St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan Adopted October 2012 ST ANDREWS & EAST FIFE LOCAL PLAN Alternative languages and formats This document is called the adopted St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan. It describes where and how development will take place in the area over the 14 years from 2008 - 2022 to meet future environmental, economic and social needs, and provides an indication of development beyond this to 2026. To request an alternative format or translation of this information please use the telephone numbers on the panel above. When you call, please quote the title of this document. Calls cost 3 to 5p per minute from a UK landline, mobile rates may vary. If English is not your first language and you would like to improve your English, please call any of our Language Lines, or the Alternative Formats Line above, for any information on courses and support. Foreword By Keith Winter, Head of Enterprise, Planning & Protective Services It is my pleasure to present the St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan as adopted by Fife Council on 5th October 2012. The Plan implements the strategic vision set out in the Fife Structure Plan (approved by the Scottish Government in 2009) as it applies to the St Andrews & East Fife area. It contains proposals to guide the area’s development over the period until 2022 providing land for many uses such as employment, homes, leisure and learning. A Local Plan is the basic suite of documents and policies which Fife Council will use to guide planning decisions and promote investment in Fife. The Plan contributes toward Fife Council’s Big 8 priorities to achieve the vision of making Fife a great place to live, work and visit, in particular by: • Helping make Fife the leading green council in Scotland • Improving local conditions for economic development • Increasing access to housing and • Improving sport, leisure and cultural opportunities. The Local Plan strategy sets out a significant programme of investment in economic development across the area – a key factor in ensuring that St Andrews & East Fife continues to balance successful, sustainable growth with local needs and demand, especially in the current economic climate. Key proposals contained in the Plan include:- • Higher levels of affordable housing development in local communities - 30% of all houses in the St Andrews housing market area will be affordable with 20% in the Cupar housing market area • New business parks in Cupar and St Andrews, a science park in St Andrews linked with the University, and other employment sites throughout the Local Plan area, highlighting our commitment to assisting the creation of and sustainability of employment throughout Fife. • Renewable energy to be incorporated into development proposals to ensure that at least 15% of the energy output is met on site. • Greater emphasis on design and masterplanning, with developers required to consult communities to help shape better quality development for the long term. In preparing this Local Plan, extensive consultation took place with community representatives, local interest groups, developers and elected members. The Plan has been informed by the outcome of public consultation on the Strategic Environmental Assessment and a revised version of the Environmental Report is being published to accompany the adoption of the Local Plan. This Plan replaces in full the adopted St Andrews Area Local Plan (1996) and the adopted Tay Coast Local Plan (1998). It also replaces in part the Largo & East Neuk Local Plan (1995) and the Cupar & Howe of Fife Local Plan (2003). I would like to express my thanks on behalf of Fife Council to all who have contributed to the preparation of this Local Plan through its many stages and look forward to its implementation. Introduction The Fife Development Plan provides the statutory policy framework for land use planning in Fife. It is made up of the Fife Structure Plan and Local Plans. The Structure Plan sets the strategic guidance for the future development of Fife and identifies the general location and scale of development. The Fife Structure Plan covers the 20-year period from 2006-26. The St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan is one of 4 Local Plans being prepared. Fife’s other Local Plans cover Mid Fife, and Dunfermline & West Fife, and there is a Local Plan dedicated solely to minerals, called the Fife Minerals Subject Local Plan. The strategy of this Local Plan complements that of the Structure Plan and covers the period 2008-22. It applies the Structure Plan strategy locally, establishing a detailed, site-specific framework of policies and proposals for land use and other related matters. It guides and promotes development in the area and explains how towns and villages will change over the Plan period. In addition, it provides for stability in areas where no significant change is proposed. Figure 1.2 (St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan Process) outlines the Local Plan process. A finalised draft St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan was approved by the former Environment & Development Committee on 31st August, 2006 as a basis for public consultation. However, the planned consultation on that document (scheduled for the early months of 2007) had to be cancelled due to uncertainties surrounding the Fife Structure Plan position at that time. The Finalised St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan 2009 updated and replaced the finalised draft Plan, which was prepared following public consultation on the consultative draft Local Plan. This took place during spring 2005 when the draft Plan was placed on deposit as part of the Be a Part of Fife’s Future consultation. In preparing the consultative draft Local Plan in 2004-05, Fife Council Development Services consulted with a wide range of bodies. We also ran a series of public consultation events from 2003 including Your Place, Your Plan in spring 2004. Community Planning partners and public agencies such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) were involved throughout these consultations. Now adopted, the St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan replaces, in whole or in part, the 4 Local Plans (Cupar and Howe of Fife; Tay Coast; St Andrews Area; Largo and East Neuk) that were previously in place for the St Andrews and East Fife area. All of the views and comments made at the consultative draft, SEA Scoping, finalised draft and First Stage Environmental Report stages were considered in preparing this Plan. Many opportunities have already been provided for local people and community organisations to become involved in the shaping of the policies and proposals that make up the St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan. This Local Plan comprises: • The Plan Statement which describes the overall strategy and provides a summary of the planning issues, policies, and proposals affecting individual towns and villages. These are described in Settlement Plans. • A Proposals Map identifying the location of development proposals and where policies apply geographically. The Proposals Map includes individual Settlement map insets • Policies which are used in decisions to manage and promote development. An Action Programme is published along with the Local Plan describing planning proposals, who is responsible for implementing them, and their anticipated timescales. The Action Programme will be updated every two years to monitor progress on implementing the Local Plan. The Action Programme includes the Planning Obligations Financial Framework. A CD containing the Plan documents and supporting papers is available. The documents and all associated papers are also available online at www.fifedirect.org.uk. A link from this website allows all of the documents to be viewed interactively. It should be noted that non-Fife Council documents included as supporting papers have not been endorsed by the Council for planning purposes and do not form part of the St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan. The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004 has made Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of local development plans a statutory requirement. SEA has been undertaken in preparing the Local Plan to comply with the Regulations and European legislation and an environmental report has been prepared alongside the Local Plan. The intention of SEA is to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development (EC Directive 2001/42/EC). Policy Context The Scottish Government has published Scotland’s National Planning Framework 2, which sets out an achievable long-term vision for Scotland and identifies the likely change to 2025. It identifies the strategic development potential of the Aberdeen-Edinburgh-Newcastle transport corridor, which crosses the Local Plan area, and identifies Mid Fife as an area of national priority for environmental enhancement. Local Plan strategy has been reviewed to ensure that any changes necessitated through the National Planning Framework 2 are incorporated within the Local Plan. The Local Plan has also been prepared in the context of the National Economic Strategy. This promotes sustainable economic growth and the proposals contained within the Local Plan contribute to this objective. The Local Plan is prepared under the umbrella of the Fife Community Plan and the Fife Structure Plan, which has been prepared in the context of the National Planning Framework. The Community Plan provides the shared vision for Fife of public sector partners and the wider Fife community over the next ten years. The Local Plan also has regard to other plans and programmes prepared by Fife Council and its partners, including the Fife Economic Development Strategy, the Local Housing Strategy and the Local Transport Strategy. The Structure Plan will be replaced by new Strategic Development Plans for both Edinburgh and Dundee City Regions.