Core Strategy Background Paper October 2009 Key Evidence for the preparation of Preferred Options Rochdale Borough Local Development Framework www.rochdale.gov.uk Rochdale Borough Core Strategy - Background Paper for Preferred Options report Contents Page 1. Introduction 5 2. The Local Development Framework and The Core Strategy 7 3. Preparing the Core Strategy? 9 4. Spatial Portrait 11 5. Background on key topics 29 5.1 Achieving a more prosperous economy 29 5.2 Creating successful and healthy communities 39 5.3 Improving design, image and quality of place 56 5.4 Conserving and managing the natural environment and resources 58 5.5 Improving accessibility and delivering sustainable transport 66 6. Background – National 77 7. Background – Regional And Sub-Regional 81 8. Background – Local 89 9. Background – Local Development Framework 101 Appendix 1. Housing trajectory from the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment 103 Appendix 2. Glossary 105 Appendix 3. Web links for organisations referred to in the Background Paper 111 Appendix 4. References and sources of information 113 Please Note: This background paper is a ‘living document’ and part of the evidence base for the Rochdale Local Development Framework Core Strategy. It is updated continually throughout the production of the Core Strategy. This is to ensure that all references and statistics within this paper are up to date and relevant and to ensure that all parts of the Core Strategy have thorough and appropriate evidence backing them up. This document should be read in conjunction with the Core Strategy Preferred Options paper and the Report on Consultation on Issues and Options. This document contains references to other documents and sources of information. These references are numbered and a full list of them and where they can be found is provided at Appendix 4. Rochdale Borough Core Strategy - Background Paper for Preferred Options report 2 Rochdale Borough Core Strategy - Background Paper for Preferred Options report Maps and Key Diagrams Page Sub regional context 12 Setting the scene 13 Constraints 14 Major employment locations 16 Major housing areas 18 Index of multiple deprivation (IMD) 2007 – Overall ranking 24 Index of multiple deprivation (IMD) 2007 – Employment deprivation 33 Index of multiple deprivation (IMD) 2007 – Income deprivation 34 Town centres and retailing 37 Index of multiple deprivation (IMD) 2007 – Health deprivation and disability 49 Index of multiple deprivation (IMD) 2007 – Crime deprivation 52 Index of multiple deprivation (IMD) 2007 – Education, skills and training deprivation 54 Conservation areas 57 Flood zones 60 Green infrastructure resources 64 Key transport infrastructure 69 Areas of significant pollution 71 Housing trajectory from the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment 103 3 Rochdale Borough Core Strategy - Background Paper for Preferred Options report 4 Rochdale Borough Core Strategy - Background Paper for Preferred Options report 1. Introduction 1.1 What is the purpose of this Background Paper? • To provide contextual information on the Core Strategy, its relationship with the Local Development Framework and other documents; • To identify and signpost to the key elements of the evidence base which have been used to develop the Core Strategy Preferred Options document, in particular: o Information, studies and research about the borough, its economy, its population and its environment; o Information, studies and research about national and regional trends and forecasts; and o National, regional and local policies and strategies that will influence the content of the Core Strategy. • To identify sources of information for the evidence base that has been used to develop the Core Strategy. As stated on the front page this is a living document and will be updated as necessary. Further studies and information are being collected to test out and justify our preferred policy approaches. These include sub regional and cross boundary studies on transport modelling, flood risk assessment, and energy. The results of these will be analysed and their implications for the Preferred Options considered. The key findings will be included in a further version of the Background Paper and this will be published to support the publication draft version of the Core Strategy. Separate documents, topic papers and an infrastructure plan will be prepared in due course as part of the evidence base. 1.2 The evidence base for the Core Strategy? Other documents which will form part of the evidence base for the Core Strategy are: • The report of our consultation on the Issues and Options (the views of stakeholders and the local community expressed so far). • The Sustainability Appraisal report on the Preferred Options (how the Preferred Options balance economic, social and environmental considerations). • The Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Impact of the Core Strategy on European Protected Sites. • The Equalities Impact Assessment. The Core Strategy is also influenced by policies at national, regional, sub regional and local level, and this document signposts to these. 5 Rochdale Borough Core Strategy - Background Paper for Preferred Options report 6 Rochdale Borough Core Strategy - Background Paper for Preferred Options report 2. The Local Development Framework and the Core Strategy 2.1 What is the Local Development Framework? The borough’s plan for local development is under review due to changing national, regional and local priorities. A new Local Development Framework (LDF) will over time replace the current Rochdale Borough Unitary Development Plan (BP 190). The LDF is the spatial planning strategy for a borough or district, introduced by the Planning and Compensation Act 2004 (BP 53). The new system replaces a single development plan with a portfolio of policy documents, Development Plan Documents (DPD). These aim to address planning or physical issues in an area as and when needed. Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) will support policies in DPDs by further expanding, explaining and providing guidance on how to interpret policies. Traditionally, development plan policies have a regulatory planning approach focussed on the use of land. LDF policies should take wider ‘spatial planning’ approaches to ensure: • Integrating development spatially with land-use; • Co-ordinating development with vital infrastructure and services; • Gearing development to better meet the community’s needs and issues of: o Health; o Education; o Crime; o Deprivation; o Sustainability; and o Accessibility. • Delivering development through collaborative and partnerships working; and • Involving stakeholders and the community more at early stages in the preparation of documents. 2.2 What is the Core Strategy? The lead element of Local Development Framework is the Core Strategy. It sets out where over the next 15 years: • The overall direction of growth will be; • The overall scale of development needs to be; and • The focus for locations for development will be. The Core Strategy needs to set out how, in physical and spatial terms, it will support the local community strategy ‘Pride of Place’ (BP 210) and how it will support and inform new and existing strategies and initiatives. The Core Strategy must conform to the Regional Spatial Strategy (BP 98). All LDF documents must conform to the Core Strategy. The Core Strategy: • Sets out the strategic direction and criteria to assess planning decisions about the use of land against; • Sets the general policies to determine planning applications against; • Carries considerable weight in the determination of planning applications and other spatial planning decisions; and • Sets the framework for all other local development documents prepared as part of the LDF. It is prepared alongside a process of sustainability appraisal and public consultation and an Independent Inspector will test it for ‘soundness’ before it can be adopted. It terms of content, it will include: • The spatial portrait; • The vision; • The strategic objectives; • The spatial strategy (including strategic land allocations and designations); 7 Rochdale Borough Core Strategy - Background Paper for Preferred Options report • The core policies (including generic policies to management development1); and • The monitoring and implementation framework. The Council expects to complete and adopt the Core Strategy in 2010. It will then have formal status to guide spatial planning, regeneration and decisions on planning applications up to 2026. The Issues and Options Stage (BP 221) is the first formal consultation stage of the Core Strategy document. The issues and options paper was a consultation paper aimed at exploring what really matters in shaping the future of the borough. What issues does the borough have? What options and approaches should be further explored? Consultation responses (BP 222) were assessed and fed into the production of draft proposals and policies. This is the subject of the latest consultation - the Preferred Options. This Background Paper contains supporting evidence and sources of information for the Preferred Options. 2.3 What other parts make up the Local Development Framework? Local Development Scheme (BP 227) The project plan for the LDF explains what the different parts Adopted March 2009 of the LDF are and when we will produce them. We will revise the Local Development Scheme as necessary to keep it up-to- date. Statement of Community Involvement (BP 233) How we will involve the local community, other interested