Rushcliffe Local Plan Rushcliffe Borough Council Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy Adopted Adopted December 2014 Local Plan Part 1: Rushcliffe Core Strategy Core Strategy Contents Page 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Local Plan 3 1.3 Sustainability Appraisal 5 1.4 Habitats Regulations Assessment 5 1.5 Equality Impact Assessment 5 2. Future of Rushcliffe 6 2.1 Key Influences on the Future of Rushcliffe 6 2.2 Character of Rushcliffe 6 2.3 A Spatial Vision for Rushcliffe 10 2.4 Spatial Objectives 12 3. Delivery Strategy 15 A) Sustainable Growth Policy 1 Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development 16 Policy 2 Climate Change 17 Policy 3 Spatial Strategy 24 Policy 4 Nottingham-Derby Green Belt 37 Policy 5 Employment Provision and Economic Development 42 Policy 6 Role of Town and Local Centres 52 Policy 7 Regeneration 57 B) Places for People 60 Policy 8 Housing Size, Mix and Choice 61 Policy 9 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople 68 Policy 10 Design and Enhancing Local Identity 71 Policy 11 Historic Environment 75 Policy 12 Local Services and Healthy Lifestyles 79 Policy 13 Culture, Tourism and Sport 82 Policy 14 Managing Travel Demand 85 Policy 15 Transport Infrastructure Priorities 91 C) Our Environment 96 Policy 16 Green Infrastructure, Landscape, Parks and Open Spaces 97 Policy 17 Biodiversity 103 i Local Plan Part 1: Rushcliffe Core Strategy D) Making it Happen 106 Policy 18 Infrastructure 108 Policy 19 Developer Contributions 112 Policy 20 Strategic Allocation at Melton Road, Edwalton 116 Policy 21 Strategic Allocation at North of Bingham 121 Policy 22 Strategic Allocation at Former RAF Newton 126 Policy 23 Strategic Allocation at Former Cotgrave Colliery 131 Policy 24 Strategy Allocation South of Clifton 136 Policy 25 Strategic Allocation East of Gamston/North of Tollerton 143 4. Monitoring and Review 151 5. Appendices 152 Appendix A Glossary 152 Appendix B Saved Local Plan Policies 166 Appendix C Infrastructure 167 Appendix D Housing Trajectory 174 Appendix E Summary of Sustainable Community Strategy 175 Appendix F List of evidence 176 6. Key Diagram 177 ii Local Plan Part 1: Rushcliffe Core Strategy Section 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.1.1 During 2009, the decision was taken that Rushcliffe Borough Council would work with the councils of Broxtowe, Erewash, Gedling and Nottingham City to produce Aligned Core Strategies for Greater Nottingham. The aim of this arrangement was to provide a strategic basis to plan for the needs of Greater Nottingham as defined in the former East Midlands Regional Plan. 1.1.2 The abovementioned councils were working together to ensure that the policies of the proposed Aligned Core Strategies were consistent across Greater Nottingham. This alignment resulted in the production of the Issues and Options consultation document (June 2009) and an Option for Consultation document (February 2010) which were both published for consultation. 1.1.3 As a result of feedback to the Option for Consultation document, Rushcliffe Borough Council decided to revisit both its overall housing target and the distribution of growth throughout the Borough, independent from the other Greater Nottingham councils. The review took into account evidence at the time and consultation feedback including that obtained during the Council’s Fresh Approach campaign, which was undertaken during 2011. This culminated in the publication of the draft Rushcliffe Core Strategy in March 2012, which was then submitted for public examination in October 2012. 1.1.4 In November 2012, the Planning Inspector appointed to examine the Core Strategy raised with the Council a number of concerns in relation to aspects of the Plan. These concerns related in particular to the overall housing target and the Council’s approach to ‘Duty to Cooperate’ obligations. The examination was subsequently suspended in order for the Council to bring forward modifications to the Plan to address the Inspector’s concerns. Proposed modifications were published and consulted on in December 2013. 1.1.5 While Rushcliffe Borough Council has produced its own separate Core Strategy, all the Councils have continued to work together to ensure that planning policies of the Core Strategies are as consistent as possible across Greater Nottingham. This partnership approach has resulted in a high degree of alignment between the Core Strategies. 1.1.6 This document consists of three main parts: section 1 introduces and sets out the background to this Core Strategy; section 2 looks at the character of 1 Local Plan Part 1: Rushcliffe Core Strategy Rushcliffe now and in the future, setting out a ‘vision’ of what Rushcliffe will look like in 2028 if the Core Strategy is implemented. Finally, section 3 contains the Delivery Strategy, consisting of a set of policies and proposals to deliver the vision. The main proposals of the Core Strategy are illustrated on the Key Diagram, which can be found at the end of the document, and where appropriate defined on the separate adopted policies map. 1.1.7 The role of the Core Strategy is to help implement the spatial elements of Rushcliffe’s Sustainable Community Strategy and there is therefore a close relationship between the two. More detail on Sustainable Community Strategies can be found in Section 2 and at Appendix E Summary of Community Strategy. 1.1.8 The Core Strategy must also have regard to national planning policy and guidance. This is principally the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework, which was published in March 2012. 1.1.9 The Core Strategy sets out where and when new homes, jobs and infrastructure will be delivered; the steps that will be taken to ensure that development is sustainable and to the benefit of existing communities and new communities, recognising what is special and distinctive about Rushcliffe. This includes the historic environment, the culture and heritage, and the relationship between Rushcliffe’s towns and villages, the countryside that surrounds them and the wider Nottingham area. 1.1.10 In producing the Core Strategy, the Council has used an extensive evidence base. A list of what this includes is at Appendix F List of Evidence. 2 Local Plan Part 1: Rushcliffe Core Strategy 1.2 Local Plan 1.2.1 The Saved Policies from the 1996 Rushcliffe Borough Local Plan and the 2006 Rushcliffe Borough Non-Statutory Replacement Local Plan are being replaced by the new Local Plan. 1.2.2 The Rushcliffe Local Plan is a ‘folder’ of planning documents, its content is illustrated by the diagram below, which also indicates the relationship between the various documents that make up the Local Plan. Local Plan Development Plan Documents for Rushcliffe will comprise: Local Plan Part 1 Core Strategy – sets out the overarching spatial vision for development Rushcliffe Borough to 2028 and provides the planning framework for the other Documents listed below. Local Plan Part 2: Land and Planning Policies – allocates land to specific uses and provides relevant policy guidance, sets out policies for the management of development, against which planning applications for the development and use of land will be considered. 3 Local Plan Part 1: Rushcliffe Core Strategy Local Development Scheme – sets out the programme for the preparation of the Development Plan Documents. Statement of Community Involvement – sets out the standards the Council intends to achieve in relation to involving the community in the preparation and review of Development Plan Documents. Authority Monitoring Report - sets out the Council’s progress in terms of producing Development Plan Documents and implementing policies. 1.2.3 The Local Plan will include policies and proposals for spatial planning (including the development and use of land) in Development Plan Documents within Rushcliffe for the period to 2028. It also includes an adopted policies map which illustrates the geographic extent of policies and proposals on a map. The Local Plan can be supported by Supplementary Planning Documents which are not Development Plan Documents, but provide more detailed guidance on development plan policies. 1.2.4 Waste and Minerals Development Plan Documents will be prepared by Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Together with Rushcliffe’s Local Plan this will form the ‘Statutory Development Plan’ for the area when all are completed. 1.2.5 The Core Strategy is the key strategic planning document. It performs the following functions: defines a spatial vision for Rushcliffe to 2028; sets out a number of spatial objectives to achieve the vision; sets out a spatial development strategy to meet these objectives; sets out strategic policies to guide and control the overall scale, type and location of new development (including identifying any particularly large or important sites, known as ‘strategic sites’) and infrastructure investment; and indicates the numbers of new homes to be built over the plan period. 1.2.6 It is the Government’s intention to allow local communities to also create their own local Neighbourhood Plans setting out how they wish their local area to develop. Such plans, where produced, will still however need to be in conformity with the Local Plan and its ‘strategic policies’. 1.2.7 A glossary explaining key planning terms and abbreviations is included in Appendix A to provide clarification. 4 Local Plan Part 1: Rushcliffe Core Strategy 1.3 Sustainability Appraisal 1.3.1 A Sustainability Appraisal has been carried out and published in parallel with the development of the Core Strategy. The Sustainability Appraisal is a statutory requirement, is an integral part of the plan making process, and is intended to test and improve the sustainability of the Core Strategy as it is drafted. The sustainability appraisal process undertaken at each stage in the production of this document has helped inform the preparation of a Core Strategy which will deliver sustainable development to Rushcliffe, to the benefit of existing and new communities.