Babergh and Mid Suffolk Infrastructure Delivery Plan
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Babergh and Mid Suffolk Infrastructure Delivery Plan September 2020 CONTENTS 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Planning policy and context ............................................................................................................ 5 3. Education ...................................................................................................................................... 10 4. Health ............................................................................................................................................ 48 5. Transport ....................................................................................................................................... 67 6. Police ............................................................................................................................................. 95 7. Emergency Services ...................................................................................................................... 99 8. Utilities ........................................................................................................................................ 100 9. Digital Connectivity ..................................................................................................................... 113 10. Community Infrastructure ...................................................................................................... 115 11. Flooding ................................................................................................................................... 134 12. Waste ...................................................................................................................................... 135 13. Green Infrastructure and Open Space .................................................................................... 140 14. General Aviation Airfields ....................................................................................................... 149 15. Conclusion and next steps ...................................................................................................... 150 APPENDIX Appendix A Table of infrastructure needs, funding sources and timescales for delivery per settlement Infrastructure Delivery Plan – September 2020 2 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1.1. This Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) has been undertaken to inform the emerging Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Local Plan (JLP). It underpins the strategic priorities identified in the draft JLP, as it is imperative to consider all infrastructure needs to enable sustainable development and growth. 1.1.2. The Councils fully appreciates that the delivery of new homes and jobs needs to be supported by necessary infrastructure, including a wide range of transport options, utilities, and community facilities. Indeed, enabling the provision of the necessary infrastructure to support residents, businesses, communities, the environment and individuals. Prioritising investment into strategic services and infrastructure are key objectives of both Councils. Without appropriate infrastructure, the growth would be regarded as unsustainable. 1.1.3. This document is therefore based on work carried out for the emerging Joint Local Plan; made (adopted) Neighbourhood Plans, topic-based studies, and discussions with infrastructure providers. This IDP sits alongside the Joint Local Plan and provides specifics on the main items of infrastructure, when they are likely to be provided, by which provider, and how they will be funded. It is important to appreciate that some infrastructure will be provided in phases and that the size/scale of infrastructure will be triggered and determined by the growth requiring its provision. 1.1.4. The term ‘infrastructure’ covers a wide range of facilities provided by public and private organisations. The definition of infrastructure is outlined in section 216(2) of the Planning Act 2008 (as amended). This IDP covers the following infrastructure areas: • Schools and other educational facilities • Health and social wellbeing • Transport • Police • Emergency services • Utilities • Digital Connectivity • Waste • Social and community (including libraries, allotments and community halls) • Community facilities (including children’s play, youth and sports facilities) • Green infrastructure and open space 1.1.5. Infrastructure planning is the process for ensuring the physical needs of an area can be delivered to keep pace with its population’s requirements. This document has been worked on collaboratively with a range of infrastructure providers, agencies and partners, which are involved in the provision and implementation of the required infrastructure. Infrastructure Delivery Plan – September 2020 3 1.1.6. Throughout the document and in Appendix A, infrastructure is categorised according to the following three categories: critical, essential and desirable. Critical infrastructure is infrastructure that is needed to unlock development sites allocated in the JLP (i.e. without the infrastructure the development cannot physically take place). Essential infrastructure is the infrastructure that is necessary to support and mitigate development and ensures policy objectives of the JLP are met. Development could take place without this infrastructure; however, its sustainability would be undermined. Desirable infrastructure is infrastructure that could support development in the JLP and make it more sustainable and help deliver other place-making objectives. However, development planned in the JLP could take place sustainably without it. 1.1.7. The timescale for the delivery of each project is defined as per below: • Short term, up to 5 years • Medium term, 5 to 10 years • Long term, over 10 years Infrastructure Delivery Plan – September 2020 4 2. PLANNING POLICY AND CONTEXT 2.1. NATIONAL POLICY 2.1.1. The role of planning as a delivery mechanism for sustainable communities is reflected in the increasing emphasis on infrastructure planning in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). 2.1.2. As such, the NPPF of February 2019, states in paragraph 20, that: - Strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and quality of development, and make sufficient provision for: a) housing (including affordable housing), employment, retail, leisure and other commercial development; b) infrastructure for transport, telecommunications, security, waste management, water supply, wastewater, flood risk and coastal change management, and the provision of minerals and energy (including heat); c) community facilities (such as health, education and cultural infrastructure); and d) conservation and enhancement of the natural, built and historic environment, including landscapes and green infrastructure, and planning measures to address climate change mitigation and adaptation. 2.1.3. Furthermore, through the new NPPF, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government have updated their guidance on viability and plan making, and the new requirements expected of Local Planning Authorities. As such viability assessments are now to form a more significant part of plan making. Plans should clearly set out the development contributions expected from allocated sites including the levels of affordable housing and infrastructure requirements, so that the obligations can be accurately accounted for in the cost of land. This is formally stated at paragraph 34 (of the NPPF): - Plans should set out the contributions expected from development. This should include setting out the levels and types of affordable housing provision required, along with other infrastructure (such as that needed for education, health, transport, flood and water management, green and digital infrastructure). Such policies should not undermine the deliverability of the plan. 2.1.4. More recently, the current consultation (ending 29th October 2020) by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government on the proposed changes of the Planning for the future - White Paper 2020, proposes reforms of the planning system to streamline and modernise the planning process. The proposals include a new focus to design and sustainability, improvements to the system of developer contributions to infrastructure, and ensuring more land is available for development where it is needed. The impact of the proposed changes to the planning system will be taken account of in due course though further iterations of the IDP. Infrastructure Delivery Plan – September 2020 5 2.2. LOCAL POLICY AND BACKGROUND 2.2.1. Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are currently preparing the Joint Local Plan for both districts. The Strategic and Delivery sections of the draft JLP propose the introduction of new policies to support infrastructure provision. An approach has been introduced to manage infrastructure provision in the locality to supplement the NPPF, addressing issues of cumulative growth, including education and health provision. 2.2.2. Upon adoption, the JLP will replace all existing planning policies in Babergh and Mid Suffolk. 2.2.3. In terms of the development plan policies of ‘made’ Neighbourhood Plans (as of September 2020) neighbourhood plans have been made in Babergh: for the parishes of Aldham, East Bergholt, Elmsett, Lavenham and Lawshall. In Mid Suffolk: Botesdale & Rickinghall, Debenham, Fressingfield, Haughley, Mendlesham, Stowupland, Stradbroke and