Planning and Environmental Appeals Division REPORT TO RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL ON THE PROPOSED RENFREWSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2 EXAMINATION Reporters: Claire Milne BSc(Hons) DipTP MBA MRTPI Keith Bray BSc (Hons) MRTPI Philip Barton MCD BA(Hons) MRTPI Trudi Craggs LLB(Hons) DipLP Date of Report: 29 January 2021 CONTENTS Page No Examination of Conformity with Participation Statement 1 Issue 01 Spatial Strategy 5 02 Delivering the Spatial Strategy – Economy 18 03 Delivering the Spatial Strategy – Centres 40 04 Delivering the Spatial Strategy – Infrastructure 55 05 Developer Contributions 77 06 Delivering the Spatial Strategy – Places 92 07 Housing Land Requirement and Policy P2 Housing Land Supply 118 08 Policy P3 Housing Mix and Affordable Housing 170 09 Housing Sites in Paisley 184 10 Housing Sites in Renfrew 200 11 Housing Sites in Johnstone and Elderslie 204 12 Housing Sites in Erskine and Inchinnan 220 13 Housing Sites in Linwood 232 14 Housing Sites in Bishopton and Langbank 238 15 Housing Sites in Bridge of Weir 248 16 Housing Sites in Houston 279 17 Housing Sites in Kilbarchan 316 18 Housing Sites in Lochwinnoch 326 19 Housing Sites in Howwood 353 20 Housing Sites in Brookfield 359 21 Delivering the Spatial Strategy – Environment 365 22 Policy positions in SG which should be in LDP 392 23 Miscellaneous 400 PROPOSED RENFREWSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2 Examination of Conformity with the Participation Statement Introduction 1. Section 19(4) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended) requires the person who has been appointed by the Scottish Ministers to examine the plan: “firstly to examine…the extent to which the planning authority’s actings with regard to consultation and the involvement of the public at large as respects the proposed plan have conformed with (or have been beyond the requirements of) the participation statement of the authority which was current when the proposed plan was published under Section 18(1)(a).” 2. Section 20B of the Act requires each planning authority to prepare a development plan scheme at least annually. The scheme should set out the authority’s programme for preparing and reviewing its development plan, and must include a participation statement. This publication should state when, how and with whom consultation on the plan will take place and the authority’s proposals for public involvement in the plan preparation process Participation statement 3. The proposed plan was published in March 2019. The version of Renfrewshire Council’s participation statement, which was current at the time, was contained in the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan Development Plan Scheme 2018. The council indicates that the scheme is updated on an annual basis and available in public libraries, at Renfrewshire House and on the council’s website. 4. The participation statement states the following: “Renfrewshire Council is committed to extensive consultation and engagement, encouraging involvement throughout the preparation of the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan, and will have due regard to the provisions of the Scottish Government’s Planning Advice Note 3/2010 on ‘Community Engagement’.” 5. A timetable for preparing and reviewing the local development plan is included. The following summarises the key participation stages up to the point of submission of the plan for examination: • Pre-main issues report - consult appropriate parties to inform main issues report. Engage with stakeholders to identify what are the main issues. • Feb to May 2017 - consult on main issues report. • Oct 2018 to Feb 2019 - prepare and publish the proposed plan. Consult and engage extensively over a 12 week period. • Feb to Apr 2019 - consider representations to proposed plan and requirement for modifications. 6. The participation statement sets out a variety of methods that the council intends to use to gather views, comments and opinions. The methods referred to at the proposed plan stage are summarised as follows: • Report to the Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board. • Adverts in local press. • Deposit proposed plan at libraries and at Renfrewshire House. 1 PROPOSED RENFREWSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2 • Notify owners, lessees or occupiers of potential development sites, and owner, lessees or occupiers of land neighbouring any potential development sites, which the plan proposes specifically to be developed. • Notify any person who commented on the main issues report. • Notify everyone on consultation database. • Update council webpages, Twitter and Facebook feeds. • Meetings with various groups, local interest groups, community councils, Council staff and different services, community planning partners, members of the public, key agencies, landowners, developers and local businesses. • Presentations to community planning partnership groups, councillors and other interested groups and establish councillor working group. Report of conformity with the participation statement 7. The council’s report of conformity with the participation statement was submitted with the proposed plan in accordance with Section 18(4)(a)(i) of the Act. The report provides a table summarising what the council said it would do in terms of consultation and what it actually did. The approaches and methods carried out to secure the engagement of interested parties specifically in respect of the proposed plan are summarised under the following headings. Reporting • Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Board (12 March 2019) which sought approval to consult for a period of 12 weeks to obtain the views of stakeholders. Adverts and deposit of documents • Advert published in the Paisley Daily Express and the Paisley Gazette (20 and 27 March 2019) with information on where and when the proposed plan could be viewed and how to make a representation and find further information. • Copies of the proposed plan and supporting information were placed on deposit at each of the council libraries and at the council headquarters. Notification • Notification was sent to local residents (owners, lessees or occupiers) within 20 metres of development proposals, which included details of the proposal and where it is located including a map showing the site in question, a description of the proposal, where it can be viewed, the period for comment and details of how to make a representation. • Notification was sent to everyone who commented on the main issues report and all contacts on the consultation database explaining where the proposed plan could be accessed, how to make representations and the period in which representations could be made. • Notification and copies of the proposed plan were sent to Scottish Ministers, neighbouring authorities, key agencies and community councils. Online and social media • Local development plan webpages were updated and the council’s Twitter and Facebook pages utilised. 2 PROPOSED RENFREWSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2 • A short video was published on social media. • A web based consultation system was established which enabled consultees to submit representations electronically. Meetings • One to one meetings with all interested parties/wide variety of groups including members of the public, community councils, community planning partners, key agencies, development trusts, landowners, developers, local business and local interest groups. Focused engagement • Attendance and stand at the Business Matters in Renfrewshire Event in May 2019. • Attendance at a number of Local Area Partnership meetings. • Attendance at the Federation of Local Housing Associations in Renfrewshire (FLAIR) Group. • Training provided for elected members. • Attendance at the council’s annual Community Planning Conference. Additional awareness raising in association with • Foxbar Place Plan. • Paisley West End Masterplan. • Ferguslie Park Development Framework. Representations on the participation process 8. No specific representations directly concerned with the participation process are highlighted within the schedule 4’s. At the commencement of the examination, I received correspondence on behalf of a resident’s organisation, Save Paisley’s Green Space, which refers to a request to the council, made in October 2019, for an online petition totalling 1,242 signatures to be included in the public consultation. The petition relates to sites: UWS Thornley Park Campus (LDP 2087) and NHS Dykebar Hospital (LDP 2088). The petitioner asks that I take into consideration their view that Paisley South local opinions have been ignored by the council. 9. In response to my request for further information, the council has provided a copy of its reply by email, dated 14 October 2019, to Jennifer Reid who represents Save Paisley’s Green Space. The reply stated that the council could not accept the petition and comments, as they were out with the time period for making comments. The council is referring to the period for making representations on the proposed plan which is set by the council but is required by The Town and Country Planning (Development Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 to be no less than 6 weeks after the date of publication of the plan. In this case, the council set a 12 week period in which any representations must be made to the authority, which ended on 10 June 2019. 10. The council also outlines the background to these sites, both of which are allocated for development within the proposed plan, and were subject to the required neighbour notification process undertaken in accordance with the development planning