SITE ALLOCATIONS DEVELOPMENT PLAN DOCUMENT SUMMARY of the SUPPLEMENTARY ISSUES & OPTIONS PAPER November 2008 Tell us what you think…. This document has been prepared for consultation purposes and is available for public comment from 3rd November 2008. Any comments you wish to make on this document should be sent to the Spatial Planning team at Dacorum Borough Council by no later than 5.15pm on Monday 15th December 2008. You do not have to answer all of the questions raised. We would welcome your comments on those issues that you consider to be of particular importance to you. To assist in submitting comments, a response form is available as a separate sheet. Where possible, we would appreciate comments being submitted on-line using the Council’s specially designed web page www.dacorum.gov.uk. Comments can be posted, faxed or emailed to:- On-line www.dacorum.gov.uk By post Spatial Planning Planning & Regeneration Dacorum Borough Council Civic Centre Marlowes Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP1 1HH By fax 01442 228771 By email [email protected] A separate sustainability appraisal report has been prepared on an independent basis by consultants for the Council, C4S and Halcrow. This document appraises the environmental, social and economic implications of the options. Although we have not prepared a consultation form, your comments on the sustainability appraisal report are welcome: they may be sent by post, fax or e-mail. Full copies of the sustainability report and main Issues and Options Paper are available on the Council’s website www.dacorum.gov.uk/planning, at Dacorum Council offices and in libraries. All responses will be considered and used to prepare a preferred approach document in 2010, which you will have a further opportunity to comment on. If you have any questions regarding this document, please contact a member of the Spatial Planning team on 01442 228660, or via the above email address. 1 1. INTRODUCTION Background context The Council is preparing a new ‘Local The LDF is a series of documents Development Framework’ (LDF) for which are independently prepared and Dacorum to replace the 2004 Local reviewed (see Figure 1 in full Plan. document). Where we are now Having considered the Issues and emerged that now need to be Options for the Core Strategy back in considered and appraised. May / June 2006, the Council must now Furthermore, there have been changes look at the detailed proposals which will in a number of existing sites that has enable the Core Strategy to be meant that they too need to be re- implemented. This is to be done appraised. This has given rise to the through the Site Allocations need for the Council to publish the Development Plans Document. The ‘Supplementary Issues and Options initial ‘Issues and Options’ phase of this Paper’ to continue this process and process was published in November bring it up to date. 2006. This looked at both specific sites and also broader designations, such as In addition the final version of the East the location of town and village of England Plan was published in May boundaries and the extent of local 2008 that confirms significant additional centre designations. development for the borough, particularly around Hemel Hempstead. As a consequence of representations received on the above document, The diagram below illustrates how the additional representations received Core Strategy and Site Allocations subsequently, and the outcome of documents fit together. These two recently completed technical work documents along with Development commissioned by the Council, new Control Policies, Proposals Map and issues, sites and suggested changes to Action Area Plan make up the key boundaries and designations have documents in the LDF. CORE STRATEGY Vision & Objectives….Key policies for places, strategic sites (i.e. new neighbourhoods at Hemel Hempstead) and general topics SITE ALLOCATIONS Specific policies for identified sites (other than new neighbourhoods in Hemel Hempstead) and land designations which will be shown on a Proposals Map 2 Format of the Supplementary Issues and Options Paper The Paper consists of a number of whole of Dacorum Borough, apart from sections. Each section provides a the area of land to the east of Hemel summary of the site allocation issues Hempstead (shown in Figure 2 in the relating to that topic. This summary full document). This area will be the should be read in conjunction with subject of detailed assessment through the Site Allocations Supplementary the East Hemel Hempstead Town Issues and Options Questionnaire. Gateway Action Area Plan. This Site Allocations Supplementary Issues and Options Paper looks at the Who has suggested Sites? The public, landowners, developers and Schedule of Site Appraisals. Both other departments within the Borough documents are available on our Council have suggested sites. website. A list of addresses of all sites put Many of the recommendations forward for potential development is regarding sites came from technical included at the end of this summary studies carried out by specialist paper. For further information about consultants on behalf of the Council any of these sites, please refer to the and do not necessarily have the full Supplementary Issues and Options support of landowners. Paper and the Supplementary Additional Information An initial assessment of all of the sites A separate Sustainability Appraisal considered for the Suplementary Issues Report, which assesses the social, and Options Paper is set out in the economic and environmental impacts of Supplementary Schedule of Site developing the sites, is available as Appraisals. Please refer to this well. document for further information. How to put forward Additional Sites Additional sites for development or would also help to include a brief conservation can still be put forward to discussion of issues such as transport the Council. Any submissions you have accessibility, land ownership and any should include a site plan and known site constraints. description of the use(s) proposed. It How we will choose Sites? When drawing up its final Site using previously developed land, if Allocations document, the Council must available, before greenfield sites. use the ‘sequential test.’ This means 3 Chapter 1: HOUSING This section concentrates on issues housing sites (i.e. new neighbourhoods relating to the source, location and at Hemel Hempstead). broad appraisal of housing land. Tribal Urban Studio has carried out a The East of England Plan has made a Strategic Housing Land Availability number of key recommendations that Assessment (SHLAA) on behalf of the will have major implications for the level Council. The study estimates that there of housing growth and other is capacity for 23,115 new dwellings development needs in the Borough, between 2010-2031 (including sites in and in particular Hemel Hempstead. St. Albans district). The sites are fully listed and mapped in the SHLAA itself. Any additional development will require A significant number duplicate those joint working with St Albans City & raised in the first Issues and Options District Council to tackle the issues of Paper (Nov 2006), and we are not housing growth and Green Belt review consulting on those now. You should around Hemel Hempstead. note that all previous comments will be taken into account with the results of The purpose of the Site Allocations the present consultation. document is to consider more specific matters relating to allocating land for Appendices A and B list new sites (i.e. housing and not to deal with strategic sites newly defined or delineated, or ‘bigger picture’ issues raised by the with an amended site boundary). These Core Strategy. The latter will also be sites are mapped in the Supplementary responsible for considering strategic Schedule of Site Appraisals. ISSUE 1 – New Housing Sites A steady supply of land needs to come forward to enable the Borough’s When considering which new sites to housing requirements to be satisfied. take forward we will give priority to We expect that this will be met from a brownfield sites over greenfield ones variety of sources. New sites have and those with less detrimental impact come forward from a number of on any key environmental designations, sources, including landowner such as the Chilterns Area of suggestions. Outstanding Natural Beauty. The SHLAA produced by consultants Not all of these sites will prove suitable on behalf of the Council will represent a or will be needed to ensure an key source of potential urban and adequate supply of housing up to 2031. greenfield housing sites. It will then be the role of the Site Allocations It is important that we understand your document to decide on the number, mix preferences for these site options and and location of appropriate sites, how we take forward potential areas of although in the case of the strategic land. [Questions 1 and 2] greenfield sites around Hemel Hempstead this will be done through the Core Strategy. 4 ISSUE 2 – Other Sites The Council will need to assess a we must consider whether we have variety of potential development options missed other sources or areas of land to take forward at this stage. However, for housing. [Question 3] Chapter 2 GYPSY AND TRAVELLER SITES The Council is seeking the provision of around 15 pitches (or about one new homes for Gypsies and Travellers hectare in size). in accordance with their needs. Accommodation for Gypsies and In March 2007 the Council published a Travellers would be in the form of report by consultants Scott Wilson on pitches on new sites. the potential location of Gypsy and Traveller sites. The study concluded Government guidance makes clear that that, because of restrictions and the Local Authorities must allocate difficulty of delivering sites within urban sufficient sites in their Site Allocations areas, Green Belt should not be used in DPDs, and sets out advice on the the selection criteria.