Authority Monitoring Report 6
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Monitoring Report Part of the Blackburn with Darwen Local Development Framework 6 December 2010 Blackburn with Darwen Annual Monitoring Report 6 – 2009-2010 PLANNING ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT December 2010 Blackburn with Darwen Annual Monitoring Report 6 – 2009-2010 CONTENTS PAGE Executive Summary 2 1. Introduction 3 2. Local Development Scheme: Milestones 4 3. An Introduction to Blackburn with Darwen 6 4. Economy 10 5. Housing 17 6. Protecting and enhancing the environment 27 7. Quality of place 34 8. Access to jobs and services 38 9. Monitoring the Borough’s Supplementary Planning Documents 50 10. References 59 11. Glossary 60 Appendix I: Development on Allocated Town Centre Sites 63 Appendix II: Priority Habitats and Species 65 Appendix III: Policies to be retained/superseded from the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Local Plan 66 1 Blackburn with Darwen Annual Monitoring Report 6 – 2009-2010 Executive Summary This is the sixth Annual Monitoring Report for Blackburn with Darwen and includes monitoring information covering the period 1st April 2009 - 31st March 2010. The Local Development Framework, which will eventually replace the current adopted Local Plan is still in the development stage and as a result there are areas where monitoring of this is not possible. The report is, however, as comprehensive as is possible at this point and provides a ‘snap- shot’ of the borough. The monitoring has been completed using a set of indicators – Contextual, Core Output, Local Output and Significant Effect indicators. The Core Output Indicators used in the monitoring report are those set by Government and will ensure consistent monitoring data is produced each year. The Annual Monitoring Report includes information from the 2009/10 monitoring period such as: • There have been 202 net additional dwellings completed in the borough; • A total of 126 properties were demolished in the borough; • The average gross weekly earnings for full time workers in the borough has increased by £14.10 since the last monitoring period and now stands at £429.30; • The total amount of employment floorspace completed has reduced from 42076.39m² in 2008-09 to just 12451m² in 2009-10; • Aside from drug offences, there has been a reduction in all types of crime reported. Drug offences, however, have seen an increase of 154 incidence, from 435 in 2008- 09 to 589 in 2009-10; • 4.2% of the borough’s population were claiming Job Seekers Allowance in March 2010 compared to 5% in 2009. This document is used to assess progress on the delivery of the LDF and to review whether policies for the borough are working effectively. We welcome any comments you have on this year’s Annual Monitoring Report. You can contact the Forward Planning team on (01254) 585356 or at [email protected]. 2 Blackburn with Darwen Annual Monitoring Report 6 – 2009-2010 1. Introduction 1.1. The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires all local planning authorities to produce a report to the Government assessing the progress it has made on, and the effectiveness of, its Local Plan policies and the emerging Local Development Framework (LDF). 1.2. Whilst the saved policies of the Local Plan remain the main part of the Development Plan for the Borough and the LDF is still emerging, this report will monitor the statutory indicators as well as those seen relevant at this time to assist in developing the LDF. By creating a set of indicators for which new and updated data is regularly available, the approach to monitoring will be consistent and allow analysis and comparison of results over time. 1.3. The report provides data on a number of indicators: • Contextual indicators – present background information on the context in which policies are operating. • Core output indicators – are standard indicators defined nationally by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). • Local output indicators – complement the core output indicators to monitor the implementation of local policies and documents. • Significant effects indicators – provide additional data to enable a robust assessment of policy implementation with the core and local output indicators. They are linked to the sustainability appraisal objectives and enable comparisons to be made between the predicted and actual effects observed during the implementation of policies. 1.4. Taken together the indicators provide a comprehensive evidence base on which to inform policy development and monitor policy implementation. 1.5. In November 2010 a Planning Inspector found the Core Strategy sound. The Council will formally adopt the document in January 2011 and it is therefore important to begin to assess and develop the monitoring framework for the Core Strategy. At the end of each monitoring section, a table showing how the Core Strategy policies will be monitored is included. This identifies whether we currently have the means to collect the required data, or whether measures need to be put in place to begin to collect this information. Where current data has been collected for this monitoring period, this has been added to the matrix. 1.6. The Council will ensure it has all the correct procedures in place to fulfil the monitoring requirements of the Core Strategy by the time it is adopted. 3 Blackburn with Darwen Annual Monitoring Report 6 – 2009-2010 2. Local Development Scheme (LDS): Milestones 2.1 The LDS sets out any new and revised planning policy documents the Council intends to produce. This monitoring report reviews progress on Blackburn with Darwen BC’s LDS and indicates whether the timetable and milestones are being achieved. An updated timetable based on the LDS, including achievements and slippages is set out overleaf. Analysis of Local Development Scheme Milestones 2.2 The thirteen documents in the LDS include the Core Strategy, five Development Plan Documents (DPD), six Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) and this Annual Monitoring Report. Saved Policies from the Local Plan 2.3 All except two Local Plan Policies (T8 and BTC3) have been “saved” until replaced by LDF policies. This is explained in more detail in a series of documents available on the Council’s website at www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.36784. Appendix V sets out the policies from the Blackburn with Darwen borough Local Plan that will be retained or superseded once the Core Strategy is adopted in January 2011. 4 Blackburn with Darwen Annual Monitoring Report 6 – 2009-2010 Document Title Status LDS Target Progress Update Comments Local Development DPD Submission to Secretary of State: February 2010 The Core Strategy was found Framework Core Adoption Date: January 2011 sound by the Planning Strategy Inspector in November 2010. Site Allocations and DPD Pre-submission “Publication” consultation (Reg 27): Work has begun on collating Development June 2012 the evidence base which will Management DPD Submission to Secretary of State: October 2012 inform the DPD. Target adoption date: November 2013 Proposals Map DPD Pre-submission “Publication” consultation (Reg 27): Will be completed alongside June 2012 the Site Allocations and Submission to Secretary of State: October 2012 Development Management Target adoption date: November 2013 Policies DPD. Griffin SPD SPD Consultation on draft SPD (Reg 17): July 2010 Due to comments made on Target adoption date: November 2010 the document from our Members, some changes were needed to the document prior to publishing the document for public consultation. It is now estimated consultation on the draft SPD will take place in February 2011 with adoption in late May 2011. Community CIL Pre-submission “Publication” consultation on DPD Infrastructure LDD/SPD (Reg 27) or consultation on draft SPD (Reg 17): If to Levy/Developer be a CIL LDD, will depend on requirements under Contributions LDD Regulations. If to be an SPD, draft document, draft published for consultation in Dec 2010, adoption June 2011 Housing SPD SPD Consultation on draft SPD: Winter 2010/11, Adoption: Initial work has begun on Summer 2011 scoping the framework for the SPD. 5 Blackburn with Darwen Annual Monitoring Report 6 – 2009-2010 3. An Introduction to Blackburn with Darwen 3.1. Blackburn with Darwen, surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain, is a key geographical and cultural gateway to Pennine Lancashire. It is located between the high land on the Metropolitan borough boundaries of Bolton and Bury in the south and Mellor ridge to the north. The West Pennine Moors form a natural barrier to Chorley and to the east a barrier to Rossendale. Within this dramatic landscape, the borough covers an area of 13,700 hectares. Population 3.2. As Graph 1 below highlights, the population of Blackburn with Darwen has, over recent years, been steadily declining. The mid-year estimate in 2009 put the population of the borough at 139,900, slightly lower than the 2008 figure of 140,700. In 2006, the population of the borough peaked at 141,200, however since then, the population has declined by 1,300 persons. Graph 1: Mid Year Population Estimates 2001-2009 142000 Population 141000 140000 139000 138000 Population 137000 136000 135000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Year Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) Ethnicity 3.3. The latest available figures for the borough’s ethnicity are from 2007 and show that 77% of the borough’s population are White British, compared to 92.1% for the North West and 88.2% for England. Figure 1 highlights a significantly higher proportion of 6 Blackburn with Darwen Annual Monitoring Report 6 – 2009-2010 Asian or Asian British people in the borough (20.4%) compared to both the regional (4.4%) and national (5.7%) figures. 3.4. From this data, it is clear that Blackburn with Darwen’s population is ethnically diverse and as a result the need for encouraging community cohesion in all aspects of the Council’s work is essential.