Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 This Plan has been prepared by Braintree District Council to provide a framework for the development of the area for the period to 2011. Over the last ten to fifteen years the District has seen many changes. It is inevitable that change will continue. It is important, however, that changes are in keeping with the character of the District and help to protect and enhance the natural and built environment. This Plan therefore sets out a vision of how the District Council wishes the area to develop. The Plan is based on sustainability principles which seek to guide development in such a way as to conserve and protect resources and not to compromise future generations in meeting their own needs. 1.2 The Plan sets out the policies and proposals to guide and promote development in the Braintree District for the period 1996 to 2011. When adopted it will replace the existing Braintree District Local Plan, which was adopted in February 1995, and covers the period 1986 to 2001. 1.3 The Plan is being prepared in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as a statutory Local Plan. 1.4 In planning for the future of the District, the Council does not have a free hand. This Plan must be consistent with planning guidance at the national, regional, and county levels. In this respect the Plan interprets and develops in detail those aspects of the Essex and Southend on Sea Replacement Structure Plan adopted in April 2001 as far as they are relevant to this District. 1.5 Publication of this Plan follows the production of an Issues Report in September 1998, a paper on sustainability criteria for the allocation of development sites in July 2000, the preparation of an urban capacity study in April 2001 and the publication of a First Deposit Draft in January 2002. A sustainability appraisal of the Plan’s policies and proposals has been carried out and is published as a separate document. The Plan also complements and draws on the work carried out in connection with the Council’s Quality of Life Plan, and Best Value Performance Plan and Community Strategy. 1.6 The Plan consists of a Written Statement and Proposals Map. Within the Written Statement policies are distinguished by the use of highlighted bold type. The Plan should be read as a whole; although some policies are cross-referenced, proposals will be considered in relation to all of the Plan. The supporting text that accompanies these policies sets out the reasoning behind the policies and should also be considered as planning guidance. The Proposals Map consists of a plan covering the whole District, together with a series of insets providing greater details for the towns, town centres, and villages. The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this publication is provided by Braintree District Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey, in order to fulfil its function as local planning authority. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to license Ordnance Survey mapping for their own use. 1.7 This Plan will form one component of the Development Plan for the area, which is used as the basis for determining planning applications for the District. The other components of the Development Plan are:- The Essex and Southend-on-Sea Replacement Structure Plan - Adopted April 2001 The Essex Minerals Local Plan - Adopted First Review The Essex and Southend-on-Sea Waste Local Plan - Adopted September 2001 1.10 The Plan is supported by a number of technical background papers as follows:- Urban Capacity Study Residential Land Availability Study Employment Land Availability Study Braintree Retail Study Essex Local Transport Plan Braintree District Transportation Strategy Review Local Plan Sustainability Appraisal Public Open Space Survey (to be available later in 2003) These are available for reference, or purchase from the District Council, with the exception of the Essex Local Transport Plan, which is available from Essex County Council. Chapter 2 Development Strategy and Overall Vision 2.1 During the period covered by the previous Local Plan, the District has changed significantly. Braintree in particular has experienced substantial change, including the development of new neighbourhoods at Great Notley and Kings Park Village, the regeneration of East Braintree, and numerous smaller developments. There has also been continued development in Halstead and Witham, and some villages. Generally speaking, the provision of roads and other infrastructure, and employment, has lagged behind the provision of housing. 2.1a Stansted Airport is located approximately 15 miles to the west of Braintree District and is an increasing influence on the development of the area. In association with the first phase of the expansion of the airport, of up to 15 million passengers per annum (mppa), 2000 Stansted related houses were built in the District. There are no additional urbanisation requirements arising from the second phase of expansion, of up to 25mppa. Braintree currently supplies 10% of the workforce of the airport. The completion of the new A120 dual carriageway, between Braintree and the airport, will strengthen the links between the two. 2.2 Although the District has experienced high levels of development in the last ten to fifteen years, the quality of the environment remains high. The area includes 37 conservation areas and over 3,000 listed buildings, and extensive areas of high quality natural and built environment. There will be a need to continue to ensure that high standards of new development are achieved in the right locations, and that development is accommodated in such a way as to maintain, protect, and enhance the built and natural environment. Sustainability principles will underpin the development strategy for the District. The Government’s wider strategy for achieving sustainable development is set out in “A Better Quality of Life: A Strategy for Sustainable Development for the U.K.” (1999). It sets out four main aims for sustainable development: _ Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone; _ Effective protection of the environment; _ Prudent use of natural resources; and _ Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and development. Following these aims the sustainability principles on which this Plan is based are as follows: _ Managing the pattern of development and urban growth to make the fullest use of public transport, walking and cycling _ Minimising the loss of countryside and protecting environmental assets _ Accommodating development principally within existing urban areas, with increased densities, for both housing and other uses at locations accessible by public transport, cycling and walking _ Minimising the need to travel, especially by private vehicles, and promoting more sustainable transport choices _ Reducing the impact of transport on the environment _ Reducing the demands of development on non-renewable resources _ Minimising waste and maximising recycling _ Promoting biodiversity The Plan also reflects the proposals of the Government’s Urban White Paper published in November 2000, particularly in respect of maximising the use of land in the existing towns and easing pressure on the countryside, improving the quality of the urban environment, and encouraging high standards of design and layout in new developments. 2.3 The vision for the District is one where its residents enjoy a high quality of life in a high quality environment. A District which is safe, prosperous, and clean; where the needs of the community for affordable housing and a range of housing choice, employment, health and welfare services, and personal mobility are met. A District where innovation and new initiatives are encouraged in developments to promote sustainability; where people have an opportunity to live nearer to their work and leisure and community facilities. A District within which people have a choice of means of transport, wherever possible; where new development is of a high quality and contributes to meeting community needs; where the countryside is protected and enhanced, where rural communities have the facilities they need and where local people have a pride and respect for their surroundings. Where possible the Plan takes forward the priorities identified by the Council’s Community Strategy under seven themes, as follows: _ Getting around _ Things to do _ Feeling safe and well _ Being part of the community _ Taking pride in where we live _ Access to services and opportunities _ Caring for the environment 2.4 In the previous plan period the provision of employment and infrastructure did not keep up with the pace of housing growth. This has led to increased out-commuting from the District, particularly by car, and has led to congestion on the road network and environmental problems for the communities through which those roads pass. Furthermore much of the new development that has taken place has been on greenfield sites, particularly around Braintree, with limited access to public transport. The strategy for the new plan period is to achieve a slowing down in the rate of housing growth, particularly after 2006 when previous commitments will be completed, and a catching up in the provision of infrastructure and employment. 2.4a In the longer term, the District will be affected by a number of emerging Government and Regional Studies, such as the Sustainable Communities Plan, London-Stansted-Cambridge Growth Area Study, SERAS (South East and East of England Regional Air Service Study) the London- Ipswich Multi-Modal Study and Regional Guidance for East Anglia. These studies will affect a much larger area than Braintree District, and will extend beyond 2011. Furthermore, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill is currently progressing through Parliament. This will have a significant impact on the planning system in the future.