Consultation Summary Report Dacorum Local Plan (2020 - 2038) Emerging Strategy for Growth June 2021 Local Plan Reg 18 Response Report Introduction 1 Introduction 2 Consultation Report 2 Consultation Report 3 2.1 Background 3 2.2 Engagement Methods 3 2.3 Making Representations 5 2.4 Overview of Responses 6 Summary of Issues by Consultation Point 3 Summary of Issues by Consultation Point 7 3.1 Vision and Strategic Objectives 8 3.2 The Sustainable Development Strategy 14 3.3 Guiding Development 49 3.4 Settlements 76 3.5 Sustainability Appraisal 118 3.6 Evidence Base 121 3.7 National Policy 124 3.8 Any Other Comments 130 Appendix 1 - Supporting Documents Supporting Documents 133 Appendix 2 - Responses by Consultation Point Responses by Consultation Point 144 1 Local Plan Reg 18 Response Report 1 Introduction The recent Emerging Strategy for Growth consultation attracted substantial interest, and we are grateful for the time you have spent engaging with the Local Plan process. We have now prepared a summary report which contains all responses received and draws out the key issues and themes emerging from the feedback. This document is structured as follows: Section 2 (Consultation Report) explains the how we engaged in accordance with our Statement of Community Involvement, including the methods we used, the overall level of response, and the key issues arising. Section 3 (Summary of Issues by Consultation Point) is where we expand on the points raised to each consultation point contained in the Plan. Given the level of response we have summarised the main themes and issues rather than summarising every individual comment. Appendix 1 (Supporting Documents) provides copies of the key material used to advertise the consultation. This includes copies of the notification for the consultation and the public notice. We have also provided images of the virtual exhibition which was hosted throughout the consultation. Appendix 2 (Responses by Consultation Point) contains full copies of all the individual responses made to the consultation. Alternatively, you can view all responses made on the consultation webpage, by visiting consult.dacorum.gov.uk/kse and selecting the Dacorum Local Plan (2020-2038) Emerging Strategy for Growth Consultation section. We will publish the Council’s response to the key issues raised during this consultation alongside the next iteration of the Local Plan. This Plan will bring together changes as a result of the comments received as well as the further work on the impact of constraints. 2 Local Plan Reg 18 Response Report 2 Consultation Report 2.1 Background The Emerging Strategy for Growth was the second formal consultation on the new Local Plan for Dacorum. This followed on from the Issues and Options consultation, which took place over a period of 6 weeks from 1st November 2017 to 13th December 2017. The Issues and Options stage set out to gain views on high level principles and issues facing Dacorum. The Local Plan, when adopted, will cover the period 2020-2038 and replace the Saved Policies in the Dacorum Local Plan 1991-2011, the Core Strategy 2006-2031 and the Site Allocations DPD 2006-2031. The Emerging Strategy for Growth was published for consultation under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, and includes our proposed approach to accommodating growth in Dacorum, the sites that have been suggested and some of the specific planning policies that will deliver this. The full Emerging Strategy for Growth Document can be found here: www.dacorum.gov.uk/localplan 2.2 Engagement Methods The Emerging Strategy for Growth Consultation was carried out in accordance with the requirements set out in the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). The consultation was undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result an addendum to the SCI was adopted by the Council on the 20th October 2020. This established temporary measures that ensure the consultation could proceed despite the restrictions that were in place at the time to stop the spread of Covid-19. The consultation ran for a period of 13 weeks (27 November 2020 until 28 February 2021) to take into account of the Christmas period and tightening Covid-19 restrictions that began to be imposed during the Autumn and Winter of 2020/21. To help maximise engagement we ran a co-ordinated launch of the consultation across online and offline channels. Highlights included setting up a dedicated Local Plan webpage, producing a Local Plan Video, producing a printed/online Local Plan summary guide and launching a Local Plan Virtual Exhibition, which supported an opportunity for visitors to ask planning officers any questions they had about the consultation. The Council sent e-mail or postal notifications of the consultation to all Town and Parish Councils in Dacorum along with neighbouring Town and Parish Councils, County and District/Borough Councils, and elected County Councillors for Dacorum. All Dacorum Council’s elected members were informed of the consultation. Statutory consultees were also notified of the consultation by email or post. Everyone who was on the Council’s local planning consultation database were notified of the consultation by e-mail or by direct mail where no e-mail address was recorded. This includes individuals, businesses, interest groups and resident organisations. We used a variety of engagement methods to allow as many people as possible to participate in the consultation. Full details of the methods and levels of engagement are listed below: Website/Digital New Dacorum Local Plan page 26,334 visits 3 Local Plan Reg 18 Response Report All Local Plan related pages including Evidence base, 40,852 visits South West Herts Joint Strategic Plan, Issues and Options consultation 2017, Call for potential development sites and Hertfordshire Growth Board. Consultation Portal Page Views 1,082 Users 1,552 Visits Consultation database - Consultation Notifications 5,573 online 2,165 postal (See full notification in Appendix 1) DBC Residents’ Consultation Panel - e-shot 890 residents Hemel Hempstead Town Centre digital screen Ways to engage promoted throughout consultation period. Press/Media (print/online) Media releases for local and regional press. Pre, during Five media releases issued to 292 media contacts for and post consultation to ensure maximum coverage. wider circulation. Public Notices in newspapers Published in the Hemel Gazette on Wednesday 25th November 2020 and Wednesday 20th January 2021 (see full details in Appendix 1) Publications (print/online) Dacorum Digest residents’ magazine (print) Full page 61,000 households spread promoting launch. Digital Digest monthly e-newsletter(online) Promoted 11,500 subscribers consultation before, during and after. Local Plan documents and summary guide (print/online) Local Plan documents (print and online) Documents online and printed copies available to loan via three local libraries and view at Council offices (by appointment during restrictions) Local Plan summary document, 20 page summary Shared on digital channels and Local Plan webpage covering key elements of Local Plan and how to get involved in consultation (print and online) Print copy delivered to households Virtual exhibition (online) Local Plan virtual exhibition - available to view 24/7 4,674 Users throughout consultation period (see images of exhibition in Appendix 1) 5,867 Views 4 Local Plan Reg 18 Response Report Social Media (online) Posts added throughout consultation signposting to 38 posts added across all channels. further on Local Plan and how to get involved. Total reach 172.9K Individuals DBC Facebook 9,218 followers DBC Twitter 8,539 followers DBC Linkedin 3,236 followers Shared via 20+ local community groups Groups Included Hemel Hempstead Community and Conversation: 42.7K Followers Berkhamsted Life: 16.9K Followers Everything Tring: 24.8K Followers Local Plan Summary Video (online - YouTube) Video available to view throughout consultation. 1.9K views Promoted extensively via social media and embedded on dedicated Local Plan webpage. Town and Parish Councils (print/online) Electronic and hardcopies of Local Plan documents 16 Parish/Town Councils and summary guide made available to share with their networks. Local businesses (online) Businesses Bulletin e-newsletter 2,886 subscribers Hemel Hempstead Business Ambassadors Event -presentation by DBC DBC Members (print/online) Members News – weekly e-newsletter, updates at key stages of consultation Emailed to all DBC elected Electronic print copies of Local Plan summary guide made available members 2.3 Making Representations Feedback on the Emerging Strategy for Growth was invited in a number of ways: Comments could be made via our consultation portal. Access to the portal was via a hyperlink which was posted in a variety of locations, including the Local Plan webpage, on consultation notification letters and other advertisements for the consultation. The portal provided the option of providing detailed comments on every section of the Plan as well as supplementing that response with additional material. If it was not possible to make comments directly on the consultation portal we provided a downloadable version of the questionnaire which could be completed and returned to us. We also accepted responses sent via email or post. 5 Local Plan Reg 18 Response Report 2.4 Overview of Responses Level of Response The Emerging Strategy for Growth received a total of 15,574 comments from 3,446 consultees. We also received comments