Report of Local Plan Inquiry 1 16 March 2009 FINALISED DRAFT WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LOCAL PLAN
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SECTION CONTENTS PAGE 1 Introduction 1 2 Summary of Recommendations and Proposed Modifications 5 3 General Conclusions 13 GREEN BELT POLICY 4 Green Belt Policy and Review and Areas of Open Space 17 5 Dalmuir Wedge, Clydebank 27 6 Great Western Road, Clydebank 37 GREEN BELT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES 7 Clydebank and District Golf Course, Clydebank 43 8 Auchinleck Road, Hardgate, Clydebank 47 9 Duntiglennan Farm, Duntocher, Clydebank 51 10 Carleith Farm, Duntocher, Clydebank 55 11 Dumbuckhill, Dumbarton 60 12 North and South of A82, Strathleven, Dumbarton 64 13 Stirling Road, Bonhill 67 GENERAL REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES 14 Erskine Ferry Road, Old Kilpatrick 71 15 Bowling Basins, Bowling 74 16 Dumbuck Warehouses, Dumbarton 82 17 Bank Street and Kippen Dairy Alexandria 85 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES 18 Industrial/Business Policies 89 19 Rothesay Dock, Clydebank 90 20 Former Esso Site, Bowling 96 21 Castlegreen Street, Dumbarton 97 22 Sandpoint Marina, Dumbarton 102 23 Main Street, Jamestown 106 SECTION CONTENTS PAGE HOUSING POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES 24 General Housing Policy 109 25 Social Housing Policy 111 26 Crosslet House, Dumbarton 113 27 Levenbank Terrace, Jamestown 118 TOWN CENTRES AND RETAILING 28 Town Centres and Retailing 121 29 Dumbarton Town Centre 131 30 Clyde Retail Park, Clydebank 141 ENVIRONMENT 31 Environmental Policies 144 32 Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries 146 33 Cochno Waterworks, Clydebank 150 34 Dalreoch Quarry, Dumbarton 154 OTHER MATTERS 35 Policies for Open Space and Recreation 157 36 Waste Management and Water Quality 160 37 Clarence Street, Clydebank 162 APPENDICES Appendix 1 i Appendix 2 ii Appendix 3 ix Appendix 4 x FINALISED DRAFT WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LOCAL PLAN 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 West Dunbartonshire Council published the Finalised Draft West Dunbartonshire Local Plan (hereinafter generally referred to as the “local plan”) in August 2007. The local plan written statement is structured into several sections, comprising the background to the plan which is set out in an introduction, the development strategy, the key policies and then sections which deal with separate subject matters these being general development, economic development, housing, town centres and retailing, transport, environment, open space and recreation, public services, development control, flooding and implementation. Within these separate sections, relevant policies and development opportunities are set out, together with supporting text and the reasoned justification for the policies. There is also a technical supplement at the end of the local plan. 1.2 The proposals map comprises a key policies map (showing the whole of the local plan area) and separate maps for Clydebank, Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven. An environmental report has been prepared under the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004, which provides a strategic environmental assessment of all the policies and development opportunities included in the local plan. 1.3 Following publication of the local plan objections were received, and these objections were considered by the council, following which a number of pre-inquiry modifications were agreed. These are set out in a separate document dated May 2008. Following continued negotiation with objectors, a number of further pre-inquiry modifications were agreed and these are set out in a report dated October 2008. 1.4 West Dunbartonshire Council appointed me to hold a Public Local Inquiry (hereinafter generally referred to as “the inquiry”) into the sustained objections made to the local plan, and pre-inquiry modifications, and to submit a report of that inquiry to the council. A pre-inquiry meeting was held on 26 August 2008, and a programme was set out for the inquiry and revised as appropriate in the lead up to the inquiry. The inquiry was held between 18 November 2008 and 1 December 2008. All of the inquiry sessions took the form of an informal hearing and in addition to the objections being considered at the inquiry, a significant proportion of the objections has proceeded on the basis of written submissions only. This report constitutes my report of inquiry to the council, and considers all of the sustained objections whether proceeding by inquiry or by written submissions. Appendix 1 gives a list of all the persons appearing at the inquiry. 1.5 For consistency, the structure of my report is based on the order of the topics set out in the summary of the objections and the council’s response thereto which has been prepared by the council, circulated to objectors for agreement and placed on the council’s web site. In this respect, specific sites are generally (though not exclusively) placed under the topic reflecting the site’s current status in the local plan. The sequence under each topic is however based upon location (Clydebank, Dumbarton and Vale of Leven) rather than objection number. In addition, I have grouped related objections together in a single section of my report where possible, and where the objections within a specific section of my report relate to more than one subject matter, I have included that section within the structure of the report according to what I consider is most logical in the circumstances. The order of my consideration of the objections does not imply that any priority is being given to particular objections considered. Report of Local Plan Inquiry 1 16 March 2009 FINALISED DRAFT WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LOCAL PLAN 1.6 Following on from the above, the structure of my report is as follows: • Green Belt Policy • Green Belt Development Opportunities • General Redevelopment Opportunities • Economic Development Policy and Development Opportunities • Housing Policy and Development Opportunities • Town Centres and Retailing • Environment • Other Matters 1.7 For each section of the report, background information and a site description where appropriate is included. There then follows the summary of the case for the objectors, and the council’s response. This is entirely based on the summary provided by the council (paragraph 1.5 above). However, I have in some cases further explained the case on behalf of objectors where I consider this necessary to ensure that the objection is fully understood, and I have made some alterations to the text in the interests of providing clarity. I would also mention that the order of summarising objections within each section is what I consider to be most logical in the circumstances, and this also does not imply any priority whatsoever. Objectors are grouped where appropriate in the text. 1.8 My conclusions and recommendations (including proposed modifications to the plan that I ask the council to consider) are then set out based upon the evidence submitted. If the council agrees to the proposed modifications, there may be other consequential changes that are referred to wherever it is considered appropriate. However, such references are not comprehensive, and I leave this matter for the further consideration of the council. I would also emphasise here that if I indicate that there is insufficient evidence to justify a particular conclusion on any matter referred to in my report, this is strictly related to the evidence submitted to the inquiry or contained in the written submissions and documents before the inquiry. Where I refer to specific sites for housing or other development in my report, these generally refer to sites listed (or being proposed for listing by objectors) within the various schedules of development opportunities set out in the local plan. 1.9 Consideration was given to the possibility of a session of the inquiry devoted to strategic local plan issues including housing land and the review of the green belt; these matters being relevant to a significant number of objections. However, given the relatively small proportion of objections proceeding at the inquiry, on balance it was considered unnecessary to hold such a session. These matters were therefore raised as appropriate in relation to individual policy or site specific objections. I would also mention in passing that where the green belt review is referred to in my report, this relates primarily to the landscape assessment of the green belt undertaken on behalf of the council by Ironside Farrar, which is essentially the culmination of the green belt review and I understand supersedes earlier work undertaken by council officers. 1.10 Notwithstanding the above, and in order to avoid the repetition of my consideration of these matters in numerous sections, I have decided to set out more general conclusions about housing land and the green belt review in a separate section at the beginning of my report. I have also set out general conclusions relating to the Antonine Wall in this section. These conclusions relate to multiple objections and different sites being examined, and are carried forward to the relevant sections of my report and expanded Report of Local Plan Inquiry 2 16 March 2009 FINALISED DRAFT WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LOCAL PLAN upon where appropriate. The conclusions are of course derived entirely from the evidence submitted to the inquiry, or raised within written submissions. 1.11 Following agreement with the council, this report is submitted in a concise form. In particular, in the interests of providing a user-friendly report, and in the context of paragraph 54 of the Code of Practice for Local Plan Inquiries, I have kept the background and site descriptions very concise (maps assist with the latter and are referred to in paragraph 1.14 below) and the case for objectors and the council’s response to a summary of the main points of evidence, which are (subject to the revisions referred to in paragraph 1.7 above) essentially as prepared by the council and included on the web site. 1.12 However, I would emphasise that account has been taken of all the evidence submitted to the inquiry, including the written submissions that have been made, and the documents that have been lodged.