Core Strategy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CENTRAL LINCOLNSHIRE LOCAL PLAN CORE STRATEGY Proposed Sustainable Urban Extensions at Lincoln, Gainsborough and Sleaford - Initial Draft Policies for Consultation (Approved by the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee, 11 June 2012 : Appendix 1 of Agenda Item 10) NOTE: The policies contained in this document are for consultation purposes only and may be subject to change prior to the Publication of the Core Strategy Who We Are The Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee is made up of representatives of 4 Councils: City of Lincoln Council, North Kesteven District Council, West Lindsey District Council and Lincolnshire County Council. For convenience, this document refers to it as the Joint Committee. The Joint Committee was formed to plan together for Central Lincolnshire’s future. We have a team of staff drawn together from the 3 district councils called the Joint Planning Unit (JPU). Further details and contacts are set out below. What is this Document? This consultation document sets out initial draft policies for the 8 Sustainable Urban Extensions (SUEs) that the Joint Committee has identified as potential sites for major development at Lincoln, Gainsborough and Sleaford, and which are likely to be included in the Core Strategy for Central Lincolnshire based on evidence available to date. The Core Strategy is the overall planning framework for Central Lincolnshire, and is available as a partial draft for consultation alongside this document. It includes a draft generic policy on SUEs (Policy CL7) which provides the context for the strategic sites included here. This document includes a brief introduction that explains the SUEs and their role in growth, as well as the current status of the proposals. Your Views Matter The Joint Committee is committed to making as many people aware of the Core Strategy as possible and involving them in its preparation. Building on previous consultations on Issues & Options for the Core Strategy, consultation on this document will take place over the Summer to allow comments on the proposed SUEs and policies. The consultation runs from 9 July to 10 September 2012. How To Respond You can comment on the draft plan: ¾ Online at www.central-lincs.org.uk ¾ Using the printed response form available at consultation venues and on the website ¾ writing or e-mailing your comments using the contact details below Central Lincolnshire Joint Planning Unit, City Hall, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln LN1 1DF 01529 308233 or 01522 699013 [email protected] What Happens Next? The Joint Committee will consider the comments received and use them to finalise the Core Strategy for Publication. For further details of the Core Strategy timetable, please contact the Joint Planning Unit. 1 Proposed Sustainable Urban Extensions The level of growth proposed to strengthen the roles of the three main urban areas will require the delivery of a number of sustainable urban extensions (SUEs). SUEs present an opportunity to deliver new homes and jobs in attractive high quality environments together with proportionate investment in social, environmental and physical infrastructure. Key pieces of work are still outstanding, which will inform the decisions as to which sites in Central Lincolnshire have the potential to have greatest positive impact and can be delivered, this work includes: • Integrated Impact Assessment incorporating Sustainability Appraisal, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Equalities Impact Assessment • Habitats Regulations Assessment • Infrastructure Delivery Plan • Sequential Test for the Lincoln Area • The Central Lincolnshire Authorities working with partners to meet the Duty to Cooperate However, it is clear that the evidence and plans prepared to date identify the following sites as potentially offering the greatest benefit in terms of their ability to deliver new homes and jobs and enhance the overall sustainability of Central Lincolnshire: 1. The Lincoln Western Growth Corridor 2. The Lincoln South East Quadrant 3. The Lincoln North East Quadrant 4. The Gainsborough Southern Neighbourhood 5. The Gainsborough Northern Neighbourhood 6. The Gainsborough Eastern Neighbourhood 7. Sleaford West Quadrant 8. Sleaford South Quadrant Each of these sites together with Draft Policies and location plans drawn from the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment are set below. Subject to the outcome of outstanding work, it is likely that these sites will be included in the final draft Core Strategy as strategic allocations. The Lincoln Western Growth Corridor This site is identified in the East Midlands Regional Plan (March 2009) as one of a number of potentially sustainable locations for an urban extension to Lincoln and formed part of the Lincoln Growth Point Programme of Development. The Western Growth Corridor in line with much of Central Lincoln is within the indicative floodplain. However, its location close to the City Centre, extending out to the A46 presents a number of key potential opportunities to provide development to enhance the role of Lincoln, within the overall growth agenda, as a place to live and work. It could do this by providing new residential areas, high quality economic development opportunities (to build on the current success of the economy in fields such as precision engineering), enhancements to the transportation network and a range of other services, such as schools, shops, community facilities. These would serve the needs of the new 2 development and form part of the wider network of facilities in the residential and business areas to the South and the City Centre to the North East. The scale of future development set out in the proposed policy below is yet to be agreed, and will to some extent be a function of the capacity, of the site managing its environmental impact and the market demands in the future. The potential development area includes areas at lower flood risk, along the southern boundary and on the site of the Swanpool tip, and this land could form a first phase of development. Further limited development would seek to optimise the potential of that land to accommodate more vulnerable development whilst limiting the amount of development within the floodplain. Policy L8 – Western Growth Corridor (Land at Swanpool, Fen Farm and Decoy Farm) This area to the west of Lincoln, as shown on the Proposals Map, is identified as a strategic site for a Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) to deliver the following mix of uses: • Approximately 2,700 dwellings to be constructed in the plan period to 2031 as part of a larger development beyond that plan period; • Employment uses (offices, start-up units, Research & Development uses, warehousing and light industry compatible with its location) totalling approximately 40 hectares, in the form of: ¾ A high quality business park of approximately 26 hectares in the Decoy Farm and Fen Farm area; ¾ A business park of approximately 11 hectares located at the eastern end of the SUE ; and ¾ Smaller-scale employment provision of an appropriate scale and type in the proposed District Centres; • Two [tbc] new District Centres serving the SUE with retail, service, employment and community uses in line with Policies CL20 and L6; • Appropriate education provision, including two [tbc] on-site primary schools and contributions to improved education provision in the Lincoln area; • Associated transport, green and other infrastructure. In addition to the generic requirements for Sustainable Urban Extensions in Policy CL7, the development will be required to meet the following locally specific requirements: Delivery, Phasing & Infrastructure The development shall be phased to ensure that it meets the requirements of Policy CL7 and positively contributes to the wider objectives for the Lincoln area and Central Lincolnshire over its construction period and beyond. To achieve this, the development and Phasing Plan should have regard to: a. The Central Lincolnshire Infrastructure Delivery Plan, including infrastructure capacity and improvements needed in the Lincoln area to support the overall level of growth proposed; 3 b. The timing and construction of key transport infrastructure, especially the new access roads to the City Centre and to the A46 road, and how these will impact on the wider area; c. The provision of public transport to serve the development, including services to the City Centre; d. The objective that development of the eastern part of the site, including access to the City Centre, is phased early to achieve successful linkage of the SUE and the City Centre; e. The requirement to deliver the proposed District Centres, employment and other uses in parallel with residential development to meet the needs of those living or working in the SUE; f. The provision of any major flood defence, green infrastructure or other infrastructure required for the SUE; Connectivity and Transport To ensure that the development contributes positively to sustainable access and transport in the Lincoln area, the detailed Transport Assessment, Travel Plan and the development should: a. Take full account of planned projects identified in the Central Lincolnshire Infrastructure Delivery Plan and transport infrastructure impacts and opportunities associated with the wider growth strategy for the Lincoln area; b. Ensure that the development is well served by public transport including high quality services to the City Centre, and is provided with appropriate supporting infrastructure such as bus stops and shelters; c.