Annual Monitoring Report 2014/2015
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LLooccaall PPllaann Annual Monitoring Report 2014/2015 December 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Local Authorities are required by the Planning and Compulsory Act to produce an Annual Monitoring Report (AMR). The AMR provides an update of progress made in developing planning policies for the District, and uses information against a variety of indicators and targets to assess the extent to which policy objectives are being achieved. This is Three Rivers District Council’s eleventh AMR covering the monitoring year 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015. Progress on Developing Planning Policy The Three Rivers Core Strategy was adopted on 17 October 2011, and was the first Core Strategy to be adopted in Hertfordshire. The Development Management Policies Document was adopted on 26 July 2013. The Site Allocations Local Development Document (SALDD) was adopted on 25 November 2014. The Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule was adopted on 24 February 2015 and came into force on 1 April 2015. Of the 29 planning appeals that were decided in the monitoring year, eight were allowed (28%), 20 were dismissed (69%) and one was partly allowed (3%). These figures demonstrate the robustness of the planning policies in place for the District. Provision of Homes 285 (net) new homes were built between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. Once adjusted to take account of previous dwelling delivery, the residual annual housing target for Three Rivers is 146 dwellings per annum. Housing land supply analysis shows that Local Plan documents are making progress towards addressing the housing needs of the District. At 9.0 years, Three Rivers is able to demonstrate a five year + 5% supply of deliverable housing. This is in line with the requirements of paragraph 47 of the National Planning Policy Framework. 87.3% of new homes were built on previously developed land. 93 new affordable homes were completed between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. Provision of Jobs In total, there was a net loss of 4,085sqm floorspace for employment uses between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. However, 2,500sqm of this recorded loss was at Homepark Industrial Estate, Kings Langley, which was to facilitate the construction of a new three storey office building, which falls within use class B1a. Safeguarding the Environment No applications were granted planning permission against Environment Agency advice on flooding or water quality grounds. i No new commercial renewable energy facilities were given planning permission or installed between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. Within the District there is 3.105MW installed commercial renewable energy capacity provided by a wind turbine at Kings Langley and a co-firing biomass facility at Maple Cross. Carbon emissions have continued to fall. Maintaining the Green Belt 35 new dwellings were completed within the Green Belt. All of these completions were built on previously developed land (PDL). Securing Good Services and Facilities 59% of units in identified retail centres across the District are in use for retail and the majority of the remaining units are complementary non-retail uses such as financial and professional services and restaurants and cafes. Only 4% of units in the District are currently vacant. Achieving a Sustainable Transport Vision 99% of new residential developments were within 30 minutes public transport time of a GP surgery, primary schools, employment areas and major retail centres, exceeding the Core Strategy target of 90%. 96% of new residential developments were within 30 minutes public transport time of secondary schools. 22% of new homes were within 30 minutes public transport time of a hospital. Improving bus services to provide better access to Watford General Hospital is identified as a priority for the future in the Core Strategy. Maintaining and Improving Quality of Life Three Rivers as a whole has a low level of deprivation, however there are pockets of deprivation visible at the super output area scale within South Oxhey, Maple Cross, parts of Mill End and parts of Abbots Langley. These areas of deprivation in the District will be the focus for measures to address deprivation. Levels of violence against persons, burglary, and theft of a motor vehicle have consistently fallen between 2008/09 and 2014/15. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME ........ 2 LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (OCTOBER 2014) .......................................................... 2 CORE STRATEGY ................................................................................................................ 2 GYPSY AND TRAVELLER DOCUMENT ............................................................................... 2 POLICY IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS ............................................................................... 2 CHAPTER 3: INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY............................................................ 4 CHAPTER 4: DUTY TO COOPERATE ........................................................................ 7 CHAPTER 5: PROVISION OF HOMES ....................................................................... 8 INDICATOR H1: POPULATION ........................................................................................ 8 INDICATOR H2: POPULATION PROJECTIONS ............................................................ 10 INDICATOR H3: HOUSEHOLDS .................................................................................... 10 INDICATOR H4: HOUSING DEMAND ............................................................................ 11 INDICATOR H5: HOUSING AFFORDABILITY ................................................................ 12 INDICATOR H6: PLAN PERIOD AND HOUSING TARGETS ......................................... 12 INDICATOR H7: HOUSING TRAJECTORY & HOUSING LAND SUPPLY ...................... 12 INDICATOR H8: NEW AND CONVERTED DWELLINGS ON PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED LAND (PDL) .................................................................. 17 INDICATOR H9: COMMITMENTS ON PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED LAND ................... 17 INDICATOR H10: COMPLETIONS BY SETTLEMENT ..................................................... 17 INDICATOR H11: COMPLETIONS WITHIN THE EXISTING URBAN AREA .................... 18 INDICATOR H12: DENSITY OF HOUSING COMPLETIONS ........................................... 18 INDICATOR H13: SIZE OF COMPLETED DWELLINGS .................................................. 19 INDICATOR H14: AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLETIONS ......................................... 19 INDICATOR H15: NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING .................................................................... 20 INDICATOR H16: TENURE MIX OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLETIONS ............ 20 INDICATOR H17: NET ADDITIONAL PITCHES FOR GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS ...... 21 CHAPTER 6: PROVISION OF JOBS ......................................................................... 22 INDICATOR E1: ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE PEOPLE IN EMPLOYMENT ...................... 22 INDICATOR E2: CLAIMANT COUNT ............................................................................. 22 INDICATOR E3: INCOME............................................................................................... 23 INDICATOR E4: QUALIFICATIONS ............................................................................... 23 INDICATOR E5: GCSE ACHIEVEMENT ........................................................................ 24 INDICATOR E6: ACTIVE ENTERPRISES ...................................................................... 24 INDICATOR E7: INDUSTRY GROUPS .......................................................................... 25 INDICATOR E8: TOTAL AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT FLOORSPACE BY TYPE .............................................................................................. 26 INDICATOR E9: EMPLOYMENT GROWTH BY SETTLEMENT ..................................... 26 INDICATOR E10: TOTAL AMOUNT OF EMPLOYMENT FLOORSPACE ON PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED LAND (PDL) ........................................... 27 INDICATOR E11: AMOUNT OF EMPLOYMENT FLOORSPACE DEVELOPED IN EMPLOYMENT AREAS ....................................................................... 27 INDICATOR E12: AMOUNT OF EMPLOYMENT FLOORSPACE LOST IN EMPLOYMENT AREAS ....................................................................... 28 INDICATOR E13: AMOUNT OF EMPLOYMENT LAND LOST TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................. 28 INDICATOR E14: EMPLOYMENT LAND AVAILABLE BY TYPE ...................................... 28 INDICATOR E15: EMPLOYMENT LAND AVAILABLE ON PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED LAND ................................................................................................... 29 iii CHAPTER 7: SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT ............................................. 30 INDICATOR EN1: NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE AONB ................................................. 30 INDICATOR EN2: IDENTIFIED HERITAGE ASSETS ....................................................... 31 INDICATOR EN3: HERITAGE ASSETS AT RISK ............................................................. 31 INDICATOR EN4: DEMOLITION OF LISTED OR LOCALLY LISTED BUILDINGS ........... 31 INDICATOR EN5: NUMBER OF CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISALS PREPARED .... 31 INDICATOR EN6: NUMBER OF PLANNING PERMISSIONS GRANTED CONTRARY TO ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ADVICE ON FLOODING AND WATER QUALITY