Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan Submission Document (December 2017) Charnwood Borough Council Comments – February 2018
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Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan Submission Document (December 2017) Charnwood Borough Council Comments – February 2018 Charnwood Borough Council is pleased to take the opportunity to comment upon the submission version of the Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan (December 2017). Charnwood Local Plan Conformity The Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan must be in general conformity with the strategic policies of the development plan if it is to meet the basic condition test. The Charnwood Local Plan 2011-2028 Core Strategy was adopted on the 9th November 2015 and alongside the saved policies from the Borough of Charnwood Local Plan (2004); the Leicestershire Minerals Core Strategy (2009); and, the Leicestershire Waste Core Strategy (2009) forms the development plan for Charnwood. However, it is the Core Strategy alone which provides the vision and spatial planning framework for Charnwood along with the strategic policies for delivering growth in the Borough. The Neighbourhood Plan should be in general conformity with this document, as well as the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Planning Practice Guidance. The Neighbourhood Plan is considered to be in general conformity with the Core Strategy and the Borough Council raises no objections on this basis. Development Strategy The development strategy for Charnwood, identified through Policy CS1: Development Strategy of the Core Strategy, has been recognised by the Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan. Thrussington is acknowledged as an “Other Settlement” with new development focussed within the settlement boundary of the village to meet local social and economic need through Policy B2 – New Employment Development and Policy H1 – Infill Development. Core Strategy Policy CS1 seeks to provide at least 500 new homes within settlement boundaries for these “Other Settlements”. This minimum target has already been achieved with the latest 2016/17 monitoring information showing that there are completions and commitments for 921 homes contributing to the requirement. It should be noted that since the adoption of the Core Strategy, a new Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment (HEDNA) has been published. This determines the objectively assessed housing need for the authorities forming the Leicester and Leicestershire Housing Market Area to 2036 and has suggested an increased objectively assessed need for the Borough. The Borough Council is at an early stage in the production of a new Local Plan to determine the new housing requirement and the distribution which will accommodate this requirement. A consultation on the proposed development strategy for the Borough is due to take place in Spring 2018. Given this early stage in the development of the new plan, general conformity with the adopted Core Strategy, the relatively poor range of services and facilities in the parish and the positive approach to sustainable development in the Neighbourhood Plan it is not considered at this stage that the Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan should be required to address a yet to be determined housing need across the Local Plan area by allocating additional housing sites. In the rest of the parish the strategy for the countryside is applied, with Policy S1 – Strategic Policy seeking to deliver sustainable development within the Parish and a number of more specific policies relating to green infrastructure, landscape and wildlife. This reflects the approach to development in the countryside outlined in Chapter 7 (Our Environment) of the Core Strategy. Assessment of Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan Policies The table below shows each of the policies contained in the Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan and makes a brief assessment in relation to the Charnwood Core Strategy. Table 1: Policy Assessment Thrussington NP Relevant Core Strategy Policies CBC Comment Policy S1: Strategic Policy - CS25: Presumption in Favour Policy in general Sustainable Development conformity - A significant number of economic, social and environmental policies in the Core Strategy E1: Flood Risk - CS2: High Quality Design Policy in general - CS16: Sustainable Construction and conformity Energy E2: Green Infrastructure - CS11: Landscape and Countryside Policy in general - CS12: Green Infrastructure conformity - CS13: Biodiversity and Geodiversity - CS14: Heritage E3: Wildlife and - CS13: Biodiversity and Geodiversity Policy in general Preservation conformity E4: Landscape, Views - CS11: Landscape and Countryside Policy in general and Conservation - CS14: Heritage conformity B1: Working from Home - CS2: High Quality Design Policy in general - CS10: Rural Economic conformity Development B2: New Employment - CS2: High Quality Design Policy in general Development - CS6: Employment and Economic conformity Development - CS10: Rural Economic Development H1: Infill Development - CS1: Development Strategy Policy in general conformity H2: Housing Mix - CS3: Strategic Housing Needs Policy in general conformity T1: Parking Provision - CS2: High Quality Design Policy in general conformity T2: Traffic Calming - CS17: Sustainable Travel Policy in general - CS18: Local and Strategic Road conformity Network T3: Public Transport - CS17: Sustainable Travel Policy in general - CS18: Local and Strategic Road conformity Network T4: Walking and Cycling - CS17: Sustainable Travel Policy in general - CS18: Local and Strategic Road conformity Network L1: Tourism Activities - CS10: Rural Economic Policy in general Development conformity - CS12: Green Infrastructure L2: Leisure and - CS15: Open Spaces, Sports and Policy in general Recreation Activities Recreation conformity L3: Community Facilities - CS1: Development Strategy Policy in general - CS11: Landscape and Countryside conformity L4: Local Green Spaces - CS11: Landscape and Countryside Policy in general - CS12: Green Infrastructure conformity - CS13: Biodiversity and Geodiversity - CS15: Open Spaces, Sports and Recreation D1: Protection of - CS2: High Quality Design Policy in general Heritage Assets - CS14: Heritage conformity D2: Design and - CS2: High Quality Design Policy in general Development Character - CS14: Heritage conformity - CS16: Sustainable Construction and Energy Conclusion The Borough Council welcomes the constructive working relationship which the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group offered during the production of the Thrussington Neighbourhood Plan and the contribution which this made to ensuring that the Plan was developed in general conformity with the adopted Charnwood Local Plan 2011 to 2028 Core Strategy. .