APPENDIX 6 PREFERRED OPTIONS CONSULTATION FEEDBACK REPORT County Durham Plan Prefereed Options Consultation Feedback Report Contents 1 Introduction to the Feedback Report 2 2 Vision and Objectives 2 3 How Much Development and Where 6 4 Building a strong competitive economy 13 5 Ensuring the vitality of town centres 14 6 Supporting a prosperous rural economy 15 7 Delivering a wide choice of high quality homes 17 8 Protecting Green Belt land 22 9 Promoting sustainable transport 23 10 Supporting high quality infrastructure 26 11 Requiring good design 30 12 Promoting healthy communities 31 13 Meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change 32 14 Conserving and enhancing the natural and historic environment 36 15 Minerals and Waste 46 Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report County Durham Plan Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report 1 The purpose of the Preferred Options consultation feedback report is to provide a summary of the representations made in response to the County Durham Plan Preferred Options (June 2018). The council’s response to every representation made is set out in the Preferred Options Statement of Consultation. 2 Consultation on the Preferred Options was undertaken between 22 June 2018 and the 3 August 2018. A total of 3,990 responses were received from 1130 respondents. In addition, social media played a large part of the consultation process with social media messages viewed 603,454 times and generating a total of over 1000 comments, albeit these were not submitted via the formal process. All duly made representations submitted in response to the Preferred Options have been considered and where possible changes have been made when preparing the County Durham Pre-Submission Local Plan. The details of the consultation and the council’s response to every representation made is set out in the Preferred Options Statement of Consultation. Question 1 - Vision Summary of main issues raised by representations General support for the Spatial Vision. More should be added to the Vision supporting the regeneration of those areas within the county with the highest levels of deprivation. There should be more focus on the rest of the county and less on Durham City and Aykley Heads and building in the Green Belt. It should not be assumed that there will be population growth in the future. The Vision should be more positive about mineral working and acknowledge that minerals can only be worked where they are found. The emphasis on a strong economy is welcomed. The Vision needs more emphasis on how it relates to specific areas. The Vision requires more recognition of the importance of the historic environment. It is not just about the protection of assets its also about how they are managed. The importance of the role of smaller towns and larger villages should be recognised. The housing element of the vision is important for County Durham because of the lack of choice and quality within the current stock. There should be more reference to the county's cultural and leisure offer. Welcome the recognition of the importance of green infrastructure, natural environment and climate change. New housing needs to be supported by more infrastructure. The Vision is too aspirational and is too vague about how it will be achieved. There should be more emphasis on energy efficiency and the environment. Welcome the recognition of the link between economic growth and strong communities. The Vision is not ambitious enough particularly in relation to sustainable transport which should be less focused on road links. What is meant by more and better jobs. 2 County Durham Plan Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report Question 2 - Objectives Summary of main issues raised by representations General support for many of the objectives. The objectives need to be prioritised. The housing objective should include reference to a range of types and tenures. It needs to be stated that the objectives will only be effective when considered jointly. The objectives are too focused on Durham City and Aykley Heads and building in the Green Belt. The objectives are too aspirational and is too vague about how they will be achieved. The protection of the environment objective is undermined by parts of the Plan particularly the proposed relief roads. Not enough focus on delivering affordable housing with too much emphasis on high value housing. Not enough detail on how the decline of town centres will be reversed. The design policy need to be reworded to better reflect the updated NPPF. More emphasis needed on the re-use of previously developed land and bringing empty properties back into use. Education should feature more in the objectives. An objective relating to noise pollution and air quality should be added. The Built and Historic Environment objective needs recognise the importance of 'significance'. The objectives need to recognise the importance of food systems. There should be a specific objective addressing the needs of older people. Some objectives contradict each other, for example Climate Change and the Supply of Minerals. A specific objective is required to recognise the importance of sustainable transport. There should be more recognition of the importance of mineral working. Welcome the recognition of the importance of rural areas. The Natural Environment objective should make reference to net gains and natural capital. There should be more reference to the county's cultural and leisure offer. What is meant by more and better jobs. Natural resources objective needs to include reference to the protection of best and most versatile agricultural land. The economic ambition objective should be made clearer to show that it is the economy of the whole county that is being improved. There should be recognition that some people have no option but to use the private car. The economic ambition objective should not just focus on GVA and should also referring to improving its resilience. Housing needs of specialist groups should also include reference to young people. The objective relating to low carbon should be clearer in its support for renewable energy. There should also be no reference to coal. Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report County Durham Plan 3 Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report Question 3 - Delivering Sustainable Development Summary of main issues raised by representations General support for the Sustainable Development Statement. The Statement is so vague as to be virtually meaningless. It is too Durham City focused to the detriment of the rest of the county. Support making effective use of previously developed land although that needs to followed through in policy. Support for the presumption in favour of minerals related development. Needs to be clearer recognition of the need for new development in smaller settlements to ensure their resilience and sustainability. It should be renamed 'Location of Development'. There needs to be more recognition of viability in relation to the re-use of previously developed land. Needs to include more reference to the natural environment. Development should not be allowed until infrastructure is improved not the other way around. Reference to safe cycling routes should be added. There is too much reference to economic growth, this is not sustainability. The reference to the Settlement Study should also differentiate between different settlement groupings. The methodology used in the Settlement Study is unsound. The wording needs to be amended to more closely reflect the wording of National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The needs to more recognition of the contribution made by Project Genesis in Consett. Welcome the commitment to work pro-actively with applicants jointly to find solutions which mean that proposals can be approved wherever possible. The Statement reads more like a policy. It is right that development is directed to the county's most sustainable settlements. Should be more recognition of the benefit effects of new development. 4 County Durham Plan Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report Question 4 - General Development Principles Summary of main issues raised by representations The policy is a catchall policy which underpins all policies in the Plan. A concern with catchall policies is their interrelationship with more detailed specific policies. Should reference the importance of high speed broadband in reducing the need to travel. Bland and obvious statements needs to be more focused. The use of brownfield land must recognise the ecological value of some sites that have regenerated. Need to recognise the needs of those with disabilities and dementia. Need to include reference to pollution, flooding and air quality. There is a total lack of information to support the principles cited. Needs more emphasis on renewable energy. The development of Aykley Heads, the new council HQ and the relief roads are in conflict with this policy. The contribution of quarries to biodiversity should be recognised. Policy should be clear that new development must deliver net gains to biodiversity. New houses should be required to be larger and have more storage. Support for good quality design. Some criteria are unachievable without government intervention. There should be recognition that some people have no option but to use the private car. Unclear how some of the criteria in the policy will be achieved. Needs to be more recognition of viability particularly in relation to the space standards and the renewable energy requirements for new buildings. Needs more emphasis on climate change. Some criteria are negatively worded and should be more positive. Should be more emphasis on walking and cycling. Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report County Durham Plan 5 Preferred Options Consultation Feedback Report Question 4 - General Development Principles Summary of main issues raised by representations Space standards should not be a requirement of the Plan. Needs to include more reference to the need to have regard to the conservation, enhancement and enjoyment of the historic environment.