Local Plan Commitee 21 January 2016 Report of The
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LOCAL PLAN COMMITEE 21 JANUARY 2016 REPORT OF THE HEAD OF PLANNING A.4 CHELMSFORD CITY COUNCIL’S ISSUES AND OPTIONS – CONSULTATION RESPONSE (Report prepared by William Fuller) PART 1 – KEY INFORMATION PURPOSE OF THE REPORT To seek the Local Plan Committee’s agreement to submit a response to Chelmsford City Council’s Issues and Options Document which is currently the subject of public consultation. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On 19th November 2015, Chelmsford City Council (CCC) published, for eight weeks public consultation, a document entitled ‘Local Plan Issues and Options’. This is the first stage in preparing a new Local Plan for Chelmsford which will eventually supersede its current plan (which runs to 2021) and guide development in the district up to at least 2036. Through the legal ‘duty to cooperate’, Tendring District Council is a key partner in the preparation of the new Chelmsford Local Plan, as is CCC in the preparation of the new plan for Tendring. Through this consultation exercise, CCC is inviting interested parties to put forward their thoughts on a range of planning matters by responding to a series of questions, of which there are 30 in total. These are presented under the following themes: Information on facts and figures about Chelmsford A Vision for the new Local Plan Issues facing Chelmsford when planning for growth How could future growth be accommodated? Planning policy issues. Planning for housing growth is one of the biggest challenges facing all local planning authorities and, for Chelmsford, the latest evidence of housing need contained within CCC’s Strategic Housing Market Assessment suggests that the new Local Plan will need to plan for around 930 dwellings per year over the next 20 years. The consultation document presents three options for where the majority of new housing and commercial development could take place in the period up to 2036. Option 1 - Urban Focus: This option seeks to concentrate new development at locations within and/or close to the existing urban areas that are within Chelmsford Cit. These are the urban areas of Chelmsford, where the majority of new development would be planned, on land to the north of the town of South Woodham Ferrers and on land to the north and east of Great Leighs which is two miles south of Braintree and which would provide linkages to development planned in Braintree District. Option 2 - Urban Focus and Growth on Key Transport Corridors: This option also promotes development at locations within and/or close to the existing urban areas, but to a lesser extent than contained in Option 1. The remaining development would be planned at locations on the key transport corridors serving the district, notably the A130/A131 and A132 in order to maximize the locational opportunities of sites along those corridors and to enhance the ability to secure further transportation benefits. Option 3 - Urban Focus and Growth in Key Villages: This option promotes a more dispersed approach to planning for new development within and/or close to the existing urban areas, but to a lesser scale that Options 1 and 2. The remaining development would be planned at the Service Settlements outside of the Green Belt that provide existing local services and facilities which includes Boreham, Danbury and Bicknacre and other locations where new development could provide new services and facilities, such as Howe Green. Officers consider option 2 to be the most favorable. Whilst option 1 represents a very sustainable form of development it does rely on a location which has the potential to be undeliverable within the plan period. Option 3 spreads development throughout the district however a number of these sites may have significant constraints upon them. It is further considered that if Chelmsford City Council cannot deliver its entire housing needed it may be the case that Tendring district Council takes on some of its shortfall. Option 2 is therefore considered to be the option which has the least likelihood of this happening. The recommended response to the 30 questions, set out in the main body of this report below, reflects this position. The period in which to make comments ends at 5.00pm on Thursday 21st January 2016, however offices have requested an extension of time to allow the Council to formally respond to this consultation. RECOMMENDATION a) That the Local Plan Committee considers and agrees the recommended responses (as set out in the main body of this report) to the 24 questions contained within the Issues and Options document; and b) That the Planning Policy Manager be authorised to submit the agreed response as the formal response of Tendring District Council, with a covering letter, to Chelmsford City Council before the end of the extended consultation period as requested. PART 2 – IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISION DELIVERING PRIORITIES Achieving affordable excellence: Cooperation between Tendring District Council and Chelmsford City Council provides opportunities to achieve development that would provide benefits for residents in both areas including new homes, new job opportunities and investment in infrastructure. Joint working also provides opportunities to make financial savings by sharing resources, sharing intelligence and, where practical, commissioning specialist studies on a joint basis. Improving public perception and reputation: Constructive cooperation between Tendring District Council and Chelmsford City Council will, in turn, ensure a mutually constructive relationship with Essex County Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership and other infrastructure providers. Helping children and young people to achieve their full potential: Constructive cooperation between Chelmsford City Council and Tendring District Council will help deliver investment in education provision at all levels including new early years and childcare facilities, new primary and secondary schools and further investment and growth at the University of Essex and Anglia Ruskin University. The new housing and job opportunities that would be created through cooperation between the two Councils will benefit future generations of children and young people. Addressing deprivation: whilst there is limited deprivation within Chelmsford at present it is considered that working in corporation will strengthen this position further, Local housing for local people: To address the objectively assessed need for future housing, as required through government planning policy, cooperation with all authorities within the housing market area will be essential. Coastal opportunities and protection: No direct implications. RESOURCES AND RISK Resources: Chelmsford City Council’s Issues and Options Document will be prepared by Chelmsford City Council’s Planning Policy Team utilizing its own budget. Risks: Should the Council choose not to respond to the consultation documents, we would have no formal input into the proposed options for development in Chelmsford and we would have no opportunity to raise issues that we consider prevalent to our Council. LEGAL Section 33A of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, as amended by Section 110 of the Localism Act 2011 places a duty upon local authorities and other public bodies to cooperate on strategic matters of cross-boundary significance. Before a Planning Inspector can begin the process of examining a Local Plan, he or she needs to be satisfied, with evidence, that the local authority has done everything it can to ensure effective cooperation with neighboring authorities and other partner organizations and has sought to resolve, as far as is possible, any cross-boundary planning issues. OTHER IMPLICATIONS Consideration has been given to the implications of the proposed decision in respect of the following and any significant issues are set out below. Crime and Disorder / Equality and Diversity / Health Inequalities /Area or Ward affected / Consultation/Public Engagement. Crime and Disorder: By supporting developments in Chelmsford city, Tendring district Council is allowing for new residential development which will have elements such as public open space and education provision which in turn will help to prevent crime and disorder in Chelmsford city. Health Inequalities: The recommended response to the consultation document highlights the importance of addressing health provision across the Chelmsford area. Equality and Diversity: The consultation document invites comments on meeting the social, economic and environmental needs of different sectors of the community. Area or Ward affected: None. Consultation/Public Engagement: The document is out for public consultation until 5.00pm on Thursday 21st January 2016. PART 3 – SUPPORTING INFORMATION Introduction Issues and Options is the first stage of consultation on a new Local Plan. CCC’s Plan will provide a planning strategy for Chelmsford up to 2036. It is important that local communities, interested people and groups get involved and have their say to help shape the future of Chelmsford. The Issues and Options document sets out the planning issues that face Chelmsford over the next 20 years and options for the way they could be addressed. These include how many new homes and jobs the Council needs to plan for and where they could go, what infrastructure they need and how they can protect their important landscapes and habitats. CCC is now asking interested stakeholders, including Tendring to let them know what they think about these issues and options. Comments received will help them shape the next stages of preparing the new Local Plan. This will continue through each stage of its preparation, The document is divided into a number of key sections: Information on facts and figures about Chelmsford A Vision for the new Local Plan Issues facing Chelmsford when planning for growth How could future growth be accommodated? Planning policy issues. All Councils must produce a Local Plan and keep it up to date. Chelmsford’s current set of plans expire in 2021 so a new Local Plan is needed to manage development in the longer-term to 2036. Without an up-to- date Local Plan, the City Council could have very little influence over the location of new development and the provision of infrastructure.