East Midlands Regional Plan
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EAST MIDLANDS REGIONAL PLAN Report of the Panel Examination in Public [22 May – 19 July 2007] November 2007 CONTENTS Page Number CHAPTER 1 Introduction 5 CHAPTER 2 Sustainability and Climate Change 13 CHAPTER 3 Spatial Strategy 23 CHAPTER 4 Housing 31 CHAPTER 5 Economic Strategy 57 CHAPTER 6 Tourism 71 CHAPTER 7 Natural and Cultural Heritage 75 CHAPTER 8 Water Management 81 CHAPTER 9 Minerals 87 CHAPTER 10 Waste Management 93 CHAPTER 11 Energy 101 CHAPTER 12 Regional Transport Strategy 109 CHAPTER 13 Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub- 125 Regional Strategy CHAPTER 14 The Three Cities Sub-Regional Strategy 133 CHAPTER 15 The Northern Sub-Regional Strategy 149 CHAPTER 16 The Lincoln Policy Area Sub-Regional Strategy 157 CHAPTER 17 Grantham and the Eastern Sub-Area (outside 165 the Lincoln Policy Area) CHAPTER 18 The Peak Sub-Area 173 CHAPTER 19 Monitoring, Implementation and Review 181 CHAPTER 20 Future developments for the draft regional 187 spatial strategy Annexes Annex 1 Schedule of Recommendations 191 Annex 2 Examination Timetable 211 Annex 3 List of matters considered and participants 213 Annex 4 List of core documents 239 Report of the examination in public of draft regional spatial strategy for the East Midlands Chapter 1: Introduction The draft Regional Spatial Strategy; the scope and content of the plan; the style of the draft strategy; soundness – an overview; the appendices. The draft Regional Spatial Strategy 1.1. The draft strategy was placed on deposit for consultation purposes from 28 September to 20 December 2006. As a result 1,291 responses were received1 from individuals, bodies and groups comprising over 8,000 separate statements of support, observation or objection. 1.2. Our Secretary looked at all the objections and representations received and we selected thirty main issues for examination, in consultation with the Regional Assembly and the Government Office for the East Midlands. We also consulted on the choice of participants at the examination. The draft list of matters and participants was published on 23 February 2007 for a 28 day consultation period; the comments received were placed in the examination library2 and the final list was published on 4 April 2007. In addition Matter 14 (Milton Keynes South Midlands) was published in draft on 4 April 2007 for a 28 day consultation period and the final version was published on 14 May 2007. 1.3. In total over three hundred participants were invited, with around one hundred and fifty taking up their invitations, including all the county and unitary authorities, almost all the district and borough councils and representatives of various town and parish councils. 1.4. The list of matters and participants is reproduced as Annex 3 to this report. All participants were given the opportunity to submit statements prior to the examination and these were circulated in advance to all those participating in the relevant sessions. Statements prepared by the Regional Assembly were likewise circulated. Written statements submitted by those who were invited but unable to attend and those to whom we were unable to issue an invitation have also been taken into account. A library was available both prior to and during the examination where copies of all statements and other relevant documents were available for inspection. A list of the core documents is at Annex 4. 1.5. Preliminary Meetings took place on 28 February and 11 April 2007. The purpose of these meetings was to explain the nature of the proceedings and allow us an opportunity to address any questions on how the examination would be run. In addition we held four technical seminars which were open to all participants and the public. The seminars were on: Housing (11 April 2007), Employment/ Economy and Transport Modelling (12 April 2007) and Flood Risk (24 May 2007). 1.6. The examination was held over a period of eight weeks, between 22 May and 8 June 2007 and 19 June and 19 July 2007; the examination sat for 165 hours. The examination was recorded and is available in MP3 format which can be downloaded for a small fee from www.venueservices.co.uk until 31 December 2007. The detailed timetable is at Annex 2. 1 Core document EXAM1. 2 Core document EXAM2. Chapter 1 - Introduction 5 Report of the examination in public of draft regional spatial strategy for the East Midlands 1.7. Several days prior to the examination were spent touring the region, including visiting locations relevant to the matters being examined. Further visits took place during and after the examination. 1.8. For ease of understanding Annex 1 details all of our recommendations. This report does not necessarily deal with issues in the order that they arose in the public examination, nor in the order of the draft strategy. The aim has been to cover the ground in a logical and readable way. 1.9. We wish to thank all those who contributed orally and in writing. Our report of necessity has to concentrate on a limited amount of information but the many contributions greatly assisted us in our understanding of the issues. We are extremely grateful for the time and effort undertaken by all who were involved in the examination in public, whether as participants or interested observers. 1.10. Our Secretary was Mrs Pam Perceval-Maxwell whose firm and enthusiastic management of the examination proceedings was an example to all, and whose patience and perseverance well supported us, even at times when the volume of work threatened to overwhelm us all. Our Panel Assistant was Ms Lorraine Varney, whose support was likewise tireless throughout the run up to and during the examination. We were assisted also by Planning Officers from the Planning Inspectorate: Mr Chris White (Higher Planning Officer), Miss Liz Elford (Planning Officer) and Miss Judith Montford (Trainee Planning Officer). The last two combined their work for us with academic studies to further their careers, in which we wish them well. To all of these most valued colleagues go our most heartfelt thanks. The scope and content of the plan A partial review 1.11. The draft strategy is a partial review of the Regional Spatial Strategy. The current RSS8 was approved as recently as March 2005, and the strategy has been subject to three separate reviews since 1998. The Assembly has prepared the present draft on the basis that “where something is not broken, we have not attempted to fix it”3. As a result, the draft strategy follows the same basic structure and style as the current RSS8, although where necessary the content has been amended to reflect changing policy requirements and new information. 1.12. Strategy for Northamptonshire formed part of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy which was approved in March 2005. It contained district housing figures for all local planning authorities with the exception of Northampton and its implementation area which were deleted following a High Court challenge. They have since been re- worked and have been brought forward as a partial revision of the draft regional strategy. In other respects the draft strategy takes in already approved material which was not before us to re-examine. 3 The Regional Assembly’s opening statement (quoting Henry Ford), Core document EXAM39. 6 Chapter 1 - Introduction Report of the examination in public of draft regional spatial strategy for the East Midlands The layout of the draft strategy 1.13. The draft strategy is divided into two parts: a Part 1 containing general policies and the like, and a Part 2 containing four “sub-regional” strategies. These sub-regional strategies do not, between them, cover the whole region, but are confined to three areas – Milton Keynes South Midlands, the Three Cities (Derby, Leicester and Nottingham) and Lincoln where urban growth needs particular guidance, and the Northern sub- region where there are particular problems of regeneration. Some confusion is caused by Part 1 also containing policy material tailored to the needs of what are known as “sub-areas” which, between them, do cover the whole region. This material is organised, not only on a geographical basis, but also topic by topic. We understand that Milton Keynes South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy will form part of the adopted regional spatial strategy. 1.14. The distinction between sub-areas and sub-regions can be confusing for a first time reader4. But while this distinction takes some getting used to, it is shared with the Regional Economic Strategy and we can see the logic of it. So we would not want it re-written on a possibly more conventional and comprehensive sub-regional basis for which we see no need. 1.15. Part of the confusion in the draft strategy for a first time reader arises from Part 1 and Part 2 having separate numbering series. It is a minor point, but we recommend [R1.1], if practicable, a continuous numbering series throughout the draft strategy, both of pages and paragraphs. Variation in the level of detail 1.16. We could not help observing variation in the extent to which locational detail was provided in the draft strategy, particularly, but not only, in Part 2 of the draft strategy. In this Part, in the Lincoln Policy Area Sub-Regional Strategy, there appears a diagram showing the existing built-up area, proposed urban extensions, green wedges, railway lines and the general lines of the existing and proposed road network. Elsewhere in this part of the draft strategy are much less detailed diagrams. In the main, the level of detail in the text relates to the level of detail illustrated in these diagrams. Also in Part 1 of the draft strategy are occasional references to the location of proposed urban extensions.