Rushcliffe Local Plan Monitoring Report 2013/14 Contents Page 1. Introduction 1 2. Characteristics of Borough 2 3. Local Plan updates 5 Local Development Scheme and Milestones 5 Neighbourhood Plans 12 4. Duty to Co-operate 15 5. Key monitoring updates 20 Housing data (including 5 year land supply) 20 Economic data 26 Environmental data 32 Appendix 1 – Description of Core Indicators Appendix 2 – Employment Land Availability Appendix 3 – Housing Land Availability Appendix 4 – SHLAA summary tables Appendix 5 - Housing Implementation Strategy Update 1 Introduction 1.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced a requirement for local planning authorities to produce an Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) in order to assess the implementation of the Local Development Scheme and the extent to which policies in Local Development Documents were being successfully implemented. The AMR was required to be submitted to Government. 1.2 The Localism Act (and subsequent Town and Country Planning Regulations 2012) removed the requirement for local planning authorities to produce an AMR for Government. However, the Regulations retain the overall duty to monitor. Previously, AMRs were prepared in accordance with the guidance contained within the Core Output Indicators – Update 2/2008 (DCLG, 2008). This guidance was also revoked under the Localism Act. 1.3 Although revoked, it is considered that the COI guidance still provides a useful basis for the monitoring report and the majority of indicators have therefore been retained. The continual monitoring of the core indicators helps to maintain an effective time series of data against these established measures. A full description of the COIs is included in Appendix 1. 1.4 Regulation 34 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (Part 8) sets out what information the reports must contain. The following report has been produced in accordance with these Regulations. 1.5 This Monitoring report covers the period from 1 April 2013 - 31 March 2014, although progress of the Local Plan since 31st March 2014 is also included. 1.6 The Monitoring Report has been structured into four sections as follows: (1) key characteristics of the borough, (2) local plan updates, (3) duty to co- operate and (4) key monitoring indicators. 1 2 Key characteristics of the Borough Population Demographic Structure 2.1 The population of the borough at the time of the 2011 Census was 111,129 which is a 5.25 per cent increase from 2001, representing an additional 5,539 residents. 2.2 The balance between male and female residents at 49 per cent male and 51 per cent female. 2.3 The 2011 census results show that the Borough has an ageing population, with residents over 60 representing just over 25 per cent of the population (compared with 22% nationally). There are more than 5,800 residents over the age of 80, representing over 5 per cent of the population, the same as the national average. 2.4 The percentage of the population over 65 increased by 19 per cent between 2001 and 2011. Population breakdown by age group 2 Ethnicity 2.5 Over 90% of the Rushcliffe population gave their ethnic group as ‘White’ in the 2011 Census. 2.6 The largest non-white ethnic group in the borough is ‘Asian/Asian British’ at 4.1 per cent, followed by ‘Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Group’ (1.8%), and ‘Black or Black British’ (0.6%). Deprivation 2.7 According to the IMD (Indices of Multiple Deprivation) 2010 rankings, Rushcliffe Borough is one of the least deprived in England, being ranked at 318 out of 354 local authorities. This does, however, represent a small change from 2000, when it was ranked at 322. 2.8 The most deprived ward is Cotgrave, which falls between the 26-50% most deprived in the country. 3 Economy Unemployment 2.9 The unemployment rate in Rushcliffe has fluctuated over the past 8 years. In April 2005, the rate was 3.2 per cent, which steadily increased to 5.8 per cent in January 2011. It has since decreased to around 4.5 per cent in the 2012 financial year. This is below both the national and the Nottinghamshire averages. 2.10 None of Rushcliffe’s wards fall within the top 25 wards with the highest unemployment in Nottinghamshire. The ward with the highest rate of unemployment is Cotgrave, with a 3.5 per cent unemployment rate. Labour Supply 2.11 According to the 2011 Census, of employed Rushcliffe residents, the highest proportion were in the ‘Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations’ category at 26.5 per cent, followed by ‘Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations’ at 18 per cent, and ‘Higher Professional Occupations,’ at 14 per cent. In total, 59 per cent of workers were employed in the ‘professional occupations, the highest level in Nottinghamshire. Education 2.12 Over 80 per cent of pupils in the borough gained 5 A* to C grades at GCSE, for the period September 2012 - August 2013, significantly higher than the national average of 59 per cent. 4 3 Local Plan updates 3.1 The Local Development Scheme (LDS) sets out what Development Plan Documents (DPDs) the Council intends to prepare as part of the Local Plan and the programme for their operation. 3.2 This section reports the progress of the Local Plan and other Development Plan Documents (DPDs). Local Development Scheme and milestones 3.3 The Local Development Scheme that has informed planning policy development over the last monitoring year was prepared in 2013. The key milestones that are included in the 2013 LDS were approved by Cabinet on 3 December 2013. Section 113 of the Localism Act (Local Development Monitoring) removed the requirement on local authorities to submit the LDS to the Secretary of State. The Rushcliffe Local Plan 3.4 The 2013 LDS establishes that the Council will prepare a two part Local Plan, with the Core Strategy forming the first part. This sets the strategic approach to new development in the Borough and identifies the main strategic allocations. The second part of the Local Plan will be the Land and Planning Policies DPD. This will include non-strategic land allocations and designations, as well as a suite of detailed policies for use in the determination of planning applications in respect of matters such as renewable and low carbon energy, rural diversification and householder development. Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy 3.5 Production of the Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy has been the focus of planning policy development over the last monitoring year. 3.6 The LDS identifies the following timetable for this DPD: Milestone 2013 LDS Publication March 2012 Submission for October 2012 examination 5 Proposed modifications December 2013 Adoption August 2014 3.7 Table 1 below describes the work that has been undertaken on the Core Strategy to date. Table 1: Stages of Core Strategy preparation Preparation Stage Content Paper which set out Review of previous Core Strategy Issues issues for the LDF to work on new planning and Options Paper address a range of system including June 2009 options along with preparation of Issues & (consultation: questions on those Options document 15/5/2009-31/7/2009) options Draft Plan set out what were, at the time, the Core Strategy Option Council’s vision, Consideration of for Consultation objectives and 19 consultation responses February 2010 ‘delivery’ policies and and preparation of (consultation: the justification for Issues and Options 15/2/2010-12/4/2010) choosing these options (part of the Aligned Core Strategies) Consideration of responses to Option for Consultation Climate Previous monitoring periods Climate Change Report set out a Change policy. Policy consultation revised Policy 1 – Preparation of (25/7/2011-19/9/2011) Climate Change amended policy. Plan sets out the Consideration of Council’s vision, Core Strategy responses to Climate objectives and 23 Publication Change policy ‘delivery’ policies and (23/3/2012-8/5/2012) consultation, Fresh the justification for Approach consultation these policies 6 and responses to addendum to Fresh Approach Core Strategy Plan sets out the Submission Council’s vision, Consideration of November 2012 objectives and 23 representations from ‘delivery’ policies and the Publication CS. the justification for these policies Suspension of Core Strategy Examination April 2013 Consideration of Further Proposals for Inspector’s concerns Housing period raised through the Development Exploratory Meeting consultation This monitoring (17/6/2013-9/8/2013) and Technical Meeting ‘Tracked change’ Consultation Proposed version of Submission responses from Further Modifications Core Strategy Proposals for Housing (Version 2) to the incorporating several Development Core Strategy key amendments. For consultation, changes (24/2/2014 -7/4/2014) detail see description in national policy below. Examination hearing sessions (1/7/2014 – 11/7/2014) 2014/2015 Representations Consultation on Main received during the Modifications Examination process (-29/09/2014) Adoption of Core Strategy 22 December 2014 3.8 The development of the Core Strategy over previous monitoring periods is described in full in the Local Plan Monitoring Report 2012/13. Core Strategy progress during 2013/14 and 2014/15 3.9 The examination into the Core Strategy was suspended in April 2013 in order to allow additional work to be undertaken, primarily arising from the Inspector’s concerns over the level of housing proposed and the need for a Green Belt 7 review to be undertaken. The work undertaken during the suspension period is described in further detail below. Public consultation on ‘Further Proposals for Housing Growth’ 3.10 Between 17 June 2013 and 9 August 2013 the Council undertook public consultation on proposals to increase the housing provision by at least 3,550 homes by 2028 at the following strategic locations (the ‘Further Proposals for Housing Growth’): • South of Clifton – around an additional 500 homes with the current proposed allocation • Edwalton – around an additional 550 homes within and adjacent to the current proposed allocation • East of Gamston – a new strategic mixed use development allocation, including the delivery of around 2,500 homes by 2028, and with capacity to provide around a further 1,500 homes post 2028.