Lichfield and District Rural Planning Project Introduction and Background Report
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Lichfield District ALREWAS Rural Planning ARMITAGE WITH Project HANDSACRE FAZELEY, MILE OAK, BONEHILL LITTLE ASTON SHENSTONE WHITTINGTON Lichfield District Council November 2011 1. Introduction and study carried out by the District its future and draft vision statement. Background to the Village Council identified Alrewas, Armitage These are intended to promote further Reports with Handsacre, Fazeley/Mile Oak, public discussion and involvement in Little Aston, Shenstone and the future of the villages. They could Whittington as the six rural settlements also help the Local Development 1. In March 2010 Lichfield District with the greatest range of facilities and Framework to be more locally specific Council started a process of rural services and best transport in relation to each of the villages. planning for six of the most substantial connectivity within the context of the settlements within Lichfield District rural part of the District. This led to the outside of the two main settlements of view that it would be important to look Lichfield and Burntwood. The rural at the future of these settlements in planning work has fundamentally been particular and to consider how they about engaging local communities in could remain vibrant and viable considering the future of their areas. The settlements in the long term, how they process is explained in more detail might change and how planning below but has involved not just the policies might contribute positively to District Council talking to people, but their future. getting villagers to discuss possible 3. This report describes what has options for change within their village happened so far in the rural planning Whittington Village with each other, particularly through a process for these settlements. It is series of local 'workshops' held in also intended to enable the work of Purposes and structure of the February 2011. These highlighted rural planning to continue, particularly report particularly where there was consensus by providing a basis for further or a divergence of views over important 5. The report has been set out so that discussion between the District characteristics, the key issues and it considers each settlement Council and local communities and options for change in each of the separately and in some detail. It is within the communities themselves. villages. Further exhibitions to feed back thought that local communities will find The report should therefore be seen the outcomes of the workshops, and to this helpful in taking their thoughts on as an interim step in a longer planning seek further comment, were held in the future of their settlements forward. process, but it is essentially about the September and October 2011. It enables the separate sections of the factors that are relevant to working report to be progressed independently, towards a vision for the future of each 2. For the District Council an important although regard always has to be settlement that can emanate from and part of the context for this work is the taken of the overall context of each be owned by each local community. preparation of a revised Development settlement within Lichfield District and Plan for the District, the Local 4. The report includes a discussion the wider area. N.B. Whilst the Development Framework (LDF). As about each village that concludes by overall report is dated November part of the evidence for the LDF a 2011, it should be noted that the suggesting some guiding principles for 2 individual village reports are dated Local Development Framework Local Development Framework, September 2011. These reports Evidence: particularly the Core Strategy. were then consulted upon to gain further feedback, and the 7. As part of Local Development Resource for Local People to concluding chapter makes a series Frameworks local planning authorities consider their areas further: of final recommendations as a are required to prepare a Core result. The report has been Strategy and may also prepare 8. The report contains summaries of prepared in this way to clearly Allocations of Land Documents. what people said about issues document the process if community Lichfield District Council is in the affecting their village and about engagement over the full period of process of preparing both types of options for change, including the the project. Document. The Core Strategy will set question of future housing a policy framework that will provide the development. It is hoped that the 6. The report has a number of more main policy context for future planning summaries can provide a resource for specific purposes, particularly in the decisions, particularly in relation to the considering the issues further. The light of the Local Development scale and general location of the main Council intends to feed back on the Framework process, but also because changes proposed to take place work so far to each of the communities of proposed changes to national across the District. An Allocations of involved during 2011. legislation that are aimed to empower Land Document will be specific in local communities to have more terms of which areas and sites are 9. The report also includes, for each influence and a more direct role in the proposed for development. Both of settlement, the views expressed by an planning of their future. these main parts of the Local independent facilitator following the Development Framework will need to 2011 workshops and a summary of be subject to independent testing other evidence gathered by the through a public examination by an Council as part of the LDF process, independent Planning Inspector. that might need to be considered These examinations will scrutinise the alongside local views. Both of these evidence that has been used to inform aspects of the report also provide a the policy decisions made. Plans will further resource for communities to need to be based on sound evidence use in considering their futures. Thus it and the evidence includes the views of may be used in support of the local people. The Council will need to preparation of Parish Plans, or show what these are and how it has perhaps for 'neighbourhood plans' where there is agreement on the need taken them into account in preparing its policies. The Rural Planning Study for such plans to deal with particular A workshop at Fazeley will therefore form a significant areas of change. component of the evidence to be taken into account in preparing the 10. While the main report contains summaries of views and evidence, a3 series of appendices for each village 2. The 'Rural Planning' Process important to consider whether they contains more detailed information, for offer opportunities to contribute to any example plans of past development of 12. As noted earlier the District future housing needs arising in the each village and plans prepared from Council had identified the six District, since creating and maintaining the workshops results, showing what settlements involved in the rural 'sustainable' communities is a most people found to be important about planning project through a study of the important objective of national planning their village. The original workshops rural settlements within Lichfield policy. information has been published on the District. This was completed in 2008. District Council website at: The Rural Settlements Sustainability 14. To enable residents of the villages www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ruralplanning Study considered in some detail concerned to become more involved in factors relevant to the needs of living the future of their village whilst the Recommendations for the Local in the rural communities of the District. LDF process was progressed, the Development Framework: It looked at which facilities were District Council sought the available within each village, such as involvement of an outside 11. The Council is in the process of schools, shops, community halls, organisation, the Commission for preparing a revised version of its doctors, dentists etc. It looked at the Architecture and the Built Environment emerging Core Strategy, taking quality of public transport access to (CABE). Its role was to facilitate open account of an extensive public facilities that would not be expected to discussion about the villages and to consultation exercise carried out be available within villages, such as prepare a subsequent report to the between November 2010 and secondary schools, hospitals and town District Council. The discussions took February 2010. The timing of the rural centre facilities. It also considered place through workshop group planning public involvement allows this whether there was local employment sessions in February 2011. They report to feed into the Core Strategy or good access to other employment included the consideration of the revision process. This report therefore centres. character of each village, current includes recommendations for the issues, the needs each village might Core Strategy preparation and LDF 13. Out of this process the study have in terms of future housing and process deriving from the rural defined a 'hierarchy' of villages within the role they might play in contributing planning exercise. In particular it Lichfield District and the six villages to district housing requirements. considers the potential scale of included in the further rural planning housing growth that could be work were identified as those having accommodated by the six settlements the best overall range of facilities. In concerned, potential or preferred terms of planning this identifies them directions of growth and suggested as the settlements having the best elements of a vision for the future of degree of 'self-containment' and most each settlement for the purposes of opportunities for living a 'sustainable' the Local Development Framework. lifestyle, in the context of the rural communities of Lichfield District. A consequence of this is that it becomes 4 consensus about particular issues and 17. The numbers of questionnaires where the results of the February and attendance at events are shown in events showed less consistency with the table below.