A Local Plan for Lancaster District 2011-2031 Sustainable Settlements Review: Final Methodology 1 Version Control Version By Date Comment 01 Lancaster City October 2017 Reviewed by PPCLG June and Council August 2017, approved October 2017. How we review this document The Planning and Housing Policy Manager will facilitate review as and when required to ensure that its currency is maintained. This will involve: 1. Approval from Senior Service Management 2. Endorsement by Planning Policy Cabinet Liaison Group (PPCLG) 3. Publication (on Council’s Website). Delegated to Chief Officer (Regeneration and Planning). To receive updates on progress you can join our consultation database. To do so please contact the planning policy team on: 01524 582383 or, by e-mail at: [email protected] 2 Contents for Lancaster District ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 2.0 Planning Policy Context............................................................................................................... 6 National Planning Policy Context ........................................................................................................ 6 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) .................................................................................. 6 National Planning Practice Guidance (nPPG) .................................................................................. 8 Local Policy Context – Current Policy Position .................................................................................. 10 Lancaster District Local Plan Strike-through Edition – September 2008 ...................................... 10 Core Strategy (2003-2012) – Adopted July 2008 .......................................................................... 10 Development Management DPD (2011-2031) ............................................................................. 11 3.0 Current Evidence Base .............................................................................................................. 12 Report of Village Surveys, Planning Services, September 2009 ................................................... 12 4.0 Other Useful Supporting Information ....................................................................................... 13 Transport ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Local Centres Study ....................................................................................................................... 14 Draft Lancaster District Local Plan 2011-2031: Part 1: Strategic Policies and Land Allocations DPD................................................................................................................................................ 14 2017 Draft Local Plan Consultation ............................................................................................... 15 Draft Arnside and Silverdale AONB DPD ....................................................................................... 15 Neighbourhood Plans.................................................................................................................... 16 5.0 Aims of the Sustainable Settlements Review ........................................................................... 17 6.0 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 18 Lancaster District Settlement Hierarchy ....................................................................................... 18 Population ..................................................................................................................................... 19 Landscape and Townscape (Settlement Context) ........................................................................ 23 Key Services and Facilities ............................................................................................................. 26 Accessibility ................................................................................................................................... 36 Employment .................................................................................................................................. 41 Key Definitions .............................................................................................................................. 43 3 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Lancaster City Council are seeking to undertake a review of the assessment of the settlements identified as sustainable within the Development Management DPD, policy DM42. The latest piece of formal evidence conducted to underpin the identification of Sustainable Settlements was the ‘Report of Villages Surveys’ which was conducted in 2009. It is understood that a lot of change has taken place since this document was produced, and with the emerging Strategic Policies and Land Allocation DPD and review of the Development Management DPD, it is considered an appropriate time to undertake this review. The results of this assessment will thus be used to inform the Lancaster District Settlement Hierarchy. 1.2 Since the adoption of the Development Management DPD in December 2014, it is recognised that there has not been a significant change in national policy and guidance, however due to changes on a more local level, such as bus service provision, it is considered beneficial to undertake this fundamental review. As stated within the NPPF ‘plans and decisions need to take local circumstances into account, so that they respond to the different opportunities for achieving sustainable development in different areas’ (paragraph 10). The roles and functions of each settlement within the district is different and so this Review will seek to investigate the local circumstances of each one from a number of perspectives to enable the assessment of sustainability, which will ultimately be used to aid and underpin the emerging Local Plan. 1.3 The way in which the assessment is being carried out (the methodology) is also being reviewed as part of this process. This is due to the recognition of a number of changes which have taken place. Firstly, it is being increasingly recognised that accessibility is key to sustainability. Previously the assessment as to whether a settlement should be considered sustainable was based upon the provision of services and facilities within or adjacent to the settlement. However, there has been a noticeable decline in service provision within smaller rural settlements in the district, in particular in relation to bus services. Therefore it is considered important to assess accessibility and the provision of public transport in particular, but also cycling and walking routes. 1.4 It is also important to consider the role the economy plays and to understand the district housing market area. In October 2015 Turley Economics published the ‘Lancaster Independent Housing Requirements Study 2015’. This study considered the extent of the housing market area in which the Lancaster exists. A housing market area as defined by the National Planning Practice Guidance (paragraph 010) is ‘a geographical area defined by household demand and preferences for all types of housing, reflecting the key functional linkages between places where people live and work.’ The study found that the district overall serves as a self-contained housing market area where the majority of people looking to move will move from one home to another within the district. Important reasons for this include the wide choice of living environments that the district offers from urban locations to rural settlements and also the wide choice of housing on offer including smaller properties which may be considered more affordable at the entry level of the market up to larger properties at the highest end of the market. 1.5 The National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 47) requires the Local Authority to plan to meet the housing needs of the district across the housing market area i.e. in the case of the Lancaster district, across the whole district. The Turley Report concluded that ‘the identified OAN (Objectively Assessed Need) range of 650 – 700 should be considered as 4 appropriate for the whole plan period 2011 to 2031 as reflecting the assessed total need for housing against which the emerging Plan should respond in its policy approach’. Over the plan period this equates to 13,000-14,000 new homes, across the whole district, subject to constraints such as protected landscapes. Therefore the Council needs to carefully consider the role each settlement has in addressing and thus contributing towards these district wide needs. 1.6 Changes in service provision affect where people choose to live, and this can have particular impacts in rural locations, for example an increase in older people and a decrease in younger people (including families) in a rural area may affect school numbers and viability and sometimes event result in school closures where there is insufficient demand for school places. Impacts on service provision such as this can influence where a family looking to move may choose to buy a new home. Cuts to public services including subsidies on bus services, libraries and health facilities have