Blandford St. Mary Application Type: Outline Application Application No: 2/2015/1935/OUT Applicant: Blandford St Mary Homes Ltd Case Officer: Mr Stephen Clark Recommendation Summary: Approve Location: Land South West Of, Blandford Forum Bypass, Blandford St Mary, Dorset, Proposal: Develop land by the erection of up to 350 dwellings and community uses (commercial and non-commercial), including vehicle access from A350, public open spaces, play areas, car parking, including ancillary works and associated infrastructure, (outline application to determine access). Reason for Committee Decision: Major Housing Development Planning Policies: Local Plan: Policy 1 - Sustainable Devt. Policy 2 - C Spatial Strategy Policy 3 - Climate Change Policy 4 - The Natural Env. Policy 5 - The Historic Env. Policy 6 - Housing Distribution Policy 7 - Delivering Homes Policy 8 - Affordable Housing Policy 13 - Grey Infra. Policy 14 - Social Infra. Policy 15 - Green Infra. Policy 16 - Blandford Policy 23 - Parking Policy 24 - Design Policy 25 - Amenity National Planning Policy Framework: Other: Planning policy and guidance: The Development Plan consists of the saved policies of the North Dorset District Wide Local Plan to 2011 (First Revision) (adopted January 2003) and the recently adopted North Dorset Local Plan Part 1 (LP1) 2016-2031. The North Dorset Local Plan Part 1 (LP1) was formally adopted by the Council in January this year and forms the development plan for the district, along with the saved policies of the 2003 Local Plan. Following its adoption, full weight can be attributed to the relevant policies of LP1. North Dorset Local Plan Part 1 (LP1) 2016-2031 The adopted North Dorset Local Plan Part 1 2016-2031, previously known as the Draft Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (The New Plan for North Dorset) has been the subject of public engagement over the last 9 years. The early stages of drawing together a draft strategy for the District began in 2005. Various public consultation events have taken place including in 2007 a period of consultation on Core Strategy Issues and Alternative Options from 1 June to 20 July. In 2010 Draft Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (The New Plan for North Dorset) was published for informal consultation. This document for the first time included inset diagrams for each of the main towns showing the broad areas for growth. To inform the public and encourage feedback there was an extended period of consultation from 15 March 2010 to 14 May 2010. All households in North Dorset were notified of the consultation and provided with a summary of the document, including the inset diagrams for the town, in a four page pull out in the Spring 2010 edition of Open Line. Letters were also sent to all town and parishes, including Blandford Town Council and Blandford St Mary Parish council, and posters were placed on all official notice boards in the town and surrounding rural areas. A press release was sent to the Western Gazette, Blackmore Vale Magazine and the Planning Policy Manager was interviewed by Mid-West Radio. All elected District Council Members were notified of the publication via the Members newsletter and they all received hard copies of the plan and supporting Sustainability Appraisal. All documents were also available on the Dorset for You website. Following this initial consultation of the New Plan for North Dorset significant reforms to the planning system were introduced, including the simplification of national policy and the abolition of regional planning. A revised approach to the Core Spatial Strategy was considered and early engagement with town and parishes in the District was undertaken. From 28 November 2011 to 29 February 2012 their views were sought on Options for Growth. Building on the options for growth a further round of public consultation on the Key Issues for the Revision of the Draft Core Strategy was undertaken from 29 October to 21 December 2012. Once again letters were sent to all town and parish councils and those who had made previous representations and exhibitions were organised in all of the main towns. Hard copies of the Key Issues were deposited at all public libraries and were available through the Dorset for You website. Once again elected Members were notified through the Members newsletter and a special Members briefing was organised for 31 October 2012 to answer any specific questions their communities may have. Press releases were published and advertisement placed in the Public Notice section of the Blackmore Vale Magazine on 26 October 2012. Overall 812 people and organisations commented on the consultation. From the two questions posed in relation to the provision of housing in the District there was a majority that supported: a revised housing provision figure of 4,200 being set for the period from 2011 to 2026 (Q5) and a revised distribution of housing that proposed 1,200 new homes in Blandford Forum. In November 2013 the North Dorset Local Plan 2011 to 2026 Part 1: Pre-submission document was published. During the consultation period that ended on 24 January 2014 2,012 representations were received by the Council both objecting and supporting the document. Of the 2,012 representations received in total, 1,372 were on a questionnaire prepared by the Bryanston Park Preservation Group (BPPG) in relation to housing growth options for the town of Blandford. Policy 16 Blandford of LP1 identifies indicative areas for housing growth which include mixed use redevelopment of the Hall and Woodhouse brewery site as well as greenfield land to include land to the west of Blandford St Mary and land to the south east of Blandford St Mary as identified in paragraph 8.23. Whilst land to the north east of Blandford Forum beyond the bypass is mentioned in the policy paragraph 8.24 confirms the Council's preferred approach is to develop land to the south east and west of Blandford St Mary. Criteria (h) of the policy provides further clarity that the housing needs will be met through the development of land to the south east of Blandford St Mary. These indicative areas for growth identified comply with Para 47 of the NPPF which seeks to boost significantly the supply of housing. LP1 has updated the spatial strategy for the district and extends the Plan period to 2031. Policy 2: Core Spatial Strategy, continues to identify Blandford as one of the main towns in North Dorset and a main location for growth. Policy 6: Housing Distribution, identifies a requirement for at least 1,200 dwellings in Blandford (Forum and St Mary) over the Plan period. The Local Plan Part 1 has generally not 'allocated' sites but has instead identified 'broad locations for growth' with the intention that either Local Plan - Part 2 or Neighbourhood Development Plans will allocate sites and amend settlement boundaries. The Inspector at the plan examination last year, found this approach to be sound. The adopted policies that are relevant to the assessment of this application are as follows. Policy 1 - Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development Policy 1 sets out the 'presumption in favour of sustainable development' (from the NPPF) and the supporting text provides guidance on how 'the presumption' will be applied in North Dorset. It is a 'model policy' provided by the Planning Inspectorate, which all Councils are strongly encouraged to include in their local plans and following the adoption of the Local Plan, Part 1, full weight can now be afforded to this policy. Policy 2 - Core Spatial Strategy Policy 2 establishes the 'core spatial strategy' for North Dorset. It identifies Blandford (Forum and St. Mary), Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton as the key strategic settlements in the District and seeks to concentrate the vast majority of the District's growth at these 'four main towns'. It also establishes that outside the four main towns, development will be more strictly controlled with an emphasis on meeting local and essential rural needs. The settlement boundaries will be used for development management purposes 'alongside the proposals for housing and employment growth and regeneration, as set out in Policies 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21'. The aim of this is to enable development to the brought forward on these sites in advance of the Local Plan Part 2, and enables the sites to be included in the five year supply, where proposals are sufficiently well advanced, as there would be no policy constraint to delivery. Policy 3 - Climate Change Policy 3 sets out a number of ways in which the Council will seek to tackle the causes of climate change and also how it is proposed to adapt to the anticipated changes. The causes will be tackled primarily through measures to improve the design and performance of new and existing development and by encouraging the use of renewable energy. Adaptation measures include: encouraging increased water efficiency; reducing the impact of flooding; and reducing heat stress through the planting of trees and other vegetation. Policy 4 - The Natural Environment Policy 4 sets out the Council's approach to the conservation of the natural environment including both landscapes (such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: AONBs) and wildlife interests (including internationally, nationally and locally important wildlife sites and protected or locally threatened species). Policy 5 - The Historic Environment Policy 5 sets out how proposals should be assessed having regard to heritage assets and what justification is necessary if less than substantial, substantial or total loss of a designated heritage asset occurs. The Policy also indicates the requirement to consider impact on buried heritage and archaeology. Policy 6 - Housing Distribution Policy 6 sets out how housing will be distributed across the District. It explains how the future need for housing was re-examined through an updated Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) in 2012.