APPENDIX 5
Foreword
This Re-Deposit Draft Local Plan marks a step change in the delivery of Planning Policies for the District of West Lancashire. Planning in Britain is undergoing fundamental changes at national, regional and local levels. West Lancashire is one of the first Districts nationally to produce a Draft Local Plan incorporating the new principles that are emerging. This Plan is very much written in the style of the new Local Development Frameworks that will be required in coming months.
The Re-Deposit Draft version of this Plan is extremely important for the future of the District. We have included many of the comments and ideas emerging from the Issues consultation in late 2001 and early 2002. The community's views are therefore very important and I would encourage everybody to consider the Draft Plan's contents and participate in the consultation exercise. Clearly, we cannot incorporate everybody's views working within national, regional and sub-regional policy but we will carefully consider each and every response.
This document has only been made possible through the hard work of Council Officers, under the direction of Steve Byron, Executive Manager Planning and Development Services. I would also like to thank all Members of the Council involved in formulating this Draft Plan particularly the work of the Local Plan Commission.
If you require any assistance or further information please do not hesitate to contact the Planning Policy Team who will be pleased to help and whose details are provided on the next page.
Councillor Ian Grant
Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Planning Policy,
Contacts
Contact and Position Direct Line and Email Address Peter Bradford 01695 585166 Planning Policy Manager [email protected] Ian Gill 01695 585192 Assistant Planning Policy [email protected] Manager Jonathan Noad 01695 585194 Principal Planning Officer [email protected] Paul Hatch 01695 585284 Senior Planning Officer [email protected] Janine Argent
Trainee Planning Assistant Contact Centre: 01695 577177 Out of Hours Answer phone: 01695 585284 Email: [email protected] Website: www.westlancsdc.gov.uk/localplan Planning and Development Services West Lancashire District Council PO Box 16 Address: 52 Derby Street Ormskirk Lancashire L39 2DF
West Lancashire
Replacement Local Plan
Written Statement Deposit Draft April 2004
Contents
Foreword
Contacts
Chapter 1:
Purpose of the Local Plan
Format of the Local Plan
Planning Context
Your Chance to Comment
Relationship to Other Development Plans
Other Relevant Strategies and Plans
Part 1 - Core Strategy
Chapter 2: Development Strategy Policies
A Vision for West Lancashire
DS1 Location of Development
DS2 Protecting the Green Belt
DS3 Safeguarded Land
DS4 Open Land on the Urban Fringe
Chapter 3: General Development Policies
GD1 Design of Development
GD2 Developer Contributions to Infrastructure
GD3 Development of Contaminated Land
Part 2 - Policies and Proposals
Chapter 4: Policies for Protecting the Environment
EN1 Biodiversity
EN2 Protection of Agricultural Land
EN3 Coastal Zone
EN4 Conservation Areas
EN5 Buildings of Historic Importance
EN6 Archaeological Heritage
EN7 Protection of Historic Parks and Gardens
EN8 Green Spaces
EN9 Protection of Trees and Woodlands
EN10 Flood Risk
EN11 Protection of Groundwater Resources
Chapter 5: Development & Economy Policies
DE1 Residential Development
DE2 Whalleys, Skelmersdale
DE3 Affordable Housing Development
DE4 Caravan Sites for Gypsies and Travelling Show People
DE5 Employment Development
DE6 The Rural Economy
DE7 Agricultural Produce Packing Facilities
DE8 Temporary Accommodation for Seasonal Agricultural/Horticultural Workers
DE9 Removal of Agricultural Workers Dwelling Conditions
DE10 Retail and Other Town Centre Development
DE11 Skelmersdale Town Centre
DE12 Ormskirk Town Centre DE13 Business and Office Development
DE14 Development Opportunity Sites
DE15 Tourism Development
DE16 Advertisements
Chapter 6: Social & Community Policies
SC1 Sports, Recreational, Leisure and Cultural Facilities
SC2 Proposed Informal Recreation Facilities
SC3 Linear Parks
SC4 Educational Facilities
SC5 Health Facilities
SC6 Roads
SC7 Public Transport
SC8 Cycling and Walking Facilities
SC9 Infrastructure, Services and Utilities
SC10 Telecommunications
SC11 Renewable Energy
SC12 Cemeteries and Crematoria
Part 3 - Appendices and Action Plans
Appendix A: Monitoring and Targets
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Chapter 1: Introduction
West Lancashire 2001 - 2016
Purpose of the Local Plan
1.1 Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004) West Lancashire District Council is required to produce and maintain an up to date District Wide Development Plan. The Plan will direct and control development within West Lancashire between the years of 2001 and 2016. This document provides a version of the Plan which is produced specifically for public consultation. The document is put out to consultation (placed on deposit) for a statutory period of six weeks during which time people are welcome to comment on its contents.
Format of the Local Plan
1.2 Over the past two years there have been wide ranging changes proposed to the Planning system with significant effects on Development Plans. Current Structure Plans, Local Plans, and Unitary Development Plans are to be abolished and replaced by a single tier Local Development Framework (LDF). Guidance on the format of the new LDFs is only emerging as we produce this replacement Local Plan. This replacement Local Plan has been prepared along the lines of what is proposed for the new LDFs. There has been a clear aim in the production of this Plan to reduce the number of policies and make the Plan more succinct and user friendly.
1.3 The Plan is divided into three key sections taking on board the principles of Local Development Frameworks. Part One the "Core Strategy" provides the overall vision for the Plan based on Regional Planning Guidance, the emerging Lancashire Structure Plan and other key documents such as the West Lancashire Community Strategy. This provides the Plan's aims and objectives and will guide all development in the District. Part Two provides the detailed "Policies and Proposals" which deal with specific forms and types of development as well as allocating land for certain types of development such as housing or employment uses. NB. The policies in the Plan are not mutually exclusive and any planning application will be judged against all relevant policies. Finally, Part Three contains background information in more detail in the form of Appendices, including targets.
Planning Context
1.4 West Lancashire is the southern most District of the County of Lancashire bordering the conurbations of Greater Manchester and Merseyside. The population of the District in 1991 was 107,978. This rose slightly to 108,377 by 2001. Approximately one third of the population lives in Skelmersdale (2001 population 34,550) but the District also contains the towns of Ormskirk/Aughton (2001 population 26,785 includes Downholland and Great Altcar) and Burscough (2001 population 8,668) as well as many villages. The District covers an area of 34,688 hectares containing a large proportion of the best and most versatile agricultural land.1a Lancashire. It is bordered by the Ribble Estuary to the north and the Borough of Sefton to the west. The Metropolitan Boroughs of Knowsley and St. Helens lie to the south with Wigan, Chorley and South Ribble to the east. 1.5 This Plan is based upon two important strategic planning documents for the area. These are the Regional Planning Guidance for the North West and the Deposit Draft Lancashire Structure Plan. Both documents' strategies aim to strongly resist the past trend of people moving out of the Greater Manchester and Merseyside Metropolitan Areas into Lancashire.
1.6 The regional context for the Plan is contained in Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG) published in March 2003. The overriding aim is to promote sustainable patterns of development and physical change. The Spatial Development Framework of the RPG focuses new development and urban renaissance resources in the North West Metropolitan Area stretching from Merseyside to Greater Manchester and including Skelmersdale but excluding the rest of West Lancashire.
1.7 At the sub-regional level the Lancashire Structure Plan 2001-2016 provides the context for the Local Plan. This Structure Plan provides strategic guidance for the years up to 2016. The Local Plan must conform to the Structure Plan which seeks to restrain development in most parts of West Lancashire apart from the main settlements where varying levels of development will be allowed. Skelmersdale is identified as a regeneration priority area where development should be provided at a level which would support it's role as a key centre for public transport, employment and services as well as supporting regeneration of the town. Ormskirk and Burscough are identified as market towns where development should be allowed to support and enhance their roles as service centres and public transport hubs for the surrounding villages and rural areas.
Your Chance to Comment
1.8 The Council put a great amount of effort into involving all interested people and organisations in the discussion of the issues which need to be taken into account in the preparation of the development framework for the District. A Statement of Community Involvement has been prepared and accompanies this Plan. This details the standards we have set ourselves for consultation.
1.9 The policies in this Plan set out how the Council believes the vision will be achieved over the next decade or so. They have been formulated to follow Government Guidance, Regional Planning Guidance for the North West, and the Deposit Draft Lancashire Structure Plan. The Plan at this stage is in draft form to enable everyone to make their views known before it is finally adopted. You are invited to submit your comments on the forms provided to the Planning Policy Section of West Lancashire District Council before 5pm on Thursday 24th February 2004. Any comments received after this date cannot be considered.
Relationship to Other Development Plans
1.10 Once it is adopted this Plan will replace the current West Lancashire Local Plan which was adopted in December 1999.
1.11 The County Council has prepared a Minerals and Waste Disposal Local Plan over a similar timescale to the West Lancashire Local Plan. This contains policies relating to mineral extraction and waste disposal throughout Lancashire. The West Lancashire Local Plan does not contain any policies on these matters to avoid any misunderstanding.
Other Relevant Strategies and Plans West Lancashire District Council's Corporate Objectives
1.12 On 23rd July 2003, the Council confirmed the vision and priorities that are shared by the Council and community alike:-
Our Vision:-
'Putting CUSTOMER SERVICES FIRST - building a community second to none'.
Our Priorities (with priority given to the first 4 listed):-
* Protecting and improving the environment;
* Combating crime and the fear of crime;
* Providing opportunities for leisure and culture;
* Improving access to and satisfaction with our services;
* Improving housing and ensuring that there is affordable housing available for local people;
* Improving the health of local communities;
* Working to create good quality jobs for local people;
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003-2006
1.13 A Community Strategy was published by the West Lancashire Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) in March 2003. This Strategy was prepared by the local community for the local community. The LSP consists of representatives of public, private and voluntary organisations. As many people as possible were involved in preparing the draft document and consultation on the draft took place in winter 2002/3. A survey by the District Council in 2000 showed that 81% of people were very or fairly satisfied with life in their area. The strategy sets out the commitment that over the next ten years the members of the LSP will:-
· work together to improve and sustain the quality of life of our area · strive to ensure equality of opportunity and access to services; · seek to improve the life chances of everyone living and working in West Lancashire; and · foster thriving towns and vital rural areas where people choose to live, work and play.
Housing Strategy Statement
1.14 The District Council's Housing Strategy was adopted by the Council on 24th September 2003. The Strategy sets out the following priorities:-
· balancing West Lancashire's housing market; · achieving decent homes standard; · improve the supply and access to affordable housing across the District; · improving the standard of private sector housing; · meeting the housing needs of vulnerable people.
Community Safety Strategy
1.15 The West Lancashire Community Safety Strategy was published in April 2002, and was preceded by a Crime and Disorder Audit. The Audit enabled the Council to consult with the community, identify priorities and determine local solutions. Both processes are repeated every 3 years. The Strategy describes how we will tackle these issues.
1.16 The Council, together with Lancashire Constabulary and Lancashire County Council have specific responsibilities to address Community Safety under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, but many agencies from the public, private and voluntary sector also work together as a Partnership to combat crime and importantly the fear of crime in our community.
1.17 The Strategy consist of a number of Strategic Themes which have been prioritised as:-
· Reducing Drug and Alcohol abuse and their effects on the community. · Reducing the number of Road Traffic accidents resulting in death or serious injury. · Addressing Social and Environmental issues affecting young people. · Reducing Domestic Violence. · Reducing Anti-Social Behaviour and its effect on the community. · Reducing Domestic and Commercial Burglary.
Cultural Strategy
1.18 The Cultural Strategy is under preparation and will need to be taken account of in the next draft Plan.
Consultation and Community Engagement Strategy
1.19 The Council published its Consultation and Community Engagement Strategy in July 2001. The Strategy sets out how the Council intends to engage local communities over the next few years. The aims of the Strategy are to:-
· help ensure the services the Council provides offer best value · enhance the well-being of the District · enhance democracy and social inclusion.
Seven key initiatives are identified in the Strategy for the next three years including:-
· Establishing a Citizens' Panel · Introducing the Council meeting as an Assembly on an annual basis · Expanding electronic consultation · Developing a Community Strategy and Local Community Plans · Co-ordinating the consultation done by the Council.
The Strategy will be reviewed by Spring 2004. Heritage Conservation Strategy
1.20 The District Council's Heritage Conservation Strategy was adopted in 2003. The document complements "Heritage Conservation in Lancashire" published in 1999. The principal aims of the Strategy are:-
· To preserve and enhance the District's built heritage, archaeology and historic landscapes. · To promote and increase public awareness, knowledge and the enjoyment of the historic environment · To establish a sustainable approach to managing changes in our historic environment.
Its aims are:-
· To develop and maintain a comprehensive information base relating to all elements of the historic environment · To provide proper protection for the historic environment to ensure it is safeguarded for future generations · To provide sound 'conservation' advice and promote good practice and understanding of the historic environment · To encourage partnership working with other Local Authorities, national, regional and local heritage bodies, Parish Councils and the public on heritage issues · To identify and secure funding opportunities and initiatives which will help achieve the aims of the Strategy.
Regeneration Strategy
1.21 The Regeneration Strategy is in the early stages of preparation, and a first working draft document was tabled for members of the Local Strategic Partnership to consider at their meeting on 26th September 2003. Chapter 2: Development Strategy Policies
"Ensuring all development is sustainable"
A Vision for West Lancashire
2.1 The Vision for the Local Plan reflects strategic policy, public consultation on the Issues Paper, the Council's own vision and other key strategies. This involves a reduction in house building and a move towards a more sustainable pattern of development.
"Our Vision for West Lancashire in 2016 is that the District will be an attractive and affordable place to live containing sustainable communities where people have good access to quality jobs and services. This supports the Community Strategy Vision which is to make West Lancashire among the best, safest and greenest places to live in the Country,
with local services that are second to none"
Key Aims and Objectives
Flowing from this Vision the following key aims for the Local Plan have been identified:-
· Meet the development needs of the District with an emphasis on regenerating those areas of the District that have been in decline; · Ensure that any new development arising is done so in a sustainable way with least impact on the District's unique environment; · Make the District accessible and well provided for in terms of facilities and services Recognise the importance of business development to the West Lancashire economy.
2.2 In order to achieve these Aims we have identified the following objectives, which should underpin the Local Plan.
· Each area of the District should retain its own distinctive character through the protection of assets and good design of development. · The countryside should be protected from encroachment by resisting development in the Green Belt and on the other open land on the urban fringe. · Future development (such as housing, employment and community facilities) should be concentrated within the existing built up areas of Skelmersdale, Ormskirk, and Burscough. · Development should be attracted which creates more varied jobs for local people and existing jobs should be safeguarded. · The town centres of Skelmersdale, Ormskirk, and Burscough need to continue and expand their roles as the hubs of shopping, culture/leisure and service provision in our District. · In all other areas development is envisaged which consists of affordable housing for local people, the creation of community facilities, improved transport facilities, and small scale development which involves the provision of local services and/or creation of jobs. · Enhanced cultural, leisure and tourism related development should be located throughout the District provided that it adds to the local environmental quality. · There needs to be marked improvement to the visual quality of new development. Development should be designed to allow access for all and to reduce the risk and fear of crime. · People should be encouraged to use environmentally friendly modes of transport, through enhanced public transport, cycling and walking facilities. · The environment needs to be improved substantially in the following areas:- o Skelmersdale former New Town housing estates; o Burscough employment area; o Skelmersdale Town Centre; o Burscough Town Centre; o The Canal Corridor particularly in Burscough, Appley Bridge, Hesketh Bank & Tarleton; o The former rail corridor between Ormskirk and Skelmersdale.
Policy DS1 Location of Development
1. The majority of new housing, employment and retail development, other than that required to meet purely local needs, will be expected to be located in the regeneration priority area of Skelmersdale. Preference will be given to development on sites which are on previously developed land and are easily accessible to the town centres by public transport, cycling and pedestrian links.
2. Development will also be located in the market towns of Ormskirk/Aughton and Burscough. Development should be located wherever possible on previously developed sites and sites should be easily accessible to the service centres by public transport, cycling and pedestrian links.
3. Apart from proposals to replace existing houses on a one-for-one basis only small- scale development, preferably on previously developed sites, to meet an employment, community or social need and affordable housing to meet a local need, or accommodation to meet the specific needs of a section of the community, will be allowed within the following settlements:-
4. Appley Bridge; Banks; Parbold; Tarleton and Hesketh Bank; Up Holland; Crawford; Halsall; Haskayne; Hilldale; Holt Green; Mere Brow; Mossy Lea Road (Wrightington); Newburgh; Rufford; Scarisbrick/Bescar; Stanley Gate; Westhead; Tontine; Brown Edge/Pool Hey; Moss Road (Halsall); New Cut Lane (Halsall); Segars Lane (Halsall); and Blaguegate Lane/Firswood Road (Lathom).
5. Development will not be permitted on open spaces which are of value for recreation, nature conservation, historic landscape importance, landscape quality, visual amenity, and community or outdoor leisure related use, unless it is part of a scheme which provides an overall benefit to the local community in social, environmental and economic terms. 6. Pollution sensitive developments (housing, schools, hospitals etc.) shall not be located in close proximity to uses (including roads carrying high volumes of traffic) which could potentially cause pollution due to noise, hazard, emissions to atmosphere, smells, light spillage or other nuisance unless it can be shown that there would be no detrimental impact on the health or amenity of future occupiers, and that it would not harm the future operation of that potentially polluting use.
7. Potentially polluting development (including roads carrying high volumes of traffic) will only be located where it can be shown that it will not have a detrimental impact on surrounding land uses or be likely to prejudice the use of adjacent land by virtue of noise, hazard, emissions to atmosphere, smells or nuisance from any other feature of the proposal.
Justification of Policy DS1
2.3 This policy is aimed at delivering sustainable communities in accordance with the government's objectives set out in "Sustainable Communities - Delivering through Planning" (ODPM 2002). It directs all major development to the three main towns in West Lancashire which have the capacity to meet the future needs of the District. It also implements the regional and strategic objectives of the Regional Planning Guidance for the North West and the Draft Replacement Joint Lancashire Structure Plan.
2.4 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West identifies Skelmersdale as being within the North West Metropolitan Area and as a Regeneration Priority Area where wide ranging regeneration and environmental enhancement should be secured. For the purposes of this policy the regeneration priority area of Skelmersdale is defined as that area of Skelmersdale (not including Up Holland) excluded from the Green Belt.
2.5 The Draft Replacement Joint Lancashire Structure Plan supports development in Skelmersdale to support its role as a key centre for public transport, employment and services and to support regeneration.
2.6 The Draft Replacement Joint Lancashire Structure Plan identifies Ormskirk (including Aughton) and Burscough as market towns where development should be allowed. The aim is to support and enhance their roles as service centres and public transport hubs for the surrounding villages. Directing the majority of new development to the main towns will assist in developing the roles of the town centres and reduce the need for residents to travel long distances to reach local services.
2.7 The policy does however allow development to meet local needs or support rural regeneration in the villages outside of Skelmersdale, Ormskirk (including Aughton) and Burscough in accordance with the Draft Replacement Joint Lancashire Structure Plan. Accommodation to meet the specific needs of a community includes agricultural workers dwellings, or specialist provision for either the frail elderly, the disabled or people with a mental health problem, vulnerable young people (including children leaving care), or students. Such housing will only be taken to be ‘special needs’ housing where it is specifically designed and operated to house one of the groups described. For the avoidance of doubt, age restricted retirement homes and sheltered housing with a warden who offers assistance only intermittently, or in an emergency, would not constitute special needs housing
2.8 Development allowed by this policy should not destroy those features which are valued by the local community. Therefore, it should be directed to previously developed sites, rather than open spaces. In addition any development should avoid locating potentially polluting development in the vicinity of housing, schools and hospitals in line with the Council's objective of improving the health of local communities.
Background Documents for Policy DS1
Planning Policy Guidance Note 1 General Policy and Principles National Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future (ODPM 2003) Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy SD1 - The North West Metropolitan Area · Policy SD2 - Other Settlements in the North West Metropolitan
Area Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 1 - Development Framework · Policy 2 - Main Development Locations · Policy 4 - Development in Lancashire's Market Towns · Policy 5 - Development in Rural Areas
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local
Policy DS2 Protecting the Green Belt
Within the Green Belt, as shown on the Proposals Map:-
1. Planning permission will not be given except in very special circumstances for the erection of new buildings for purposes other than:-
(i) agriculture and forestry;
(ii) essential facilities for outdoor sport or recreation, for cemeteries or for other uses of the land which preserve the openness of the Green Belt and do not conflict with its purposes;
(iii) the limited replacement, extension or alteration of a dwelling;
(iv) very limited affordable housing for local needs if there are no sites available within areas excluded from the Green Belt.
2. Planning permission will not be given except in very special circumstances for changes of use of land, engineering or other operations unless they would maintain the openness of the land and would not conflict with the purposes of including land in Green Belt.
3 Replacement dwellings will only be allowed where:-
(i) the existing dwelling is constructed of brick, stone or a similar material, and specifically must not be a mobile home, caravan, or a temporary structure, and can be lawfully used for residential purposes;
(ii) the size of the replacement is not materially larger than the original dwelling to the extent that the building would detract from the openness of the Green Belt; and
(iii) it does not result in an increase in residential curtilage.
4 Limited extensions or alterations to existing dwellings will only be allowed where:-
(i) the extensions do not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original dwelling to the extent that the building would detract from the openness of the Green Belt; and
(ii) it does not result in an increase in residential curtilage. 5 The reuse of buildings in the Green Belt, other than for residential use, will be permitted provided that:-
(i) the proposed development has no materially greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the present use;
(ii) the character of building is of intrinsic value to the visual quality of the landscape and the conversion will retain or enhance that character;
(iii) the building is of substantial construction and is capable of conversion without major reconstruction or extension and;
(iv) the building is not an ancillary building located within the curtilage of an existing dwelling, which was erected for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of that dwelling.
6 The conversion of a rural building in the Green Belt for residential use will be considered where it meets a specific local need, or an identified local housing need in less remote locations, or where it can be demonstrated that the building is inherently unsuitable for any other use. Proposals for residential re-use should also meet the criteria set out in part 5 of this Policy.
7 All of the above developments, if permitted, will be subject to strict design control to maintain the openness and the visual amenity of the Green Belt.
Justification of Policy DS2
2.9 The Government is committed to the Green Belt and its objectives as signified by the advice contained in PPG2 "Green Belts", issued in January 1995.
2.10 Land within the Green Belt is not necessarily of special value in itself but its protection from development is regarded as important in order to fulfil the five purposes of including land in the Green Belt, as set out in PPG2, namely:-
· to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; · to prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another; · to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; · to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and · to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
2.11 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West states that the Green Belt's contribution to urban regeneration will remain of prime importance for the foreseeable future. Green Belt policy for the West Lancashire area is established in the Lancashire Structure Plan. Policy 2 of the Structure Plan establishes a Green Belt in "the whole of West Lancashire District". The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. Most types of built development, apart from those set out in the policy, are inappropriate in the Green Belt and will not be approved, except in very special circumstances. Essential facilities described in the policy should be genuinely required for uses of land, which preserve the openness of Green Belt and do not conflict with the purposes of including land in it. There will be very tight controls on the conversion of rural buildings in the Green Belt for residential use. The Council's preference is for employment or tourism uses. It would need to be demonstrated that the building would be unsuitable for any other use, before conversion to residential uses would be considered. The only exception to this, is where the change of use to residential would be in order to meet a specific local need (e.g. an agricultural worker) or for affordable housing where the building is not in a remote location. The Council will produce a SPG to explain this more fully. A building will not normally be considered capable of conversion under the terms of this policy if more than 20% of the elevation fabric (ie roof structure and facing walls) need to be replaced.
2.12 Supplementary Planning Guidance has been produced by the District Council to explain how it will interpret Policy DS2 in relation to the extension of residential properties in the Green Belt.
Background Documents for Policy DS2
Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 Green Belts National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy SD5 The Green Belts
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 6 Green Belts
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · West Lancashire Vision
Policy DS3 Safeguarded Land
The land identified on the Proposals Map at:-
1. Firswood Road, Lathom (approx 29ha) 2. Whalleys Road, Skelmersdale (approx 9ha) 3. Land at Liverpool Road South (approx 2.8ha)/Abbey Lane, Burscough 4. Land at Greaves Hall Avenue, Banks (approx 2.1ha)
5. White Moss East (approx 3.3ha)
6. White Moss (approx 8.5ha) will be safeguarded for development needs which may be identified for the years beyond 2016. These sites will only be considered for development after this date if there are no longer any other suitable sites within the urban area to meet any identified development needs. Planning permission will not be granted for development which would prejudice their development in the future.
In relation to land at Greaves Hall Avenue, Banks, employment development for light industrial or office uses will be considered upon completion of the Greaves Hall Business Park, allocated in Policy DE5.
Justification of Policy DS3 2.13 These areas of land lie on the edge of settlements which are surrounded by Green Belt. In order to ensure that the Green Belt boundary around these settlements remains unchanged at the end of the Plan period it is necessary to safeguard land for any development which may be needed beyond the year 2016. This will allow the Council to allocate any of these areas for development if a subsequent Local Plan review reveals a need for such allocations, and there are no suitable sites remaining within the existing settlement boundaries. This does not mean that all of the sites will come forward for development after 2016. Strong justification would be required to release any of them. In the meantime the Council will refuse permission for most types of development. However, changes of use of land or buildings and proposals for agricultural buildings may be acceptable provided that they would not prevent the future comprehensive development of the safeguarded land.
2.14 The various areas covered by this policy are described in the following paragraphs:-
Firswood Road, Lathom: This is an area of land on the edge of Skelmersdale which is used mainly for agriculture. The Council recognises that the major part of the site comprises land of the best and most versatile agricultural quality and the land will therefore be protected from development before the end of the Plan period in 2016, but will be reserved to meet any development requirements which may be identified after that date.
Whalleys Road, Skelmersdale: Although previously allocated for housing there is no necessity to release these two areas of land for development at the present time. The sites are greenfield land which should only be developed if there are no suitable brownfield sites within Skelmersdale. Due to their location on the edge of Skelmersdale they should be reserved for development in the future.
Land at Liverpool Road South/Abbey Lane, Burscough: This site is part of a former clay pit which has been filled in with waste material. It was included in the area where the principle of residential development was allowed in the West Lancashire Local Plan which was adopted in 1999. However the site has not been developed. It lies on the southern edge of Burscough between a former landfill site and a waste recycling depot. There is no need for housing or employment development on this site during the current plan period.
Land at Greaves Hall Avenue, Banks: This site was formerly the site of a nurses' home set in large grounds. In the 1999 Local Plan the site was designated for institutional uses, such as a nursing home. It is likely that the site will be brought forward for employment uses once the Greaves Hall Business Park is developed. Any future use would probably be required to retain a large part of the site as open land.
Land at White Moss, Skelmersdale: Previously open land allocated within the Green Belt for the Local Plan this area was identified within a recent employment land study as a possible area for development for employment uses. However, at this point there is no necessity to allocate the whole site for employment purposes. There are a number of constraints across the site including underground mine workings and a SuDs scheme to the East of the site. Background Documents for Policy DS3
Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 Green Belts National West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · West Lancashire Vision
Policy DS4 Open Land on the Urban Fringe
On the open land outside the Green Belt (which is not safeguarded for future development) and on the edge of settlements as identified on the Proposals Map, development will not be permitted unless it retains or enhances the rural character of the area. These areas of land will also be suitable for small scale, low intensity tourism and leisure uses, and forestry and horticultural related uses..
Affordable housing and small scale employment or community facilities to meet an identified local need will be permitted on these sites, provided that:-
(i) it can be demonstrated that there are no suitable sites available within the built up area, and
(ii) where it is demonstrated that there are no sites available in the built up area, there is not a more sustainable site in the village allocated under this policy located near to the village centre.
Justification of Policy DS4
2.15 This policy covers a range of sites on the fringe of settlements. It covers land which was previously excluded from the Green Belt but where development would undermine the strategic aims of Regional Planning Guidance for the North West and the draft Joint Lancashire Structure Plan. In essence it covers greenfield sites which are in locations where development would be less sustainable than the locations where the Local Plan allows development. It includes a number of sites which were previously safeguarded for future development which the Council considers will not be required even in the long term.
2.16 Many of the settlements in the north of the District contain areas of open land which are neither built-up nor do they make a positive contribution to Green Belt objectives. The Council considers that whilst it would not be appropriate to provide the degree of protection afforded by Green Belt policies it is nevertheless important to protect these open areas from development other than that specified in the above policy. This is because development for residential or other purposes would result in the further outward expansion of the settlement, would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the settlement and would prejudice the successful implementation of strategic policies for the area. Small scale affordable housing, employment or community facilities development to meet a local need will be considered on these sites. Where proposals are brought forward they will need to demonstrate that there are no suitable sites available within the settlements area. Where this can be demonstrated , developers will also need to show that there are no other sites allocated under this Policy which are more sustainable due to their location near to the village centre or where their development would clear dereliction (for example of former glasshouse units). Background Documents for Policy DS4
Planning Policy Statement 7 : Sustainable Development in Rural National Areas Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy RU1 Sustainable Agriculture · Policy RU2 Diversification of the Rural Economy
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 5 Development in Rural Areas
Chapter 3: General Development Policies
"Raising Standards of Development"
3.1 The policies in this chapter are aimed at raising standards of development. This reflects the Government's commitment to achieving high standards of design which is also embodied in Regional and Sub-Regional planning policies. It also supports West Lancashire's Community Strategy which contains a commitment to improve the quality of life and foster thriving towns and vital rural areas where people choose to live and work.
3.2 The following policies are based as far as possible on the results of consultation on planning issues which showed that there was strong support for improving design to incorporate energy efficiency, minimising the risk of crime and complementing the landscape and local environment. At the Local Plan Forum Meetings many people felt that development should only be permitted where the local infrastructure and services are capable of accommodating it. Where this is not possible there was a strong support for the principle that the developer should fill any gaps in provision before the development takes place. This is reflected in Government Planning Policy Guidance Note 1 paragraph 36.
Policy GD1 Design of Development
Development will be permitted if it complies with the other policies in this Plan and if it meets the following criteria:-
(i) It does not significantly diminish or harm the distinctive character and visual quality of the Landscape Character Areas, as shown on the Proposals Map, in which it is located.
(ii) It provides landscaped buffer zones and appropriate levels of public open space to screen unsightly features from view and to limit the impact of the development on adjoining sensitive uses and the open countryside.
(iii) It avoids the loss of trees, hedgerows and areas of ecological value, or provides for their replacement, where loss is unavoidable.
(iv) It incorporates and enhances the landscape and nature conservation value of any water features, such as streams, ditches and ponds.
(v) It incorporates recycling collection facilities, or composting and rainwater collection facilities, where appropriate.
(vi) It is designed to minimise any reduction in air quality.
(vii) It incorporates measures to reduce light spillage.
(viii) It respects the historic character of the local landscape and townscape, as defined by the Areas of Landscape History Importance shown on the Proposals Map.
(ix) It complements or enhances any attractive attributes of its surroundings through sensitive design which includes appropriate siting, orientation, scale, materials, landscaping, boundary treatment, detailing and use of art features where appropriate. (x) Where the proposal involves extensions, conversion or alterations to existing buildings, its design should relate to the existing building, in terms of design and materials, and should not detract from the character of the street scene or the surrounding area.
(xi) In the case of large scale development proposals or those on sensitive sites a design statement should be submitted with any application for planning permission to enable the Council to assess if the design meets the criteria of this policy.
(xii) It incorporates design features which assist in conserving the use of energy, water and other natural resources.
(xiii) It retains reasonable levels of privacy, amenity and sufficient garden/outdoor space for occupiers of the neighbouring and proposed properties In the case of new buildings it provides sufficient garden/outdoor space to meet the needs of residents of those buildings.
(xiv) It is designed to minimise the risk of crime and the fear of crime.
(xv) It incorporates sustainable drainage systems where feasible or, where this is not feasible, it incorporates features to reduce the amount of surface water run-off by minimising hard surfaces and using porous materials where possible.
(xvi) It is designed to prevent sewerage problems.
(iii) It integrates well with the surrounding area and provides safe, convenient and attractive pedestrian and, where appropriate, cycling links, to local facilities. It prioritises convenience for pedestrians, cyclists and users of public transport over that of the car and includes traffic calming and traffic management measures to achieve this where appropriate. Applicants for developments over a certain size will be required to provide Transport Assessments and Travel Plans to accord with the requirements of the latest Lancashire Parking Standards.
(iv) It creates an environment that is accessible to all sectors of the community including children, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
(vi) It provides, where appropriate, suitable provision for public transport including bus stops and shelters.
(xiii) It incorporates suitable and safe access and road layout design, and vehicle and cycle parking provision, which meet the requirements of the latest Lancashire Planning and Access Standards.
Justification of Policy GD1
3.3 The quality of design of development contributes to the quality of life and therefore is an extremely important planning consideration. National planning guidance states that plans should set out design policies against which proposals are to be considered (PPG 1 Annex A para A1). It also states that local planning authorities should reject poor designs. 3.4 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West states that new development must demonstrate good quality design and respect for it's setting. It suggests that local authorities should prepare local design strategies and principles for inclusion in development plans or as Supplementary Planning Guidance (Policy DP3)
3.5 This policy aims to implement national and regional planning guidance by requiring a high standard of design. It also helps to deliver a number of proposals in West Lancashire's Community Strategy such as improving our urban and rural surroundings and reducing the fear of crime. Supplementary Planning Guidance will be prepared on some of the Design criteria. The reasons for each of the criteria are set out below:-
1. In accordance with PPG7 and the Countryside Agency's guidance "Countryside and nature conservation issues in district local plans" (CCP317), the Council has carried out an assessment of landscape character (Landscape and Wildlife Assessment, January 1994). Five main natural areas covering the entire District have been identified in the Landscape and Wildlife Assessment and these represent the geographical framework within which historical processes have developed and which have, in turn, been modified by those processes. The distinctive character of each Natural Area imparts variety to the landscapes of West Lancashire. In order to preserve distinctiveness and variety, new development and associated landscaping will be expected to reflect the visual, ecological and historic characteristics of the surrounding Natural Area by careful siting, design and use of materials. It is important that characteristic features and their relationships are retained and enhanced where appropriate. This includes such features as woodlands, hedgerows, traditional walls, ditches, watercourses, field and settlement patterns, historical roads, track and footpath patterns, banks, cloughs, topography and sense of openness or enclosure. Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance has been prepared for the Natural Areas, and this is being reviewed at present. 2. Development should be designed to limit its impact on the quality of the open countryside. The sensitive treatment of the outer edges of development is an important measure in safeguarding the visual quality of the countryside. In addition, internal landscaping, when mature, can help to break up roof lines and provides a backdrop to roofscapes when viewed from a distance. Existing site features should be retained, particularly on boundaries, which can give an immediate screening effect and maturity to new development. The size and treatment of buffer zones will vary according to individual site circumstances. Buffer zones may consist of landscape treatment for screening and noise reduction or may consist simply of land left undeveloped to provide distance between conflicting uses. PPG23 states that in preparing local plans, local authorities should take into account the need to separate potentially polluting and other land uses, and the possible impact of potentially polluting development resulting from releases to water, land or air, or of noise, dust, vibration, light or heat. The Landscape and Wildlife Assessment describes the air cleaning capabilities of trees and shrubs and the significant contribution new and existing vegetation can make to noise and gas absorption. Buffer zone treatments may include management or creation of new habitats to mitigate ecological conflicts or to protect groundwater resources. Where unsightly areas of open storage or servicing are proposed, landscaping and layout needs to ensure that such uses are not readily visible from public areas, such as roads, footpaths and public open spaces 3. Trees are an important element of the District's landscapes and townscapes, and the Council considers that this resource should be retained and protected wherever possible. As detailed in the Landscape and Wildlife Assessment trees are an important visual, ecological and historical resource and are facing many threats, particularly in urban areas. Circular 36/78 identifies that local authorities should consider the effect of trees and development on each other, and that the impact of site layouts on the roots of new and existing trees should be considered. Where existing trees and other vegetation are to be retained, sufficient consideration must be given at an early stage to the layout of all components of the development and the construction process which could affect trees. Detailed guidance supporting this policy is available in BS.5837 : 1991 - 'Guide for trees in relation to construction' and in Supplementary Planning Guidance. Applicants and developers will be expected to pay regard to the detailed advice contained within these documents. The Countryside Act 1968 gives local authorities a duty to have regard for the conservation of flora, fauna, geological and physiographical features in urban and rural areas. Central Government Guidance (PPG9) requires local authorities to take account of nature conservation in assessing sites for development proposals. 4. Streams, ditches and hedgerows are important ecological and historic features which can, if they are incorporated properly into the design, add to the quality of new development. Their retention can add maturity to the character of the development as well as helping to assimilate new buildings into their surroundings. 5. Recycling can save energy in production and transport. It conserves natural resources and reduces demand for waste disposal facilities. The siting of recycling facilities within the car parks of large supermarkets and other types of development which attract a large number of visitors helps to avoid the need for special journeys to recycling centres. It is important that recycling facilities are designed as an integral part of the overall site layout, for amenity reasons and for access by shoppers and collection vehicles to avoid vehicle and pedestrian conflict. Policy 27 of the Deposit Structure Plan also suggests that development proposals should also consider the waste arising from the permanent use of the development. All new residential developments and other appropriate developments, will need to make provision for composting and other appropriate recycling facilities where they can be satisfactorily accommodated. In the case of houses, this will be usually in the form of a standard compost bin and water butt within the garden area. 6. Government guidance requires close liaison with Environmental Health on air quality issues. The Regional Planning Guidance for the North West aims to improve air quality by reducing or reversing the growth in road traffic and promoting more sustainable and healthier patterns of development. At the local level it is also important that major industrial proposals and road proposals take air quality into consideration. 7. All living things adjust their behaviour according to natural light. Artificial light with the power to turn night into day can create stress and confusion. At present a significant proportion of artificial light ends up in the sky where it does nothing to increase night-time utility or security, wastes electricity and thereby large sums of money. Light spillage can be substantially reduced without having a detrimental effect on the task for which the lighting is designed e.g. minimising spread of light by directing light, use of shields and baffles, switching off lights when not required for safety and security, and avoiding over-lighting. 8. The arrangement of landscape features such as hedges, lanes, banks and settlements is a record of many years of human activity. The specific arrangements of field patterns and their relationship to settlements and transport routes helps us to 'read' the landscape, that is, to interpret how the landscape has come to appear as it has. Similarly historic buildings, walls and other structures reflect the intrinsic character of an area and should be retained and respected by new development. The Council has designated Areas of Landscape History Importance, which identify those areas of the District retaining significant historical integrity, worthy of conservation and protection. They have been graded according to their Regional, County or Local significance. Draft SPG has been prepared which sets out the basis for designation and the respective merits of the three types of area, and the SPG will be reviewed and adopted as part of this Plan process. 9. It is also important that new buildings reflect the local vernacular architecture where this is of high quality. Whilst separate policies apply in Conservation Areas there is a need to improve the overall quality of development in West Lancashire and this means that all new development should not harm its local environment. 10. It is important that extensions are designed to harmonise with the existing building and to ensure that they do not adversely affect the street scene. Whilst such developments are often small in scale they can have a major impact. Extensions which are badly designed in themselves or are incompatible with their surroundings can lead to a noticeable fall in the quality of the visual character of an area. If poor design is repeated the cumulative effect can be severe. It is also important that neighbours do not suffer from loss of privacy due to overlooking, loss of sunlight due to overshadowing or intolerable living conditions due to overbearing extensions or poor outlook. Extensions should not reduce garden areas or parking provision below normally acceptable standards, and should not obstruct the visibility of pedestrians or road users if this would reduce the level of road safety. 11. Both PPG1 and PPG3 state that applicants for planning permission should be able to demonstrate how they have taken account of urban design and the need for good layout and design. Annex A of PPG1 (paragraph A4) states that "applicants for planning permission should , as a minimum, provide a short written statement setting out the design principles adopted as well as illustrative material in plan and elevation. This material should show the wider context, and not just the development site and its immediately adjacent buildings. Inclusion of relevant perspective views can also be of value. Such material will be particularly important in relation to complex or large-scale development and proposals involving sensitive sites." For smaller straight forward proposals the guidance explains that photographs of the site and its surroundings plus the usual drawings may be more appropriate. 12. Designs and layouts should make provision for the efficient use of energy for example through careful consideration of building orientation, the inclusion of shelter belts and measures which encourage pedestrian, bicycle and public transport use. PPG3 states that well designed layouts can contribute to the energy efficiency of new housing (para 53) and local authorities should adopt policies which promote the energy efficiency of new housing (para 56). The Council will encourage the use of energy efficient materials, energy saving measures, and recycled materials in the design of buildings. 13. It is also important that new development is designed to retain reasonable levels of privacy by avoiding the close proximity of windows of habitable rooms without adequate measures such as screening or the use of opaque glass. The Council has produced Supplementary Planning Guidance on Residential Developments which sets out the minimum distances required between windows etc. Development should also be designed so that neighbours do not suffer from loss of amenity caused by loss of sunlight due to overshadowing or intolerable living conditions due to overbearing developments or poor outlook. It is also essential that residents of proposed houses are protected from loss of amenity due to noise from neighbouring uses, including roads. Applications for housing development close to trunk roads will need to be accompanied by a noise assessment and where necessary should include design solutions to reduce the noise people are exposed to in their properties (including gardens). 14. Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act places a duty on the Local Authority to have due regard to the likely effect on, and the need to do all it reasonably can, to prevent crime and disorder in its area. Layouts should avoid features which could increase the risk of crime such as long narrow unlit passages between buildings and avoiding over large estates as recommended in Circular 5/94. The Community Strategy Action Plan for Community Safety promotes environmental improvements to reduce the fear of crime, to design out crime and enhance quality of life issues for the community. 15. New development will only be permitted where the Council is satisfied that suitable measures, designed to mitigate the adverse impact of surface water run- off are included as an integral part of the development. Measures to minimise the area of hard surface must be incorporated to reduce the risk of sudden flooding due to reductions in levels of percolation of rainfall due to the impermeability of such surfaces. Such run-off can be contaminated with a whole range of pollutants which would have a detrimental impact on the quality of nearby watercourses if not suitably controlled. The use of sustainable drainage systems within developments should be encouraged, where possible, in new developments. 16. Private sewage plants require frequent maintenance in order to produce effluents which meet Environment Agency standards, and maintenance problems often arise where plants are in multiple ownership. Inadequate maintenance can result in pollution of watercourses. New development should therefore be served by existing or new foul sewerage systems and sewerage treatment plants, rather than by a proliferation of individual septic tanks or small private treatment works within sewered areas. 17. Pedestrians require convenient access to local shopping, community and employment opportunities and the Council will seek to ensure, through the use of conditions where appropriate, that developers provide such links. When proposing new footpath links it is essential that security is taken into account as part of the design. As well as the detailed alignment of the route, associated landscaping and lighting must be designed in such a way as to ensure maximum visibility and thus increase security. Walking is the most environmentally acceptable mode of transport and the Council is keen to encourage more journeys on foot. As a large proportion (26%) of car journeys are less than 2 miles, walking could become much more popular, significantly reducing the demand for car borne travel. Cycling is an increasingly popular mode of transport and recreation which the Council is keen to promote. 40% of trips of 3 miles or less are currently made by car providing considerable scope for transferring these trips to alternative modes. It is considered that greater support for cycling should be given to meet the expected rise in demand. Cycling is an efficient form of transport which is relatively cheap, available to all, takes up little space, is noiseless, emits no fumes and promotes good health. However, many are put off cycling because of safety concerns and problems associated with secure cycle parking. Cyclist/vehicle conflicts are the main problem where cyclists are required to share road space. This can be overcome through the provision of dedicated cycle routes, either associated with new or existing highways or utilising disused transport routes such as rail corridors, as is the case with the Cheshire Lines route. Traffic calming refers to the traffic management measures primarily designed to reduce the conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, particularly in residential areas, by devices largely aimed at reducing vehicle speeds, volume of traffic and opportunities for short-cuts. Such measures can also be useful in encouraging walking and cycling and improving the quality of local neighbourhoods. Traffic calming measures will be an important aspect of new residential development, with developers required to demonstrate a suitable approach to the problems of vehicles in residential areas. The Lancashire Access and Parking Standards require the submission of Transport Assessments (giving details of current and proposed accessibility to the site, modal targets and the measures to achieve these) and Travel Plans (showing how measures will achieve modal shift and including mechanisms for monitoring and review, and enforcement for applications over a certain threshold). 18. Designs should allow access for all and should make provision for wheelchair, pram and pushchair access and reduce impediments which could restrict people with disabilities. 19. Increased use of buses can bring about environmental benefits in terms of reduced pollution and congestion. It is therefore important that major new development is well served, or capable of being served by the bus network, reducing the need to travel by private car. Developers will be encouraged to provide facilities such as turning areas etc, as an integral part of developments. The Council will support increased provision of bus shelters and additional provision for the elderly/handicapped through community bus services (e.g. dial- a-ride) and the use of low floor buses. 20.The road layout, access and parking arrangements need to be designed to modern standards in accordance with the Council's approved standards which may change. Developers should consult the District Council and, where appropriate, either the Highways Agency or County Council as Highway Authority, to discuss the road layout, access and car parking arrangements.
Background Documents for Policy GD1
Planning Policy Guidance Note 1 General Policy and Principles National Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future (ODPM 2003) Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy DP3 Quality in New Development
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Community Safety, Transport, Homes and People; Environment sections
Policy GD2 Developer Contributions to Infrastructure
Where appropriate the Council will seek to impose conditions or negotiate with developers to agree appropriate levels of contributions towards infrastructure improvements which are required to secure the future needs of the occupiers of that development or to mitigate the impact of the development on the surrounding area. The contributions can consist of the provision of new facilities or a financial contribution by way of a tariff or legal agreement to the provider of the service to cover their provision and/or future maintenance. The scale of contributions will be related to the scale of the development.
The contributions may be expected to cover the following where appropriate:-
1. For All Major Developments i) Flood Prevention and off-site drainage measures where necessary; ii) Off-site Highway Improvements where necessary; iii) Public Transport Improvements; iv) Cycling and Pedestrian Facilities; v) Community safety measures.
2. For Residential Development i) Open Space, Sports and Recreation Facilities; ii) Affordable Housing; iii) Education Facilities; iv) Community Facilities.
3. For Retail Development i) Recycling Facilities.
4. For All Schemes Costing Over £1,000,000 i) At least 1% of the total development cost of the scheme to be put towards the provisions of acceptable works of art either on site or at a location agreed with the Council.
Justification for Policy GD2
3.6 New development places a strain on the social and physical infrastructure of the area. During the consultation on the Issues Paper there was a strong feeling that increased infrastructure should be provided by developers. Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 enables local planning authorities to enter into legal agreements containing planning obligations with developers and/or landowners to achieve improvements which are directly related to the proposed development. Circular 1/97 provides advice on the use of planning obligations. It explains that local planning authorities should only seek provision of facilities which are fairly and reasonably related in scale, and kind, to the proposed development. Regional Planning Guidance for the North West stresses the need to co-ordinate the provision of social infrastructure (Policy UR2) with development. Social infrastructure includes health facilities, schools and colleges, public sports and leisure facilities, 'green-space' and libraries, neighbourhood offices and meeting places. Physical infrastructure includes roads, drainage and transport systems.
3.7 PPG 13, (paras. 83-86) sets out the scope of planning obligations which may be sought by local authorities from developers. This includes contributions to achieve improvements to public transport, walking and cycling, where such measures would influence travel patterns to a site. The District Council will have regard to the schemes set out in this Plan and other documents, such as the Local Transport Plan and Cycling Strategy, when considering what planning obligations may be necessary.
3.8 The Council will prepare Supplementary Planning Guidance on Developer Contributions. Implementing this policy will help to achieve some of the priorities of the Community Strategy e.g. flood defence will assist in providing a healthy environment. Highway, public transport, and cycle pedestrian improvements will help people to get around the District. Community Safety measures will help to reduce the likelihood and fear of crime. Affordable housing ensures local people can access a variety of housing. Open space, recreation and community facilities can help to improve health, community services and access to leisure facilities.
3.9 In the case of development that creates or safeguards jobs the Council's Economic Development Officer can provide advice on the availability of grant assistance.
Background Documents for Policy GD2
Planning Policy Guidance Note 1 General Policy and Principles National Circular 1/97 West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local
Policy GD3 Development of Contaminated Land
Where development, which is acceptable in principle, involves the use of potentially contaminated land, the Council will grant planning permission provided that:-
i. the applicant carries out a satisfactory investigation of the site conditions and identifies methods and a programme of proper removal or satisfactory treatment of any contamination found; and ii. the treatment or development of land would not cause an increase in the pollution of watercourses and groundwater nor in surface run off.
iii. The proposal does not harm any nature conservation value which the site may have
The Council will pay particular attention to development within or close to landfill gas sites and will not grant permission where there is considered to be a risk. New residential development whose curtilages would be within 50 metres of a landfill site will be resisted. Expansion of residential curtilages to within 10 metres of a landfill site will also be resisted.
The developer will be required to implement an approved method statement and provide evidence that it has been carried out. Justification for Policy GD3
3.10 Identification of polluted land is often quite difficult as visible signs can often be absent. However, it is usually possible through consideration of past land uses to identify potentially contaminated land. Identification of certain polluting industries, landfill sites etc., can provide an indication of possible sources of contamination. The Council is currently completing a desk-top study to identify potentially contaminated sites across the District and developers are advised to contact the Environmental Protection Section to establish if there is any risk of contamination. Where the Council considers that a site is potentially polluted, the applicant will be responsible for carrying out an investigation of site conditions, and for ensuring that where contamination is found that this will either be removed from the site or treated to remove any hazard.
3.11 During and after any on-site operations the developer must ensure that pollution does not enter adjacent watercourses or groundwater. Sites found to be contaminated will therefore require adequate sealing against the leakage of polluted matter, while surface drainage should be diverted away from the source of contamination. However, it is also recognised that the development of contaminated sites can offer opportunities for improvements in surface water quality, for example, through the restoration of sites which have been poorly infilled in the past.
3.12 In implementing this policy the Council will consult with the relevant agencies responsible for applying the standards set by legislation.
Background Documents for Policy GD3
Planning Policy Guidance Note 14 Unstable Land National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EQ1 Tackling Derelict Land and Contamination Issues
Chapter 4: Policies for Protecting and Enhancing the Environment
"Management of the District's environmental resources"
4.1 The policies in this chapter aim to protect the distinctive environmental assets of West Lancashire. The policies support the Government's approach to planning which is to achieve, now and in the future, economic development to secure higher living standards while protecting and enhancing the environment. Active management of environmental resources is also a key feature of Regional Planning Guidance for the North West and the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan.
4.2 This chapter builds upon one of the key aims of West Lancashire's Community Strategy to improve our urban and rural surroundings, and enhancing the diversity of our landscape and wildlife habitats to give an attractive environment for ourselves, our visitors and investors. The policies are based as far as possible on the results of consultation on planning issues which showed that people felt that more could be done to protect the District's landscape, biodiversity and historic features. They also reflect the strong support for directing development away from flood risk areas and the best and most versatile agricultural land.
Policy EN1 Biodiversity
The Biodiversity of the District will be protected by not allowing development which would destroy or adversely affect important wildlife habitats or geological sites. Development which returns key biodiversity resources to viable levels by promoting restoration, and re-establishment of habitats and species populations in accordance with national and local Biodiveristy Action Plans is encouraged
In particular total protection will be given to Ramsar Sites, Special Protection Areas, Candidate Special Areas of Conservation and European Protected Species.
In the case of National Nature Reserves or Sites of Special Scientific Interest, only development serving an overriding national public need which cannot be located elsewhere will be considered but mitigation measures and compensatory habitat creation will be required.
In County Biological Heritage Sites, Local Nature Reserves, Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Sites and Local Nature Conservation Sites only development which is required to meet an overriding local public need will be considered but mitigation measures and compensatory habitat creation will be required. Presently, designated sites are shown on the Proposals Map.
Development will not be permitted which would destroy or significantly impair the integrity of the Wildlife Corridors shown on the Proposals Map, by:-
i. resulting in the loss of the undeveloped open character of the Wildlife Corridor; ii. reducing the width or causing direct or indirect severance of a Wildlife Corridor; iii. restricting the potential for lateral movement of wildlife; iv. causing the degradation of the ecological functions of the Wildlife Corridor; v. directly or indirectly damaging or severing links between Green Spaces, Wildlife Corridors and the open countryside; or vi. restricting public access to a Wildlife Corridor. Development may be permitted where it will provide a substantial environmental gain to include the visual ecological or appropriate recreational functions of the Corridor.
Development will not be permitted which may destroy or have an adverse effect, either directly or indirectly on:-
Badgers and species listed in schedules 1 (Birds), 5 (Animals) and 8 (Plants) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended); and Habitats which support these species at any time of the year.
NB. This policy covers all the sites and corridors shown on the Proposals Map and any that may be identified in the future.
Justification of Policy EN1
4.3 This policy reflects the need for strong protection for the most important sites for nature conservation in the District and recognises the need for a sustainable approach to development. The Countryside Act 1968 gives Local Authorities a duty to have regard for the conservation of flora, fauna, geological and physiographical features in urban and rural areas. Central Government Guidance (PPG9) requires local authorities to take account of nature conservation in assessing sites for development proposals. Regional Planning Guidance for the North West places a strong emphasis on protecting sites with international and national nature conservation designations and ensuring that there is no net loss in the value of other biodiversity resources. The Draft Joint Lancashire Structure Plan also seeks to protect Lancashire's natural heritage.
4.4 The designated Nature Conservation Sites in West Lancashire, apart from the Ribble Estuary, occupy a very small part of the District. The Council is able to meet the major development requirements for the area within the Plan period without conflicting with these sites. Because of development and the intensity of agriculture in the District, areas of semi-natural habitat assume greater importance than in parts of the Country with less intense agriculture and more abundant semi-natural habitat. It is therefore important that damaging development is directed away from sensitive sites. PPG9 states that Local Authorities should have regard for the relative significance of designations in considering the weight to be attached to nature conservation interests.
4.5 Developers are reminded that the more important the site (category (i) sites such as Ramsar's being the most important), the more weight will be given to the nature conservation interest of the site in the determination of planning applications. The Habitats Directive allows exceptions to the protection of some important nature conservation sites where there is an overriding public interest. In accordance with this guidance and Structure Plan Policies, unqualified protection of all nature conservation sites is inappropriate. Developers will be required to undertake an ecological assessment if a site is ecologically sensitive.
4.6 PPG9 (Nature Conservation) and the EC Birds and Habitats Directives recognise the importance of landscape features which, because of their linear and continuous structure or their function as 'stepping stones', are essential for migration, dispersal and genetic exchange. Linear biological features can act as 'corridors' along which wildlife can move and live. Continuity is an important factor for many species; an isolated site is restricted in the range of species able to colonise it. Corridors can be damaged or rendered unviable by reduction in their width or complete severance. Direct or indirect severance can be caused by the introduction of roads, pathways, landforms, services and other constructions, and by way of changes in vegetation management within the Corridor. Restrictions of the lateral movements of wildlife or in the accessibility and safe use of the site by the public should be avoided wherever possible. This can be achieved by retaining any adjoining or nearby Corridors and avoiding the introduction of fencing or other barriers on one or both sides of the Corridor.
4.7 The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) gives special protection to certain rare or endangered birds, animals and plants. The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 gives special protection to badgers. Exceptions to the protection given by the 1981 Act occur when damaging actions are an incidental result of a lawful operation and could not reasonably have been avoided. It is therefore important to ensure that, where the presence of a specially protected species is known or considered likely, the impact of the development is fully assessed before development is rendered lawful.
4.8 PPG9, 'Nature Conservation' (paragraph 47), states that the presence of a protected species is a material consideration when considering a development proposal which, if it were carried out, would be likely to result in harm to the species or its habitat. Paragraph 14 of PPG9 acknowledges that endangered species protected under the 1981 Act may be found outside designated nature conservation sites. Thus, a site protection policy is not adequate to protect endangered species. Most species protected by law may occur almost anywhere, including areas of otherwise limited nature conservation value, for instance roof spaces which are inhabited by bats.
4.9 The Landscape and Wildlife Assessment identifies that the District is home to a number of species protected by the various schedules of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Some of these species are nationally rare or threatened and this policy recognises the need to protect their habitats. Some species may use only one type of habitat all year, others will need different habitats to support themselves at different times of the year. Such habitats will include ponds and adjacent covered areas for amphibians, nesting sites and associated hunting grounds for barn owls and hibernation sites and feeding areas for bats. Red Squirrels are a particularly important species in West Lancashire where, in addition to Cumbria, national efforts are being concentrated to prevent its extinction in England. It is important that the various needs of the species are acknowledged so that the full range of habitats required can be protected.
Background Documents for Policy EN1
Planning Policy Guidance Note 9 Nature Conservation National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy ER5 - Biodiversity and Nature Conservation
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 21 - Lancashire's Natural and Manmade Heritage Lancashire Biodiversity Action Plan
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Environment
Policy EN2 Protection of Agricultural Land
Development of the best and most versatile agricultural land (Grades 1,2 & 3a) will not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated that no suitable site is available to accommodate the development on:-
(i) Previously developed land; or
(ii) Land within the boundaries of an existing urban area, provided that the land is not allocated for another purpose or has an environmental designation.
Where development of agricultural land is unavoidable, the lowest available grade land will be used except where this is inconsistent with other sustainability considerations or the need for, and benefits of, the development, outweigh the agricultural considerations.
Justification of Policy EN2
4.10 Agricultural land throughout the country is graded to a standard classification system by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. There are five main grades of agricultural land with grades 1, 2 and 3a being the best and most versatile land. PPS7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas' confirms that the presence of the best and most versatile land should be taken account of alongside other sustainability considerations. The District contains a very large proportion of land of high agricultural value and Plan X? shows the broad extent of this land. Some 72% of the agricultural land is graded 1 and 2 (compared with 14% in Lancashire and 18% nationally). A further 14% of the District is Grade 3a.The Council attaches considerable importance to the conservation of this resource. As set out in the policies contained within PPS7 sustainability considerations include such matters as biodiversity; the quality and character of the landscape; its amenity value or heritage interest; accessibility to infrastructure, workforce and markets; maintaining viable communities; and the protection of natural resources, including soil quality.
Background Documents for Policy EN2
National Planning Policy Statement 7 : Sustainable Development in Rural Areas Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy RU1 - Sustainable Agriculture
Policy EN3 Coastal Zone Within the coastal zone, as defined on the Proposals Map, development will be limited to that which is essential to meet the needs of:- i. coastal navigation; ii. amenity and informal recreation; iii. tourism and leisure; iv. flood protection; v. fisheries; vi. nature conservation; vii. and/or agriculture. Development which would involve the loss of secondary sea embankments within the coastal zone will not be permitted.
Justification of Policy EN3
4.1 The Ribble Estuary provides habitats of national and international importance. It forms the second largest National Nature Reserve in England, is a SSSI, Ramsar site and Special Protection Area. The coastal zone identified on the Proposals Map extends beyond these protected habitats and represents the area within which development will be closely controlled in order to ensure that the open landscape character and nature conservation value of the Ribble Estuary is protected. The coastline in this District is undeveloped and to a large extent remote, but whilst development pressures may be limited, the landscape is very sensitive to intrusion by development. Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to visual intrusion because of the high visibility of any development which occurs on the foreshore. Development which will have a significant effect on the natural environment of the estuary will be subject to an Environmental Assessment.
4.12 Certain uses and activities may require a coastal location i.e. tourism; recreation; mineral extraction; energy generation; waste water and sewage treatment and disposal; and developments including ports, marinas and industries importing bulky raw materials that depend on access to the sea. However, the nature of the West Lancashire coastline is such that most of the above uses would be more appropriately located within the developed coast. Before allowing such development within the coastal zone the Council must be satisfied that all the listed criteria are met. Developers will need to satisfy the Council that there is no other suitable location inland or on an area of existing developed coast including areas outside West Lancashire.
4.13 The Council, together with other local authorities and agencies has been involved in the production and implementation of the Ribble Estuary Strategy. The overall aim of the strategy is "To sustain, enhance and improve the environment of the Ribble Estuary in order to maximise its potential for wildlife and human use". The Council positively supports the strategy and its successful implementation which will rely on those bodies involved with the Estuary, including this Council.
4.14 The Council will seek to ensure that the secondary sea embankments within the coastal zone are retained as important features of historic and landscape value and so as not to prejudice the future capacity of the coast to form a natural sea defence or adjust to changes in conditions, without risk to life or property.
4.15 The secondary sea defences within the coastal zone are a major feature of the landscape which once had an important role in sea defence. The area is low-lying and being adjacent to the sea the embankments are therefore integral to the existence of this part of the District. Some of the secondary embankments are known to date back to the Sixteenth Century and therefore have significant historic interest. These embankments offer the only relief to the otherwise level terrain, which gives them unparalleled importance to the topography and landscape of the area. They also have a role to play as locations for informal recreation.
4.16 These embankments form a second line of defence against ingress of tidal water should the outer defence be breached or over-topped. Whilst some stretches have been removed it is considered that those that remain would still perform an important function in flood defence. Climatic change and predicted sea level rises combined with an increase in tidal surges and increased risk of flooding may at some point in the future cause such defences to once again become important.
4.17 Whilst the Council has limited planning controls over the removal of these sea defences, as certain operations related to agriculture do not require planning permission, part of the embankment near Banks is subject to an Article 4 Direction and the Council will seek to prevent any further removal of all secondary embankments.
Background Documents for Policy EN3
Planning Policy Guidance Note 20 Coastal Planning National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy CZ1 - Defining the Coastal Zone · Policy CZ2A - Coastal Development · Policy CZ2B - Coastal Defences · Policy CZ3 - Coastal Communities and Economic Development
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 23 - The Coastal Zone
Policy EN4 Conservation Areas
The special historic or architectural interest of West Lancashire's Conservation Areas will be preserved or enhanced by:-
i. assessing the special interest of Conservation Areas by preparing Conservation Area Appraisals and producing schemes to preserve or enhance their character and appearance; ii. requiring all development in Conservation Areas to accord with the objective to preserve or enhance the areas character or appearance and in particular harmonise with its surroundings in terms of mass, scale, form, use of materials and overall design quality; iii. requiring all development in Conservation Areas to retain and improve important landscape elements, including walls, trees and hedges, attractive open spaces (especially those elements which are an essential part of a setting to a historic building), traditional paving, plots and thoroughfares and natural building materials; iv. requiring all development to respect the setting of, important views into and out from Conservation Areas; v. the refusal of applications for the demolition of buildings which make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of Conservation Areas. Where the demolition of a building would leave an unsightly gap in a built-up frontage, any consent would be conditional on the building not being demolished before a contract for carrying out work of redevelopment to a high standard of design is made, and for which planning permission has been granted; vi. not permitting development which would have a detrimental effect upon trees or require the removal of trees which make a significant contribution to a Conservation Area or important green or open spaces. N.B. Although the Conservation Area boundaries shown on the Proposals Map were accurate when this Plan was printed the Council has a statutory duty to review the character and appearance of its Conservation Areas, from time to time, in order that an Area's status can be justified. This may involve some variation in Conservation Area boundaries. Up to date plans and details are available from the Council's Conservation Officer.
Justification of Policy EN4
4.18 Local Authorities have a duty to designate as Conservation Areas any "areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance" and to formulate and publish proposals for their preservation and enhancement. The Council has designated 28 Conservation Areas and has currently prepared appraisals and enhancement schemes for 13 of these areas.
4.19 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West recognises the contribution that historic areas make to the distinctiveness of the North West. In particular it states that local authorities should exploit the regeneration potential of the traditional architecture of villages and market towns in Lancashire.
4.20 The Council considers that it is important to maintain and improve wherever possible the character of its Conservation Areas, and that control of new development is one of the key factors in achieving this objective. The Council will therefore endeavour to ensure that new development uses designs and materials which are traditional to, and in keeping with, the particular locality. New development should be well designed in its own right so that it contributes positively to the local environment. This policy will be implemented through the Council's powers to control development, and by the production of appraisals and proposals for preserving and enhancing the Conservation Areas in West Lancashire.
4.21 Proposed developments in Conservation Areas will generally be scrutinised more carefully than elsewhere and the Council will often be unable to decide upon the acceptability of the principle of a development without full details. The Council will therefore ask for Design Statements including detailed plans and drawings of the proposed development in its setting, instead of giving permission in outline form. Particular attention will be given to such matters as bulk, height, materials, colour, vertical or horizontal emphasis, design and landscaping. The Council will continue to operate the Conservation Area Advisory Panel and seek their views, where appropriate, on development which affects Conservation Areas.
4.22 Designation of Conservation Areas does not in itself mean that the Council has full control over development, as "permitted development" can still take place and cause significant damage to their character and appearance. This has been recognised by the English Historic Towns Forum and by English Heritage which has initiated a campaign called "Framing Opinions" to protect traditional doors and windows. One way to increase control is for the Council to make an Article 4 Direction which can withdraw any specified permitted development.
4.23 It is important to keep historic buildings in Conservation Areas in productive use, and this will often require them to be converted, altered or extended. The Council will endeavour to ensure that any such works do not detract from the historic character of the building and area, and where appropriate enhance it. 4.24 Any works to buildings within a Conservation Area will only be approved subject to a pre-determination assessment and evaluation, or subject to a condition requiring a programme of building recording or other archaeological work being carried out.
4.25 The character and appearance of a Conservation Area can be affected by development within it, and also by developments outside the designated area visible from it. The approaches to Conservation Areas, and particularly the fringes of village Conservation Areas, are vital to one's perception of the character of Conservation Areas. The Council therefore will not interpret Conservation Area legislation too narrowly, but will give special consideration to proposals around Conservation Areas as well as those within them.
4.26 The character of the Conservation Areas will almost always be largely created by the quality of the buildings within them. There will therefore be a presumption in favour of their retention. However, if an overwhelming case is put forward for demolition of a building on the grounds that its structural condition makes it impractical to retain it, its demolition may be allowed provided that the Council is also assured that it will be immediately replaced by a development of suitable quality. Any application to demolish an unattractive building is likely to be allowed, again provided that its demolition does not result in an unsightly gap in a built up frontage.
4.27 Trees make a vital contribution to the character of Conservation Areas and are given special protection by legislation. Owners are required to give the Council 6 weeks notice of any intention to carry out work to trees in Conservation Areas. If the Council considers that the works are unnecessary and would damage the character of the Conservation Area then it will give serious consideration to making a Tree Preservation Order to prevent, or at least control, the works.
Background Documents for Policy EN4
Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 Planning and the Historic National Environment Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy ER1 Management of the North West's Natural, Built and Historic Environment · Policy ER3 Built Heritage · Policy ER4 Contribution of Built Heritage to Regeneration
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 21 - Lancashire's Natural and Manmade Heritage
Policy EN5 Buildings of Historic Importance
The total or substantial demolition of any Listed Building will not be permitted unless there is clear and convincing evidence that:-
(a) An assessment shows that it is not economically viable to retain the building. Any such assessment should include details of the condition of the building, the cost of repairing and maintaining and the value derived from its future use. Any such assessment should be based on consistent and long-term assumptions and should take account of the possibility of tax allowances, exemptions and possible grant aid. (b) all reasonable efforts have been made without success to continue the present use or find compatible alternative uses for the building. (c) Alternative proposals for the site would bring substantial benefits for the community by contributing to the economic regeneration or environmental imoprovement which would decisively outweigh the loss resulting from demolition
Work involving substantial alterations including the partial demolition of a Listed Building will only be granted consent or recommended where it can be proved that the relevant part of the Listed Building is a later addition of no intrinsic architectural or historic interest, or where its poor structural condition requires that it be rebuilt.
Applications for works to repair, improve, alter, extend, or change the use of Listed Buildings will only be allowed, if:-
1. they do not detract from the special architectural and historic interest of the building including their interiors or other buildings within their curtilage; and 2. they respect the existing character and function of the original building in terms of either their mass, scale, form, design quality, appearance and materials.
Applications for planning permission/Listed Building Consent will only be approved if they will not have a detrimental effect upon the setting of the Listed Building.
Applications for planning permission which affect buildings which are of local architectural or historic interest will only be approved if they incorporate measures to secure the preservation of original features of architectural or historic significance.
Justification of Policy EN5
4.28 Historic buildings are a finite, diminishing, and yet valuable resource and there is therefore a presumption in favour of them being retained. The Secretary of State will not be prepared to grant Listed Building Consent for the total or substantial demolition of a Listed Building unless satisfied that every effort has been made to save it. The Secretary of State would normally expect to see evidence that the freehold of the building has been offered for sale on the open market. Even if no use or buyer is found in the first instance, the Council will consider whether the building can be made secure and wind and water-tight, and effectively "mothballed" until circumstances change to make its sale or use possible. 4.29 A wide range of legislation exists within the Planning Acts for the management of Listed Buildings:-
(a) to require owners to repair their historic buildings;
(b) to enable the Council to compulsory purchase Listed Buildings;
(c) to enable Councils to carry out emergency repairs to Listed Buildings and recover the cost from owners;
(d) to correct any unauthorised and unsuitable alterations; and
(e) to seek the prosecution of those responsible for causing damage to Listed Buildings.
(f) The Secretary of State expects Local Authorities to make diligent use of all the powers available to them, and the Council will do so where appropriate.
4.30 The cost of repairing and improving Listed Buildings is often considerably higher than that for non-listed buildings, because of the need to use special materials and techniques. Nevertheless, this extra cost can be justified as it means that traditional techniques, materials and buildings are retained as examples for the benefit of the public. Subject to the availability of finance, a system of Listed Building Grants will be administered in accordance with an approved set of guidelines, with the particular objective of encouraging the use of traditional techniques and materials in circumstances where their use can only be achieved by persuasion.
4.31 Historic buildings have a range of values including aesthetic, academic and practical. Securing the retention of each particular value for future generations may result in certain conflicts of interest. Whilst conflicting interests need to be carefully considered and balanced, the need to retain historic fabric in situ as an archival resource will generally take precedence. In order to guide owners of historic buildings, their agents and contractors, the Council has prepared a Supplementary Planning Guidance Leaflet "Specification Requirements for Work to Listed Buildings and Historic Buildings in Conservation Areas", which will be issued with Listed Building Consent, and Local Authority Searches on such buildings. The Council will expect all work to be carried out in accordance with that leaflet which is based largely on national advice given by English Heritage. The Council will continue to operate the Conservation Area Advisory Panel and seek their views, where appropriate, on development which affects Listed Buildings
4.32 The Council will prepare and maintain a register of buildings of local or historic interest which merit special consideration in the exercise of the development control process. To be included on the local list a building should satisfy criterion i) and either ii) or iii). i) Authenticity - the building shall be substantially unaltered and retain the majority of its original features; and either ii) Architectural significance - the building shall be of recognised architectural quality or time period, a good example of a vernacular style or display good innovation or craftsmanship; or iii) Historical - the building shall display physical evidence of periods of local economic or social significance, well known local historic events, people or designers.
4.33 The normal permitted development rights, including demolition, exist for buildings which are on the register of buildings of local architectural or historic interest, as they are not subject to the tight controls afforded by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, (unless they also happen to be in a conservation area). However, in seeking to achieve the successful implementation of this policy through persuasion, education and the development control process, the Council will consider the appropriateness of making Article 4 Directions to withdraw certain permitted development rights.
Background Documents for Policy EN5
Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 Planning and the Historic Environment National Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 Archaeology Buildings at Risk – The Register 2003 (English Heritage) Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy ER1 Management of the North West's Natural, Built and Historic Environment · Policy ER3 Built Heritage · Policy ER4 Contribution of Built Heritage to Regeneration
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 21 - Lancashire's Natural and Manmade Heritage
Policy EN6 Archaeological Heritage
The archaeological heritage of West Lancashire will be preserved and enhanced by the following:-
a. Planning permission will be refused for development which would destroy or adversely affect the site or setting of a Scheduled Ancient Monument, as set out below and shown on the Proposals Map, or other monuments of national importance. Permission for development will be refused where the Council considers there would be unacceptable damage to a known site of archaeological interest or where inadequate provision has been made in the development proposals for the preservation, investigation and recording of an archaeological site. b. Planning permission will be granted for development which results in the physical preservation of nationally important archaeological remains and their settings. Where appropriate the Council will impose conditions to secure the enhancement, public access and interpretation of sites, buildings, structures and works of national importance, whether scheduled or not, and will seek to preserve other sites, buildings, structures, works and landscapes of significant archaeological interest, including those of industrial archaeological interest. c. Development proposals will be expected to take full account of their effect on sites of national or local archaeological interest. In cases where the proposed development could adversely affect known or potential sites, structures, landscapes, buildings or areas of archaeological interest and their settings, the Council will require an assessment, or if necessary a field evaluation, of the archaeological resource to demonstrate that archaeological interests can be satisfactorily safeguarded within the scheme of development. Where there is evidence of archaeological remains development proposals will be expected to demonstrate that either:-
1. the archaeological features of the site will be satisfactorily preserved in situ, or a suitable strategy has been put forward to mitigate the impact of development proposals upon important archaeological remains and their settings; or, if this is not justified; 2. provision is made for adequately recording the site prior to development, preferably by reaching a legal agreement to ensure that access, time and financial resources are available to allow essential recording and publication to take place.Justification of Policy EN6
Justification of Policy EN6
4.34 The archaeological heritage of any area is a finite and irreplaceable resource. The Council values that resource highly and this policy ensures that a) the resource is properly recorded; b) that it is given statutory protection where applicable and the protection of local land use policies in all cases, from the various threats or urban development, rural development, new roads, mineral extraction, forestry and agriculture; and, c) that it is enhanced and interpreted.
4.35 The importance of the need to protect archaeological remains has been recognised in PPG16 "Archaeology and Planning" which has amalgamated previous advice and set out what is considered to be best practice in dealing with archaeological matters within the planning process. It advises that development plan policies should carry a presumption in favour of the preservation of nationally important monuments. It stresses the importance of early consultation between developers and planning authorities, the desirability of preservation "in situ" wherever possible, and the potential for reconciling the needs of development and archaeology by careful and sympathetic design of layout and foundations. Where a development proposal is likely to affect important archaeological remains, PPG16 advises local planning authorities to seek further information from the applicant before determining the application. Where the local planning authority decides that preservation "in situ" is not justified and that planning permission should be granted, the PPG advises the option of preservation by record, or rescue excavation, and that it is reasonable to secure this through a Section 106 Agreement.
4.36 Although the Council keeps a record of some of the sites of local archaeological interest and industrial archaeological interest, comprehensive records are kept at Lancashire County Council Environment Directorate. The County Archaeologist acts as the Council's principal advisor on archaeological matters.
4.37 The Council has a responsibility to inform and educate the public about its archaeological heritage, and therefore proposes to promote public understanding of it through a variety of interpretative material.
4.38 A Code of Practice has been drawn up by representatives of the archaeological profession and property developers. It sets out a method of approach to the investigation and protection of archaeological remains affected by development. The Council expects that both sides will adhere to this Code of Practice.
Background Documents for Policy EN6
Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 Archaeology and Planning National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy ER1 Management of the North West's Natural, Built and Historic Environment
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 21 - Lancashire's Natural and Manmade Heritage
Policy EN7 Protection of Historic Parks and Gardens
Development will not be permitted which would have a detrimental impact on the historic landscape character or the historic setting of Scarisbrick Hall Park, woodland and gardens. This site is included in the Register of Gardens and Parks of Special Historic Interest compiled by English Heritage.
Development proposals which enhance, conserve or restore the historic landscape will be permitted provided that they incorporate adequate provision for maintenance, interpretation and improved public access.
Development of the following sites, and on land forming part of their setting, will only be permitted if it can be shown that they enhance, conserve or restore features of historic landscape valueand respect their wider setting:-
1. Lathom Park (A) 2. Rufford New Hall Park (A) 3. Rufford Old Hall Gardens (A) 4. La Mancha, Halsall (A) 5. Wrightington Hall Estate (B) 6. Harrock Hall Estate (B) 7. Bickerstaffe Hall Estate (C) 8. Crawford Manor (C) 9. Moor Hall, Aughton (C) 10. Parbold Hall (C)
Justification of Policy EN7
4.39 English Heritage has compiled and maintains a Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, so that Highway and Planning Authorities and developers know that they should try to safeguard them when planning new road schemes and new development generally. Although the list does not have statutory force in the same way as legislation concerning Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas or ancient monuments does, it serves as a reminder that the parks or gardens should be given special consideration in the development control process. 4.40 The only entry in West Lancashire on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens at present is Scarisbrick Hall Park which was formed on its present boundaries in the 19th Century as the parkland for Scarisbrick Hall. This is shown on the Proposals Map. No specific extra statutory controls are imposed on an area by virtue of its being included on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. However, the Council will use its development control powers to ensure that the special cultural, horticultural, historical and landscape qualities of any park or garden on the Register and their setting are not eroded or damaged by inappropriate development or neglect.
4.41 The Council will also seek to ensure that any park or garden on the Register is properly maintained and enhanced, through persuasion and advice. In appropriate cases, the Council will provide interpretative information to promote public recognition and understanding of any park or garden on the Register.
4.42 There are a number of historic parks and gardens in the District which are not on English Heritage's Register, but which are nevertheless of local interest. Those known about at present are listed in the policy The Council will seek to ensure that the special cultural, horticultural, historical and landscape qualities of these parks and gardens is not eroded or damaged by inappropriate development or neglect.
4.43 A research report undertaken by the Manchester Metropolitan University on behalf of Lancashire County Council and English Heritage, entitled 'Historic Designed Landscapes of Lancashire', was published in November 1998. This splits sites into 4 categories. Those parks included in categories A,B and C are included in this policy:-
· A - Worthy of further study as a priority · B - Worthy of further study - lesser priority · C - Sites of potential interest · D - Site record entered
Background Documents for Policy EN7
Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 Planning and the Historic National Environment Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy ER1 Management of the North West's Natural, Built and Historic Environment · Policy ER3 Built Heritage · Policy ER4 Contribution of Built Heritage to Regeneration
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 21 - Lancashire's Natural and Manmade Heritage
Policy EN8 Green Spaces
Development will not be permitted which would destroy or significantly impair the integrity of the main Green Spaces shown on the Proposals Map, or any other locally important area of open space, by:-
i. resulting in the loss of the undeveloped open character of the area; ii. restricting access to a publicly accessible Green Space; iii. causing the degradation of the visual, ecological and historical functions of the area; or iv. directly or indirectly damaging or severing links between Green Spaces, Corridors and the open countryside.
Development may be permitted where it will provide a substantial environmental gain to the visual, ecological or appropriate recreational functions of the Green Space or where it forms part of a scheme which provides an overall benefit to the local community in social, environmental and economic terms.
Justification of Policy EN8
4.44 The Green Spaces identified on the Proposals Map are those areas of open land which provide, or have the potential to provide, one or more of the following:-
a. opportunities for outdoor recreation; b. an important visual contribution to the landscape or townscape character; c. habitats for wildlife; and/or d. historical, cultural or geological features.
4.45 These spaces and corridors perform important functions and contribute to the quality of the environment in West Lancashire. PPG3 (Housing) aims to direct new development to previously developed land within urban areas but makes it clear that parks, recreation grounds, playing fields and allotments should be protected. For example it clearly states in paragraph 32 that previously developed sites should be developed before greenfield sites. Paragraph 53 adds that developing more housing in urban areas should not mean building on urban green spaces. PPG17 states that open space and sports and recreational facilities that are of high quality, or of particular value to the local community, should be given protection in plans. In particular it draws attention to small areas of open space in urban areas, areas that provide a community resource, and areas that benefit wildlife and biodiversity. The Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (Policy UR10) states that development plans should create and enhance urban greenspace networks. Any development which reduces any of these functions will be resisted by the Council. The Council will also protect links between Green Spaces and Corridors and the open countryside in order to encourage wildlife into urban areas and to allow public access between town and country.
4.46 The Council recognises that certain types of development will protect and enhance the value of Green Spaces and will allow exceptions to the policy in such cases. This may include the provision of access, appropriate recreational facilities and routes for alternatives to motorised transport and car parking schemes that serve either the main purposes of the Green Spaces or as an appropriate improvement in traffic management. Background Documents for Policy EN8
Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 Housing National Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 Sport & Recreation Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy UR10 - Greenery, Urban Greenspace and the Public Realm
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Environment and Leisure sections
Policy EN9 Protection of Trees and Woodlands
Development involving the loss of, or damage to woodlands or trees with amenity, screening, wildlife or historical value will only be permitted where the development is required to meet an overriding need which could not be met elsewhere.
In such cases the developer will be required to replace the trees lost on site with ones of at least equal value either on the site or in the locality unless there are compelling reasons not to. Conditions will be imposed or legal agreements made to ensure such mitigation measures are carried out.
Where trees are to be retained as part of the development the layout should take account of the guidance in BS.5837:1991 in order to provide:-
i. adequate spacing between buildings, roads, footpaths, hardstandings, drains, services and existing trees to enable implementation of the development without causing damage to the trees which are to be retained, and to ensure that existing and new trees will continue to be acceptable in their context in the future; ii. adequate space for protective fencing to be placed around the trees to be retained during the construction of the development; and iii. adequate space for the site access, storage and other site operations to be accommodated outside areas of protective fencing.
Development will not be permitted where insufficient information has been provided to enable the Council to assess the effect on trees. The information required to make such an assessment should be to the level detailed in BS.5837:1991 Trees in Relation to Construction or any subsequent revision of that standard.
Justification of Policy EN9
4.47 Trees are an important element of West Lancashire's landscapes and townscapes and the Council considers that this resource should be retained, protected and increased wherever possible. As detailed in the District's Landscape and Wildlife Assessment, trees are an important visual, ecological and historical resource and are facing many threats, particularly in urban areas. As land for development becomes more and more valuable and development densities rise, trees and development sites are under increasing pressure. The Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (Policy UR10) aims to increase the overall stock of urban trees and (Policy ER6) to increase the overall level of tree cover by at least 10%.
4.48 Where existing trees and other vegetation are to be retained, sufficient consideration must be given at an early stage to the layout of all components of the development and the construction process which could affect trees. Trees are living organisms and effects on branches, roots and soil conditions are all relevant considerations. The development must be usable and the trees to be retained should not be confined in such a way as to make them unacceptable in the future, where appropriate making allowance for root and branch growth. Where trees are to be retained, curtilages will need to be designed to reflect present and future needs of both the tree and the site user. The development must also be capable of being constructed and matters for consideration include accessibility for contractor's plant, delivery of materials, storage areas and locations of site accommodation. Local Authorities should consider the effect of trees and development on each other and that the impact of site layouts on the roots of new and existing trees should be considered.
4.49 British Standard 5837:1991 (Guide for Trees in Relation to Construction) recognises the need for trees to be properly protected during the period of development. Applicants should refer to Sections 6 & 7 of the Standard which provides guidance on planning and protection to trees during construction. Table 1 in Section 7 provides guidance on minimum distances for protective fencing around trees. It is important that protection measures are installed prior to any site works including site clearance. It is often during the first few days of site works that damage is caused to trees.
4.50 It is a duty of the Council in granting planning permission that adequate consideration is given to the preservation and planting of trees. A thorough understanding of trees on or adjacent to the site will allow for a full assessment of the impact of the development on trees. This requires that the tree resource be fully surveyed and this information provided with the application. British Standard 5837:1991 (Guide for Trees in Relation to Construction) provides guidance on the level of information required including an accurate site plan showing all existing trees to assist with the consideration of applications. Applicants should comply with Section 5 of the Standard which gives guidance on pre-planning site assessment, land surveys and tree surveys.
4.51 The Council has prepared Supplementary Planning Guidance on Trees and Development which explains how the Council will implement the policy and what information developers will need to submit.
Background Documents for Policy EN9
Tree Preservation Orders - A Guide to the Law and Good Practice National DETR March 2000 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy UR10 - Greenery, Urban Greenspace and the Public Realm
· Policy ER6 - Woodlands
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 20 - Lancashire's Landscapes · Policy 21 - Lancashire's Natural and Manmade Heritage
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Environment
Policy EN10 Flood Risk
In areas of high flood risk developers will be required to submit a flood risk assessment and mitigation measures where appropriate.
Within existing settlements in high flood risk areas, such as Banks, development will be limited to proposals for which appropriate flood alleviation measures exist or will be provided by the developer.
In undeveloped or sparsely developed high risk flood areas, development will be limited to proposals for which the particular location is essential. In functional flood plains, development will be limited to essential infrastructure which cannot be located elsewhere.
In all cases development will not be permitted which would compromise existing or proposed flood defences or increase the risk of flooding or otherwise adversely affect existing surface water systems unless appropriate mitigation measures are proposed. Wherever possible such mitigation measures should include sustainable drainage systems.
Development which would restrict access for the maintenance of flood prevention features, rivers, streams, culverts and drainage channels will not be permitted.
Justification of Policy EN10
4.52 PPG25 sets out the importance the Government attaches to the management and reduction of flood risk in the land-use planning process. Flooding puts life and property at risk as well as causing pollution by overloading both natural and artificial drainage. It is therefore necessary to ensure that new development does not take place in locations liable to flooding or does not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere, for example, by reducing the storage capacity of the flood plain and increasing surface water run-off. PPG25 requires that in areas of high flood risk a flood risk assessment should be submitted with a planning application. The Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (Policy ER8) states that development plans should ensure built development is wholly exceptional in areas of functional flood plains; apply the precautionary principle, using the sequential approach, to developments in areas at risk of flooding (which includes the Ribble Estuary); discourage inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding; avoid development which could lead to flooding elsewhere; promote sustainable drainage systems; support the protection, management and development of flood defences; and take account of the longer term impacts of climate change. This policy is carried forward in Policy 24 of the Draft Joint Lancashire Structure Plan.
4.53 The area at risk from tidal or watercourse flooding within West Lancashire is considerable although it is protected to a certain standard by well constructed and maintained defences. The area at risk from tidal flooding includes the sizeable settlement area of Banks which will always depend on well maintained sea defences. It is recognised that stringent application of this policy to development within Banks will not be possible but every effort will be made to apply the policy to the edge of the settlement, especially in the less elevated areas.
4.54 Where the Council feels that development in such areas should be permitted for social or economic reasons, then appropriate flood protection and mitigation measures, including measures to restore flood plain or provide adequate storage, will be required to compensate for the impact of the development. Engineering measures must not adversely affect the water environment.
4.55 New development will only be permitted where the Council is satisfied that suitable measures, designed to mitigate the adverse impact of surface water run-off are included as an integral part of the development. Measures to minimise the area of hard surface and the use of porous surfaces must be incorporated to reduce the risk of sudden flooding due to reductions in levels of percolation of rainfall due to the impermeability of such surfaces. Such run-off can be contaminated with a whole range of pollutants which would have a detrimental impact on the quality of nearby watercourses if not suitably controlled.
4.56 Attenuation of surface water run off rates to existing levels will be necessary for developments which drain to the River Tawd, Hurlston Brook at Ormskirk, Abbey Brook or the Upper Alt catchment in order that capacity problems on these watercourses are not exacerbated.
4.57 Culverting watercourses should be avoided because of the adverse ecological, flood defence and other affects that are likely to arise. Therefore applications that involve culverting of a watercourse will only be approved if there is no reasonably practicable alternative or if the detrimental effects of culverting would be so minor that they would not justify a more costly alternative. In all cases adequate mitigation must be provided for the damage caused. The Council will encourage the reopening of culverted watercourses where this will lead to environmental and flood defence improvements.
4.58 In accordance with PPG 25 the Council will consult the Environment Agency on all applications for planning permission which may impact on flood risk. The Agency promotes Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to reduce flood risk. Developers are advised to contact the Environment Agency regarding flood risk and the use of SuDS and to consider the Advice notes produced on SuDS.
4.59 The Council will prepare Supplementary Planning Guidance covering development and Flood Risk. This will contain a plan showing areas of high risk of flooding and functional flood plains.
Background Documents for Policy EN10
Planning Policy Guidance Note 25 Development and Flood Risk National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy ER8 - Development and Flood Risk
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 24 - Flood Risk
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Environment and Health
Policy EN11 Protection of Groundwater Resources
Development will not be permitted which is likely to cause damage to groundwater resources or prevent use of those resources. In particular the location of septic tanks in environmentally sensitive areas will be strictly controlled.
Justification of Policy EN11
4.59 Groundwater is formed when rain soaks away underground into water-bearing rocks known as aquifers. Groundwater resources are a vital component of potable water supplies but once polluted the damage is invariably irrevocable. Any pollution can have wider effects in terms of the water environment as groundwater does not stay underground forever but continually feeds rivers and streams through springs and seepage into river beds. It is essential therefore that development which threatens these resources is prevented.
4.60 In West Lancashire groundwater is abstracted for public water supply and agricultural purposes. The Environment Agency has identified the areas of principal recharge for groundwater and these are the most vulnerable to the effects of development on the surface. The District has been divided into 3 areas with major, minor and no aquifers. The most important area (Area 1) is that south and south west of Ormskirk which contains a major aquifer with high quality groundwater which is exploited extensively for public water supply. Quarrying and other activities, which result in physical disturbance to the main aquifer will generally be unacceptable in this area, particularly close to supply source. Similar constraints apply to new waste disposal, effluent disposal activities and major infrastructure developments. Area 2 (minor aquifer) in the eastern part of the District may be subject to some private domestic and agricultural water supplies in rural areas remote from the mains system but there are generally no planning constraints. Area 3 (non-aquifer) in the western part of the District is the least vulnerable of the District to surface development and no general planning constraints would apply from a groundwater protection point of view.
Background Documents for Policy EN11
Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy ER7 - Water Resources
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 22- Protection of Water Resources
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Health
Chapter 5: Development and Economy Policies
"Building for a sustainable future"
5.1 The policies in this chapter aim to meet the development requirements of the community by directing development to locations which help to create sustainable communities and minimise the need to travel. This reflects the Government's aim to deliver their objectives in a sustainable way. It also delivers the Spatial Development Framework of Regional Planning Guidance and the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan by directing most development to Skelmersdale and the majority of the remaining development to Ormskirk and Burscough.
5.2 This chapter builds upon one of the key aims of West Lancashire's Community Strategy to develop a prosperous economy with thriving businesses which provide quality jobs for local people. It also reflects that people want better quality housing and more attractive neighbourhoods.
5.3 The policies reflect the results of the consultation which showed that most people support a lower rate of house building in the future with a high proportion to be built on previously developed land. They also reflect the general view that affordable housing is needed especially in the smaller towns and villages. Although the consultation did not reveal unanimity on employment and town centre issues it was generally recognised that a wide range of employment sites in accessible locations, including some small sites in villages, would help to create sustainable communities. It was also felt that tourism uses could be provided through rural diversification.
Policy DE1 Residential Development
The housing requirement, set out in the Deposit Draft Lancashire Structure Plan, of 3,040 dwellings for 2001 – 2016, and the extra requirement for 350 dwellings in Skelmersdale, will be met from the following sources:-
1. Completions between April 2001 - March 2003 and existing commitments (excluding replacement dwellings) as set out below:-
No.
Dwellings (i) Completions April 2001 - March 2004 1,280 (ii) Dwellings with planning permission @31/3/04 1,403 (iii) Dwellings on windfall sites granted permission 1/4/04 to 2/08/04 41 (iv) Dwellings on windfall sites - applications delegated by Committee, 53 awaiting completion of S106 agreements @ 2/08/0
TOTAL 2,777
2. Due to the large number of existing commitments, new residential development, including the renewal of existing planning consents, will only be granted for:- a. the conversion of buildings within the main urban areas of Skelmersdale, Ormskirk/Aughton and Burscough provided that they are not allocated for, currently used for, or their last use was for, employment uses, and the conversion would have significant urban regeneration benefits; b. housing which forms a key element within a mixed use regeneration project within Skelmersdale, or within, or directly adjacent to, Ormskirk and Burscough Town Centres. c. residential development within the priority regeneration area of Skelmersdale, provided that the land is not allocated for, currently used for, or previously used for, employment use, and the land can be demonstrated to be not needed for community or public open space use. It must be demonstrated that the development will contribute to the wider regeneration of the Town itself. This may include the replacement of dwellings lost through demolition, where redevelopment may necessitate a lower density. Residential development on the greenfield site at Whalleys will need to conform to Policy DE2; d. agricultural workers dwellings where there is a proven need and where they need to be located in a specific location; e. replacement dwellings in situ where there is no more than a one-for-one replacement; f. schemes which provide 100% affordable housing, or accommodation to meet the specific needs of a section of the community, within the settlements identified on the Proposals Map to meet the identified needs of the local area; and g. the conversion of a rural building in the Green Belt for residential use will be considered where it meets a specific local need, or an identified local housing need in less remote locations, or where it can be demonstrated that the building is inherently unsuitable for any other use.
Other residential development not covered by the above criteria will only be permitted on brownfield sites within Skelmersdale, Burscough and Ormskirk/Aughton if it would not result in an oversupply of housing land in the District.
In addition to the design criteria in Policy GD1 development on all sites should conform to the following criteria:-
1. the minimum density of development should be 40 dwellings per hectare unless it can be demonstrated that this could not be achieved without compromising the design criteria in Policy GD1; 2. any affordable housing required by Policy DE2 shall be provided on the same site; and 3. recreational facilities and/or public open space shall be provided to meet the needs of the residents of the new housing and arrangement should be made for their maintenance.
Justification of Policy DE1
5.4 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West identifies Skelmersdale as an area within the North West Metropolitan Area where wide ranging regeneration and environmental enhancement should be secured.
5.5 The Draft Replacement Joint Lancashire Structure Plan concentrates development in Skelmersdale to support its role as a key centre for public transport, employment and services and to allow for regeneration. 5.6 The Draft Replacement Joint Lancashire Structure Plan (proposed changes) identifies Ormskirk (including Aughton) and Burscough as market towns where development should be allowed. The aim is to support and enhance their role as service centres and public transport hubs for the surrounding villages.
5.7 Government guidance (PPG3), Regional Planning Guidance for the North West, and the Draft Replacement Joint Lancashire Structure Plan emphasise the need to ensure that the majority of new development avoids the use of greenfield sites, and sites which are poorly located in terms of services and transport. Therefore, a major aim of this Plan is to ensure that the majority of development takes place at high densities within the three towns of Skelmersdale, Ormskirk and Burscough. Research shows that there is sufficient potential to accommodate all the District's future housing requirements by using previously developed sites and the conversion of buildings in these three towns and by building all the houses which already have planning permission. However it is recognised that further housing may be required in Skelmersdale to assist in efforts to regenerate the town and help balance the housing market.
5.8 The restriction of new permissions will be used to limit residential development in order to avoid creating an oversupply of housing land and to ensure that the rate of house building is kept in line with strategic guidance. An oversupply will be judged having regard to an assessment of completion rates at that time, and for the purposes of this policy will be defined as anything over a six year supply having regard to the need to conform to the annualised housing target set by the Lancashire Structure Plan. This will also need to take account of oversupply which has occurred in previous years, as future years annualised targets will need to be adjusted downwards accordingly to compensate for this
5.9 The housing potential of brownfield sites (including conversion opportunities) within Skelmersdale, Ormskirk/Aughton, and Burscough, which become available for housing development will be monitored, and taken into account in planning for any shortfall in housing provision. The granting of further permissions will be based upon the housing land supply situation and the accessibility level of the site. Completions will be monitored on an annual basis and the District Council will either allow or refuse development of sites as appropriate to conform to the annual rate of completions. Reviews of the Local Plan and Supplementary Planning Guidance will be used to assess the sites by the criteria laid down in paragraph 31 of PPG3 and by their accessibility level.
5.10 The Regional Planning Guidance for the North West anticipates that the greatest need for affordable housing will be in villages in remoter rural areas and parts of South Lancashire within commuting distance of Liverpool. This must include most of West Lancashire. In addition to allowing affordable housing where there is a proven need, there will also be circumstances where accommodation to meet the specific needs of a section of the community will be needed. Accommodation to meet the specific needs of a community includes agricultural workers dwellings, or specialist provision for either the frail elderly, the disabled or people with a mental health problem, vulnerable young people (including children leaving care), or students. Such housing will only be taken to be ‘special needs’ housing where it is specifically designed and operated to house one of the groups described. For the avoidance of doubt, age restricted retirement homes and sheltered housing with a warden who offers assistance only intermittently, or in an emergency, would not constitute special needs housing and therefore would not be permitted under Policy DE1. 5.11 The 1999 Housing Needs Study of West Lancashire identified a need to provide a greater proportion of smaller low cost market housing throughout the District. An update of this Study showed that the rise in house prices since 1999 has created a substantial shortfall in affordable housing over the next few years. The Study recommends that the Local Plan should set a District target of 25% of the total of all units negotiated on all suitable sites in the District. More explanation of this is included under Policy DE3 on Affordable Housing and the Residential Developments SPG.
5.12 National Planning Guidance advises that new housing developments should incorporate sufficient provision for the creation of open space and playing fields where such spaces are not already provided within easy access.(PPG3 para 53). Supplementary Planning Guidance is being prepared to explain how the Council will operate this policy.
5.13 PPG3 (Housing) and PPG12 (Development Plans and Regional Planning Guidance) both acknowledge that in areas where the housing land supply is in conformity with the County Structure Plan and there is strong pressure for further development, some means of phasing the housing land supply may be necessary.
5.14 Clearly, West Lancashire is under great pressure for housing development. If the current rates of housing completions were to continue, on identified and windfall sites, the Structure Plan allocation of 3,040 dwellings could be reached as early as 2009. At that point, either the Council would have to place severe restraint on further residential development, or accept that the number of dwellings built will exceed the planned provision by a large margin. Therefore, in the interests of a steady and sustainable level of development activity, and to avoid rapid growth in housing and employment needs at the expense of the environment, a measure of phased release of land for new housing is desirable. The recommended form of control in PPG12 (Development Plans and Regional Planning Guidance) is through the phased release of main areas or identified sites.
5.15 Through initial urban capacity work the District Council has established that windfall rates are likely to continue to be high if a policy constraint is not put upon them.
5.16 The above policy allows for the following number of dwellings being completed over the period to 2016 as follows (figures exclude replacement dwellings):-
No. Running Supply in Period 2001 to 2016 Dwellings Total Dwellings with permission as at 31 March 2004 1,403 1,403 Dwellings on windfall sites granted permission between 1 41 1,444 March 2004 - 2 August 2003 Dwellings on windfall sites - Applications awaiting the 53 1,497 completion of Section 106 agreements as at 2 August 2003 Completions 2001 - 04 1,280 2,777 Conversions within main settlements (Estimate) 100 2,877 Dwellings linked to Regeneration of Skelmersdale 350 3,227 Agricultural Workers Dwellings (Estimate) 13 3,240 Affordable Housing in Rural Areas (Estimate) 250 3,490
5.17 The Deposit Structure Plan sets a target for the Local Plan to provide 305 dwellings a year for the period 2001 to 2006 (1,525 dwellings) and 145 dwellings a year thereafter (155 dwellings in the proposed changes).
5.18 For the period to 2016 this gives a target for completions of 3075 , which excludes replacement dwellings. The actual number provided for, just through existing commitments, as set out in the table above is for 2777 - this provides enough housing to meet the District's needs to beyond 2013. The Panel’s Report following the Examination in Public into the Joint Replacement Structure Plan, recommended an extra 350 dwellings be added to West Lancashire’s figure in Policy 12 of the draft Structure Plan, specifically to allow further development in Skelmersdale. This policy takes account of this recommendation. It is recognised that not all planning consents will necessarily be implemented and this will be monitored and taken into account through reviews of the Plan. In some cases houses may be demolished and not replaced in situ. Replacements dwellings for those demolished can be allowed for elsewhere in addition to the overall target. The number of demolitions will be monitored over the Plan period, so that these can be taken account of in the housing figures.
5.19 Unfortunately the Council is not in a position to influence those sites which already have planning consent, but has set fairly stringent criteria for any further sites to come forward. Skelmersdale is a town which is a regeneration priority area, and provided that a clear regeneration need for new development can be demonstrated, housing would be allowed. This recognises the unique position of Skelmersdale, which is located within the North West Metropolitan Area by the adopted RPG, and the fact that the Panel have recommended that housing as part of a mixed use regeneration project should be permitted where this meets the regeneration objectives of the local authority. In addition housing which forms a key element within a mixed use regeneration project will be permitted within, or adjacent to, Ormskirk and Burscough Town Centres. This recognises the priority accorded by the Council to regeneration schemes for these two centres. In will need to be demonstrated that the housing is required to enable the regeneration scheme to take place, and that the scheme is delivering improvements which accord with the Council’s Regeneration Strategy and which are of significant benefit to the local community. The table above provides estimates of how housing, permitted by Policy DE1, will come forward over the Plan period to meet the draft Structure Plan target.
Background Documents for Policy DE1
Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 Housing National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · UR5 - Existing Commitments in Development Plans · UR6 - Existing Housing Stock and Housing Renewal
· UR7 - Regional Housing Provision
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Sub Regional · Policy 12 Housing Provision · Policy 13 Housing Renewal
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Homes and People
Policy DE2 Whalleys, Skelmersdale
Housing development on land identified on the Proposals Map at Whalleys Road, Skelmersdale, will be permitted provided that the following criteria are met:-
i. the development can be shown to contribute positively to the regeneration efforts elsewhere in the Town, and, in particular, respects plans to redevelop Skelmersdale Town Centre; ii. the development is directly linked to the provision of new employment development on the neighbouring Cobbs Clough Employment site, and to the provision of new educational facilities for the local community; iii. the development shows the highest standard of design and innovation in terms of layout and building design; iv. the development provides suitable facilities for, and links to, proposals for footpaths, cycleways and bridleways in the locality and is adequately linked to the public transport network; and v. the development respects local landscape considerations and, in particular, the wooded cloughs which are adjacent to the site.
Justification for Policy DE2
5.20 There is sufficient land allocated in the Plan to meet the foreseeable housing needs of the District, assuming that demolition rates remain at recent levels. The release of housing land needs to be managed to ensure that priority is given to re-using previously developed land within urban areas, bringing empty homes back into use and converting existing buildings in preference to the development of greenfield sites (PPG3 para.2).
5.21 As this is a greenfield site on the edge of Skelmersdale it is important that very strong justification should be provided to warrant its release. Policy DE2 sets out the criteria which need to be demonstrated to provide such a justification. This policy recognises the unique position of Skelmersdale, which is the only settlement within Lancashire which is in the North West Metropolitan Area, as defined by RPG. New quality housing is required in the Town to balance the mix of housing and provide attractive housing options for the workers being attracted to the Town through new employment development. Development on this site may also have a role in replacing houses lost through demolition elsewhere in Skelmersdale through estate regeneration
Background Documents for Policy DE2
Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 Housing National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · UR5 - Existing Commitments in Development Plans · UR6 - Existing Housing Stock and Housing Renewal
· UR7 - Regional Housing Provision
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Sub Regional · Policy 12 Housing Provision · Policy 13 Housing Renewal
Policy DE3 Affordable Housing Development
Affordable housing development to meet the needs of local people will be permitted within the settlement areas shown on the Proposals Map provided that:-
i. a need has been identified in the local area and the proposed development would meet that need; ii. the affordable housing is made available for local residents in proven housing need, who cannot afford to rent or buy houses through the open housing market. The tenure of affordable units should be determined by need in the local area, and should meet local needs in perpetuity; and iii. the site should be in reasonable proximity to local services such as schools, shops, medical facilities and public transport, and its development should not prejudice the realisation of other key planning objectives for the development of the site or local area.
The number of affordable housing units to be provided within approved housing developments outside of Skelmersdale will be between 30% and 50% on sites of 10 or more dwellings. The tenure of these affordable units should be determined by need in the local area, and should meet local needs in perpetuity.
Within Skelmersdale the number of affordable housing units to be provided on each site will be up to 25% on sites of 10 or more dwellings. These affordable units should include a mixture of types required to meet the overall regeneration and Housing Strategy objectives for Skelmersdale.
All affordable housing proposed under this policy must be demonstrated to be genuinely affordable to those on lower incomes in the local area.
Justification of Policy DE3
5.22 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West aims to concentrate growth and change in Liverpool and Manchester/Salford and the adjacent metropolitan towns, and several key cities and towns beyond. It envisages a reduction in the number of people moving out from the metropolitan area to Lancashire and therefore dictates that only housing to meet the needs of the local community should be provided in places such as West Lancashire's smaller settlements. This means that in the following villages the only housing which will be allowed is affordable housing which meets the needs of that particular village:-
Appley Bridge, Banks, Parbold, Tarleton and Hesketh Bank, Up Holland, Crawford, Halsall, Haskayne, Hilldale, Holt Green, Mere Brow, Mossy Lea Road, Newburgh, Rufford, Scarisbrick/Bescar, Stanley Gate and Westhead, Brown Edge/Pool Hey, Moss Road, New Cut Lane and Segars Lane.
5.23 The Housing Needs Study Update, prepared in August 2003, shows that there is a significant affordability problem in West Lancashire, especially in the rural areas. The Community Strategy identified the need to ensure people can access a variety of affordable housing as a key priority and this is also a priority of the Council's Corporate Plan. One of the objectives of West Lancashire's Housing Strategy is to balance the housing market in the District. Affordable housing provided through this policy must meet the strategic housing objectives, as outlined within the Housing Strategy, and contribute to balancing the local housing market.
5.24 The Housing Needs Study Update, recommended that the overall District target for affordable housing, should be 25% of the total of all units negotiated on all suitable sites. In Ormskirk and the rural areas it states that targets could be higher than the 25% level because of lack of existing supply and higher house prices, whilst in Skelmersdale existing supply and lower house prices may mean that targets could be lower, to take account of supply and units arising from regeneration schemes. Due to the Council’s restrictive housing policy, set out in Policy DE1, there is unlikely to be much, if any, market housing outside of Skelmersdale. However this policy does cover the eventuality of where housing may be allowed as an exception to the general housing policy, and require that 30-50% of such housing should be affordable. The 10 dwelling threshold reflect emerging Government policy; that many sites in the future are likely to be small; and the high level of need. For the purpose of this policy we use the definition of affordable housing set out in the above Study. The types of affordable housing include:-
· Units for rent, (the major requirement); · Shared ownership with grant; · Shared equity, where land value is retained to provide housing for sale at below market levels, and where control of the 'equity discount' can be retained as long as they are needed; · Discounted market housing.
Because the supply of affordable housing will be significantly less than required (as calculated by the 2003 Housing Needs Survey Update) then all affordable housing units will need to meet local needs in perpetuity. Developers will also need to demonstrate that the affordable housing units will be genuinely affordable to those on the lowest incomes. In many areas of the District, housing available for sale would not be considered to be affordable without an extremely large discount on the market value, due to the high level of house prices. A preference is stated for rented accommodation as this is demonstrated to be the major requirement in West Lancashire by the 2003 Housing Needs Survey Update.
5.25 The Regional Planning Guidance for the North West, the Lancashire Structure Plan and Central Government advice endorse the use of planning powers to meet housing needs not catered for by the market. The District Council is keen to support the building of affordable homes in Ormskirk/Aughton, Burscough and the rural areas of the District. Before the Council can consider an affordable housing scheme it is necessary to show that there is a genuine need for affordable housing in a given local rural community. To achieve this, there should be sufficient evidence that the proposed houses will be occupied by people with a genuine need to live in the village who cannot afford to buy or rent accommodation through the open market. Sites for justified affordable housing schemes should preferably be located within the village settlements as defined on the Proposals Map.
5.26 Supplementary Planning Guidance has been prepared to explain how the Council will operate this policy.
Background Documents for Policy DE3 Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 and Circular 6/98 National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Sub Regional · Policy 5 Development in Rural Areas
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Homes and People
Policy DE4 Caravan Sites for Gypsies and Travelling Show People
The development of caravan sites for gypsies and travelling show people will be permitted outside the Green Belt provided that the site is close to schools, shops and other community facilities; the site would not have an unacceptable impact upon the landscape, the road network, or on neighbouring land uses; and the proposal would not prejudice the possible development of a larger site.
Justification of Policy DE4
5.27 Circular 1/94 advises that local planning authorities should make adequate gypsy site provision in their development plans, through appropriate use of locational and/or criteria based policies. In 2002/2003 there were 26 unauthorised encampments of 5 or 6 caravans recorded in West Lancashire.
5.28 Circular 1/94 states that gypsy sites are not regarded as being among those uses of land which are normally appropriate in Green Belt. It goes on to state that local planning authorities might consider locations outside existing settlements, but within a reasonable distance of local facilities e.g. shops, hospitals and schools. Local authorities are also advised to have regard to highway considerations, the potential for noise and other disturbance from the movement of vehicles to and from the site, the stationing of vehicles on the site, and on-site business activities. Landscaping and planting with trees and shrubs will help sites blend into their surroundings, give structure and privacy, and maintain visual amenity.
Background Documents for Policy DE4
Circular 1/94: Gypsy Sites and Planning National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy UR2 An inclusive Social Infrastructure
Policy DE5 Employment Development
1. The Council will permit industrial, business, storage and distribution uses on proposed employment sites as detailed on the Proposals Map and listed below:-
Pimbo Industrial Estate Gillibrands Industrial Estate 15 Gardiners Place 1 Pimbo Road 16 Gardiners Place 2 Pimbo Road 3 Pimbo Road Other Skelmersdale Sites 4 Rear of Snack Factory 17 Whitemoss Business Park * 5 Priorswood Place 18 Cobbs Clough Road * Stanley Industrial Estate Burscough Employment Areas 19 Tollgate Road
21 Ringtail Road 6 Staveley Road 7 Staveley Road Other Sites 8 Staveley Road 9 Staveley Road 22 North Quarry, Appley Bridge 10 Staveley Road 23 Simonswood 1 11 Seddon Place 24 Simonswood 2 12 Selby Place 25 Greaves Hall Business Park, Banks 13 Selby Place 26 Ormskirk Hospital 14 Stanley Extension Site * 27. Extension to Pimbo
28. Extension to White Moss
*these sites are covered by supplementary planning guidance setting out detailed site requirements. NB. Business development land also exists at Inchfield and Northway in Skelmersdale, see Policy DE10 Retail & Other Town Centre Development.
2. industrial, business, storage and distribution uses will be permitted in existing employment areas as detailed on the Proposals Map and listed below:-
1 Pimbo Industrial Estate, Skelm 13 Tarleton Mill, Plox Brow, Tarleton 2 Stanley Industrial Estate, Skelm 14 Whitemoss Business Park, Skelm 3 Gillibrands Industrial Estate, Skelm 15 TPT Centre, Railway Road, Skelm 4 Simonswood Industrial Park 16 Abbey Lane, Burscough 5 North Quarry, Appley Bridge 17 Appley Lane North, Appley Bridge 6 Dawber Delph, Appley Bridge 18 Ravenhead Brickworks, Up Holland 7 Burscough Employment Area 19 Alty's Brickworks, Hesketh Bank 8 Westgate, Skelmersdale 20 Briars Lane, Burscough 9 Ormskirk Employment Area 21 Co-op Bank Offices, Northway, 10 Platts Lane, Burscough Skelm 11 Red Cat Lane, Burscough 22 Southport Road/ Green Lane, Orms 12 Orrell Lane, Burscough 23 Digmoor Road, Skelm 3. Light industrial uses may be permitted in residential areas provided that the amenity of nearby residential property will not be unacceptably harmed by the proposal.
4. The conversion or re-use of employment sites not identified on the proposals map within the urban and rural settlements for alternative uses will not be permitted, unless that it can be demonstrated that alternative uses, such as tourism or leisure provide significant job creation opportunities.
5. Only B1(a) office uses and B1(b) research and development uses will be permitted at the Whitemoss Business Park. Only B1 uses will be permitted on the Greaves Hall Business Park and Cobbs Clough site.
6. Other employment generating uses such as tourism and leisure, and affordable housing, will also be permitted on Rural Employment Areas listed below, and shown on the Proposals Map, provided such uses do not take up more than half the site, and can satisfactorily co-exist with industrial / business uses.-
a. School Lane, Haskayne; b. Ainscough Building Supplies, Mossy Lea Road, Wrightington; c. Sharrocks's Depot, Mossy Lea Road, Wrightington; d. Reynolds Garage, Southport Road, Scarisbrick;
7. Further research and development facilities at Pilkington Technology Centre will be permitted within the area shown on the Proposals Map provided that it does not exceed the height of existing buildings and does not lead to a major increase in the developed proportion of the site.
8. In terms of new land at White Moss the exact area to be developed will be defined in forthcoming SPD the rest of the area being safeguarded for future needs.
Justification of Policy DE5
5.29 Government advice contained within PPG4 makes it clear that sufficient land should be made available which is both readily capable of development and well served by infrastructure. A variety of sites should be made available to suit a variety of needs thus facilitating competition between developers and stimulating economic activity. The advice makes it clear that economic development should be encouraged in a way which is compatible with the Government's environmental objectives, and that development plans should weigh the importance of industrial and commercial development with that of maintaining and improving environmental quality.
5.30 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West aims to strengthen the Region's economy and states that plans should identify a range of suitable sites and premises for employment purposes which:-
· complement the Region's sectoral priorities; · take account of the needs of local businesses and communities and the need to ensure the modernisation and diversification of older manufacturing industries and their premises; · are based on a review of existing commitments; · have the potential to promote clustering; · take account of the sequential approach set out in Policy DP1 of the guidance; · support the Spatial Development Framework of the regional guidance; and · take account of the availability of skilled labour and wider employment and training opportunities.
5.31 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West also states that major new industrial and distribution developments should be guided to sites that can readily be connected to the rail network and waterways.
5.32 The Draft Lancashire Structure Plan states that 100 hectares of land should be provided in West Lancashire between 2001 - 2016 for business and industrial development (Use Classes B1-B8). The strategy of the Structure Plan seeks an accelerated rate of business and industrial development but with a reduction in the overall amount of land earmarked for development, resulting in a targeted relative shift towards the Regeneration Priority Areas such as Skelmersdale.
5.33 The District Council has submitted to the Structure Plan consultation that the figure for West Lancashire should be 130 ha between 2001 and 2016. It is intended that evidence in support of this will be presented to the Structure Plan Examination in Public in January 2004. The table below details how we will meet this figure. The 130 hectares will be met from land developed between 2001 and 2003, land with outstanding planning consent and land allocated for development up to 2016. Examination is also being made of allocating further land for such development.
Employment Land Supply 2001 to 2016
Total Site Developed With Planning Local Plan Residual Site Name Area 2001-2003 Permission Ref. (Ha) (Ha) (Ha) (Ha) Pimbo Industrial
Estate Pimbo Road * DE5.1.1 2.03 2.03 Pimbo Road * DE5.1.2 3.50 3.50 Priorswood Place * DE5.1.5 0.71 0.71 Pimbo Road * DE5.1.3 2.55 2.55 Land to rear of DE5.1.4 0.86 0.86 Snack Factory *
Stanley Industrial
Estate Staveley Road DE5.1.8 2.32 2.32 Selby Place DE5.1.12 0.47 0.47 Staveley Road * DE5.1.7 3.81 3.81 DE5.1.6 Staveley Road DE5.1. 9 12.1 12.1 DE5.1.10 Seddon Place * DE5.1.11 1.31 0.20 1.11 Selby Place * DE5.1.13 0.84 0.84 Part of Stanley - 0.80 0.80 Stanley Extension DE5.1.14 37.0 12.62 24.38
Gillibrands Industrial
Estate Gardiners Place DE5.1.15 1.78 1.78 Gardiners Place DE5.1.16 1.27 1.27 Glebe Road * - 0.28 0.28
Other Skelmersdale Whitemoss Business DE5.1.17 11.23 1.80 3.63 5.80 Park Cobbs Clough Road DE5.1.18 9.82 9.82
Burscough
Employment Area Tollgate Road DE5.1.19 7.47 7.47
Ringtail Road * DE5.1.21 0.27 0.27
Other Sites North Quarry, Appley DE5.1.22 1.38 0.30 0.70 0.38 Bridge Simonswood 1* DE5.1.23 5.02 5.02 Simonswood 2 DE5.1.24 2.70 2.70 Greaves Hall Business Park, DE5.1.25 5.21 5.21 Banks Ormskirk Hospital DE5.1.26 0.24 0.24 Pimbo Extension DE5.1.27 7.2 7.2 White Moss DE5.1.28 12.5 12.5 Extension Skelmersdale Town DE11 5 5 Centre Regeneration Development Opportunity Sites 5.3 5.3 and Windfall Sites
TOTAL 144.97 18.42 32.28 94.27
* Denotes sites affected by constraints, or held by existing companies.
5.34 The Council's Corporate Plan and the Community Strategy for West Lancashire both identify providing jobs for local people as a priority. The employment areas and most of the available development sites in West Lancashire are predominantly in Skelmersdale to reflect its strategic role as a regeneration priority area. However, there is still a need to provide new employment opportunities in other parts of the District. As well as seeking to retain and attract new employment uses within the identified employment areas, the policy also seeks to retain any other employment sites within the District's settlements for employment uses. Often these sites are in extremely sustainable locations being located adjacent to, or within residential areas. Currently the demand for new employment premises is extremely high within the District. It is important that the stock of current sites, which could be recycled, is not eroded, as this could create a demand for less sustainable greenfield sites to be released. Without a firm policy retaining such sites there will be the danger that sites are bought speculatively with the hope of obtaining permission for residential development. This is particularly the case given the restrictions upon new residential development at this point in time and the high demand for residential sites. It is likely that grant funding could be made available to assist with any redevelopment costs, and interested parties should contact the District Council's Economic Development Manager for advice.
NB. In the case of development that creates or safeguards jobs the Council's Economic Development Officer can provide advice on the availability of grant assistance.
Background Documents for Policy DE5
Planning Policy Guidance Note 4 National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policies EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4, EC6, EC7
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Sub Regional
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Jobs
Policy DE6 The Rural Economy
The reuse of existing buildings for small scale industrial (B1, B2 and B8 uses), tourism, self catering holiday accommodation and non retail commercial development will be permitted in the countryside, including the Green Belt, provided that:-
i. the building is of permanent and substantial construction and is capable of conversion without major reconstruction or extension; ii. the character of the building is of intrinsic value to the visual quality of the landscape and the conversion will retain or enhance that character; iii. any loss of agricultural land would be minimal, the development would not lead to any significant deterioration in land quality, and where there is a choice the lowest grade of agricultural land would be used; iv. the proposal would not have a detrimental effect on the character of the local environment, local or visual amenity or highway safety; v. the proposal would not adversely affect wildlife or features of archaeological or nature conservation interest; and vi. where the proposal is for self catering holiday accommodation it shall be designed for that purpose and shall not include any external curtilage for individual units. All such accommodation will have strict conditions applied relating to duration of occupancy.
Any re-use of the buildings within the Green Belt should not have a materially greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the former use. Only minor extensions to existing buildings or small new buildings will be permitted to support the rural economy.
Farm shops within existing buildings which require planning permission (i.e. selling goods not grown or produced on the holding) will be permitted if, as well as complying with all the above requirements, the following criteria are also met:-
a. all the produce sold is grown within the locality; and b. the gross retail floor space does not exceed 100 square metres.
N.B. Where development includes the reuse of a building in the Green Belt, it should also comply with Policy DS2.
Justification for Policy DE6
5.35 The increasing efficiency of agricultural producers and changes in agricultural policy mean that retaining as much land as possible in agricultural use no longer has the same priority. The priority now, as signalled by PPG7, is to promote diversification of the rural economy so as to provide wide and varied employment opportunities for people in rural areas, including those formerly employed in agriculture and related sectors. Rural diversification can assist the rural economy through sustaining the viability of farms, and by providing alternative employment opportunities. Policy DE6 is designed to meet one of the main priorities of West Lancashire's Community Strategy which is to support rural businesses.
5.36 Notwithstanding the above, the Government maintains its commitment to protect Green Belt and the best and most versatile agricultural land. The majority of West Lancashire, excluding the main settlements, is Green Belt. In addition, approximately 86% of the District's agricultural land is Grades 1, 2 and 3a. Inevitably, therefore, opportunities for diversification will be constrained by these important policy considerations.
5.37 All rural diversification proposals will be assessed primarily against the Green Belt policies. Where a use of land is involved, additional considerations will include: the agricultural land quality; the need to control the rate at which land is released for development; the need to protect the countryside for its own sake; the need to safeguard the quality and amenity value of the local environment; the need to safeguard the enjoyment of the surrounding countryside for both visitors and residents; the need to safeguard historic, wildlife and landscape resources; and the need to safeguard the viability of the farmholding.
5.38 Many diversification proposals will take the form of farm-based small scale non- agricultural enterprises which involve the reuse of existing buildings. Policy DS2 provides an opportunity for the reuse of buildings.
5.39 It would assist the Council in determining an application, if the applicant were to submit a supporting statement in justification of any rural diversification proposal.
5.40 The rural economy has also seen an increase in the number of shops being operated on farmholdings. The sale of farm produce, which has been wholly grown on the holding from which it is being sold, is generally regarded as ancillary to an agricultural use, and consequently does not require planning permission. Commonly, however, the sale of goods from a farm shop is not restricted to produce grown on the same holding, but rather incorporates an element of produce grown elsewhere. Whilst the sale of a nominal amount of such latter produce may be 'de minimis', the sale of a significant quantity of produce grown elsewhere results in the need for planning permission. The Council also recognises that not all farms may wish to operate individual farm shops. This policy, therefore, allows farm shops to sell produce grown in the locality i.e. within approximately 5 kilometres of the holding, in addition to that grown on the same holding. Farm shops which sell significant quantities of other brought in produce will be considered on the same basis as any retail outlet and will be assessed against the criteria contained in Policy DE10. Therefore, whilst the Council encourages other types of farm diversification it will not approve proposals which undermine the Council's policy to protect and enhance the vitality and viability of the existing town, village and neighbourhood shopping centres, and existing village shops which cater for local needs.
NB. In the case of development that creates or safeguards jobs the Council's Economic Development Officer can provide advice on the availability of grant assistance.
Background Documents for Policy DE6
Planning Policy Statement 7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · RU2 - Rural Diversification
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Sub Regional · Policy 5 - Development in Rural Areas
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Jobs
Policy DE7 Agricultural Produce Packing Facilities
Proposals for new, replacement, or extensions to, agricultural produce packing and distribution facilities will be permitted in the countryside (including the Green Belt) provided that:-
i. in the case of new freestanding facilities, or large-scale extensions to existing facilities, there is not an alternative site within a nearby employment area; ii. the proposed use will remain linked to the use of land and not involve a division of the operation from the existing agricultural holding; iii. the majority of the produce processed on the site is grown upon holdings located within the local area; iv. the loss of agricultural land is kept to a minimum and, where there is a choice, the lowest grade of agricultural land is used; and v. traffic generated can be satisfactorily accommodated on the local road network and will not be detrimental to residential amenity. vi. the cumulative impact of incremental small scale extensions will be assessed the same as a large scale extension.
Justification for Policy DE7
5.41 The past 30 years has witnessed considerable change in rural areas in England. Successive Government agricultural policies and changes in working practice have resulted in greater efficiency in food production. This move for greater efficiency has not been limited to the working of the land itself but also the handling and distribution of produce. The influence of the major retailers has been significant as they require produce to be packed under set conditions and delivered direct to them within a specified period of time. The cost of meeting the requirements of retailers as well as the introduction of tougher hygiene regulations has been prohibitive to the smaller agricultural holdings, and consequently this has resulted in the rise of specialists who provide facilities to wash, pack and distribute not only their own produce, but also produce from other holdings.
5.42 The Council recognises the importance to the rural economy of having facilities locally available to undertake the packing and distribution of produce and consider such facilities to be appropriate within the countryside including those areas designated Green Belt, provided the use remains ancillary to an existing agricultural holding. The use of bare land for a packing and distribution centre to which all the produce was imported onto the site would be inappropriate development within Green Belt and will not be permitted.
5.43 In accordance with the Government's aim to reduce growth in the length and number of motorised journeys it is important that the majority of the produce processed is grown in the local area i.e. a maximum of 8km from the packing and distribution centres.
Background Documents for Policy DE7
Planning Policy Statement 7 Sustainable Development in Rural National Areas. Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · RU2 - Rural Diversification
Sub Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Regional · Policy 5 - Development in Rural Areas
Policy DE8 Temporary Accommodation for Seasonal Agricultural/Horticultural Workers
Within the Green Belt the provision of semi permanent single storey accommodation in the form of dormitories or family units will be permitted where it can be demonstrated that there is a need to provide accommodation to satisfy a clearly identified local employment problem provided that;
(i) it can be demonstrated that the requirement cannot reasonably be met on sites outside the Green Belt or through the reuse of appropriate existing buildings; (iii) any impact on visual amenity and/or residential amenity and/or openness of the Green Belt and/or highway safety and/or landscape, wildlife and countryside character is minimised to an acceptable level. Any such impacts will need to be outweighed by clear benefits in helping to meet the local employment problem or any other very special circumstances that exist; (iv) proposals include measures to protect the character of the local area including: retention of existing trees and hedges; implementation of landscape planting and improvement of any damaged or derelict land involved; and improvement of boundary treatments; (v) the siting, location, scale, and external appearance of the accommodation, hardstanding and associated facilities are designed to minimise the impact on the wider area to an acceptable level; and (vi) the amount of accommodation, hardstanding and associated facilities to be provided is justified in relation to the agricultural land holding of the applicant to ensure that it is the minimum required to satisfy the very special circumstances that are shown to exist.
In justifying that there is long-term need for accommodation the use of caravans will only be permitted for a maximum of three years.
Justification for Policy DE8
5.44 Seasonal agricultural workers have been employed on farms for many years, including ones from overseas. However, it appears that in the last year or so the number of foreign workers has increased substantially. An idea of the numbers involved is given by the Government's Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme annual quota which in 2003 was 25,000 compared to 10,000 in 2000 for the country as a whole. Whereas in the past the caravans housing these workers may have been placed within and/or between the farm buildings these new sites are often highly visible and some are near residential properties. This can have an adverse impact on the landscape and on local residents.
5.45 In recent years agricultural and horticultural employers have found it increasingly difficult to recruit sufficient numbers of temporary workers, especially at periods of peak activity. The farmers feel this constrains their ability to meet domestic demand and some export markets, so opening up the UK to imports.
5.46 The majority of seasonal and casual workers are from one or more of the following:-
· Recruited direct by the farmers; · Workers supplied by gangmasters; · Students seeking part-time or vacation work; · The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS); and · The Working Holiday arrangements. 5.47 Although some temporary accommodation will not require planning permission, in most cases permission will be required. Operators should always check with the Council's Planning Department, but normally planning permission is required in the following cases:
· if the workers will be housed for longer than a normal planting, growing, or picking season; · if caravans and other related buildings (e.g. canteens and toilets) are to be kept on site permanently; · if a change of use to an existing building is involved; · if hardstandings and permanent services (e.g. water supply or septic tank) need to be constructed.
5.48 The Council wishes to assist in supporting a healthy rural economy within the context of national and local planning policies. Permanent buildings or caravans which are kept on site for a number of months can reduce the open character of the Green Belt and have an adverse impact on the landscape and the amenity of local residents. Therefore the above policy has been introduced to limit the impact of this type of development on the local area. The Council has produced Supplementary Planning Guidance on Accommodation for Seasonal Agricultural Workers.
Background Documents for Policy DE8
Planning Policy Statement 7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas Planning Policy Guidance Note2 Green Belts National Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 Housing Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · RU2 - Rural Diversification
Sub Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Regional · Policy 5 - Development in Rural Areas
Policy DE9 Removal of Agricultural Workers Dwelling Conditions
Planning permission for the removal of an agricultural, horticultural or forestry worker's dwelling occupancy condition, will only be approved, if the Council is satisfied by means of a realistic and effective marketing exercise, submitted by the applicant, that the continuing need for the dwelling, for present and retired workers, both on the particular farm and in the locality, no longer warrants its retention for that purpose.
To provide a realistic assessment in consultation with the Local Planning Authority of the continuing need for dwellings for agricultural, horticultural or forestry workers in the area, the Council will expect the marketing exercise to:-
i. be directed at the local agricultural, horticultural or forestry community; ii. offer the property for both sale and rent at an amount which takes into account the effect of the agricultural occupancy condition on the value of the property; and iii. be carried out at a realistic frequency and over a realistic period bearing in mind the condition of the general housing market.
Alternatively the Council will expect the applicant to provide other realistic evidence that will clearly indicate whether or not there is a continuing need to retain the dwelling for agricultural workers in the locality.
Justification of Policy DE9
5.49 Government guidance (PPG 7) states that "Where the need to provide accommodation to enable farm or forestry workers to live at or near their place of work has been accepted as justifying isolated residential development in the countryside, it will be necessary to ensure that the dwellings are kept available for meeting this need." The guidance recommends the use of a condition attached to planning permissions for such uses. Where an agricultural occupancy condition has been imposed it will not normally be removed on a subsequent application unless it is shown that the longer term need for dwellings for agricultural workers, both on the particular farm and in the locality, no longer warrants its reservation for that purpose. PPG7 however, requires applications for the removal of occupancy conditions to be considered on the basis of a realistic assessment of the continuing need. Policy DE9 sets out the Council's policy in relation to such applications, and sets out guidelines for the marketing exercise which should be undertaken by applicants in order to demonstrate that there is no longer a long-term need in the locality for agricultural workers' dwellings. As the sale of a house is often affected by market conditions it is expected that the period of sale will be at least twelve months although a longer period will be required when market conditions are poor. The guidelines set out in the policy would not be applicable if a continuing need is self-evident, for example, the present occupiers (who comply with the condition) do not intend to vacate the dwelling. In order to avoid wasting time and effort all applicants are advised to seek the local planning authority's guidance on how the property should be marketed before placing it on the market or submitting a planning application.
Background Documents for Policy DE9
Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 Green Belt Planning Policy Statement 7 Sustainable Development in Rural National Areas Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy SD5 The Green Belts
Sub Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Regional · Policy 6 Green Belts
Policy DE10 Retail and Other Town Centre Development
1. Retail, leisure, entertainment and other appropriate town centre development will be permitted within main and market town centres as designated on the Proposals Map Developments creating more than 2,500 square metres of retail floor space will be permitted provided that the resulting provision, whether singly or cumulatively, does not adversely affect the vitality and viability of any existing centre. Any development should reflect the scale and function of the centre. 2. Retail, leisure and entertainment Development on edge-of-centre sites will only be permitted where:-
i. no suitable alternative is available within the above areas; ii. it can be satisfactorily integrated into the town centre; iii. the resulting provision, whether singly or cumulatively, does not adversely affect the vitality and viability of any existing centre; and iv. there is a clearly defined need.
3. Further small scale retail, leisure and entertainment development in local shopping centres will only be permitted where:-
i. no suitable alternative is available within the above areas; ii. it can be satisfactorily integrated into the local shopping centre iii. the resulting provision whether singly or cumulatively does not adversely affect the vitality and viability of any existing centre; and iv. there is a clearly defined need
4. Retail, leisure and entertainment development on out-of-centre sites will only be permitted where:-
i. no suitable alternative is available within the above; ii. the resulting provision, whether singly or cumulatively, sustains and enhances the vitality and viability of any existing centre; iii. there is a clearly defined need; and iv. there would not be an adverse impact on the residential amenity of neighbouring property through increased noise and disturbance.
5. Within Primary Shopping Areas schemes involving changes of use from retail use (class A1) to any other use, and the development of new buildings for uses not within class A1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1997 (or subsequent order), will be permitted provided that:-
i. the proposed use when taken cumulatively with other non retail uses does not have a detrimental effect upon the vitality and viability of the area; and ii. the proposal retains a ground floor shop front with windows and display.
6. Outside the main shopping centres or in local centres and rural settlements, proposals for the redevelopment or conversion of shops and/or other essential services such as post offices, banks, public houses, health centres and other community facilities to another use will not be permitted unless:-
i. it would not adversely affect the vitality and viability of a centre; ii. it can be demonstrated that adequate alternative provision exists; and iii. it can be demonstrated that there is no longer any demand for a shop or service in the area.
7. Proposals involving the creation of, or extension to, Garden Centres will not be permitted in the Green Belt.
Justification of Policy DE10
5.50 Retailing is the dominant activity of every town, neighbourhood and village centre and shopping is an essential part of everyone's life. The Government's objectives are to sustain or enhance the vitality and viability of town centres, which serve the whole community, and to ensure the availability of a wide range of shopping opportunities to which people have easy access. These objectives are compatible with the aim of encouraging sustainable development and form the basis of the Regional Planning Guidance and Lancashire Structure Plan policies which guide retail development towards existing town centres.
5.51 In accordance with strategic guidance, larger scale development will be directed towards the main shopping centres of Ormskirk and Skelmersdale. Retail development in other parts of the District will be limited to a scale which will serve the needs of the local community. The District Council's Corporate Plan recognises the role town centres play in providing jobs as well as services. It is vitally important that the town centres continue to be viable and attractive places which provide a range of services.
5.52 Uses which would undermine the function of the town centres and shopping areas will be resisted in order to retain a reasonable level of service for the local community.
5.53 Local shops, banks etc are an important part of community life and can provide a reasonable range of convenience goods to meet local needs. They are often associated with basic services such as post offices and hairdressers. These provide an accessible local service which is particularly important to those without a car, the elderly, disabled people, and families with small children for their everyday needs and in areas where public transport is irregular or infrequent. The Council will endeavour to support the retention of local services in residential areas and the rural villages by resisting the conversion of shops, pubs and banks to other uses, especially housing, where this will result in the loss of important local services in a community. A marketing exercise will normally be required to demonstrate that the use is no longer needed and this will be dealt with further in Supplementary Planning Guidance.
The following hierarchy of centres shall apply:-
Main Town: Skelmersdale Market Town: Ormskirk, Burscough Ashurst Centre, Skelmersdale Banks Shopping Area County Road, Ormskirk Digmoor Parade, Skelmersdale Hall Green, Up Holland Local Shopping Centres: Hesketh Bank Village Centre Moss Delph Lane, Aughton Parbold Village Centre Sandy Lane Centre, Skelmersdale Tarleton Village Centre Town Green, Aughton
NB. In the case of development that creates or safeguards jobs the Council's Economic Development Officer can provide advice on the availability of grant assistance. Background Documents for Policy DE10
Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 Town Centres and Retailing National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EC8 - Town Centres - Retail, Leisure and Office Development
Sub Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Regional · Policy 2 - Main Development Locations · Policy 4 - Development in Lancashire's Market Towns
· Policy 16 - Retail, Entertainment and Leisure Development
Policy DE11 Skelmersdale Town Centre
Proposals for the redevelopment of Skelmersdale Town Centre, as defined on the Proposals Map, will be supported provided that they:-
i. are of a comprehensive nature based on an approved masterplan*; ii. include a range of uses including non food retail, leisure, entertainment, office space and residential; iii. provide a major improvement in the facilities, services and attractiveness of the town centre; iv. include provision for health care and educational facilities; v. demonstrate good practice in urban design with development being innovative and of the highest possible quality; vi. prioritises convenience for pedestrians, cyclists and users of public transport over the car and include proposals to enhance or redevelop the bus station. The development will also require a Transport Assessment (including impacts on the strategic road network) and a Travel Plan; vii. are compatible with the existing uses in thetown centre; viii. support the ongoing project to develop a new town centre park; and ix. sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of existing centres.
Development which would prejudice the implementation of such a scheme, for example piecemeal proposals on key sites within the Town Centre, will not be permitted.
(* the District Council in conjunction with English Partnerships and the North West Development Agency are currently devising a masterplan for the comprehensive regeneration of the Town Centre).
Justification of Policy DE11
5.54 The development and regeneration of Skelmersdale Town Centre is seen as a key element in the regeneration of Skelmersdale as a whole. It is a priority in the Council's Corporate Plan.
5.55 A site with an area of 4.1 hectares was identified in the previous Local Plan. It is located to the north of Skelmersdale College within the Town Centre. The Council encourages leisure, entertainment and other appropriate town centre uses in this area, in addition to retail use, to diversify the range of uses in the Town Centre and to attract pedestrian movement between the various sites. Pedestrian and cycle links between these sites and the Concourse Centre, the Tawd Valley and nearby residential areas will need to be improved and strengthened, and the buildings and car parking should be located to encourage dual purpose trips. Supplementary Planning Guidance for this site was adopted in July 2000. The North West Development Agency and English Partnerships have become involved in the regeneration of the Town Centre as a whole. This will extend to cover the whole of the Town Centre including the development site, park, Concourse Centre, business sites and Findon site. It is anticipated that the resultant masterplan will integrate all these uses and lead to development in a comprehensive manner whilst also ensuring the future vitality and viability of the Concourse Centre and Asda store.
Background Documents for Policy DE11
Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EC8 - Town Centres - Retail, Leisure and Office Development
Sub Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Regional · Policy 2 - Main Development Locations · Policy 16 - Retail, Entertainment and Leisure Development
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Jobs
Policy DE12 Ormskirk Town Centre
Proposals for development, redevelopment or expansion of existing facilities in Ormskirk Town Centre which contribute towards the economy and historic environment of the Town and are in accordance with the vision for the Town will be permitted provided that:-
i. the design contributes to the special architectural and historic character of the Town Centre; ii. the design and layout of buildings relates well to any adjacent buildings, and the area generally in terms of siting, scale, orientation, appearance, detailing and materials; iii. the development can be fully integrated into the built form of the centre both in townscape terms and by maximising and enhancing pedestrian accessibility through the Centre and between the principal shopping streets and the surrounding car parks; iv. the development incorporates, wherever appropriate, rear servicing to existing properties on the four main shopping streets currently without this facility, as part of the proposed development's servicing arrangements, or by ensuring that the design of the development does not prejudice such provision at a future date; v. the development incorporates, where appropriate, tree planting and landscaping to reinforce the visual, historical and ecological characteristics of the site and its surroundings; vi. the development incorporates, where appropriate, suitable provision for public transport including bus stops and setting down points and waiting areas for taxis; vii. the development makes safe and convenient provision for cyclists, people with disabilities, the elderly and people with young children where this is reasonably practicable and where not required by other legislation; viii. buildings are designed, laid out and landscaped to maximise their energy conservation potential, and to minimise the risk of crime; and ix. they comply with other policies elsewhere in this Plan.
Justification of Policy DE12
5.56 Ormskirk Town Centre is unlike any other shopping centre in West Lancashire reflecting its historic role as a market town for the south-west Lancashire Plain. Most of the Centre lies within the Ormskirk Town Centre Conservation Area. New development will need to reflect the Centre's character both with respect to design and the use of traditional materials. Supplementary Planning Guidance had been prepared covering designs to shop fronts within the town centre.
5.57 Considerable improvements have been made in recent years in opening up new pedestrian routes through the numerous alleyways linking the four main shopping streets and renovating the buildings fronting the alleys, often bringing these back into beneficial use. Progress has also been made in providing rear servicing to many of the properties fronting the four main shopping streets, thereby enhancing the scope for the complete pedestrianisation of the Centre. As not all properties can be serviced from the rear at present, the Council will take every opportunity to secure rear servicing to the remaining properties through planning gain as part of all development proposals in the Town Centre whenever appropriate. The site on Park Road has now been developed as Two Saints Place with a range of retail and other town centre uses.
5.58 The Council will continue its programme of works to enhance the pedestrian priority areas and improve the environment of the Town Centre in order to ensure that the centre maintains its attractiveness. A Market Towns initiative supported by the West Lancashire Forum and North West Development Agency will be commencing in early 2004 with a three year timescale. This will include a health check of the whole Town which will then feed into an Action Plan. The Action Plan will identify particular projects to be undertaken which will be the subject of future funding bids. The preparation of an Action Plan for Ormskirk Town Centre will include a study of the feasibility of building a road across Churchfields as part of wider traffic management improvements and to enable the Church to be incorporated into the town centre.
Background Documents for Policy DE12
Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 Town Centres and Retailing National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EC8 - Town Centres - Retail, Leisure and Office Development
Sub Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Regional · Policy 2 - Main Development Locations · Policy 4 - Development in Lancashire's Market Towns
· Policy 16 - Retail, Entertainment and Leisure Development
· Supplementary Planning Guidance Shopfront Design Guide Local
Policy DE13 Business and Office Development
Within Business Areas as shown on the Proposals Map development comprising the following uses will be permitted:-
i. offices; ii. other commercial uses; iii. associated service uses; iv. educational, health and leisure facilities; v. cultural and community uses; vi. tourism.
New retail development will only be allowed in these areas if there are not any suitable sites within designated town centres and it complies with Policy DE10
New office development will be permitted on sites within or on the edge of the town centres of Skelmersdale, Ormskirk and Burscough and at other sites specifically allocated for such uses provided that the development is of an appropriate scale for the size and function of the centre. Business and Office Development will only be allowed in other locations where a specific need can be demonstrated.
Justification of Policy DE13
5.59 Government guidance states that town centres should be the preferred locations for development that attracts many trips. This is reflected in Regional Planning Guidance for the North West which directs office developments to town and district centres. The Draft Lancashire Structure Plan also encourages new office development in town centres or at transport hubs or within corridors which have good access to good public transport.
NB. In the case of development that creates or safeguards jobs the Council's Economic Development Officer can provide advice on the availability of grant assistance.
Background Documents for Policy DE13
Planning Policy Guidance Notes 4 and 6 National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EC8
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Sub Regional · Policy 17
Policy DE14 Development Opportunity Sites
The following sites are available for a wide range of uses excluding residential development providing they comply with other policies in this Plan:-
1. Land adjacent to St. James' R.C. Primary School, Ashurst, Skelmersdale; 2. Former Nursery and Depot, Park Avenue, Ormskirk; 3. Land to the rear of 22-44 Church Street, Ormskirk; 4. St. Richards Lower School, Skelmersdale; 5. East Quarry, Appley Bridge. 6. Lordsgate Lane, Pippin Street, Burscough 7. Skelmersdale College, Ashurst, Skelmersdale
Justification of Policy DE14
Land adjacent to St. James' R.C. Primary School, Ashurst, Skelmersdale
5.60 This site is centrally located within an area of existing and proposed housing. It is adjacent to St. James' Primary School and is linked to the Ashurst Shopping Centre by an underpass. It is suitable for a range of uses but any development should include an element of public open space. Ground conditions are known to be poor on this site. Potential developers will need to undertake a detailed survey of ground conditions. Depending on the scale of the development the developer may be required to contribute towards the cost of providing additional car parking, and/or a taxi waiting area.
Former Nursery and Depot, Park Avenue, Ormskirk
5.61 The Council-owned site, formerly used as a Council Depot and Nursery is now vacant. It could be developed for leisure or recreational purposes, possibly in conjunction with the adjacent tennis club or Coronation Park. However, as access via Park Avenue is unlikely to be acceptable, the site will need to gain access off County Road. If an independent means of access is required, improvements to the trunk road are likely to be required.
Land to the rear of 22-44 Church Street, Ormskirk
5.62 The land between the rear of 22-44 Church Street and The Stiles Car Park contains a number of derelict buildings, including the former Burgess Brewery site, as well as a Gospel Mission and small retail unit. Redevelopment of this site would improve the appearance of this part of the Conservation Area, as well as enabling rear servicing to be provided to the properties fronting Church Street. It is suitable for a range of uses which would be appropriate in a town centre location.
St. Richards Lower School, Skelmersdale
5.63 This building is well located, easily accessed, has existing parking and servicing areas and is of a size (approximately 15,500 sq.ft.) and design which could be readily converted for a range of business uses. If this is not feasible a small-scale shopping parade to serve the new housing proposed at St. Richard's Upper School may be appropriate. The Council has prepared a Development Brief for this site. Part of the building is currently used by the DSS Job Club.
East Quarry and adjoining land/premises, Appley Bridge 5.64 This disused quarry and the adjoining land and premises lies close to Appley Bridge Station. It offers potential for a range of tourism, leisure and employment uses. Developers of this site will be required to develop the area to a comprehensive master plan which includes provision for a road linking Mill Lane to Appley Lane North; improved park and ride facilities at the station and retention or relocation of the community centre. Surface water drainage from the site must be catered for without increasing the risk of flooding from Calico Brook.
Land at Lordsgate Lane / Pippin Street, Burscough
5.65 Previously allocated for a retail purpose this site adjoins the existing Burscough Employment Area and the A59 (T). The site offers potential for a range of employment and mixed use opportunities to a range and scale which is appropriate to the surrounding area. A landscape buffer area must be provided between any proposed development and the residential properties on Lordsgate Lane.
Skelmersdale College, Ashurst, Skelmersdale
5.66 On the former site of the Skelmersdale College, it was previously allocated as for recreational land. The site offers the potential for a range of uses and would be suitable for community or educational uses and retail uses which could enhance the adjacent Ashurst shopping centre. Residential uses would be considered on this site provided that the proposal was part of a mixed use scheme and fitted with wider regeneration initiatives and contributes to the remaining area of green space for recreational use.
Policy DE15 Tourism Development
Tourist facilities and visitor accommodation, will be permitted on sites within the built-up areas of towns and villages or within existing buildings provided that:-
i. the infrastructure and environment is able to accommodate the visitor impacts; ii. the existing amenities for local residents and businesses are protected; and iii. the location is, especially in respect of large-scale visitor attractions, conveniently accessible by public transport.
Proposals for large scale leisure and conference facilities shall be treated the same as retail development in Policy DE10.
Improved facilities will be supported at existing tourist destinations in West Lancashire where they will:-
a. improve the quality of the visitor experience; b. maintain or improve the local environment; and c. limit any adverse impact on the local community.
Justification of Policy DE15
5.65 Tourism is one of the country's most important industries. The Government's policy is "that the tourism industry should flourish in response to the market while respecting the environment which attracts visitors but also has far wider and enduring value" (PPG21, para 1.2). 5.66 The Regional Planning Guidance for the North West states that development plans should facilitate the provision of employment by encouraging the growth of tourism within the North West. In the historic towns of Lancashire the emphasis should be on sustaining and adding quality rather than mere quantity. In determining locations for major tourism and leisure attractions and facilities, including visitor accommodation, plans should give priority to areas that have existing facilities and where development will contribute to regeneration within the defined Regeneration Priority Areas.
5.67 The Deposit Draft Joint Lancashire Structure Plan directs major hotel developments to town centre or edge of centre sites and coastal resorts unless a need is demonstrated in other locations. It directs tourism development that draws visitors from a county-wide, regional or wider catchment to coastal towns or the Regeneration Priority Areas.
5.68 At a local level West Lancashire is not a traditional holiday destination but it does contain a variety of tourism facilities. Being readily accessible from Merseyside and Greater Manchester it is an ideal location for day trips. It also benefits from its proximity to Southport which caters for a large number of longer stay visits. People staying in Southport can be attracted to some of the facilities in West Lancashire. Also West Lancashire contains a number of caravan sites which cater for people who enjoy a rural location within a short driving distance of a coastal resort.
5.69 The Council wishes to facilitate the provision of additional tourist attractions and accommodation for visitors but is keen to ensure that this does not conflict with other policies of the Local Plan, particularly Green Belt policy. Therefore, such facilities will be expected to be located in areas outside the Green Belt unless they involve the reuse of existing buildings. In cases where a development is likely to be a major attraction it should be capable of being served by public transport in order to limit the need to travel by car. It will also be important to achieve a high standard of design which respects the local environment, minimises disturbance to neighbouring uses and assists in attracting visitors. Wherever possible proposals should include the creation of new areas of woodland or the management of existing woodland for informal recreation.
5.70 The Council is also keen to encourage existing tourism destinations to improve but only where this does not have an adverse impact on the environment or local people. The quiet rural character of the area and the distinctiveness of the towns, villages and countryside helps to attract visitors to West Lancashire. This policy is designed to ensure that new facilities do not destroy the District's attractiveness. It also ensures that the local community does not suffer unduly from the improvement of existing facilities.
NB. In the case of development that creates or safeguards jobs the Council's Economic Development Officer can provide advice on the availability of grant assistance.
Background Documents for Policy DE15
Planning Policy Guidance Note 21 Tourism National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EC10 Tourism and Recreation
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition (25th July 2002) Sub Regional · Policy 18 Major Hotel Development · Policy 19 Tourism Development
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Jobs
Policy DE16 Advertisements
Proposals involving advertisements will be permitted provided that the development does not adversely affect amenity or highways safety.
Justification of Policy DE16
5.71 Commercial premises need to advertise their presence and the goods and services on offer for functional reasons, and many advertisements can be displayed without the need for consent. Where consent is required, the Council will seek to ensure that the right balance is struck between the functional need for the advertisement and the effect that this will have on the environment. If well designed, advertisements can brighten up and enliven town centres. However, care is needed to relate their scale, siting and design to the building to which they relate. Proposals that involve advertisements in Conservation Areas should preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. Advertisements that are insensitive or damage the historic environment should not be permitted. Displays should not confuse, conflict or obscure any functional signage or traffic signals for public safety reasons. In the countryside advertisements will be assessed to ensure that they do not detract from the appearance of the area in which they are proposed. Chapter 6: Social and Community Policies
"Meeting people's needs"
6.1 The policies in this chapter aim to meet the social and community needs of local people helping to achieve the Government's aim of creating and sustaining mixed and inclusive communities. The policies help to achieve the overriding aim of Regional Planning Guidance to promote sustainable patterns of spatial development and physical change by, amongst other means, planning for and integrating provision of homes, workplaces, infrastructure and services.
6.2 The policies build on the West Lancashire's Community Strategy which strives to ensure equality of opportunity and access to services by improving the health, care, cultural, recreational and transport facilities in the District. The policies also take into account the consultation on the Local Plan which revealed that improved public transport would be well supported especially in rural communities. It also revealed support for more recreation facilities for older children and improved access to the countryside. Generally the views on school provision were mixed but there was unanimous agreement that land should be reserved for further health facilities in Skelmersdale Town Centre.
Policy SC1 Sports, Recreational, Leisure and Cultural Facilities
Development which results in the loss of any sports, recreational, open space, leisure or cultural facilities (including school playing fields) will only be permitted if:-
a) the loss forms part of a proposal for the improvement of sports, recreational, open space, leisure or cultural facilities serving the needs of the local community; or b) compensatory sports, open spaces, recreational, leisure or cultural facilities to equivalent or improved standard are provided which are easily accessible, available to local people, capable of meeting existing needs and satisfactory arrangements are made for their future maintenance; or c) where it forms part of a scheme which provides an overall benefit to the local community in social, environmental and economic terms.
Development resulting in the loss of playing fields will only be permitted if:
(i) It is demonstrated through a quantified and documented assessment that there is an excess of playing field provision in the catchment, and the site has no special significance to the interest of sport.
(ii) The proposed development is ancillary to the principal use of the site as a playing pitch or playing fields, and does not affect the quantity or quality of pitches or adversely affect their use.
(iii) The playing field(s) which would be lost as a result of the proposed development would be replaced by a playing field(s) of an equivalent or better quality and equivalent or greater quantity, in a suitable location and subject to equivalent or better management arrangements, prior to the commencement of the development. (iv) The proposed facility is for an indoor or outdoor sports facility, the provision of which would be significant benefit to the development of sport as to outweigh the detriment caused by the loss of the playing field(s).
Outdoor sport and recreational facilities will be permitted in green spaces, and on protected land or in the Green Belt provided that they comply with all relevant policies.
Indoor recreational, leisure and cultural facilities will be permitted within the built up areas of the towns and villages provided that they do not have a detrimental effect on residential amenity.
NB. The larger facilities are shown on the Proposals Map but the policy applies to all sports (including school playing fields), recreational, open space, leisure (including allotments) or cultural facilities
Justification of Policy SC1
6.3 Sport, recreation, leisure and culture are important components of a civilised life. They have important social and economic roles in society. Participation can help improve people's health and sense of well-being. The Government's guidance (PPG17: Sport and Recreation) states that "it is part of the function of the planning system to ensure that adequate land and water resources are allocated both for organised sport and for informal recreation" (para3). It also states that local plan policies should protect "public and private open space and other land of recreational, conservation, wildlife, historical or amenity value" (para15).
6.4 The Regional Planning Guidance for the North West states that development plans should create and enhance urban green space networks by ensuring adequate protection is given to key features such as parks, linear walkways, river valleys, canals and public open spaces.
6.5 West Lancashire contains a variety of public and private sports, recreation, open space leisure and cultural facilities which cater for the various recreational and sporting activities of the local population. It is expected that the demand for such facilities will grow and it is important that the facilities which are valued and used by local people are not lost. Therefore the Council will resist the loss of playing fields, recreational or amenity open space including children's play areas or any other facilities used for sport, recreation or leisure. If a developer can provide adequate replacement facilities which are easily accessible and available to local people, the Council may be willing to accept the loss of certain facilities. However, the Council will need to be convinced that the facilities to be provided are of the same or higher quality as those to be lost.
6.6 The highest priority of West Lancashire's Community Strategy is to take action against crime and the fear of crime. The Community Safety Strategy aims to develop creative and purposeful diversionary activities for young people. Therefore it is important that this policy is used to retain and improve sports, recreational, open space, leisure and cultural facilities which can be used by local people, especially young people. However there may be cases where areas are felt to be unsafe and there may be benefits in redesigning, removing or relocating some facilities where it is part of a wider scheme offering a range of benefits to the local community. Any such schemes should have the overall support of the local community. 6.7 Although outdoor sport and recreation facilities are generally acceptable in most locations, it is important that they are sensitively located to avoid damaging the environment. New sports and recreation facilities include golf courses, football, rugby and hockey pitches, tennis courts, bowling greens, shooting, archery, war games, etc. Each type of facility can damage different aspects of the environment and so any proposed development will need to be carefully considered against other policies in this Local Plan. Any development in the Green Belt would have to comply with the appropriate policies in the Core Strategy Chapter.
6.8 The Council is keen to encourage the provision of indoor sport and recreation facilities in appropriate locations. Indoor sport is an unacceptable use in the Green Belt unless it involves the use of an existing building.
Background Documents for Policy SC1
Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 Sport and Recreation6 National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EC9 - Tourism and Recreation · EC10 Sport · UR2 An Inclusive Social Infrastructure · RU4 Local Services in Rural Areas
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Leisure
Policy SC2 Recreation Facilities
Facilities for informal countryside recreation activities are proposed at the following sites as shown on the Proposals Map:-
1. Hunters Hill, Wrightington 2. Calico Brook, Appley Bridge; 3. Parbold Hill, Parbold; 4. Platts Lane and Mill Dam Lane, Burscough. 5. Chequer Lane, Up Holland
Proposals will also be developed to protect and improve facilities at existing countryside recreation sites shown on the Proposals Map at:-
6. Beacon Country Park, Skelmersdale 7. Tawd Valley Park, Skelmersdale 8. Fairy Glen, Appley Bridge 9. Dean Wood, Up Holland 10. Abbey Lakes, Up Holland 11. Ruff Wood, Ormskirk 12. Platts Lane Lake, Burscough
New children's play areas are proposed on the sites shown on the Proposals Map at:-
13. Lathom Avenue, Parbold (0.2 ha) 14. Tabbys Nook, Newburgh (0.2 ha) 15. Stoneygate Lane, Appley Bridge ( 0.54 ha) 16. Abbeystead, Digmoor, Skelmersdale (0.5 ha) 17. Redgate, Ormskirk (1.0 ha) 18. Elm Place, Ormskirk (0.6 ha) 19. Land East of Eavesdale, Skelmersdale (0.9 ha) 20. Bescar Lane, Bescar (0.2 ha) 21. Bramble Way, Parbold (2.1 ha)
Justification of Policy SC2
6.9 The proposed sites are at significant locations in the landscape and offer potential for a variety of informal countryside recreation activities. The provision of small car parks, picnic areas, footpaths and landscaping to increase the attractiveness of these sites for informal use would take the pressure off other sites and cater for the rising demand for such facilities. The existing sites are managed by the District Council and have the potential to accommodate more visitors which will take some of the pressure of the surrounding countryside. The provision of play areas in the locations shown on the Proposals Map will assist in providing recreation facilities in areas which are remote from existing areas of public open space or playing fields.
1. Hunters Hill, Wrightington: This site is a former quarry set in the Wrightington upland area. Its elevation above the Douglas Valley and the West Lancashire Plain gives magnificent views outwards. It is close to public rights of way, and is suitable for use for informal recreation, but requires some low key environmental improvements and the creation of a safe access and small car park. It could accommodate facilities for picnicking, cycling, walking and horse-riding. 2. Calico Brook, Appley Bridge: This site is adjacent to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and the River Douglas. It offers great potential for both formal and informal recreation facilities related to the Canal. 3. Parbold Hill, Parbold: An improved layout on a larger site would improve road safety at the established vantage point on Parbold Hill where the existing arrangement can lead to cars reversing on to the A5209 in a dangerous location. It would also enable the creation of a more attractive picnic area. Measures must be undertaken to ensure that no danger is likely to be caused to the users of the car park and picnic area by landfill gas. 4. Platts Lane and Mill Dam Lane, Burscough: The Platts Lane site is owned partly by the County Council and partly by the District Council and the Mill Dam Lane site is owned by the District Council. Both sites were formerly tipped and have been restored to grassland, but problems of landfill gas need to be resolved before full use can be made of them. 5. Chequer Lane, Up Holland: The Council proposes to develop this site in partnership with the Environment Agency to create a fishing pond. 6. Beacon Country Park, Skelmersdale: Beacon Country Park is the District's major countryside recreation facility. The Council is continuously improving the park using its own resources with the assistance of volunteer rangers and the voluntary sector. 7. Tawd Valley Park, Skelmersdale: The wooded valley of the River Tawd where it runs through Skelmersdale has been used to create a linear park which is accessible to many residential areas. The form of the Park is dictated by the river and the natural landscape, which is largely undisturbed except for the creation of footpaths. It has the potential to provide a range of facilities for informal recreation. 8. Fairy Glen, Appley Bridge: A steep heavily wooded valley carrying a stream down to the River Douglas. It is a site of ecological and archaeological interest and is close to the residential areas of Appley Bridge. Only minor improvements are required to assist in the protection and interpretation of the site. 9. Dean Wood, Up Holland: A narrow and deeply incised valley which is heavily wooded. The majority of the site is owned by the District Council. Minor improvements to the footpaths have been carried out with assistance from "The Friends of Dean Wood", a voluntary organisation set up to protect and conserve this woodland. The environmental and natural history value of the valley limits any further recreational development to low key uses. 10. Abbey Lakes, Up Holland: This site which is controlled by the Council is heavily wooded and contains a large pond with an island sanctuary. It shelters a variety of birds and wildlife and is used for low key, informal recreation including angling. Large numbers of visitors or active recreation pursuits would destroy its essential character. 11. Ruff Wood, Ormskirk: This site, which is controlled by the Council, is a mature woodland on the edge of Ormskirk. It is an important site for red squirrels and contains a variety of wildlife. The paths through the woods have been improved by the Council and the "Friends of Ruff Wood". The site is mainly used for walking and relaxation. 12. Platts Lane Lake, Burscough: This lake is owned by the Council and is used for informal recreation
Background Documents for Policy SC2
Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EC10 Tourism and Recreation
West Lancashire's Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Leisure
Policy SC3 Linear Parks
Three new Linear Parks as defined in the Proposals Map are proposed along:-
1. the Canal and River Douglas Corridor in Tarleton and Hesketh Bank; 2. the former Ormskirk-Skelmersdale Railway Line; and
3. the former railway line at Banks
It is intended that these facilities will provide for informal countryside recreation opportunities, including horse riding where possible, as well as important cycling and pedestrian links between and within communities for leisure, travel to school, employment and shopping. It is intended that the linear parks will also provide opportunities for the incorporation of public art features, as well as the interpretation of the local heritage of the route.
In the case of the Tarleton and Hesketh Bank Linear Park, new or improved tourist attractions will be considered in the area of the former Alty's Brickworks site, provided that these do not adversely affect the local highway network or residential amenity, and that they complement and link to the function of the linear park.
Justification of Policy SC3
6.10 Both these linear park proposals are intended to serve a variety of purposes. They will be important for informal leisure, but will also be sustainable and safe transport corridors for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders. Both routes are based upon historic transport corridors. Each park proposal is described below.
River/Canal Corridor, Tarleton and Hesketh Bank:
6.11 The use of the river and canal is beginning to increase since the creation of the Ribble Link, which is a new canal linking the Lancaster Canal via the Ribble Estuary and Tarleton Lock to the Rufford Branch. There is scope to develop this area as a linear park containing footpaths and cycleways. There is also a proposal to develop a Regional Park based upon the River Ribble, and this proposal fits in with this concept. The early consultation on the Local Plan revealed strong support for the improvement of the area alongside the Rufford Branch of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and the River Douglas in Tarleton and Hesketh Bank. The route also contains the former track bed of a branchline down to Tarleton off the former Southport-Preston rail line.
6.12 The creation of a cycle route through the Linear Park accords with the District Council's Cycling Strategy, and will provide links to the main secondary school in Tarleton, as well as between the main centres of Tarleton and Hesketh Bank, avoiding the busy main road. A route along the river will also link in with the creation of the Southport-Preston section of the National Cycle Network, which is currently being developed by Lancashire County Council. This may involve a new river crossing in the vicinity of Alty's Brickworks.
6.13 Most of the land is in private ownership and further consultation and feasibility work is required before a detailed scheme can be drawn up. It is expected, however, that there are several potential sources of funding which can be used to develop this proposal further.
6.14 In terms of the Alty's Brickworks site, this is considered to form a pivotal role in the development of the Park. This could form the interchange of the cycle and pedestrian route to the south and the National Cycle Network and Coastal Footpath which may cross the River Douglas at this point. The former brickworks site already contains the West Lancashire Light Railway and a large area of water, as well as employment uses. These could potentially be developed further to create a more focussed tourist attraction which would complement the Linear Park and the wider Ribble Estuary Regional Park. Any development here, would however, need to ensure that that there are no detrimental effects upon neighbouring residential property, or wildlife habitats, or that traffic generation does not adversely affect the local highway network.
Former Skelmersdale -Ormskirk Railway Line
6.15 This former rail line became disused in the 1960's and has subsequently mainly been sold off to private ownership. It is largely derelict apart from an area of public open space which is in District Council ownership at the Ormskirk end of the line. Part of the line has been built on at Westhead, and there is a dwelling on the line at the Skelmersdale end. 6.16 A cycle and pedestrian route is already being developed at the Ormskirk end of the line, which will link to Ormskirk Station, Ormskirk CE Primary School and neighbouring residential areas. As part of the enhancement of Ormskirk Bus Station, this will also link into Ormskirk Town Centre.
6.17 The Local Transport Plan, and the West Lancashire Cycling Strategy both identify the former rail line as an important link between the two settlements, avoiding the narrow and busy main road. It will also enable important links to be made to the new secondary school at Crosshall Brow, Ormskirk. The Skelmersdale Cycling Study also identifies the route as providing an important connection between Skelmersdale and Ormskirk. In terms of use by horses, the route is shown as an important component in the Bridleway Strategy.
6.18 The creation of a linear park will enable the route to perform a variety of functions - both for informal recreation, and as an important connection between the settlements of Ormskirk, Westhead and Skelmersdale for shopping, leisure, transport interchange and education. It will also allow the proper historic interpretation of the route through retention of any remaining former railway features and through innovative public art. There will also be an opportunity to build upon the environmental importance of the corridor for the flora and fauna which already exist.
6.19 There is still some feasibility work which needs to be done on bringing together this linear park proposal, and the District and County Councils are currently liaising on these matters. Discussions will also need to take place with private landowners who own parts of the line. Potential sources of funding include the Local Transport Plan, derelict land monies and landfill tax monies
Former Railway Line, Banks
6.20 The creation of this linear park will provide informal recreational facilities within the settlement of Banks and links to the countryside outside the settlement. Further work needs to be undertaken with the Environment Agency to assess the feasibility of this proposal. Longer term work will be undertaken to assess the best way to link this route with the proposed linear park at Hesketh Bank, and also westwards to Southport. The route will also be assessed to see how it fits in with the proposals for a Regional Park at the Ribble Estuary.
Background Documents for Policy SC3
Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 National Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy EC9 Tourism and Recreation · Policy CZ3 Coastal Communities and Economic Development · Policy T8 The National Cycle Network · Policy UR12 Regional Park Resources
Local Transport Plan Regional West Lancashire Community Strategy 2003 – 2006 Local · Leisure & Transport
West Lancashire Cycling Strategy
Policy SC4 Educational Facilities
Development for nurseries, schools, colleges and other educational facilities will be permitted within the built up areas of the District's towns and villages provided that they are conveniently located to serve the needs of the local community and they do not have a detrimental effect on residential amenity.
Built development required to improve or expand the educational facilities at Edge Hill College, Ormskirk, and Skelmersdale College will be permitted within the areas shown on the Proposals Map.
The redevelopment of redundant educational facilities, and associated playing fields will be permitted for community, leisure, tourism or small scale employment uses. The use of the site should be considered for community uses first and where this is not achievable evidence submitted with any application will need to demonstrate this. The development of redundant playing fields will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that there is adequate provision of public open space in the local area. In the case of Skelmersdale, redevelopment for other uses will be permitted where this forms part of a wider estate regeneration plan.
Justification of Policy SC4
6.21 Promoting access to good educational facilities is a fundamental aim of central and local government. All the local community should be able to reach educational facilities as easily as possible. Therefore they should be located within the main towns and villages in locations which have good access to residential areas. This also protects the character of the open countryside and avoids the need to build on agricultural land. However, it is important that uses which could generate noise, disturbance or loss of privacy are sensitively located away from residential property or designed to reduce their impact on local residents.
6.22 With pupil numbers declining in certain parts of the District, it is likely that some schools may become surplus to requirements. Where this occurs, the reuse or redevelopment of these buildings for community or employment uses will be acceptable. In the case of Skelmersdale, redundant primary school sites may be important components of a wider estate regeneration initiative and proposals for the reuse of the sites will need to conform to a wider plan to regenerate the area
Background Documents for Policy SC4
Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · UR2 An Inclusive Social Infrastructure · RU4 Local Services in Rural Areas
West Lancashire Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Skills and learning
Policy SC5 Health Facilities
New Health Care facilities should be located in town centres, local shopping areas or other locations which are accessible by public transport, provided that they do not have a detrimental effect on residential amenity.
Development required to improve and expand the health care facilities at the Ormskirk and District General Hospital will be permitted within the area shown on the Proposals Map.
Development required to improve or expand the health care facilities at Wrightington Hospital will be permitted within the area shown on the Proposals Map, provided that it does not exceed the height of existing buildings and does not lead to a major increase in the developed proportion of the site.
Land will be reserved for a new health care facility at Skelmersdale Town Centre, as part of any masterplan for the development of this area.
Justification of Policy SC5
6.23 Local health facilities are vital services for the local community and should be located where they can be accessed by everyone.
6.24 The Ormskirk and District General Hospital provides an essential service within West Lancashire and the Council will support any proposals to improve or expand the facilities which it provides.
6.25 Wrightington Hospital contains a number of large substantial buildings within an attractive rural setting. The Council is keen to encourage the expansion and improvement of facilities at this hospital and therefore the policy allows such development in accordance with advice in PPG2. Because of its location within the Green Belt it is important that extensions or redevelopment do not reduce the open character of the Green Belt. Wrightington Hall, which lies within the area covered by Policy SC5, is a Grade II* Listed Building and therefore any proposals likely to affect the character or setting of the building will be judged against Policy EN5.
6.26 The Primary Care Trust is planning the provision of a drop-in health care facility in Skelmersdale Town Centre which will form part of the planned improvement and expansion of the Town Centre.
Background Documents for Policy SC5
Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · UR2 An Inclusive Social Infrastructure · RU4 Local Services in Rural Areas
West Lancashire Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Health and Social Care
Policy SC6 Roads Development on, or which has implications for trunk roads, will be strictly controlled in order that such roads may continue to perform their function as routes for the safe and expeditious movement of long distance through traffic. Access will be particularly restricted in the case of motorways and the most strategic routes on the network, with a less restrictive approach to the remainder of the network.
Where necessary, developers will be required to carry out highway works (where these are considered acceptable) to protect the safety and efficiency of the road network and to accommodate all traffic including that generated by the development.
Public transport alternatives to car access will be encouraged, and these will be taken into account when assessing the need for highway works.
Any highway works will require suitable environmental mitigation measures, including noise attenuation measures, the restoration and enhancement of landscape features, protection of wildlife and ecology and, where appropriate, allow for the suitable presentation of, and public access to, any exposed geological features.
Simple Transport Assessments will be required for all developments of 500sq.m. gross floor area or more and Comprehensive Transport Assessments and travel plans will be required from developers in accordance with the requirements set out in the Lancashire Parking Standards. The format and content of these assessments must be agreed by the Local Planning and Highway Authorities, preferably at an early stage.
Any costs for road works associated with a land use proposal will be borne by the developer and construction completed under a Section 278 Agreement of the Highways Act 1980.
Planning permission will not be granted for development which would prejudice the future construction of the A570 Ormskirk Bypass.
Justification of Policy SC6
6.27 Whilst the choice of sites for specific forms of development has had regard to their accessibility in order to reduce the number of car trips, highway improvements may be needed to accommodate traffic generated by proposals. There is a clear need for developments to be acceptable - or rendered acceptable - from the point of view of their implications for the highway network and all highway users, including buses, cyclists and pedestrians. It is therefore important that developments do not compromise the safe movement and free flow of traffic or the safe use of roads by others.
6.28 With increasing traffic levels and congestion it has become commonplace for developers to undertake or fund highway or junction improvements which are required to increase highway capacity or reduce safety problems in the vicinity of the development site. The District Council will encourage, wherever possible, that roads are constructed of recycled materials to maximise environmental benefits.
6.29 Simple transport assessments will be required for all developments of 500sq.m. gross floor area and above, and this includes extensions to existing buildings, where the cumulative floorspace will exceed 500sq.m., and changes of use. Comprehensive Transport Assessments and travel plans must be submitted in accordance with the criteria set out in the adopted Parking Standards. These set thresholds for different types of development. Any assessments will have to take into account and be considered against relevant Government guidance on Transport Assessments.
6.30 Trunk roads including motorways, are the responsibility of the Highways Agency. Circular 4/2001 outlines policies in respect of the control of development on trunk roads. The Department has a strict policy of not allowing direct access from private development to motorways or motorway slip roads unless the development relates to motorway service areas, road junctions or motorway maintenance compounds. The Secretary of State will direct Local Planning Authorities (LPA's) to refuse planning applications for development whose access arrangements breach this policy. There are currently proposals to de-trunk the trunk roads in West Lancashire, and if this happens these roads will become the responsibility of the Lancashire County Council.
6.31 On all-purpose trunk roads it is clearly necessary in general to restrict the formation of new accesses to them if they are to continue to perform their function as routes for the safe and expeditious movement of long distance through traffic. A particularly strict policy is appropriate to fast stretches of rural trunk roads, and to trunk roads of near motorway standard inside and outside the urban areas.
6.32 The Highways Agency would not expect to object to developments consistent with the proposals in the Local Plan, subject to the completion of any highway works which it considered necessary and acceptable in relation to the trunk road network. Any costs for road works associated with land use proposals will be borne by the developer and construction completed under a Section 278 Agreement of the Highways Act 1980.
6.33 The RPG for the North West identifies the A570 from its junction with the M58 through to Southport as a Route of Regional Significance within Appendix 3. The adopted Lancashire Structure Plan 1991-2006 (Policy 30) states that the route for an Ormskirk Bypass should be protected from development and Policy 8 of the Deposit Joint Structure Plan (2001-16) identifies the Bypass as a major scheme to be pursued through the Local Transport Plan. The Bypass is identified in the Community Strategy Action Plan as a scheme, the development of which should be encouraged. As part of the delivery of the Ormskirk Bypass scheme, the District Council will continue to press for adequate links to Burscough and improvements along the rest of the A570.
Background Documents for Policy SC6
Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 – Transport National Using the Planning Process to secure Travel Plans – Best Practise Guidance for Local Authorities, Developers and Occupiers Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy T.3 - Regional Highway Network
Sub Lancashire Structure Plan 1991-2000 Regional · Policy 30 - National and Regional Road Network
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes
(July 2003) · Policy 8 - Strategic Road Network and Proposed Improvements
West Lancashire Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Getting Around
Policy SC7 Public Transport
The proportion of journeys made by public bus services will be increased by requiring major new developments to be of a scale and design to allow access by bus and, for example, by the provision of lay-bys, turning areas and bus shelters etc. Where it can be shown that there will be no significant detrimental impact on the local environment, planning permission will be granted for new and improved public transport facilities, especially bus access, bus/rail interchanges, new or improved bus stations, park and ride and other facilities to assist passengers and improve community safety subject to other policies in the Plan.
Development will not be permitted which would prejudice future provision of the following:-
1. an improved bus/rail interchange at Ormskirk; 2. a new bus station at Skelmersdale; 3. reinstatement of the Burscough Curves; 4. improved car and cycle parking facilities at stations; 5. a bus/rail interchange and car parking at Up Holland Station; 6. provision of additional Park and Ride spaces at Appley Bridge; 7. electrification of the rail line from Kirkby to Wigan and Ormskirk to Burscough Bridge using the Burscough Curves; 8. the provision of a rail halt at Mill Dam Lane; 9. provision of a new station building and improved facilities at Burscough Bridge Station; 10. rail freight facilities at Simonswood and Pimbo Employment Areas; and 11. new rail passenger facilities at Skelmersdale;
12. Improvements to Parbold Rail Station;
13. Improved facilities at Burscough Junction Station;
14. Improved facilities on the Quality Bus Route between Wigan and Southport.
Small scale retail facilities may be permitted as part of the Ormskirk bus station redevelopment to complement the facility and assist with the continued funding of the maintenance of the bus station.
Appropriate community facilities may be permitted at any new station building at Burscough Bridge Station, provided they complement its role as a station facility.
Justification of Policy SC7
6.34 Government guidance (PPG13:Transport) states that "development plans should aim to reduce the need to travel, especially by car" (para1.7). Regional Planning Guidance for the North West recognises that a high quality transport system is essential to support the competitiveness of industry and commerce, and to facilitate the Region's social and recreational needs. The Deposit Draft Lancashire Structure Plan includes policies aimed at reducing trips by car. Policy 10 of the Deposit Structure Plan (2001-16) proposes an improved rail/bus interchange at Ormskirk and a new bus station in Skelmersdale.
6.35 If travel by car is to be reduced, then suitable alternative modes of transport must be made available. Increased use of buses can bring about environmental benefits in terms of reduced pollution and congestion. It is therefore important that major new development is well served, or capable of being served by the bus network, reducing the need to travel by private car.
6.36 The Community Safety Strategy aims to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour related to public transport by, amongst other methods, implementing environmental improvements to bus stop environs and supporting the Quality Bus Route initiative in West Lancashire.
6.37 The Council will ensure that the redundant railway lines known as the Burscough Curves are protected from development which would prevent them from being re- installed in the future. Their re-opening would improve rail links between Ormskirk and Southport and between Preston and Southport. The County Council carried out a pre- feasibility study into the possibility of re-opening the Curves in 1995. Unfortunately it was not considered feasible to pursue re-opening the Curves in the short term but the County Council has resolved to retain their protection within the Lancashire Structure Plan and review the situation in the future. The reinstatement of the Burscough Curves is identified as a key action point within the Community Strategy Action Plan. Further to this development will not be permitted that would prejudice the future development of Burscough Junction Station as a rail interchange.
6.38 Developers will be encouraged to provide facilities such as turning areas etc, as an integral part of developments. The Council will support increased provision of bus shelters and additional provision for the elderly/handicapped through community bus services (dial-a-ride), the use of low step buses and the development of further Quality Bus Routes through the District and form cross boundary linkages to surrounding areas. Where bus operators propose new or improved facilities the Council will give careful consideration to the environmental benefits which could accrue from enhanced facilities or services, subject to other policies in the Plan.
6.39 The use of rail transport is to be encouraged as an alternative form of transport but the availability of car parking at railway stations in the District is generally poor. Improvements have been carried out at a number of stations to extend availability of car parking but a number of stations, especially in rural areas, have little or no car parking. The problem of security at rural stations is a major concern, but provision of parking could considerably increase use of such services. At Appley Bridge Station, there is a particular parking problem, and the District and County Councils, in conjunction with the Community Rail Partnership, are considering ways of providing additional parking facilities at this station. Improvement of the District's rail stations is a key action point within the Community Strategy.
6.40 Cycle parking at railway stations can provide further scope for utilisation of alternative modes of transport which are more environmentally friendly than the car. 6.41 The present railway station at Pimbo Lane, Up Holland, is under-used being remote from the main centres of population at Skelmersdale and Up Holland and not connected to a frequent bus service. The possibility of providing facilities for bus services to connect with the railway station and a park and ride facility are to be investigated to improve the use of the station. Consultants have recently been undertaking a study of the possibility of linking Skelmersdale more fully into the rail system, and it is likely that the best options for doing this would be via a new rail station at Pimbo, and possibly a new rail link into the Town centre itself. Much further feasibility work is required and future revisions of this Plan will need to consider this matter further. In the meantime the Council will resist developments which could prejudice this link.
6.42 To further improve rail travel it is proposed to conduct an appraisal of the extension of the electrified Merseyrail line from Kirkby to Wigan (via Up Holland). This will enable residents of the Skelmersdale/Up Holland area to have increased service provision and easy access to Merseyside and Wigan. Electrification of the rail line from Ormskirk to Burscough Bridge will enable residents in the Burscough area to have easy access to Merseyside and will particularly benefit commuters and make access to the area's shopping centre in Ormskirk much easier. Any alteration to the rail network will require approval of the rail regulator and/or Office of Passenger Rail Franchising. The Council will support any appraisal which will examine the possible options for rail freight on rail lines.
6.43 It is proposed to seek the provision of a rail-halt at Mill Dam Lane, Burscough, so as to widen further the catchment areas of rail users.
6.43 Improved facilities to enhance the station environment at Burscough Bridge, including a new station building are proposed by the Community Rail Partnership. The Council will support and press for early implementation of this scheme.
Background Documents for Policy SC7
Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 - Transport National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy UR.3 - Promoting Social Inclusion through Urban Accessibility and Mobility · Policy T.2 - The Regional Rail Network · Policy T.7 - Freight Transport
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 10 - Rail and Bus Improvements
West Lancashire Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Getting Around
Policy SC8 Cycling and Walking Facilities The proportion of journeys made by cycling and walking will be increased, by requiring new developments to incorporate appropriate facilities for cyclists and pedestrians within the development, and appropriate links to the development .
Development will not be permitted which would harm the current cycleway or pedestrian route network or prejudice the future provision of the following:-
i. Ormskirk - Skelmersdale Cycle Route (identified on Proposals Map) as part of Linear Park Proposal; ii. Other future cycle routes required to complete the network in West Lancashire, which are identified through the West Lancashire Cycling Strategy and Network Plan; iii. The Trans Pennine Trail along the Cheshire Lines; and iv. The Lancashire Coastal Path including a bridge across the River Douglas.
Justification of Policy SC8
6.45 The improvement of cycling and pedestrian facilities is the focus of several action points in West Lancashire's Community Strategy.
6.46 The District Council has produced a Cycling Strategy and Network Plan which seeks to provide an integrated cycle network and improved cycle facilities across the area. The Network Plan shows a network of on-road and off-road routes linking the main urban areas within, and on the edge of, the District.
6.47 One of the main proposals is for an cycle route linking Ormskirk and Skelmersdale. This is identified in the Lancashire Local Transport Plan as a scheme to be brought forward by the County Council. Further feasibility work is being undertaken by the County Council, and it is likely that a cycle route will form part of a linear park linking the two towns as proposed within policy SC3 of this plan. The cycle route will largely make use of the former trackbed of the Ormskirk to Skelmersdale rail line, although an alternative will need to be found around the village of Westhead, where the former trackbed has been developed for housing. Links will be required to the new Ormskirk School and Ormskirk Hospital. This proposal is one of the major action points set out in the Community Strategy.
6.48 The District Council will work in partnership with Lancashire County Council to implement the Cycling Strategy throughout the District. A major study is being undertaken of the cycle network in Skelmersdale and the Cycling Strategy will be continually monitored and updated to take account of newly identified routes and opportunities for enhancing the network.
6.49 The National Cycle Route 62 runs through part of West Lancashire, and the Cheshire Lines path forms both part of this network and the Trans Pennine Trail. The route between Southport and Preston has yet to be fixed, although the County Council is exploring the possibility of jointly developing it with the creation of a Lancashire Coastal path. This may involve a bridge being rebuilt over the River Douglas at Hesketh Bank, on the site of the former railway bridge.
6.50 High standard direct pedestrian routes within development and links to nearby centres, schools etc. are vital if people are to be encouraged to walk to work rather than use the car. Design of such routes will need to take account of community safety issues. The Council will be supportive of schemes which create and improve cycling and walking links around the District, particularly between residential settlements and to improve accessibility to key facilities around the District.
Background Documents for Policy SC8
Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 - Transport National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional · Policy UR.3 - Promoting Social Inclusion through Urban Accessibility and Mobility · Policy T.8 - The National Cycle Network
· Policy T.10 - Regional Priorities for Transport Investment and Management
Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Proposed Changes Sub (July 2003) Regional · Policy 10 - Rail and Bus Improvements
West Lancashire Community Strategy 2003 - 2006 Local · Getting Around
West Lancashire Cycling Strategy & Network Plan
Policy SC9 Infrastructure, Services and Utilities
Without prejudice to other planning considerations, development by a public service company or statutory undertaker in the open countryside will be permitted, where it can be shown that it is essential in order to maintain and/or improve an existing service or undertaking. Utility and service operators will be expected to ensure that plant and buildings are sited and designed to minimise their visual impact and obtrusiveness in the landscape. Developments will be required to implement high quality landscaping schemes to mitigate any impacts on the local area.
Development will not be permitted unless adequate services and utilities exist, or will be made available, in time to serve the development proposed.
New developments must be served by separate foul and surface water sewerage systems. The use of septic tanks and private sewage treatment works will only be permitted if connection to the mains sewerage system is not feasible. Septic tanks will only be allowed if ground conditions are satisfactory and the plot of land is of sufficient size to provide an adequate subsoil drainage system.
Development should be limited to locations where adequate water resources exist or can be provided without adversely affecting water quality, fisheries, amenity, nature conservation or existing abstraction rates. This will be established through liaison with the Environment Agency and United Utilities.
Justification of Policy SC9 6.51 The Council must balance the need for service infrastructure with the need to conserve the environment. Although the provision of many services does not require permission, for those which do, operators will be required to ensure that plant and buildings are carefully sited and designed and screened by landscaping as advised in Circular 3/99. For the purposes of this policy, a public service company is a company providing premises with water, gas, electricity, or sewage disposal. The Council will seek to avoid or minimise their visual impact and the effects of proliferation. The Council will also ensure that the need for public safety is fully addressed.
6.52 It is essential that adequate infrastructure covering electricity, gas, water supply, foul and surface water drainage and telecommunications is provided in a co-ordinated manner and is made available concurrently with development taking place. The Council will therefore endeavour to ensure through close consultation with the utility operators at an early stage in the development process, that these services are provided at the appropriate time in order to facilitate planned development.
6.54 Private sewage plants require frequent maintenance in order to produce effluents which meet Environment Agency standards, and maintenance problems often arise where plants are in multiple ownership. Inadequate maintenance can result in pollution of watercourses. New development should therefore be served by existing or new foul sewerage systems and sewerage treatment plants, rather than by a proliferation of individual septic tanks or small private treatment works within sewered areas. However, it should be made clear that the District Authority is not always the determining Authority for such proposals.
Background Documents for Policy SC9
Planning Policy Guidance Note 12 Development Plans National
Policy SC10 Telecommunications
Applications for telecommunications apparatus will be permitted provided that:-
i. development in the open countryside respects the countryside character of that area ii. it does not have an unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of a Conservation Area, the setting of a Listed Building historic park and garden or ancient monument or on the setting of a settlement; iii. the apparatus is sited so that its environmental and visual impact is minimised and where appropriate the landform, buildings, established trees and opportunities for new woodland planting ensure that views are masked or broken up; iv. in the case of new free standing masts, towers or other equipment, the applicant has demonstrated that it is not possible to share existing masts and towers or to group mounted apparatus to minimise visual clutter; v. wall-mounted dishes and apparatus are placed in the least obtrusive position possible, taking into account the architectural details of the building and its neighbouring buildings and the street scene; vi. dishes and antennae are not placed above the highest part of the roof or on chimneys unless they would cause no significant environmental or visual impact; vii. apparatus, mountings and ancillary structures are coloured in a durable finish appropriate to the background against which they will usually be seen; and viii. apparatus, mountings and ancillary structures installed on domestic property are of an appropriate scale.
ix. International Commission on Non Ionising Radiation Protection guidelines are met
There is a presumption against such development in areas of Green Belt unless the applicant can demonstrate that special circumstances exist and that there are no suitable sites in a non-Green Belt location.
Operators are advised to take a precautionary approach to choosing sites for radio transmitters and receivers and to avoid locations close to schools.
Justification of Policy SC10
6.55 Government advice (PPG8) asks local planning authorities to take account of the strategic requirements of telecommunications networks and to recognise their special needs in preparing development plans.
6.56 This policy is intended to provide guidelines for both commercial and domestic situations in a way that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate the rapid pace of technological change in this particular field. The Council acknowledges that modern telecommunications apparatus facilitates new choices in matters such as banking and working from home; established and new systems contribute in some part to cutting down the need to travel and thus should not be seen as inherently hostile to the environment.
6.57 The General Development Order provides opportunities to erect many facilities without reference to the Council. Where consent is required, the Council will insist on the best possible arrangements to minimise the apparatus' visual impact. In the case of masts and towers, the developer will need to demonstrate that sharing and other solutions have been fully explored. For other apparatus, preference will be given to dishes and antennae sited on the ground where they can be screened, rather than being mounted on a building or structure.
6.58 Installations close to houses should so far as practicable be out of direct public view, out of the line of sight from principal windows and positioned or treated as to avoid nuisance from glare.
6.59 Special issues arise in relation to Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings. Listed Building Consent will also normally be required for any apparatus on or within the curtilage of a Listed Building.
6.60 A group of independent experts led by Sir William Stewart has investigated possible health effects posed by mobile phone technology. Their report concluded that "the balance of evidence indicates that there is no general risk to the health of people living near base stations, on the basis that exposures are expected to be small fractions of guidelines". However gaps in scientific knowledge led the Stewart Group to recommend a precautionary approach to the use of mobile phones and base stations until more research findings become available. They added that in some cases, peoples' well-being may be adversely affected by insensitive siting of base stations. In keeping with the recommendations of the Stewart Report and the Government’s response to it, developers will be expected to confirm that any proposal meets the International Commission on Non Ionising Radiation Protection guidelines. Although the exposure from base stations will be many times lower than from using a mobile phone, the Stewart Group acknowledged that there was some public concern about base stations located on or near schools. Operators are advised to provide information about patterns of radio wave emissions if a school or parents are concerned about the possibility that a zone of concentration of waves may include a school.
Background Documents for Policy SC10
Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 Telecommunications National
Policy SC11 Renewable Energy
Proposals for renewable energy generation will be approved provided that they do not have an adverse impact on the character and value of the landscape and on areas of natural and built heritage, including their settings and meet the other policies set out in this Plan.
Justification of Policy SC11
6.61 The Government's policy is to stimulate the development of new and renewable energy sources wherever they have prospects of being economically attractive and environmentally acceptable in order to contribute to:-
· diverse, secure and sustainable energy supplies; · reduction in the emission of pollutants; · encouragement of internationally competitive industries.
(Ref: "New and Renewable Energy : Future Prospects in the UK, Energy Paper 62", March 1994).
6.62 The Government has published Planning Policy Guidance on renewable energy (PPG22) together with technical annexes, which set out in more detail the particular issues that local authorities should consider in determining such proposals.
6.63 The Council acknowledges that new and renewable energy sources can potentially contribute to energy needs in a significant and sustainable way. Renewable energy sources offer the hope of increasing diversity and security of supply, and of reducing harmful emissions to the environment. Renewable energy technologies are developing all the time and some types which may not appear commercially viable at present are likely to come forward in the future. Such technologies may include solar and wood fuel. Whilst the environmental impacts of such developments would have to be considered in full this Council will, in principle, encourage proposals which seek to reduce global warming and our dependence on finite fossil fuels.
6.64 Wind turbines can have a major impact on the environment, primarily in visual terms, but also through disturbance to flora and fauna especially during construction. Therefore, whilst this Council supports the development of renewable energy, proposals for individual or multiple wind turbine development will be considered very carefully. The Council will aim to ensure that any impact on the landscape and / or nature conservation is minimised. Where the impacts of the development are likely to be significant an Environmental Statement will be required under the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 (wind energy is now included within Schedule 2 of these regulations).
Background Documents for Policy SC11
Planning Policy Guidance Note 22 Renewable Energy National Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) Regional Policy ER13 Joint Lancashire Structure Plan Deposit Edition Sub- Regional · Proposed changes (July 2003)Policy 25- Wind energy
Policy SC12 Cemeteries and Crematoria
Proposals for cemeteries and crematoria will be permitted provided that:-
i. the site is easily accessible by car and public transport; ii. the development would not adversely affect the landscape character; iii. there would be no adverse impact on areas of ecological, natural history or archaeological interest; iv. the impact on agricultural activities is minimised; v. there would be no adverse effect on the amenities enjoyed by local residents; vi. any buildings should have minimal visual impact and should harmonise with their surroundings; vii. the design of the cemetery includes substantial tree planting proposals including the creation of wildlife habitats where appropriate; viii. the site is adequately screened or can be screened by new tree planting from the surrounding area; ix. the water table will not be at or above the base of excavation; and x. the local highway network is capable of accommodating the traffic generated.
Justification of Policy SC12
6.65 There is an identified need for a new cemetery to serve the long term needs of the Ormskirk/Skelmersdale area. Although Sefton's crematorium is located in West Lancashire it is not in a convenient location for the majority of the District's population, therefore a more centrally located facility would be beneficial. However, careful consideration needs to be given to the precise location of cemeteries and crematoria and therefore any proposals must comply with the above policy.
Background Documents for Policy SC12
Planning Policy Guidance Note 12 Development Plans National
Appendix Monitoring and Targets A
Quantitative Indicators and Targets
Indicator Target Comment
Sustainable Development
The proportion of housing To be maintained allowed & built within1km of 5 to at least 1996 Source : Accessibility basic services (GP, primary level of 73%. Information and WLDC planning school, food shop, post office, application records bus stop) 2001 - 2016.
Proportion of new housing 90% of new allowed & built within 400 development. Source : Accessibility metres of an existing or Information and WLDC planning proposed bus stop or within application records 800 metres of an existing or proposed railway station, 2001 - 2016.
Proportion of new 75% of new development allowed and built development to Source : WLDC planning located in the Principal Urban be within application records Areas and Main Towns, 2001 - Skelmersdale, 2016. Ormskirk and Burscough (no of houses and area of land developed for other uses).
Housing
Percentage of new dwellings 65%. Measure to be split between to be on previously developed permissions and completions land, including conversion of non-agricultural buildings, Source : WLDC Annual 2001 - 2016. Housing Land Monitor
Annual average number of 2001-2011 305 new dwellings completed in units. Source : WLDC Annual 2001 – 2016. 2011-2016 185 Housing Land Monitor units Density of housing sites Average density allowed 2001 - 2016. of 40 dwellings Source : WLDC Annual per hectare. Housing Land Monitor
Affordable Housing 2001 – At least 30% of 2016. homes allowed in Source : WLDC Annual Ormskirk/Aughton Housing Land Monitor and Burscough to be subsidised low cost and RSL homes. Indicator Target Comment
Economy
Development of business and Average 9.67 industrial land in the District hectares per Source : WLDC Annual 2001 – 2016. annum. Employment Land Monitor
Levels of vacant property in Less than the Skelmersdale, Ormskirk and national average Source : WLDC Annual Town Burscough centres by 2016. Centre Health Check
Percentage of ground floor Ensure units in A1 use class in the percentage of A1 Source : WLDC Annual Town primary shopping areas of uses does not fall Centre Health Check Ormskirk Town Centre below 60% in Primary Shopping Area by 2016.
Environment
Increase/protect selected key Area of environmental features. Greenspace Source : defined on proposals map lost to development to be less than 1% of total.
No Listed Buildings Source : demolished.
No net loss of heritage assets, Source : networks or settings, 2001- 2016.
Hectares of land in District of 1% irreversible grades 1, 2 and 3a agricultural loss (excluding Source : land. land designated for development). Proportion of land stock that is Indicator to be neglected, underused or recorded each Source : derelict. year.
Qualitative Indicators and Targets
Indicator Target Comment Percentage of Residents who Indicator Establish baseline data and link to surveyed who are satisfied with Community Strategy targets. their local area as a place to Baseline position 81% very or fairly live. satisfied (2000).
Source : Percentage of residents who Indicator Establish baseline data and link to think their local area is getting Community Strategy targets. worse. Source : Percentage of Residents Indicator Establish baseline data and link to surveyed finding it easy to Community Strategy targets. access key local services Source : Percentage of adults surveyed Indicator Establish baseline data and link to who feel they can influence Community Strategy targets. planning decisions in their local area Source :
Appendix B: Current Supplementary Planning Guidance Notes and future Supplementary Planning Documents
Approved Supplementary Planning Guidance Notes (SPG’s)
1. Design Guide for Shop Front, Advertisements and Security in Ormskirk Town Centre Conservation Area (1993) 2. Cobbs Clough Employment Area, Whalleys, Skelmersdale (1997) 3. Specifications for Works to Listed Buildings (1997) 4. Trees and Development (1998) 5. Landscape Submissions (1998) 6. Site Planning, Layout and Design (1998) 7. Landscape Design (1998) 8. Dalton Village Design Statement (1999) 9. Land to the West of Stanley Industrial Estate, Skelmersdale (2000) 10. Open Space or Recreational Provision related to Residential Development – Revision (2001) 11. Whalleys Housing Sites, Skelmersdale plus Mixed Development (2000) 12. Skelmersdale Town Centre (2000) 13. Residential Developments – Revision (2003) 14. Erection of Stable Buildings in the Green Belt (2001) 15. Domestic Extensions and Outbuildings and Replacement Dwellings in the Green Belt (2000) 16. Ormskirk Grammar School Site, Ruff Lane, Ormskirk (2002) 17. Hattersleys Site, Burscough Road, Ormskirk (2004) 18. Accomodation for Seasonal Agricultural Workers (2003) 19. The Conversion of Rural Buildings in the Green Belt (1997)
Future Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD’s)
1. Development and Flood Risk 2. Affordable Housing 3. Land at Whitemoss Business Park, Skelmersdale 4. Developer Contributions 5. Managing Housing Land Supply 6. Residential Developments