Amber Valley Preferred Growth Strategy
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This is page is intentionally blank Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. What We Have Done So Far? 3 3. The Vision for Amber Valley 5 4. The Preferred Growth Strategy 5 5. The Preferred Strategic Sites 10 6. Other Potential Strategic Sites 23 7. The Next Steps 26 Appendices A. Summary of Site Constraints B. The Proposed Scale and Location of Housing Growth in the Derby Housing Market Area C. The Proposed Scale and Location of Housing Growth in Amber Valley D. List of Supporting Evidence Documents E. Summary of the Responses to Previous Consultation Events F. Plan Showing Potential Strategic Sites and Preferred Strategic Sites Considered in Amber Valley G. Glossary of Terms 2 1. Introduction Amber Valley Borough Council is preparing a Core Strategy, as part of the Local Development Framework for Amber Valley. As part of the Core Strategy process, the Borough Council has agreed a Preferred Growth Strategy, setting out how it proposes to meet identified needs for housing growth up to 2028. The Preferred Growth Strategy sets out the overall scale of housing growth proposed, together with a number of preferred strategic sites to contribute towards this growth. The Preferred Growth Strategy has been developed through joint working between the Borough Council and its partners within the Derby Housing Market Area (Derby City Council, South Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire County Council), as well as following liaison with other adjoining authorities and partners. This reflects the formal duty to co-operate with other local authorities and partners in the preparation of Core Strategies, which was formally introduced by the Government in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in March 2012. It should be emphasised that this Preferred Growth Strategy refers to the overall future development of strategic areas of growth only. The Borough Council will still be planning for development in other areas of the Borough that are not covered in this Strategy on smaller sites which will be identified in a separate Site Allocations and Designations document which will follow on from the Core Strategy. In identifying these other sites, the Council will ensure that brownfield land is considered first. 2. What We Have Done So Far? So far in preparing the Core Strategy, the Borough Council has published and undertaken consultation on the following documents:- Issues and Ideas (2008) This document, which was published for consultation between September and November 2008, identified a range of issues and sought comments on the matters that should be addressed by appropriate policies in the Core Strategy Issues and Options (2010) This document, which was published for consultation between January and May 2010, set out a range of policy options for delivering housing to meet the requirements of the East Midlands Regional Plan, meeting employment needs, as well as a range of other issues. 3 Have Your Say (2011) This document, which was published for consultation from February to May 2011, followed the Government's announcement that Regional Plans were to be formally revoked. In response to this decision, the local planning authorities in the Derby Housing Market Area resolved to undertake further consultation on a wider range of policy options. Options for Housing Growth (2011) This document, which was published for consultation from July to September 2011, sought views on a range of options for the overall scale of new housing development in Amber Valley and where this new housing should be located, including 16 potential locations for strategic housing sites. A Significant Opportunity For Development On A Strategic Scale At Denby (2012) This document, which was published for consultation from February to April 2012, followed a response to the ‘Options for Housing Growth consultation in respect of the option of a new settlement, suggested that land at Cinderhill, Denby could have the potential for development on a strategic scale, as part of the overall requirement for housing growth. A summary of the key issues raised through responses to consultation on the above documents is set out at Appendix E. The development of the Preferred Growth Strategy has taken into account all of the responses received in relation to these previous Core Strategy consultation documents. 4 3. The Vision for Amber Valley The Borough Council’s Vision for Amber Valley, as set out in its 2012-15 Corporate Improvement Plan, is:- ‘Making Everywhere In Amber Valley A Great Place To Live’. The significant contribution that spatial planning can make to achieving this Vision has been recognised in previous Core Strategy consultation documents, through the establishment of a Core Strategy Vision stating that:- ‘By 2028, Amber Valley will have healthy, vibrant and sustainable communities with a wide range of quality facilities and services for all sectors of the population. Residents will enjoy a excellent quality of life and the Borough will be an attractive place for people to live, work and visit. These communities will be safe and all will be able to live and visit these areas without the fear of crime.’ Establishing the scale of housing growth up to 2028 and identifying a number of strategic sites that can make a significant contribution towards this growth will need to reflect the Core Strategy Vision. 4. The Preferred Growth Strategy Establishing The Scale Of Housing Growth Following the consultation in 2011 on the ‘Options For Housing Growth’, the local planning authorities within the Derby Housing Market Area jointly commissioned a Housing Requirements Study for the Derby HMA. In response to the findings of the Housing Requirements Study, the Derby HMA authorities have agreed a figure for the scale of housing growth up to 2028 and how this growth should be distributed within the respective local authority areas within the Derby Housing Market Area. The agreed position is for a minimum of 33,700 dwellings within the Derby Housing Market Area between 2008 and 2028, of which 9,000 dwellings would be provided within Amber Valley. A summary of the findings of the Housing Requirements Study and how the scale and distribution of housing growth was calculated are set out at Appendix B. 5 In planning for 9,000 additional dwellings in Amber Valley, the Borough Council needs to take into account the following:- • Completed dwellings since 2008 • Existing planning permissions for housing as at 1/4/12 • Sites already allocated for housing in the adopted Local Plan that have not yet come forward for development • Making an allowance for housing on land which cannot be readily identified in advance (known as ‘windfall’) The table at Appendix C shows that in total, around 4,600 dwellings can be expected to come forward up to 2028. This means that the Borough Council needs to identify additional sites to provide around 4,400 dwellings, in order to meet the requirement for 9,000 dwellings up to 2028. Maximizing the Use of Brownfield Land The table at Appendix C shows that a significant proportion of the housing development already completed or with planning permission, as well as that expected to come forward on sites already allocated in the Local Plan and through ‘windfall’, will be on previously developed or brownfield land. This reflects the Council’s continuing emphasis on maximising development on brownfield land, including by reducing the number of empty properties and bringing these back into use for housing where appropriate. However, given the scale of housing need up to 2028 and the decreasing opportunities that will be available to secure development on brownfield land, it is inevitable that greenfield sites will need to be identified for housing development. Re-using Empty Properties The Council has identified reducing the number of empty properties within the Borough as a key priority. Leaving property empties can attract nuisance and anti-social behaviour, depreciate in value and reduce the value of surrounding homes, cause problems to adjoining property and, in the case of empty residential properties, is a waste of the housing stock. The Council actively seeks out empty properties so they can be brought back into use for residential purposes and help to reduce the need for increasing the housing stock by building new properties. The NPPF emphasises that local authorities should identify and bring back into residential use empty housing and buildings in line with local housing and empty homes strategies. 6 The Preferred Locations For Housing Growth There are a number of factors which the Borough Council needs to take into account in determining the most appropriate locations to accommodate the remaining requirement for around 4,400 dwellings in Amber Valley up to 2028. The East Midlands Regional Plan (EMRP) 2009, which requires the provision of 10,200 of dwellings from 2006 to 2026, of which at least 600 should be provided in the Derby Principal Urban Area (PUA). Elsewhere in Amber Valley, the EMRP requires growth to take place primarily at the four market towns of Alfreton, Belper, Heanor and Ripley. Although the Localism Act which is now enacted includes the revocation of Regional Plans, this has not yet taken place. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires local planning authorities to boost significantly the supply of housing by: • using their evidence base to ensure that their Local Plan meets the full, objectively assessed needs for the market and affordable housing in the housing market area, including identifying key sites which