To the Chair and Members of the PLANNING COMMITTEE
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Peter Whalan To the Chair and Members 742226 of the PJW/ED – R82/1/1 PLANNING COMMITTEE (STRATEGIC) Email [email protected] 11 July 2008 Dear Sir/Madam A meeting of the PLANNING COMMITTEE (STRATEGIC) will be held in the COUNCIL CHAMBER, CIVIC OFFICES, MERRIAL STREET, NEWCASTLE on TUESDAY, 22 JULY 2008 at 7.00pm. AGENDA 1. Minutes of the last meeting (copy attached). 2. Declarations of Interest. 3. To consider the report of the Executive Management Team on items requiring decisions (copy attached). 4. To consider any business which is urgent within the meaning of Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972. Yours faithfully A CAMPBELL Democratic Services Manager Officers will be in attendance prior to the meeting for informal discussions on agenda items. NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME BOROUGH COUNCIL REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE (STRATEGIC) 22 July 2008 1. KNUTTON & CROSS HEATH DEVELOPMENTS SITES SPD – PHASE 1 Submitted by : Regeneration and Development Directorate Portfolio : Regeneration & Planning Ward(s) affected : Cross Heath and Knutton & Silverdale Purpose of the Report To inform members of the results of the consultation process on the draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and to consider the Knutton and Cross Heath Development Sites SPD, Phase 1, prior to approval by Council on 30 July 2008. Recommendation That the Council be recommended to adopt the Supplementary Planning Document for Knutton and Cross Heath phase 1, subject to any amendments made by this committee. Reasons The preparation of the SPD is included in the Council's approved Local Development Scheme and its adoption is an important priority in the Local Development Framework. 1. Background 1.1 Members will recall that a draft SPD was agreed by the Planning Committee on 6 February 2008, for consultation purposes. 1.2 The draft SPD, together with its supporting Sustainability Appraisal, has been the subject of an extensive consultation programme. The Knutton and Cross Heath Community were sent letters to inform them of the publication of the draft SPD and how they could participate in the consultation process. Articles were also published in local newsletters and press releases issued. A range of consultation events took place with ward members, key partners and local residents, including several residents groups. The whole process was assisted by the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder team and Aspire Housing. Appendix ‘B’ (cream paper) sets out the process out in detail. 1.3 The formal consultation period lasted six weeks, ending on 31 March 2008. An information event was held more recently on the 26 June to update local residents on the results of the formal consultation and to outline the proposals to amend the SPD. 1.4 This SPD will form part of the Newcastle Development Framework and will provide specific guidance on development control matters for two key development sites in Knutton and 1 Cross Heath to be developed under Phase 1 of the Renew Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programme and, as such, will be regarded as a material consideration. It has been explained previously, in reports relating to the draft Town Centre SPD, that an SPD does not set policy but can only elaborate on or interpret existing policy and for this reason it does not have the same status as a Development Plan Document. However, the fact that it has undergone some form of statutory preparation increases its status. In this case the policy context is provided by saved policies within the Structure Plan, the Local Plan and emerging policy and guidance within the Core Spatial Strategy. 2. Representations Received 2.1 In total, 23 individuals or organisations submitted formal representations, which included several who had not been directly consulted. The representations were analysed to identify each specific issue, resulting in the region of 60 separate comments being recorded on the database. This is set out at Appendix ‘B’, which shows the issues raised by each consultee, an analysis of those issues, grouped together, with your officer’s response. In most cases there is a clear recommendation – either to reject the comment or to make a change to the content of the SPD. 3. Summary of Issues 3.1 The list below summarises the main areas of concern which were raised during the consultation process: • Divided opinion over the proposal to build a vehicular link to Douglas Road. • Insufficient reference to the importance of landscape features and habitat provision. • Concern that too much affordable housing is to be built. • Concern that the extension of the pedestrian network in the vicinity of St Bernard’s road and the Wammy will generate community safety issues and lead to an increase of on street parking. • Clearer information needs to be provided relating to the role of open space. • Concern that play areas will attract anti social behaviour. • Flooding issues are not adequately addressed. • A lack of detailed guidance on the Lower Milehouse Estate. • Insufficient information generally relating to building heights, house designs and materials. • Parking problems on the Cotswold Estate (the estate is outside the scope of phase 1). • The role of Knutton Village as a retail centre should be enhanced (the village is outside the scope of phase 1). • The relationship to other policy documents is unclear. • More reference needs to be made to the historic character of the area. • The document contains too much text and needs to be simplified. • Lack of reference to parts of Collins and Aikman site not under English Partnerships ownership. • Use of borough wide evidence for housing need questioned. • Traffic capabilities of Lower Milehouse Lane and subsequent access requirements to Collins and Aikman site. • Inadequate references to nature conservation issues within the site. 2 4. The Revised SPD 4.1 To address these issues a substantial number of changes to the SPD have been made. Consideration has therefore been given to the need to undertake a second round of consultation. However since the changes largely reflect the comments received and they do not significantly impact on the original priorities and key design principles contained in the draft SPD, it is considered unnecessary to subject the SPD to a further round of consultation. Furthermore the information event, held on 26 June, (noted above) has helped to keep the local community informed of the key changes. Members will be aware from previous reports that adoption of this SPD is important to facilitate the submission of key planning applications, which will work to progress the objectives of the HMR programme and it is, therefore, vital that further delays to the programme are avoided if at all possible. 4.2 An amended version of the SPD, (Appendix ‘A’) will be forwarded to Members separately. It is intended that the final SPD will be presented in colour, with a number of additional photos and illustrations. Introduction 1. Change of SPD title In its draft form, the document was titled ‘Knutton and Cross Heath Design Brief SPD’. However, the SPD actually supplements existing local and structure plan policies on a range of issues, of which design is just one. It is therefore felt more appropriate to rename the document the ‘Knutton and Cross Heath Development Sites SPD’. This better reflects the purpose of the document as a basis for judging planning applications in the area. It does not represent a shift in priorities from the draft document that has been subject to public consultation. 2. Key Issues A simplified summary of the key issues affecting Knutton and Cross Heath has been provided. 3. Policy Context Amendments have also been made in relation to the policy context of the SPD (both in the main body of the report and appendix). Effort has been made throughout the document to make clear what local plan and structure plan policies the guidance supplements. This was felt necessary to lessen the risk of the SPD being challenged and applications going to appeal. 4. SPD Objectives The SPD objectives have been simplified to make the document less wordy and reduce repetition in the document. Characterisation of the Plan Area 1. The text has been simplified and context maps have been added to provide clearer information and make the document more ‘user friendly.’ Detailed Development Areas 1. Clearer design principles Design principles have been reworded to provide a clearer indication of what is expected of developers. This includes increased emphasis on the need to: 3 • Minimise flood risk • Provide clear links to open space and residential areas • Protect and enhance areas of natural habitat With particular reference to Lower Milehouse Lane the key design principles are now set out as: • Existing site access to be retained • Inclusion of some taller properties on Lower Milehouse Lane frontage to respect heights of Extra Care and Health Centre opposite • Provision one Neighbourhood Equipped Area of Play (NEAP) in the centre of the estate, to be faced onto and not backed onto, by properties • Creation of well defined links to open space with maximum opportunities for natural surveillance so these through siting of properties • Creation of a mixed community through a combination of 3-4 bed houses, 2 bed bungalows and 1-2 bed apartments, with the inclusion of 25% affordable housing • Retention and improvement of a natural wildlife area between new properties and Lymedale Cross Industrial Estate. In terms of the Collins and Aikman site, the key change from the draft SPD is the removal of reference to a new highway to Douglas Road. County Highways have deemed this unacceptable, and as such proposals have been downgraded to the provision of an improved cycle and pedestrian link. Another key amendment is an increased emphasis on ensuring the comprehensive redevelopment of the Collins and Aikman site.