CHAPTER 2 - PLANNING CONTEXT & STRATEGY CHAPTER 2 PLANNING CONTEXT AND STRATEGY THE LOCAL PLAN AREA 2.1 Harrogate District is one of the largest and most attractive in England. It extends over an area of 1,308 square kilometres (505 sq. miles) to the north of the Leeds/Bradford conurbation and on the eastern fringes of the Yorkshire Dales. It is broadly contained to the east by the Rivers Swale, Ure and Ouse, which flow southward through the Vale of York. The River Wharfe marks the southern boundary of the District, while to the west and north, the land rises to form the Pennine upland chain. Figure 1 shows the District in its regional setting. Four parishes (Nether Poppleton, Upper Poppleton, Hessay and Rufforth) were transferred from Harrogate District to the new City of York Council area as a consequence of the local government reorganisation on 1 April 1996. This Local Plan is based on the revised administrative boundary of the District. FIG 1. REGIONAL SETTING 4 Augmented Composite - July 2009 HARROGATE DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN February 2001 CHAPTER 2 - PLANNING CONTEXT & STRATEGY 2.2 Although Harrogate District includes a number of important urban areas, it is essentially rural in character, containing about 150 villages and hamlets. The District is renowned for the quality and diversity of its landscape and wildlife. The western upland part of the District, centred on Nidderdale, was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1994. The District contains numerous, very popular countryside sites such as Fountains Abbey, Brimham Rocks and How Stean Gorge together with a considerable number of historic country houses, parks and estates which are attractive features and make a significant contribution to landscape variety. The eastern half of the District comprises an area of relatively flat land within the Vale of York, consisting of generally high quality farmland. 2.3 The A1 London-Edinburgh road passes through the District. This is gradually being upgraded to motorway standard and is linked to the M1 by a new road around the south and east of Leeds. Other important roads include the A61 Ripon-Harrogate road, which extends southwards to Leeds and the A59 which is the principal cross-link running westwards from York via Skipton to Lancashire. The District is also served by the Leeds-York railway line which provides an important connection to the Inter-City network. 2.4 In 1991 Harrogate District had a population of 143,500. Approximately 65% of the population are concentrated within the three settlements of Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon. Harrogate is the largest of these, having a resident population of 65,500. It first grew as a spa town in the 19th Century and today retains much of the character created by the spacious layout and elegant buildings of that period. The town has since developed as a resort, exhibition and conference centre; a residential town and an increasingly important business and commercial base. 2.5 Knaresborough and Ripon are similar in size, both having a population of approximately 13,500. The market town of Knaresborough grew around the Castle and the Market Place. It has a spectacular setting on the banks of the River Nidd which has contributed to the growth of tourism whilst its traditional character has been retained. Ripon is an ancient city, dating back to the time of King Alfred. The skyline is dominated by the Cathedral and the city centre has a large and attractive market square. Although the city has developed into an important tourism centre, it has retained its traditional character as a market town serving a wide agricultural hinterland. 2.6 Outside the principal settlements, the long established market towns of Boroughbridge, Masham and Pateley Bridge provide local services and employment opportunities to surrounding rural populations. In addition, many small traditional villages are widely dispersed throughout the District and contribute significantly to its character. POLICY CONTEXT 2.7 In preparing this Local Plan, the Council has not had a free hand when deciding which policies and proposals to formulate. The following paragraphs set out those factors which have been particularly important in framing the Local Plan. National Planning Policy 2.8 The Government, through its various Acts of Parliament, Circulars and Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs), provides an important framework for policies and proposals in local, and other development, plans. The aim of national guidance is to secure consistency of approach to planning decisions by setting out clearly the Government’s policy priorities. Policies and proposals within local plans must be consistent with this guidance unless exceptional reasons for not being so can be demonstrated. 2.9 The Council has taken fully into account the provisions of existing guidance in preparing this Local Plan. Emerging policies in the form of Draft Planning Policy Guidance Notes, e.g. the draft replacement PPG13 (Transport), have also been taken into account. Augmented Composite - July 2009 HARROGATE DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN February 2001 5 CHAPTER 2 - PLANNING CONTEXT & STRATEGY Regional Planning Guidance 2.10 The Government considers that each region should have up to date regional planning guidance and local authorities are expected to take it into account in preparing their plans. Regional guidance for Yorkshire and Humberside was issued by the Secretary of State for the Environment in March 1996 and is currently being reviewed for the period to 2016. Draft Regional Planning Guidance was published in July 1999 and, following the Public Examination in June/July 2000, the Panel Report was published in October 2000. The North Yorkshire County Structure Plan 2.11 A local plan is required to be in general conformity with the Structure Plan. However, in the event of conflict between the provisions of a local plan and those of a structure plan the former prevail unless the structure plan authority have stated that the local plan is not in general conformity with the structure plan and the local plan has not been subsequently altered or replaced. The North Yorkshire County Structure Plan sets out the strategic planning policies for the County as a whole. Prepared by the County Council, the Structure Plan was approved by the Secretary of State for the Environment in November 1980. Following a review by the County Council, alterations to certain policies, including the roll forward of housing and industrial land provisions to 1996, were approved by the Secretary of State in January 1987. A second set of alterations concerning policies for minerals development, oil and gas, and waste disposal, was approved in August 1989. 2.12 Subsequently, the County Council has prepared a third set of alterations to the Structure Plan. Alteration No. 3 rolls forward housing and employment land provision to a new end date of 2006, updates the position on road schemes and introduces two new policies, one controlling development in the countryside and the other allowing large-scale business/industrial development as an exception to normal planning policy. Alteration No. 3 was adopted by the County Council on 6 October 1995 and forms part of the development plan for the area. 2.13 The approved planning strategy for North Yorkshire, as applied through the provisions of the County Structure Plan, gives a high priority to the conservation of natural resources and the environment, whilst seeking to meet the housing and employment needs of the resident population. The main elements of this strategy are: i) The protection and conservation of the landscape and the built environment (particularly those areas with statutory protection such as the National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, green belts, conservation areas and listed buildings) together with better quality farmland, sites of archaeological importance and valuable wildlife habitats. ii) A gradual reduction of the overall rate of housebuilding from the high levels experienced in the 1970’s in order to safeguard the environment of the County and to limit in-migration and commuting, particularly in those parts of the County closest to West Yorkshire. iii) The concentration of new development in and around the County’s main settlements. iv) Promotion of job opportunities through the release of sufficient land to meet the employment needs of the resident population. v) Regeneration of the remoter rural areas of North Yorkshire through a broadening of job opportunities and maintenance of social facilities. vi) Provision of an adequate transport network, making the best use of existing facilities, and support for public transport services. vii) Adequate provision for recreational, leisure and cultural facilities, and the concentration of shopping development in existing centres. 2.14 In preparing this Local Plan, the Council has had full regard to the above strategy and to the individual policies of the Structure Plan. These policies are reproduced in full in Appendix I (there is no reasoned justification available). 6 Augmented Composite - July 2009 HARROGATE DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN February 2001 CHAPTER 2 - PLANNING CONTEXT & STRATEGY Local Plans 2.15 The Harrogate and Knaresborough Local Plan, adopted by the Council in December 1992, and the Rivers Ure and Ouse Recreation Subject Plan, adopted by North Yorkshire County Council in November 1989 contained many unimplemented proposals and general policies which have been carried forward into this District Local Plan. Whilst a review of existing policies in these two plans has been undertaken, this Local Plan generally incorporates and builds on the provisions of these earlier documents. Corporate Policies and Strategies 2.16 Also at the local level, the Council’s own corporate policies and departmental strategies (both existing and emerging) have had an important influence on the Local Plan insofar as they are concerned with the development or other use of land. Where appropriate, these strategies are referred to in the relevant sections of the Plan, normally within the policy justification.