Sefton Local Development Scheme 2018

1. Introduction

Purpose and background to this Local Development Scheme

Under the Planning and Compulsory Act 2004, each Local Planning Authority must prepare a Local Development Scheme (LDS). The LDS is a project management document for the production of the Development Plan Documents (DPDs) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs). Collectively the DPDs and SPDs are known as Local Development Documents (LDDs).

This LDS for Sefton identifies and describes the LDDs which the Council intends to produce to guide development in its area. It provides an overview of the process of drafting them and identifies key milestones and timescales for their preparation. This LDS covers a three year time period.

The Council’s existing Local Development Scheme came into effect in September 2015.

The LDS serves two purposes:

 it provides the starting point for the local community to find out what the Council’s, as the Local Planning Authority, planning policies are for the area, by setting out all the LDDs that already form and supplement the Local Plan; and

 it sets out the programme for the preparation of DPDs over a three-year period including timetables indicating when the various stages in the preparation of any particular DPD will be carried out

This LDS replaces the programme agreed in 2015, and will be kept under review and amended when appropriate.

2. Existing Local Planning Documents (LDDs)

Local Planning and related documents for Sefton comprise the Local Plan, the joint and Halton Waste Local Plan, the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs), related Information Notes, the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) and Local Development Scheme (LDS).

Sefton Local Plan

The Sefton Local Plan was adopted in April 2017. The Local Plan shapes the future of Sefton period from 2015 to 2030. It sets out where new housing and employment provision will take place and how new development will be managed. It encourages sustainable development and economic growth and gives current and future generations more opportunities to live and work in Sefton’s outstanding environment.

Joint Merseyside and Halton Waste DPD

The Merseyside and Halton Joint Waste Local Plan was adopted as part of the Local Plans of the six constituent authorities (i.e. Halton, Knowsley, , St Helens, Sefton and Wirral) in July 2013. The Plan provides a range of policies and site allocations aimed at supporting a sustainable waste management framework for the Liverpool City Region for the period up to 2027.

Supplementary Planning Documents

The Council has a range of SPDs approved for use for development management purposes. These are:

Control of Hot Food Takeaways and Betting Shops (2017)

Crosby Centre (2017)

Design (2003)

Ensuring Choice of Travel (2009)

House Extensions (2016)

Houses in Multiple Occupation and Flats (2013)

Landscape (December 2003)

Land East of (2017)

Nature Conversation (2017)

New Housing (2016)

Open Space (2017)

Shopfronts Security and Signage (2003)

Southport Seafront (2003)

Information Notes

Developer contributions towards education (2017)

Minerals Guidance Note (2017)

HRA Recreation Pressure (2018)

Authority Monitoring Report

The Council publishes a monitoring report each year that sets out progress against a range of indicators to measure how successfully the Council is implementing its planning policies. It also sets out progress on publishing LDDs, on Neighbourhood planning and the Duty to Cooperate.

Local Development Scheme

The current LDS was approved in September 2015. This document will replace the 2015 LDS.

3. Proposed Local Plan Documents

Local Plan Review

The Local Plan for Sefton was adopted in April 2017. It is a legal requirement that Local Plans are reviewed is at least every five years, sooner if evidence demonstrates changing circumstances. It is expected that the review of the Local Plan will take place no later than early 2022. Prior to the review the Council will update a number of its key evidence documents. The updated evidence will help determine through the Local Plan review whether there is a need to update the Local Plan or not.

Paragraphs 4.42-5 and part 5 of Policy MN1 set out a commitment to undertake an immediate review of the Local Plan if the findings of a Liverpool City Region Strategic Housing and Employment Land Market Assessment (SHELMA) demonstrate that further housing or employment land is required in Sefton.

A draft SHELMA was published in 2017 for comment. It is expected to be approved in 2018. Whilst this identified a need for port related employment land in the city region, further work is necessary to demonstrate the preferred location. This work will commence in 2018. Neither the SHELMA, nor the Government’s recent guidance on how to calculate objectively assessed needs for housing, has identified a need for additional land for housing or general employment land at present and hence there is no need for the Council to begin an early review of the Local Plan.

Neighbourhood Plans

The Council has four neighbourhood areas approved for neighbourhood plans; (including Little Altcar), Maghull, and Melling. As of the end of February 2018 none of these had submitted a neighbourhood plan. Maghull is anticipating submitting a Neighbourhood Plan in April 2018. If this is submitted in April, it is likely this will go to examination in Summer 2018.

Formby and Lydiate neighbourhood plans have both been subject to early consultation. The next stage for each is to submit and we anticipate that these will be submitted during the second half of 2018. Melling is anticipated to undertake early consultation during 2018.

Supplementary Planning Documents

The Council (as at March 2018) are currently consulting on a number of SPDs and Information notes. These are:

 Affordable, Special Needs and Housing Mix SPD  House Extensions SPD  Flats and Houses in Multiple Occupation SPD  New Housing SPD  Sustainable Travel SPD  Sustainable Drainage Systems and Flood Risk Information Notes

Consultation concludes on these on 13th April 2018. It is anticipated that these will be approved in May 2018, depending on the number and issues raised in the responses received.

Work will progress on additional SPDs after the previous set are adopted. These are:

Design SPD Crosby Coastal SPD

The timetable for these two SPDs is as follows:

Issues and content consultation - complete Draft SPD published for comment – January to March 2019 SPD approved – June 2019