Oldham Replacement Unitary Development Plan - First Deposit Draft, October 2001 1 INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1.1 The planning system exists to regulate the way land is used and developed, in the interests of the public. The Unitary Development Plan (UDP) is central to the planning process as it aims to balance necessary development*1 with the conservation and improvement of the environment, and the needs and rights of the individual with those of the wider community. 1.2 The UDP sets out the policies the Council will follow when considering applications from prospective developers of land in the Borough over the next ten years, a process known as development control. Section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 requires that all planning applications are determined in line with the UDP, provided the policies or proposals it contains are relevant and that there are no other “material considerations”* to be taken into account. This is to ensure that planning decisions are made in a rational and consistent manner. 1.3 The UDP is the only land use plan for Oldham and covers the whole of the Borough apart from the area to the east of Saddleworth, which falls within the Peak District National Park. 1.4 The UDP is instrumental in the bid to achieve more sustainable development*, for example by influencing the kind of development that brings new homes and jobs without compromising the quality of life of future generations. The Council is committed to achieving more sustainable forms of development across the Borough, both for the benefit of local people and as part of our wider regional, national and international responsibilities. 1.5 Throughout its preparation this draft review of UDP has been subject to sustainability appraisal* and a separate report is available that describes this process and the way it has affected the resulting draft. All policies and proposals have been tested against four key sustainability objectives, based on those detailed in the Government Office for the North West’s strategy for sustainable development in the North West, “Action for Sustainability”. These are: a. live - social progress and a better quality of life; b. protect - effective environmental protection; c. save - conserve the region’s natural resources; and d. grow - economic growth and sustainable regional development. 1.6 The first Oldham UDP, adopted as Council policy in April 1996, looked ahead as far as 2001 and must now be reviewed to ensure it remains up to date and relevant. This document is the first “deposit”* draft of the replacement* Oldham UDP. 1 An asterisk * denotes a word or term that is defined in the glossary at the back of this document. 1 Oldham Replacement Unitary Development Plan - First Deposit Draft, October 2001 1.7 To fulfil its purpose the UDP must reflect the views of the Oldham community. Many of the issues it contains will no doubt generate differences of opinion, which we shall aim to balance as far as possible. We shall be seeking involvement from the public at several stages as the UDP review progresses and have now reached a key consultation stage where local people have their first opportunity to comment on its policies and proposals. 1.8 There are several differences between this draft review of the UDP and the Plan currently in use. We have decided not to include the Council’s broader aspirations as these can be found in other documents, for example the Oldham Partnership’s “Oldham Framework” and the Council’s Corporate Plan. OBJECTIVES OF THE UDP 1.9 The Oldham Partnership, of which the Council is a member, brings together the public, private and voluntary sector organisations that are active within the Borough. The “Oldham Framework” sets out the Partnership’s objectives, which concentrate on: ??putting people first: investing in our people; ??competing in the wider economy: improving competitiveness and developing wealth; ??creating confident communities and quality neighbourhoods: secure places for people to live; and ??achieving a quality environment: progress whilst passing on a better environment to our children. 1.10 The UDP is one of a range of strategies that together form a coordinated action plan to assist the Partnership’s efforts. The Council’s Corporate Plan 2001 to 2004 builds on “Oldham Framework” and describes its mission to make Oldham a better place which local people are proud to call home. Central to this vision are the objectives of promoting community well being, tackling social exclusion, improving the environment and promoting sustainable development – aims which are also highly relevant to planning strategy. To ensure that the planning process plays its part in helping to achieve this vision, the Council has adopted the following objectives for the UDP: a. supporting communities and social inclusion, for example by ensuring that new developments do not physically divide communities; b. promoting economic well being in which all can share; c. conserving and improving the quality of physical resources including air, water, soil, fossil fuels and minerals; d. improving accessibility and reducing the need to travel; e. protecting and conserving the Borough’s natural, historical and cultural assets, including landscapes, parks and gardens, trees and woodlands; designated wildlife habitats and biodiversity; listed buildings, Conservation Areas, archaeological sites, ancient monuments and other elements of the historic fabric of the Borough (including non-designated elements); and f. regenerating the older urban areas of the Borough and supporting wider urban renaissance*. 2 Oldham Replacement Unitary Development Plan - First Deposit Draft, October 2001 THE UDP IN CONTEXT 1.11 The UDP does not operate in isolation. To effectively achieve its objectives it must complement and be carried out in conjunction with: ??the Oldham Framework/Community Plan; ??Regeneration Strategies such as SRB6*, New Deal for Communities*, and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund*; ??the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan; ??the GM Integrated Waste Disposal Strategy; and ??corporate strategies such as the Housing Strategy, Tourism Strategy, Woodland Strategy and Milestones Strategy. 1.12 The UDP sits within a hierarchy of planning policies and guidance that begins at national level with the Government’s Planning Policy Guidance Notes* (PPGs). At a regional level it must respect Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) - currently under review with a view to completion in 2002 - which sets out the broad development strategy for the region and covers, among other issues, the appropriate balance between development in urban and rural areas. Local authorities in Greater Manchester have also adopted the Greater Manchester Strategic Planning Framework, which sets out a long term vision for the development of the conurbation* over the next twenty years. 1.13 It is also important that Oldham’s plans for land use complement those of neighbouring areas to the east, like the Peak District National Park. This will require joint working through the Standing Conference of South Pennine Authorities and consultation with neighbouring authorities at every stage of the UDP review. HOW DO I INFLUENCE THE UDP? 1.14 The Government has established regulations for the review of development plans such as UDP. Public consultation must be introduced at regular intervals throughout the process, but the way in which people can influence its contents varies from stage to stage. The people of Oldham had their first chance to become involved between March and May 2000 when they were invited to express their views about the future scale and direction of development in the Borough. A report on that consultation can be found in a separate document, “Statement of Pre-Deposit Public Consultation and Publicity”. 1.15 The stage we have now reached is a significant one where the people of Oldham have their first chance to view the draft policies and proposals set out in the UDP and to determine how these are likely to affect themselves and their neighbourhood. Once the Plan is placed “on deposit” a six week period will follow during which people can submit objections and comments about the specific policies or proposals it includes. 3 Oldham Replacement Unitary Development Plan - First Deposit Draft, October 2001 1.16 Once this first “deposit” period has closed, the Council must negotiate and try to reach agreement with anyone who has registered an objection to any aspect of the draft UDP. Any changes to the draft that result are then allowed a “second deposit” stage, a further six weeks of public consultation. At the second deposit stage, comments may be made only on changes to the first deposit, not to the original draft. The second deposit of the draft Oldham UDP is scheduled to take place in summer 2002. 1.17 Objections that remain unresolved following the second deposit are considered at a public local inquiry at which every objector has the right to submit their comments to the Inspector either in person or in writing. UNDERSTANDING THE UDP 1.18 The draft UDP separates its policies into two parts, 1 and 2. Part 1 policies, shown in BOLD UPPERCASE TEXT set out in broad terms where development should be located and the general principles that the Council will apply to that development. 1.19 Part 2 policies, shown in bold lowercase text, expand upon these broad themes to guide day to decisions about planning applications and offer a reasoned justification for each policy. Part 2 of the UDP also consists of the Proposals Map, which shows the Council’s proposals for land use in the Borough on an Ordnance Survey map base. Each of the following sections contains both Part 1 and 2 policies apart from Section 2, General Strategy, which consists entirely of Part 1 Policies, and Section 11, Open Environment, in which the Part 2 policies for development in the Green Belt relate back to the Part 1 policy in Section 2.