Local Plan 2040 - Issues and Options - Topic Paper 1 January 2020 LOCAL PLAN 2040 Topic Paper 1: Brief Assessment of Settlement Strategy Options January 2020 Prepared by: Stuart Todd BA (Hons), Dip.TRP, MRTPI Director, Stuart Todd Associates Ltd. 26th September, 2019 Local Plan 2040 - Issues and Options - Topic Paper 1 January 2020 This page is left intentionally blank Local Plan 2040 - Issues and Options - Topic Paper 1 January 2020 Contents 1. Introduction and Brief ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 2. Method ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Assumptions and Caveats ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 3. National Policy and Reasons for Consideration of Options ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 4. Review of the Taunton Deane Core Strategy and West Somerset Local Plan Settlement Strategies ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Snapshots of the Plans’ Settlement Context and Strategies ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Comparing Alignment of the Plans’ Strategic Objectives ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Comparing Settlement Hierarchies ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Bringing Settlement Hierarchies Together ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 5. Settlement Strategy Alternatives .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 31 Current Strategies’ Alternative Options Considered ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Possible Alternative Options for the Local Plan Review .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 33 6. Comparing Options with the Local Plan Review Draft Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 7. Considering Options Against Commitments ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 47 Housing Completions and Commitments Data ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 48 Infrastructure funding bids and commitments ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Somerset West and Taunton Council Corporate Strategy (September 2019) ................................................................................................................................................................................ 52 Observations ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 53 8. Summary and Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58 Appendix 1 - Brief ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 62 Appendix 2 – New Local Plan Draft Objectives .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 64 Appendix 3 –Population Estimates (based on 2017 Lower Super Output Areas) ............................................................................................................................................................................. 65 Appendix 4 – Notes and Observations which have helped to inform the Indicative Scores in Table 12 .......................................................................................................................................... 70 1 Local Plan 2040 - Issues and Options - Topic Paper 1 January 2020 1. Introduction and Brief 1.1 To aid the development of a Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation document, the publication of which will signal the start of the review of both the Taunton Deane Adopted Core Strategy (and associated development plans1) and West Somerset Adopted Local Plan (together, the “Plans”), we have been asked by Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWTC) to assist in the production of a Topic Paper presenting reasonable alternatives (options) for the settlement strategy which can to be inserted into the Issues and Options document. The new Local Plan will cover the period to 2040. The Brief2 states that “The Topic Paper should: i) Summarise the existing “business as usual” strategies in the Taunton Deane Core Strategy and West Somerset Local Plan and a brief ‘compare and contrast’ of the two strategies, including a brief summary of the key objectives that led to the adoption of these strategies; ii) Set out alternatives to these strategies (previous Sustainability Appraisal Reports have been provided for additional guidance) iii) Briefly assess whether the existing and alternative strategies are reasonable when considered against the Draft Local Plan Objectives; iv) Conclusion stating the reasonable alternatives (options) to be considered in the Options document for consultation 1.2 It is not expected for the Topic Paper to consider housing numbers that may be attributed to settlements in the strategies nor the availability of development sites/opportunities. This will form a separate piece of work at a later stage.” 2. Method 2.1 Our approach to the work, in line with the desired outputs in the Brief, is as follows: i) Review and compare the Taunton Deane Core Strategy and West Somerset Local Plan settlement strategies, summarising the key objectives which informed the preferred settlement strategies in each Plan. We will highlight any key differences and explore their compatibility / degree of alignment. ii) Using our knowledge of the settlements, Sustainability Appraisal reports for each adopted Plan and some basic factual data made available to us, we will identify a range of alternatives which can be reasonably consulted on. In order for the local authority to have meaningful and focused consultation, we have sought to keep the number of options explored in this report to a minimum, but without overly constraining a sensible range or breadth of spatial distribution alternatives. These alternatives are based on different spatial distributions by broad proportion (not number) which could deliver development over the longer new Local Plan period. The current adopted position in both Plans is the default 1 i.e. the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies development plan document, Taunton Area Action Plan development plan document and “saved” policies from previous Local Plan. 2 See Appendix 1 for