Report reference: SG.121017/4 Wards affected: General Strategy Group – 12th October 2017 Harborough Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Strategic Planning Issues 1. Purpose of Report To note progress being made on the preparation of the Harborough Local Plan, and to consider the suggested response. 2. Advice That it be RESOLVED: 1. That the progress being made on the preparation of the Harborough Local Plan be welcomed. 2. That the suggested response set out in section 4.2 of the report be approved 3. Introduction At present Harborough District’s (the “District” in this report) development plan currently comprises a Core Strategy covering the period 2006 to 2028 and a Local Plan from 2001. However, Harborough District Council (HDC) has recognised that its Core Strategy is out of date in terms of policies relating to housing and economic development following the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Work has progressed on producing a comprehensive Local Plan covering the period to 2031 which on adoption would replace the Core Strategy and 2001 Local Plan. A scoping consultation was undertaken in March and April 2013 followed by an Options consultation carried out in September and October 2015. An Officer response to the options consultation was issued making comments on housing issues and proposals for Magna Park, and further informal engagement at Officer level has taken place subsequently. A ‘proposed submission’ Local Plan, which covers the whole of Harborough District, has now been published for consultation between 22nd September and 3rd November. A copy of the plan and supporting documents can be accessed at: http://cmispublic.harborough.gov.uk/cmis5/Meetings/tabid/73/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/ mid/410/Meeting/5295/Committee/796/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx Report reference: SG.121017/4 4. Information 4.1 Plan Content 4.1.1 Overview Following the Options consultation in 2015, HDC has produced a full plan for consultation at what it terms the ‘proposed submission’ stage. It includes policies on a wide range of matters as summarised below. This is the version of the plan that HDC will be submitting to the Secretary of State for independent examination unless a significant number of revisions are required in which case there would be further consultation. Key elements of the plan are summarised below 4.1.2 Vision and Objectives The plan sets out a vision for the District to 2031 and then a series of key issues and objectives to achive that vision. 4.1.3 Overall Spatial Strategy Covers a range of matters, including setting out that development will be directed to appropriate locations in accordance with the following settlement hierarchy for the District. Development will be concentrated at settlements that form part of the Leicester Principal Urban Area (Scraptoft, Thurnby and Bushby), then the sub- regional centre of Market Harborough, followed by the key centres of Lutterworth and Broughton Astley followed by a small number of rural centres and then selected rural villages. Elsewhere development would be strictly controlled. The policy also sets out that the plan will provide for 12,800 dwellings of which 7,915 have already been completed or committed. It also identifies the amount of employment land to be provided, 75.5ha in total, of which 16.5 is already committed. Separate to this the plan also refers to safeguarding existing strategic storage and distribution provision at Magna Park and ensure further sites contribute towards meeting future requirements across Leicester and Leicestershire. 4.1.4 Housing Policies are provided to guide residential development. Further to the existing commitments 4,660 dwellings are distributed according to the overall spatial strategy. 1,140 dwellings are proposed at Market Harborough, including Land East of Blackberry Grange for 350 dwellings. This site is adjacent to the Daventry District boundary. This section also features policies on a range of other housing matters, including affordable housing, specialist accommodation, density, mix and standards. Within the housing section a policy on Gypsy, travellers and travelling show people which allocates sites to meet identified needs although there remains an unmet need for Travelling Showpeople. However the supporting text confirms that the assessed need can be accommodated within the District boundary. Report reference: SG.121017/4 4.1.5 Business and employment This section sets out the scale and distribution of employment development of 59 hectares (in addition to existing commitments). It also features a policy on Magna Park which seeks to safeguard Magna Park for strategic storage and distribution and supports additional strategic distribution up to 700,000m² where it meets certain criteria. These include that the site adjoins or extends Magna Park, supports or at least has no adverse impact on the viability and deliverability of existing or further Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges within or serving neighbouring authorities and Leicestershire and not lead to severe traffic congestion anywhere on the nearby strategic and local road network, particularly on the A5. 4.1.6 Retail, town centres and tourism This section sets out policies on how town centre and retail development will be managed. 4.1.7 Heritage and community assets The section provides policies on the historic environment and protection of community facilities including public houses, post offices and village shops; 4.1.8 Green infrastructure This section sets out policies relating to the provision of green infrastructure which also includes open space, sport and recreation, biodiversity and geodiversity. 4.1.9 Climate change This section provides policies that seek to mitigate climate change including renewable energy generation 4.1.10 Infrastructure This section gives policies on transport infrastructure. 4.2 Assessment of the plan and suggested pesponse 4.2.1 Overview The only matters where the plan is likely to affect Daventry District and accordingly comment is considered necessary relate to housing provision and the policy approach to Magna Park. 4.2.2 Housing generally Regarding housing provision it is suggested that Harborough District’s ability to accommodate its assessed housing need (save that required in connection with potential extension of Magna Park – see below) be welcomed. Report reference: SG.121017/4 4.2.3. Magna Park employment policy As set out above, the proposed policy seeks to protect Magna Park and then allow up to 700,000m² of strategic floorspace subject to certain criteria being met two of which could have particular relevance to Daventry District – criterion (b) which refers to supporting or not having an adverse impact on the viability and deliverability of existing or further Strategic Railfreight Interchanges (SFRI’s) within or serving neighbourhing authorities and Leicestershire. This would include DIRFT. The other policy of particular relevance is criterion (e) which refers to not leading to severe traffic congestion anywhere on the nearby strategic and local road network, particularly the A5, wether within the District or not. Whilst the inclusion of these criteria are welcomed it is considered that the approach is not sound in that it is not effective and that the capacity in the policy should only be that which does not have an adverse impact on the criteria in the policy. To establish this further cross-boundary work with stakeholders is required to fully take into account the potential impact of different growth scenarios which could in turn indicate the amount of floorspace to be provided for at Magna Park. To put the level of potential expansion at Magna Park into context a study was carried out that identified the amount of land to be provided for strategic distribution within the Leicester and Leicestershire Housing Market Area that identified a need of 152 ha. The policy indicates that up to 700,000m² could be accommodated at Magna Park. However, it is neccesary to translate it into hectares to compare it with the need figure. As the 700,000m² relates to the sum total of the undetermined planning applications (approximately 427,200m² and 278,709m²) the hectarage can be derived from the supporting information to the planning application. The total quantum of land equates to a total site area of approximately 327 hectares. Whilst it is evident that not all the of the land provided will be floorspace (for example, infrastructure will be provided and one proposal features a country park) it is still far in excess of the identified need for the whole of Leicester and Leicestershire in one location. This also raises a further issue with the policy that the level of growth being planned for is not justified by evidence. It is important to note that through the examination of the WNJCS the examiner reduced the capacity of the proposed J16 employment area on the basis that its proposed scale was not justified by need and could discourage the increased transfer of freight to rail. 4.2.4 Magna Park housing impacts Furthermore the supporting text to the policy also refers to a Magna Park Employment Growth Sensitivity Study 2017 identifying that the provision of 700,000m² would result in an increased need for housing for Daventry District of six dwellings per annum. An impact on demand at this small scale is currently not considered to have any material negative impact on Daventry District. 5. Implications 5.1 Financial – Responding to the consultation would not of itself have any financial implications. 5.2 Personnel – Responding to consultations of this nature, and working co-operatively with nearby local authorities, is planned for as part of normal workloads. Report reference: SG.121017/4 5.3 Legal/Constitutional – The Council has a duty (the “Duty to Cooperate”) under Section 33A of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to “engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis” on various matters, including strategic matters in the preparation of local plans.