A PLAN FOR COLCHESTER BRAINTREE BORDERS GARDEN COMMUNITY Issues and Options Report October 2017 2 CONTENTS Have your say ....................................................................................................................................................................................................4 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................................................5 The purpose of this consultation.....................................................................................................................................................................5 Why is a Development Plan needed? ............................................................................................................................................................5 Why are your views important? ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7 What status will the Plan Document have? ................................................................................................................................................... 7 About this Issues and Options Report ...........................................................................................................................................................8 Steps to preparing a Plan (DPD) .....................................................................................................................................................................9 Policy Context ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 National Planning Policy ................................................................................................................................................................................. 10 A National Agenda for Garden Communities ............................................................................................................................................ 10 Local Planning Policy ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 SECTION 2 BACKGROUND AND EVIDENCE ................................................................................................................................................................. 12 The North Essex Garden Communities Charter ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Evidence Documents ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 SECTION 3 VISION AND PRINCIPLES ............................................................................................................................................................................. 13 A Vision for Colchester Braintree Borders ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Taking forward the North Essex Garden Communities Charter Principles .......................................................................................... 15 SECTION 4 ISSUES............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 What are Issues?............................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 How will the issues help us identify the right option? .............................................................................................................................. 16 SECTION 5 CURRENT DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT ...................................................................................................................................................... 34 Establishing a boundary for development ..................................................................................................................................................34 What is a Concept Framework? .....................................................................................................................................................................34 Development Potential at CBBGC ................................................................................................................................................................34 Development Phasing at CBBGC .................................................................................................................................................................36 Initial Stage .......................................................................................................................................................................................................36 Intermediate Stage .........................................................................................................................................................................................38 Strategic Road Proposals ...............................................................................................................................................................................39 A120 Braintree to A12 options ........................................................................................................................................................................ 40 Layout of development ................................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Landscape and Open Space Framework .................................................................................................................................................... 41 Mobility and Access Framework ....................................................................................................................................................................42 Employment Framework ................................................................................................................................................................................42 Density Framework/ Typologies ....................................................................................................................................................................42 Community Infrastructure Framework ....................................................................................................................................................... 44 SECTION 6 NEXT STEPS .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix A Appendix A: Draft Local Plan Policy SP9 Appendix B: Evidence Documents 3 Have your say This consultation represents the first stage in the HERE’S HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED planning process of preparing a Development Plan Document (DPD ‘The Plan’) for the Colchester Braintree The Councils have set up a dedicated online portal in Borders Garden Community. order to make responding to the consultation as simple as possible. Following a simple registration process you will be The Plan, once prepared, will include the required strategies, able to respond to the questions posed in this document policies and proposals to guide the delivery of the Garden and comment on other areas you think are relevant to the Community. Public consultation is a fundamental part planning of the Garden Community. The online portal also of preparing the Plan and the Councils recognise the has a facility for respondents to upload documents relevant importance of early and meaningful engagement with to their submissions and you are particularly encouraged to stakeholders to not only ensure that the Garden Community submit documents which may assist the understanding of is a successful place to live, work and visit, but that it is also issues raised in your responses, including for example, maps, locally-led, accountable and transparent in its planning. plans and photographs which help illustrate points that cannot be explained as well through a written response. As a stakeholder in this process we welcome your views on the Issues and Options related to the planning of the PERIOD OF CONSULTATION new Garden Community and ask you to respond to the questions set out at the end of each