Congleton Borough Local Plan First Review (01/05) Introduction Page 1-1 1. INTRODUCTION WHAT IS A LOCAL PLAN? 1.1 The planning system, as established in the Town and Country Planning Acts, is intended to: • regulate the development and use of land in the interest of the general public: • balance the needs of development and conservation: and • secure the most efficient and appropriate use and development of land. 1.2 Development Plans play a key role in achieving the above mentioned objectives and provide an essential framework for planning decisions. In this area the development plan system is divided into two tiers: STRUCTURE PLAN : which is prepared by the County Council and sets out key strategic policies for the whole of the County on matters such as housing, employment and transport and provides a framework for Local Plans. LOCAL PLANS : which are in the main prepared by District Councils and set out more detailed policies to guide development within the whole of a local authority area including proposals for specific sites. 1.3 The main functions of a Local Plan are: • to interpret strategic policies contained in the Structure Plan at a detailed local level; • to provide policy guidelines for the consideration of all planning applications; • to provide a framework for coordinating development by public authorities; • to give the public the opportunity to comment upon and become involved in the resolution of local planning issues; • to ensure future development of the Borough is in accordance with, and to facilitate the broader objectives of, the Council as set out in its Corporate Strategy and 6 supporting Strategies. 1.4 Policy guidance from the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) in respect of Local Plans stresses the importance of Local Plans as the basis for sound and effective development control. However, it is emphasised that Local Plans must be up to date and give due recognition to national planning policies, regional guidance and the provisions of approved structure plans. THE CONGLETON BOROUGH LOCAL PLAN 1.5 The Congleton Borough Local Plan was first produced for the plan period 1986 - 2001 and adopted in 1998. This current document is a review of the Local Plan Congleton Borough Local Plan First Review (01/05) Introduction Page 1-2 prepared within the framework of the approved Replacement Structure Plan ‘Cheshire 2011’. It puts forward the policies and proposals of the Borough Council in respect of all aspects of land use planning within the Borough up to and including the year 2011 (for the purposes of land availability monitoring the end date of the Local Plan is taken as the end of June 2011). This document is therefore a replacement Local Plan and is effectively a detailed extension of the Council’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy. 1.6 It has been prepared in accordance with government guidance and advice on the preparation of Development Plans as set out in PPG12: Development Plans and in ‘Development Plans. A Good Practice Guide’ (December 1999) to reflect current best practice and value and follow the procedures for the preparation of local plans which came into effect in January 2000. FIRST MONITORING REPORT 1.7 Monitoring the performance of a Local Plan is a key requirement of government guidance on Development Plans and is considered an essential part of the review process to ensure that it remains up to date and relevant. The first monitoring report of the Congleton Borough Local Plan First Review was produced by the Council in July 2003. Subsequent monitoring reports will be published on an annual basis. 1.8 The Monitoring Report measures the Council’s performance against objectives and targets included within the Local Plan and assesses the take-up and supply of housing and employment land. The report considers not just the whole of the Borough, but also looks at differences between areas within the Borough and, where appropriate, compares the Borough with other areas. It aims to show that what the Borough Council is delivering through the Local Plan is effective and meeting the Plan’s objectives. The conclusions and actions identified in the report are used to inform future policy decisions and reviews of the Local Plan. THE PLAN AREA 1.9 The Plan covers the whole of the Congleton Borough, which comprises the four towns of: Congleton Sandbach Middlewich Alsager and the rural area which comprises the nineteen rural parishes of: Arclid Betchton Bradwall Brereton Church Lawton Cranage Goostrey Hassall Holmes Chapel Hulme Walfield Moreton Moston Newbold Astbury Odd Rode Smallwood Somerford Somerford Booths Swettenham Twemlow Congleton Borough Local Plan First Review (01/05) Introduction Page 1-3 Dig.1 The Plan Area and its Towns and Parishes THE FORM AND CONTENT OF THE PLAN 1.10 The Local Plan has been structured so as to provide a clear framework for controlling development comprising of the following elements (see dig. 2) : • a Plan Strategy statement comprising of aims, objectives and targets; a set of guiding principles to indicate the main directions of the plan; and, a set of development approaches for each geographic area to indicate broadly how new growth is to be accommodated. • Policies and Proposals for the development and use of land, in particular those which will form the basis for deciding planning applications and determining the conditions to be attached to planning permissions. • an Implementation statement setting out the measures which the Borough Council will use to help implement the policies and proposals and the objectives which will be achieved. Dig.2 The Form of the Local Plan Congleton Borough Local Plan First Review (01/05) Introduction Page 1-4 • a Monitoring statement setting out how the Borough Council proposes to monitor the Local Plan against the targets which have been set. 1.11 The Borough Council also uses Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) in the form of subject guidance notes and development briefs to supplement certain policies and proposals of the Local Plan. However, these are prepared separately to the Local Plan and do not form part of it. 1.12 The format of the Local Plan is divided into two distinct parts - the Written Statement (this document) and several maps (in the inside pocket of front cover). Although both parts are intended to be complementary to each other, in the event of a contradiction the provisions of the Written Statement will prevail. THE WRITTEN STATEMENT 1.13 The Written Statement is arranged to enable it to be used as a policy document to control development and is designed to be read as a whole. The Plan Strategy (Chapter 2) sets out the framework within which the Plan has been prepared and it’s general aims, objectives and targets as well as the broad policies which govern development in the Borough. This is followed by a section dealing with General Requirements (Chapter 3) which sets out detailed considerations which all development is required to comply with. The subsequent topic chapters each relate to a specific policy area, namely: 4. Natural Environment and Resources 5. Built Environment and Heritage 6. Economy 7. Housing 8. Town Centres and Shopping 9. Recreation and Community Facilities 1.14 Each of these chapters contains a brief introduction to the topic and a summary of the relevant national, strategic and local context within which the policies have been prepared, followed by the actual policies. 1.15 Chapter 10 of the Local Plan deals with the proposals for the Local Plan and sets out all proposed allocations and schemes and includes a brief description of each allocated site and the development requirements. 1.16 The policies and proposals are typed in bold, upper case lettering and shaded for easy identification and are each given a reference letter and number e.g.: E1 THE BOROUGH COUNCIL WILL ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT LAND OF THE RIGHT TYPE IS MADE AVAILABLE … 1.17 Beneath each policy is a brief explanation about why that particular policy has been included within the Local Plan. This justification is typed in lower case italic lettering to distinguish it from both the policy and the main text of the section e.g.: The figure of 180 hectares of land is the Congleton district allocation for new industrial and business development as contained in the approved Cheshire 2011 Replacement Structure Plan … Congleton Borough Local Plan First Review (01/05) Introduction Page 1-5 1.18 The policies in the Local Plan are concerned with the future use of land in the Plan Area and with measures for the improvement of the physical environment and the management of traffic. The Plan does not, therefore, give a land use zoning for every plot of land in the plan area; rather it is concerned with areas where change is likely to occur and areas within which certain policies will operate. 1.19 The Written Statement also contains a section on Implementation (Chapter 11) and Monitoring (Chapter 12), a glossary to explain technical terms and abbreviations, an index, and an appendix containing supporting technical information and approved Supplementary Planning Guidance Notes. THE MAPS 1.20 The Local Plan contains a Proposal Map for the whole of the Borough at approximately 1:35,000 scale, together with Inset Maps for the following areas: 1 Congleton 2 Sandbach (incl. Hays Chemicals) 3 Middlewich 4 Alsager (including Lawton Gate and Lawton Heath End) 5 Holmes Chapel & Cranage 6 Goostrey 7 Scholar Green 8 Mow Cop, Mount Pleasant & The Bank 9 Arclid 10 Brereton Green 11 Brereton Heath 12 Astbury 13 Rode Heath 14 Hassall Green 15 Winterley 16 Twemlow 17 Malkins Bank 18 Rudheath Woods 1.21 The Inset Maps, which have been produced on an Ordnance Survey base at a scale of 1:10,000, show those sites which are allocated for development and areas within which specific policies will apply.