Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Local Development Framework Authority’s Monitoring Report (AMR) st st For the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 Documents and any related literature are available in a variety of formats e.g. Braille, large print or audio format. If you require documents in another format please contact: Technical Policy & Planning (Policy Performance & Reform) Tel: 0161 474 4395 Corporate and Support Services Email: [email protected] Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Stopford House Piccadilly Stockport SK1 3XE Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 2 Introduction 6 3 Background 8 4 Development Plan Production 10 5 Monitoring of Policy Performance 24 Overarching Principles 29 Providing a Decent Home for Everyone 50 Access to Services 68 Accommodating Economic Development 90 Safeguarding and Improving the Environment 100 Transport 119 Stockport Town Centre Strategic Location 123 Woodford Aerodrome Opportunity Site 127 6 Planning Obligations 140 7 Conclusions 141 8 Future Monitoring & Reporting 145 2 1 Executive Summary 1 Executive Summary Background 1.1 This annually produced Authority's Monitoring Report (AMR) collates information which allows assessment of the performance of planning policies over the period 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2016. This is the fifth monitoring report since the adoption of Stockport's Core Strategy, which replaced large parts of the the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) from the start of April 2011. 1.2 This Executive Summary highlights the various elements of monitoring reporting on delivery of employment development, employment levels, retail & leisure development, housing provision and a range of environmental indicators around biodiversity, flood risk, low carbon development and Green Belt. In addition the report comments on minerals and waste related development, preservation of conservation and heritage assets as well as the overarching management and delivery of transport infrastructure. 1.3 Section 7 'Conclusions' provides a more detailed overview. The Introduction lays out why monitoring is done and why it is useful. To provide context the Background section reminds readers of baseline data from development of the Core Strategy and the Sustainability Appraisal of the various elements of the Local Development Framework (LDF). Section 4 provides information on the progress of local plan documentation preparation. Section 5 contains detail on the monitoring of each policy topic section of the Core Strategy. Details of proposed Future Monitoring & Reporting are provided in Section 8. 1.4 The Localism Act(1) includes a statutory requirement for every local authority to prepare an Authority's Monitoring Report covering no more than a 12 month period, monitoring the performance of local planning policy. The National Planning Policy Framework lays out broad guidelines for local planning authorities to prepare a Local Plan. Monitoring is essential in assessing whether existing planning policies are addressing what they are intended to address and to review the progress on the preparation of new planning documents. 1.5 Stockport's twelfth AMR covers the Reporting Year from 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2016, apart from Section 4 'Development Plan Production' which provides information on the state of play as at December 2016. This report contains data on a range of indicators identified by the Council as outlined in relevant sections of the document. These indicators are intended to measure the effectiveness of the Council’s planning policies in achieving sustainable development.This means meeting the development needs of the borough, safeguarding environmental assets, addressing social equity, ensuring accessibility and addressing climate change, whilst achieving a sustainable economy. 1 www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/5959/1896534.pdf 3 Executive Summary 1 Monitoring Headlines 1.6 Implementation of Stockport's Core Strategy remains reasonable with some minor concerns, due to lower levels of housing delivery and out of centre or edge of centre delivery of retail and leisure development. Employment development sees an overall increase especially in office development but with a slightly lower B2/B8 delivery on the previous monitoring period. 1.7 The achievement of sustainable development is reasonably strong in the Borough, impacted on more by national and international policy changes than any specific failure of local policy.There are gaps in monitoring for this period reflecting the pressure of both the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework workload as well as changes to planning software during the monitoring timetable. Below are snapshots from the policy topic sections reported on in detail in Section 5 of this document referring to achievements during the monitoring period 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2016. For a more detailed summary read Section 7 'Conclusions'. Development Plan Document (DPD) Preparation 1.8 The Duty to Co-operate requirements within the Localism Act (2011) are being addressed primarily through historic partnerships with neighbouring authorities. Stockport Council adopted its Core Strategy in 2011. Progressing other parts of the Local Plan was delayed initially as a result of having to examine in greater detail the issue of provision of gypsy, traveller and travelling showpeople sites in the borough and subsequently to take account of work on the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. On 1st December 2016 approval was obtained for preparation of a new Stockport Local Plan - see Section 4 'Development Plan Production' for further detail of the situation to date. Overarching Principles: Delivering Sustainable Development 1.9 Childhood obesity remains at levels which continue to require consideration of how design can help prevent obesogenic environments(2). Stockport Borough has some areas of deprivation which policies are targeted at addressing. Various renewable energy schemes have received planning permission including a 300 kw biomass boiler installation at the Council's offices. In addition there have been high levels of solar electricity installations to Stockport Homes stock. A green roof has been delivered on the new offices at Stockport Exchange. 1.10 No new dwellings or commercial properties granted planning permission during the monitoring period were designed to an environmental design standard. All major applications are consulted on with the Lead Local Flood Authority and they require schemes to address SUDS unless evidence of physical constraints exists. Further information on more detailed SUDS monitoring work needs to be achieved post planning software changes. 2 An environment that tends to cause obesity whether through lack of encouragement of activity or access to healthy food options 4 1 Executive Summary Providing a Decent Home for Everyone 1.11 Housing completions are lower (321) this year compared to the previous trend of increasing levels. 56 affordable dwellings were delivered in this monitoring period consisting of mostly 2 and 3 bedroom houses. The majority of completions were in Stepping Hill and Heatons & Reddish with lower levels in the Central area than in previous years. Work continues to boost town centre delivery as well as longer term work via the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. Only 84% of development was on previously developed land (PDL) - this lower figure than earlier years reflects the part greenfield / part PDL nature of the larger sites for this monitoring period. Stockport still does not have a five year supply at 3.8 years. Access to Services 1.12 Retail and leisure development levels have risen slightly, however much of this development is out of centres or on edges of centres for this monitoring period. There has been a small decrease in vacancy rates for all areas this year. Two District Centres have gained major national multiples this year, whilst three show losses. The Town and District Centres continue to report a reasonable level of retail in the main frontages. A number of school redevelopments have taken place during the monitoring period. There continues to be a shortfall of four court sports halls (10.5). No new allotment sites were granted planning permission. No new hot food takeaways were completed outside of District Centres. The majority of hotel bed spaces with extant permission are located in the town centre, including the 115 bed hotel at the Stockport Exchange site which will be formally reported in subsequent AMRs. Accommodating Economic Development 1.13 In terms of floorpsace there was more than twice the level of office development this year compared to last year and a slight decrease in the levels of industrial and warehouse development. Of the total floorspace delivered, 1,226m2 was delivered in the Town Centre. 310 new jobs were created from the new development in the Central committee area, with several more in district centres and on employment areas. The Council has identified 30.66 hectares of industrial use (B2/B8) and 21.97 hectares of office space for development. Stockport's rate of unemployment remains lower that the national average, however deprived areas of the Borough retain higher levels of unemployment within the Borough. Safeguarding and Improving the Environment 1.14 This reporting period sees a net 1,350m2 loss of open space, the second since the adoption of the Core Strategy. Six new housing developments have or will eventually result in children's new play facilities and more than £430K in commuted sums has