Development of the Proposed Submission Strategic Sites Local Plan
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Wealden District Council Local Plan Development of the Proposed Submission Strategic Sites Local Plan Pre Submisson Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan December 2013 How to Contact Us Planning Policy Wealden District Council Council Offices, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 2AX Telephone 01892 602007 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.wealden.gov.uk Office hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm and Wednesday 9.00am to 5.00pm You may also visit the offices Monday to Friday, to view other Local Plan documents. A copy of Wealden’s Pre Submission Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan and associated documents can be downloaded from the Planning Policy pages of the Wealden website, www.wealden.gov.uk or scan the QR code below with your smart phone. If you, or somebody you know, would like the information con- tained in this document in large print, Braille, audio tape/CD or in another language please contact Wealden District Council on 01323 443322 or [email protected] Wealden District Local Plan Pre Submission Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan Development of the Strategic Sites Local Plan (December 2013) 1 Introduction 3 2 Background 5 3 Land at West Uckfield 11 4 Land at East Hailsham 19 5 Land at North Hailsham 25 Contents 6 Land at South Polegate and East Willingdon 31 7 Land at Dittons Road, Polegate 37 8 Land at Stone Cross 41 9 Land at Pine Grove, Crowborough 65 10 Land at Jarvis Brook, Crowborough 73 11 Land at South East Crowborough 79 12 Land adjacent to Tunbridge Wells 85 Appendices 91 Wealden District Local Plan Pre Submission Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan Development of the Strategic Sites Local Plan (December 2013) Contents Wealden District Local Plan Pre Submission Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan Development of the Strategic Sites Local Plan (December 2013) 1 Introduction 1.1 The initial Background Paper for the Proposed Submission Strategic Sites Local Plan was published in June 2013, prior to the start of the Regulation 19 consultation period, with the first consultation taking place between 17th June 2013 and 29th July 2013. The paper set out the background to the 11 chosen strategic sites and explained the choice of land for delivering development within each of the Strategic Development Areas (SDAs) identified within the adopted Core Strategy Local Plan (CSLP). It included an explanation of how site areas were selected for allocation, as well as the site specific Introduction policy background and justification for specific policies, including those relating to the density of development, green infrastructure, affordable housing and public open space. 1 1.2 This amended Background Paper incorporates updates and further information relating to the pre-submission modifications to the Proposed Submission Strategic Sites Local Plan (PSSSLP). The modifications relate to consultation responses received as part of the initial Regulation 19 consultation period in June and July 2013, as well as reflecting further work on viability testing and on the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA). 1.3 This background paper should be read in conjunction with other background papers which together form the evidence base for the PSSSLP, including the Sustainability Appraisal Report (SAR), the HRA, the Equalities Impact Assessment, and the Housing Background Paper.(1) 1 http://consult.wealden.gov.uk/portal/planning/strategic_sites/pssslp 3 Wealden District Local Plan Pre Submission Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan Development of the Strategic Sites Local Plan (December 2013) 1 Introduction 4 Wealden District Local Plan Pre Submission Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan Development of the Strategic Sites Local Plan (December 2013) 2 Background Core Strategy Local Plan 2013 2.1 Altogether the CSLP makes provision for around 4525 additional dwellings, 40,000 sq. metres additional employment floorspace and 17,000 sq. metres additional retail floorspace across the District. The CSLP identifies eleven SDAs, generally within or adjacent to Wealden’s key towns, which will deliver the majority of this strategic growth and indicates how the overall District provision will be distributed between these. Background 2.2 Policy WCS4 of the CSLP identifies eleven SDAs: 2 SD1: Land at West Uckfield SD2: Land at East Hailsham SD3: Land at North Hailsham SD4: Land at South Polegate and East Willingdon SD5: Land at Dittons Road, Polegate SD6: Land at East and South East of Stone Cross SD7: Land at North Stone Cross SD8: Land at Pine Grove, Crowborough SD9: Land at Jarvis Brook, Crowborough SD10: Land at South East Crowborough SD11: Land adjacent to Tunbridge Wells, in the Parish of Frant 2.3 The Strategic Sites Local Plan will allocate the land required to deliver development within the eleven SDAs identified in the CSLP, and will provide the necessary policies to achieve sustainable development, in conformity with the CSLP. Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2.4 The original District-wide comprehensive SHLAA exercise was carried out in 2008/09, and the results of the assessments were published in 2010. Since this time a number of additional sites have been submitted and previously submitted sites have been reviewed and reassessed where necessary. An updated SHLAA Report, entitled SHLAA for the PSSSLP, forms part of the evidence base to support the PSSSLP.The SHLAA informed the choice of options for development of sites within the broad areas of search, as identified in the Strategic Sites Issues and Options Consultation Paper, and has continued to inform the choice of reasonable alternatives and preferred options for development within each strategic site. As part of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requirement for all Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to show that they have a five year deliverable supply of housing land it is necessary to identify and update our land supply figures by assessment of a number of factors including the suitability, viability and deliverability of sites. 5 Wealden District Local Plan Pre Submission Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan Development of the Strategic Sites Local Plan (December 2013) 2 Issues and Options Consultation Paper 2011 Background 2.5 The Strategic Sites Issues and Options Consultation Paper (I & O) January 2012, presented a number of options for development within each SDA, including the location of development, the percentage of affordable housing to be provided, and key guiding principles for the development in each location. The number of options put forward for accommodating development within the SDAs varied for different SDAs, taking account of all information about the sites available at the time of publication. This is analysed further in the site specific background papers for each SDA(2). 2.6 As part of the consultation on the I & O Paper, consultees were invited to suggest any other reasonable alternatives for development of the identified sites which had not already been considered in the I&O process. This resulted in the submission of additional sites within the wider SDAs identified in the CSLP, as alternative options for development. These alternatives were considered through the Sustainability Appraisal (SA)(3) process and helped to inform the final preferred options for development as identified in the PSSSLP. 2.7 Maps to show the land put forward as options for development within each SDA, as outlined in the I&O Paper, can be found in the Appendices to this Background Paper. National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2.8 The key issue underpinning the allocation of the strategic sites and the policies within the PSSSLP is the need to achieve sustainable development, in conformity with the NPPF and as set out in Policy WCS14 of the CSLP. 2.9 Consideration of the options for development of the SDAs began prior to publication of the NPPF and a number of the assumptions made are based on requirements of the former Planning Policy Statements (PPS) or Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG) which have now been superseded by the NPPF.The NPPF aims to make the planning system less complex and more accessible; to protect the environment and to promote sustainable growth. Where relevant, it summarises and replaces the previous PPGs and PPSs, which were assessed through the SA Scoping Report 2011 and the preceding Scoping Reports, as well as the Background Papers and evidence base informing the choice of sites within the I & O process. 2.10 The NPPF confirms that there should be a presumption in favour of sustainable development and that all plans should be based upon, and reflect this presumption, with clear policies to guide how the presumption will be applied locally.The NPPF also confirms that there are three clear dimensions to sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. The policies within the PSSSLP provide clear guidance on how the presumption in favour of sustainable development will be applied on the strategic sites within the District, taking into account the three dimensions of sustainable development. 2 http://www.wealden.gov.uk/ Wealden/ Planning_and_Building_Control/ Planning_Policy/ Local_Plan/ StrategicSites/ Planning_Policy_Strategic_Sites_Issues_and_Options_Consultation.aspx 6 3 http://consult.wealden.gov.uk/portal/planning/strategic_sites/pssslp Wealden District Local Plan Pre Submission Modifications to the Strategic Sites Local Plan Development of the Strategic Sites Local Plan (December 2013) 2.11 The policies within the PSSLP comply with the presumption in favour of sustainable development and, through the Core Principles policy and individual site specific policies, ensure that the requirements of the NPPF are met across the three dimensions of sustainable development in relation to the design and delivery of each strategic site. Dwelling Mix 2.12 A significant amount of investigation has been undertaken into the future housing needs of the District and the types and sizes of dwellings that are needed between 2006 and 2027.