Eco-Town Proposal at Long Marston Lead Officer: Paul Lankester Contact on 01789 260100 Lead Member/ Portfolio Holder: Councillor L Topham
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COUNCIL 12 MAY 2008 Subject: Eco-town Proposal at Long Marston Lead Officer: Paul Lankester Contact on 01789 260100 Lead Member/ Portfolio Holder: Councillor L Topham Summary The report outlines the Government’s Eco-town proposals and the particular proposal at Long Marston, referred to as ‘Middle Quinton’. The report presents an analysis of the proposals against the existing policy context and highlights those issues which require further assessment. Specific comments are provided on the Notice of Motion considered by Council on 21 April 2008 to assist the Council’s consideration of the motion. Recommendation That Council notes the contents of the report and considers the following three options: (1) To support the Notice of Motion as drafted; (2) To support the Notice of Motion, with amendment(s); (3) To reject the Notice of Motion. 1 Background/Information 1.1 The Council at its meeting on 21 April 2008 considered Notices of Motion proposed by Councillor I Seccombe and seconded by Councillor Brain in respect of the Eco-town proposal at Long Marston. The Council resolved that the Notices of Motion in respect of the Eco Town be deferred for consideration at a Special Meeting of the Council to be held on Monday 12 May 2008 when members will receive professional advice from the Chief Executive on the issues raised. 1.2 This report sets out the following issues for consideration by Council: • An outline of the Government’s Eco-town Proposals (at section 2); • A summary of the particular proposal at Long Marston (at section 3); • An analysis of the proposal against the existing policy context at regional and local level; • The infrastructure and other requirements which need further assessment and testing prior to final decisions being taken by government on the shortlisted scheme; • Specific comments on the motion submitted to Council; and, • An analysis of options for consideration by Council. 2 The Government’s Eco-town Proposals 2.1 In July 2007 the Government published its Eco-towns Prospectus alongside the Housing Green Paper. Eco-towns are intended to be a combined response to three challenges set out in the Green Paper: climate change, the need for more sustainable living and the need to increase housing supply. The prospectus invited schemes to be submitted direct to Government (on a confidential basis) from anyone (both public and private sector) who could deliver a town of 5-20,000 new dwellings that met a list of ‘eco’ criteria. 2.2 As part of this national ‘eco-towns' initiative, a proposal to develop a new settlement of 6,000 dwellings was submitted to the Government last Autumn by the private landowners of a 240 hectare site, largely comprising the former Engineers Resource Depot at Long Marston. (A plan showing the extent of the site, taken from the bid document, is attached as Appendix A). This was one of 57 bids submitted nationally. On 3 April 08, the Government published a short-list of 15 preferred locations for eco- towns that included the Long Marston proposal, referred to in the bid as ‘Middle Quinton’. (The full list is set out in Appendix B). The shortlist is contained within the Government consultation document, titled ‘Eco-towns: Living a greener future’, canvassing views by 30 June 2008 on the initiative, its benefits, scope for innovation, and 15 short-listed locations. 2.3 The consultation document seeks views on: 1) ‘the way in which the eco-towns concept is being developed and the different potential benefits that an eco-town could offer’; 2) ‘how particular features such as green-space or innovative approaches to housing can best be developed in an eco-town’; 3) ‘preliminary views on the 15 locations going forward for further assessment’, 4) more specifically, views are invited on the inclusion of ‘Middle Quinton’ in the programme; and, 5) other “potential benefits or challenges” that (the Council) would wish to see addressed for this location and whether there are particular issues which (the Council) “would like to see proposals for this location address”. 2.4 The key criteria for eco-towns, set out initially in the Eco-towns Prospectus, are reinforced in the consultation document i.e. 1) Eco-towns must be new settlements, separate and distinct from existing towns but well linked to them. They need to be additional to existing plans, with a minimum target of 5,000 homes; 2) The development as a whole should reach zero carbon standards, and each town should be an exemplar in at least one area of environmental sustainability; 3) Eco-town proposals should provide for a good range of facilities within the town - a secondary school, a medium scale retail centre, good quality business space and leisure facilities; 4) Affordable housing should make up between 30 and 50 per cent of the total through a wide range and distribution of tenures in mixed communities, with a particular emphasis on larger family homes; and, 5) A management body which will help develop the town, provide support for people moving to the new community, for businesses and to co-ordinate delivery of services and manage facilities. (NB. Government has since indicated that it will reserve the option of establishing a ‘new town development corporation’ for cases where substantial transport infrastructure investment is needed). 2.5 The essential difference between ‘eco-towns’ and existing towns, it is argued in the document, is that they present the opportunity to be radical in design and create net benefits to sustainability rather than just mitigate negative impacts. It indicates the minimum benefits that should be provided, in particular, the following: 1) Zero carbon – over a year the net carbon emissions from all energy use within all buildings is zero by 2016; 2) Climate Change – demonstrate that the town will be sustainable under present conditions and resilient against predicted change (e.g. in rainfall, temperature, etc). 3) Water Efficiency - aim for ‘water neutrality’ i.e. water use in the general area post development is no greater than it was prior to the town being built); 4) Flood Risk – no development in high risk areas (flood zone 3) and limit medium risk areas (flood zone 2) to uses compatible with flood storage; 5) Waste Management – lead in minimising and recycling and extract value from waste on-site using state-of-the-art technologies; waste management linked to energy production; zero construction waste to landfill; off-site treatment balanced by recycled construction material; 6) Green Space & Biodiversity – demonstrate provision of high quality green infrastructure and protection of habitats, generally covering 20% of the town area; 7) More Sustainable Travel – between homes, services and jobs within the eco-town, nearby settlements and large urban areas – involving modal shift from car to public transport, walking & cycling to the extent that half the households do not rely on a car; 8) Homes improved in quality and delivery – with 30-50% affordable housing; sites for self-build groups; more flexible and higher standards of sustainable construction; 9) Jobs – harnessing the employment potential of the locality, including that of eco- technologies, with a supply of high quality business space, links to existing employment clusters in the sub-region; overcoming labour constraints by providing family housing; life-long learning opportunities through links with local universities; and, 10) Public Services – piloting and testing innovations in delivery of public services as well as making them more sustainable and responsive to climate change e.g. meeting the target for all new schools to be zero carbon rated; co-location of children & family services with schools; co-location of GP-led services with diagnostic and social care services. 2.6 This consultation is the first of four key stages in the process of establishing eco-towns through the planning process. The stages are as follows: 1) The current 12 week consultation on preliminary views on eco-town benefits and the short-listed locations. 2) Further consultation this summer on a Sustainability Appraisal, which will provide a more detailed assessment of the 15 short-listed locations, and a draft Planning Policy Statement. 3) A decision on the final list of locations with the potential to be an eco-town and the publication of a final ‘Planning Policy Statement on Eco-towns’ in Autumn 2008. 4) Planning applications for individual schemes in these locations will need to be submitted and decided on the merits of the proposal. 2.7 Annex A of the document provides further guidance on how eco-town proposals would fit with the planning process. The following aspects are highlighted for Members attention: • There is a general expectation that planning applications will be determined by the Local Planning Authority (i.e. the Council) and they could be submitted at any time; • Any planning application must be determined in the context of the planning policy framework, including the development plan and any other material considerations. It is emphasised the Planning Policy Statement on Eco-towns will be an important material consideration ; • As regards housing numbers, Annex A emphasises the importance of increasing provision in line with the Housing Green Paper target to deliver 240,000 homes per year by 2016. There is a clear expectation that eco-towns will contribute significantly to meet targets for additional housing; and, • The consultation document “….assure(s) local authorities that include an eco-town in their future housing plans that it will, of course, contribute towards those future housing targets, which in most places are likely to be more stretching.” (Annex A, Para 6). However, the notes to editors accompanying the Minister’s 3 April 2008 press release indicate that Government will only be prepared to let local authorities with an eco-town in their area count “an appropriate proportion towards the local plan target” if their Development Plan housing provisions already go a long way towards helping to deliver the additional housing Government is seeking.