Chelmsford Local Plan Evidence Base Document Preferred Options Consultation Document - You Said, We Did Feedback Report January 2018 Local Plan Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options You Said We Did January 2018 i Introduction and Summary of Consultation 4 ii How to use this document 8 iii Abbreviations 13 iv Overview of the main issues made 16 1 Introduction 18 About this document 18 What stage are we at? 20 What else needs to be considered? 21 How to comment 22 What happens next? 23 2 About Chelmsford 24 Population 24 Regional Context 25 Local Context 27 Current and future role of Chelmsford 29 3 What are our Strategic Priorities? 30 Our Strategic Priorities 30 4 Our Vision and Spatial Principles 51 Vision for Chelmsford 51 Spatial Principles 53 5 Creating Sustainable Development 69 Addressing sustainability 69 6 How will future development growth be accommodated? 80 Development requirements 80 The Spatial Strategy 83 7 Where will development growth be focused? 102 Delivering the Growth Areas 102 Types of Site Allocation 104 1 Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options You Said We Did January 2018 Site Allocation Policies 105 Growth Area 1 - Central and Urban Chelmsford 107 Strategic Growth Site Allocations in Chelmsford Urban Area 107 Growth Site Allocations in Chelmsford Urban Area 125 Opportunity Site Allocations in Chelmsford Urban Area 138 Strategic Greenfield Site Allocations 142 Existing Commitments 162 Growth Area 2 - North Chelmsford 167 Existing Commitments 191 Growth Area 3 - South and East Chelmsford 195 Existing Commitments 211 Special Policy Areas 213 8 Protecting and Securing Important Assets 222 Securing the right type of Homes 222 Securing Economic Growth 228 Protecting the Countryside 231 Protecting the Historic Environment 241 Protecting the Natural Environment 244 Delivering and protecting Community Facilities 249 9 Making High Quality Places 253 Making places 253 Protecting Amenity 260 10 Monitoring and Implementation 263 Monitoring Framework 263 Appendices A Development Standards 265 2 Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options You Said We Did January 2018 B Evidence Base 267 C Housing Site Breakdown 270 D Development Trajectories 271 E Glossary 273 Draft Proposals Maps 11 Draft Proposals Maps 275 Appendices to Feedback Report APPENDIX 1 - List of Consultees 300 APPENDIX 2 - Consultation Guidance Notes 302 APPENDIX 3 - Public Notice 307 APPENDIX 4 - Exhibitions and Attendance 308 APPENDIX 5 - Letter and Email Text 309 APPENDIX 6 - Generic Poster 311 APPENDIX 7 - Example of Specific Poster 312 APPENDIX 8 - Example of Site Notice 313 APPENDIX 9 - Exhibition Panels 314 APPENDIX 10 - Preferred Options Summary Leaflet 323 APPENDIX 11 - Advert Artwork 327 APPENDIX 12 - Chelmsford City Life Spring 2017 328 APPENDIX 13 - Chelmsford Business April 2017 329 APPENDIX 14 - Text for Parish Newsletters 330 APPENDIX 15 - Press Releases 338 3 Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options You Said We Did January 2018 i Introduction and Summary of Consultation Introduction i.1 The Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options consultation ran from 30th March 2017 to 11th May 2017. This document presents a summary of the consultation process and the key comments received. It also sets out how the City Council have taken the key comments into consideration and the main changes made to the Local Plan (or Pre-Submission version) as a result. i.2 This 'You Said, We Did' Feedback Report supports the Pre-Submission Local Plan consultation and follows on from the Preferred Options Feedback Report published in September 2017. i.3 A separate document containing responses to comments made relating to the Local Plan traffic modelling reports (dated March 2017) has also been prepared by the Council's traffic consultants, Ringways Jacobs/Essex Highways. This is available on the Council's website. Purpose of the Preferred Options Consultation i.4 The Local Plan - Preferred Options consultation was the second formal stage in the preparation of Chelmsford City Council’s new Local Plan. The consultation document identified land for the provision of new housing, jobs and schools as well as areas for protection. It also included new policies to help determine planning applications. i.5 We published the Local Plan – Preferred Options for consultation for six weeks. This consultation also covered the Sustainability Appraisal which assessed the proposals against a range of social, environment and economic indicators, and the Habitat Regulations Assessment which assessed whether the draft Local Plan will adversely affect a European habitat site. We undertook consultation in accordance with Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. Purpose of this Document i.6 In this feedback report, we set out the consultation feedback received on the Preferred Options document from a wide variety of groups and individuals including: Residents Developers Landowners and their agents Businesses Statutory bodies such as other utilities, local authorities and Parish/Town Councils. i.7 This document includes: Details of the scope of the public and stakeholder consultation undertaken A summary of the consultation procedure 4 Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options You Said We Did January 2018 Numbers of comments received Summaries of the key issues raised, and Provide a Chelmsford City Council (CCC) response/action to the key issues raised. i.8 Comments made on the Sustainability Appraisal and Non-Technical Summary, and Habitats Regulations Assessment, are summarised in a separate report. i.9 You can read all the consultation responses in full on our Consultation Portal at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/planningpolicyconsult 5 Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options You Said We Did January 2018 Summary of Preferred Options Consultation i.10 We undertook a comprehensive programme of consultation during the formal consultation period from 30 March to 11 May 2017. This followed (and exceeded) the requirements of the Council’s Adopted Statement of Community Involvement (March 2016). i.11 The package of documents published on 30 March comprised: Preferred Options Consultation Document Consultation Guidance Notes Accompanying Sustainability Appraisal and Non-Technical Summary Habitats Regulations Assessment. i.12 This package of documents was placed on deposit in the following locations: CCC Customer Service Centre in Chelmsford 10 libraries in CCC’s area, 5 in adjacent districts/boroughs, and the mobile library serving the Chelmsford area The Council notified more than 7,000 contacts registered on its Consultation Portal. These included public, statutory agencies such as Essex County Council and Parish Councils, utility companies, businesses, interest groups, and voluntary and community bodies. CCC’s Citizens’ Panel, Council Members and staff were also notified. A list of consultee organisations is attached at Appendix 1. i.13 We arranged a number of consultation events: Public drop-in exhibitions at 13 venues, and presentations to some parish annual meetings, engaging directly with more than 2,400 people A Member and staff drop-in Officers made presentations including to the Essex development industry, Chelmsford Civic Society, Chelmsford Business Board, and Anglia Ruskin University Targeted engagement with the Parish/Town Council Forum, and Agent/Developers Forum. i.14 We produced printed materials and advertisements, as follows: Public notice in a local newspaper Posters distributed to Parish/Town Councils, CCC offices and leisure facilities, post offices, doctors’ surgeries and local shops Summary leaflets widely distributed, in addition to being handed out at Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers railway stations at peak periods Adverts/articles in Business Forum Newsletter, Moulsham Times, Chelmsford Times, South Woodham Focus, Writtle News, Essex Life, Parish Life, and retail offers booklet Press releases and Tweets. i.15 The main consultation materials are attached at Appendix 2 - Appendix 15. 6 Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options You Said We Did January 2018 Call for Sites i.16 In addition to the consultations, the Council undertook a Call for Sites to identify available land for all types of uses and to establish what land could potentially be made available in the future. Around 30 further sites were submitted through this process. These have been assessed through the updated Strategic Land Availability Assessment (SLAA) published in September 2017. Next Steps i.17 All responses have been considered in detail and used to help inform the next stage of the new Local Plan – Pre-Submission document. This is alongside discussions with infrastructure providers about their services such as education, engagement with neighbouring authorities about strategic cross-boundary issues, and completion of evidence studies including traffic modelling, green infrastructure, community infrastructure levy, and flood risk. The Pre-Submission Local Plan also needs to reflect national guidance. i.18 We report progress on the Local Plan to our Development Policy Committee. You can view meeting papers at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/your-council/committees-and-meetings/committees-and-panels/?entryid1080=26450 7 Chelmsford Local Plan Preferred Options You Said We Did January 2018 ii How to use this document ii.1 A total of 2,803 comments were received to the consultation from 1,685 different respondents. These respondents are from a wide variety of groups and individuals including residents, developers, landowners and their agents, businesses and statutory