Allerdale Borough Council

Executive – 20 June 2012

Copeland Core Strategy Consultation

The Reason for the Decision To allow Members to consider and make comment on the Pre-submission draft of the Copeland Core Strategy and Development Management polices

Summary of options considered Pre-submission draft Copeland Core Strategy and Development Management policy document

Recommendation s That the proposed comments set out in this report be submitted to Copeland Borough Council as the Council’s formal response

Financial / Resource Implications None

Legal Implications None

Community Safety Implications None

Health and Safety and Risk None Management Implications

Equality Duty considered / Impact Yes Assessment completed

Wards Affected All wards

The contribution this d ecision would Forms part of the Spatial Planning Strategy for make to the Council’s priorities West and supports the delivery of the West Cumbria Blueprint

Is this a Key Decision No

Po rtfolio Holder Councillor Mark Fryer

Lead Officer Kevin Kerrigan, Planning Manager, 01900 702799, [email protected]

Report Implications (Please delete where applicable).

Community Safety N Employment (external to the Council) N Financial N Employment (internal) N Legal N Partnership Y Social Inclusion N Asset Management N Equality Duty N Health and Safety N

Background papers Pre-submission draft Copeland Core Strategy and Development Management Policies

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Copeland has published the pre-submission draft of their Core Strategy and Development Management policies. The deadline for submitting comments is Friday 13 July. Any comments submitted at this stage will form part of the Public Examination which will be held later in the year. The document has been through two previous rounds of consultation; The Issues and Options consultation in 2008 and The Preferred Options in 2010.

1.2 To deliver a robust spatial strategy for West Cumbria it is important that both Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councils try to ensure wherever possible to align the key aspects of their Core Strategies. A lot of joint work has been undertaken on evidence base studies, in particular employment land and premises study, retail study, viability study as well as population forecasting as part of the West Cumbria Blueprint work. The report below outlines the main strategy and policy direction proposed by Copeland and looks at the implications for the Council’s emerging Core Strategy.

2.0 Copeland’s Core Strategy

2.1 Spatial Strategy

The strategy focuses 80% of all development in the four main towns of , , Egremont and Milliom. Whitehaven alone would take 50% of future development. The remaining 20% would be distributed to Local Centres to help sustain services and local facilities for local communities. Development outside these centres would have to prove a need to have a rural location.

Comments

The spatial strategy complements the approach suggested in the Council’s draft Core Strategy concentrating the majority of development in the main urban centres close to services and public transport. Villages such as and Lowca close to the Borough boundary have been identified for moderate growth which is consistent with their current role and function and again mirrors the approach proposed in our draft Core Strategy.

2.2 Employment land and premises

Copeland’s strategy is to provide a flexible supply of employment land and floor space, higher than past take up rates. High quality office space is promoted in Whitehaven and the other main towns as well as prioritising investment in the public realm to help improve existing employment sites. Westlakes Science and Technology Park will be promoted as a knowledge campus, which will include offices, research and development, laboratories and high tech and light industrial uses. The need to maintain complementary roles between this site and Lillyhall is recognised.

Policy supports the delivery of education facilities in the main towns with Research and Development opportunities at West Lakes Science and Technology Park. The role of Lakes College and Energus in providing training opportunities is recognised in the strategy.

Comments

This is an area where both Councils share a joint evidence base and a shared approach in terms of make a generous supply of land and premises available to ensure flexibility and improving the quality of existing employment sites, through investment in the public realm.

Supporting the development of skills is a central aim of the West Cumbria Blueprint.

2.3 Retail and Town Centres

Copeland’s Core Strategy recognises as the highest ranking town within the retail hierarchy across West Cumbria. Copeland’s strategy, supported by the West Cumbria retail study, seeks a complementary role for Whitehaven to Workington building on its offer of independent traders, historic environment and heritage. Whitehaven is the Principal town in Copeland’s retail hierarchy followed by , Cleator Moor and Egremont as key centres.

Comments

This approach reflects the joint evidence base contained in the West Cumbria Retail Study. It acknowledges the leading role of Workington in West Cumbria and seeks a complementary rather than a competing role for Whitehaven.

2.4 Tourism

The aim is to provide a complementary offer to the National Park with the emphasis on Whitehaven’s historic centre and the coast. Major attractions and accommodation would be located in Whitehaven with further development of an appropriate scale located in Egremont, Millom and Cleator Moor. Tourism Opportunity Sites have been identified at Ehen/Keekle Valley, Whitehaven Coastal Fringe and Lowca Coastal area.

Comments

This strategy complements the emerging approach in the Council’s draft Core Strategy. In particular, major attractions and accommodation are to be directed to the main towns and key historic and coastal assets of the area are identified as opportunities to exploit.

2.5 Housing

The strategy emphasises the need to expand the range and quality of housing on offer, in particular ‘executive’ housing. This is to be achieved through the delivery of suitable housing sites, affordable housing where appropriate, housing renewal and in some cases demolition in low demand areas.

In terms of level of housing growth Copeland propose to stick to the current Regional Spatial Strategy figure of 230 dwellings per year. However there is a further growth scenario linked to future nuclear investment which would raise the annual dwelling requirement to 300.

The document also mentions that there may be an opportunity to work with neighbouring authorities to deliver a Gypsy and Traveller site.

Comments

The proposed approach is supported by evidence that there is sufficient land available to deliver both levels of growth. The annual housing figure of 230, based on past building rates, does allow flexibility to accommodate the aspirations underpinning the West Cumbria Blueprint. Joint forecasting work was carried out as part of the Blueprint work.

2.6 Transport

This policy seeks to safeguard land and routes required to deliver the following transport projects

• Whitehaven Transport Interchange • Whitehaven Town Centre Enhancement Scheme • Pow Beck spine road • A595 Whitehaven Eastern Bypass • A595 capacity improvements • Improvements to A5086 • Maintaining and improving stations, infrastructure and services on the Cumbria Coastal railway.

Better connections to key employment sites such as Lillyhall and Workington are mentioned as well as improved links to the A66, M6 and West Coastal Main Line.

Comments

Transport infrastructure improvements are a key strand of Copeland’s strategy, which is illustrated by the above list of desired schemes. The approach of safeguarding routes and land so that future projects are not compromised is also adopted in Allerdale’s draft Core Strategy. The feasibility and need for these projects to deliver the strategy will be tested at the public examination but it is considered that the projects themselves do not have a direct bearing on the strategy currently being developed by this Council.

It is recommended however that the role of the Port of Workington is mentioned in this section, alongside road and rail.

2.7 Localities in Copeland

Howgate and Distington Locality

This locality comprises the Parishes of Moresby, Parton, Lowca and Distington. In the strategy the villages of Distington, Lowca/Parton and Moresby Parks would take minor development, although they could also be considered as locations for temporary accommodation for workers in connection with nuclear new build. The role of Lillyhall as both an employment and training resource for this locality is recognised.

Two tourism opportunity sites have been identified; the Lowca holiday village and Keekle Valley.

The Whitehaven Eastern by-pass is seen as a key project to link this locality providing greater access to West Lakes Science and Technology Park, the hospital and secondary schools.

North East Copeland Locality

The villages of /Rowrah, Cleator, Frizington and Kirkland/Ennerdale Bridge would be the focus for minor development. Cleator Moor is the main centre in the locality. Opportunities to accommodate the relocation of Sellafield jobs and support nuclear new build producing legacy sites forms part of the strategy as does the opportunity to exploit its location close to the National Park.

Improvements to A5086, the regeneration of Cleator Moor town centre and housing renewal are also highlighted for this locality.

Whitehaven Locality

This relates to the town of Whitehaven. The key projects and themes for Whitehaven include • Focus for 50% of the proposed development during the plan period • West Lakes Science and Technology Park- key employment site • Hospital re-development and health campus • Whitehaven transport interchange • Town centre hotel • Albion Square development • Powbeck stadium and sports village • Housing renewal • Remediation of former Marchon site • Tourism opportunity site from the harbour to Head • Greater supply of ‘Executive’ houses

Comments

The Locality profiles reflect the broader strategy and re-enforce the role of Whitehaven as the main centre for development. The settlements close to the Borough boundary maintain their existing role which is consistent with the Council’s emerging strategy.

3.0 Customer Satisfaction and Service

3.1 Not applicable

4.0 Services Delivered as Locally as Possible

4.1 Not applicable

5.0 Finance/Resource Implications

5.1 none

6.0 Legal Implications and Risks

6.1 none

7.0 Recommendations

7.1 That the proposed comments set out in this report be submitted to Copeland Borough Council as the Council’s formal response.

8.0 Conclusion

8.1 In recent years there has been a significant amount of joint work on the evidence base, most recently through work on the West Cumbria Blueprint. Overall the Copeland pre-submission draft Core Strategy and Development Management policies fit well with the Council’s emerging Core Strategy and it is considered that there are no fundamental principles contained in Copeland’s strategy that directly contradict or challenge our preferred approach.

Kevin Kerrigan Planning Manager