THE BRIDPORT AREA NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN Regulation 15 Submission | March 2019
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE BRIDPORT AREA NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN Regulation 15 Submission | March 2019 A neighbourhood plan by the communities of Allington, Bothenhampton & Walditch, Bradpole, Bridport & West Bay and Symondsbury This Regulation 15 submission of the Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan has been approved by all participating councils: Bridport Town Council, Allington, Bradpole, Bothenhampton & Walditch, and Symondsbury Parish Councils, on behalf of those who live and work within the designated area. This Regulation 15 submission version of the Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared on behalf of the Joint Councils Committee by Bridport Town Council, the qualifying body responsible for plan preparation. The Joint Councils Committee has overseen the research and development of the neighbourhood plan. Community Steering Group Many community volunteers have given their time, energy and knowledge to the development of this plan, especially those involved in the Community Steering Group and the theme Working Groups set up to help research and develop policies contained in this Regulation 15 submission document. Bridport Town Council and all the parishes wish to acknowledge the time and commitment given by volunteers and employees to help complete the neighbourhood plan to this stage. Contact for further information: Project Manager, Bridport Town Council www.bridporttowncouncil.org.uk 01308 456 722 The qualifying body has received technical support during the preparation of the plan from Feria Urbanism and Locality’s appointed consultants AECOM and Intelligent Plans. Document reference 180_Q_180625_Submission-Plan-FINAL. All maps within this document are reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright and database rights Ordnance Survey. Unauthorised reproduction infringes crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Contents 2 Introduction 6 Neighbourhood Characteristics 20 Vision Statements 22 Neighbourhood Plan Objectives 24 A Resilient Neighbourhood 26 Climate Change 30 Access & Movement 34 A Thriving Society 36 Economy & Employment 40 Housing 50 Community Facilities 54 A Unique Place 56 Heritage 62 Landscape 68 Centre of Bridport 72 Design for Living 76 Neighbourhood Plan Projects & Actions 90 What Happens Next? Plan submission, monitoring & review 94 Appendix A Shopfront Design Guidance Image credits: Bridport Camera Club Sal Robinson Rosie Mathisen Feria Urbanism INTRODUCTION The Government introduced the “The councils wanted the Plan to be created opportunity for local communities to by the community for the community. prepare neighbourhood plans through Over 100 people over four years have amendments to the Town and Country been working to develop this Plan. We Planning Act 1990 and the Localism Act have consulted in many different ways 2011, and through the Neighbourhood to get as many views as possible to shape Planning (General) Regulations 2012, how our area will develop over the next which set out the requirements for two decades. neighbourhood plans. The Plan has evolved as we have learnt what local people want. We can’t Bridport Town Council, working with its do everything that has been asked for four parish council partners of Allington, but we hope that the Plan will have real Bradpole, Bothenhampton & Walditch, influence over future development. The and Symondsbury, has prepared this community has prepared this plan and, regulation 15 submission version of the as a result, there are different ‘voices’ plan on behalf of those who live and work and styles in this document. It has been within these areas. As the qualifying body, my privilege to Chair the Steering Group the Town Council is entitled to submit a and my deep and heartfelt thanks to the Neighbourhood Plan for the Bridport Area many, many people who have given up as designated through an application made weeks of their time to deliver this Plan.” in October 2013 under the Neighbourhood Phyllida Culpin, Steering Group Chair Planning Regulations 2012 (part2 S6) and approved by West Dorset District Council on May 2014. Relationship with the National Planning Policy Framework This neighbourhood plan has been informed by the strategic policies in the West Dorset, The National Planning Policy Framework Weymouth & Portland Local Plan 2011-2031 (February 2019) sets out the Government’s adopted 2015 and sets out vision for the planning policies for England and how area through to 2036 supported by a these should be applied. It provides a set of planning polices and a series of framework within which locally-prepared specific projects. In accordance with plans, such as this neighbourhood plan, the neighbourhood planning regulations, can be produced. this plan is in general conformity with the adopted local plan and has been prepared The purpose of the planning system through extensive community consultation. is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. At a very “The councils of the Plan area, fully support high level, the objective of sustainable the policies in this Plan and believe that development can be summarised as it will make a real difference in our area meeting the needs of the present without in future developments. Our area has compromising the ability of future many advantages in its beauty, history and generations to meet their own needs. arts scene but most of all our dynamic, challenging and wonderful people.” This neighbourhood plan supports the Ian Bark, Chair Joint Councils Committee delivery of strategic policies contained in local plans or spatial development strategies and will help shape and direct development that is outside of these strategic policies. Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 15 Submission | March 2019 3 West Dorset Local Plan Neighbourhood plans are policy-based • A Consultation Report land use plans that need to be in general This document details the community conformity with the local plan. Currently consultation events and processes that the Local Plan for the neighbourhood led up to this submission version of plan area is the West Dorset, Weymouth the neighbourhood plan. It includes & Portland Local Plan 2015. Weymouth & the analysis of community feedback Portland Borough Council adopted the and the issues raised during plan on 15th October 2015 and West Dorset pre-submission stages. District Council adopted the plan on 22nd • An evidence base is available at: October 2015. This adopted local plan https://www.bridport-tc.gov.uk/bridport forms the main basis for making decisions -area-neighbourhood-plan-evidence/ on planning applications. In developing this plan consideration has been given to Developing a Shared Vision the Preferred Options review of the West Dorset, Weymouth & Portland Joint Local “Neighbourhood planning gives Plan undertaken in 2018. communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood” The local plan sets out a long-term planning Paragraph 183 strategy for the area and includes detailed of the National Planning Policy Framework policies and site proposals for housing, employment, leisure, and infrastructure. Each stage of the Bridport Area The local plan covers the administrative Neighbourhood Plan process has sought areas of Weymouth and Portland Borough to extend the amount of common ground and West Dorset District and forms part between residents, business groups and of the development plan for these areas. other stakeholders, narrowing down various options through a transparent and open When adopted, this neighbourhood plan process. At all stages, the neighbourhood will become part of the development planning process has allowed room for plan for the Bridport area. This means dissent and minority views, but the overall it will sit alongside the local plan and aim of the process has been to build a be considered when deciding whether broad-based consensus around the planning permission should be given and policies and projects. any conditions attached to that permission. This process involved establishing a vision The following documents are available statement, a set of themed objectives and to support this neighbourhood plan: planning policies and projects to support these. The planning policy sections are as follows: • A Basic Conditions Statement • Climate Change This document is a requirement to appraise the extent to which • Access & Movement this neighbourhood plan is compliant • Economy & Employment with the National Planning Policy • Housing Framework (Feb 2019) and local • Community Facilities planning policies and that it does not breach or conflict, and is • Heritage compatible with, EU obligations, • Landscape and contributes to the achievement • Centre of Bridport of sustainable development. • Design For Living 4 Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 15 Submission | March 2019 Map 1: Designated Plan Area The plan concludes with a section on for the Bridport area as designated through neighbourhood plan projects & actions and an application made October 2013 under an appendix on shopfront design guidance. the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations In the made version of this neighbourhood 2012 (part 2 S6) and approved by West plan the individual policies within each theme Dorset District Council on May 2014. will be applied to all future planning decision making processes for the Bridport area. The Plan has been approved by the Joint Councils Committee, comprised of representatives from; Allington, Bradpole, Strategic Context Symondsbury,