Growth and Spatial Options Report of Consultation June 2021
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Monmouthshire Replacement Local Development Plan Growth and Spatial Options Report of Consultation June 2021 Monmouthshire County Council Replacement Local Development Plan Growth and Spatial Options Report of Consultation June 2021 Planning Policy Service Monmouthshire County Council County Hall, Rhadyr, Usk, Monmouthshire NP15 1GA Tel: 01633 644429 Email: [email protected] Contents Page 1. Introduction 1 2. Growth Options Report of Consultation 5 3. Spatial Options Report of Consultation 20 4. Summary of other comments not directly related to the Growth and 29 Spatial Options Consultation questions Monmouthshire Replacement Local Development Plan Growth and Spatial Options Report of Consultation (June 2021) 1 Introduction Background 1.1 The Council is preparing a Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP) for Monmouthshire (excluding the part of the County that is within the Brecon Beacons National Park). The RLDP will identify where and how much new development will take place during the ‘Plan period’ (2018-2033). It will allocate land for development, identify areas to be protected, and contain policies to guide decisions on applications for planning permission. We aim to adopt the RLDP in autumn 2023. 1.2 In January 2021, the Council published a Growth and Spatial Options Paper for a four- week non-statutory consultation period. We originally consulted on a range of growth and spatial options in the summer of 2019, however, due to the publication of the Welsh Government 2018-based population and household projections the decision was made to revisit this stage of the Plan process. The Welsh Government population and household projections form the starting point for the RLDP evidence on growth levels, onto which policy choices can be added as needed, for example to ensure that the County’s identified issues are addressed, objectives met and vision achieved. The publication of the Welsh Government 2018-based population and household projections in August 2020 comprise important new evidence that requires consideration to ensure that the evidence base for the RLDP is robust and based in the most up to date information. Consequently, the Growth and Spatial Options stage of the Plan process has been revisited. 1.3 Purpose of this paper 1.3.1 The purpose of this report is to record the comments received in response to the non- statutory engagement/consultation undertaken on the Growth and Spatial Options Consultation Paper (December 2020) which allowed residents and interested stakeholders an opportunity to consider how much growth is needed over the Plan period and broadly where the growth should go. The consultation took place over a 4-week period between January and February 2021. Notification of the consultation, inviting comments, was sent to the statutory and other consultees, agents and individuals on the RLDP consultation database. 1.3.2 The consultation and engagement arrangements undertaken were revised in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and reflected the Coronavirus Regulations (2020) and Ministerial advice1. Increased digital involvement was therefore used to offer an 1 Minister for Housing and Local Government Letter to Local Authority Leaders and Chief Executives National Park Authority Chief Executives – Planning System and Covid19 – 7th July 2020. 1 Monmouthshire Replacement Local Development Plan Growth and Spatial Options Report of Consultation (June 2021) opportunity to engage with Officers on the Options Paper. Consultation and engagement took place via: . Two consultation webinars open to all to attend – 6pm, 14th January (84 views in total – 69 live and 14 via the recorded link) and 2pm, 20th January 2021 (87 views – 82 live and 5 viewed via the recorded link). Making all relevant information available on the Council’s website including an Easy Read version and an animation to explain the different options. Planning Policy Officer virtual attendance at the Town and Community Council Engagement Meeting – 21st January 2021. A Members’ Workshop – 8th December 2020 (hosted by the Economy & Development Select Committee). Scrutiny by Economy & Development Select Committee on 10th December 2020. Internal discussions within the Council through Development Management Team (DMT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Notifying all parties on the RLDP database of the consultation (49 letters and 714 emails notifications were sent). 1.2.3 As a result of the non-statutory consultation and engagement a total of 105 responses were received. These have been summarised and grouped by the growth or spatial option that they relate to. A Council response to each of the general themes of comments submitted is provided, reflecting the strategic nature of this non-statutory consultation stage. A copy of all representations received is available to view on the Council’s website via the following link: GSO questions for database with general comments (5).pdf 1.2.4 The consultation responses received in relation to the Growth and Spatial Options Consultation Paper (December 2020) have been considered as part of this report and helped to inform the preparation of the Preferred Strategy. The Growth and Spatial Options Background Paper (June 2021) complements this Report of Consultation and adds further analysis of the options considered, including the extent to which they achieve the RLDP objectives and their performance against the Initial Sustainability Appraisal (ISA) themes. Growth Options 1.2.5 Section 2 of this report summarises the views expressed in relation to the alternative Growth Options presented on how much Monmouthshire should grow over the Plan period of 2018-2033. 1.2.6 Six growth option scenarios were consulted upon, each with different outcomes in terms of population, dwellings, jobs and households. The Growth and Spatial Options Paper sets out details for each option on the number of new homes and the number 2 Monmouthshire Replacement Local Development Plan Growth and Spatial Options Report of Consultation (June 2021) of people in the workforce, as well as implication for the age structure of the County. In addition to the initial modelling, all six options have been the subject of additional testing to establish the impact on demography, dwellings, household formation and employment of an affordable-housing policy-led strategy. Full details of the modelling and sensitivity assumptions are set out in the Edge Analytics Demographic Evidence Report (November 2020) and Affordable Housing Report (November 2020)2. 1.2.7 A summary of all the growth options considered in the preparation of the Preferred Strategy is set out in Table 1. A summary of the responses received in relation to the Growth Options and the Council’s response is set out in Section 2. Table 1: Summary of Growth Options Growth Option Additional Homes Additional jobs by 2033 by 2033 Option 1 – Balanced Migration (Demographic) -255 -1,800 Option 2 – Welsh Government 2018-based +3,930 +3,120 Principal Projection (Demographic) Option 3 – Welsh Government 2018-based +4,770 +3,975 Principal Projection with added policy assumptions (Demographic) Option 4 – Dwelling-led Average (Dwelling) +6,030 +5,460 Option 5 – Population-led projection +7,605 +7,215 (Demographic) Option 6 – Employment-led projection +9,060 +9,630 (Employment) Spatial Options 1.2.8 Section 3 of this report summarises the views expressed in relation to the alternative Spatial Options presented in the consultation paper on how growth could be distributed within Monmouthshire. Four spatial options were selected for consultation each providing a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each spatial option, along with a map to portray a spatial illustration, and consideration of the extent to which they will achieve the RLDP’s objectives. 1.2.9 A summary of all the spatial options considered in the preparation of the Preferred Strategy is set out in Table 2. A summary of the responses received in relation to the spatial options and the Council’s response is set out in Section 3. 2 Edge Analytics Demographic Report and Affordable Housing Evidence Addendum Report can be viewed via: https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/planning-policy/development-of-an-evidence-base/ 3 Monmouthshire Replacement Local Development Plan Growth and Spatial Options Report of Consultation (June 2021) Table 2: Summary of Spatial Options Spatial Option Brief Description Option 1: Distribute development around the County with a particular focus on Continuation of Main Towns3, some development in Severnside4 and some development the Existing in the most sustainable rural areas to enable provision of affordable LDP Strategy housing throughout the County. New residential development to be accompanied by new employment opportunities, where possible. Option 2: Distribute growth proportionately across Primary Settlements, Distribute Secondary Settlements, Severnside and those Rural Settlements Growth identified as having capacity for growth and/or in need of development Proportionately to sustain them, including, a small amount of development in the most across the sustainable Rural Settlements to bring forward affordable housing. County’s most Sustainable Settlements5 Option 3: Focus Growth would be predominantly located in the South of the County in on M4 corridor the Severnside area close to the M4/M48, to capitalise on its strategic links to the Cardiff Capital Region and South West England, existing economic opportunities and regional infrastructure connections, including via the South Wales Main rail