Core Strategy – Publication Stage

AGENDA ITEM: 6 Page nos. 20 – 367 (enclosures circulated separately) Meeting Cabinet Date 6 September 2010 Subject Local Development Framework – Core Strategy – Publication Stage Report of Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning, and Regeneration Summary The Local Development Framework (LDF) is one of the most important statutory plans that must be produced for Barnet. Developed through working with strategic partners the LDF is the spatial mechanism for delivery of the Sustainable Community Strategy and the Three Strands Approach: Protect, Enhance and Consolidate Growth. The Core Strategy is the key document and sits at the heart of the LDF. It sets out where, when and how change will take place, providing a shared vision of what Barnet will be like as a place in 2026. All other planning documents need to accord with its strategic direction and key planning policies. The Publication Stage provides the final opportunity for public consultation on the Core Strategy. Officer Contributors Director of Planning, Housing and Regeneration Assistant Director, Strategy (Planning & Housing) Status (public or exempt) Public Wards affected All Enclosures (separately Appendix A: Core Strategy – Publication Stage circulated) Appendix B: Representations and Responses For decision by Cabinet Function of Executive Reason for urgency / N/A exemption from call-in Contact for further information: Nick Lynch - Planning Policy (LDF) Manager - 0208 359 4211 20 1. RECOMMENDATIONS 1.1 That the Core Strategy – Publication Stage be approved for a period of at least six weeks of public engagement. 1.2 That the Director of Planning, Housing and Regeneration be authorised in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Regeneration to agree any consequent changes to the Core Strategy – Publication Stage 1.3 That responses to final consultation on the Core Strategy are reported back to Cabinet prior to submission to the Secretary of State. 2. RELEVANT PREVIOUS DECISIONS 2.1 26 February 2007 Cabinet (Decision Item 5) approved the Local Development Scheme (LDS, the project programme for the Local Development Framework) which includes preparing the Core Strategy. On 31 March 2007 revisions to the LDS were approved by the Council Leader and on 29 May 2007 (item 5) further changes were approved by the Director of Planning and Environmental Protection under delegated powers. 2.2 18 June 2008 Cabinet (Decision Item 7) approved Core Strategy Issues and Options. 2.3 22 April 2009 Cabinet (Decision Item 6) approved a request to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to issue a direction saving all the policies of the UDP other than those listed in the Appendix. 2.4 On 21 October 2009 Cabinet (Decision Item 9) approved the Core Strategy – Direction of Travel. 3. CORPORATE PRIORITIES AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS 3.1 All three priorities in the Corporate Plan 2010 to 2013 are embedded within the Core Strategy. 3.2 In providing better services with less money the Core Strategy addresses the need to: - make more efficient use of our community assets in order to improve service delivery. Further integration of services such as libraries and children’s centres in 'hubs' is highlighted as the way forward establish the Community Infrastructure Levy as the replacement for S106 funding and set out the evidence on infrastructure requirements in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan which will form the basis for a CIL charging schedule 3.3 In sharing opportunities and sharing responsibilities the Core Strategy addresses the need to: - 21 provide increased housing choice in mixed communities including extra care housing and the need for lifetime homes in order to promote independence and to support vulnerable adults; enable children and young people to develop skills and acquire the knowledge to lead successful adult lives through our programme for improvements to the schools estate, provision of children's centres and commissioning of youth services; improve delivery of clinical care as well as targeting unhealthy lifestyles and tackling health inequalities; 3.4 In enabling Barnet to continue to be a successful London Suburb the Core Strategy addresses the need to: - protect and enhance our natural environment through provision of new improved, multi-functional and accessible green spaces that form part of a Londonwide green grid. protect and enhance our suburban environment by ensuring that development respects local context and Barnet’s distinctive local character. ensure economic prosperity and enterprise through a mix of compatible uses is provided in vibrant town centres including retail, housing and affordable and flexible workspace for business to create local employment opportunities; make Barnet a safer place and through our programme of town centre frameworks enhance our suburban town centres as places which engender civic pride and activity; develop a better understanding of how new and growing communities in the regeneration areas integrate cohesively and transform prospects to become thriving diverse neighbourhoods support GPs and the plans of the NHS Barnet to deliver modern primary care 3.5 The Coalition Government will publish in this Parliament a Decentralisation and Localism Bill. It proposes that the main benefits of the Bill will be: Empowering local people. Freeing local government from central and regional control. Giving local communities a real share in local growth. A more efficient and more local planning system. The LDF Core Strategy will be updated to reflect the Bill and the Localism Agenda. 3.6 The LDF Core Strategy is required to be in harmony with the Sustainable Community Strategy 2008 - 2018. The themes and ambitions of the Sustainable Community Strategy are reflected throughout the Publication Stage and Table 1 in Appendix A sets out the linkage between themes, ambitions, Core Strategy objectives and the policy framework. Reference to the planned revision of the Sustainable Community Strategy has been added 22 to the Core Strategy and will be updated prior to the Examination in Public in Spring 2010. 3.5 The Three Strands Approach sets out our approach to planning, development and regeneration over the next 15 years and is the Core Strategy priority spatial policy. The approach of protection of Green Belt and open spaces; enhancement of high quality suburbs, the historic environment and vibrant town centres; and management of targeted and consolidated housing growth in the pipeline in areas undergoing significant regeneration and strategic development provides the foundation for 'place shaping' Barnet. 3.6 The Core Strategy – Publication Stage also reflects the spatial dimensions of the Children and Young People's Plan, Older Adults Strategy, Housing Strategy, Health and Well-being Commissioning Framework and the Safer Communities Strategy. 4. RISK MANAGEMENT ISSUES 4.1 Failure to replace the UDP (adopted in 2006) with an up-to-date development plan will hinder delivery of sustainable growth, proper planning of infrastructure and protection and enhancement of what makes Barnet distinctive as a place. As the UDP becomes less relevant and ultimately outdated in the absence of a LDF replacement the Council's ability to justify and defend planning decisions including at appeal will be weakened. 4.2 The Core Strategy has to be in general conformity with the adopted London Plan even though it is currently under review. The Mayor of London published his draft London Plan in October 2009 and expects to have completed the review of the London Plan by winter 2011/ 2012. Any departure from the existing London Plan requires robust local justification. It is therefore important to carefully align local policy development with the London wide review. Barnet’s LDF Core Strategy will also closely reflect the direction of travel of the new Mayor’s London Plan. 4.3 At the London Plan Examination in Public on July 9th 2010 the Secretary of State clarified the implications of the revocation of Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) for London and the devolvement of powers to the Mayor of London. Although, following the revocation of RSS, targets on matters such as housing are no longer required in London the setting of such targets is a matter for the Mayor of London and partners to consider. 4.4 Targets in the draft revised London Plan set Barnet a target for 2026 of 33,800 new homes. This proposed target exceeds our expectation of housing delivery by 2026 which is 28,000. We have objected to the higher target on the basis that Barnet’s capacity for major development is finite and that fewer new major opportunity areas are being identified in the borough. We intend to appear at the Examination in Public into the draft revised London Plan in autumn 2010 to challenge the long term housing target and seek to move to the consolidated position of 28,000 pipeline new homes target. 23 4.5 The Core Strategy will be subject to an Examination in Public by an Independent Planning Inspector. The Inspector will assess soundness of the document on the basis of it being justifiable, effective and consistent with national policy. If the Core Strategy is found unsound we will be required to go back to an earlier stage which would seriously delay plan-making in Barnet. The Planning Advisory Service has produced a template to assess soundness at different stages of preparation of LDF documents. 4.6 As part of the Planning Inspectorate's 'early engagement' programme an inspector visited Barnet on 22 October 2009 and provided an assessment of the LDF Direction of Travel. The Inspector considered that the document to be a good start towards the final Core Strategy. His main concern is the failure to meet London Plan housing targets. This is a significant risk to the Council which needs to be balanced against the consolidation and sustainability of growth objectives. 5. EQUALITIES AND DIVERSITY ISSUES 5.1 The Core Strategy will provide a high-level framework to help improve opportunities and quality of life.

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