Annual Monitoring Report 2020 Cheshire 1 Introduction 3 2 Local Plan 5 W 3 Plan preparation 6 est and 4 Neighbourhood Planning and Article 4 Directions 8 Chester 5 Duty to co-operate 11 6 Sustainability Appraisal 12 Council 7 Monitoring Framework 16 Annual Spatial, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich, Winsford, Rural 16 Spatial 16 Monitoring Chester 26 Ellesmere Port 31 Report Northwich 36 2020 Winsford 41 Rural area 45 Green Belt and countryside 49 Transport and accessibility 55 Infrastructure 66 Economic 69 Employment 69 Town centres 77 Tourism 82 Social 86 Housing 86 Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpersons accommodation 102 Health and well-being 104 Open space, sport and recreation 111 Environmental 120 Flood risk and water management 120 Contents Cheshire Green Infrastructure, biodiversity and geodiversity 122 Historic environment 130 W est High quality design and sustainable construction 132 and Alternative energy 137 Chester Managing waste 140 Council Minerals 154 General 162 Annual Monitoring Appendices A Housing commitments 164 Report Neighbourhood Plans 165 2020 B Employment land supply 170 C Visitor Economy 171 D Biodiversity net gain 176 3 1 Introduction Cheshire 1.1 The Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) 2020 covers the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 and has been prepared in accordance with Section 113 of the Localism Act (2011), which amends the W est Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) which requires local planning authorities to produce a report containing information relating to the: and Chester implementation of the Local Development Scheme (LDS) extent to which the policies set out in the Local Plan are being achieved Council 1.2 Regulation 34 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 also requires monitoring reports to contain information relating to the following: Annual Policy implementation Monitoring Delivery of net additional dwellings and additional (gross) affordable dwellings Details of neighbourhood development plans being prepared Details of how the authority is fulfilling its duty to co-operate(i) Report Details of the information specified in regulation 62(4) of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010. 2020 1.3 Annual monitoring reports provide a vital check on the performance of planning policy in the current context of the borough. Monitoring provides an opportunity to ensure policies can adapt to the changing priorities and circumstances of the borough whilst highlighting areas where additional policy support is required to achieve sustainable economic growth and development. 1.4 The AMR 2020 has been produced to monitor the indicators set out in the monitoring framework established as part of the Local Plan (Part One) Strategic Policies which was adopted on 29 January 2015. This AMR is the first to include the Local Plan (Part Two) Land Allocations and Detailed Policies monitoring indicators which were adopted as part of the Local Plan (Part Two) in July 2019. The Local Plan (Part Two) indicators have been incorporated within this year's AMR and linked to the policies and significant effects indicators of the Local Plan (Part One). 1.5 Certain indicators require the close monitoring and interrogation of planning decisions to allow for detailed policy information to be collected. It has not been possible to collect this detailed information for all of the the indicators within this year's AMR. The Planning Policy team is currently working with development management colleagues to establish an effective and efficient monitoring regime to monitor the use of specific policies in the determination of planning applications. The Local Plan (Part Two) indicators were adopted part way through the 2019/20 monitoring year in July 2019. As such, the method and process for collecting some of the monitoring information and data is still being established. 1.6 Each indicator table provides the results of the monitoring and states whether the policy is on target or not. This monitoring is a check on policy implementation and should not be taken as an indication of the economic growth of the borough. The indicator tables have been set up to show whether the i s110 Duty to co-operate in relation to planning for sustainable development, Localism Act 2011 1 Introduction 4 Cheshire indicator has been taken from the Local Plan (Part One) monitoring framework (indicated by a LPP1 reference), the Local Plan (Part Two) monitoring framework (indicated by a LPP2 reference) or is a significant effects indicator taken from the Sustainability Appraisal (indicated by a SE reference). The W local plan policies relevant to the indicator are also listed as well as the source of the information or est data. The significant effects reference (SE) is shown where relevant (as explained in section 6). and Chester Example indicator table Table 1.1 Council LPP1 Monitoring framework reference: Indicator summary Annual LPP2 Target Baseline 2019-2020 Monitoring SE Target met? Report Y/N Local Plan policy ref(s): 2020 Significant Effects ref(s): Source: 5 2 Local Plan Cheshire 2.1 The Cheshire West and Chester Local Plan has two parts, (Part One) Strategic Policies and (Part Two) Land Allocations and Detailed Policies. The Local Plan (Part One) provides the overall vision, W est strategic objectives, spatial strategy and strategic planning policies for the borough to 2030. The Local Plan (Part Two) provides further detailed policies and land allocations which support the strategic and objectives and policies set out in the Local Plan (Part One). The Local Plan seeks to deliver the Council's Chester aim to produce a comprehensive planning framework to achieve sustainable development in the borough. Council 2.2 In addition to the Local Plan, there are a number of made neighbourhood plans within Cheshire West and Chester which form part of the development plan for the area (see section four for details: Neighbourhood Planning and Article 4 Directions). Annual Supplementary planning documents (SPDs) have been prepared to support the Local Plan. Four SPDs Monitoring were introduced in 2016-2017 and are now material considerations in the determination of relevant planning applications: Parking Standards SPD (May 2017) Report Oil and Gas Exploration, Production and Distribution SPD (May 2017) Travel Planning SPD (2017) 2020 Houses in Multiple Occupation and Student Accommodation SPD (April 2016) Residential Extension, Alteration and Outbuildings SPD (draft for consultation 2020) Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) 2.3 CIL allows local authorities in England and Wales to raise funds to pay for strategic infrastructure projects, from developers who are undertaking new building projects in their area. A CIL charging schedule was adopted by Cheshire West and Chester Council on 20 July 2017 with effect from 1 September 2017. Developments within Cheshire West and Chester Council’s chargeable zones that meet the conditions for CIL have been required to pay the levy on planning permissions issued from 1 September 2017. 3 Plan preparation 6 Cheshire 3 Plan preparation 3.1 The Council’s Local Development Scheme (LDS) was adopted in December 2017 and provides W an overview of the development plan documents that the Council is currently preparing and sets out est the timetable for key stages of consultation and examination. and Chester Local Plan (Part Two) Land Allocations and Detailed Policies 3.2 The Council has prepared the Local Plan (Part Two) which sets out the detailed policies and Council non-strategic site allocations to deliver the Local Plan (Part One), in accordance with the Council’s adopted Local Development Scheme 2017 and Statement of Community Involvement 2017. Progress Annual of each step in preparing the Local Plan (Part Two) was measured against the latest LDS (December 2017) as shown in the table below: Monitoring Stage LDS published Progress timetable Report Preparation May 2014 - The Council undertook the first formal stage of consultation (Regulation 18) November 2017 of the Local Plan (Part Two) (Regulation 18), between May 2020 2014 and November 2017. During this stage of consultation, the Council asked the public for their views on the scope and issues and the proposed approach, draft policies and potential site designations. Publication December 2017 The pre-submission Local Plan (Part Two) was published (Regulation 19) for for comments between 11 December 2017 and 29 January 2018. Submission March/April 2018 The Local Plan (Part Two), along with all of the documents (Regulation 22) produced at the Regulation 18 and 19 pre-submission stages was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination on 12 March 2018. Examination May - August 2018 Public hearing sessions were held between 18 September (Regulation 24) and 27 September 2018. The Inspector’s report was received later than anticipated on 21 June 2019. Adoption (Regulation February 2019 The Local Plan (Part Two) was adopted at a meeting of Full 26) Council on 18 July 2019. Traveller Development Plan Document (DPD) 3.3 On 5 February 2020, the Council's Cabinet decided that the preparation of the Traveller Development Plan Document (DPD) would be discontinued. Please see item 86 of the agenda for a full report and minutes here. 7 Local Plan Review Cheshire 3.4 The Local Plan (Part One) has been reviewed in accordance with the revised National Planning Policy Framework (2019), Planning Policy Guidance and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) W (England) Regulations 2012, as amended. The Council review concluded that there is no immediate est need to update the Plan either in part or as a whole. Consequently, the Local Plan (Part One) continues and to be considered up to date in providing the necessary strategic policy framework for managing Chester development across the borough. The reasons for arriving at this conclusion are set out in detail here. However, a Task Group has been set up through the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee to look at some areas of the Local Plan in more detail.