies map are also available to view at https://consult.thanet.gov.uk. 1 Guidance on the Proposed Modifications This document shows the Inspectors’ proposed Main Modifications to the Pre-Submission Publication Thanet Local Plan July 2018, that was submitted for examination on 30 October 2018. The examination hearings took place between 02/04/19 and 18/07/19. The purpose of this document is to show how the Inspectors’ Proposed Modification, if agreed after consultation, will affect the original plan. Text that is proposed to be deleted is indicated by strikethrough notation, and text that is proposed to be inserted is underlined, policies are in bold and supporting paragraphs are in plain text. This document consists of main modifications, prefixed with “MM/” and additional modifications prefixed with “AM/”. Main modifications are those changes that the Inspectors consider to be necessary to resolve issues of soundness and legal compliance. Additional modifications are minor changes to the text that are not included in the consultation exercise, but are published for completeness and are not before the Inspector for consideration. The Council has also published a schedule of modifications to the Policies Map, prefixed with “PMM/”, and is available separately at https://consult.thanet.gov.uk. The Policies Map modifications are either consequential changes arising from main modifications, or where corrections need to be made, for example where a site has been deleted. The Policies Map is not a development plan document but a geographical illustration of the policies contained within the Local Plan. As such, the Inspector cannot recommend main modifications to it. The council has produced a schedule for consultation that only contains the Main Modifications which is available to comment on at https://consult.thanet.gov.uk. At this stage in the examination process, the consultation only relates to the proposed main modifications and any policies map changes (and not other aspects of the plan). The main modifications are put forward without prejudice to the Inspector’s final conclusions. Guidance on submitting comments on the Inspectors’ Proposed Modifications can be found at https://consult.thanet.gov.uk. 2 Strategy What is the Local Plan? 1 The Local Plan is a key Council document that is required to guide and deliver the Council’s plans and aspirations for growth. It is essential to shaping change in a form which is desired by the Council and Thanet’s communities, and for the delivery of development projects and infrastructure. 2 The Plan must be prepared with the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development, and be in accordance with national planning policy. 3 The Plan should be aspirational but also realistic and should provide sufficient flexibility to adapt to rapid change. The Plan must be based upon up-to-date, sound evidence. We have to be able to demonstrate that the Plan will be deliverable and therefore the proposals included within it must be viable and realistic. The Plan will be delivered by a number of partners, including the private sector. 4 The Plan sets out policies and proposals that will be used to guide decisions and investment on development and regeneration over the period to 2031. It sets out how and where the homes, jobs, community facilities, shops and infrastructure will be delivered and the types of places and environments we want to create. It also identifies land to be protected from development, such as open space. Once adopted, the Plan will form the statutory planning framework for determining planning applications and will replace the “saved” policies from the Thanet Local Plan 2006. The Cliftonville Development Plan Document (2010) still remains in force. Why is the Council producing a Local Plan? The Council is required by government to produce a Local Plan. The Council also wants to set out in advance how it wishes to see the district develop. This provides certainty to developers, businesses, the local community and others. The Plan provides a framework to help deliver the Council’s Economic Growth Strategy The Plan will ensure that decisions on planning applications are made in accordance with local policy. Without a Plan the Council has less control over development in the area. How has the Council decided what the Plan should contain? The National Planning Policy Framework and the national Planning Practice Guidance set out what the government expects local plans to cover. We have considered the specific issues and opportunities that are relevant to Thanet. We have considered key elements of the evidence base, and carried out key work in relation to Local Plan viability, Sustainability Appraisal and infrastructure delivery We carried out consultation on the Preferred Options for the Plan, and further Proposed Revisions to that Plan, and have considered the comments received. We have assessed the merits of the options in achieving sustainable development, including through the Sustainability Appraisal. We have and will continue to co-operate with our neighbouring authorities on cross- boundary strategic issues. 5 The options and assessment of their merits are documented in the Issues and Options Consultation Document, the Sustainability Appraisal and in topic papers, which can be accessed on the Planning Policy pages of the Council's website. This Draft Local Plan sets out the Council’s preferred final version of the Local Plan, subject to examination by an independent Planning Inspector. 3 How is the Plan structured? 6 The Plan is set out in three main sections. Section 1 provides the introduction and sets the context for the Plan. It sets out the vision for Thanet that the Plan is seeking to achieve, and introduces the overall strategy behind the Plan, as well as setting out the strategic priorities and objectives which need to be achieved in order to deliver the vision and strategy of the Plan. 7 Section 2 sets out the strategic issues and policies of the Plan. These are the overarching policies which underpin the Plan's strategy. These include the strategies for delivering sustainable development and the overall levels of development and growth which are needed in Thanet, and the strategies for the economy, town centres, housing, environment, communities and transport, including strategic housing and employment site proposals. 8 Section 3 sets out district wide development management policies. These are detailed and wide ranging policies which may be relevant to all new development proposals in Thanet. The section is set out in topic areas, and covers issues including climate change, design and heritage. 4 Thanet's Profile and Key Issues 9 In order to inform the Plan for the future, we must have a good understanding of the characteristics of Thanet today, and the opportunities and issues that it presents. These are set out in the evidence and background papers supporting this document. 10 The draft Local Plan seeks to maximize the opportunities available and deliver policy support to respond to the issues facing the area. 11 Thanet is located in East Kent, in close proximity to continental Europe. It has three main coastal towns of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs. The built up area is densely populated and forms an almost continuous urban belt around the north east coast. This is separated by areas of countryside between the towns and providing relief in the built area. There are also attractive coastal and rural villages. Map 1 - Map of Thanet 12 The district has an area of about 40 square miles (103,300ha) and a resident population of about 140,000. About 30% of the district is urban with 95% of the population living in the main urban area around the coast. Thanet is the fourth most populated district in Kent, and has the second highest population density. Thanet is a popular area for retired people to live, and has the highest number of over 65 year olds in the county whilst having a lower proportion of 16-64 year olds than the county average. 13 Thanet is a unique and vibrant coastal area, with an attractive environment and a number of unique features. There are 20 miles of coastline with attractive chalk cliffs and beautiful sandy beaches and bays, many of which have been awarded European Blue Flag status. Much of the coast is also recognised for its internationally important habitats, including coastal chalk and significant populations of coastal birds. This is reflected in the coast’s designation under international and national legislation, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special 5 Protection Areas, Special Areas of Conservation, and a Marine Conservation Zone. These areas are protected by legislation to prevent harm to them from development change and other human activity. There are also areas of Thanet which have a functional relationship with the Special Protection Areas, and the Council recognises the importance of protecting that relationship in the longer term. 14 Thanet is also rich in history. This is recognised today in the identification of around 2,000 listed buildings and 27 Conservation Areas. Its historic landscape contains many archaeological sites dating back to pre- historic times. 15 Outside of the urban area, much of the land is high quality and intensively farmed agricultural land. 16 Thanet has some areas which are at risk from flooding. These are confined to the low lying areas of the countryside to the south west of the district, and along the very edges of the coast, affecting small areas of Margate and Ramsgate.