Core Strategy and Development Management policies
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Core Strategy and Development Management policies About this Consultation
About this Consultation
This document is a pre-submission consultation on Stevenage Borough Council’s Core Strategy and Development Management Policies. It is part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) for Stevenage. The LDF is a set of plans which set out the development we want to see in Stevenage in the future. More information is provided in Chapter 1.
You can comment on this document from Thursday 28th January 2010 for six weeks.
Please send your comments to the Planning Policy team at Stevenage Borough Council. The deadline is 5pm on Thursday 11th March 2010.
You can send us your comments using the addresses below.
On line www.stevenage.gov.uk
By email [email protected]
By mail Planning Policy Stevenage Borough Council Daneshill House Danestrete Stevenage SG1 1HN
By fax 01438 242922
By textphone 01438 242555
We will read all comments that are sent to us by the deadline. Once we are happy with the plan we will send it to the Government along with a copy of all your comments.
If you have any questions about this document, please contact the Planning Policy team using the details above or by telephone on 01438 24752. This number is for queries only. We cannot accept your response to the consultation over the phone.
What is a pre-submission consultation?
We have to carry out a pre-submission consultation before we send the plan to the Government. The diagram below shows how this consultation fits in to the overall preparation of the plan.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies i About this Consultation
Stage 1 This stage involves us collecting an up-to-date information base Development of Evidence on a range of social, economic and environmental matters. We Base started this stage in 2005.
Stage 2 We used the results of Stage 1 to identify the main issues that the plan needs to deal with and the options that are available. A first Consultation consultation on this plan started in June 2006. A second consultation was held in November 2007. An assessment of the (Regulation 25) plan’s social, economic and environmental impacts was also produced. At this stage we continue to develop our plan. This includes Stage 3 considering any comments from Stage 2 and the findings of any Preparation of DPD new studies. We decide on the exact policy wording we want to use in the plan. This is the stage we are at now. We publish the plan in what we think should be the final version. A consultation is held for a period Stage 4 of at least six weeks. A more detailed assessment of the plan’s Proposed Submission DPD social, economic and environmental impact is also published. A Consultation (Regulation 27) draft proposals map is published, showing any changes that would result from the adoption of the plan.
We will consider the points raised by the consultation. If there are Stage 5 significant issues, we may withdraw the plan and return to Stage Formal consideration of 3. If minor changes are required, we will make these and consult objections on them. Once we have dealt with all of the issues raised in Stages 4 and 5 we can go on to Stage 6. Stage 6
Submission to the Secretary We will send the plan and any supporting documents to the of State Secretary of State to be examined. (Regulation 30)
Stage 7 An Inspector appointed by the Government will carry out an Examination independent examination of the ‘soundness’ of the plan. Those who object to the plan may be allowed to appear in front of the (Regulation 34) inspector in person.
Stage 8 The inspector goes away, writes a report of the examination, and Receipt of Inspector’s report decides what changes (if any) need to be made. Once we receive and Adoption the inspector's report we have to change the plan in line with their (Regulations 35 and 36) recommendations. It is this version of the plan that will be adopted.
ii Core Strategy and Development Management policies About this Consultation
This document is what we think the final version of the plan should look like. We think the policies in this document are the best way forward for Stevenage. We hope to adopt this plan in 2011.
However, we will still consider making changes if you can show us that our plan is not sound or does not meet legal requirements. These terms are explained in more detail below.
Some subjects are not open to consultation or change. This includes things that have already been decided or will be set through other plans. An example is that the total number of houses to be built in Stevenage has already been set by the East of England Plan.
Other matters that we cannot consult on include things that are decided by Government planning policies. Examples include guidance that new retail development should mainly take place in town centres and advice on the type of development that is allowed in the Green Belt.
What is soundness?
When we send the plan to the Government it will be assessed by an independent inspector. This is shown in Stage 7 of the diagram on the previous page. The inspector will decide if the plan meets legal requirements and is ‘sound’.
Our plans must meet the legal requirements set out below.
It must follow the steps that we set for ourselves in our Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). We must have prepared the plan as we said we would in our Local Development Scheme (LDS). We have to meet the regulations set by the Government. We must complete any environmental assessments that are required by the law. It must take account of what is said in national planning policy and our community strategy. It should reflect the requirements of the East of England Plan.
The Inspector will say that our plan is ‘sound’ if it is “justified, effective and consistent with national policy”(1).
“Justified” means that the evidence shows that our plan is the best solution. The evidence might include studies or what you told us during consultations. “Effective” means that we can show that the policies in our plan will actually happen. We must show how we will measure if the plan is being successful and what we will do if things change. An example of a change might be an increase in our housing target. The Inspector will say our plan is ‘sound’ unless evidence at the Examination shows that this is not the case.
When will this plan be finished and how long will it be used for?
We hope to adopt this plan in 2011. Government guidance tells us that our Core Strategy should plan for at least fifteen years from the date it is adopted. This means that the policies in the Core Strategy need to look at the period to 2026.
1 Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning (PPS12)
Core Strategy and Development Management policies iii About this Consultation
Do I need to be a planning expert to respond to this consultation?
No. We have tried to write this plan so that as many people as possible can understand it.
The planning system uses a lot of technical language. We have tried to explain as much of this as possible and use plain English to describe what we want to do. We have included a glossary in Appendix 1. This may explain any terms that you do not understand.
If you would like to have anything explained to you in more detail please contact us. We will do our best to help you.
What do I need to comment upon and how should I respond?
The rest of this document explains how and why we have developed our policies. If you respond to this document we would like you to say whether you agree with our suggestions. If you do not agree you should clearly explain why. If possible please say how your comments relate to the tests of soundness explained above.
You may find it helpful to keep a copy of the comments that you send us.
All of the comments that you send us will be public documents. This means they will be available for other people to see on request. We cannot accept confidential or anonymous comments. We will not reveal personal signatures, email addresses or telephone numbers but we cannot keep your name or address secret.
If you suggest alternative areas for development or protection you must include a map. The map must clearly show the boundaries of the site(s) and its location. We will not accept your suggestions if we cannot clearly identify a site.
The deadline for your comments is 5pm on Thursday 11th March 2010. Late comments will not be considered. We will not accept any comments that are offensive, obscene, racist or illegal. We may pass any such material to the police.
What will you do with any written comments I send you?
We will write to you to say that your comments have been received.
At the end of the consultation period we will read all of the responses. If they raise any significant issues we will decide if we need to do more work on this plan. This may mean that we carry out more consultation on the plan or parts of it. Once we are happy with the plan we will send it to the Government along with a copy of all your comments.
We will also produce a statement that says what the main issues raised in your comments were. A copy of the statement will be made available at our Danestrete office and on our website (http://www.stevenage.gov.uk).
iv Core Strategy and Development Management policies Contents
Chapters
1 Introduction 8
2 A picture of Stevenage 13 History 13 Stevenage today 13 Main challenges 15 Drivers of change 17
3 Vision and objectives 19 Spatial vision for Stevenage 19
4 Spatial Strategy 22 Core Policies for Stevenage
5 A town that grows sustainably 29 Sustainable development 30 Housing development 31 Green Belt 36 Area action plans and the site specific policies DPD 37 Infrastructure and developer requirements 40
6 A town that is prosperous 44 Jobs & skills 45 Employment land 47 Retail 50
7 A town of opportunities and communities 55 Health, social and community facilities 56 Leisure 58 Homes for all 59
Core Strategy and Development Management policies Contents
8 A town that is clean and green 65 Green infrastructure 66 Pollution and flood risk 69 Sustainable transport 70
9 A town to be proud of 73 Design and conservation 74 Development Management Policies for Stevenage
10 A town that grows sustainably 78 Sustainable development 78 Housing development 79
11 A town that is prosperous 81 Employment 81 Retail 82
12 A town of opportunities and communities 84 Health, social and community facilities 84 Leisure 85 Homes for all 87
13 A town that is clean and green 96 Green infrastructure 96 Pollution and flood risk 99 Waste management 104 Sustainable transport 104
14 A town to be proud of 108 Design and conservation 108
Core Strategy and Development Management policies Contents
Delivery
15 Delivery 111 Vision and objectives 112 A town that grows sustainably 112 A town that is prosperous 120 A town of opportunities and communities 122 A town that is clean and green 123 A town to be proud of 125 Appendices
1 Glossary 126
2 Deleted District Plan Policies 132
Core Strategy and Development Management policies Introduction
1 Introduction
What is planning and the Local Development Framework?
1.1 Planning is about making sure that development happens in the right place at the right time. Development includes things like building new houses or changing a shop into an office.
1.2 Most new development in Britain needs planning permission before it can be built. We use planning policies to help us decide if we should grant planning permission for new development. Policies say which sites can be developed and which sites should be protected. They can also say what types of use developments must contain, or what they must look like.
1.3 Planning policies for Stevenage are contained in a set of plans called the Local Development Framework (LDF).
1.4 These plans identify the main issues that are likely to affect Stevenage and sets policies to deal with them. They provide answers to some important questions.
How much housing and employment will be needed in the future and where this will be built? What land is needed for important services like schools and hospitals? How will we protect the environment and make sure that everyone can use open spaces near their home? How do we reduce our impact on climate change, lower the risk of flooding and make people think about the way in which they travel? What do local people and businesses think about our policies?
1.5 By considering all of these issues at the same time, we will produce a set of plans that meet the future needs of Stevenage.
1.6 We will set out who is responsible for making sure that the ideas in the plan actually happen. We will also say how we will measure if our policies are working.
1.7 All local planning authorities must produce a Core Strategy and a Proposals Map. They may also produce other plans if they think more policies are required to guide future development in their area. The table below shows the different types of plan that we can produce.
Core Strategy The Core Strategy contains a vision for the future of the area. It also says how this will be delivered. All of the other plans below must help to deliver the vision and policies set out here.
Development Plan We can produce other DPDs if we think more policies are required Documents (excluding the to guide development. They can identify sites for development or Core Strategy) (DPDs) provide detailed guidance that we will use to decide planning applications.
Area Action Plans Area Action Plans are a special type of DPD. They are used where significant change, regeneration or conservation is needed.
8 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Introduction
Proposals Map The Proposals Map identifies all the policies in the plans that apply to a particular site or area. They are shown on an Ordnance Survey base map of the area.
1.8 The plans that make up the Stevenage LDF are shown in the diagram below. More information about each of these plans can be found in a document called the Local Development Scheme (LDS). The LDS shows our timetable for writing each plan and is available to view on our website (www.stevenage.gov.uk) or at our offices in Danestrete.
Stevenage Borough Council LDF
What is the Core Strategy?
1.9 The Core Strategy says how we want Stevenage to change in the future. It says how we will deal with proposals for new development and the use of land. It also shows how we will meet the targets in the East of England Plan.
1.10 The Core Strategy is part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) for Stevenage. It is the most important plan in the LDF. This is because all other plans must help to deliver its policies.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 9 Introduction
1.11 The Core Strategy should provide policies for the next fifteen years. Our Core Strategy provides polices for the period to 2026. We will deliver the policies in the Core Strategy in a number of ways. This will include through the granting of planning permission.
All core policies are shown in a box like this
1.12 This plan also contains a set of development management policies. These set out detailed information on what will and will not be granted planning permission. They cover topics such as affordable housing and renewable energy. These policies apply across the whole Borough. They are not limited to specific sites.
All development management policies are shown in a box like this
1.13 To help us write this plan, we have considered (in no particular order):
The priorities of the Council’s community strategy; The policies in the East of England Plan; The requirements of Government planning statements; The results of our evidence studies; The comments you have made in response to previous consultations; and The findings of our environmental assessments.
1.14 We refer to studies, Government guidance and other reports that we have used to make our decisions throughout this report. We use footnotes to tell you where you can find out more information. Copies of our evidence studies are available on our website (www.stevenage.gov.uk) and can be viewed at our Danestrete office.
What is the proposals map?
1.15 The proposals map shows sites and areas of land affected by our plans. This includes sites we allocate for housing or open spaces that will be protected. The proposals map also identifies the boundaries of our plans. The proposals map is updated each time a plan is adopted to show the new set of policies that apply in the area.
1.16 The Core Strategy also includes a Key Diagram. This indicates where the most important parts of the plan will take place.
What is the Community Strategy and why is it important?
1.17 The Community Strategy sets a vision for the future of Stevenage. It says what needs to be done to make the town better and improve the lives of its residents. This is set out in a series of priorities and actions.
10 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Introduction
1.18 The Community Strategy (2007) was written by the Stevenage Partnership. The Stevenage Partnership is a group of organisations and companies that includes Stevenage Borough Council. The Community Strategy for the Borough is called ‘Stevenage 2021, Our Town – Our Future’. Its vision is to:
“Create a town that is prosperous, healthy, clean, green and safe. We want Stevenage to be a town with a strong sense of community in which people are proud to live, work, visit and do business. We want Stevenage to grow in a sustainable way and to be an important regional centre looking ahead and building on its new town heritage.”
1.19 The Community Strategy covers all areas of work that are carried out by the Stevenage Partnership, not just planning. The Local Development Framework should deliver those parts of the Community Strategy that involve the use of land or buildings.
What is the East of England Plan and why is it important?
1.20 The East of England Plan is the development plan for the East of England region. The East of England region is made up of the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
1.21 The East of England Plan says how development will happen over the period to 2021. It includes policies on subjects that include housing, the environment and transport. All our plans must be in general conformity with it. This means that our policies must reflect those of the East of England Plan.
1.22 The East of England Plan was adopted in May 2008. It identifies Stevenage as a ‘Key Centre for Development and Change’. The main requirements for Stevenage are set in Policy SV1 of the Plan. It says at least 16,000 new homes must be provided in and around the town between 2001 and 2021. A minimum of 6,400 new homes are to be built within Stevenage Borough. At least 9,600 new homes should be built outside the Borough boundary in North Hertfordshire.
1.23 The Plan tells us how to work out housing targets for the period after 2021. This is so that our plans can cover a period of at least fifteen years.
1.24 The Plan supports the regeneration of the town centre. It says that we should improve transport infrastructure and review the Green Belt boundary. Stevenage should provide more jobs. This will contribute towards a target for 68,000 new jobs in Hertfordshire over the plan period.
What is environmental assessment?
1.25 Our plans must go through two different processes while they are being written. The first of these is called strategic environmental assessment. The second is called sustainability appraisal. They make us think about how our policies will affect our society, the economy and the environment.
1.26 Because large parts of these processes are very similar, a single process has been created for planning documents. This meets both sets of requirements. We call this single process Sustainability Appraisal (SA).
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 11 Introduction
1.27 We have written a SA report about this plan. The results of the appraisal have helped us to write our policies and decide on the best option. We tell you about the most important findings of the SA report in this plan. The full SA report is available to view on our website (www.stevenage.gov.uk) or at our offices in Danestrete.
1.28 We have also carried out an Appropriate Assessment (AA). This is a report which says if our plans will harm certain types of wildlife habitat known as European Sites. The most important findings of the AA are summarised in this plan. The full report is available on our website or at our offices.
How did you make sure I could have my say?
1.29 A Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) is a document that says how we involve you when we prepare our plans. We adopted our SCI in December 2006. It is available to view on our website (www.stevenage.gov.uk) or at our offices in Danestrete.
1.30 We carried out three formal consultations to help us prepare this plan. We have written a Statement of Consultation which says:
What we did to consult you; When we did this; What you told us; and How we changed the plan in response to your comments.
1.31 The Statement of Consultation is available to view on our website (www.stevenage.gov.uk) or at our offices in Danestrete.
12 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A picture of Stevenage
2 A picture of Stevenage
History
2.1 The history of Stevenage goes back to prehistoric times.
2.2 Stevenage grew around what is now the Old Town High Street because of its position on the Great North Road. Small villages developed at Shephall, Letchmore Green, Fishers Green and Symonds Green. Stevenage became an important coaching stop on the road to London.
2.3 The railway arrived in 1850. By the time the Second World War started in 1939, Stevenage had a population of about 6,000. Most people lived in what is now called the Old Town.
2.4 Stevenage was designated as England’s first New Town in 1946. Lewis Silkin, the Minister for Town and Country Planning, said that:
“Stevenage will in a short time become world famous. People from all over the world will come to see how we in this country are building for the new way of life.”
2.5 From 1946 until 1980, the planning and growth of Stevenage was overseen by a Development Corporation. The first masterplan was for a town of 60,000 people. It was to be made up of individual neighbourhoods around a pedestrianised town centre. Each neighbourhood would have its own shops, churches, pubs, schools and community centres. An area for industry was planned to the west so that it was away from homes. Open space was provided throughout the town.
2.6 The first new homes were built in 1951. Major development followed with the first New Town neighbourhoods at Bedwell and Broadwater. A new employment area was created at Gunnels Wood. The new town centre, to the south of the original High Street, was opened by the Queen in 1959.
2.7 In the 1950s and 60s, neighbourhoods were developed at Chells, Shephall and then at Pin Green, where a second employment area was also provided. St Nicholas and Symonds Green were built in the 1970s. Private residential developments were built to the north of the Old Town.
2.8 The Lister Hospital opened in the north-west of the town in 1972. The new town centre railway station opened a year later.
2.9 In more recent times, the town has continued to expand with the construction of neighbourhoods at Poplars, Chells Manor and, most recently, at Great Ashby. This has seen the town expand into the neighbouring district of North Hertfordshire.
Stevenage today
2.10 Stevenage is in the county of Hertfordshire about 30 miles north of London. It is the third largest town in the county. Stevenage has a population of around 80,000 residents.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 13 A picture of Stevenage
Neighbourhoods in Stevenage
2.11 The town is divided into distinct land use areas. The town centre, Old Town and railway station are in the centre of Stevenage. They are surrounded by neighbourhoods that contain about 35,000 homes. Local neighbourhood centres provide shops and community facilities for residents. There are two main employment areas. They are located to the west at Gunnels Wood and north east at Pin Green.
14 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A picture of Stevenage
2.12 There are a range of leisure facilities, retail parks and supermarkets. Open spaces and play areas are well spread throughout the town. Wide roads and a cycle and pedestrian network link all parts of the town.Stevenage’s railway station is on the East Coast Main Line. There are long distance rail services between London and the north. Commuter services connect the town to Kings Cross, Cambridge and Peterborough. There are also services to London Moorgate and Hertford.
2.13 The town is connected to Junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M) which links London, the midlands and the north. The A602 links to Hitchin and Ware while the nearby A505 provides connections to Luton Airport and Cambridgeshire. The urban road network comprises three main north-south routes and four main east-west routes.
2.14 There is an extensive commercial bus network. Most homes are within 400 metres of a bus stop. It is a short walk from the bus station to the train station.
2.15 Stevenage is surrounded by the districts of North Hertfordshire and East Hertfordshire. Beyond the edge of the town is open countryside and villages such as Aston, Codicote, Datchworth, Graveley, Knebworth, Langley, Walkern, Weston and Wymondley.
Main challenges
2.16 Stevenage does many things well. Gunnels Wood is the largest employment area in Hertfordshire. All of our neighbourhoods have local shopping and community facilities that are well used and an important part of local life. There are large areas of open space while the cycle network is as good as anything you might find in a European town.
2.17 However, there are also areas where our town could do better. Through our Community Strategy, evidence gathering, monitoring and environmental assessments we have identified the key challenges that we should address:
Geography
The Borough is ‘underbounded’. The urban area extends beyond the local authority boundary. Recent neighbourhoods have been built partly in neighbouring North Hertfordshire District. Stevenage does not have the types or amount of brownfield land to build on that you might find in other towns. This is because most of the town was built in the last fifty years. Stevenage is surrounded by Green Belt. This puts pressure on undeveloped spaces within the town.
Population
People living in Stevenage earn less than people living elsewhere in Hertfordshire and are employed in lower grade jobs. Stevenage is the most deprived district in Hertfordshire. There are some areas of serious deprivation, particularly in the Bedwell neighbourhood.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 15 A picture of Stevenage
Image and aspirations
Development designs and layouts that were innovative and exciting in the 1950s are now criticised for encouraging crime, anti-social behaviour and other problems. Many people opposed the creation of a New Town at Stevenage. This negative perception of the town still exists today. Aspirations are low. Many pupils leave school at 16. There are low levels of progression into higher education or higher earning jobs. Nine out of ten high earners would not currently consider moving to Stevenage.
Housing
There is a serious lack of affordable homes. Almost 6,000 people are on our housing waiting list. The average semi-detached home costs nine times the average salary. The Development Corporation mainly built homes for 'blue collar' working families. More than half of our housing stock is terraced homes. Only 12% of homes are detached. There is a lack of more expensive homes to attract high earners.
Employment
There is a lack of high quality office space in or around the town centre. There are many towns nearby where people may choose to work or companies might choose to locate in preference to Stevenage. Businesses struggle to recruit and keep highly skilled workers. Without intervention, the town’s economy will hardly grow over the next 15 years.
Retail
The town centre badly needs investment. It struggles to compete with surrounding towns. It is not ‘fit for purpose’ in the 21st Century. Some neighbourhood centres have a poor image and require significant investment.
Health
Life expectancy is lower than the Hertfordshire average. Death rates from smoking and cancer are high. One in five adults is obese. Only one in six has a healthy diet.
Education and skills
Stevenage residents have fewer qualifications than the Hertfordshire average. One in every five Stevenage residents is qualified to NVQ Level 4 or above(2). This compares to one in three in Hertfordshire as a whole. There is a mismatch between skills and jobs. People who live in the town earn less than people who work in the town. This suggests that higher paid jobs are held by people who commute in from elsewhere.
2 NVQ Level 4 is equivalent to a HNC qualification
16 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A picture of Stevenage
Environment
There are many open spaces in the town but some urban spaces are of poor quality and are not well used by the public. There is a Site of Special Scientific Interest immediately adjacent to the Borough boundary at Knebworth Woods.
Transport
The A1(M) narrows to two lanes between junctions 6 and 8. This section has a significantly worse accident rate than the three lane sections to the north and south. There are frequent peak hour tailbacks. Road congestion is also getting worse on some local roads. Trains are full at peak times while the cycle and pedestrian network is underused.
Built fabric
Most of the buildings in the town were built between the 1950s and 1970s. Some of the public and community buildings now need investment or renewal.
2.18 Overall Stevenage is less prosperous, less successful and is regarded as less desirable than other Hertfordshire towns.
Drivers of change
2.19 Drivers of change are the things happening in the wider world that influence how we solve our problems. It is difficult to predict all future drivers of change. For example, 20 years ago very few people had personal computers, and there was no internet or budget airlines. The best we can do is to make sure that our plans respond to the things that we know about and are flexible enough to deal with any unexpected changes.
2.20 Some of the drivers of change that we need to think about are identified below.
Population
The population is getting older because people are living longer. The average household size is falling as more people live alone. We would need to provide more houses even if the population stayed the same.
Housing
The current Government want to build three million new homes by 2020. The East of England Plan says 16,000 new homes must be built in and around Stevenage between 2001 and 2021. Nearly 21,000 homes must be built between 2001 and 2026.
Employment
The type of work we do and the way we work are changing. Manufacturing is being replaced by technology and services. Working hours are more flexible.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 17 A picture of Stevenage
We are close to London. Changes in the City affect commuters that live in this area. Unemployment has doubled during the economic downturn and recession.
Retail
The number of people shopping through the internet is growing. Supermarkets are becoming bigger and selling a wider range of items. Twenty-four hour licensing may create a demand for restaurants and entertainment. This is known as the evening economy.
Education and skills
The County Council plan to introduce fewer, bigger secondary schools in the town. The Government has introduced changes to the curriculum to let schools have a greater say in what they teach 11-14 year olds. A-Levels are now split into two stages - AS and A2 - for 16-18 year olds.
Health
The Primary Care Trust wants some services to be provided in larger centres. These polyclinics, or ‘super surgeries’, will replace some doctors’ surgeries. Emergency health services for north and east Hertfordshire are to be centralised onto the Lister Hospital site in north Stevenage.
Environment
People are becoming more aware of the threat of climate change. Fossil fuels such as coal and oil are running out. We will need to find ways of replacing these. One option is to use renewable energy such as the sun or wind. All new homes should be ‘carbon neutral’ by the year 2016.
Transport
The number of people who own a car is much higher than it was twenty years ago. Congestion on the roads, rising fuel costs or schemes such as road charging may change how people make their journeys.
Political
Political change may result in new planning policies or priorities. This could be at the national, county or local level because of elections.
18 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Vision and objectives
3 Vision and objectives
3.1 The vision says how Stevenage will change as a result of the Local Development Framework. It says how the Borough and the places within it should develop. Government guidance says that our vision should be informed by:
The priorities of our Community Strategy (2007) (see Section 1); The requirements of the East of England Plan (2008) (see Section 1); and The characteristics of the area and the main issues and challenges (see Section 2)(3).
3.2 Our vision is based on the vision in the Community Strategy. It provides more detail to show how we see the town changing over the next fifteen years.
Spatial vision for Stevenage
SPATIAL VISION FOR STEVENAGE
By 2026, Stevenage will be an emerging regional centre that is prosperous, healthy, clean, green and safe. It will be a place where people are proud to live, work, visit and do business.
Stevenage will be a balanced and more self-contained community. A range of new homes for the whole community will have been built near to jobs and services.
Development will have made good use of land and reduced travelling distances.
The town centre and neighbourhood centres will be regenerated. There will be improved shops, homes and community and leisure facilities. Gunnels Wood will still be our main employment area, providing land for 21st Century businesses.
New neighbourhoods west and north of the town will contain homes, jobs, local facilities and open spaces. New employment sites close to the A1(M) will improve Stevenage’s competitive position. The existing town will continue to develop and evolve. Regeneration and growth will provide opportunities in all parts of the town.
Improved education facilities will help people learn new skills and earn more money. New health care centres will help people live longer and healthier lives.
Important open spaces, historic areas and the best parts of the New Town will have been preserved. Green lungs will connect areas within the town, new neighbourhoods and the surrounding countryside. A new long-term Green Belt boundary will be set. It will provide protection for the countryside while allowing scope for the continued growth of the built-up area.
All development will have been designed to have a positive impact on its surroundings, reduce its impact on climate change and avoid or mitigate against flood risk.
3 PPS12
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 19 Vision and objectives
New infrastructure will have been provided to support growth. Roads and railways will be improved and it will be easier to walk, cycle and catch the bus.
3.3 Objectives provide the link between the vision and the planning policies set out in the rest of this plan. All of the policies in the Core Strategy contribute to one or more of the objectives. Our objectives are based on the requirements of national and regional planning guidance, our Community Strategy, the findings of our environmental appraisals and what you have told us during consultation.
3.4 Our Sustainability Appraisal has tested the vision and all of the objectives in the Core Strategy. It says that we can generally expect them to have a positive effect. It recommends some minor changes which we have made.
3.5 Our first two objectives are relevant to the whole of the Core Strategy. All of the policies in this plan should contribute towards them:
[OBJECTIVE SO01] SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
To make Stevenage a balanced and more self-contained community and ensure that development contributes to local, national and global sustainability.
[OBJECTIVE SO02] WELL-BEING FROM REGENERATION and GROWTH
To make sure all residents can share the experience of a higher quality of life through a combination of physical, social and economic regeneration and growth in the older and new parts of the town.
3.6 It is also important to say who is responsible for making things happen. We should say how we will measure success and what we will change if things are not working. This is set out in our third objective:
[OBJECTIVE SO03] IMPLEMENTATION and MONITORING
To explain how we will deliver our vision and objectives. To set out how we will monitor policies to ensure that they are working.
3.7 We have identified a further nine objectives for our core policies. These are directly related to one of the five themes that we have used to group our policies. These objectives are explained at the start of each chapter:
Theme 1: A town that grows sustainably (Chapter 5)
20 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Vision and objectives
Theme 2: A town that is prosperous (Chapter 6) Theme 3: A town of opportunities and communities (Chapter 7) Theme 4: A town that is clean and green; and (Chapter 8) Theme 5: A town to be proud of (Chapter 9).
3.8 The second part of this plan explains our development management policies. These are presented in the same order as our core policies and have been written to contribute to the objectives and policies presented in Chapters 5 to 9.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 21 Spatial Strategy
4 Spatial Strategy
4.1 The spatial strategy explains the most important elements of our plan for Stevenage. It sets out our overall approach to the delivery of homes, infrastructure, jobs, local services and facilities over the plan period. It also identifies the most important requirements in relation to open space and the natural environment.
4.2 The next fifteen years will be the next step in the growth and evolution of the original New Town. Our spatial strategy recognises the importance of three key elements that are needed to deliver this: housing provision, employment growth and regeneration and renewal. These are linked to the extent that no single element can succeed without the other two.
4.3 A lot of future development will take place in new neighbourhoods beyond the edge of the existing town(4). However, we will also deliver major projects elsewhere within, and on the edge of, the existing built-up area. The strategy also plans for the infrastructure and supporting facilities that are required to successfully deliver our vision.
4.4 The key elements of our strategy are displayed in the Key Diagram at the end of this section.
4.5 Our plans will guide the future development and growth of Stevenage. We will consolidate its position as the major town in northern Hertfordshire. We will also take advantage of our position between, and good links to, London and Cambridge.
4.6 The strategy is to deliver a new vision for Stevenage. It will be a regional housing and employment growth point. This will be twinned with transformational physical, social and economic regeneration of the original new town. We will create a more self-contained, sustainable and balanced community. Growth and regeneration will bring benefits to all. Together, these will help to break the cycle of low aspirations, low skills and deprivation that characterise parts of the town.
4.7 Achieving this strategy requires a critical mass of development. Significant housing growth will drive the demand for jobs and new employment. In turn, these will create a demand for new facilities which will support our ambitious regeneration programme.
4.8 Our strategy sets out how 20,800 homes will be built in and around Stevenage between 2001 and 2026.
4.9 8,300 of these will be built within our administrative boundary. However, Stevenage is ‘underbounded’. This means that the town is already bigger than the area covered by the Borough. Some of the recent development at Great Ashby has taken place outside our boundary in North Hertfordshire district.
4.10 This trend will continue. Our strategy identifies three new neighbourhoods to be provided on greenfield sites. Neighbourhoods at Stevenage West and North Stevenage will use land in both authorities to provide approximately 7,500 new homes. The third, to the north-east, will deliver around 5,500 further homes on land wholly in North Hertfordshire. Smaller scale greenfield developments will take place in suburban and edge of town locations within Stevenage Borough.
4 This phrase means the same as the "sustainable urban extensions" in the East of England Plan.
22 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Spatial Strategy
4.11 New neighbourhoods will be masterplanned to establish a strong sense of place and ensure that development meets the new demands it creates. This will include provision of shopping, health, community, leisure and education facilities. Multi-functional green space will be an integral part of the new neighbourhoods.
4.12 We need to review the Green Belt to achieve this. Our strategy identifies the need to work closely with surrounding authorities to deliver a strategic review of Green Belt boundaries to meet regional development needs to 2031. Within the Borough, this will mean new boundaries at the west, north-west and west of the town. We will also carry out a local review of the Green Belt boundaries to the south-east of Stevenage.
4.13 To meet the housing needs of the whole community, we will ensure 35% of all new housing development is provided as affordable housing. We will also deliver ‘aspirational’ homes to encourage higher earners to live in the town. We will meet the needs of other groups such as older people and Gypsies and Travellers. Together, these approaches will address the Development Corporation’s legacy. It will deliver a more balanced housing stock for Stevenage.
4.14 However, our focus is not just on outward expansion. Inward investment and renewal are just as important. We will maximise the use of previously developed sites in the town centre, the Old Town and the New Town neighbourhoods. The regeneration of the town centre and the neighbourhood centres, which provide local shops and services, are priorities.
4.15 The regeneration of the town centre will be a flagship scheme to improve Stevenage’s standing in Hertfordshire and the region. It will address negative perceptions of the town by providing a vibrant retail offer fit for the 21st Century.
4.16 This development will help stimulate interest in Stevenage as an attractive place to live work, visit and invest. It will drive new residential developments. It will stimulate demand for the subsequent regeneration of the leisure park, to the west of the town centre. 'Silkin Plaza' will provide a high-calibre, mixed-use offer of homes, offices and leisure in the period after 2021.
4.17 The Old Town High Street provides a range of uses that complements the centre of the New Town. It is characterised by the highest concentration of listed buildings in the Borough and a range of independent retailers, cafes and pubs. A medium-sized supermarket anchors the High Street and draws in trade. Our strategy seeks to protect the role and character of the Old Town.
4.18 Local facilities in the New Town neighbourhoods are protected and will be regenerated. A rolling programme of significant investment in the town’s neighbourhood centres will provide modern services for the residents of the New Town. It will deliver a substantial improvement to the image and quality of the built fabric and public realm.
4.19 These schemes, along with a re-organisation of the way secondary education is provided, will allow us to provide hundreds of new homes on previously developed sites in the New Town neighbourhoods. All new developments will require the highest standards of design and sustainability.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 23 Spatial Strategy
4.20 Raising the town’s economic prospects is fundamental to our vision. Stevenage has a proud tradition of providing a balance between homes and jobs. At the height of the Development Corporation, almost 80% of people that worked in Stevenage lived in the town. This figure has fallen in recent times. We will align employment provision to our housing targets in an attempt to revive this link.
4.21 Many employment opportunities within the Borough are provided in our two main employment areas at Gunnels Wood and Pin Green. Gunnels Wood is the largest employment area in the county and is of regional significance. We plan for the remodelling of this area to make it a destination fit for modern business. A new Bioscience Campus will complement the adjacent GlaxoSmithKline facility. The redevelopment of the leisure park (Silkin Plaza) will provide further jobs. The importance of our second employment area at Pin Green, and other locations which provide significant employment are also recognised.
4.22 Our strategy also identifies a new Innovation Park at Junction 7 of the A1(M) will be a high-quality business environment capable of attracting research and development (R&D) activities and developing existing advanced technology clusters. It will help to ensure that the employment demands of existing and new residents are met.
4.23 Our drive for new employment will be matched by a drive to increase the skill base of our workforce. Today, Stevenage is characterised by relatively low educational attainment and aspirations. Residents are under-represented in executive, management and professional positions.
4.24 Our strategy will allow us to identify the sites and land which will facilitate the Building Schools for the Future programme. This scheme will transform the way secondary education in Stevenage is provided. Much of this will involve the remodelling and rebuilding of schools on existing sites. However it also requires strategic allocations to deliver a new secondary school at Great Ashby and to ensure that residents are able to enjoy the new facilities through shared- and community-use schemes.
4.25 As well as education, we recognise the importance, and land-use implications, of other key social and community uses.
4.26 The Lister Hospital is the largest employer in the town. It has been agreed that acute (emergency) services for north and east Hertfordshire will be consolidated here. This, along with a linked programme to provide new and upgraded facilities, means that the hospital will grow. We will facilitate this growth throughout the plan period.
4.27 Practice-based health provision is also changing. The Primary Care Trust are involved in a programme to replace some doctor’s surgeries with new, larger ‘polyclinics’. These will provide a wider range of services to a larger catchment population.
4.28 Our strategy reflects these programmes in making strategic allocations for health uses. Land will be identified and safeguarded for the future expansion of the Lister Hospital and the provision of new polyclinics in the north-east, west and south of the town.
4.29 We require the provision of the local leisure and community facilities to support new development. Some of these will be delivered within the new neighbourhoods, others through the regeneration of existing neighbourhood centres.
24 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Spatial Strategy
4.30 Alongside these ambitious plans for development we also make sure that people retain access to green spaces close to their homes. Open space was a key element identified by the New Town masterplanners. We ensure that 21st Century Stevenage will uphold their vision and values.
4.31 Forster Country Park will ensure a strategic open space is kept at the north of the town. This will, in part, provide recreational space for existing residents as well as inhabitants of the new neighbourhoods. The Conservation Area status of this area maintain the historic setting of Rooks Nest ~ the childhood home of author E M Forster ~ and the landscapes which inspired his novels. It will help to provide a continuous link from the Old Town to the new Green Belt boundary and open countryside beyond. Our strategy also affords protection to other important spaces, connections and sites throughout the town.
4.32 We will work within the environmental and infrastructural limits to development. We recognise that we cannot progress to, or beyond the 16,000 homes target in the East of England Plan without significant investment.
4.33 Capacity in the waste water system is constrained. New development will, in addition to the facilities already detailed, require the provision of new roads and connections to utilities. The regeneration of the town centre provides an opportunity to remodel the way in which people access the town by public transport and other sustainable modes. Our strategy recognises these key elements and sets out our approach to their provision.
4.34 By putting appropriate conditions on growth, waste water infrastructure can be upgraded to accommodate new development until and beyond 2021. The water companies are currently working on options to ensure a sustainable long-term solution.
4.35 The Northern Relief Road will provide access to the new neighbourhoods at Stevenage North and and at the north-east of Stevenage from the strategic road network. Links to a new neighbourhood west of Stevenage will be created by upgrading existing routes as well as building a northward connection to the A602.
4.36 Bus station facilities will be relocated as part of the town centre regeneration scheme. The opportunity will be taken to improve bus-train transfer. Pedestrian and cycle links from the town centre to Gunnels Wood and the Old Town will be improved.
4.37 Our plans for Stevenage are challenging and ambitious. Because of this, it is vital that our strategy includes a clear programme for its planning and delivery.
4.38 In addition to this Core Strategy, we will prepare five additional plans which will set out detailed policies and land allocations for different areas in and around Stevenage.
4.39 The need for a Town Centre Area Action Plan is driven by the regeneration of the town centre. The expansion of Stevenage means that there is a need for an improved and wider range of facilities, to serve the enlarged town. There is a need to deliver a significant quantity of new retail floorspace to support the planned development. This Plan will set a framework for all new town centre development to the end of the plan period.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 25 Spatial Strategy
4.40 The Old Town Area Action Plan will provide detailed proposals for the conservation, enhancement, regeneration and development of pre-New Town Stevenage. The Old Town has seen increasing development pressures because of its sustainable location.
4.41 If the Old Town is to retain its present, still largely unspoilt atmosphere ~ whilst playing a continuing and vital economic role in the town as a whole ~ its unique needs will have to be carefully considered and addressed.
4.42 The Gunnels Wood Area Action Plan will guide the future of the town’s main employment area. The Gunnels Wood Industrial Area was designated in the New Town’s first Masterplan and was fully developed over the succeeding 25 years. Since that time, the area has been regenerating and changing, and the nature of the area has slowly evolved and altered. In recent times the area has faced development pressures from housing, vehicle showrooms, retailing, leisure and office uses.
4.43 The strategic nature of this area, its significance to the town’s economy, its role as home to four of the town’s major employers, and the nature of the challenges that the area faces, all point to the need for an Area Action Plan.
4.44 Our strategy also takes on the long-term vision for ‘greater Stevenage’ set in the East of England Plan. Key parts of this vision are the new neighbourhoods to the north and west of Stevenage, required by the East of England Plan. With growth crossing administrative boundaries there is a clear need for joint planning between the two district councils. The Stevenage and North Herts Action Plan will fulfil that function.
4.45 Finally, our Site Specific Policies DPD will plan for those parts of the Borough outside the Action Plan areas ~ essentially the New Town neighbourhoods as well as undeveloped land to the south-east of the town. This plan will not only identify sites for development and regeneration: it will also provide policies that have an identifiable site-specific element, including environmental policies such as green lungs and open spaces.
4.46 As well as setting out the planning framework, our strategy sets out clear pathways and mechanisms for delivery.
4.47 The key projects, stakeholders, agencies and partnerships are identified in the Delivery chapter. This sets out what we expect to happen, who we expect to deliver change and how we will monitor progress to make sure that our policies are being correctly implemented.
4.48 We are currently exploring whether a new method of partnership working ~ either statutory or informal ~ could add further value to the delivery of our strategy over and above that which could by achieved by existing working arrangements between Stevenage Borough and North Hertfordshire District Councils and other partners.
26 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Key Diagram
Core Strategy key diagram
Core Strategy and Development Management policies Core Policies for Stevenage
Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
5 A town that grows sustainably
5.1 Sustainable growth is the main aim of the planning system. This means getting the balance right between:
Meeting our social needs, such as new housing; Protecting the environment; Managing natural resources; and Promoting economic growth and employment(5).
5.2 This theme deals with some of the most important aspects of planning. It sets the guiding principles for all plans, policies and developments. It says how much housing development will take place and where it will be. This section sets the framework for a review of the Green Belt. It says how our other plans will help us meet the targets of the East of England Plan.
5.3 The East of England Plan sets a programme of significant growth for Stevenage. Much of this will take place in neighbouring North Hertfordshire District. A co-ordinated approach to plan-making is needed to make sure that this growth is delivered.
5.4 We have identified the key infrastructure that will be required to serve the future population and set out our approach to make sure that new development contributes towards important services and facilities.
5.5 The objectives for this theme are:
[OBJECTIVE SO04] HOUSING
To provide land for at least 8,300 new homes in Stevenage Borough, making good use of brownfield and sustainable greenfield sites and reducing travelling distances. To set a framework for working with North Hertfordshire District Council to deliver new neighbourhoods in that district.
[OBJECTIVE SO05] INFRASTRUCTURE
To provide transport connections and power, water and communication utilities to support new homes and jobs.
5.6 The policies in this section will allow us to meet the following requirements of the East of England Plan policy for Stevenage:
To build 16,000 new homes within and on the edge of Stevenage by 2021; To provide sustainable urban extensions to the west and north of the town;
5 These are the requirements set in Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development (PPS1).
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 29 A town that grows sustainably
To carry out a Green Belt review; To improve strategic transport infrastructure; and To provide new waste water facilities to serve new development.
Sustainable development
[POLICY CS01] SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
We will work within the principles of sustainable development and reduce the impact of development on climate change. We will support the New Town ideal of a balanced and self-contained community.
We will develop plans and generally permit planning applications that:
a. Provide homes or jobs that help meet the targets in the East of England Plan; b. Supply a mix of uses, make good use of land and maximise opportunities for brownfield redevelopment within the town; c. Regenerate areas of the town that are under-performing; d. Reduce deprivation, improve quality of life and make sure that residents share in the benefits of regeneration and growth; e. Provide the infrastructure required to support new development and work within the limits of existing provision until this is in place; f. Raise the aspirations, earnings, education level or life expectancy of residents; g. Provide facilities and services that encourage people to live, work and spend leisure time in Stevenage; h. Provide a mix of homes and jobs for all sectors of the community; i. Protect and improve important open spaces, wildlife sites and habitats; j. Avoid or prevent harm from flood risk, contamination and pollution; k. Reduce the need to travel and promote journeys by bus, train, bike and foot; l. Provide places and spaces that encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle; m. Deliver high-quality buildings and spaces that respect and improve their surroundings and reduce the fear of crime; n. Show how renewable energy and energy efficiency measures will be used; and o. Increase community awareness and involvement so that residents are involved in, and proud of, their town.
5.7 Policy CS01 contains the set of guiding principles for the whole of the Local Development Framework. It shows how we will contribute to national and local priorities. All our policies and also applications for development must help us achieve one or more of its aims.
5.8 Issues such as housing and climate change are important at the national and international levels. We must take local action that will help to meet the challenges that they bring.
30 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
5.9 New homes will help to tackle a national shortage. We will place development in areas that do not increase flood risk or pollution and give people choices about the way they travel. Requiring the efficient use of land, energy and materials will further reduce the environmental impact of new development. Providing high quality new buildings, open spaces and local facilities will improve quality of life.
5.10 There are also issues that are important to Stevenage that we want to tackle. The original masterplan for Stevenage wanted to be a self-contained and balanced town.
5.11 Self-containment refers to the amount of people who choose to live and work in the town. In the 1960s, nearly 80% of people that worked in Stevenage also lived in the town. By 2001, this figure had dropped to 55%. This is lower than nearby places such as Harlow, Luton and Bedford(6).
5.12 People are free to choose where they live and work. We cannot make them do both in Stevenage if they do not want to. What we can do is provide better opportunities by linking the amount and type of land we provide for new employment to the number and type of homes we are building.
5.13 Balance means providing a full range of homes, jobs and facilities. When we compare ourselves to the rest of Hertfordshire, the population of Stevenage is less skilled and employed in lower grade jobs(7). This can be linked to lower than average levels of skills, qualifications and aspirations. However, the type of homes available in the town is also an important influence. One-third of all the homes in Stevenage are three-bed terraces.
5.14 We want to provide a better choice of homes. New housing along with significant changes to areas such as Gunnels Wood and the town centre will change how people outside the town think about Stevenage. It will encourage them to move here.
5.15 However, it is important to point out that we want to provide benefits for all residents of the town. This is why we have said we want everyone to share the benefits of growth. We will regenerate existing facilities in the town’s neighbourhoods. We will help to improve education and healthcare and provide a full range of jobs and opportunities.
5.16 This approach will allow people of all ages, backgrounds and skills to live, work and spend time in Stevenage.
Housing development
[POLICY CS02] HOUSING DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
We will plan for significant housing growth in and around Stevenage to provide at least 20,800 new homes over the period 2001-2026. We will:
6 2001 Census data 7 Annual Population Surveys, Office for National Statistics, www.nomisweb.co.uk.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 31 A town that grows sustainably
a. Provide at least 8,300 new homes within Stevenage Borough between 2001 and 2026. Of these, at least 6,400 new homes will be provided by 2021. At least 1,900 homes will be provided after 2021. b. Identify sites and broad locations for this housing in Area Action Plans and a Site Specific Policies DPD. These will plan for:
i. At least 1,300 new homes in and around the town centre (500 by 2021, 800 after 2021); ii. At least 1,200 new homes in the Old Town (1,000 by 2021, 200 after 2021); iii. At least 2,800 new homes in new neighbourhoods on undeveloped land to the west and north of the town within the Borough boundary (2,500 by 2021, 300 after 2021); iv. At least 3,000 new homes elsewhere in the Borough (2,400 by 2021, 600 after 2021).
c. Use a sequential approach to select the most suitable sites. This will give priority to previously developed land and new neighbourhoods. d. Require at least 45% of new homes completed within the Borough boundary between 2001 and 2026 to be on previously developed land. e. Make sure there is always enough land to build homes for the next five years and phase development so that infrastructure can meet demand. f. Support applications for housing development on unallocated sites where they are in suitable locations and will not exceed our environmental capacity. g. Work with North Hertfordshire District Council to provide at least 12,500 additional homes to the west and north of Stevenage between 2001 and 2026. These will be on land outside the Stevenage Borough boundary. At least 9,600 new homes will be provided by 2021. At least 2,900 homes will be provided after 2021.
5.17 Housing growth is one of the most important parts of the Local Development Framework. We would need to provide 6,000 new homes by 2026 just to meet increases and changes in the existing population of Stevenage(8). This represents almost three-quarters of the housing target for the Borough.
5.18 However, our plans for the town require more than this. Housing growth, regeneration and high quality employment all support one another. This is why we asked for a high housing target through the East of England Plan.
5.19 The East of England Plan tells us how many houses must be built by the year 2021 and how to work out targets after this point. We have used this advice to meet Government guidance in making sure that the Core Strategy plans for the next fifteen years(9).
5.20 Policy CS02 says how much housing must be provided. It also sets out where and when this should take place. We have considered a number of factors to decide this, including:
How much development has already taken place or been permitted (see Table below);
8 Derived from 2006-based household projections(DCLG, 2009) 9 PPS12
32 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
The need to include growth in certain locations and directions to meet the requirements of the East of England Plan; The findings of our housing land studies(10); The fact that we will not be able to provide all of the new housing within the existing town or the Borough boundary. We will have to work with North Hertfordshire District Council and also review the Green Belt boundary to meet the targets in CS02; and The lack of realistic alternative spatial options that would let us meet the target to build 8,300 new homes in Stevenage Borough. This is because of:
Our New Town heritage which limits the type, location and amount of land that becomes available for development; The town’s built-up area reaching the Borough boundary to the east and south, removing options for significant growth in these directions; and Consultation results and the findings of our evidence studies and environmental appraisals. These do not support significant alternatives such as redeveloping (parts of) the town’s main employment area for housing.
Housing completions and permissions April 1st 2001 – 30th September 2009
Plan area Minimum Already Minimum still to Minimum target completed or be planned for target 2001-2021 permitted to 2021 2021-2026 Town Centre Area Action 500 101 399 800 Plan Old Town Area Action 1,000 838 162 200 Plan Stevenage & North Herts 2,500 234 2,266 300 Action Plan Site Specific Policies DPD 2,400 1,505 895 600 Total 6,400 2,678 3,722 1,900
The target for the Stevenage & North Herts Action Plan refers only to that part of the plan area within the Stevenage Borough boundary. We do not propose to provide any housing within the Gunnels Wood employment area.
5.21 Government guidance says our plans must identify deliverable housing sites for the first five years of the plan(11). This means choosing sites that are suitable in planning terms and are currently available for development. We must then maintain this five-year supply throughout the plan period.
10 Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (2008) (SHLAA); Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment 2008/09 Update (forthcoming) (SHLAA update). 11 PPS3
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 33 A town that grows sustainably
5.22 We should also provide developable housing sites for the rest of the plan period. Developable sites are those which we think are suitable for development and are likely to be brought forward for housing use in the future. Where we cannot identify enough developable sites to meet our targets, broad areas for development should be identified.
5.23 In trying to meet these requirements, we will choose sites for development in the order shown below. This is known as a sequential test:
Previously developed sites in the town centre and other accessible locations; New neighbourhoods needed to meet the requirements of the East of England Plan; Other previously developed sites; Greenfield (undeveloped) sites(12); Sites in areas of flood risk.
5.24 There is a national and regional target for 60% of new homes to be built on previously-developed sites(13). This is to stop the unnecessary use of greenfield land which can be cheaper and easier for developers to build on. In parts of the country it is possible to build almost all new homes on previously developed land. Other areas will not be able to do this but can still make an important contribution to the overall target. Stevenage is in this second group.
5.25 Since 2001, two-thirds of completions and planning permissions in Stevenage have been on previously developed land. We also plan to redevelop a number of large previously developed sites. This includes the regeneration of the town and neighbourhood centres. Some sites currently occupied by schools will also become available to be re-used for homes.
5.26 However, Stevenage is a planned New Town. This means that, once these sites have been developed, very little brownfield land will be available. The East of England Plan also requires significant development on greenfield sites.
5.27 Our latest housing land study suggests that 45% of future housing could be on previously developed sites(14). We will use this as a target when we allocate new sites for development. Overall, we expect that approximately half of all housing completions over the period 2001-2026 will be on previously developed land.
5.28 However, whether or not a site has previously been developed is not the only consideration. When deciding which sites or areas to allocate we will also think about (but not necessarily limit ourselves to) the following:
The need to provide deliverable sites for five years from the adoption of the plan; The need to identify developable sites or broad areas for the rest of the plan period; How accessible the site is to public transport and local facilities; The presence of physical planning, infrastructure or other constraints on the site; The ability of each site to integrate with the existing town and / or provide a whole new neighbourhood;
12 With the exception of the new neighbourhoods, non-Green Belt sites will generally be given precedence over Green Belt sites 13 Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3); East of England Plan SS2 14 SHLAA Update
34 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
Whether the site is needed for, or better suited to, an alternative use; and The contribution of the site to other objectives and policies in our plans.
5.29 The approach we have explained above will help us allocate sites to meet our target to provide 8,300 homes. However, we also need to consider other relevant factors:
The East of England plan is currently being ‘rolled forward’ to cover the period to 2031 and will set a new housing target for Stevenage; Our evidence shows that we will need to phase developments in line with capacity improvements to the waste water infrastructure(15); The findings of our Sustainability Appraisal; Sites that we allocate may become available for development sooner than we think; and New sites that we are not currently aware of will also come forwards over the plan period. These are known as windfalls. Other policies in the LDF relating (but not necessarily limited) to house types, flood risk and design.
5.30 The Delivery chapter sets out how we will manage our five-year supply of housing land and deal with the new housing targets set through the East of England Plan. Policy CS05 sets out our approach to the provision of key infrastructure.
5.31 Our Sustainability Appraisal says that the amount of housing we are planning for will have significant social benefits. However, there will also be environmental impacts from the development of greenfield sites. The Site Specific Policies DPD and our Area Action Plans will say how we will reduce these impacts. These documents will identify the precise boundaries for development. This will allow us to work out the effects and decide how best to deal with them.
5.32 These documents will also say how we will deal with allocation sites that come forwards for development ahead of time. Policy DM02 says how we will treat applications on windfall sites. In both instances we will consider (but not limit ourselves to) the following:
How we are performing against adopted and emerging housing targets; If we have an up to-date supply of housing land for the next five years; Whether there is enough infrastructure capacity to absorb the additional demand; and If (non-)development of the site would act against other policies and objectives.
5.33 More than half of the new housing in and around Stevenage will be built in North Hertfordshire. Our Core Strategy cannot set policies for land outside the Borough boundary. However, we are committed to working closely with North Hertfordshire District Council to make sure that our Core Strategies support one another. We will continue to work with them to develop an Area Action Plan to deliver the housing growth planned for the edge of the existing town. More details are set out in Policy CS04.
5.34 Chapter 7 sets out the policies that will ensure that new housing meets the needs of all parts of the community. Chapter 8 explains our approach to development and flood risk. Chapter 9 includes our core design policy.
15 Rye Meads Water Cycle Study (2009).
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 35 A town that grows sustainably
Green Belt
[POLICY CS03] GREEN BELT
We will support the principles of the Green Belt and provide long-term certainty over the limits of development. We will:
a. Carry out a Green Belt review. This will establish defensible long-term boundaries which allow scope for the continued growth of the Stevenage built-up area to at least 2031. b. Set a new Green Belt boundary in the west, north-west and south-east of the Borough. Green Belt boundaries within the Borough will be identified in Area Action Plans and the Site Specific Policies DPD. c. Work with North Hertfordshire District Council to create a Green Belt boundary around the new neighbourhoods in that District. d. Work with East Hertfordshire District Council to create a coherent and connected Green Belt boundary around the east of the town on land in that district. e. Decide applications for development in the Green Belt in accordance with national guidance.
5.35 Green Belts are one of the best known and oldest national planning policies. They are designed to prevent urban sprawl, stop towns from joining together and protect the countryside from development. National guidance prevents many forms of development in the Green Belt unless there are very special circumstances(16). This includes housing.
5.36 The Green Belt boundary around Stevenage that was identified in the last Local Plan was very close to the existing town(17). Keeping this boundary would stop us from meeting our housing targets. This would make our plans unsound. The East of England Plan recognises this and says we should review the boundary to allow the built-up area of Stevenage to continue growing until at least 2031.
5.37 We will take approximately 140 hectares of land out of the Green Belt to help us meet our development needs. This will include land south of the A602 at Bragbury End as well as the land between North Road and Weston Road. This latter area will accommodate a new neighbourhood, though some of this land will remain safeguarded against development.
5.38 Some existing Green Belt will remain within the Borough boundary. This will be to the north-west, east and south-east of the town. We will reinstate the hamlet of Norton Green into the Green Belt. Precise boundaries will be set through the Site Specific Policies DPD and Area Action Plans.
5.39 However, in many places, the Green Belt boundary will be set on land outside Stevenage Borough. This is because:
16 Planning Policy Guidance 2: Green Belts (PPG2) 17 Stevenage District Plan Second Review 2004
36 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
Much of the planned growth required by the East of England Plan must take place in North Hertfordshire District; In parts of the town, the built-up area extends to the Borough boundary. Two examples of this are the neighbourhoods of Chells Manor, at the east of the town, and Broadwater, at the south; Beyond 2021, the best opportunities to allow scope for the continued growth of the built-up area may lie in East Hertfordshire District; and It might not be appropriate to simply use the Borough boundary as the Green Belt boundary. Government guidance requires that Green Belt boundaries be set using clearly identifiable physical features. The Borough boundary does not always follow these.
5.40 In these cases the new boundary will need to be set by the surrounding local authority. We will work with North and East Hertfordshire District Councils to make sure that the Green Belt review is fully effective. This will create a defensible long-term boundary all the way around the town. It will meet our development and community needs to at least 2031.
5.41 We will consider proposals for development in the Green Belt using national guidance. Where the proposed use is shown to be acceptable, we will use our detailed policies to decide whether to grant planning permission.
5.42 Our Sustainability Appraisal recognises that the Green Belt review will have negative environmental impacts. However, the direction to carry it out is set in the East of England Plan. We will concentrate on reducing and mitigating against the impacts. Detailed measures will be identified in the Site Specific Policies DPD and Area Action Plans.
Area action plans and the site specific policies DPD
[POLICY CS04] AREA ACTION PLANS AND THE SITE SPECIFIC POLICIES DPD
We will produce detailed plans, policies and guidance for the area in and around Stevenage. We will:
a. Prepare and implement Area Action Plans (AAPs) for the Town Centre, Old Town and Gunnels Wood. These will guide development in the areas where we expect significant change or regeneration or where we want to conserve existing features. b. Work with North Hertfordshire District Council to prepare an AAP for land to the north and west of Stevenage (SNAP). This will provide the policies for the new neighbourhoods required by the East of England Plan. c. Set allocations and designations for those parts of the Borough not covered by an AAP in a Site Specific Policies DPD. d. Show the areas within the Borough that are covered by these plans on the Proposals Map as each plan is adopted. e. Require development proposals to comply with these plans and other relevant Supplementary Planning Documents.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 37 A town that grows sustainably
5.43 The Core Strategy sets the main policies and directions of growth. However we will also need to prepare more detailed plans. This is because of the scale and type of growth that will happen in Stevenage over the next fifteen years. These plans will allocate sites for development and set specific policies for the areas that they cover.
5.44 We will prepare three Area Action Plans (AAPs) for parts of the town that are wholly within the Borough boundary. These are areas where there is the greatest need to promote either change and regeneration or preservation.
5.45 The Town Centre AAP will guide a significant programme of redevelopment and regeneration for the centre of Stevenage. It will identify sites and land to provide 130,000m2 of new comparison retail floorspace. The AAP will define a primary frontage where only A1 retail units will be permitted and a secondary frontage where we will encourage a range of appropriate town centre uses. It will plan for the development of at least 1,300 new homes between 2001 and 2026. This will be made up of existing completions and permissions plus sites and land for at least 399 additional new homes by 2021 and 800 homes after 2021. It will promote the redevelopment of the leisure park to create Silkin Plaza, a new, mixed-use centre. This will include high-quality office space. The Town Centre Gardens will be protected from development. The AAP will contain policies to support improvements to the built environment, public spaces and public transport. This will include reconfiguring the location of bus stops.
5.46 The Old Town AAP will set policies that preserve the historic character of the Old Town while taking advantage of the area’s sustainable location to provide an appropriate level of new development. It will plan for the development of at least 1,200 new homes between 2001 and 2026. This will be made up of existing completions and permissions plus sites and land for at least 162 additional new homes by 2021 and 200 homes after 2021. It will preserve and enhance the High Street by identifying a primary frontage, where we will expect A1 retail uses to be concentrated and a secondary frontage where we will permit a wider range of uses. Part of the Thomas Alleyne School site will be safeguarded for future educational use. Important open spaces will be identified and protected from development. The AAP will define character areas. These will set out the main features which should be preserved by, and reflected in, new development.
5.47 The Gunnels Wood AAP will set policies that provide a business district for the 21st Century. It will seek to maintain and enhance the area’s status as the largest employment site in Hertfordshire. It will ensure a range of uses to provide jobs for people of all skill levels. It will deliver 70,000m2 of net additional employment floorspace and 3,500 new jobs by 2026. A zonal approach to land use will guide new development to the most appropriate locations. High-intensity uses will only be allowed in sustainable locations. This will include office uses in Silkin Park, a regeneration area surrounding Silkin Plaza. Policies will support improvements to the design and layout of buildings, improvements to the public realm and public transport. This will include improving pedestrian links to and from the station.
5.48 More than 20,000 new homes are planned for the area in and around Stevenage between 2001 and 2026. We cannot fit all of this development inside the Borough. This is reflected in the requirements of the East of England Plan. A significant amount of the new homes for this area will be built on land in North Hertfordshire district.
38 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
5.49 We cannot set policies for land outside our Borough. However, we will continue to work closely with North Hertfordshire District Council to produce a joint plan for growth around the town.
5.50 The East of England Plan sets a distinct target for development in North Hertfordshire District to accommodate extensions to Stevenage. However, in many places, the boundary between the authorities is a footpath or field boundary. This means that some potential development sites lie partly in Stevenage and partly in North Hertfordshire.
5.51 Our ambition is that the joint Stevenage and North Herts Action Plan (SNAP) will deliver the new neighbourhoods required by the East of England Plan. It will plan for the development of at least 15,300 additional new homes in the period 2001 to 2026 (12,500 in North Hertfordshire and 2,800 in Stevenage) . This will be made up of existing completions and permissions plus sites and land for at least 10,232 additional new homes by 2021 and 3,200 new homes after 2021.
5.52 This will include land for at least 5,000 homes to the west of Stevenage and approximately 2,500 to the north using land within both authorities. Around 5,500 further homes to the north east of Stevenage will be provided on land wholly in North Hertfordshire.
5.53 SNAP will provide new employment to deliver jobs alongside new homes. A strategic employment site will be allocated at Junction 7 of the A1(M) to provide 65,000m2 of new employment floorspace and 3,000 jobs. Land will also be provided close to junction 8 of the A1(M) to allow for the future expansion of the Lister Hospital.
5.54 Land will be safeguarded to provide strategic open space in ‘Forster County’ as well as other multi-functional green spaces to serve the new population. A new Green Belt boundary will be set to the west and north of Stevenage.
5.55 SNAP will require new development to provide an appropriate range of infrastructure and local facilities. This will include schools, health and local shops. Some of these will be delivered in new neighbourhood centres, reflecting the provision (to be) made in existing Stevenage neighbourhoods. New transport and wastewater infrastructure will provide the capacity to accommodate new development. SNAP will lay the basis for the masterplanning principles which will underpin these developments.
5.56 We will also prepare a Site Specific Policies DPD to cover the rest of the Borough. This will set policies for the areas of the New Town that are not covered by an Area Action Plan. It will plan for the development of at least 3,000 new homes between 2001 and 2026. This will be made up of existing completions and permissions plus sites and land for at least 895 additional new homes by 2021 and 600 homes after 2021.
5.57 It will identify and safeguard the employment area at Pin Green. The plan will set policies that support a programme for the regeneration of our network of neighbourhood centres. It will also identify sites for the provision of new health, leisure, education and community facilities. This will include a sites for new Primary Care Trust facilities at Martins Way and on the Heathcote School site. Important open spaces will be identified and protected from development. These will include Fairlands Valley, Canterbury and Hampson Parks as well as Green Lungs which provide connections between areas of the town. A Green Belt boundary for the south-east of the town will be set using identifiable features including Gresley Way and the A602.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 39 A town that grows sustainably
Infrastructure and developer requirements
[POLICY CS05] KEY INFRASTRUCTURE
We will ensure the infrastructure required to support the targets in the East of England Plan is provided. We will work within the constraints of existing provision until this is in place. We will:
a. Require additional waste water treatment capacity to be planned and delivered with developers, the water industry and its regulators. This will allow for the long-term growth of Stevenage. b. Phase permissions for development in line with the additional capacity in (a) being realised. c. Work with North Hertfordshire District Council to deliver the following through SNAP:
i. A northern relief road to serve new neighbourhoods to the north and north-east of Stevenage; ii. Links to Stevenage West via Meadway and Bessemer Drive; iii. A link from Stevenage West towards the Wymondley By-Pass; and iv. A new secondary school beyond the edge of the existing Great Ashby development.
d. Work with other utilities and service providers to ensure that appropriate capacity is available to serve new development.
5.58 It is essential to make sure that new development is supported by suitable infrastructure. This includes making sure that new homes have access to key utilities such water and electricity. It also means making sure that the major schemes needed to support development are delivered in a timely fashion.
5.59 All wastewater and sewage from Stevenage is treated at Rye Meads in Essex. This treatment works also serves other proposed growth points, notably at Harlow. It is also located within the Lee Valley Special Protection Area (SPA) – a wildlife site of European importance.
5.60 The East of England Plan recognises the importance of realising additional capacity in the wastewater network if the growth agenda is to be realised. Our evidence shows that there is sufficient capacity at Rye Meads to develop up to the 16,000 home target required by the East of England Plan without breaching its current capacity(18).
5.61 However, new infrastructure will need to be provided to connect development at Stevenage. We will work with the water industry, Environment Agency and other relevant stakeholders to carry out the technical work required informing what form this provision should take and where it should be.
18 Rye Meads Water Cycle Study (2009)
40 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
5.62 Strategic scale new developments will be subject to appropriate planning conditions where sewerage infrastructure constraints and upgrade requirements have been highlighted, unless sufficient capacity can be demonstrated through further investigations and consultations with the water companies. Our Appropriate Assessment says that, by following these steps, we will not harm the SPA.
5.63 We will support the findings of the Urban Transport Plan (UTP)(19)and require the necessary road infrastructure to be in place for the urban expansions. This will include link roads to ensure that development north and west of Stevenage is integrated within the local transport network. These schemes will reduce the demand on local roads which are predicted to be over capacity as a result of future development. To the north and north east this will include links onto North Road, Graveley Road and Gresley Way. To the west it will be necessary to upgrade the road standards at Bessemer Drive and Meadway, provide a link towards the Wymondley By-Pass and reconfigure junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M).
5.64 Between junction 7 and 8, the A1(M) narrows from three lanes to two and this places considerable pressure on the approaches, particularly at peak hours. The amount of housing growth within and around the Stevenage area will have further significant effects on the A1(M). The UTP has shown that the section of the A1(M) between junctions 6 and 7 is already over capacity. By 2021, it is predicted that the section between junctions 7 and 8 will also be over capacity.
5.65 Solutions to the A1(M) issues are being considered by Hertfordshire County Council and the Highways Agency. However, it is likely that the potential cost of any significant proposals would need to be funded through a public-private partnership. Regional Funding Allocations (RFA) have been defined up to 2017, with no allocations for A1(M) schemes at Stevenage. Therefore, any future proposals would need to go through the RFA process and would not be considered for funding before 2017.
5.66 Much of this infrastructure will be jointly planned with North Hertfordshire District Council through SNAP. In identifying sites and routes, care should be taken to avoid harm to the most environmentally sensitive areas including the Site of Special Scientific Interest at Knebworth Woods. SNAP (or any other relevant plan) will set out the measures that will be required to mitigate or minimise any adverse impacts.
[POLICY CS06] DEVELOPER REQUIREMENTS
We will require new development to meet the need for services and infrastructure that it creates. We will:
a. Refuse permission where new development does not
i. Make reasonable on-site provision, off-site provision or contributions towards (but not limited to) the following where relevant:
19 Stevenage Urban Transport Plan, AECOM, 2009
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 41 A town that grows sustainably
affordable housing; biodiversity; childcare and youth facilities; community facilities; community safety and crime prevention; cultural facilities; cycling and walking; education; flood prevention measures; Gypsy and Traveller accommodation; health care facilities; leisure facilities; open spaces; passenger transport; play areas; policing; public realm enhancement; road and rail transport; skills and lifelong learning; sports; supported housing; travel plans; utilities and waste and recycling.
ii. Make reasonable contributions towards the provision of the Key Infrastructure identified in Policy CS05 and / or measures to mitigate against any adverse impact on amenity or the local environment where this is appropriate and necessary;. iii. Meet any specific requirements relating to individual sites set out in Area Action Plans or the Site Specific Policies DPD.
b. Use developer contributions, legal agreements, tariffs or other relevant mechanisms to make sure that the criteria in (a) are met. c. Provide further details in a DPD or Supplementary Planning Document.
5.67 New development puts extra demand on services. New homes will be occupied by families that need school places and open spaces. A new employment site might require a bus route to be changed or created so that employees do not need to drive to work.
5.68 Evidence studies show that a growing Stevenage will need a range of new services and facilities(20). Growth will also let us tackle housing needs by providing affordable housing. These might not be provided without a planning policy. This is because affordable housing, community facilities and open spaces have lower values than uses such as private housing, shops or employment.
5.69 Government guidance lets us ask for developer contributions to make sure these services are provided. This can be done by using a legal agreement known as a planning obligation. Any obligation must be fair and reasonable. It should make the development acceptable in planning terms. Planning permission must never be bought or sold through the use of obligations(21).
5.70 These obligations are currently known as Section 106 agreements. We will use these to make sure the requirements of Policy CS06 are met.
5.71 However, these may be replaced in the future. The Government is currently investigating the best way to secure contributions(22). This may allow standard charges or a levy to be collected from all new development.
20 Including Hertfordshire Infrastructure Investment Study, Hertfordshire County Council, 2009, Strategic Housing Market Assessment, DCA, 2007, Open Space Study, PMP, 2006 21 Circular 05/05: Planning Obligations 22 DCLG has recently completed a public consultation on the the Government's detailed proposals for the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), including draft regulations. CIL will be a new charge which local authorities in England and Wales will be empowered, but not required, to charge on most types of new development in their area.
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5.72 Policy CS06 sets out a number of items for which developer contributions might be necessary. It is important to point out that although the way in which contributions are collected might be different in the future, our list of requirements is less likely to change.
5.73 We will develop a Development Plan Document or Supplementary Planning Document to provide further details. We will do this once the outcome of the Government investigation is known.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 43 A town that is prosperous
6 A town that is prosperous
6.1 Stevenage is an important place for doing business. More than 40,000 people work here. Gunnels Wood is the largest employment area in the County. It is home to a number of international companies. A second area at Pin Green provides several thousand jobs. However, many buildings in both areas are more than 30 years old.
6.2 There are also many jobs outside of our main employment areas. The Lister Hospital is the town’s biggest employer and growing. The town centre provides a large number and wide range of shops. However, it is now 50 years old and has fallen behind other towns. This means many shoppers choose to go to other newer or bigger centres.
6.3 This theme sets out how we will provide strategic employment growth within Stevenage and capitalise on our position between London and Cambridge. It shows how we plan to improve our employment areas and provide new land for business. It sets out how we will regenerate and expand the town centre, support the Old Town High Street and provide local shopping facilities.
6.4 Making our employment areas and town centre more attractive and exciting places to be will encourage companies to see Stevenage as a place where they want to locate their business. A more prosperous town will help to meet our aims of balance and self-containment.
6.5 We also need to make sure that this is matched by an increase in skills for local residents. Those who work in Stevenage earn more and are more qualified than those who live here. This suggests that people that commute into the area for work fill senior positions.
6.6 The objectives for this theme are:
[OBJECTIVE SO06] EMPLOYMENT
To provide opportunities for residents to improve their skills and obtain better paid local jobs. To deliver the requirements of the East of England Plan by providing land for a full range of jobs in sustainable locations. To provide a wider range of economic activities with an emphasis on research, design and high-technology.
[OBJECTIVE SO07] RETAIL
To regenerate the town centre to provide a modern shopping destination for a growing population. To support and maintain a range of uses that preserve the vitality and character of the Old Town High Street. To complement the town centre by supporting appropriate uses in neighbourhood centres, retail parks and out-of-centre supermarkets.
44 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is prosperous
6.7 This section will allow us to meet the following requirements of the East of England Plan policy for Stevenage:
To raise working aspirations and improve education and training provision; To keep and develop existing high-technology businesses; To create new, high-quality employment sites and remodel existing areas; To encourage new enterprise and support a larger and regenerated town centre.
Jobs & skills
[POLICY CS07] JOBS, EDUCATION & SKILLS
We will create new jobs to support planned housing growth. We will raise the skills and aspirations of residents to ensure everyone shares the benefit of increased prosperity. We will:
a. Create opportunities for 20,000 net new jobs between 2001 and 2026. 16,000 net new jobs will be created by 2021. b. Work with Hertfordshire County Council and other skills and training providers to raise expectations and opportunities in terms of education and working aspirations. We will support the Building Schools for the Future programme across the town and safeguard land for education in the Old Town. Sites will be identified in our Area Action Plans and Site Specific Policies DPD. c. Permit new education or training facilities where they meet a demonstrated need and are in an accessible location. d. Require new development to make appropriate contributions towards education and / or training facilities. e. Only allow the redevelopment of unallocated school sites where it can be proven that they are no longer required or viable for educational or community uses.
6.8 Providing jobs for residents of the town has always been important in Stevenage. In the 1960s, more than 80% of people who worked in the town also lived here. This number has fallen in recent years. However, at the start of the plan period, the level of self-containment was still high compared to other districts in Hertfordshire(23).
6.9 We want this to continue. This means creating enough jobs to support planned housing growth and give residents the opportunity to work in Stevenage.
6.10 We have identified a target to provide 20,000 new jobs between 2001 and 2026. This figure has been reached by looking at our evidence studies, Census data and the jobs and housing targets in the East of England Plan(24).
23 2001 Census 24 Skills and Employment Study, Employment Capacity Study, Employment Capacity Update (forthcoming), East of England Plan policies E1 and H1.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 45 A town that is prosperous
6.11 The target means that we expect to take a large share of new jobs in Hertfordshire. However, it is justified by:
Our aim to support a more self-contained community; The large number of new homes that will be built in Stevenage compared to other areas; and The fact that Stevenage is one of only three districts in the County to experience net in-commuting. This is where the number of people who travel into an area to work is larger than the number of people that travel out from that area to work.
6.12 Our evidence has also identified low levels of skills and aspirations among residents. A high proportion of people living in Stevenage are low-skill workers. There are relatively few managers or professionals.
6.13 This can be linked to a trend of low levels of achievement at school. A high proportion of the population have only the most basic qualifications. Exam results are significantly below county and national averages(25). Many students leave school aged 16. These issues feed the cycle of deprivation and low earnings that characterise some parts of the town.
6.14 Raising the educational achievements of the town’s children as well as the skills and aspirations of older residents are priorities for the Community Strategy. We will support this by encouraging developments that will provide new or improved education and training facilities.
6.15 An important part of this is the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Hertfordshire County Council is the local authority responsible for education in Stevenage. They are implementing a programme to change the way secondary school education is provided in the town. This involves concentrating schools onto fewer, larger sites. Existing schools will be demolished or rebuilt. We will use our plans to identify the sites and land needed to make sure that this programme can succeed.
6.16 BSF, along with the new secondary school included in the outline planning application for Stevenage West, takes full account of Stevenage's population growth to 2021. We do not expect that Hertfordshire County Council, as education authority, will seek developer contributions towards future secondary school provision beyond this in the period up to 2021.
6.17 The BSF proposals include vacating the Thomas Alleyne site in the Old Town. We will safeguard part of this site for education use to help to improve Further / Higher education provision in the town.
6.18 Where appropriate, new development will be required to contribute towards primary education. This will include the provision of schools within the new neighbourhoods. The County Council are currently reviewing future primary education needs from elsewhere within the existing town. We will support the provision of new or improved facilities where they will meet an identified need.
25 Stevenage Health Profile 2009, www.apho.org.uk.
46 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is prosperous
Employment land
[POLICY CS08] EMPLOYMENT LAND
We will provide sites and land to allow new employment to match planned housing growth over the period 2001-2026. We will:
a. Provide land and sites for 150,000m2 floorspace of net new B-class employment between 2001 and 2026. This will include:
i. 35,000m2 from new allocations in the Town Centre Area Action Plan; ii. 70,000m2 from identified sites and areas in the Gunnels Wood Area Action Plan; iii. 85,000m2 from allocated sites outside the existing town planned jointly with North Hertfordshire District through SNAP;and iv. 40,000m2 from other opportunities within the existing town and new neighbourhoods
These gains will be partially offset by the loss of 80,000m2 of floorspace from completed development and future housing allocations.
b. Permit high intensity B-class employment uses in the most accessible locations. This includes high-density offices to the west of the railway station as part of a comprehensive and co-ordinated mixed-use development. c. Remodel Gunnels Wood to meet modern requirements and provide a high quality and attractive business destination. This will include a bioscience campus at the south of the employment area. d. Identify and protect the employment area at Pin Green in the Site Specific Policies DPD and retain a range of B-class employment accommodation in suitable locations elsewhere in the town. e. Work with North Hertfordshire District Council to deliver the following through SNAP:
i. a new, strategic employment site at Junction 7 of the A1(M), ensuring that the long-term integrity and biodiversity value of the adjacent SSSI is maintained; and; ii. employment opportunities in new neighbourhoods to allow people to work close to where they live.
f. Set policies which recognise the important role played by the town’s retail, health and other non-B Class land uses in providing employment.
6.19 In planning, employment land usually refers to areas that are set aside for offices and industry. These uses are defined by legislation as ‘B-class’ and include:
B1(a) – offices B1(b) – research and development B1(c) – light industry
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 47 A town that is prosperous
B2 – general industry; and B8 – storage and distribution(26)
6.20 There are currently two main employment areas in Stevenage. Gunnels Wood is to the west of the railway line. It was designated in the first masterplan for the New Town and is now the largest employment area in the county.
6.21 Pin Green was built in the north-east of Stevenage during the 1960s. It was designed to act as a ‘counterweight’ to the increasing number of cars that were being driven to Gunnels Wood. Today, these two areas provide around 24,500 jobs and 900,000m2 of employment floorspace (27).
6.22 Our evidence shows that we can expect 'B-class' development to provide just under half of net new jobs(28). We will provide around 8,500 net additional jobs through 'B-class' development between 2001 and 2026. These will contribute to the overall jobs target set in Policy CS07. We will provide 150,000m2 of net new employment floorspace to help achieve this. A significant amount of this will take place on previously-developed land in the existing town.
6.23 Government planning guidance says that the most intensive employment uses should take place in or around town centres. This might include high-rise office buildings or mixed use developments(29). The demand for office space in Stevenage is currently weak. This is because of the poor image of the town centre and a lack of suitable premises. Much of the office stock in the town centre is not fit for modern business.
6.24 We also have a long-term aim to make better use of the land to the west of the station. This is currently occupied by the leisure park and industrial uses. The 'Silkin Plaza' development provides a significant opportunity to deliver more jobs and houses through mixed-use development. However, this depends on us successfully delivering the regeneration of the town centre in order to stimulate demand.
6.25 The Town Centre Area Action Plan will identify sites and land to accommodate 35,000m2 of net additional B1(a) (office) floorspace to achieve both of these aims(30).
6.26 Our evidence shows that areas in Gunnels Wood make poor use of land. There is no clear distribution of the employment land uses described above. There are few high-quality or landmark buildings. Gunnels Wood does not have a clear identity and does not appeal to potential investors as much as it could(31).
6.27 Through the Gunnels Wood Area Action Plan, we will introduce an approach which directs certain uses to particular parts of the employment area. This will include offices on the land immediately surrounding Silkin Plaza.
26 Use Classes Order 2005 27 Employment Land Survey; SBC Monitoring 28 Based on the 'Sustainable Communities' scenario explored in the Employment Capacity Study 29 Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres (PPS6), Planning Policy Guidance 4: Industrial, commercial development and small firms (PPG4); Draft Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Development (draft PPS4). 30 Based on the recommendations of the Stevenage Town Centre Masterplan(2009). 31 Employment Land Survey; Employment Capacity Study
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6.28 Policies will also seek to improve the quality of buildings and provide a range of unit size and types. This will encourage existing high-tech and research businesses to stay in the area. It will also provide space for new enterprises to flourish.
6.29 In 2009, outline permission was granted for a significant new development within the existing GlaxoSmithKline complex. We will support the provision of a 'bioscience campus' here for start-up companies that will see a significant increase in high-skilled jobs.
6.30 Other areas of the town also make an important contribution to jobs in Stevenage, though there are fewer opportunities for new development. Pin Green provides a range of employment uses. Several of the town’s neighbourhood centres contain smaller office or workshop units. These sites can help to reduce travel distances by providing jobs close to homes.
6.31 The Site Specific Policies DPD and our Generic Development Management Policies will set out our approach to employment in these areas of the town.
6.32 However, we cannot provide enough new jobs just by re-using existing sites. There are several reasons for this:
The jobs created by some of the schemes described above will be partially offset by jobs lost from the redevelopment of the current uses; We expect to use a small number of employment sites to help us meet the housing targets in Policy CS02; and In the period since 2001, there has been a net loss of employment floorspace in the town(32).
6.33 In total we expect identified development on existing sites in the town to provide around 3,500 additional jobs. This means that we need to provide additional sites for employment if we want to deliver enough jobs to support the housing growth that is planned for the town.
6.34 Land at Junction 7 of the A1(M) will be used to create a new high-quality innovation park capable of attracting advanced technology and research and development (R&D) activities. This will complement existing businesses in Gunnels Wood. We estimate that around 65,000m2 of employment floorspace and 3,000 new jobs will be provided here.
6.35 The masterplan for Stevenage West identifies employment land at three locations adjacent to the A1(M). These will provide the balance of floorspace specifically identified for the Stevenage and North Herts Action Plan (SNAP).
6.36 Further B-class floorspace will be supported in the local and mixed use centres in this, and other, new neighbourhoods where appropriate. We also anticipate that windfall opportunities will arise from the re-use and intensification of existing plots, particularly in Gunnels Wood. These opportunities will allow us to achieve the target in paragraph 6.22.
6.37 Some of the land required to deliver these requirements lies outside the Borough boundary. We will work with North Hertfordshire District Council to identify policies and sites through SNAP.
32 Employment floorspace completions April 2001 - March 2009, SBC monitoring
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 49 A town that is prosperous
6.38 The proposed site at Junction 7 is adjacent to the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Knebworth Woods. SNAP will need to include satisfactory protection and mitigation measures to ensure any development near to this site does not have an adverse impact.
6.39 B-class developments can include uses which are hazardous or polluting. Our approach to these issues is set out in Policy CS15. Any relevant proposals will be tested against this and the detailed criteria policies DM23 and DM25.
6.40 In addition to the proposals in this policy, it is important to recognise that a significant number of people are, and will be, employed outside of B-class uses. Policies CS09 and CS10 set out our approach to retail and health respectively. These, and other, sectors are expected to continue to make a significant contribution towards jobs in Stevenage.
Retail
[POLICY CS09] RETAIL HIERARCHY
We will provide the type and range of retail facilities that are required to support Stevenage’s role as a Key Centre for Development and Change. We will:
a. Set the following retail hierarchy:
i. Stevenage town centre (major town centre); ii. Old Town High Street (district centre); iii. Local centres providing shops and a range of facilities; iv. Neighbourhood centres that meet day-to-day shopping and community needs.
Policies identifying these centres and any specific requirements will be included in relevant Area Action Plans and the Site Specific Policies DPD.
b. Support the comprehensive and co-ordinated regeneration of Stevenage town centre to provide 130,000m2 of net additional comparison shopping floorspace by 2026 along with new homes, employment floorspace and social facilities. Policies identifying sites and requirements will be set out in the Town Centre Area Action Plan. c. Identify primary and secondary frontages in the town centre and district centre to show where we expect Class A1 (Shops) uses to locate. These frontages and any additional policy requirements will be identified through the Town Centre and Old Town Area Action Plans. d. Require local and neighbourhood centres to be provided in new neighbourhoods. These will be planned jointly with North Hertfordshire District Council through SNAP. e. Support the provision of 10,000m2 net additional convenience floorspace by 2026 to meet the needs of the expanded town. This will include:
i. 3,000m2 in a new neighbourhood to the west of Stevenage ii. 3,000m2 in a new neighbourhood to the north-east of Stevenage, planned jointly with North Hertfordshire District Council through SNAP;
50 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is prosperous
iii. 1,500m2 in a new neighbourhood to the north of Stevenage, planned jointly with North Hertfordshire District Council through SNAP; iv. 1,000m2 in Gunnels Wood as an ancillary, supporting use to this area's main function as an employment area; and v. 1,500m2 of undistributed floorspace to be provided in existing local and neighbourhood centres and as extensions to existing stores.
f. Permit applications within identified centres where they support its role and function, deliver the proposed distributed of retail floorspace and preserve the vitality and viability of the hierarchy as a whole. g. Permit applications for the regeneration and refurbishment of existing local and neighbourhood centres subject to criterion (f). h. Control new retail development and the re-use or redevelopment of existing retail sites outside of the designated hierarchy in our Generic Development Management Policies.
6.41 National planning guidance states that local authorities should plan positively for town centre development by identifying a hierarchy and network of centres. It provides detailed advice on the types of land uses that should be supported in town centres(33). This includes retail. Other town centre uses include leisure, offices and cultural and entertainment facilities. These are dealt with in other Core Strategy policies.
6.42 In planning, retail land uses are defined by legislation as ‘A-class’ and include:
A1 – shops A2 – financial & professional services (such as banks and estates agents) A3 – restaurants and cafes A4 – drinking establishments (such as pubs and bars); and A5 – Hot food takeaway(34).
6.43 Stevenage town centre is the main retail destination in the town. It is a major town centre, as identified in the East of England Plan.
6.44 However, although it was at the cutting edge when it opened in 1959, Stevenage now lags behind other centres. There is no department store to ‘anchor’ the town centre. It is smaller than other major town centres. Rents are lower than other nearby towns. The lack of homes and entertainment leave the area unused and empty in the evenings. As a result, shoppers are attracted elsewhere for a “day out” experience.
33 PPS6 34 Use Classes Order (2005)
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 51 A town that is prosperous
6.45 Regenerating the town centre is one of our main priorities. By providing a more attractive and vibrant destination, we will improve the image of the town, encouraging new residents and businesses to locate in the area. Our evidence shows that there is a future demand for more than 130,000m2 of additional comparison retail floorspace in the town by 2026(35). This could provide around 6,500 new jobs to contribute to the target in Policy CS07(36).
6.46 In comparison to competing towns and our out-of-centre retail parks, Stevenage town centre has been in relative decline. This in terms of both the quality and quantity of the retail offer. We will focus all of the available comparison retail 'headroom' here. This is the best way of restoring the town centre's position and making sustainable provision in line with national and regional guidance.
6.47 The regeneration of the town centre will kick-start a significant change in the perception of the town. It will, in turn, stimulate the regeneration of the leisure park into Silkin Plaza as well as the transformation of the most accessible areas of Gunnels Wood. Without a successful regeneration of the town centre, both our retail and employment strategies for the town as a whole will be at risk.
6.48 The Town Centre Area Action Plan will provide the planning framework to ensure that the redevelopment of this area happens in a co-ordinated way.
6.49 The Old Town High Street is the shopping street for the original town of Stevenage. Today it offers a range of shops and a supermarket as wells as banks, pubs, takeaways and restaurants. It is a popular area that some residents feel is under threat. There is a strong desire to preserve the market town atmosphere. By identifying this area as a district centre we will be able to continue to provide a range of town centre uses of an appropriate scale. This will help to preserve the future of the Old Town.
6.50 We will preserve the role and vitality of both the town centre and Old Town High Street by identifying primary and secondary frontages. Primary frontages identify the areas where we will require Class A1 (shop) uses to be concentrated. Secondary frontages identify areas where complementary uses, such as banks, restaurants and offices will be permitted alongside shops.
6.51 Parts of both the Town Centre and Old Town High Street lie within Conservation Areas. They also contain a significant number of listed buildings. Any development proposals will need to preserve or enhance the historic or architectural characteristics of these areas.
6.52 As well as supporting and promoting these areas as the main shopping areas of the town, it is also important to provide and protect locally important facilities.
6.53 The idea of community neighbourhoods is central to New Town Stevenage. The original masterplan showed essential facilities such as shops, churches, pubs and community centres provided within half a mile of all homes. This is reflected in the network of large and small centres that are found across the town. These centres are a key feature of Stevenage’s built heritage and
35 Stevenage Borough Retail Capacity Assessment (July 2009) 36 Employment Capacity Update (forthcoming)
52 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is prosperous
an important part of the town’s character. Because of their success, similar facilities continue to be provided in neighbourhoods built since the 1980s. These include Chells Manor and Great Ashby.
6.54 Within Stevenage, the term 'neighbourhood centres' traditionally describes all of the locally available shopping facilities. However, in order to be consistent with national planning guidance, our plans must distinguish between local centres and neighbourhood centres.
6.55 Larger centres such as The Oval and The Hyde provide a wide range of facilities and meet the Government’s definition of a local centre(37). There are also a number of smaller centres such as those at Canterbury Way and Rockingham Way. Although these do not meet the criteria to be identified as local centres, they provide valuable facilities for local residents. The fourth level in our retail hierarchy will make sure that these facilities are protected.
6.56 However, despite their success, a number of the original centres are now in urgent need of investment and repair. Many of the buildings need either investment or replacing. The design and layout of some centres encourages anti-social behaviour and leads to a fear of crime which deters some visitors.
6.57 The Council is committed to improving and regenerating the town’s neighbourhood centres. This programme is expected to occur over the next fifteen years. We expect that some of these sites will also help to provide more housing to help us meet the targets in Policy CS02. However, the most important thing is to make sure that they retain and improve their role in providing services for the local community.
6.58 The Site Specific Policies DPD will set criteria for, and identify, a network of local and neighbourhood centres in the existing town. It will provide more details on the proposed programme of investment and regeneration.
6.59 We will require new neighbourhoods to provide local shopping and community facilities. These areas may include some B-class floorspace in accordance with criterion (e) of Policy CS08. They will help reduce travel distances by providing services close to homes. It will also help the new neighbourhoods reflect the prevailing style of New Town Stevenage and build a sense of community identity as the present local and neighbourhood centres have done.
6.60 Local and neighbourhood centres will absorb most of the 10,000m2 of additional convenience retail floorspace that we will need to provide to meet the needs of the growing town (38) .
6.61 However, other sites will also play an important role. The Gunnels Wood Area Action Plan will set out our approach to some small-scale convenience retailing in the town's main employment area. The scale of any retail development here will be strictly limited to make sure it performs a supporting function to the employment area.
37 As set in Annex A of PPS6. 38 Stevenage Borough Retail Capacity Assessment (July 2009)
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 53 A town that is prosperous
6.62 Policies DM06 and DM07 set out our approach to out-of-centre supermarkets, retail parks and other free standing shops. This will ensure we can maintain the correct balance of shops and facilities for residents without undermining the role of the retail hierarchy or conflicting with the sustainability objectives set out in Policy CS01.
54 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
7 A town of opportunities and communities
7.1 Developing safer and stronger communities is one of the four main themes of our Community Strategy. We want everyone to experience a good quality of life. However, this is not always the case. People in Stevenage are less healthy than in other parts of the country. Deaths from smoking-related illness are higher and life expectancy lower than the rest of Hertfordshire.
7.2 Part of the solution is encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles. This is discussed further in Chapter 8. However, we also need to make sure that we provide the right types of healthcare and community facilities around the town to provide support for the people that live here.
7.3 Housing in Hertfordshire is expensive. This is partly because we are close to London. However, people in Stevenage also earn less than other places in the County. We have higher levels of poverty and deprivation. Because of this, many people need assistance to access suitable housing. We also have a legal duty to meet the needs of Gypsies and Travellers.
7.4 At the other end of the scale few homes are suitable for larger families and high-earners. More than half of our housing stock is terraced homes. Only 12% of homes are detached. We need to make sure that our policies provide the right mix and type of housing to meet the needs of the whole community.
7.5 The objectives for this theme are:
[OBJECTIVE SO08] SOCIAL FACILITIES
To provide health care, policing, community and leisure facilities at the same time as new homes and jobs. To maintain and improve social facilities in the existing town.
[OBJECTIVE SO09] HOUSING FOR ALL
To provide a full range of places to live for all sections of the community.
7.6 The policies in this section will allow us to meet the following requirement of the East of England Plan policy for Stevenage:
Better opportunities and provision for local residents in terms of health and quality of life
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 55 A town of opportunities and communities
Health, social and community facilities
[POLICY CS10] HEALTH, SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES
We will provide the healthcare and community facilities that are needed to meet the needs of local residents and other people living in the area around Stevenage. We will:
a. Work with the NHS Healthcare Trust to support the roles of the Lister Hospital as the main provider of acute healthcare in north and east Hertfordshire and as a major employer of local people. A policy identifying this site, including land for future expansion and any specific requirements, will be planned jointly with North Hertfordshire District Council through SNAP. b. Help to deliver new facilities to provide a wide range of public health services to local residents. New facilities will be supported to serve the following locations:
i. The north-east of Stevenage ii. The south of Stevenage iii. Stevenage West iv. The town centre
Policies identifying sites and any specific requirements will be included in relevant Action Plans and the Site Specific Policies DPD.
c. Consolidate existing social and community facilities in Stevenage to provide a network that is sustainable in the long term . d. Require new neighbourhoods to make appropriate on-site provision for the healthcare and community needs of residents. Policies will be set jointly with North Hertfordshire District Council through SNAP. e. Support the provision of other appropriate new facilities and control the re-use or loss of existing facilities through our Generic Development Management Policies.
7.7 Health care refers to hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and other forms of care. East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust (the NHS Trust) and East and North Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust (the PCT) are responsible for public health services in Stevenage.
7.8 The Lister Hospital, in the north-west of Stevenage, was opened in 1972. Today, it is one of the largest hospitals in Hertfordshire providing a wide range of services. These include accident and emergency, maternity, acute elderly and acute mental health units.
7.9 The NHS Trust and the PCT, along with the other trusts in Hertfordshire, have worked together to develop the Delivering quality healthcare for Hertfordshire programme. This says how public health services will be delivered in the county in the future.
56 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
7.10 In December 2007, it was agreed that acute (emergency) services for north and east Hertfordshire would be centralised onto the Lister Hospital site. This decision will require new buildings to be constructed within the existing site. Outline permission for this development was granted in 2009 and work has commenced on site. Future development may require additional land beyond this.
7.11 We recognise the importance of the Lister Hospital, both as a healthcare facility for Hertfordshire residents and a major source of employment in the town. We will identify the Lister Hospital, and any appropriate land for future expansion, through the Stevenage and North Herts Action Plan.
7.12 There are a number of smaller sites across the town providing health care facilities for local residents. The PCT recognise that some of these facilities are working at, or above, their capacity(39). To help deal with this problem, they are looking to develop new, larger centres known as polyclinics. These will provide a wide range of services for a larger catchment. This approach is in line with NHS guidance.
7.13 Outline permission has already been granted for a new facility on the former Dixons site in the north-east of the town. We will continue to safeguard this site for healthcare uses. The Trust are also looking for suitable sites for facilities in the south of the town and in the new neighbourhood to the west. We will use our Site Specific Policies DPD to identify a site in the south of the town. We will work with North Hertfordshire District Council to deliver a facility in the new neighbourhood to the west through SNAP.
7.14 The PCT may look to reconfigure their existing provision in the town centre. However, the outcome of this is not yet known. We will generally support the provision of health facilities in the town centre. If a specific need and site is identified, we will reflect this in the Town Centre Area Action Plan.
7.15 Our Sustainability Appraisal recommends that these plans should examine the site-specific impacts of any new allocations and include any necessary mitigation measures. These may include (but not necessarily be limited to) travel plans or other sustainable transport measures to make sure that all residents can continue to access these services.
7.16 When the New Town was built, community centres were provided in residential neighbourhoods. Many of these buildings are now reaching the end of their operational life. It is also recognised that the dispersed pattern of our community buildings, is no longer viable. Some facilities will be refurbished or replaced as part of the neighbourhood centres regeneration programme. However, it is likely that some centres, particularly on standalone sites, will become surplus to requirements. During the life of this plan, we will consolidate facilities and provide a a pattern of distribution that is viable and sustainable.
39 Planning for Growth, Stevenage Locality Cluster Group (2009)
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 57 A town of opportunities and communities
7.17 The housing growth that is planned for the town will create additional demand for services. We will make sure that significant new developments make appropriate provision. In large, new neighbourhoods we will require new health and community facilities to be provided on site. Where appropriate, we will also require smaller developments to contribute towards new health and community services. This approach is in line with Policy CS06.
7.18 The proposals outlined above might mean that some smaller health or community facilities become available for re-use or redevelopment. Where appropriate, we may allocate some of these sites for alternative development through relevant Area Action Plans or the Site Specific Policies DPD. Policy DM08 sets out how we will deal with similar, but unforeseen, proposals.
Leisure
[POLICY CS11] LEISURE AND CULTURAL FACILITIES
We will provide leisure and cultural facilities to reflect the distribution of the existing and future population. We will:
a. Support the provision of new or improved community-use facilities at secondary school sites as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme. Policies identifying sites and any specific policy requirements will be set out in relevant Action Plans and the Site Specific Policies DPD. b. Support the provision of other appropriate new facilities and control the re-use or loss of existing facilities through our Generic Development Management Policies. c. Require new developments to make appropriate on-site provision and / or contributions to meet the leisure demand created by residents.
7.19 Providing an appropriate range of leisure and cultural facilities is an important part of planning for sustainable communities. Residents should be able to make use of good quality facilities in accessible locations.
7.20 We have included the following land uses in considerations of leisure and cultural uses:
C1 – hotels D1 – non-residential institutions(40) D2 – assembly and leisure.
7.21 The Building Schools for the Future programme will involve the extensive rebuilding and remodelling of a number of secondary school sites in Stevenage. We expect that these sites will accommodate many of the public sports facilities that will be required in the future. Sharing sport and leisure facilities has several key benefits:
It makes good use of land and buildings;
40 Insofar as this use class reasonably relates to this type of facility. Facilities including (but not necessarily limited to) medical and health services, crèches and nurseries are not considered as leisure and cultural facilities.
58 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
It can provide facilities in areas where there is a shortage; and It makes the school a valuable asset for more sections of the community.
7.22 We expect that the BSF programme will meet existing community demand for sports halls, all-weather pitches (ATPs) and fitness stations in Stevenage. Most applications for the BSF programme will be determined by Hertfordshire County Council. Where this is the case, we will support proposals which meet the requirements set out in CS11.
7.23 We also have to think about the future of facilities that are not on school sites. The swimming pool (built in 1962) and 'leisure box' (built in 1973 and home to the Gordon Craig theatre and other facilities) are coming to the end of their operational life. We are currently thinking about how best to replace them. We also need to consider how best to meet the existing shortage of swimming pools in Stevenage as part of these discussions.
7.24 We will generally support the provision of new and replacement facilities where these are in accessible locations and help to meet local demands. We will only permit the loss of facilities where it can be demonstrated that they are no longer required or viable for continued use. Our Generic Development Management Policies set out the criteria we will use to make these decisions.
7.25 We will make sure that new developments contribute towards the demand that new residents will create. In the new neighbourhoods this will include making sure that facilities are planned as part of the development from the outset.
Homes for all
[POLICY CS12] HOUSING MIX
We will deliver a full range of homes in terms of tenure, type and size. We will meet housing needs and address existing imbalances in the housing stock. We will:
a. Make at least 35% of all new homes affordable by using a tiered approach to affordable housing provision. An element of affordable housing provision will be required on all sites providing additional homes. b. Make at least 3% of all new homes 'aspirational' to deliver a more balanced housing stock. We will require development in the following locations to provide aspirational homes:
i. New neighbourhoods; ii. Suitable suburban or edge-of-town sites; iii. The town centre, Old Town and other highly accessible locations; and iv. Other sites where aspirational homes would either complement the prevailing character of the area or facilitate a useful diversification of the dwelling stock in the area.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 59 A town of opportunities and communities
Policies identifying sites and any specific requirements will be included in relevant Area Action Plans and the Site Specific Policies DPD.
c. Provide an appropriate mix of other market and affordable homes, in terms of tenure, type and size. We will base our requirements on the findings of the most recent Strategic Housing Market Assessment and other relevant evidence.
7.26 Stevenage experiences significant levels of housing need. Housing need refers to people who require a home of their own but cannot afford one without help. The level of need can be linked to a number of factors. These include high house prices, low levels of earnings and areas of deprivation. Other issues such as family breakdowns also lead to more people needing homes.
7.27 Our evidence shows that building all of our new homes as affordable housing would not meet demand (41).
7.28 It is not realistic for us to expect this to happen. However, our studies have shown that we can ask all sites that will provide additional homes to contribute towards affordable housing(42). They also show that we can ask for 40% of housing on the largest sites to be affordable. This can all be achieved without damaging viability(43).
7.29 Our Generic Development Management Policies set out a 'sliding scale' approach to affordable housing provision that will help us to deliver the overall target in Policy CS12.
7.30 Government guidance says that, as well as providing affordable homes, the price and the mix of households are also important parts of creating of a mixed community(44). This mix is not reflected in the current housing in Stevenage.
7.31 The New Town was built to attract working families to the town. This is reflected in the significant amount of three-bed houses, shown below. We have found that only four authorities in England have a greater share of terraced homes than Stevenage(45).
Housing stock in Stevenage
Number of bedrooms Property type Bedsit / 1 2 3 4+ Total Flat 9.9% 4.6% 0.4% 0.1% 14.9% House or Terraced 1.4% 9.7% 35.0% 3.2% 49.2% Bungalow
41 Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2008 42 Affordable Housing Development Economics Study 2007, Affordable Housing Financial Contributions – Small Sites 2008 43 Financial viability is a term that is used when working out whether a scheme will generate enough money from sales (known as receipts) to cover all the costs (such as construction and buying land) of development. 44 PPS3 45 2001 Census Table KS16
60 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
Number of bedrooms Property type Bedsit / 1 2 3 4+ Total Semi 1.0% 5.0% 11.8% 2.6% 20.3% Detached 0.1% 0.6% 5.2% 9.7% 15.5% Total 12.3% 19.8% 52.3% 15.5% 100.00%
Source: Strategic Housing Market Assessment (2008). Numbers may not sum precisely due to rounding. Confidence +/- 2.6%.
7.32 As a result, there are few large family homes in the town. The table above suggests less than 10%. Only 1 in 100 homes are in the highest Council Tax brackets , compared to 1 in 10 in the rest of Hertfordshire(46).
7.33 There are two main reasons for this. Very few of these types of home were built by the Development Corporation. In more recent years, this trend has continued because of a perceived lack of market demand. Data suggests that many high-wage jobs in the town are currently occupied by people that live elsewhere. Local companies have also told us they find it difficult recruiting staff to their more senior positions. A 2007 survey showed that 9 out of 10 high earners would not currently consider moving to Stevenage(47).
7.34 Changing this situation is an essential part of our plans. We want the regeneration and growth of the town to change the way people see Stevenage and make it a more desirable place to live. Part of this programme includes making sure that ‘aspirational’ homes are provided in suitable locations.
7.35 Our evidence suggests that we can realistically expect between 3% and 4% of all new homes to be provided in the wider Stevenage area to be aspirational(48). This includes both houses and flats.
7.36 To qualify as aspirational, homes should be:
Built in small groups in suitable suburban and edge-of-town locations; Low density, typically between 8 and 15 dwellings per hectare; Detached, with at least four bedrooms and two bathrooms; Sited on large plots with a built footprint generally in excess of 100m2 and rear gardens of at least 150m2; and Provided with at least two-off street parking places.
7.37 To qualify as aspirational, flats should be:
Located close to the town centre and railway station; On the upper floors of multi-storey developments;
46 Properties in Council Tax bands G and H. Data from Valuation Office website (www.voa.gov.uk), June 2009. Notwithstanding variations in house prices across the County this is a significant difference 47 Aspirational Homes Survey 2007 48 Aspirational housing research (2009)
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 61 A town of opportunities and communities
Provide a significantly larger than average floorplate. This may include the provision of private outdoor space or 'penthouse'-style accommodation(49); Internally finished to a high-specification.
7.38 These are generally considered to be minimum criteria. It may be appropriate to significantly exceed these guidelines.
7.39 We will identify sites where aspirational homes should be provided in relevant AAPs and the Site Specific Policies DPD. Development proposals on these, and other suitable sites will be assessed against the requirements of Policy DM17. By delivering more of these types of home, we hope to contribute towards our aims of balance, self-containment and economic development set out in objectives SO01, SO02 and SO09.
7.40 Our Sustainability Appraisal recognises that the provision of low-density, aspirational housing could increase the amount of land we need to develop to meet our housing targets. The detailed impacts will be identified at the site-specific level, along with any relevant mitigation measures.
7.41 However, it is important to point out that these homes will form only one element of the market housing that will be provided in and around Stevenage. Our evidence suggests that, overall, we should aim to provide the following mix of market homes:
60% 1-bed or 2-bed properties 20% 3-bed properties; and 20% 4-bed properties(50).
7.42 We also need to consider how to reflect the requirements of an ageing population in the homes we build. Our Development Management policies set out our requirements in relation to lifetime and accessible homes and sheltered accommodation.
[POLICY CS13] GYPSIES & TRAVELLERS AND TRAVELLING SHOWPEOPLE
We will make an appropriate level of provision that meets the identified needs of the travelling community. We will:
a. Deliver 23 new permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches by 2026. Of these, 10 will be provided by 2011 and 18 by 2021. b. Work with North Hertfordshire District Council to identify a site for at least 10 additional Gypsy and Traveller pitches through SNAP. This will be close to Junction 8 of the A1(M) on land within the Borough boundary. c. Use a criteria-based approach to identify sites for allocation and assess applications on unallocated sites. Any site must:
49 The average floorplate for a market 2-bed flat is in the range of 55-75m2. Aspirational flats should seek to provide upwards of 85m2 of accommodation. In penthouse-style accommodation, floorplates in excess of 100m2 will be considered acceptable 50 Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2008
62 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
i. Satisfy a demonstrated local need for accommodation; ii. Follow a sequential approach to site identification. Priority will be given to sites on previously developed land, followed by undeveloped sites not in the Green Belt. Sites will only be allowed in the Green Belt if sufficient sites cannot be identified in other locations. iii. Be located within a reasonable distance of existing services and community facilities including shops, schools, health facilities and public transport; iv. Be located in close proximity to the primary road network with good access to the major road network; v. Provide a safe access to the highway without disrupting any rights of way; vi. Provide, or be capable of providing, a buffer between housing sites and / or other sites to minimise any potential noise or adverse effect on amenity; vii. Provide, or be capable of providing, an environment that is sympathetic to the character of the surrounding area; and viii. Comply with or take account of other relevant considerations. These include (but are not necessarily limited to) noise, pollution the presence of wildlife sites or other features of biodiversity importance and flood risk.
d. Require residential developments to contribute towards the provision of permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches where this is reasonably required in accordance with Policy CS06. e. Work with other authorities in North East Hertfordshire to identify site(s) to accommodate 10 additional Gypsy and Traveller transit pitches by 2011.
7.43 Gypsies and Travellers are people who have a nomadic way of life. Some groups travel more than others(51).
7.44 Travelling showpeople refers to groups that move around the country holding fairs. In general, they do not share the same traditions as Gypsies and Travellers and have different needs. Although their lifestyle is mobile, this group also need secure sites, particularly in the winter(52).
7.45 We have used the titles that are explained above to refer to these groups. We have used the term “travelling community” where we are talking about both groups at the same time. It is important to point out that some people may stop travelling (perhaps for education or health reasons or because of their age). This does not mean that they stop being part of the travelling community.
Gypsy and Traveller provision
7.46 Councils have a legal duty to consider the housing requirements of Gypsies and Travellers. We should plan for their accommodation in the same way as we plan for other forms of housing. This means that our policies should aim to meet identified needs.
51 The full definition of Gypsies and Travellers (for planning purposes) is set out in Circular 01/2006. 52 Further information on Travelling Showpeople including a definition (for planning purposes) is contained in Circular 04/07.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 63 A town of opportunities and communities
7.47 Pitches can be provided for long-term (permanent) or short-term (transit) use. Our evidence shows that the authorities in North East Hertfordshire have a combined need for 35 permanent and 10 transit pitches in the period to 2011 and a further 15-20 pitches every five years from then on(53).
7.48 This evidence was used to inform the target for Stevenage that is set in the East of England Plan and reflected in this policy.
7.49 Stevenage already provides 14 pitches on a site at Dyes Lane, to the west of the A1(M). Planning permission was granted in 2009 for a further 3 pitches. However, we still need to provide another 20 permanent pitches by 2026 to meet our target. In accordance with Government guidance, this policy sets out the criteria we will use to allocate any sites and determine planning applications on unallocated sites(54).
7.50 Our evidence shows that the best opportunities for Gypsy and Traveller provision lie in the north-west of the Borough(55). This is supported by the Gypsy and Traveller community who have said that a location the north of the town with good access to the A1(M) would be their preferred approach. Through SNAP, we will identify a site close to Junction 8 of the A1(M) that has capacity for at least 10 pitches.
7.51 If we can find a suitable site and secure funding, we will make all of our provision on public sites. If we cannot meet all of our requirements in this way, we will look for developer contributions to make up any shortfall. This is discussed further in the delivery chapter.
7.52 The East of England Plan also identifies a need for additional short-term, or transit, pitches in Hertfordshire. It says that 20 additional pitches should be provided in Hertfordshire on two sites. One site should be in South West Hertfordshire and the other in North East Hertfordshire. We will work with the surrounding local authorities to find the best site to meet this requirement.
Travelling showpeople
7.53 The East of England Plan shows that the need for travelling showpeople sites in Hertfordshire is focussed in Broxbourne and East Hertfordshire. We do not plan to make any provision unless new evidence shows us that the situation has changed. Any applications for travelling showpeople sites will be assessed using criterion (c) of Policy CS13.
53 Northern and Eastern Hertfordshire: Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (ORS, 2006). The study was carried out jointly by Broxbourne, East Hertfordshire, North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield and Hertfordshire County councils. 54 Circular 01/2006 - Planning for Gypsy and Traveller caravan sites 55 Northern and Eastern Herts Gypsy and Traveller Site Identification Study, Scott Wilson (2007)
64 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
8 A town that is clean and green
8.1 Open spaces are an important part of Stevenage. Around a quarter of the town is taken up by parks, playing fields, woodlands and other amenity spaces. Local people value open spaces in the town. They provide places to relax, exercise and enjoy nature. These areas also include sites that are important for wildlife.
8.2 Government guidance recognises the importance of providing access to open space(56). The East of England Plan says we must define and protect our most important ‘green infrastructure’ to provide a network of spaces within towns. It also requires us to reduce polluting emissions and guide development away from areas at risk of flooding.
8.3 However, being ‘clean and green’ does not just relate to the protection of environmental features. It is also about how we go about our daily lives and, in particular, how we choose to travel between our homes, schools, shops and places of work. We want to encourage people to use their cars less and walk, cycle or use public transport to get around.
8.4 Stevenage has one of the most comprehensive cycle and pedestrian networks of any town in the country. However, it is underused. Census data shows that 18,000 Stevenage residents travel less than five kilometres (three miles) between home and work. Only 23% of these walk or cycle(57). Encouraging the change of these habits, where this is a realistic option, will also result in a healthier town.
8.5 The objectives for this theme are:
[OBJECTIVE SO10] GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
To protect and enhance green infrastructure and provide a pleasant environment for residents as well as areas for wildlife and recreation. To extend the network of open spaces into new neighbourhoods and the surrounding countryside. To minimise or mitigate risks from pollution or flood risk.
[OBJECTIVE SO11] SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
To improve opportunities for people to walk, cycle and use passenger transport for journeys to school or work, trips to the shops and leisure.
8.6 The policies in this section will allow us to meet the following requirements of the East of England Plan policy for Stevenage:
56 PPS1, Planning Policy Guidance 17: Planning for open space, sport and recreation (PPG17) 57 2001 Census Table S121
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 65 A town that is clean and green
Improvements to the quality of the town’s public realm; Providing green spaces in the new neighourhoods; and Create the conditions to increase walking, cycling and the use of passenger transport.
Green infrastructure
[POLICY CS14] GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
We will identify, protect and enhance the green infrastructure of Stevenage. We will:
a. Work with North Hertfordshire District Council to designate a new Strategic Open Space through SNAP. It will serve the north of Stevenage and preserve the setting of Rooks Nest House and the historic connections with ‘Forster Country’. b. Protect parks, recreation grounds, allotments, amenity spaces, churchyards and cemeteries which are integral to the open space structure of Stevenage as Principal Open Spaces. This will include Fairlands Valley Park. c. Protect locally important wildlife sites and the ancient woodland at Monks Wood and Whormerley Wood. d. Identify a series of ten Green Lungs around the town. These will be collections of spaces that are worthy of protection for their connectivity and their recreation, amenity or wildlife value. e. Preserve and enhance locally important leisure routes including:
i. the ancient lanes and hedgerows which pre-date the building of Stevenage New Town; ii. the horse and pony route around Stevenage including the provision of a ‘missing link’ to the east of the town; and iii. the proposed Green Way and routes connecting it with the Stevenage Outer Orbital Path (STOOP) and passenger transport connections.
f. Identify the sites, boundaries or routes for (a) to (e) along with any specific policy requirements in our Area Action Plans and the Site Specific Policies DPD. g. Require the provision of multi-functional green space and sports facilities as an integral part of new neighbourhoods and other new development in accordance with the latest standards and the requirements of Policy CS06. h. Permit the creation of other new open spaces where they will meet an identified deficit. This will include an extension to the Weston Road cemetery to be planned jointly with North Hertfordshire District Council and allocated through SNAP. i. Only allow the loss of open spaces where they meet the criteria of policy DM17.
8.7 Identifying and preserving a network of green spaces is a vital part of the planning process. It is particularly important in Stevenage. Providing green spaces was an important part of the original New Town structure. However, the small size of the Borough can create pressure to develop these spaces for other uses. We want to keep the most important spaces for future generations to provide a green urban area and to link the town to the countryside.
66 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
8.8 Generally speaking, there is good provision of open spaces within the town. Looking across the Borough as a whole, the amount of green space is about right for the size of the population. However, there are local areas where people do not have access to the right type or amount of open space. The growth of the town will also put further pressure on our open spaces as a larger population will increase the demand for places to relax and play.
8.9 Fairlands Valley Park is the main open space in the Borough, covering an area of more than 60 hectares. It is very well used and recognised by residents as one of the town’s best features(58). However, based on national standards, the Symonds Green and Woodfield areas do not have access to this strategic area of open space(59). The proposed new neighbourhoods to the north and north-east also fall outside the catchment area.
8.10 The area to the north of Stevenage is locally known as Forster Country. Rooks Nest House was the childhood home of the author E.M Forster. This house and the surrounding countryside later inspired his novel Howards End. The St Nicholas and Rectory Lane Conservation Area, located to the north of the town, helps to preserve the setting of the historic Rooks Nest. This area also affords an opportunity to help us provide open space provision for existing and future residents. We will identify a new Strategic Open Space of at least 20 hectares in this location.
8.11 The new Strategic Open Space will also provide a continuous connection, or Green Lung, from the Old Town High Street to the countryside and new Green Belt boundary beyond the new neighbourhoods. The boundaries for this site and any specific policy requirements will be set through the relevant area action plans.
8.12 We also recognise the importance of open spaces within the existing town. Two-thirds of Stevenage residents make use of the town’s parks and open spaces at least once a month(60). In addition to Fairlands Valley, a number of other parks provide recreational and open spaces. These include areas such as Hampson Park and Ridlins End Playing Fields.
8.13 Through our Area Action Plans and Site Specific Policies DPD we will identify and protect a series of Principal Open Spaces. These will include the sites mentioned above and other areas that:
Provide formal and informal opportunities for sports and recreation in, or on the edge of, the town; Are open for use by the general public(61) ; and Have been recommended for protection in our Open Space study.
8.14 We recognise that the sports pavilions provide an important support function for the variety of open spaces throughout the town. Often used for changing rooms and as refreshment areas, the facilities can also be hired for events. The Council seeks to undertake a programme of
58 In December 2008, Fairlands Valley was announced as one of the five areas of local significance to be recognised in the Borough Council’s Blue Plaque Scheme. This followed a public vote. 59 Natural England’s Accessible Natural Greenspace Standard (ANGSt) recommends that people living in towns and cities should have at least one accessible site of 20 hectares or more within two kilometres of home. 60 Best Value General User Survey 2006/7 (Ipsos Mori, 2007) 61 In terms of outdoor sports and recreation facilities this is defined as those that which have secured community use at most times.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 67 A town that is clean and green
refurbishment for the pavilions and, for those structures beyond repair, complete redevelopment. Planning permission for small scale leisure and recreation developments will be granted where they support the continued use and maintenance of the Parks and Gardens and Recreation Grounds.
8.15 As well as sites specifically designed for public use, we will preserve important natural habitats. Although there are no European or nationally designated sites in the Borough, there are a significant number of locally important sites. There are currently 38 sites in Stevenage on the register of Wildlife Sites. This includes the ancient Monks and Whormeley Woods which will also be protected for their historic importance.
8.16 The elements of Policy CS14 described above will allow us to protect individual sites that are important in their own right. However, it is also important to safeguard the connections between these sites and other green areas. Stevenage New Town was designed to provide corridors of open spaces which connect the neighbourhoods of the town and the surrounding countryside.
8.17 We propose to identify ten Green Lungs, eight already in existence plus two new areas at Grace Way and St Nicholas / Great Ashby.
8.18 As well as preserving significant landscape features, the design of the New Town also incorporated a number of lanes and roadways. These are now known as Ancient Lanes. Another important leisure route in the town is the Horse and Pony route which provides a circuit around the edge of the town. The recently completed Stevenage Outer Orbital Path (STOOP) provides a waymarked walking route in the countryside around Stevenage using existing Rights of Way. Work is underway to identify an inner circular route, known as the Green Way.
8.19 We will identify, preserve and enhance these leisure routes. This will include providing the ‘missing link’ in the Horse and Pony Route – which extends to around 300 metres on the eastern boundary of the Borough close to Aston End – and promoting the routes which connect STOOP and the Green Way with passenger transport connections in and around Stevenage.
8.20 We will ensure that new developments make reasonable provision of open space to cater for the additional demand they will create. The balance between on-site and off-site provision and contributions will be assessed on a site-by-site basis and will be commensurate with the size of the proposed development. New developments will be assessed against the standards recommended in our Green Space Strategy(62). These are presently:
Parks and Gardens: 0.73 hectares (ha) per 1,000 population provided within 800m; Natural and semi-natural open space: 1.78ha per 1,000 population within 400m; Amenity greenspace: 1.1 ha per 1,000 population within 400m; Children’s play areas: 0.8 play areas to NPFA standards per 1,000 population within 400m unobstructed walk(63); Outdoor sports facilities: 2.2 ha per 1,000 population; and Allotments: 0.13 ha per 1,000 population within 1,200m.
62 The emerging Green Space Strategy will be published by Stevenage Borough Council and is largely based upon the standards of the PMP Open Space Study, 2006 63 An obstruction might include a major road or railway with no safe means of crossing.
68 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
8.21 We will support the provision of new open spaces where they will meet an identified deficit in provision. This will include the extension of the Weston Road cemetery. Our study (64)indicates that the projected growth within the Stevenage area will necessitate the provision of further burial plots. As it is not possible to extend the Almonds Lane cemetery, the land north east of the Weston Road site will be reserved for extension of the cemetery.
8.22 However, we also recognise that some areas of open space in the town are not valued. They are not used by members of the public or are of particularly poor quality. In some instances, it may be acceptable for these sites to be developed for alternate uses. Our approach to these areas is set out in Generic Development Management Policy DM19.
Pollution and flood risk
[POLICY CS15] POLLUTION AND FLOOD RISK
We will work to limit the negative impacts of all forms of pollution. We will:
a. Minimise the risks from, and impacts of, polluting development; b. Require new development to reduce or mitigate against pollution and flood risk; c. Take a sequential approach to development in areas of flood risk and require mitigation where possible; d. Protect existing flood storage reservoirs and require new flood storage reservoirs to be provided where appropriate.
8.23 Government guidance requires us to place reasonable checks and controls on pollution without unreasonably restricting development or adding to the costs of businesses(65).
8.24 High levels of light and noise can have a negative impact on the amenity of surrounding land uses. It can also have an adverse effect on wildlife where existing patterns are disturbed. We will place reasonable restrictions on light and noise pollution to protect amenity and character.
8.25 However, there are certain activities and industrial practices which cannot occur without some emission of pollutants or use of hazardous substances. In Stevenage, the zonal approach used to plan the New Town mean that these uses are generally located in our two main employment areas. These areas are well away from residential and other sensitive land uses. We will continue this approach by only permitting hazardous and polluting developments where the environmental and health and safety risks are acceptable.
8.26 Stevenage lies under flight paths in and out of London Luton Airport. The airport has grown significantly over the past decade. The Government supports the continued growth of the airport to the full capacity of the existing runway(66). We will make sure that new development, particularly to the west of the town, conforms with advice on acceptable levels of exposure to aircraft noise.
64 Open Space, Recreation and Sport Study, PMP, 2006 65 Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control (PPS23) 66 The Future of Air Transport white paper, Department for Transport (2003)
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 69 A town that is clean and green
8.27 Our evidence shows that some small areas of the Borough are at risk from flooding(67). By applying Policies CS01, CS02 and CS12 will make sure that our approach to allocating land for development conforms to Government guidance on flood risk(68). There are also certain parts of the town where constraints in the sewer network mean there are risks of surface water flooding. We will require any development proposals in these areas to submit an assessment alongside any application.
8.28 Small scale measures can cumulatively play an important role in reducing the risk of flooding. We will require Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) on all suitable developments.
8.29 The development of the New Town on a previously greenfield site posed significant challenges in terms of surface water drainage. Although most of the town falls within the catchment of the Stevenage Brook, this watercourse has limited capacity. The solution was to create a series of flood meadows ~ or Flood Storage Reservoirs. These helped to regulate the discharge of water in times of storm. There are now twelve flood storage reservoirs in and around Stevenage. These will be protected from development to prevent any increase in flood risk.
8.30 Our studies (69)have indicated that the widespread use of SUDS may not be sufficient to cope with additional run-off water created by new development. The studies suggest that new flood storage reservoirs will be required to meet the demand from new development and ease the flood risks from surface water run-off. Where there is an identified need we will require flood storage reservoirs to be accommodated as part of a planning application.
Sustainable transport
[POLICY CS16] SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT AND CAR PARKING
We will create the conditions for a significant increase in passenger transport, walking and cycling. We will require new development to provide an appropriate level of car parking. We will:
a. Support the provision of new town centre sustainable transport facilities. This will include:
i. New bus termini and waiting facilities; and ii. New pedestrian and cycle links, with particular emphasis on connections to and from the Gunnels Wood employment area; and connecting between the town centre and the Old Town.
These requirements will be delivered through relevant Area Action Plans.
b. Direct high density residential and commercial uses, and other developments that generate significant demand for travel, to the most accessible locations;
67 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (2009) 68 Planning Policy Statement 25: Planning and Flood Risk (PPS25) 69 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, AECOM, 2009 & Water Cycle Study, Hyder Consulting, 2009
70 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
c. Support the provision of sustainable transport schemes as identified in local transport plans and other development plan documents. d. Require new developments to provide any relevant plans and assessments; e. Set maximum standards for car parking against which development proposals will be assessed; f. Require new development to make reasonable on-site, off-site or financial contributions in accordance with Policy CS06 including (but not limited to):
i. The creation or improvement of routes to, from or in the vicinity of the site; ii. The provision of underpasses, bridges or other appropriate means of crossing significant barriers for pedestrians and cyclists; iii. The implementation of controlled parking zones within or in the vicinity of the development site; and / or iv. The implementation of schemes identified in our delivery plans.
8.31 The Government encourages us to plan positively for cycling, walking and passenger transport(70). Stevenage is well served by sustainable transport. There are a large number of bus routes serving the town. Most homes are within walking distance of a bus stop. There is a comprehensive cycle and footpath network. Stevenage station is on the East Coast Main Line providing regular fast services to London, Cambridge, Peterborough and towns and cities in the north of England.
8.32 Pedestrians and cyclists can easily reach the train station from the town centre and the Old Town. However, connections to the west are poor. The existing layout of the leisure park is dominated by surface car parking and does not provide good access to the employment area beyond. Policy CS08 sets out our ambition to transform this area into a high-intensity mixed use centre. As part of this redevelopment we will require improved connections into and through this site. This will let more employees in Gunnels Wood easily access their place of work using passenger transport. We will also investigate how the station area might be improved.
8.33 As part of the regeneration of the town centre, we will need to close the existing bus station and make new bus termini and waiting provision. The opportunity will be taken to improve bus-train transfers. This approach has been informed by our evidential study (71) which recognises the difficulties experienced moving from train to bus travel.
8.34 Our study (72)recognises that the link between the town centre and the Old Town is poor. The existing footbridge is generally unattractive and increases a sense of insecurity for users, especially at the northern end. It does not provide well for cyclists or the less able bodied and directs users through a car park at the southern end. There are significant opportunities to improve
70 Planning Policy Guidance note 13: Transport (PPG13). 71 Stevenage Town Centre Masterplan, tpbennett, 2009 72 Stevenage Urban Transport Plan, AECOM, 2009
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 71 A town that is clean and green
this link through good urban design, especially at the northern end of the link where natural surveillance of the link can be increased through new developments. This link will be identified within the relevant Area Action Plans.
8.35 We will also support high density uses in other locations with good access to passenger transport that will help to reduce the number and length of journeys that people need to make(73). Developments will be required to make appropriate on-site provision for cyclists and pedestrians. This might include cycle parking spaces and ancillary facilities such as lockers and showers. Where appropriate we will require Transport Assessments and Travel Plans to demonstrate that the proposed development will not have an unacceptable impact.
8.36 However, although we need to encourage people to use cleaner and greener modes of transport, we also need to recognise the important role played by the car in modern-day life. Parts of the New Town were built on the assumption that only one in every eight homes would need a parking space. Some of these areas now suffer from significant traffic problems as cars park on street. We need to make sure that we are not too restrictive. Repeating the mistakes of the past will create problems for future generations.
8.37 We will use maximum parking standards to assess development proposals. These will require less parking to be provided in locations near passenger transport and local facilities. However, they will also reflect the levels of car ownership that we expect from new development.
8.38 Where appropriate we will require new developments to contribute towards or provide transport improvements. This might include funding towards a new or improved bus route or a relevant scheme identified for Stevenage in delivery plans.
73 Planning Policy Statement 3:Housing (PPS3) supports higher densities in more accessible locations
72 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town to be proud of
9 A town to be proud of
9.1 Government guidance tells us that high quality design is central to good planning. One of the main purposes of the planning system is to make sure that new development results in places and buildings that improve an area and the way it works(74).
9.2 The built environment refers to all buildings and urban spaces. This includes homes, offices, factories, shops and schools. It also means urban spaces (such as the Town Square), roads, car parks and features that are specially protected because they are historically or architecturally important.
9.3 Stevenage today is a mix of the Old Town, New Town and modern development. The Old Town provides many historic buildings and areas. Much of the New Town was built in a single generation. Some of this design was once innovative and is becoming historically important in its own right. However, some of the New Town buildings need investment or replacing. There are also good examples of modern buildings including North Hertfordshire College and the flats at Silkin Fields.
9.4 These features all help to make Stevenage what it is today. They define the character of the town and how we see it. We want to preserve what is good and, where necessary, improve the built environment of the town. It is important that new buildings reflect the best of the town and complement it, especially given the amount of development that is being planned for the town. We want people who live in, work in, or just look at the new developments to know they are part of Stevenage.
9.5 The objective for this theme is:
[OBJECTIVE SO12] BUILT ENVIRONMENT
To create attractive, enjoyable and distinctive places. To improve both the quality and sustainability of the built environment and protect areas of historic interest. To retain the vitality of the Old Town whilst recognising its conservation value and sensitivity to change.
9.6 The policy in this section will help us to meet the following requirements of the East of England Plan policy for Stevenage:
Substantial improvement to the image and quality of the town’s built fabric.
74 PPS1
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 73 A town to be proud of
Design and conservation
[POLICY CS17] QUALITY IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
We will require new development to achieve the highest standards of design and sustainability. We will preserve and enhance the most important areas and characteristics of Stevenage whilst delivering substantial improvement to the image and quality of the town’s built fabric. We will:
a. Permit new development where its design respects its surroundings and makes a positive contribution to its location; b. Require new development to create safe places by designing out crime; c. Require new development to minimise its impact on the environment and climate change by considering matters relating (but not necessarily limited) to energy efficiency, renewable energy, construction techniques, water consumption, waste, drainage, pollution and contamination; d. Set out detailed guidance and policies in our Development Management Policies and a Design Guide SPD; e. Require masterplans to be submitted alongside applications for new neighbourhoods, the town centre and the redevelopment of the Leisure Park; f. Use national guidance and legislation to review, designate and determine planning applications affecting Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas. g. Work to preserve and enhance the historic qualities of the Old Town. The Old Town Area Action Plan will define boundaries and policies for Character Areas setting out the most important features that must be reflected in new development; and h. Identify areas of archaeological importance in our Site Specific Policies DPD and relevant Area Action Plans and require new development to make appropriate provision for the recording and preservation of archaeological material.
9.7 Policy CS16 sets out our overarching design guidance for new development in the town. It sets out our aims and expectations for new development in the town.
9.8 New development should be an asset to Stevenage. It should also be as environmentally friendly as possible. Applications will be tested against the detailed design and sustainability criteria in Policies DM30 and DM31.
9.9 Government guidance (75)requires new development to create safe places through high quality design. The major principles for designing out crime are detailed with our Design Guide SPD and we will require applications to reference this guide.
75 Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3)
74 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town to be proud of
9.10 There will be a significant amount of new development in Stevenage over the period to 2026. It is important to make sure that, on larger sites, this development is co-ordinated. We will require masterplans for the new neighbourhoods and other significant projects. This will help us to make sure those new neighbourhoods and buildings look part of a ‘whole’ rather than independent of one another. There will be a presumption against piecemeal developments that might undermine the policies and objectives of the LDF.
9.11 As well as promoting new development, it is also important to conserve the best of what already exists. Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas are two types of designation which aim to protect buildings.
9.12 Listed Buildings are those which are of particular historic or architectural interest at the national level. Listed Buildings are designated by the Secretary of State and are subject to strict controls. There are more than 150 listed buildings in Stevenage. This includes two Grade I listed buildings, the most important. These are St Nicholas Church and Rooks Nest House.
9.13 Conservation Areas are defined in law as ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’(76). As at April 2009, there were seven Conservation Areas in Stevenage. These are shown in the table below.
Conservation Areas in Stevenage
Conservation Area Why is this area protected?
Broadwater (Marymead) It is the best surviving example of a 1950s New Town neighbourhood.
Orchard Road To preserve the relatively unaltered Victorian and Edwardian buildings and layout.
Old Town High Street To preserve the core of the Old Town along the route of the former Great North Road.
St Nicholas / Rectory Lane To preserve historic buildings at St Nicholas Church, Rooks Nest and Rectory Lane along with the fields to the north that provide their setting.
Shephall Green To preserve the medieval village around Shephall Green.
Symonds Green To protect the historic buildings and their setting which were a small rural hamlet before the New Town.
Town Square It was the first pedestrianised, traffic-free town centre in the country.
Source: A review of Stevenage Coservation Areas (2005); Conservation Area Appraisals (2009)
76 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 75 A town to be proud of
9.14 Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas are both given special protection by national laws and guidance. We will continue to use these to help us decide applications within affected areas. We will also use them to decide whether we need to review our Conservation Areas.
9.15 The Old Town contains the highest concentration of Listed Buildings in Stevenage as well as two of the seven Conservation Areas in the town. As the New Town was developed, much of the historic character of the Old Town was kept, though in places (such as the one-way system at the north end of the High Street), there is conflict between ‘old’ and ‘new’ Stevenage.
9.16 The Old Town is an attractive location for developers. It is close to the town centre, local facilities and public transport. There are more opportunities on brownfield land here than anywhere else in the town. House prices are higher meaning that developments are more valuable.
9.17 We realise the importance of supporting new development in the Old Town where it is sensitive and necessary. However, we also recognise the importance of preserving the ‘market town’ character of this part of Stevenage. The Old Town Area Action Plan will set character areas. We will require the features that they identify to be reflected in new developments.
9.18 Stevenage also includes a number of areas where other historic artefacts might be found. The most important of these are designated as Areas of Archaeological Importance. This includes the ancient barrows at Six Hills and sites around historic villages such as Symonds Green and Shephall. These are areas where important archaeology has been found in the past or is very likely to be present.
9.19 However, because of the speed at which the New Town was built, and the absence of strict controls at the time, a lot of building took place without looking at the archaeology that might have existed on the site. We will request site surveys and use planning conditions or obligations to make sure that new development takes appropriate steps to prevent any further damage to our archaeological heritage.
76 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Development Management Policies for Stevenage
Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
10 A town that grows sustainably
Sustainable development
[POLICY DM01] SUSTAINABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE
Planning permission will be granted where:
a. Proposals contribute towards sustainability objectives set out in Policy CS01. b. A Sustainability Statement and Health Impact Assessment are provided for developments of over 50 residential properties or 2500m² non-residential floorspace.
10.1 Our Core Strategy policy is to create sustainable communities by ensuring that development meets local, national and international sustainability objectives and improves the quality of life for residents and visitors. National guidance(77) emphasises the delivery of development whilst protecting and enhancing the natural and historic environment.
10.2 These sustainability and quality of life principles underpin the overall vision and objectives of the East of England Plan as well as the Borough Council’s Local Development Framework.
10.3 The original masterplan for Stevenage intended it to be a balanced and self-contained community where people could live and work, rather than it being a dormitory to London. Ideally, the number of houses and jobs should be aligned to encourage self-containment and give people the opportunity to live and work within Stevenage. This principle is supported by the East of England Plan, which seeks to create more sustainable relationships for homes, jobs and services, and the transport links between them.
10.4 A Sustainability Statement should be produced for large development proposals, alongside the broader Design and Access Statement. It should assess the environmental impacts/benefits of the proposal and details on how its design and construction will conform to sustainability principles.
10.5 Sustainability also has a direct impact upon health. As part of the White Paper 'Choosing Health, Making Health Choices Easier' published in 2004, the Government gave a commitment to building health into all future legislation. A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a way to ensure that the potential impacts of decisions on health and health inequalities are considered at all levels. The value of HIA’s is being increasingly recognised, both nationally and internationally.
77 PSS1: Delivering Sustainable Development
78 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that grows sustainably
10.6 A HIA should assess the possible impacts of a development proposal upon people’s daily lifestyles, health and care services, any disproportionate impacts on specific groups, as well as on the wider determinants of health such as housing, employment, environment, crime and transport, and health inequalities(78).
Housing development
[POLICY DM02] WINDFALL SITES
Residential development on unallocated sites will be granted where:
a. The site is on previously developed land or is a small underused urban site; b. There is good access to local facilities; and c. The proposed development would not overburden existing infrastructure.
Ahead of additional wastewater infrastructure capacity being identified, permission for major windfall developments will only be granted where, in addition to criteria a-c, the site is required to maintain a 5-year land supply or meet overall housing targets.
10.7 Windfall sites are proposals that come forward on sites that we have not formally allocated for housing. These can include building on land that is currently garden space, developing vacant former industrial sites, infill developments and conversions. Windfall development can make a valuable contribution to housing supply.
10.8 Our evidence shows that there is limited capacity in existing wastewater infrastructure to serve new development. The East of England Plan recognises that expanding sewage treatment capacity at Rye Meads (which serves Stevenage) is a priority. It also says that development may need to be phased to ensure that it does not exceed environmental limits.
10.9 Government guidance(79) requires us to allocate enough sites in our Development Plan Documents (DPDs) to achieve our housing targets. In view of this, the development of windfall sites needs to be controlled.
10.10 Proposals for development on unallocated brownfield sites or small underused urban sites may be acceptable in certain circumstances, where it can be demonstrated that this development is necessary to meet the housing requirement and will not exceed infrastructure capacity. In determining whether a site is underused, consideration will be given to other relevant policies including (but not necessarily limited to) DM19.
78 Health Impact Assessment, http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Legislation/Healthassessment/index.htm, Department of Health. 79 PPS3: Housing
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 79 A town that grows sustainably
10.11 Policy CS05 sets out our approach to infrastructure, particularly in relation to waste water. It explains that, although there is sufficient capacity at the Rye Meads treatment works to meet the East of England Plan target to 2021, upgrades will be required to connect new development at Stevenage.
10.12 Our Area Action Plans and Site Specific Policies DPD will identify the specific sites that will help us to reach this target. This will include a number of sites that are central to our overall vision and strategy for the town. Major windfall developments that, if implemented, would prejudice our ability to deliver these sites will be resisted.
[POLICY DM03] CONVERSIONS
The sub-division of larger houses into smaller homes or flats will only be permitted where:
a. The proposals meet housing stock demand, in line with policy DM17; b. The increase in housing numbers would not overburden existing infrastructure or local facilities; and c. Additional provision for open space, parking and waste storage is provided, where necessary, to meet the requirements of policies DM20, DM29 and DM30.
[POLICY DM04] REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING HOMES
Proposals that result in a net loss of housing supply will only be granted where:
a. They would provide small scale social, health, community or leisure facilities or a small-scale extension to an existing business use in the same building; or b. A suitable alternative non-residential site is not available for the proposed use.
10.13 The Borough Council is committed to meeting national and regional housing stock targets. Due to the lack of brownfield land and the limited development areas available in Stevenage, it is important that existing housing stock is retained and redeveloped for housing where possible.
10.14 The conversion of larger houses into smaller homes or flats can be a useful means of providing additional housing stock, which meets the small property demand. However, an increase in residents can result in a need for additional parking provision and open space, and an increase in traffic and pressure being exerted on local services and facilities. The conversion of larger houses will only be permitted where a need for additional housing stock exists and where any negative impacts of the development can be successfully mitigated.
10.15 A net loss of existing housing will not normally be permitted.
80 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is prosperous
11 A town that is prosperous
Employment
[POLICY DM05] EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT ON UNALLOCATED SITES
'B-class uses on sites not allocated in our AAPs or SSP will be permitted where they;
a. are on previously developed land; b. are of an appropriate size and scale; and c. meet the requirements of policies DM28 and DM29.
New major employment development will not be permitted outside allocated areas.
Proposals which result in the loss of land currently in employment use outside allocated sites will only be granted where;
a. There is sufficient suitable and unallocated employment land available elsewhere; or b. The proposals will meet other policy objectives that outweigh the loss of employment land.
11.1 Employment uses, such as office buildings and warehouses, are defined as ‘B-class’ uses. A full explanation of what this includes is set out within the Core Strategy.
11.2 The Regional Economic Strategy (RES) identifies Stevenage as an economic focal point between London and Cambridge. Our overall employment strategy for the town is to direct the majority of development to identified sites.
11.3 Gunnels Wood is the largest employment area within Hertfordshire. It is identified as a key asset within the RES. Pin Green was developed as a second employment area in the late 1960s, to provide additional jobs for a growing population. Our approach to these areas is set in the Gunnels Wood Area Action Plan and the Site Specific Policies document, respectively.
11.4 As well as these areas, we are proposing significant office development within, and adjacent to, the town centre. The Town Centre Area Action Plan provides policies and guidance on how this provision should be managed in the future.
11.5 Further employment opportunities are identified for the area covered by the Stevenage and North Hertfordshire Area Action Plan (SNAP). An employment site is allocated close to junction 7 of the A1(M), in order to meet the employment needs of new and existing residents.
11.6 Although most employment areas are covered within other DPDs, employment uses outside of these areas can also play an important role in the local economy, and should therefore be encouraged and protected, where this is appropriate. They can help to create mixed-use localities that provide job opportunities for residents, in line with sustainability and self-containment objectives.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 81 A town that is prosperous
11.7 The Old Town area in particular contains an additional supply of small workshops and office buildings, which help to bring in investment and activity. However, although some of these provide benefits for the Old Town area, other sites may be more suitable for redevelopment as housing.
11.8 When considering proposals for new employment development on unallocated sites, careful consideration should be given to traffic and parking implications.
Retail
[POLICY DM06] RETAIL DEVELOPMENT ON UNALLOCATED SITES
New retail development on sites outside the designated hierarchy, as set out in CS09, will only be granted where;
a. A need for additional floorspace can be demonstrated; b. A sequential approach to site selection has been followed and it is evident that the need cannot be appropriately provided for within an existing centre in the hierarchy; c. The development will not create an adverse impact on the vitality and viability of existing centres; and d. The development is easily accessible for all modes of transportation.
[POLICY DM07] LOSS OF RETAIL FLOORSPACE
A loss of retail floorspace on sites outside the designated hierarchy will only be granted where it can be demonstrated that:
a. The site is not needed to meet anticipated demand over period to 2026; or b. There are sites in equally, or more, suitable/sustainable locations which could meet any additional demand created by the loss of the site.
11.9 The Government states that proposals for new shopping facilities should follow a sequential approach by focusing on existing centres (80), then edge of centre locations and finally out of centre locations that are well served by transport. Developers must demonstrate that their proposal is needed in floorspace terms and to aid consumer choice, as well as demonstrating that there will be no adverse impact upon existing centres.
11.10 Policy E10 of the East of England Plan states that any new retail development should be located in existing centres and should be consistent in scale with the size and character of the centre and its role in the regional structure. It identifies the need for Stevenage to expand its retail and services offer as a key element of its regeneration.
80 PPS6: Planning for Town Centres; Draft PPS4: Planning for Prosperous Economies.
82 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is prosperous
11.11 A retail hierarchy is set out within our Core Strategy and specific policies for identified centres are detailed in our AAPs and SSPs. However, our Core Strategy recognises that retail parks, supermarkets and freestanding shops complement this hierarchy.
11.12 Our evidence(81) shows that some existing sites outside the hierarchy, such as Roaring Meg, currently offer a relatively sustainable location for retail provision, with their location being such that trips can be combined with those to the town centre. The loss of this retail floorspace would exacerbate future future demand and could result in it having to be located in less sustainable, out-of-town locations. Restrictions should therefore be placed to ensure that this provision is protected, unless it can be demonstrated that the site is not needed to meet anticipated demand, or there are sites in equally, or more, suitable/sustainable locations which could meet any additional demand created by the loss.
81 Stevenage Borough Retail Capacity Assessment (2009)
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 83 A town of opportunities and communities
12 A town of opportunities and communities
Health, social and community facilities
[POLICY DM08] EXISTING HEALTH, SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Development which results in the loss or reduction of any existing, unallocated, health, social or community facility will be refused, unless:
a. The existing facility can be satisfactorily relocated within the development proposal, or replaced in an appropriate alternative location; b. It can be demonstrated that there is no longer a need for the particular facility; or c. The facility, or any reasonable replacement, is not, and will not, be viable on that site.
[POLICY DM09] NEW HEALTH, SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Planning permission for new health, social or community facilities, or to extend or re-provide existing facilities, will be granted where:
a. A need for the facility has been identified; b. The site is appropriate in terms of its location and accessibility; and c. The facility is integrated with existing health, social or community facilities, where appropriate.
12.1 These policies refer to health, social and community facilities as identified under use classes C2 and D1(82).
12.2 Government guidance(83) requires the planning system to ensure that communities have access to an appropriate range of health, social and community facilities. The provision of such facilities can be an important element in creating sustainable communities and improving the quality of life for existing and new residents.
12.3 As a key concept of the original masterplan for the town, health, social and community facilities in Stevenage were provided locally, within walking distance of residents. Where a need still exists for these facilities, it is important that they are retained, or replaced, either within the development proposal or in a suitable alternative location.
82 Insofar as this use class reasonably relates to this type of facility. Facilities including (but not necessarily limited to) art galleries, museums, libraries, halls and church halls are not considered to be health, social or community facilities, in this context, and so are not covered by policies DM08 and DM09. 83 PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Development
84 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
12.4 In some instances, it may be appropriate to consolidate existing health, social or community facilities, in line with locational requirements, and where it can be demonstrated that this would provide an improved service for residents.
12.5 New health, social or community facilities will be permitted where a need has been identified. It is important that these facilities are served well by public transport, and are accessible for pedestrians, and to people with disabilities. Where possible, these should be integrated with existing facilities.
[POLICY DM10] REDUNDANT SCHOOL SITES
Planning permission for the use of any unallocated redundant or surplus school buildings will be refused where the buildings are currently used for community activities, unless:
a. The buildings housing the community activity are retained; b. The facilities can be satisfactorily relocated within the development proposal or replaced in an appropriate alternative location; or c. It can be demonstrated that there is no longer a need for such facilities.
School playing fields and their ancillary facilities will be required to be retained for open space use. Any loss of these facilities will be assessed against policy DM19.
12.6 The dual use of some school buildings makes an important contribution to local social and community facilities in Stevenage; helping to address deficiencies in provision, improving access to local facilities and making better use of existing resources.
12.7 Where school buildings currently have a dual use, and the school facility is to be removed or replaced, any buildings which are currently used for community activities must be retained, or relocated in a satisfactory location. Buildings may only be developed where it can be demonstrated that there is no longer a need for the community facility.
12.8 School playing fields and their ancillary facilities should be retained for open space use, in line with policy DM19.
Leisure
[POLICY DM11] EXISTING LEISURE AND CULTURAL FACILITIES
The loss or reduction of existing, unallocated, leisure or cultural facilities will only be permitted where:
a. The existing facility can be satisfactorily relocated within the development proposal, or replaced in an appropriate alternative location; b. It can be demonstrated that there is no longer a need for the particular facility; or c. The facility, or any reasonable replacement, is not, and will not be viable, on that site.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 85 A town of opportunities and communities
[POLICY DM12] NEW AND REFURBISHED LEISURE AND CULTURAL FACILITIES
The modernisation, enhancement or redevelopment of existing, unallocated, leisure or cultural facilities, or the development of new facilities, will be permitted where;
a. A need for the facility has been identified; and b. Sites are considered appropriate in terms of their location and accessibility.
Planning permission for play centre provision within existing and proposed neighbourhood centres will be granted where it is integrated with other leisure and community uses, where practicable.
12.9 These policies relate to the following use classes;
C1 – hotels D1 – non-residential institutions(84) D2 – assembly and leisure.
12.10 National guidance states that, to be able to plan for sport and recreation, local authorities should assess the existing and future needs of their communities. We have conducted an assessment(85) which shows that there are not enough sports halls and swimming pools. Specific sites have, therefore, been allocated within our DPDs to try to address some of the identified deficiencies.
12.11 The Building Schools for the Future programme will help to meet some of the demand through dual-use facilities providing sports halls, all-weather pitches and fitness stations. However, this is unlikely to supply all of the facilities required.
12.12 The demand for leisure facilities is also subject to change, as the structure of the population varies and new trends develop. New facilities or the improvement of existing facilities may, therefore, be required to meet these changing demands.
12.13 In addition to this, many of the existing public facilities in Stevenage are dated, decaying or do not meet modern standards. It is important that, where there is still viable demand, these facilities are modernised, improved, extended or replaced, rather than being removed to make way for alternative uses. Proposals for this will be encouraged, in order to improve the range and quality of facilities in the town.
84 Insofar as this use class reasonably relates to this type of facility. Facilities including (but not necessarily limited to) medical and health services, crèches and nurseries are not considered to be leisure and cultural facilities, in this context, and so are not covered by policies DM11 and DM12. 85 Open Space, Recreation and Sport Strategy, PMP, 2006
86 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
12.14 The loss of existing leisure facilities may result in deficiencies which can be difficult to address. If facilities are to be lost to alternative development, developers will normally be required to replace these. Replacements need to be sited in a satisfactory location, which is accessible to all potential users, and of at least equal quality and capacity to the original facility.
12.15 Some leisure facilities may not be suitable for retention, as demand may not be sufficient to justify a viable replacement facility. Where this can be demonstrated, and the Borough Council is satisfied that this is the case, the loss of the leisure facility will be permitted.
12.16 Significant demand exists for playgroup places at community centres in Stevenage. It is important that these facilities are provided at a local level. Proposals for play provision within existing neighbourhood centres will therefore be encouraged. Major new developments will be required to make provision for facilities that can be used as play centres in new local centres.
Homes for all
[POLICY DM13] AFFORDABLE HOUSING THRESHOLDS
On proposals involving a net gain of housing units it will be a requirement that there should be at least the following proportion of affordable homes:
40% for sites of 25 or more homes 35% for sites of 15 – 24 homes 30% for sites of 10 – 14 homes 20% for sites of 5 – 9 homes 10% for sites of 1 – 4 homes (to be secured as a financial contribution).
Where a development is phased, or a site is either divided into separate parts or regarded as part of a larger development, it will be considered as a whole.
A reduction of the affordable housing target will only be considered where:
a. Developers can demonstrate that the target cannot be achieved due to physical constraints on the site resulting in higher than normal costs, which affect its viability; or b. Meeting the requirements would compromise other policy objectives.
12.17 The government’s key policy on housing is ‘to ensure that everyone has the opportunity of living in a decent home, which they can afford, in a community where they want to live’(86). The Borough Council supports this and views this, equally, a statement of its own aspirations. Our Community Strategy states that 'we aim to provide good quality, affordable homes in clean, green, safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods with excellent transport links'.
86 PPS3: Housing.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 87 A town of opportunities and communities
12.18 Hertfordshire is an expensive place to buy or rent a home. Stevenage has some of the lowest house prices in the county, but despite this, a relatively high income is needed to afford even the cheapest home.
12.19 Affordable homes are for people whose needs are not met by the private housing market. They include social rented homes and intermediate affordable housing. Social rented homes are owned and managed by local authorities and housing associations, and are rented at below market housing levels. Intermediate affordable housing includes key worker homes, shared equity schemes, and other low cost homes for sale and intermediate rent. These are priced at above those of social rent, but below market housing rates.
12.20 The East of England Plan recognises the need for an increase in the availability of affordable housing to tackle housing supply issues in the region. It sets a regional level target for at least 35% of all housing to be affordable, but aspires to secure higher levels where needs exist.
12.21 Affordable housing will be required from both allocated sites and windfall sites.
12.22 The Government requires developers to provide affordable homes on sites of 15 dwellings or more(87). However, local authorities are expected to set lower thresholds where they are viable and practical.
12.23 In this context it is important to point out that, because of its planned nature, Stevenage does not contain the types or volumes of brownfield land which exist in other towns. This means that many sites will not be able to accommodate 15 homes or more.
12.24 Our evidence base(88) shows that a 40% level of affordable housing provision on schemes of 25 or more dwellings is viable. It also demonstrates that affordable housing could be provided on sites below 15 dwellings without unduly compromising site viability. A gradual, sliding scale approach to affordable housing targets will be used.
12.25 We have also investigated the potential for sites of under five dwellings to contribute towards affordable housing needs using a financial contribution mechanism, in-lieu of on-site provision. The results support our policy approach(89).
12.26 Policy DM13 says that a reduction of the affordable housing target will be considered where it can be demonstrated that it would affect the developments viability, or where other policy objectives would be compromised.
12.27 The Borough Council may wish to challenge the developer's appraisal of viability. Where this is the case, a financial appraisal toolkit of the Borough Council's choice will be used to carry out the viability assessment. The cost of this will be borne by the applicant. The developer will be notified of the information they are required to supply.
12.28 In addition to this, the Borough Council will take a reasonable approach to fluctuating market conditions, and may offer some degree of flexibility in these targets.
87 PPS3: Housing. 88 Affordable Housing Development Viability Study, Adams Integra, 2007. 89 Affordable Housing Development Economics, Adams Integra, 2007
88 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
[POLICY DM14] AFFORDABLE HOUSING TENURE, MIX AND DESIGN
Planning permission for schemes of five or more housing units will be granted where:
a. The affordable housing provision required by DM13 is made on site; b. At least 65% of the affordable housing is for social rent, with the remainder consisting of other affordable tenures; c. The mix, size and type of affordable homes takes into account the housing needs of the Borough, as identified by the latest Strategic Housing Market Assessment; d. Affordable homes are physically indistinguishable from other types of homes and are distributed across the site to avoid over-concentration in any particular area; and e. The homes remain at an affordable price for future eligible households. Rents, or other equivalent payments, are restricted to being no higher than the Homes and Communities Agency, or other statutory body, rent cap.
Off site provision, or a financial contribution towards affordable housing, as an exception to criterion a., will only be considered where:
i. It can be proved preferable for planning reasons; and ii. It can be brought forward for development within a similar timescale.
12.29 The Regional Housing Strategy for the East of England identifies an increasing number of people who fall into the intermediate housing market, who cannot afford to buy, yet whose incomes make them ineligible for social rented housing. For reasons such as this, it is important that the tenure, type and size of affordable housing is provided in line with existing and future need assessment.
12.30 Our latest Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), produced in August 2008, recommends that affordable housing targets of 40% should be set for all suitable sites. Of these, 65% should be social rented and 35% should be intermediate housing.
12.31 The SHMA also analyses stock balance, turnover and waiting list demand, to identify any gaps in the type and size of units required to address current shortfalls and meet future needs. It recommends that current target levels should be 45% one bedroom units, 30% two bedroom units, 20% three bedroom units and 5% four bedroom units (until large unit need is met).
12.32 The mix, size and type will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. In deciding what is appropriate we will consider (but not necessarily limit ourselves to) the following factors;
The location of the site The overall type and scale of the proposed development The market housing mix The findings of the latest SHMA and any other relevant evidence studies.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 89 A town of opportunities and communities
12.33 Affordable housing is usually secured 'in perpetuity', making sure that the benefits are passed on to future generations of occupiers. There can be exceptions to this. Many affordable homes have been sold through Right to Buy while some shared equity properties provide the opportunity to gain 100% ownership. We will not unreasonably interfere with these schemes and exceptions to criterion e will be allowed where they are considered fair and reasonable.
12.34 Our presumption is strongly in favour of on-site provision. However, where a case for off-site provision or a financial contribution is accepted, the starting point for negotiation will be to assume that provision will meet the requirements set out in Policy DM13.
[POLICY DM15] ACCESSIBLE HOUSING
Lifetime Homes Standards should be met for all new homes, unless it can be demonstrated that this is not financially viable.
Proposals for major residential schemes will be permitted where at least 20% are fully wheelchair accessible.
[POLICY DM16] SUPPORTED HOUSING
Residential developments of 50 properties or more will only be permitted where a contribution is made towards the provision of supported housing. The amount of contribution required will be negotiated on a site-by-site basis.
Planning permission for supported housing schemes will be granted where:
a. It meets an identified need; b. The site is well served by public transport; c. There is good access to local services and facilities such as neighbourhood centres, for both residents and staff; d. They provide appropriate levels of amenity space and car parking for residents, visitors and staff, where required; e. They are appropriate to the size and scale of the surrounding development and its locality; f. They do not seek to recreate institution style accommodation.
12.35 National guidance(90) requires that local planning authorities plan for a mix of housing, having particular regard to the accommodation requirements of specific groups.
12.36 Specialist housing provision is required for people with support needs, including:
90 PPS3: Housing
90 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
Older people People with a physical disability People with a learning disability People who are homeless
12.37 A Hertfordshire strategy(91) has been developed, which identifies different levels of specialist housing provision;
Adapting people’s own homes: enabling people to live in their own homes for longer. This can be achieved through the incorporation of Limetime Homes Standards and by adapting/building homes with features designed to facilitate easier living, such as wheelchair accessibility and walk-in showers. Supported Housing:
Housing with care - different models for this include extra care, sheltered and very sheltered housing and assisted living. Self-contained accommodation provided within a purpose-built block or small estate where all the other residents are elderly or have support needs. Care is provided for people who cannot live completely on their own, but do not quite need 24hour care.
Care/Nursing Homes - providing personal care and/or long term medical care for people who cannot live independently.
12.38 With an increase in life expectancy, and the retired population in Stevenage expected to rise significantly by 2029, it is important that the existing and future demands for adapted and supported housing are planned for.
12.39 These types of accommodation are not always provided by the private housing market; therefore it may be necessary for local planning authorities to negotiate with developers in order to secure appropriate provision.
12.40 Our evidence(92) found that around 20% of households in Stevenage included a member with a disability. This number is likely to increase with the change in demographics. Implementing Lifetimes Homes Standards will ensure that new homes are suitable for all residents. The Borough Council will expect developers to implement the Lifetimes Homes Standards for all new developments, where viable.
12.41 In addition to this, the SHMA found that 11.5% of households contained a member who was a wheelchair user. As Lifetime Homes do not provide wheelchair standard accommodation, for major residential schemes, a proportion of fully wheelchair accessible homes will be required. A higher percentage requirement has been used to allow for the estimated increase in elderly population.
91 The Hertfordshire Supporting People Strategy 2007-2012 92 SHMA, David Couttie Associates, 2008.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 91 A town of opportunities and communities
12.42 Evidence(93) demonstrates that there is significant demand for supported housing provision.
12.43 A contribution towards supported housing; housing with care or nursing/care homes, will be required for major residential development schemes.
12.44 The Borough Council seeks to ensure these accommodation requirements are met, but without detrimental effects on adjoining properties or the residential amenity of the surrounding area. Considerations such as the availability of public transport, health care and community facilities and parking provision must be taken into account when assessing a proposal for this type of development.
12.45 Provision for supported housing will be expected on a scale which is appropriate to the size of development and its locality, but which does not seek to create institution style accommodation.
12.46 Although a financial contribution will generally be acceptable, it is important that supported housing is provided on appropriate sites. Housing for some groups of people, in particular the elderly and people with disabilities, is best provided at locations with good links to facilities and services, such as neighbourhood centres. It is therefore important that where sites are available which meet these requirements, contributions are required on-site.
12.47 The level and type of contribution required will be negotiated on a site-by-site basis.
[POLICY DM17] HOUSE TYPES AND SIZES
Planning permission for major residential schemes will be granted where:
a. An appropriate range of house types and sizes are provided in accordance with our latest SHMA; b. Densities at, or above, the national minimum are achieved. Significantly higher densities should be achieved in easily accessible locations; and c. Aspirational homes are provided in appropriate locations.
Densities lower than the national minimum will be permitted, as an exception to criterion b., for aspirational housing.
12.48 In addition to ensuring an adequate provision of affordable homes, market homes (of varying types and sizes) also need to be provided in line with national and regional housing objectives. National policy(94) requires local authorities to set out the profile of household types requiring market housing.
93 SHMA, David Couttie Associates, 2008; and Accommodation for Frail Older People: County wide strategy, HCC, 2007. 94 PPS3: Housing
92 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
12.49 The original masterplan for Stevenage did not incorporate a balanced mix of housing types and sizes. As a result, Stevenage has a high proportion of three bedroom housing stock, which dominates the market significantly.
12.50 Our Core Strategy policy seeks to provide a full range of dwelling types and sizes, to address existing imbalances and to meet the current and future needs of all sectors of the community. A range of homes will help to create a mixed community, suitable for families, couples, single people and older people.
12.51 Our requirements for affordable housing unit sizes are set out in paragraph 12.31. Our latest SHMA recommends that for market homes, 20% should have four or more bedrooms, 20% should be three bedrooms and 60% should be one or two bedroom dwellings.
12.52 Development proposals will be assessed against these indicative targets or the latest available evidence. In deciding if the mix of housing on a site is appropriate we will also consider (but not limit ourselves to):
The location and type of site; The requirements of Policy DM30; The relative accessibility of a site to passenger transport and local services; Housing completions and permitted housing supply.
12.53 Trends imply that the number of people living on their own will increase during the plan period. There is therefore a need to increase the provision of smaller homes and apartments within Stevenage.
12.54 Clearly, this small unit need also supports the requirement for higher densities than in the past. The original masterplan for Stevenage involved building at relatively low densities of 25 - 30dph in order to incorporate wide roads, gardens and green spaces. However, where sites are easily accessible, higher densities are now favoured in order to ensure the most efficient use of limited land resources. Higher densities can also help to support local amenities and improve the viability of public transport.
12.55 The Government has set a national indicative minimum density of 30dph, which is supported within the East of England Plan. The plan also states that, in accessible locations, local authorities should build at the highest possible density, whilst retaining the character of the area, and ensuring that transport networks and community facilities can sustain such high-density developments.
12.56 In addition to this need for smaller homes, our evidence(95) also indicates that there is a need to deliver larger, aspirational homes, in high quality environments. Our Core Policies set out the criteria a home must meet in order to be considered 'aspirational'. It also indicates locations where aspirational homes will be suitable. Specific sites are identified in our Area Action Plans and the Site Specific Policies DPD.
95 SHMA, David Couttie Associates, 2008
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 93 A town of opportunities and communities
12.57 On suitable medium and large sites, we can ask for 10% of dwellings to be aspirational homes without compromising the densities and styles that would be required on the rest of the site(96). We will use this figure as a starting point for negotiation, recognising that:
On the largest sites and in new neighbourhoods, this would require a significant number of aspirational homes. We do not want to provide homes that the market cannot support. We also do not want to provide large areas of aspirational homes. This would be against our own guidelines and would not provide mixed communities. A lower proportion of homes will be acceptable in these instances; On some, mainly smaller, sites it may be appropriate to permit up to 100% aspirational homes. These sites will be permitted as an exception to national policy guidelines where they would complement the prevailing character, diversify existing stock or lead to the best solution for the site; In accessible locations, where purely flatted developments are proposed, the proportion of aspirational homes that can be achieved will largely be determined by the proposed building height(s) and footprint(s).
12.58 Both the urban extensions planned for West and North Stevenage and the regeneration of the town centre, are likely to have socioeconomic benefits for the town, and, as a result, are likely to increase in the demand for aspirational homes. Equally, a lack of aspirational housing could hold back economic investment in the future.
12.59 Ensuring an adequate supply of aspirational homes is also key to encouraging sustainable communities. Currently, our evidence(97) shows that the workforce who earn the higher wages in Stevenage do not live within the town. This means that people are commuting to and from their place of work. Providing larger, high quality homes, may help to encourage these workers to live within the town, and encourage a more sustainable way of life.
[POLICY DM18] GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS AND TRAVELLING SHOWPEOPLE
Planning permission will only be granted for accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers or Travelling Showpeople on unallocated sites where the criteria in Policy CS13(c) are met.
12.60 A definition of Gypsy and Travellers, and Travelling showpeople, is set out within our Core Strategy.
12.61 The East of England Plan states that 'local authorities should make provision for sites/pitches to meet the identified needs of Gypsies and Travellers living within or resorting to their area'.
96 These are defined as sites of 0.5 hectares or more. PPS3 advises that new development should achieve a minimum 30 dwellings per hectare to ensure the efficient use of land. 97 Aspirational Homes Survey, 2007
94 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town of opportunities and communities
12.62 A site will be identified within the SNAP document to meet the identified needs for Gypsy and Traveller provision within Stevenage. Our preferred approach will be to fund and deliver our full allocation of pitches on this site.
12.63 However, in circumstances where this identified site does not meet the full requirements, there may be a need for developers to contribute towards provision. Policy CS06 of the Core Strategy sets out this requirement.
12.64 Planning permission for Gypsy and Traveller pitches on unallocated sites will only be granted where the requirements of Policy CS13 are met.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 95 A town that is clean and green
13 A town that is clean and green
Green infrastructure
[POLICY DM19] DEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING OPEN SPACES AND PLAY AREAS
The development of existing, unallocated, open spaces or children’s play areas will only be permitted where:
a. A replacement facility of equivalent or better quality and size, within, or close to, the development site will be provided; b. Evidence clearly shows that the facility is not required for current or future use, or for any other type of open space provision; or c. The need for the use of the site for an alternate purpose outweighs the need for the use of the site as an open space.
A financial contribution towards new or improved facilities, as an exception to criterion a., will only be considered where;
i. It can be proved preferable for planning reasons; and ii. It can be bought forward for development within a similar timescale.
13.1 Green infrastructure refers to all open spaces in Stevenage. Green spaces are important for creating pleasant environments and recreation opportunities, absorbing greenhouse gas emissions and providing habitats for wildlife. The initial masterplan for Stevenage placed an emphasis on incorporating green space into the structure of the town. This remains an important feature and the existing spaces should be maintained and enhanced to ensure their continuing role.
13.2 Our Core Strategy policy is to protect and enhance the natural environment in line with sustainability objectives and the Borough Council’s Open Space Study(98). Existing green infrastructure should be protected and enhanced, whilst additional provision should be made in conjunction with new developments. This follows national guidance(99), which states that existing open space should not be built upon unless an assessment has been undertaken which proves the area to be surplus to requirements.
13.3 Our SSPs and AAPs allocate the most important elements of green infrastructure and set out criteria to ensure their continued protection. This includes areas of green belt, principal open spaces, green lungs, wildlife sites, ancient woodlands, ancient lanes and hedgerows, and horse and pony routes.
13.4 However, there are also a significant number of additional unallocated open spaces, many of which play an important local role.
98 Open Space, Recreation and Sport Strategy, PMP, 2006 99 PPG17: Planning for Sport and Recreation
96 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
13.5 In exceptional circumstances, a financial contribution towards a new or improved facility may be considered acceptable.
[POLICY DM20] OPEN SPACES AND PLAY AREAS IN NEW DEVELOPMENT
Residential developments which would add to, or create, a quantitative or qualitative deficiency in open space provision, children’s play areas or allotments, will only be permitted where a contribution is made towards these facilities.
The location, type and size of facilities to be provided will be negotiated on a site-by-site basis, based on:
The size of the proposed development; Our Open Space Standards; The specific demand which exists in that locality; The opportunity to enhance existing facilities; and Accessibility to the site.
Planning obligations will be sought on small sites, or areas of high density, where developers can demonstrate that it is not viable to provide any open space, children’s play areas or allotments on site.
Planning permission for new open spaces and play areas will be granted where;
a. There is a local deficiency of green spaces, children’s play areas or allotments. b. The scheme meets the criteria set out within Policy DM21.
[POLICY DM21] REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW OPEN SPACES AND PLAY AREAS
Open space provision, children's play areas and allotments are required to;
a. Be easily accessible for all modes of transportation, and, where appropriate, within walking distance of the development they serve; b. Be well maintained, safe, and inclusive for all members of the community; c. Provide useable, coherent areas of an appropriate size (at least 400m2 for children's play areas); d. Incorporate any significant features of the landscape, where appropriate; and e. Be offered for adoption by the Borough Council, in which case a commuted sum to cover maintenance will be sought, or be subject to a long term covenanted community management arrangement.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 97 A town that is clean and green
13.6 The East of England Plan recognises that higher density developments and smaller gardens mean there is a greater need for quality open space provision and landscaping. It expects local authorities to ensure that substantial, accessible, multi-functional green space is provided to service new communities.
13.7 Our evidence(100) sets out a clear vision statement and quality and accessibility standards for each type of green space. Our Core Strategy policy is to provide an appropriate level of open space based on these quantity and accessibility standards. This equates to about 6 hectares of open space per 1,000 residents.
13.8 All new residential developments will be required to contribute towards open space provision. It is important to ensure that the open space provided is of a useful size, is well managed, and would not create an over-supply. Therefore, in certain circumstances, off-site provision or a contribution towards the enhancement of an existing site may be considered appropriate.
13.9 Play areas constitute an important element of this open space. National Playing Field Association (NPFA) guidelines for play areas are expected to be met in all new residential developments. This requires a minimum size of 400m² in order to create usable spaces. This may not be achievable in small or high-density developments, therefore contributions may be required. The NPFA standard is for 0.8 hectare of play areas to be provided per 1,000 population.
13.10 Access to allotments is especially important in high density areas, where there may be a lack of private garden space. Our evidence recommends a quantity standard of allotment provision of 0.13ha per 1,000 population. It is likely that in many cases contributions towards new site provision or improvements to existing sites will be sought through a commuted sum, rather than provision made on site.
13.11 It is important that new open spaces, play areas and allotments are provided in a suitable location, and are useable for all members of the community.
13.12 The long-term management of these facilities must be arranged.
[POLICY DM22] TREES AND WOODLAND
Proposals which affect, or are likely to affect, existing trees, will require an arboricultural report. Existing trees must be protected and retained where possible, and sensitively incorporated into developments.
Planning permission for proposals where the loss of trees is demonstrated to be unavoidable will only be granted where:
a. Sufficient land is reserved for appropriate replacement planting and landscaping; b. Replacement trees or planting are provided which are;
i. Of equal or better quality than the trees which are lost;
100 Open Space, Recreation and Sport Strategy, PMP, 2006
98 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
ii. Sensitively incorporated into the development; and iii. Where appropriate, locally native species, of the same maturity; and
c. In the case of a loss of woodland:
i. It can be demonstrated that any adverse affects can be satisfactorily mitigated; ii. The need for the use of the site outweighs the amenity of the woodland; or iii. It can be demonstrated that there would be a net gain in the quality of any remaining woodland through the enhancement of the recreational, amenity, landscape and/or nature conservation value of the remaining woodland and that there would be provision for its improved long-term management.
13.13 It is important that trees and planting are protected, as far as possible, from new development. An arboricultural report will be required where trees are to be affected. This should provide details about the location and characteristics of existing trees and clearly indicate which are to be removed or retained.
Pollution and flood risk
[POLICY DM23] NOISE AND LIGHT GENERATING USES
Planning permission for noise generating uses will only be granted where they would not result in unacceptable noise exposure for the users of existing or proposed noise sensitive schemes nearby.
Planning permission for light generating uses will only be permitted where:
a. The scheme uses the minimum amount of light needed to meet operational requirements; b. The potential pollution from glare and light spillage is minimised; and c. There would not be an unacceptable impact on residential amenity, vehicle users, the local environment (including wildlife) and the character of the countryside.
Planning conditions may be applied to developments that have some degree of noise and light pollution, so that the levels and times can be controlled appropriately.
13.14 Pollution can have a damaging effect on the environment, public health and quality of life. The government seeks to prevent harmful developments and to mitigate the impact of potentially polluting developments.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 99 A town that is clean and green
13.15 Pollution refers to the release of contaminates into the air, ground or water. It includes solids, liquids and gases as well as noise, vibration, heat and light.National guidance(101) states that our plans should set out the criteria against which applications for potentially polluting developments will be considered.
13.16 The East of England Plan requires new development to ‘reduce pollution, including emissions, noise and light pollution’.
13.17 National guidance(102) requires that the effects of noise are minimised, but without restricting development unreasonably or adding unduly to the costs of businesses.
13.18 Careful consideration should be given to whether artificial lighting is needed. Light encroaching beyond the area in which it was intended can create a distracting glare and can have an adverse effect on the local environment, particularly wildlife, as their nocturnal patterns can be disturbed.
13.19 If artificial light is required, then it should be designed to ensure that only the necessary amount of light is provided for the required task and that it is properly controlled or mitigated, to avoid light pollution. Hours or days of use can be limited or the use of sensitive screening may be appropriate.
13.20 For assessing the acceptability of external lighting schemes, guidance provided by the Institute of Lighting Engineers(103) on reducing light pollution will be followed.
[POLICY DM24] NOISE SENSITIVE USES
Planning permission for noise-sensitive uses will only be granted where they will not be subjected to unacceptably high levels of noise exposure from either existing, or proposed, noise generating uses.
Planning permission in areas affected by acceptable levels of aircraft noise, where the Borough Council considers the proposed use to be particularly sensitive, will be subject to conditions or planning obligations to ensure an adequate level of protection against aircraft noise.
13.21 National guidance(104) states that noise-sensitive uses, such as housing, schools and hospitals, should be separated from noise generating uses where possible. Where such separation is not possible local authorities should consider whether it is feasible to control or reduce noise levels, or to mitigate the impact of noise through the use of conditions or planning obligations i.e. additional insulation incorporated into the design of new buildings.
101 PPS23: Planning and Pollution Control 102 PPG24: Planning and Noise 103 Guidance notes for the reduction of light pollution, ILE, http://www.ile.org.uk/ 104 PPG24: Planning and Noise
100 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
13.22 Stevenage is located in close proximity to London Luton Airport and is therefore affected by aircraft noise generated from there. Even though the direction of the runway means that planes fly directly over Stevenage to take off and land, at present, national guidance(105) defines the levels of noise experienced as being acceptable. However, the growth of London Luton Airport, to its full use of the existing runway, is supported by The Future of Air Transport white paper. In 2007, Luton Airport reported passenger numbers of 9.94 million per annum; its future growth will mean it catering for around 30 million passengers per annum in the period up to 2030, a major increase.
13.23 To identify the areas affected significantly by aircraft noise, forecast noise contours for day and night-time periods are used, which show the ‘footprint’ of the average annual noise impact of operations associated with the airport, measured by Leq decibels.
[POLICY DM25] HAZARDOUS INSTALLATIONS
Planning permission for development proposals involving the use, storage or movement of hazardous substances will only be granted where:
a. There are no additional health and safety risks to users of the site or the surrounding area; b. There are no additional threats to the local environment, particularly air quality, water and wildlife; and c. The proposal would not be liable to cause long-term land contamination.
Where any of these criteria are not met, planning permission will only be granted where steps can be taken to mitigate any adverse impacts to an acceptable level.
Planning permission for development proposals adjoining existing or proposed hazardous installations, or adjoining sites where hazardous substances are present, will be refused where there is a health and safety risk to the users of the proposed development.
13.24 Pollution also occurs when oil, fuel and other hazardous substances contaminate land.
13.25 National guidance(106) states that local authorities should include appropriate plans and policies for dealing with the potential for contamination and the remediation of land so that it is suitable for the proposed development or use.
13.26 Planning permission must be obtained for the storage or use of hazardous substances. The Borough Council will consider whether this use is appropriate in the proposed location, and how it would affect the land nearby.
13.27 The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are consulted on all applications for Hazardous Substances Consent or development proposals for installations involving hazardous substances. Their advice will be used to help assess a development proposal.
105 PPG24: Planning and Noise 106 PPS23: Planning and Pollution Control.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 101 A town that is clean and green
13.28 Proposals which are affected by any other form of pollution, or may cause in increase in pollution levels, will be dealt with in line with national guidance(107).
[POLICY DM26] FLOOD RISK
Planning permission will not be granted unless:
a. The development itself will not be at an inappropriate risk of flooding; b. The development will not create an increased risk of flooding elsewhere; c. The development is designed or adapted to manage flood risk; and d. The sequential test has been applied when selecting an appropriate location.
Applications for development which falls within a flood risk area (zones 2 and 3 on the flood risk assessment map) will be required to submit a compliant flood risk assessment including information on how adequate protection from flooding will be achieved for the lifetime of the development.
Planning permission for development proposals which involve the culverting of watercourses, and are likely to have an adverse impact on the town’s river corridors and water meadows, will be granted where satisfactory mitigation measures are implemented.
13.29 Flooding is a natural process, which helps to shape the natural environment. However, it can also have significant negative impacts, causing damage to property and even loss of life. Increased risks of flooding are likely to occur in the future due to the impacts of climate change. It is therefore important that planning policies take into account both present and future flood risk.
13.30 National guidance expects councils to prevent development in areas of flood risk and reduce the overall risk of flooding. Proposals should follow a sequence process that avoids adding to the causes of flooding at their likely source, reduces the risk of flooding by maximising the use of drainage systems, and minimises any negative impacts on buildings and land uses that may suffer from flooding.
13.31 The sequential test should be followed for all development proposals, which aims to steer new development into areas with the lowest probability of flooding. Preference should be given to locating new development in flood zone 1 (low risk). Proposals for development in flood zones 2 or 3 must be able to demonstrate that there are no reasonable alternative options available in a lower risk category.
107 PPS23: Planning and Pollution Control
102 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
13.32 A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) has been carried out in Stevenage, which identifies possible flood risk areas within the town. It uses the three distinct zones of flood risk defined in national guidance as a basis for this assessment. Flood risk maps within the SFRA clearly identify any areas where flooding is likely to occur, and in which flood risk zone these areas belong.
13.33 The locations classified as zones 2 and 3 do not cover an extensive area within the town. Broadly speaking, these locations run along Stevenage Brook and Aston End Brook, but only through the southern end of the town, with another small area being identified around junction 8 of the A1(M).
13.34 The latest flood risk maps for Stevenage should be referred to for detailed zone locations.
13.35 Groundwater flooding is not considered to pose a significant problem in Stevenage but the potential effect of developments, especially those with deep foundations, on shallow groundwater flows in fluvial sands and gravels in valley bottoms could affect flood risk locally if not taken into account in the site-specific flood risk assessment.
13.36 The Environment Agency has statutory responsibility for flood management and flood defence in England and provides an advisory service to local planning authorities such as Stevenage. The Environment Agency will be consulted on proposals in a flood risk area and for all sites over one hectare.
13.37 River corridors and water meadows play an important role in controlling the surface water run off from the town, as they allow excess run off during storms to be temporarily stored. Protecting river corridors and water meadows from inappropriate development and culverting is therefore important in order to not increase flood risk in the town.
[POLICY DM27] SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
Sustainable urban drainage systems should be incorporated into all new development proposals, unless developers can provide evidence to demonstrate that it would not be viable or practicable to implement.
13.38 Sustainable urban drainage systems (known as SUDS) direct rain water run-off back into suitable ground locations, mimicking natural drainage systems, and reducing the risk of flooding by easing the pressure on storm water drainage networks.
13.39 Planning policies are expected to support the provision of SUDS in line with national policy(108). Policy WAT4 in the East of England Plan states that ‘Local Development Documents should require that SUDS are incorporated in all appropriate developments’.
108 PPS25: Development and Flood Risk.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 103 A town that is clean and green
13.40 Our evidence(109) recommends that local authorities take every opportunity to deal with surface water at source, and achieve runoff rates that are the same, (or preferably less) than before development. This strategy also agrees that SUDS should be used to manage any surface water runoff arising from new developments.
13.41 A site can accommodate a range of different SUDS techniques. These can range from individual driveways being created from permeable surfaces to large-scale schemes incorporating features such as ponds and wetlands. However, the larger systems need to be well designed to ensure that they provide a valuable natural habitat and improve water quality, as well as reducing flood risk.
13.42 Our evidence(110) supports a presumption in favour of SUDS provision in new development. It should be stated within the Design and Access Statement where SUDS are not appropriate, and explain the reasons why.
Waste management
13.43 Waste refers to the things we throw away. At the time of writing about one quarter of waste produced by Stevenage residents is recycled. The rest is sent to landfill. In the future, the rising cost of landfill tax may encourage less waste and increase levels of recycling.
13.44 The East of England Plan seeks to minimise waste and the impact that growth will have on waste management facilities. The Hertfordshire Waste Management strategy aims to prevent waste as a first option, to re-use, recycle and compost waste as a second option, and to dispose of it as a last resort.
13.45 Waste disposal is the responsibility of Hertfordshire County Council (HCC). Any proposals for waste facilities will be determined by HCC, having regard to the Hertfordshire Waste LDF.
Sustainable transport
[POLICY DM28] TRANSPORT ASSESSMENTS AND TRAVEL PLANS
Planning permission will be granted where development would not have an adverse impact upon highway safety.
Planning permission for development schemes which fall under the criteria set out in ‘Roads in Hertfordshire – A Guide for New Development’ will only be granted where a satisfactory Transport Assessment is produced, which demonstrates that:
a. No significant adverse impacts will result; or b. Steps can be taken to mitigate any adverse impacts to an acceptable level.
109 Rye Meads Water Cycle Strategy, Hyder Consulting, 2009. 110 SFRA, Faber Maunsell, 2009.
104 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
Planning permission for residential developments of over 100 units and non-residential developments accommodating over 50 employees will only be granted where an acceptable (green) travel plan is produced.
13.46 Maintaining safe, effective and efficient access to services, facilities, jobs and schools, for all members of the community is essential in ensuring a good quality of life and a prosperous economy. An integrated approach should be taken to ensure that all forms of movement can be accommodated.
13.47 National guidance(111) seeks to ensure that more sustainable transport methods are encouraged, and that car use is reduced where possible. Developers should seek to reduce the need for travel and provide facilities for walking and cycling.
13.48 All developments will have an impact upon the transport network, as well as their own infrastructure needs. Developers will be required to assess this impact. New developments will need to ensure safe, efficient and integrated access for all modes of transport.
13.49 County guidance (112) supports Transport Assessments as a way to assess the impact of a development proposal on the existing infrastructure. It sets out criteria for the size of developments where a Transport Assessment is compulsory;
residential development of over 200 units; retail development of over 2000m² floorspace; B1 and B2 Use Classes and warehousing development of over 5000m² floorspace;
13.50 It also specifies other cases where an assessment should be required, including proposals for certain leisure facilities, where the proposal is in a sensitive location, where congestion already exists or where a high level of traffic is expected to be created. The full criteria list is clearly set out within the guidance.
13.51 It also states that developments which would change the amount or type of traffic on a road will be resisted, where they would have adverse impacts including;
an increased risk of accidents, especially to pedestrians and cyclists; where increased traffic would have an adverse effect on the local environment; and where roads are of poor quality (in terms of width, alignment and/or structural condition).
13.52 Our evidence base includes a transport model for Stevenage(113). Developers are encouraged to make use of this work when preparing their development proposals.
13.53 Travel plans comprise measures to be adopted by companies and other organisations to encourage staff to use less polluting forms of transport, and reduce the amount of cars using local roads. Initiatives include car sharing, cycle storage, showers, dedicated bus services, fewer parking
111 PPG13: Transport. 112 Roads in Hertfordshire – A Guide for New Development, HCC, 2001. 113 Stevenage UrbanTransport Plan (2009)
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 105 A town that is clean and green
spaces and home working. The value of travel plans for organisations such as schools and workplaces is now widely accepted. The preparation of these plans is encouraged in the East of England Plan, as well as in Hertfordshire County Council guidance.
13.54 Residential travel plans can also have significant benefits for developers and residents, as well as encouraging sustainability. Department for Transport (DfT) guidelines(114) state that residential travel plans are likely to achieve the greatest impacts in relation to larger developments of over 100 dwellings.
[POLICY DM29] PARKING AND ACCESS
Planning permission will be granted where developments comply with current maximum parking standards. Parking should be provided in line with advice contained within current SPD/SPG.
Planning permission for development proposals which result in the loss of off street parking spaces will be granted only where the parking lost is replaced either within the proposed development or in a more appropriate location; and an appropriate level of parking is provided for the development itself.
Planning permission for major development proposals, including redevelopments and changes of use, will be granted where:
a. It is demonstrated how the development will be served by passenger transport. Planning obligations will be sought to provide services and facilities where appropriate; and b. The following provisions are made for pedestrians and cyclists:
i. Safe, direct and convenient routes within the development; ii. Links to existing cycleway and pedestrian networks; iii. Appropriate means of crossing vehicle roads within, or adjacent to, the site; iv. Adequate landscaping and lighting of routes both within the development and on any new external links; v. Contributions towards improving cycleways and pedestrian routes serving the development site, where appropriate; vi. Secure bicycle parking provision; and vii. Ancillary facilities such as changing rooms, showers and lockers, where appropriate.
13.55 In line with sustainability objectives, policies which control car parking provision can play an important part in maintaining a balance between reducing journeys by car and supporting a prosperous economy.
114 Making residential travel plans work: good practice guidelines for new development, DfT, 2005.
106 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town that is clean and green
13.56 The original masterplan for Stevenage failed to predict the significant rise in car ownership that occurred during the 1950s and 1960s. It assumed that only one in every eight homes would need a parking space. Hertfordshire now has one of the highest rates of car ownership in the country, with approximately 0.5 cars per person. Although Stevenage has the lowest rate within the county, early neighbourhood designs, with few driveways and garage courts, have resulted in many people having to park on the side of the road. This can disrupt traffic flows, and raise safety concerns for pedestrians. It is, therefore, important to ensure that existing off-street parking is retained, or replaced, and that enough additional parking is provided to meet the needs of any new development.
13.57 National guidance(115) sets out maximum car parking standards, which apply to all new developments over the stated thresholds.
13.58 Parking standards, specific to Stevenage, are set out within our adopted Vehicle Parking Provision SPG (May 2003). These standards are to be reviewed as part of the LDF process, and the revised standards will be adopted within the new Design Guide SPD.
13.59 It is also important to ensure that a development is easily accessible, especially for pedestrians, cyclists and passenger transport users, in order to encourage sustainable transport. Where required under Policy DM28, a travel plan will demonstrate how this will be achieved.
115 PPG13: Transport
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 107 A town to be proud of
14 A town to be proud of
Design and conservation
[POLICY DM30] HIGH QUALITY DESIGN
Planning permission will be granted where:
a. The design and materials integrate with and enhance the existing character of the area. b. The standards and requirements of the Stevenage Design Guide SPD are met. c. New development is:
i. Well mixed, inclusive and integrated; ii. Accessible by all modes of transportation; iii. Effective in reducing the potential for crime; iv. Designed to encourage healthy lifestyles; v. Visually attractive as a result of good architecture and landscaping;In keeping with the scale and massing of the surrounding development;
d. Parking provision is made in accordance with policy DM29; e. Open space provision is made in accordance with policy DM20; f. Adequate provision is made for waste to be stored and collected, and separate arrangements made for recyclable waste; and g. There will be no adverse impacts on the amenities of future occupiers, the surrounding area, or on any neighbouring uses.
14.1 Both national and regional guidance(116) identify the importance of good quality and inclusive design in achieving sustainable development and promoting regeneration activities. This is applicable to all types of development including individual properties, building extensions, public and private spaces and wider area development schemes. It is important that urban design principles are used to create places where people want to live and work.
14.2 Stevenage is identified as a key centre for growth within the East of England Plan. Policy SV1 also requires substantial improvements to the image and quality of the town’s built fabric and public realm. Consequently, innovations in building design and the imaginative layout of developments will be essential for high quality development to be successfully achieved.
14.3 The high quality design of transport infrastructure can also contribute positively to sustainability and quality of life objectives. The East of England Plan encourages the creation of conditions which significantly increase public transport usage, as well as the use of walking and cycling routes. Movement on foot or by bicycle should be made as easy and convenient as travelling by car.
116 PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Development; The East of England Plan.
108 Core Strategy and Development Management policies A town to be proud of
14.4 The historic environment plays an important part in shaping the distinctive character and identities of the areas in which we live. Stevenage contains a number of areas and individual buildings which are protected for their archaeological, architectural or historic importance. Seven Conservation Areas also exist within Stevenage. It is essential that these irreplaceable assets are protected and maintained. The future of these buildings or areas will be dealt with under national guidance(117) and Conservation Area consents.
14.5 The Stevenage Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) provides guidance on design aspects for developments with the Borough and is a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.
[POLICY DM31] ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Planning permission for residential developments of one or more properties, and non-residential developments of over 500m² floorspace, will be granted where:
a. At least 10% of predicted energy consumption will come from on-site renewable or low carbon energy sources.
b. Developers demonstrate that the proportion of renewable or low carbon energy proposed is the maximum that can be achieved.
Planning permission will be refused where criterion (a) is not achieved, unless the Borough Council is satisfied that it is not viable for the proposal to do so.
14.6 Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges facing society today. Human activities emit greenhouse gases that collect in the earth’s atmosphere and trap heat from the sun. This melts ice caps, raises sea levels and changes weather patterns.
14.7 Planning has a crucial role to play in the management of climate change and national guidance(118) expects planning policies to encourage energy efficiency and reduction and to support renewable energy as far as possible. Planners, designers and developers should work together to ensure that climate change is taken into account at all stages of the development process.
14.8 The East of England Plan expects 10% of electricity to come from on-shore renewable energy sources by 2010 and 17% by 2020, for all developments.
14.9 In addition to this, Stevenage is specifically identified as a growth area in the East of England Plan. With the amount of new development needed, there will be the opportunity to make substantial efforts in terms of improving energy performance. All new developments should be designed and located to minimise their carbon footprints.
117 PPG15: Planning and the Historic Environment; The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 118 PPS22: Renewable Energy
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 109 A town to be proud of
14.10 If energy efficiency measures are incorporated as standard into the building, this will reduce the overall carbon footprint of the building, making the 10% requirement easier to achieve.
14.11 Proposals for large scale renewable energy technologies will be determined in line with national and regional guidance.
110 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Delivery
15 Delivery
15.1 The policies in this plan show how we want Stevenage to develop and grow over the next fifteen years. This section says what we will do to make this happen (implementation). It says how we will measure if our policies are having the right effect (monitoring). We have identified the indicators we will monitor and set targets where possible. We have not set targets for some indicators because other things will also decide how the results change.
15.2 The spatial strategy and core policies explain our vision for the future of Stevenage. They set the strategic direction for the rest of our LDF and say what issues will be dealt with in our other plans and policies. These subsidiary plans will 'flesh out' the proposals contained in the Core Strategy into detailed policies and allocations. They will contain individual monitoring and delivery arrangements.
15.3 In the short term, preparing the rest of the plans in the LDF will be one of the main ways we implement the policies in the Core Strategy. These will provide a complete planning framework for the Borough. We have set a timetable for writing these plans in our Local Development Scheme (LDS). This is summarised in the table below.
Local Development Scheme targets - September 2009
Plan Pre-submission Examination Adoption
Gunnels Wood AAP Jan / Feb 2010 Sep 2011 May 2012
Old Town AAP Jan / Feb 2010 Sep 2011 May 2012
Town Centre AAP Oct / Nov 2010 Oct 2011 May 2012
Site Specific Policies DPD Jan / Feb 2010 July 2011 May 2012
SNAP (joint with North Oct / Nov 2010 Feb 2012 Oct 2012 Herts DC)
15.4 We will monitor the preparation of these plans through our Annual Monitoring Reports and through quarterly monitoring of our progress against the targets in the LDS. Where monitoring shows that we have missed key targets (known as milestones) or expect we might do so, we will take the following actions as appropriate:
Keep an open dialogue with North Hertfordshire District Council on those parts of our vision that require development in their authority area; Approach the Government and / or other relevant bodies for support for our vision for Stevenage and / or funding; Divert resources to make sure that plans are prepared on time; and, in exceptional circumstances: Prepare a revised LDS setting out a new timetable for the preparation of our plans.
15.5 This document also contains a number of development management policies. These apply to all proposals in the Borough. They will mainly be implemented by:
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 111 Delivery
holding pre-application discussions with potential developers; and deciding planning applications
15.6 However, there are a number of issues that we cannot leave to other documents or deal with at the planning application stage.
15.7 Even once the LDF is adopted in full, significant challenges will remain. The other key challenges that we have identified for the delivery of our strategy, and the indicators we will use to see if we are being successful, are set out in turn under the themes we have used to group our policies.
15.8 We will have to work with many other organisations to successfully meet these challenges. This includes North Hertfordshire District Council, with whom we will jointly write SNAP. The way we work with Government agencies, regional bodies and the development industry is also important. We must make sure that departments within the Council work together to deliver our aims.
15.9 We already work closely with many organisations. We are currently looking at these arrangements to see if there is a better way of delivering our agenda(119). We want to deliver our strategy in the way which brings the most benefits to Stevenage. This might mean we carrying on working in the same way we do now. It might mean that we think it would be best to set up a new body to help deliver some or all of the proposals in this document.
Vision and objectives
Objective Target(s) Indicator(s)
[SO01] Sustainable development - All targets / indicators contribute to this objective.
[SO02] Well-being from - Population and age regeneration and growth Index of multiple deprivation
Resident satisfaction
[SO03] Implementation and - Not applicable: this section of the plan achieves monitoring this objective
15.10 All policies and indicators should contribute towards objective SO01. Because of this we have not identified any specific indicators here. Three indicators will help us to measure Objective SO02. We have not set targets for these as other factors will also influence the result.
15.11 This section of the plan helps us to achieve objective SO03. We will continue to explain how we are progressing by writing Annual Monitoring Reports each year.
A town that grows sustainably
Objective Policy Target Indicator(s)
119 Stevenage Growth and Regeneration Partnership Working Study (forthcoming)
112 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Delivery
[SO04] Provide 8,300 homes in At least 6,400 new Housing trajectory Housing Stevenage Borough homes 2001-21 2001-26 Net housing completions At least 1,900 new homes 2021-26
Housing targets for To meet the plan-level Completions by plan area individual plans (CS02) targets Policy CS02
45% of homes 2001-26 on 45% of homes 2001-26 Gross housing previously developed land on previously developed completions on land previously developed land
Maintain a five-year supply For 'developable' sites to % of developable of land for housing (CS02) meet 100% of the housing sites five-year requirement
[SO05] Provide the infrastructure Timely delivery of Annual monitoring of Infrastructure required (CS05) necessary projects progress against schemes in Table xx
Require new development - Section 106 monitoring to meet the demands it creates (CS06)
15.12 The housing trajectories on the following pages set out the planned level of housing provision over the period to 2026. They will be used as a baseline that we will measure future performance against.
15.13 Detailed allocations will be identified in area action plans (AAPs) for the Old Town, town centre and SNAP area and in the Site Specific Policies DPD. These documents will include any measures that are required to make sure individual sites are delivered on time.
15.14 The trajectory includes deliverable sites for the first five years after adoption of the Core Strategy. This covers the period to 2016. It also includes developable sites to make sure we provide enough homes over the period to 2021 and a mix of developable sites and broad locations for the period after 2021(120). We estimate that more than 7,000 homes will be built in the Borough between 2001 and 2021. Because of this, we are confident that the target in the East of England Plan will be comfortably met(121). Our trajectory also shows we can meet the requirement to deliver 1,900 homes between 2001 and 2026.
120 These terms are explained in more detail in Chapter 5. 121 Subject to the infrastructure constraints identified in Policy CS05
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 113 1 14
Stevenage Borough Council housing trajectory Delivery Core Strategy and Development Management policies Delivery
Previously developed land trajectory
15.15 The second graph shows how much of our housing we expect to build on previously developed land. It shows that, in the period between 2014 and 2021, less than half of new homes in the Borough will be built on previously developed land. This is because we are expecting a large number of homes to be built on new urban extensions within the Borough boundary in this period. However, it shows that, cumulatively, we will meet the target set in Policy CS02 over the period 2001 to 2026.
15.16 We may be criticised for planning to exceed our housing target. However, our list of developable housing sites includes a number of schemes that are essential to our vision for Stevenage. This includes town centre and neighbourhood regeneration, urban extensions and school sites that will become redundant through the Building Schools for the Future programme. It would not be 'good planning' to constrain delivery to the 6,400 target or to phase (parts of) these sites to the period beyond 2021. This approach would be contrary to both the East of England Plan (122)and our Spatial Strategy.
15.17 Sites will be brought into deliverable land supply as they become available for redevelopment and / or any outstanding constraints are resolved. This will make sure that we maintain a five-year supply of land at all times.
15.18 However, things may change. We have identified two main risks to our future housing strategy that might need to be resolved through Policy CS02:
122 Which is clear in expressing that its housing targets are minima to be exceeded where possible
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 115 Delivery
A change in the housing target for Stevenage from the East of England Plan (or its successor); and / or The overall rate or pattern of housing completions gets too far above or below our baseline trajectory.
15.19 If this happens, we will take the following steps (in as far as they are relevant):
Consider whether existing sites and supply are enough to meet our housing target; Review our evidence base to try and find more sites; Use our findings to revise the targets in Policy CS02. This will be done either: Informally where only minor changes are required that would not alter our overall vision for the town; or Through a review of the Core Strategy where we would need to significantly revise the development strategy for Stevenage.
15.20 A range of housing numbers are being tested for the roll forwards of the East of England Plan(123). The highest target suggested for Stevenage Borough at this stage is for 6,400 homes to be provided between 2011 and 2031. Our housing trajectory suggests that this level of housing could be physically accommodated in the Borough without any significant change to our strategy.
15.21 The amount of new development that we are planning for is significant. It cannot occur without significant investment in infrastructure and supporting facilities. Key items and facilities are identified in the table on the following page. Key delivery bodies are identifies and costs are provided where known. This is based on the requirements of Policies CS05 and CS06 as well as projects and schemes identified in other policies. We will provide further information on these projects and other, non-strategic items in relevant area action plans and the Site Specific Policies DPD.
15.22 The delivery of these schemes will be measured in Annual Monitoring Reports.
123 East of England Plan >2031. Scenarios for housing and economic growth consultation, September 2009
116 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Key infrastructure projects
Policy Project Delivery body Timing Cost Method of delivery / other information
CS05 Additional waste Thames Water, Anglian 2015-21 Detailed cost Following the completion of the Water water treatment Water not yet known. Cycle Study, further work is being capacity undertaken to identify specific measures and costs to inform the water companies' business cases and funding bids.
CS05 Northern relief road Developers, Related to the Detailed cost To be secured through Section 106 Hertfordshire County build-out time of not yet known. agreement with developers.
Core Council new housing in this area. Strategy CS05 Access to Developers, Related to the Detailed cost To be secured through Section 106 Stevenage West Hertfordshire County build-out time of not yet known. agreement with developers. Provision including new and County Council, new housing in of new access across the A1(M) will and improved vehicular Highways Agency this area. require agreement from, and accesses across co-ordination with, the Highways Development the A1(M) at Agency Meadway and Bessemer Drive
CS05 Access from Developers, Related to the Detailed cost To be secured through Section 106 Management Stevenage West to Hertfordshire County build-out time of not yet known. agreement with developers. A602 Wymondley Council new housing in Bypass this area.
CS05 Increased capacity Developers, Highways After 2017 £168m+ Cost of implementing hard shoulder Delivery policies on the A1(M) Agency running estimated at £168m. Full widening would cost more than this. This section of the A1(M) is not included in the current regional 1 17 1 18
funding allocation which runs until Delivery Core 2017.
Strategy CS05 Relocation of Hertfordshire County 2012 / 13 £25m This school is funded as part of the Thomas Alleyne Council Building Schools for the Future School programme for Stevenage. and CS07 Building Schools Hertfordshire County 2011 onwards £210m Government funding has been
Development for the Future Council, Department for secured. Outline permission for the Education and Skills, first two sites (Nobel and Marriotts Borough Council schools) has been granted.
CS07 New secondary Developers, Related to the £25m To be secured through Section 106 school west of Hertfordshire County build-out time of agreement with developers. Management Stevenage Council new housing in this area.
CS07 New primary Developers, Related to the £6m per To be secured through Section 106 schools Hertfordshire County build-out time of school agreement with developers policies Council housing in the new neighbourhoods
CS10 Social and Developers, Related to the Detailed cost To be secured through planning community facilities Hertfordshire Police, build-out time of not yet known applications and / or Section 106 in new Hertfordshire Fire & new housing in agreements with developers. Detailed neighbourhoods Rescue Service, East these areas. requirements and measures to be set (health, police, fire and North Herts Primary out in the Stevenage & North Herts etc) Care Trust, North Action Plan. Hertfordshire District Council, Stevenage Borough Council.
CS10 Polyclinics East and North Herts Ongoing Detailed cost Negotiations are ongoing to secure a Primary Care Trust, not yet known. facility at Martins Way in the Hertfordshire County north-east of Stevenage. The Council, Stevenage Heathcote School site will be vacated Borough Council in 2012. The need for a facility in the town centre will be determined through the Town Centre Area Action Plan.
CS14 Forster Country Developers, Related to the To be Land to be secured through planning Park Strategic Hertfordshire County build-out time of determined. application and legal agreement. Open Space Council, Stevenage new housing in Dependant on Further work is required to determine Borough Council, North this area. agreed land the exact form of the country park and Hertfordshire District uses and the management arrangements that Council, Herts & maintenance will be needed to sustain this. Middlesex Wildlife Trust arrangements.
Core CS16 Improvements to Developers, Stevenage 2014 onwards £5-10m for Replacement bus facilities will be town centre Borough Council, replacement provided as part of the co-ordinated Strategy passenger Hertfordshire County bus facilities regeneration of the town centre. transport facilities Council, First Capital Although not an express requirement Connect, bus franchise of the planned growth, the rail and holders franchise hold have expressed an interest in delivering improvements to Development the railway station as part of the proposals for the town centre and / or the land to the west.
Organisations, delivery arrangements and other data in this table is based on current, or best available, information at the time of Management writing. It should not be considered 'fixed'. These requirements will be applied to, for example, successors in title and secured using the most appropriate means at the time. Delivery policies 1 19 Delivery
A town that is prosperous
Objective Policy Target Indicator
[SO06] Create new jobs to 20,000 net new jobs Number of jobs Employment support planned created 2001-26 housing growth (CS07) Jobs created through the planning process
Increase education - % of working age residents opportunities (CS07) qualified by NVQ level
Increase working - % of residents by job type expectations and aspirations (CS07) - Average earnings ~ resident based and workplace based
- Unemployment rate
Provide sites and land 150,000m2 of net addition Employment floorspace for new employment floorspace 2001-26 completions (CS08) Employment land supply
Employment land stock
[SO07] Provide the type and 140,000m2 of net Retail floorspace completions Retail range of retail required additional comparison to support Stevenage's and convenience retail role (CS09) floorspace 2001-26
Preserve the vitality - Retail vacancy rates and viability of the retail hierarchy (CS09) Increase the % of total Distribution of retail retail floorspace in floorspace defined centres
Identify primary At least 80% of units in % of units in primary frontage frontages in the town primary frontage in A1 in A1 (shops) use and district centres shop use (town centre) (CS09) At least 60% of units in primary frontage in A1 shop use (district centre)
15.23 Delivering the County Council's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme is key to raising education standards and aspirations. BSF has secured significant Government funding to provide new, and remodel existing, secondary schools across the town.
120 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Delivery
15.24 The County Council are in the process of identifying partners to help them deliver BSF. Outline planning permission has been granted for the first two sites, the Nobel and Marriotts schools. It is anticipated that work will begin in 2011.
15.25 Much of the work for BSF is outside of our control as a planning authority. This is because the County Council will decide any planning applications for operational development on existing school sites. The new Thomas Alleyne school site is in North Hertfordshire District. However, we will take any appropriate steps to assist Hertfordshire County Council in developing and delivering this programme.
15.26 If there are any changes to the BSF programme, we will work with the County Council and other relevant partners to try and identify an alternative approach. If we need to identify any new sites for education as a result of this, these will be included in the next version of relevant AAPs or the Site Specific Policies DPD.
15.27 We must also take some important steps to stimulate interest and investment in Stevenage and make it a prosperous town that provides jobs alongside new housing.
15.28 In October 2009, a £37m funding package was announced by the Government to deliver a bioscience campus alongside the existing GlaxoSmithKline facility in Gunnels Wood. Outline planning permission has been granted. We will continue to promote this scheme through the Gunnels Wood AAP and the work of our regeneration team.
15.29 Detailed requirements for the a proposed innovation park at Junction 7 of the A1(M) will be set out in SNAP. We have already established a dialogue with the landowner and agent and are facilitating discussions with potential tenants.
15.30 The regeneration of the town centre is perhaps the flagship scheme of our whole strategy for Stevenage. The town centre is the public face of the town and delivering significant improvements here will help transform the way people look at the town. Our Town Centre Area Action Plan will provide the planning framework to guide comprehensive regeneration.
15.31 We have taken a lead role in developing proposals for the town centre by working with public and private landowners, development partners and Government agencies. We will continue to do so.
15.32 An outline application for the redevelopment of the town centre was submitted in 2007. The economic downturn means it will be challenging to implement the scheme in this form. However, we renewed our exclusivity agreement in late 2009 with a revised application anticipated for 2010.
15.33 Alongside this, we are developing a seperate programme for the regeneration of the town's neighbourhood centres. We have secured significant grants from the Government's Growth Area Fund to start this work. Two centres, at Archer Road and The Oval have been identified as the priorities for the first phase of work. We hope to start work on site in late 2011. Detailed policies and allocations will be set in the Site Specific Policies DPD.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 121 Delivery
15.34 Alongside these specific projects, we will continue to actively promote the economic development of Stevenage through relevant groups and forums. This includes the Stevenage Business Forum and the Countywide Economic Partnership's (CEP) Inward Investment and Business Retention group.
15.35 We will also work with landowners, local businesses and potential investors outside these formal groups.
15.36 These measures will help us to actively promote the message that Stevenage is 'open for business'. It will enable us to meet the challenging targets set in Policies CS07 and CS08. It will help to deliver our key employment allocations and provide a range of jobs for all sectors of the community.
A town of opportunities and communities
Objective Policy Target Indicator(s)
[SO08] Provide new facilities - Completed m2 of leisure Social where they meet a floorspace facilities demonstrated need (CS11)
- - Link to monitoring of key infrastructure under Policy CS05.
[SO09] Make at least 35% of all 35% of housing Number / % of affordable Housing new homes affordable completions to be homes completed for all (CS12) affordable
To meet the targets set % affordable housing supply by in Policy DM13 development size
- Number of households on housing waiting list
Provide an appropriate To meet the house size Housing completions by type mix of market and targets in the latest and size affordable homes SHMA (CS12)
Deliver 23 Gypsy and To deliver the Gypsy and Number of Gypsy and Traveller Traveller pitches by Traveller pitches pitches permitted / completed 2026 (CS13) required by the East of England Plan.
15.37 We will continue to work with the NHS Healthcare Trust and Primary Care trust to make sure that residents have good access to healthcare facilities across the town.
122 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Delivery
15.38 We are currently reviewing the provision of social and community centres across the town. Some new facilities will be provided as we regenerate our neighbourhood centres. Other community centres are on 'standalone' sites across the town. Some of these will be made available for redevelopment. These sites will be identified in our Site Specific Policies DPD. Others will be refurbished or replaced as we implement the review. We will make a decision on the best way forward in 2010.
15.39 Our Core Policies identify that the BSF programme will meet oustanding demand for a number of leisure activities. Sharing sites in this way makes efficient use of land. Our approach to implementing the BSF programme is set out above.
15.40 We have yet to decide on how best to make strategic leisure provision in the future. Our policies provide a framework to support any new or replacement provision where it is in an accessible location and meets an identified need.
15.41 The Core Strategy recognises that 'rebalancing' our housing stock must be an important part of our future strategy. This means providing homes for all sectors of the community.
15.42 We will continue our work with developers, landowners and registered social landlords to make sure that affordable housing is provided on development sites. Where appropriate, we will develop schemes, particularly on publicly owned land, that provides affordable housing above the rates required by our policies.
15.43 We are currently working with the County Council, the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) and registered social landlords to determine the best means of delivering and managing new Gypsy and Traveller sites in accordance with the targets in the East of England Plan.
15.44 The HCA have £9m of funding available in both 2009/10 and 2010/11 for the delivery of new pitches. An officer-level working group has been established at the Borough Council with a view to developing a bid for the 2010/11 funding round.
15.45 A detailed site allocation will be set out in SNAP, along with further information on its delivery and implementation. Our preferred approach will be to secure a site and funding sufficient to meet the whole of our pitch requirement.
15.46 If we are unable to do this, we will follow the guidance in the East of England Plan and seek contributions from large residential development sites in accordance with Policy CS06.
A town that is clean and green
Objective Policy Target Indicator(s)
[SO10] Green Protect principal open Provide open space in Open space provision Infrastructure spaces and provide open accordance with latest spaces in new development provision standards (CS14)
Protect locally important No reduction in Number and area of wildlife sites (CS14) designated sites designated sites
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 123 Delivery
Objective Policy Target Indicator(s)
Reduce or mitigate against To grant no permissions Number of applications pollution and flood risk against Environment granted where EA (CS15) Agency (EA) advice objection was not resolved
[SO11] Create the conditions for a - Public transport Sustainable significant increase in public patronage transport transport (CS16)
Set maximum standards for 100% of completed % of developments car parking (CS16) development to comply complying with parking with adopted standards standards
Direct high density For the overall average Housing density development to the most density to exceed 30dph accessible locations (CS16) 100% of residential Accessibility to key local completions within 30 services minutes of key services
Require new development - Green Travel Plans. to provide relevant plans Indicator to be and assessments (CS16) developed through the AMR.
15.47 We are currently finalising our Green Space Strategy. This will set the standards for future open space provision. These will be based on the recommendations of our evidence. The Strategy will also set out how we will manage our open spaces in the future to help meet identified deficiencies in certain types of open space. This may include changing the management regime to, for example, allow some areas of our parks and gardens to become semi-natural.
15.48 The delivery of the Forster Country Park is an essential part of our strategy. We will explore the best management options for this site in consultation with landowners, the County Council and the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. Detailed policies and implementation measures will be set out in SNAP.
15.49 We will draw on other sources, such as the Biodiversity Action Plan (due to be completed in 2010), to inform future management priorities and consult with other bodies, such as the Environment Agency, to ensure that any negative impacts of development are avoided, minimised and / or mitigated against.
124 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Delivery
15.50 As the highway authority, Hertfordshire County Council have the main responsibility for the delivery of sustainable transport improvements(124). We have worked closely with the County Council to prepare an urban transport plan for Stevenage. This plan will help us decide when it might be appropriate to seek financial contributions from developers for new projects.
15.51 Other plans in the LDF will highlight any specific schemes to be delivered in that area. We will also continue to work with the County Council and other transport providers, such as the train and bus operating companies to deliver improvements to services and facilities.
A town to be proud of
Objective Policy Target Indicator
[SO12] Built Permit development 100% of housing Housing quality (CABE environment that makes a positive developments to be assessment) contribution (CS17) "Good" or "Very Good"
Require new - Permitted and installed development to renewable capacity minimise its environmental impact - Energy efficiency in new (CS17) development
Preserve and - Number / area of Conservation enhance the most Areas important characteristics of For 100% of % of Conservation with a Stevenage (CS17) Conservation Areas to character appraisal prepared have an up-to-date within the previous six years. character appraisal
- Number of listed buildings at risk
15.52 The first stage of our Design Guide SPD was adopted in October 2009 to support the saved policies in the District Plan. This sets out detailed guidance and criteria for new developments. We will keep the standards in this document under review and, in 2011, expand and reissue it in conformity with LDF policies. This version will provide further guidance on issues such as car parking.
15.53 In most cases, we will implement our design and sustainability policies through pre-application discussions and the determination of planning applications.
15.54 We have a legal duty to preserve and enhance the historic built environment. We should also keep our Conservation Areas under review. We completed appraisals for six of our Conservation Areas in 2009. These provide guidance that can be used in deciding applications and making management decisions.
124 Major road projects are identified in our list of key infrastructure projects and will also involve the Highways Agency who have responsibility for the strategic road network
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 125 Glossary
1 Glossary
Our planning documents contain some technical terms that you may not understand. This appendix explains some of the words used in this document.
A term that is written in italics mean that an explanation for a word or phrase is also provide in the glossary.
2004 Planning Act: This is the law which says how we must write planning policy documents. It says authorities must replace local plans with local development frameworks. It also brought in regional spatial strategies to replace structure plans. Its full name is the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
Acronym: An acronym is a short form of a longer word or title. It is often formed by taking the first letter from each word. Using LDF in place of Local Development Framework is an example.
Adopted / Adoption: This is the final stage of producing a Development Plan Document. Once a plan has been to examination and changed in line with the Inspectors report, it will be adopted. It can then be used to decide planning applications.
Annual Monitoring Report (AMR): We have to write an Annual Monitoring Report every year and send it to the Government. It measures what progress we have made on our Local Development Framework. It also monitors important indicators, such as the number of new houses built. We use the AMR to tell us if the policies in our plans are working.
Appropriate Assessment: This is a special type of environmental assessment. It says if a plan is likely to cause harm to certain types of wildlife sites known as European Sites. European Law says that all Local Development Frameworks should be subject to an Appropriate Assessment.
Area Action Plan (AAP): An Area Action Plan is a special type of Development Plan Document. It sets policies for an area where we expect significant changes. It can also be prepared for an area where we want to preserve important features. Area Action Plans form part of the Local Development Framework.
Biodiversity: The variety of life in all its forms.
Brownfield (previously developed) land: Land that has already been developed for another use. This term is often used when we are talking about housing development. The Government says we should set a target for the amount of new homes that we will build on brownfield sites. The national target is 60%. A full definition is in Annex B of Planning Policy Statement 3. This is the Government’s planning guidance on housing.
Comparison retail floorspace: Comparison retail refers to items that we do not buy regularly. It includes things like clothes and shoes. It also includes household goods such as televisions. A full definition is in Annex A to Planning Policy Statement 6. This is the Government’s planning guidance on town centres. See also: Convenience retail floorspace.
126 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Glossary
Conformity: Our planning documents should help to achieve the policies and targets in national and regional plans. This is known as conformity. Our documents should be in ‘general conformity’ with the Regional Spatial Strategy. All of our plan documents should be in conformity with the Core Strategy. Conformity is tested at the submission and examination stages of a plan document.
Conservation Area: Conservation Areas are areas of particular architectural or historical interest. They are areas which we want to preserve and enhance. A Conservation Area might contain a number of old buildings or features. There are currently seven Conservation Areas in Stevenage. This includes the Old Town High Street.
Convenience retail floorspace: Convenience retailing refers to essential, everyday items. This includes foods, drinks, newspapers/magazines and confectionery. A full definition is in Table 3 of Annex A to Planning Policy Statement 6. This is the Government’s planning guidance on town centres. See also: Comparison retail floorspace.
Core Strategy: The Core Strategy is a Development Plan Document (DPD). It is the most important document in the Local Development Framework. It sets out the main elements of the planning framework for the area of the Local Planning Authority. It contains the spatial vision and strategic objectives for the area. It also includes the core policies and a monitoring and implementation framework. Once adopted, all of the other DPDs must be in conformity with it.
Daneshill House: The headquarters of the Council. Daneshill House is located on Danestrete in Stevenage town centre. It is opposite the bus station and a few minutes walk from the train station.
Development Plan: The Development Plan is those documents that must be considered when deciding applications. The law says that we must decide applications against policies in the development plan unless we have other information that suggests otherwise. The Development Plan is made up of the Local Development Framework and the Regional Spatial Strategy. Before the 2004 planning act, the Development Plan was made up of the Local Plan and Structure Plan. This term should not be confused with Development Plan Documents.
Development Plan Documents (DPD): Development Plan Documents form part of the Local Development Framework. They contain planning policies for an area. Once adopted, these documents become part of the Development Plan. Development Plan Documents must be subjected to consultation and independent examination before being adopted.
District Plan / District Plan 2nd Review (SDP2R): See ‘Local Plan’.
East of England Development Agency (EEDA): EEDA is the regional economic development agency for the East of England region. It is sponsored by the Government and was set up in April 1999. EEDA promotes the benefits of investing in the East of England. Its work includes:
Economic development and social & physical regeneration Business support, investment and competitiveness Skills and employment Sustainable development and high-quality environment Creating a public profile for the region
East of England Plan (EoEP): See Regional Spatial Strategy.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 127 Glossary
East of England region: The East of England contains the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex. When we talk about regional matters, this is the area we are referring to. Stevenage is part of the East of England region.
East of England Regional Assembly (EERA): EERA is the organisation that is responsible for producing the draft Regional Spatial Strategy. EERA includes representatives of all 54 councils in the region together with a wide range of other public and private sector stakeholders. More information about EERA is available on their website: www.eera.gov.uk.
Environmental assessment: Any of the reports that we have to write by law to show how our plans will affect the environment. This includes Appropriate Assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal.
Examination: All of our Development Plan Documents must be sent to the Government for independent examination to find out they are sound. An inspector will consider all of the written representations that have been made about the plan. The inspector may invite certain groups or individuals to give further evidence. After the examination, the inspector will write a report. We have to change the plan as he or she tells us. It is this version of the plan that will be adopted. Further information can be found in Planning Policy Statement 12. This is the Government’s guidance on Local Development Frameworks.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions. These are the questions that provide the most useful information for readers. We write the introduction of each planning document in a FAQ style.
Government (role of, in development plans): The Government set the laws and write guidance that we have to follow when we prepare our plans. We are required by the Government to write certain documents, such as the Annual Monitoring Report and Local Development Scheme. The Government also produces the final version of the Regional Spatial Strategy and stops plans that are unsatisfactory.
Green Belt: Green Belts are one of the oldest and best known planning designations. They are designed to prevent towns from sprawling across open countryside. They also stop towns, cities and villages from joining up with one another. The most important feature of any Green Belt is its openness. Stevenage is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt which is designed to prevent the sprawl of Greater London. More information can be found in Planning Policy Guidance note 2. This is the Government’s guidance on Green Belts.
Greenfield: Any piece of land which has not been developed. Greenfield is the opposite of brownfield land. This term should not be confused with Green Belt as it also includes undeveloped land within a town, such as an open space.
Key Issues stage of DPD: Key issues are the most important things that a plan has to deal with. Key Issues was the first stage of consultation for Development Plan Documents. It set out the main challenges for a planning document and the options for dealing with them. In 2008, the Government changed the rules that say how a DPD must be produced. The Key Issues stage of the DPD has now been replaced by Regulation 25 Consultation.
128 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Glossary
Listed Building: The Government keeps a list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest. The older a building is, the more likely it is to be listed. Once a building is listed, a special type of planning permission in needed to make any changes to it. This is called Listed Building Consent. It is against the law to make changes without this. There are more than 150 Listed Buildings in Stevenage. More information can be found in Planning Policy Guidance note 15. This is the Government’s guidance on historic buildings.
Local Development Documents (LDD): This is the collective term for Development Plan Documents and Supplementary Planning Documents.
Local Development Framework (LDF): The Local Development Framework is the set of planning documents produced by local authorities. The 2004 Planning Act said we must write a LDF to replace our Local Plan. The LDF includes the following:
Local Development Scheme; Local Development Documents; Statement of Community Involvement; and The Annual Monitoring Report.
Local Development Scheme (LDS): This document sets out a timetable for preparing Development Plan Documents. It also says which policies in the Local Plan are being replaced and the document in which the replacement policy will be written. The LDS is part of the Local Development Framework.
Local Plan: Local Plans are the documents written under the old planning system. All the policies for an area were contained in a single plan. They are now being replaced by Local Development Frameworks. Stevenage’s Local Plan is called the Stevenage District Plan Second Review (SDP2R). It was adopted in December 2004. It was automatically ‘saved’ on the date of its adoption. This meant that we could use its policies to decide planning applications. Approximately one-third of the local plan policies were deleted on December 8th 2007 and are no longer used to decide planning applications.
Local Planning Authority (LPA): A local authority has a legal duty to prepare planning documents and decide planning applications. District and Borough Councils have planning powers for all development except minerals and waste. County Councils have planning powers for minerals and waste within their areas. A unitary authority combines the role of a district and county council. It has all the planning powers in its area. There are no unitary authorities in Hertfordshire.
Major development: The definition of major development used for our Local Development Framework policies is the same as in Government regulations (125). It includes:
Residential development of 10 or more dwellings or having a site area greater than 0.5 hectares where the number of dwellings is not known; A building or buildings creating 1,000m2 or more of floorspace; Development on a site area of 1 hectare or more; or Various mineral, waste or highway developments.
125 The Town & Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) (England) Order 2006
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 129 Glossary
New neighbourhood: A large-scale development next to the edge of an existing town. A planned new neighbourhood should make use of existing infrastructure and provide good access to public transport, jobs, schools, shopping and leisure facilities. Some new neighbourhoods can be large enough to make their own provision for the facilities listed above. The planned development at Stevenage West is an example. New neighbourhoods means the same as the "sustainable urban extensions" that are referred to in the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Planning Policy Guidance notes (PPGs): Planning Policy Guidance notes are Government planning policy written before 2004. There are PPGs on subjects including the Green Belt (PPG2) and open space (PPG17). PPGs are now being replaced by Planning Policy Statements.
Planning Policy Statements (PPSs): PPSs are statements are Government planning policy written since 2004. There are PPSs on subjects including housing (PPS3) and town centres (PPS6). Planning Policy Statements are slowly replacing Planning Policy Guidance notes.
Preferred options plan: Preferred Options was the second stage of public consultation on Development Plan Documents (DPDs). It took the results from Key Issues and said how a Council was going to deal with them. Preferred Options has now been replaced by Regulation 25. However, documents which had been through Preferred Options before the rules were changed in 2008 can carry on to the Pre-Submission stage.
Pre-Submission: This is the last stage of consultation on a Development Plan Document (DPD) before submission and examination. The Council writes what it thinks should be the final version of the DPD. They must make it available for consultation for at least six weeks. It should be accompanied by a Sustainability Appraisal and a draft proposals map.
Previously developed land: See ‘brownfield land’.
Proposals map: The proposals map shows all policies that are linked to a certain site or sites. This might include land which is allocated for housing development or the Green Belt. The proposals map must be updated each time a Development Plan Document (DPD) is adopted. A draft proposals map should be produced at Pre-Submission stage. This shows how the proposals map would change if the DPD was adopted.
Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS): The RSS is the plan for the East of England region. It says how many homes must be built in each district and where development should be concentrated. It also includes policies on subjects such as design, transport and employment. The RSS is part of the Development Plan for Stevenage and has taken over the role of Structure Plans.
Regulation 25 Consultation: Regulation 25 is the rule that says we must consult with the public when writing plans. It is up to each authority to decide what to consult on, how long to consult for, and how many times to hold consultation. Regulation 25 replaced the old Key Issues and Preferred Options stages of consultation.
Statement of Community Involvement (SCI): The Statement of Community Involvement is part of the Local Development Framework. It says how we will involve the public when we write our plans or decide major planning applications.
130 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Glossary
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): This is required under European law. We have to test our Development Plan Documents to make sure we understand the environmental effect they will have. SEA is undertaken at the same time as Sustainability Appraisal.
Structure Plan: Structure Plans were written under the old planning system (pre-2004) by county councils. They considered issues such as the number of homes to be built in each authority. Hertfordshire’s Structure Plan has now been replaced by the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Submission plan: This is the version of a Development Plan Document that is sent to the Government for examination. It will include any final changes that are made after Pre-Submission consultation.
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD): Supplementary Planning Documents provide more details on policies contained in DPDs or saved Local Plans. The community will be involved in their preparation, but there is no examination of the document.
Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG): Supplementary Planning Guidance was written under the old planning system to explain policies in the local plan. We can no longer produce SPG but we can continue to use it if it relates to saved local plan policies.
Sustainability Appraisal (SA): An assessment of environmental, economic and social effects of a Development Plan Document. SA should improve the ‘performance’ of a plan. It is carried out at the same time as Strategic Environmental Assessment. Sustainability Appraisal is also used as a single term to explain these two processes.
Sustainable development: Meeting the needs of today’s society without harming the prospects of future generations. One of the Government’s key aims for the town planning process is that it should deliver sustainable development.
Typologies (open space): Typologies are sub-categories of matters, such as retailing or open space. The Borough Council’s open spaces study uses a number of grouping or typologies of open space. This includes parks, outdoor sports facilities and children’s play areas.
Use Class / Use Classes Order: All uses of land have a use class. It is a way of putting development into categories. Shops, for example, are Class A1 while offices are Class B1(a). The Use Classes Order is the piece of legislation which tells us what uses fall into each class. Use classes are a useful way of directing certain types of development to certain locations.
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 131 Deleted District Plan Policies
2 Deleted District Plan Policies
The schedule below is taken from our adopted Local Development Scheme and indicates how, where and when [if at all] policies contained within the saved Stevenage District Plan Second Review (2004) will be replaced. Those policies which were not saved by the Secretary of State in December 2007 do not appear in the schedule.
Schedule of saved policies in the Stevenage District Plan Second Review
Chapter/Policy Future of DPD Adoption Date Policy
TOWN WIDE TW1: Sustainable development To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 TW2: Structural open space To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 TW4: New Neighbourhood Centres To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 TW6: Green Belt To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 TW7: Local Rural Areas To be deleted TW8: Environmental Safeguards To be deleted April-2011 TW9: Quality in design To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 TW10: Crime prevention To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 TW11: Planning requirements To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 HOUSING H2: Strategic housing allocation - To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 Stevenage West H3: New housing allocations To be split SSP/AAPs May / Sep-2012 H6: Loss of residential To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 accommodation H7: Assessment of windfall To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 residential sites H8: Density of residential To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 development H12: Special Needs To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 Accommodation H14: Benefits of affordability To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 EMPLOYMENT
132 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Deleted District Plan Policies
Chapter/Policy Future of DPD Adoption Date Policy E2: Employment Areas To be split SSP/AAPs May / Sep-2012 E3: Strategic Employment Sites To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 E4: Employment Sites To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 E5: Acceptable uses in To be split SSP/AAPs May / Sep-2012 Employment Areas E6: Retail and leisure in To be split SSP/AAPs May / Sep-2012 Employment Areas E7: Unit sizes within Employment To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 Areas E9: Building design for business To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 uses TRANSPORT T6: Design Standards To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 T8: Integration of transport modes To be replaced Town Centre AAP May-2012 T11: Rail freight provision To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 T12: Bus provision To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 T13: Cycleways To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 T14: Pedestrians To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 T15: Car Parking Strategy To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 T16: Loss of residential car parking To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 TOWN CENTRE AND RETAILING TR1: Town centre To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 TR3: Retail frontages To be replaced Town Centre AAP May-2012 TR4: Loss of retail floor space To be replaced Town Centre AAP May-2012 TR7: Loss of office accommodation To be replaced Town Centre AAP May-2012 TR8: Protection of leisure, social To be replaced Town Centre AAP May-2012 and community uses TR9: Town centre car parking To be replaced Town Centre AAP May-2012 TR10: Railway station parking To be replaced Town Centre AAP May-2012
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 133 Deleted District Plan Policies
Chapter/Policy Future of DPD Adoption Date Policy TR11: Replacement residential To be replaced Town Centre AAP May-2012 accommodation TR14: New Neighbourhood To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 Centres TR15: New free standing shops To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 ENVIRONMENT EN10: Green Links To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 EN11: Provision of new and To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 extended Green Links EN12: Loss of woodland To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 EN13: Trees in new developments To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 EN15: Ancient Lanes and To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 associated hedgerows EN16: Countryside Heritage Site To be replaced Site Specific Policies Jul-2011 EN17: Wildlife sites and RIGS To be split SSP/AAPs May / Sep-2012 EN18: Natural habitats in adjoining To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 Local Authorities EN21: Other sites of nature To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 conservation importance EN27: Noise pollution To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 EN28: Aircraft noise To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 EN29: Light pollution To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 EN31: Hazardous installations To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 EN32: River corridors and water To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 meadows EN36: Water conservation To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 EN37: Telecommunication To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 equipment developments EN38: Energy conservation and To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 supply LEISURE AND RECREATION
134 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Deleted District Plan Policies
Chapter/Policy Future of DPD Adoption Date Policy L1: Leisure facilities in the town To be replaced Town Centre AAP May 2012 centre L2: Leisure facilities outside the To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 town centre L3: Stevenage Leisure Park To be replaced Gunnels Wood AAP May 2012 L4: Loss or reduction of existing To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 leisure facilities L5: Modernisation, etc... of leisure To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 facilities L6: Leisure facilities in To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 Neighbourhood Centres L9: Play centres To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 L10: Principal open spaces April-2011/ May / To be split CS/SSP/AAPs Sep-2012 L11: Fairlands Valley Park To be replaced Site Specific Policies May-2012 L12: Loss of playing fields etc… To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 L13: Redundant school playing To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 fields L14: Children's play space To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 L15: Outdoor sports provision in To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 residential L16: Children's play space To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 provision in residential L17: Informal open space provision To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 in residential L18: Open space maintenance To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 L19: Loss of allotments To be replaced Core Strategy April-2011 L20: New allotment provision To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 L23: Horse and pony route To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 L26: Guest houses To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 135 Deleted District Plan Policies
Chapter/Policy Future of DPD Adoption Date Policy SC1: Retention of facilities To be replaced Core Strategy Apr-2011 SC4: Social, community and leisure To be replaced Site Specific Policies May-2012 sites SC5: Provision in new To be replaced Core Strategy Apr-2011 developments SC6: Care in the Community To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 SC9: Redundant school buildings To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 SC10: Travellers site To be replaced SNAP Sep-2012 SC11: Cemetery extension at To be replaced SNAP Sep-2012 Weston Road SC13: Provision in major new To be replaced Core Strategy Apr-2011 developments SC14: Nursing homes and To be replaced Generic DM policies April-2011 residential homes SC15: Development at the Lister To be replaced SNAP Sep-2012 Hospital OLD TOWN OT4: New developments in the To be replaced Old Town AAP Sept-2012 High Street OT5: Primary Shopping Frontage To be replaced Old Town AAP Sept-2012 OT6: Secondary Shopping To be replaced Old Town AAP Sept-2012 Frontages OT9: Advertisements To be replaced Old Town AAP Sept-2012 OT11: Access onto Primett Road To be replaced Old Town AAP Sept-2012 and Church Lane OT14: Primett Road car parks To be replaced Old Town AAP Sept-2012 NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES NC1: Large Neighbourhood To be replaced Site Specific Policies May-2012 Centres NC2: Small Neighbourhood To be replaced Site Specific Policies May-2012 Centres
136 Core Strategy and Development Management policies Deleted District Plan Policies
Chapter/Policy Future of DPD Adoption Date Policy NC6: Redevelopment of the To be replaced Core Strategy Apr-2011 Neighbourhood Centres STEVENAGE WEST SW1: Development area To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW2: Master Plan To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW3: Planning requirements To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW4: Design guidance To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW5: Transport principles To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW6: Improvements to transport To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 infrastructure SW7: Potential use of existing To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 A1(M) crossings SW8: Development along access To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 corridors SW10: Loss of employment land To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW11: Natural and historic To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 environment SW12: Employment land To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW13: Managed small business To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 units SW14: Retail provision To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW15: Outdoor sports facility To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 provision SW16: Major leisure facilities To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW17: Allotment provision To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW20: Surgeries and clinics To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW21: Emergency services To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012 SW22: Cemetery provision To be replaced SNAP Sept-2012
Core Strategy and Development Management policies 137 Core Strategy and Development Management policies