BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCIL AND MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL LOCAL INVESTMENT PLAN 2011 to 2016 1 Introduction by Babergh District Council’s Housing Panel Chairman and Mid Suffolk District Council’s Housing Portfolio Holder Councillor Sue Wigglesworth Councillor Marilyn Curran Chairman of the Babergh District Mid Suffolk District Council Housing Panel Council Housing Portfolio Holder We are delighted to introduce the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Local Investment Plan 2011 to 2016. The development of this plan is an excellent example of successful partnership working between our Councils and has confirmed the many similarities between the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Districts. This has enabled us to bring forward our priority lists of schemes for the next five years. These cover a range of infrastructure, employment and housing projects designed to benefit local communities across both Districts. This is a living document adopted by both Councils which will be regularly monitored and updated through the jointly agreed action plan and regular meetings of the Local Investment Plan Steering Group on which we both sit. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners who have provided valuable input into this document and attended our recent Stakeholder event. With Kind regards Sue Wigglesworth and Marilyn Curran 2 Joint Local Investment Plan Agreement for Babergh District and Mid Suffolk District Councils and the Homes & Communities Agency. a) This Agreement is not legally binding upon the parties. b) Nothing contained in or carried out pursuant to this Agreement and no consents given by the Agency or the Council will prejudice the Agency's or the Council’s (as appropriate) rights, powers or duties and/or obligations in the exercise of its functions or under any statutes, byelaws, instruments, orders or regulations. c) This Agreement is without prejudice to the Council’s and/or the Agency’s functions as a local planning authority and both parties may continue to exercise such functions as if they were not a party to this Agreement. d) This Agreement is subject to the constitutional right of any future Parliament and/or the Agency’s Sponsor Department to determine the amount of money to be made available to the Agency in any year and the purpose for which such money can be used. e) This Agreement is also subject to the terms of the Framework Document between the Agency and its sponsor department, as the same may be amended or replaced from time to time. Signed: ………………………………… Name: ………………………………….. Position: ……………………………….. For and on behalf of HCA Date: …………………………………… Signed: ………………………………… Signed: ………………………………… Name: ………………………………….. Name: ………………………………….. Position: ……………………………….. Position: ……………………………….. For and on behalf of Babergh DC For and on behalf of Mid Suffolk DC Date: …………………………………… Date:…………………………………… 3 CONTENTS: Page No’s Introduction to the Local Investment Plan 7 Background and Purpose 7 The Local Investment Plan Process 9 Governance of the Local Investment Plan 10 The Local Investment Plan 10 The Babergh and Mid Suffolk Districts in Context 11 Joint Commitment to working in Partnership 12 Democratic Governance of Babergh and Mid Suffolk 13 Babergh and Mid Suffolk – Comparison of Corporate Values and 14 Priorities Profiles and Comparisons of Babergh and Mid Suffolk 15 People and the Community – Age Profile 15 Ethnicity 18 Jobs and the Local Economy 19 Productivity 19 Employment 20 Top Employers 21 The Relationship between Affordability and Earnings in Babergh and Mid 22 Suffolk Enterprise 24 Skills and Qualifications 25 Commuting Patterns 26 Summary of Comparisons 27 Housing in Babergh and Mid Suffolk 28 Transport 33 Vision for Babergh 36 Spatial Objectives 36 Spatial Characteristics, Issues and Aspirations 37 Sudbury/Great Cornard and West Babergh 37 Hadleigh and Mid Babergh 37 Ipswich Fringe (plus Ipswich) and East Babergh 38 Vision for Mid Suffolk 39 Spatial Objectives 39 Spatial Aspirations 41 Stowmarket 41 A Corridor of Change between Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich 41 Needham Market 42 Mid Suffolk’s Ipswich Fringe 42 Rural Employment – The re-use of Eye Airfield 43 Babergh and Mid Suffolk Comparison of Spatial Objectives 44 4 Strategic Challenges for Babergh and Mid Suffolk 46 An Ageing Population 46 Rural Areas with low provision of services and affordable housing 47 Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs 49 Providing Supported Housing 50 Regeneration 50 Employment Opportunities 51 Employment Base in need of Diversifying 51 Reliance on Private Car for Transport 53 Accommodate future growth 53 Historic and environmental assets in need of protection 54 A Changing Climate 55 Delivering Services 56 Investment Priorities 57 Investment in Local Regeneration 57 Investment to Assist in Employment 58 Investment in the Delivery of New Homes across all Tenures 59 Improving the Quality of Existing Homes 59 Babergh and Mid Suffolk Challenges Compared 59 Investment and Intervention Priorities 60 Maps, Tables and Diagrams Map of Babergh and Mid Suffolk Districts in Relation to the UK 8 Snapshot of Central Suffolk showing main communication links, towns and 14 villages within the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Areas Table of Babergh and Mid Suffolk Age Profiles 15 Babergh and Mid Suffolk Age Pyramids 16 ONS 2008 Population Projections for Babergh and Mid Suffolk 17 Ethnicity Tables for Babergh and Mid Suffolk 18 Economic Forecasts from the Regional Forecasting Model 19 Employment by Sector 20 Map of Businesses across Suffolk including Babergh and Mid Suffolk 21 House Prices and Affordability Ratio – Babergh, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk 22 Unemployment/Benefit Claimants 23 Formation and Closer of Enterprises by Employment Size Band 24 Working Age Skills Levels – 2008 25 Commuting Patterns for Babergh and Mid Suffolk Residents 26 Percentage of Households Priced out of the Market 29 The Housing Affordability Ratio in Babergh 30 Total Housing and Affordable Completions for Mid Suffolk and Babergh 31 HCA Funding for Babergh 32 HCA Funding for Mid Suffolk 32 Rural Affordable Housing Scheme Home Meadow, Cockfield 33 Map Showing Main Transport Links for Suffolk 35 Spatial Objectives Key Diagram for Mid Suffolk 39 Snoasis Master Plan 44 Chilton Woods Master Plan 45 Rural Affordable Housing at Brent Eleigh Road, Lavenham 48 Snoasis Aerial View 52 Stowmarket Mill Lane Country Park 54 Exemplar Scheme Developed in Elmswell, Mid Suffolk 55 Monks Eleigh Village Shop 56 Regeneration Scheme at Popular Road Great Cornard 57 5 Appendices: Appendix 1 – The Action Plan 63 Part 1 - Investment Priorities Scheme Details 65 Part 2 – Developing the Local Investment Plan 82 Appendix 2 - Stakeholders 87 Appendix 3 - Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council 88 Evidence Base Appendix 4 – Policy Context 93 Appendix 5 - Greater Haven Gateway Sub Regional Housing 98 Strategy Themes – Info to be used from first draft Appendix 6 - Growth Trajectories 99 Appendix 7 - Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats 101 Babergh economy 101 Sudbury 102 Hadleigh 103 Ipswich Fringe 103 Rural 104 Mid Suffolk Economy 105 Stowmarket 106 Needham Market 106 Eye & Eye Airfield 106 Ipswich Policy Area 107 Rural 107 Appendix 8 - Glossary 109 6 INTRODUCTION TO THE LOCAL INVESTMENT PLAN Background and purpose: The Babergh and Mid Suffolk Local Investment Plan (LIP) has been developed in partnership by Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, the Homes and Communities Agency, Suffolk County Council, Primary Care Trust NHS Suffolk, The Haven Gateway Partnership, the East of England Development Agency, Go-East, Suffolk Acre, and our Registered Provider partners. It details place shaping and planned investment for the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Districts for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2016 inclusive. This plan is a living document and will be subject to regular review and modification by Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, subject to agreement between all the partners. The plan has been the subject of an interactive consultation exercise with our stakeholder partners. This culminated in a joint Stakeholder Event on 5 October 2010, when the LIP was explained in detail and interactive workshop sessions were held with a range of partners. The results of this have been fed into our LIP Action Plan as detailed at Appendix 1. The evidence base used to support the LIP has been taken from the full range of research, policies and procedures developed by both Councils all of which have been subject to appropriate stakeholder and community consultation in their own right. Details of our evidence base can be found at Appendix 3 of this plan. It is agreed that the joint Local Investment Plan Working Group will monitor the LIP on a regular basis, paying particular attention to the priority list of schemes and the Action Plan. The plan will be reviewed annually, when a stakeholder event will be held followed by Member sign-off. The initial scope of the LIP will consider the wider context of the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Districts and then look at specific issues relating to both Districts. The plan will take into account the following: • Land supply – green-field and brown-field • Infrastructure – physical and social • People and communities – employment, vulnerable people and community cohesion • Housing supply – growth, regeneration, urban and rural • Capacity issues – knowledge, skills and leadership • Long term stewardship issues – community engagement in the context of the Localism Agenda, management options and vehicles for delivery. These considerations will then be fed into our Local Investment Plan and actions that embrace the following aspects of developing sustainable communities: • Environment • Transport • Economic Development • Business Support • Skills • Education • Health 7 Map Showing the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Districts in relation to the UK with main towns. 8 THE LOCAL INVESTMENT PLAN PROCESS: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) introduced a new way of doing business in 2010, with the objective that this approach will transform the delivery of housing and regeneration by connecting local ambition with both national and more locally based targets. This fits well with the government’s Localism Agenda.