Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan - 2017-2029 Submission Version April 2017 – Examination Report Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan - 2017-2029 – Examination Report Submission Version April 2017 A Report to Chichester District Council into the Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan By Independent Examiner, Jeremy Edge BSc (Hons) FRICS MRTPI Jeremy Edge BSc (Hons) FRICS MRTPI Edge Planning & Development LLP 20th March 2021 Edge Planning & Development LLP 38 Northchurch Road London N1 4EJ 020 7684 0821 1 Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan - 2017-2029 Submission Version April 2017 – Examination Report Contents 1.0 Introduction and Role of the Independent Examiner ..................................................................... 4 Westbourne – Background .............................................................................................................................. 6 Preparation of the Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan..................................................................................... 7 Westbourne Parish Neighbourhood Plan – Aims and Objectives .................................................................... 8 2.0 Public Consultation..................................................................................................................... 9 Consultation Summary .................................................................................................................................. 11 3.0 Basic Conditions ....................................................................................................................... 13 4.0 Background Documents ............................................................................................................ 23 5.0 Planning Policies and explanatory text .......................................................................................... 23 Overarching policies ...................................................................................................................................... 23 Policy OA1: Sustainable Development Policy ........................................................................................ 23 Policy OA2: Local Economy and Employment ....................................................................................... 29 Policy OA3: Community Facilities .......................................................................................................... 32 Policy OA4: Community Balance ........................................................................................................... 35 Distinctiveness policies .................................................................................................................................. 49 Policy LD1: Local distinctiveness ........................................................................................................... 49 Policy LD2: Important Views .................................................................................................................. 51 Policy LD3: Heritage .............................................................................................................................. 55 Policy LD4: Local Gaps ........................................................................................................................... 57 Policy BD1: Biodiversity Opportunity Area and SNCI Policy ................................................................... 59 Policy LGS1: Cemetery Green Space ...................................................................................................... 61 Westbourne site-specific policies .................................................................................................................. 63 Policy SS1: Proposed development management criteria ..................................................................... 64 Policy SS2: Land at Long Copse Lane ..................................................................................................... 73 Policy SS3: Land adjacent to Chantry Hall, Foxbury Lane ...................................................................... 74 6.0 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 88 7.0 Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................................. 89 Referendum Area .......................................................................................................................................... 91 Appendix 1 – Changes introduced by EU environmental case law in 2018 and the intervention by CDC in 2019 to enable the WNP to conform to consequential regulatory changes. ............................................ 92 Edge Planning & Development LLP 38 Northchurch Road London N1 4EJ 020 7684 0821 2 Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan - 2017-2029 Submission Version April 2017 – Examination Report Appendix 2 – Background Documents. ............................................................................................... 100 Appendix 3 - Summary of Recommended Revised Policies ................................................................... 105 Appendix 4 - Statement of Common Ground ...................................................................................... 110 Edge Planning & Development LLP 38 Northchurch Road London N1 4EJ 020 7684 0821 3 Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan - 2017-2029 Submission Version April 2017 – Examination Report 1.0 Introduction and Role of the Independent Examiner 1.1 Neighbourhood Planning is an approach to planning introduced by the Localism Act 2011 which provides communities with the power to establish the priorities and policies to shape the future development of their local areas. This Report sets out the findings of the examination of the Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan 2017-2029 Submission Version, April 2017. 1.2 My role as an Independent Examiner, when considering the content of a neighbourhood plan is limited to testing whether a draft neighbourhood plan meets the basic conditions and other matters set out in paragraph 8 of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). The role is not to test the soundness of a neighbourhood development plan, or to examine other material considerations. 1.3 Paragraph 8 of Schedule 4B to the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) [excluding 2b, c, 3 to 5 as required by 38C (5) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended)], states that the Plan must meet the following “basic conditions”: • it must have appropriate regard for national policy; • it must contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development; • it must be in general conformity with the strategic policies of the development plan for the local area; • it must be compatible with human rights requirements and • it must be compatible with EU obligations. 1.4 In accordance with Schedule 4B, section 10 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), the examiner must make a report on the draft plan containing recommendations and make one of the following three recommendations: (a) that the draft order is submitted to a referendum, or (b) that modifications specified in the report are made to the draft order and that the draft order as modified is submitted to a referendum, or (c) that the proposal for the order is refused. 1.5 If recommending that the Plan proceeds to a referendum, I am also then required to consider whether the Referendum Area should extend beyond the Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan, designated area to which the Plan relates. I make my recommendations at the end of this Report. 1.6 I am independent of the qualifying body, associated residents, business leaders and the local authority. I do not have any interest in any land that may be affected by the Plan and I possess appropriate qualifications and experience. Edge Planning & Development LLP 38 Northchurch Road London N1 4EJ 020 7684 0821 4 Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan - 2017-2029 Submission Version April 2017 – Examination Report 1.7 I was appointed to undertake the independent examination of the submission version of the Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan (WNP) on 6th October 2016. The Regulation 16 Consultation ran from Monday 12th June 2017 until Monday 24th July 2017. I was initially supplied with the following documents submitted to Chichester District Council for this examination by post and via the District Council’s and Parish Council’s websites comprising: • The Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan 2017-2029 (Submission Version), April 2017 • Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan Basic Conditions Statement Submission Version: April 2017 • Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Statement, Submission Version: April 2017 • Westbourne Parish Council’s Evidence Base Documents. 1.8 The background documents which I have taken into consideration in undertaking this examination are listed in Appendix 2. These include further documents that I have considered due to the pause in the examination process concerning changes to EU environmental law which came into effect in late 2018 and through advice from the Chief Planner in January 2019. This necessitated the preparation of further assessments which were undertaken on behalf of Westbourne Parish Council by Chichester District Council. The process undertaken is outlined in this examination report together with the findings of the likely effects of draft neighbourhood plan policies proposed in the WNP, if the Plan was to be made. 1.9 Further important