APPENDIX A Summary of Headline Proposals Pre-Submission Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 to 2035 NB: The summary below is not comprehensive and should be read in conjunction with the Local Plan and its evidence base Areas of Central Bedfordshire • The Local Plan describes the area close to Luton and extending west to Leighton Linslade and North of Flitwick as being within the South Area. The plan describes the other areas of the district as: • The A1 Corridor –Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy and north to Tempsford • The East-West axis –from the M1 through Marston Valley to Wixams • The Central Area –small towns and villages, from Ampthill to Moggerhanger • The plan identifies a requirement to accommodate ‘unmet need’ as Luton is a highly constrained urban area. It explains that some of this need is being met by North Hertfordshire District Council; however through Duty to Co-operate discussions; the Council has committed to providing for 7,350 homes within Central Bedfordshire and within the Luton Housing Market Area (HMA). • As the Luton HMA is largely comprised of Green Belt land, this has necessitated proposals that require some release of land within the Green Belt as ‘exceptional circumstances’ can be demonstrated. Small villages ‘washed over’ by Green Belt generally have limited capacity to grow, but there is potential for medium scale growth along the major transport corridors following the M1, A5 and the railway (Midland Main Line), or large-scale growth for sites in close proximity to Luton that could be linked to the Luton-Dunstable Busway and/or the strategic transportation network. The lack of new sites within the urban areas of Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis mean that significant further growth on greenfield land is required. • Consultation told CBC that growth in the south was supported because of the proximity to key services in the urban centres of Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Luton. • Significant pieces of new infrastructure in the south, including the A5-M1 link road, the Woodside Link, the Luton/Dunstable Busway and new Junction 11a, will also help to support this level of growth. • This area is characterised by the Green Belt, the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Greensand Ridge Nature Improvement Area (NIA), all of which have valued habitats and landscapes which are existing environmental assets. However, major sites to the north of Houghton Regis and to the East and South of Leighton Buzzard are already under development or have planning permission. • The new homes proposed are in the form of a strategic site that is closely related to Luton’s northern urban edge, or in the form of highly sustainable extensions of a more moderate scale to large towns and villages that are inset into the Green Belt. Both deliver growth to meet housing need where it is arising, and have a good level of services and connectivity. • The proposed allocations in this area are: • North of Luton – around 4000 homes • Extensions to Barton le Clay, Chalton, Eaton Bray, Flitwick, Harlington, Hockliffe, Houghton Regis, Leighton Linslade, Toddington and Westoning. • M1 Junction 11a (around 40 hectares for employment) • Land West of Luton is an Identified Location for future development. This land has a potential capacity for around 2,000 homes, but does not contribute to the Plan target of 39,350 homes. Housing Need and Housing Target • The Objectively Assessed Housing need for Central Bedfordshire is 32,000 dwellings. • The unmet housing need from Luton is 7,350 dwellings. • The housing target for the Local Plan is therefore 39,350. • 23,845 dwellings are already planned or built which results in 15,505 dwellings still left to be found in the Local Plan. • AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS Jobs & Employment Target • 24,000 jobs over the plan period (2015 – 2035) • It is anticipated that a minimum of 11,200 (47%) new jobs will be from B-Uses and approximately 12,700 (53%) will be delivered through non B-Uses. Spatial Strategy • The Spatial Strategy of the Local Plan is to deliver new homes and jobs via a combination of strategic and small to medium scale allocations throughout Central Bedfordshire. Development will also be brought forward through Neighbourhood Plans, and through medium and small scale extensions to villages and towns throughout Central Bedfordshire. • Strategic Allocations are made in the following locations: o North of Luton (Town Extension) – 4,000 homes and 20ha employment land (B1, B2, B8). o M1 Junction 11a – Strategic Employment Area – 40ha o Marston Valley (New Villages) – 3,000 homes and 40ha employment land. o M1 Junction 13 – Strategic Employment Area – 40ha o East of Arlesey (Town Extension) – 2,000 homes o RAF Henlow (Mixed Use Specialist Employment) - 130 hectares. o East of Biggleswade (New Village) – 1,500 homes o A1 Corridor – Biggleswade South - Strategic Employment Area – 60ha North of Luton Allocation • Allocated for a mixed-use development consisting of up to 4000 dwellings and a minimum of 20 hectares of employment land for B1, B2 and B8 uses. Development in the Strategic Land Allocation will be permitted in accordance with other relevant policies in the Development Plan and the principles set out below. These principles will be defined in more detail through the preparation of a Development Brief which will include a phasing plan. Planning permission will only be granted for development following the Council’s adoption of this Development Brief. Design codes will also be required for each phase, to be prepared by the developer and approved by the Council. • The principles of the development are: o Well-designed sustainable urban extension to Luton that will provide a mix of uses necessary to achieve a sustainable and vibrant community, including: . in the region of 4,000 homes with an appropriate balance and mix of residential accommodation to meet identified needs, which shall include subject to viability, a policy compliant mix of affordable housing, starter homes, self/custom build plots and a mix of homes to meet all identified needs for older people; . a minimum of 20 hectares of employment land, focused primarily to the west of the allocation site and centred around the new M1 Junction 11a to maximise access to the M1 and create an employment hub that compliments the new employment uses at North Houghton Regis; . provide the land necessary to deliver a health and social care hub within the site to serve the health and social care needs of the proposed development and the needs of the catchment area of that facility and a commensurate financial contribution towards the delivery of that facility; . provision of new community facilities in accordance with Policy HQ2 including a mix of retail and at least one drinking establishment to serve the existing and new communities everyday needs; . provision of new educational facilities, comprising day nurseries, early years, primary, secondary and sixth form facilities to meet the identified needs of the development or equivalent facilities to meet the educational and childcare needs arising from the development; and . provision of leisure facilities, including: • indoor sport and leisure facilities, in accordance with Policy HQ3; and • outdoor sport, leisure and open space, in accordance with Policies EE12, including pavilions and allotments. Houghton Regis North Strategic Allocation • The Houghton Regis North Strategic Allocation (SA), which sits between the M1 and the A5, will be delivered across two sites although forming a whole. Site 1 comprises the eastern side of the strategic allocation extending from the M1 to the A5120, whilst Site 2 is located to the east of the A5 to the A5120. The A5-M1 strategic link road provides the northern boundary for both sites. • A figure of around 7,000 new homes could be accommodated; approximately 4,600-5,600 on site 1 and approximately 1,500-1,850 on site 2. Similarly around 40 hectares of employment is planned for, 32ha of which is on site 1 and 8ha is on site 2. • A Framework Plan has been prepared for the SA encompassing both Sites 1 and 2. The purpose of the Framework Plan is to provide a broad structure of the essential supporting elements of the proposed Houghton Regis North Strategic Allocation. Affordable Housing, Starter Homes, Housing for Older People, Self and Custom Build • Affordable Housing – Policy H4 sets out the approach of the Local Plan in respect of affordable housing: o the plan states that all qualifying sites of 11 or more units or sites of 10 or less units which have a combined gross internal floor space in excess of 1,000 square metres subject to NPPG future revisions and future relevant case law will provide 30% affordable housing. o This proportion may change in accordance to the most up to date version of the SHMA, in which event the new revised proportions should be applied. The affordable housing from qualifying sites should be provided on-site. o The affordable homes should meet the following requirements: . Provide 73% affordable rent and 27% intermediate tenure or regard to the most up-to-date SHMA . Affordable units dispersed throughout the site and integrated with the market housing to promote community cohesion & tenure blindness. Clusters of no more than 10 affordable units for houses and no more than 15 affordable units for flats or on a case by case basis for larger sites . Affordable units to meet all nationally described space standards . Where policy compliant affordable housing cannot be achieved, viability will determine affordable housing provision on a case by case basis . Quality and design of the affordable homes must be of an equally high standard to that of the private units on site. Gypsies & Travellers • CBC’s Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) forecasts Central Bedfordshire’s G&T accommodation needs for the Plan period 2015 to 2035.