ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Neighbourhood Plan has been produced by volunteers from the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group with the support and endorsement of the Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum. The volunteers at various times have comprised: John Ashby Pippa Bell Ruth Chambers Sue Childs Roger Cornwell Mike Costello Adam Deathe Karen Elliott Jonathan Elmer Ann Evans David Hook Peter Jackson Jonathan Lovell John Lowe Nigel Martin Matthew Phillips David Miller Muriel Sawbridge Kirsty Thomas Angela Tracy Ros Ward DURHAM CITY NEIGHBOURHOOD DRAFT PLAN FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION November 2017 Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum © Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum, 2017 DURHAM CITY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING FORUM The Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum is an officially-sanctioned group of volunteers who live or work in Durham City. Our role is to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for Durham City, based on the views of the community. The Forum comprises 32 members. The Forum officers are: · Chair: Roger Cornwell · Vice Chair: John Ashby · Secretary: John Lowe · Treasurer: Sue Childs · Engagement Officer: Pippa Bell Project Manager: Ros Ward PLAN CONSULTATION The consultation runs from 4th November to 18th December Drop In Events St John's Church, Neville's Cross Monday 6 November, 14.30 to 18.30 St Oswald's Institute, Church St, Tuesday 21 November, 11.00 to 16.00 St Nicholas Church, Market Place Friday 24 November. 12.00 to 16.00 Heritage Centre, Wharton Park Wednesday 6 December, 11.00 to 16.00 Document Viewing If you are unable to attend an event, copies of the draft plan will be available together with comment forms at: · County Hall, Aykley Heads, Durham · Durham Town Hall Reception, Market Place, Durham · Clayport Library, Millennium Place, Durham Online The Plan document, with access to an online questionnaire or downloadble comment form, is available at: http://npf.durhamcity.org.uk/the-plan/ Contact Details Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum The Miners’ Hall, Redhills, Durham, DH1 4BD Email: [email protected] Website: http://npf.durhamcity.org.uk/ CONTENTS PAGE Chap No: Heading Page 1 Foreword 1 2 Introduction 3 3 Vision and Objectives 11 4 Planning Policies and Proposals for Land Use 15 4.1 Theme 1: A City with a Sustainable Future 17 4.2(a) Theme 2(a): A Beautiful and Historic City – Heritage 23 4.2(b) Theme 2(b): A Beautiful and Historic City – Green 41 Infrastructure 4.3 Theme 3: A City With a Diverse and Resilient Economy 59 4.4 Theme 4: A City With Attractive and Affordable Places to Live 75 4.5 Theme 5: A City With a Modern and Sustainable Transport 91 Infrastructure 4.6 Theme 6: A City with an Enriched Community Life 107 5 Implementation and Monitoring 119 Appendix A Projects to Improve the Economic, Social and Environmental 127 Realm Appendix B Description of the Characters Areas in the Durham City 133 Conservation Area Appendix C Heritage Assets 137 Appendix D Population, Households, Housing and Sites 143 Appendix E Assets in Our Neighbourhood 153 References References to Evidence Base 165 THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS LEFT DELIBERATELY BLANK Durham City Neighbourhood Draft Plan for Public Consultation CHAPTER 1: FOREWORD 1.1 The most important feature of a neighbourhood plan is that it is prepared and agreed by local people. The work is normally carried out by a parish or town council on behalf of its local community. In our area there is no local council at present as we are ‘un- parished’. In order for the plan to be prepared, the County Council has enabled the setting up of the Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum. 1.2 The Forum has adopted the name ‘Our Neighbourhood’ for the area covered by the Plan, which is shown on Map 1 on page 4 (http://npf.durhamcity.org.uk/the-plan/maps/). It has taken nearly three years to prepare and has provided the opportunity for continuous consultation throughout. It is now time to find out what people who live and work in the area, and those who visit, think of the policies and proposals in this draft Plan. 1.3 There are four matters to be borne in mind when assessing the content of this draft Plan: 1. Its policies, when agreed, will have statutory force, i.e. they will be relevant in the consideration of planning applications by the County Council, and they will need to be in compliance with the current adopted development plan, which is the saved policies of the City of Durham Local Plan; 2. Quite early in the lifetime of our Neighbourhood Plan a new local plan - the County Durham Plan - will be adopted. Our policies will then need to be reviewed, and if necessary changed, to bring them into compliance with this new County Durham Plan. We will seek to future-proof our Neighbourhood Plan by having regard to the emerging County Plan; 3. The Plan should be read as a whole - the planning policies all relate to one another even though they appear under different themes, so common aspects only appear in one policy to avoid repetition; 4. Our Neighbourhood Plan presents an opportunity go beyond the planning policies in identifying the actions needed by statutory, community and other bodies to achieve the vision and objectives of the plan. 1.4 We hope that many people will take the opportunity to contribute to making our Neighbourhood Plan one which is effective and truly representative of the wishes of local people for a sustainable future for this beautiful and historic city. © Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum, 2017 1 Durham City Neighbourhood Draft Plan for Public Consultation THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS LEFT DELIBERATELY BLANK © Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum, 2017 2 Durham City Neighbourhood Draft Plan for Public Consultation CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION 2.1 HISTORY AND CONTEXT 2.1 Durham City has been a highly significant place in County Durham, the North East region and the country for over 1,000 years as the home of Durham Cathedral, and for over 180 years of the University of Durham. Under the 1974 reorganisation of local government in England Durham City became the county town of a County Durham much reduced in population although increased in area. This new county was administered by a county council and eight (later seven) district councils. This system was abandoned in 2009 when the county and district councils including the City of Durham Council were abolished to be replaced by a single ‘county unitary authority’. 2.2 The Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum started as a group of volunteers, people who lived, worked or had businesses in the City. They were concerned about the future of the City and saw the potential in the Localism Act which introduced new rights and powers which local communities can use to shape and permit additional new development. In areas with a Town or Parish Council, this work is done by those bodies. Elsewhere a Neighbourhood Planning Forum can be set up. Most of Durham City is not parished and therefore there is at present no local council to undertake the work of preparing a neighbourhood plan. The group of volunteers therefore applied to Durham County Council to set up a Neighbourhood Planning Forum and this was approved by the Council on 16 January 2014. The volunteers then became part of the membership of the Forum. In the Forum's priority consultation (Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum, 2015) very strong views were received from the public about planning and planning decisions. The Forum takes this as a clear message to deliver a plan which has the vision and the policies to ensure the protection of the fabric of the City and the wellbeing of the people who live, work and visit it. 2.3 The area covered by the Neighbourhood Plan is not the whole urban area of Durham City. It is for parish and town councils to prepare neighbourhood plans if desired, and there are parish councils for the Belmont and Framwellgate Moor parts of the City. Although neither is preparing a neighbourhood plan at present, it was felt that the issues that might be most important in those areas are different from the issues facing the historic core of the City. Similarly, the un-parished Gilesgate and Newton Hall areas have their own distinct histories and issues meriting particular attention through a local neighbourhood plan if that is the wish of the Gilesgate or Newton Hall residents and businesses. 2.4 Accordingly, the area covered by the Neighbourhood Planning Forum - 'Our Neighbourhood' - comprises the electoral divisions of Nevilles Cross; Elvet & Gilesgate; and the part of Durham South on the city side of the River Wear, as shown on Map 1 below (http://npf.durhamcity.org.uk/the-plan/maps/). Although ‘Our Neighbourhood’ is only part of the built-up area of the city, it does contain the World Heritage Site, the city centre, the University, the hospital, the two conservation areas and the main bus and rail stations. © Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum, 2017 3 Durham City Neighbourhood Draft Plan for Public Consultation It is therefore an important part of the city and needs a progressive and imaginative neighbourhood plan. Map 1: Map of Our Neighbourhood © Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum, 2017 4 Durham City Neighbourhood Draft Plan for Public Consultation 2.2 CHALLENGES 2.5 In the 1960s major developments such as the new County Hall, Police Headquarters, Passport and National Savings offices brought very welcome extra employment opportunities to the City, especially in the context of the subsequent loss of nearly all of County Durham's traditional coal, steel, railway, and heavy engineering industries.