OUR PARISH – OUR FUTURE – OUR PLAN THE CATON-with-LITTLEDALE NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN (2021 to 2031) REGULATION 14 CONSULTATION VERSION Acknowledgement Work on this Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) has been carried out by a Steering Group of local residents, assisted by Claire Bradley of Kirkwells Ltd (Planning Consultants). Much of the initial work on writing the Caton-with-Littledale NDP and preparing for its first Regulation 14 consultation was carried out by David Walmsley who died on 19th April 2018. Other members of the Steering group include: Anne Jackson (Convenor) Lucy Barron (resident) Alan Davis (resident) Marilyn Davis (resident) Alison Harry (resident) Chris Kynch (Parish Councillor and resident) Andrew Riley (resident) Jenny Walmsley (Parish Councillor and resident) Ruth Wright (resident) 2 CONTENTS 1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 5 1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 5 Map 1 Caton-with-Littledale Neighbourhood Area .......................................... 6 1.2 What is an NDP and why do we need one for Caton-with-Littledale Parish? ............................................................................................................. 8 Map 2 Caton-with-Littledale Parish in context .............................................. 12 1.3 Relevant Planning Policy .................................................................... 13 1.4 Evidence ............................................................................................ 16 1.5 Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitat Regulations Assessment ........................................................................................................... 17 1.6 Community Engagement .................................................................... 17 1.7 Structure of the Document .................................................................. 19 2. Vision and Objectives .............................................................................. 20 2.1 Vision ................................................................................................. 20 2.2 Aim and Objectives ............................................................................ 21 3. Overall landscape and Development Strategy ....................................... 22 3.1 The Development Strategy ................................................................. 22 Policy CL1: Development Strategy .............................................................. 22 3.2 The Landscape Strategy .................................................................... 26 Policy CL2: Landscape ............................................................................... 26 4. Policy Issues ............................................................................................ 30 4.1 Housing Provision .............................................................................. 30 Policy CL3: Housing Provision ..................................................................... 30 4.2 Natural Environment ........................................................................... 34 Policy CL4: Natural Environment ................................................................ 34 4.3 Local Green Space and Area of Separation ....................................... 39 Policy CL5: Area of Separation .................................................................... 40 Map 3 – Area of Separation ......................................................................... 42 Policy CL6: Protecting Local Green Space .................................................. 43 Map 4 – Local Green Space ........................................................................ 47 4.4 Dark Skies .......................................................................................... 48 Policy CL7 Dark Skies ............................................................................... 499 4.5 Historic Environment .......................................................................... 50 Policy CL8: Historic Environment ................................................................. 51 4.6 Design ................................................................................................ 53 3 Policy CL9: Design ...................................................................................... 53 4.7 Economic Development...................................................................... 57 Policy CL10 Economic Development ........................................................... 57 Policy CL11 Maintaining the Vitality of Local Shopping/ Business Areas ..... 58 4.8 Community and Recreational Facilities ............................................... 62 Policy CL12 Community and Recreational Facilities .................................... 62 4.9 Supporting Infrastructure for New Development ................................. 64 Policy CL13 Supporting Infrastructure for New Development....................... 64 4.10 Managing flood risk and water quality. ................................................ 66 Policy CL14 Managing flood risk and water quality. ..................................... 66 4.11 Energy and Communications.............................................................. 68 Policy CL15 Energy and Communications ................................................... 68 5. Proposed Development Allocations ....................................................... 70 5.1 Site Assessment and Selection .......................................................... 70 5.2 Site Mini Brief ..................................................................................... 71 6. Planning commitments ............................................................................ 73 7. Next Steps ................................................................................................. 76 4 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Lancaster City Council is a Local Planning Authority with statutory responsibility for the preparation of the Local Development Framework for the city region and is responsible for determining planning applications in its area. The Lancaster Local Plan, which is part of that Local Development Framework, sets out what development is needed in an area and contains policies to ensure that those needs are met in a sustainable way. These policies are used to determine planning applications and also to influence infrastructure provision and environmental management. Once adopted, a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) also becomes part of that Local Development Framework. 1.1.2 As a designated body, Caton-with-Littledale Parish Council is preparing an NDP for the Parish of Caton-with-Littledale. The whole of the parish lies within the Forest of Bowland area which is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) (see Map 1) with the statutory purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area. This means that the area’s landscape has been identified by the government as being of national importance. Designation as an AONB and the resulting legal powers and statutory obligations arise out of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. 1.1.3 The preparation of the Caton-with-Littledale NDP is being undertaken by the Parish Council in consultation with both Lancaster City Council and the Forest of Bowland AONB. When complete, the NDP will be part of the City Council’s Local Plan, prepared under the Planning Acts. It will be the principal planning document for part of the Forest of Bowland AONB (a designation that incorporates land in many parishes of five further local authority areas), but there is no single planning document for the whole AONB. This contrasts with the Arnside & Silverdale AONB, where a Development Plan Document has been prepared jointly by Lancaster City Council and South Lakeland District Council. 1.1.4 The Caton-with-Littledale NDP is modelled on the Arnside & Silverdale AONB Development Plan Document to provide consistency of approach for similarly designated areas within the Lancaster Local Plan area. 1.1.5 All AONBs are also required to produce Management Plans, prepared by the statutory AONB Partnerships under the Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000. Management Plans are not part of the Local Plan for the areas they cover, but their content is a material consideration for Local Planning Authorities in making planning decisions. So, although prepared under different legislation for different purposes, the Forest of Bowland AONB Management Plan is an important document which is complementary to the NDP. 5 Map 1 Caton-with-Littledale Neighbourhood Area @Crown copyright and database rights [2017] Ordnance Survey 100055940 Caton-with Littledale Parish Council (Licensee) License number 100058165. 6 1.1.6 The purpose of this second Regulation 14 Consultation Version of the Caton- with-Littledale NDP paper is to show how plan preparation has progressed since our earlier issues and consultations, including the previous Regulation 14 consultation. This includes setting out outcomes of the earlier consultations, how we have responded to the comments made (especially the reasons for changing to a combined site allocation and criteria-based approach), new information we have gathered, and how all these factors have influenced the site selection and assessments and the drafting of policies.