Local Plan 2011-2032 Sedgemoor Local Plan - Adoption Version Adopted 20th February 2019 Inward Investment and Growth February 2019 Local Plan 2011-2032 - Adoption Version Sedgemoor District Council 2019 Contents Preface ii List of Policies iii 1 Introduction 1 2 Spatial Portrait 4 3 Vision and Priorities 8 4 Strategic Policies 16 5 Placemaking Policies 38 Bridgwater 38 Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge 57 Rural Sedgemoor 67 Tier 1 Settlements 67 Tier 2 Settlements 81 Tier 3 Settlements 84 Tier 4 Settlements 87 Countryside 90 6 Major Infrastructure Projects 94 7 District Wide Policies 102 Living Sustainably 102 Ensuring Economic Wellbeing 135 Enjoying and Achieving 146 Being Healthy 163 Appendix 1 - Indicative Plans 178 Appendix 2 - Monitoring Framework 187 ii Sedgemoor District Council 2019 Local Plan 2011-2032 - Adoption Version Preface This document is the adoption version of the Sedgemoor Local Plan (2011-2032). As background, the Proposed Submission Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State on 1st August 2017 for examination. Planning Inspector Susan Heywood BSc (Hons) MCD MRTPI was appointed to undertake the examination, with public hearing sessions held between 12th December 2017 and 22nd March 2018. A copy of the previously submitted Plan, as well as other relevant submission and examination documents, can be viewed on the Local Plan examination website: https://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/examination In January 2019, following hearing sessions, and consultation on the Inspector's proposed main modifications, the Council received the Inspector's final report. The Inspector concluded that with the recommended main modifications set out, the Sedgemoor Local Plan satisfies the requirements of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and meets the criteria for soundness in the National Planning Policy Framework. Main modifications are changes that the Inspector considers necessary to make the Local Plan sound and / or legally compliant. Following the Inspector's report, on the 20th February 2019 Full Council resolved to adopt the Local Plan, including incorporating the Inspector's recommended main modifications. This adopted version of the Local Plan therefore incorporates the Inspector's main modifications in full. As well as the Inspector's main modifications the Council has also made additional (i.e. minor) changes to the Local Plan on adoption. These additional changes do not materially affect the Local Plan or affect its soundness, and are therefore not subject to the formal examination process. Additional changes relate to minor matters such as factual updates/corrections, policy and paragraph renumbering, and grammatical or typographical corrections. Please note that the Council intend in prepare a final published version of the adopted Local Plan in due course. Subject to any further minor changes the text will however remain unchanged. Minor changes will be confined to the correction of any remaining typographical errors, formatting/graphical changes, and consequential cross referencing. This will be formally laid out in due course in the final published version. Local Plan 2011-2032 - Adoption Version Sedgemoor District Council 2019 iii List of Policies Policy Title Page Strategic Policies S1 Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development 16 S2 Spatial Strategy for Sedgemoor 24 S3 Infrastructure Delivery 32 S4 Sustainable Development Principles 34 S5 Mitigating the Causes and Adapting to the Effects of Climate Change 36 Placemaking Policies B1 Bridgwater Vision Transformational Projects 39 B2 Land at west Bridgwater 41 B3 Land at east Bridgwater 42 B4 Land at Bridgwater Gateway 44 B5 Land at south Bridgwater 45 B6 Housing Renewal Areas 45 B7 Employment 47 B8 Land at Huntworth, East of J.24 47 B9 Land to the west and east of A38 Bristol Road 48 B10 Land at Dunball 49 B11 Land at Former Wellworthy's playing field 50 B12 Land at Somerset Bridge 50 B13 Enhancement of Existing Employment Areas 51 B14 Education 52 B15 Flood Defence 53 B16 Transport 53 B17 Servicing Facilities 54 B18 Town Centre 55 B19 Northgate 56 BH1 Land south of Brue Farm 58 BH2 Land east of Isleport Lane 59 BH3 Housing Renewal Areas 61 BH4 Employment 62 BH5 Land at Isleport 62 iv Sedgemoor District Council 2019 Local Plan 2011-2032 - Adoption Version List of Policies Policy Title Page BH6 Enhancement of existing employment areas 63 BH7 Transport 64 BH8 Burnham Town Centre 64 BH9 Highbridge District Centre 65 BH10 Tourism 66 C1 Land at Round Oak Farm 69 C2 Land north of Holwell Lane, west of Upper New Road 70 C3 Land north of Hellier's Lane 71 C4 Land west of Draycott Road 73 C5 Transport 74 C6 Village Centre 75 C7 Cheddar Gorge 76 C8 Land at Sharpham Road 76 C9 Education 77 NP1 Land east of A38, west of Newton Road 78 NP2 Land to the east of Baymead Lane 79 NP3 Town Centre 80 T2a Tier 2 Settlements - Housing 81 T2b Tier 2 Settlements - Unmet Local Housing Need 83 T3a Tier 3 Settlements - Housing 85 T3b Land adjacent to St Bridget's Church, Church Road, Brean 86 T3c Land Allocated for Educational Purposes 86 T3d Ashcott and Walton By-Pass 87 T4 Tier 4 Settlements - Housing 88 CO1 Countryside 90 CO2 Infill Housing in the Countryside 91 CO3 Brownfield Sites in the Countryside 92 CO4 Countryside Retail Uses 93 Major Infrastructure Projects MIP1 Major Infrastructure Proposals 96 MIP2 Hinkley Point C: Associated and Ancillary Development 98 Local Plan 2011-2032 - Adoption Version Sedgemoor District Council 2019 v List of Policies Policy Title Page MIP3 Hinkley Point C: Planning Obligations and Mitigation 101 District Wide Policies D1 Flood Risk and Surface Water Management 104 D2 Promoting High Quality and Inclusive Design 109 D3 Sustainability and Energy in Development 111 D4 Renewable or Low Carbon Energy and Heat Generation projects 114 D5 Housing Mix 117 D6 Affordable Housing 120 D7 Care Homes and Specialist Accommodation 122 D8 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People 123 D9 Self-build and Custom Build Homes 125 D10 Rural Workers Dwellings 128 D11 Replacement Dwellings in the Countryside 129 D12 Residential Annexes 130 D13 Sustainable Transport and Movement 132 D14 Managing the Transport Impacts of Development 133 D15 Economic Prosperity 136 D16 Safeguarding Existing Employment Land and Buildings 138 D17 Tourism 140 D18 Retail Hierarchy 143 D19 Landscape 147 D20 Biodiversity and Geodiversity 149 D21 Ecological Networks 151 D22 Trees and Woodland 152 D23 Bat Consultation Zones 154 D24 Pollution Impacts of Development 155 D25 Protecting Residential Amenity 156 D26 Historic Environment 158 D27 Education Provision 161 D28 Health and Social Care 164 D29 Protection and Enhancement of Existing Green Infrastructure Resources 167 vi Sedgemoor District Council 2019 Local Plan 2011-2032 - Adoption Version List of Policies Policy Title Page D30 Green Infrastructure Requirements in New Developments 167 D31 Countryside around Settlements 169 D32 Open Areas Protected from Development 170 D33 Protection of Existing Public Recreational Outdoor Space 172 D34 Outdoor Public Recreational Space and New Residential Areas 172 D35 Local Services 175 Local Plan 2011-2032 - Adoption Version Sedgemoor District Council 2019 1 Introduction 1 A New Plan for Sedgemoor 1.1 The Council's existing Local Plan (Core Strategy 2006-2027) was adopted in 2011 and has been fundamental in influencing the significant change the district has experienced since then. It now needs a review to respond to new opportunities and pressures such as a rising population, housing growth, boosting the economy and delivering infrastructure for residents and businesses. The Local Plan review also addresses changes as a result of new national legislation, including the Localism Act (2011) and new national planning policy in the form of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). 1.2 Planning is about making important decisions that affect the environment and character of our towns, villages and countryside and ensuring that development happens in the right place at the right time. These decisions affect how we live and work and how we feel about places. In this context local plans are at the heart of the planning system, setting out a positive strategy for delivering sustainable development. 1.3 The Sedgemoor Local Plan 2011-2032 therefore sets out how the district will grow and develop into the future. It includes the vision, priorities and policy framework for future development in the district, including addressing the requirements relating to housing, employment, retail and other facilities and infrastructure. It is a positive strategy for delivering sustainable development and the Council's priorities for new housing, boosting the economy and creating new jobs. Whilst facilitating change the Local Plan will also safeguard and enhance what is good and special about Sedgemoor. It therefore includes important policies on issues such as safeguarding the natural and historic environment, adapting to climate change and securing good design. The Local Plan is a spatial document, setting out clearly in the policies and mapping what will happen, where and when. It also sets out how development will be delivered in terms of supporting infrastructure. Together with adopted neighbourhood plans, the Local Plan will be the starting point for determining planning applications in the district. Format and Structure of the Document 1.4 The Local Plan presents a spatial strategy, polices on major infrastructure projects, place-making policies and district wide policies. 1.5 The document is structured into six distinct sections: Spatial Portrait – describes the spatial characteristics of Sedgemoor and outlines the strategic role of Sedgemoor in the region. Vision and Priorities - sets out the high level vision and strategic priorities that have informed the policies in the plan. Strategic Policies - sets out the Spatial Strategy and core policies on infrastructure delivery and sustainable development. Place-making Policies - sets out the individual policies for different settlements across the district. These are place specific and link to delivering the spatial strategy and achieving the long-term vision for the district.