North Herts District Council Infrastructure Delivery Plan to Support the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011
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North Herts District Council Infrastructure Delivery Plan to support the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011 - 2031 September 2016 Prepared by Rob Shipway. RS Regeneration, on behalf of North Herts District Council 2 Table of Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................. 4 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 5 2. Profile of North Hertfordshire .......................................................................... 9 3. Context and approach .................................................................................... 12 4. The Local Plan Growth Strategy .................................................................... 21 5. Transport ......................................................................................................... 28 6. Education including extended schools ........................................................ 56 7. Healthcare ....................................................................................................... 72 8. Social Infrastructure ....................................................................................... 86 9. Emergency Services ....................................................................................... 99 10. Green Infrastructure ..................................................................................... 103 11. Waste and Recycling .................................................................................... 108 12. Utilities ........................................................................................................... 111 13. Infrastructure Funding & Delivery ............................................................... 125 Appendix 1 - Infrastructure Delivery Schedule ................................................ 133 3 Foreword This Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) as a document seeks to identify all relevant infrastructure needs that are anticipated over the whole plan period from this point starting forward and which can clearly be related to growth, so that there is clear evidence that such need is both known and actively being planned for. The content of this IDP is based on the potential implications of infrastructure need arising from meeting the district’s growth needs to 2031 together with any relevant development taking place in adjoining districts that might have significant infrastructure implications for North Herts. This is the basis that the figure of the circa 14,400 new dwellings is set out in Chapter 4 (Local Growth Strategy) to this report is arrived at1. The infrastructure needs set out in chapters 5 to 12 and the projects set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Schedule in Appendix 1 are based on this figure. Identifying infrastructure need over such a long period – up to 15 years – is by no means a straightforward matter, however. Few infrastructure providers are actively planning over so lengthy a timeframe and for that reason alone, the identification of needs in the later years of the plan period include a degree of speculation. More than this, however, the precise nature of what is needed in a range of services – indeed, perhaps all services – has and most probably will be in a constant state of flux. This is influenced by a range of factors such as changes in demographics and movements into and out of local communities, the power and influence of new technology and new arrangements for planning and delivering structure – not forgetting also that expectations of what communities feel they need to be provided with – is also constantly shifting. To this mix must be added the historic infrastructure that has been identified but never provided – what some call the infrastructure deficit. IDPs are rightly focused on what infrastructure is needed to make the emerging plan work and cannot expect to right past wrongs in terms of historic failures to provide what has been judged as necessary. However, the impact of already congested roads, underinvestment in health facilities and oversubscribed schools, for instance, cannot and must not be ignored. What this IDP hopefully achieves is the presentation of a balanced, well considered view of future needs related to Plan activities and how they can be carefully planned, adequately funded and delivered in a timely fashion. The additional benefit arising out of such a document is that it allows all those with an interest in infrastructure provision to stake stock and plan successful strategies to ensure that these needs become a reality. 1 The emerging strategy tested through this IDP was defined in advance of final decisions being taken on the sites and targets included in the draft Local Plan. 4 1. Introduction 1.1 The National Planning Policy Framework states that the planning system should “pro- actively drive and support sustainable economic development to deliver homes, business and industrial units, infrastructure and thriving local places that the country needs.” 1.2 Over the plan period from 2011 - 2031 North Herts district is currently and will continue to be focus of substantial housing and employment growth, which will result in increased pressure on local infrastructure, services and facilities. Given this, it is crucial that new infrastructure is provided, to support the delivery of new homes and jobs, and create sustainable and inclusive communities. Purpose of the IDP 1.3 The purpose of any IDP is to identify the infrastructure requirements arising out of an authority's Local Plan over the entire plan period, considering also the cost, timing, potential funding mechanisms and responsibilities for delivery. Those requirements will tend to be focused on the needs associated with housing growth, but also need to take into account the implications of other site allocations (particularly employment site requirements) and other local plan policies. 1.4 Infrastructure planning is a key part of the local plan in helping to demonstrate how its policies and site allocations can be delivered. Whilst it will not necessary provide a complete answer to all questions relating to this issue, it does allow the key challenges to be defined and the opportunities to be considered. 1.5 This process of defining infrastructure needs is one that involves the local planning authority working closely with infrastructure providers to determine requirements over time. Such engagement is an important process in itself as it will: enable infrastructure providers to give proper consideration on the scale, nature and location of growth, information which they can then factor into other elements of their service planning work encourage such providers to think beyond the relatively short term and also less parochially and more holistically (to see their infrastructure planning work in a wider context) alert them as to the available public funding opportunities (such as section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)) and the opportunities that will exist to secure access to it 1.6 The Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) seeks to establish what additional infrastructure is required to support growth within the district from March 2016 to 2031. [As noted elsewhere in the document, the IDP is concerned with infrastructure needs going forward, not historic need associated with growth that has already taken place, so whilst the Local Plan covers the period 2011- 2031, a cut-off date on March 31st 2016 has been selected, and this document examines infrastructure need from that date until the end of the plan period – 2031] 1.7 Further to this, the IDP aims to: Review existing infrastructure provision in the district and identify gaps in provision 5 Set out what infrastructure is required to support growth, where the infrastructure is needed and when it should be delivered Detail the costs associated with the provision of infrastructure items in the district, identify potential funding sources, and highlight gaps in funding, where known Identify mechanisms for delivering infrastructure and outline the key stakeholders involved in the delivery process 1.8 A schedule of infrastructure projects required to support the delivery of the Council's Local Plan can be found in Appendix 1. What the IDP represents 1.9 It is important from the outset to set out precisely what an IDP represents (and equally what it does not). 1.10 The IDP is part of the evidence base to support the emerging Local Plan and therefore is required to be compatible with it. Its purpose is to identify the infrastructure requirements arising out of that plan over the entire plan period, considering as it does so the cost, timing, potential funding mechanisms and responsibilities for delivery. 1.11 The IDP is not a policy document, but instead responds to plan policies. Judgements about whether the policies and strategies that give rise to the infrastructure identified in the IDP are the appropriate ones are matters for the local plan; the IDP simply tracks any policy changes through subsequent iterations. The IDP should therefore be judged on whether the infrastructure that responds to local plan policies has been appropriately and accurately identified. 1.12 Finally, and critically, the IDP is concerned with the infrastructure needs arising from growth as set out in the Local Plan, and not about addressing any perceived deficiencies and/or underinvestment in the infrastructure currently provided. Furthermore, the