Copeland Local Plan 2013-2028 Site Allocations and Policies Plan Preferred Options Summary of Consultation Responses November 2015 1 Contents Executive Summary................................................................................................................................3 1.0 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................4 2.0 The Consultation Process...........................................................................................................6 3.0 Summary of Written Responses ................................................................................................8 3.1 Contextual Background......................................................................................................8 3.2 Proposed Site Allocation Policies ......................................................................................9 3.3 Sites Proposed for Allocation ..........................................................................................35 3.4 New Site Submissions ......................................................................................................44 3.5 Sustainability Appraisal ...................................................................................................44 Appendix One: Sites without responses .............................................................................................46 Appendix Two: New Site Submissions ................................................................................................50 Appendix Three: Site Allocations and Policies Plan Consultation Responses....................................53 2 Executive Summary Copeland Borough Council produced the Site Allocations and Policies Plan Preferred Options and associated Sustainability Appraisal consultation documents in January 2015. The purpose of the plan is to identify the extent and location of new development sites and related planning policies for the borough of Copeland to deliver the development plan in the adopted Core Strategy. The Sustainability Appraisal considers the broader environmental, social and economic effects of development potential proposed in the Site Allocations and Policies Plan. This report summarises the responses received as a result of the public consultation held between January and March 2015. This Site Allocations and Policies Plan Consultation Responses summary report provides an overview of those written responses received relating to the following areas: . The proposed site allocation policies, which addresses a total of 47questions; . The sites which the Council has proposed for allocation; . The 55 new site submissions made by respondents; . Written responses to the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal document. Key areas of comment relating to the proposed site allocation policies include suggestions around the wording of Proposed Policy SA1 ‘Principles for allocating land for development’; the support or objection to Policy SA3 ‘Settlement boundary review’; comment on the preferred options for the delivery of affordable housing, older peoples housing and housing to meet local needs; and comment on the preferred options for the amount of greenspace designated in the Local Plan. Areas that generated the greatest response related to the sites which the Council has proposed for allocation refer to the allocation of WS4 Woodhouse Road/WS2 St. Bees Road in Whitehaven for Gypsy & Traveller use, housing allocations at Moresby Parks and Moor Row and the proposed Fr1 Lingley Fields Extension in Frizington. Written responses relating to the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) mainly refer to the SA score that the Council has scored against 25 sites. This is on the basis that English Heritage consider that development would not harm any heritage resource relating to the 25 sites and rather, could be used to enhance the landscape/asset/setting significantly. Detailed responses and proposals received to the Site Allocations and Policies Plan consultation, including a record of those sites which have not been commented on, can be referred to in the appendices attached to this report. 3 1.0 Introduction 1.1 In December 2013 the Council adopted the Local Plan 2013-2028 Core Strategy and Development Management Policies. To complete the Local Plan the Council is now producing the Site Allocations and Policies Plan. From 12th January 2015 Copeland Borough Council consulted on the Site Allocations and Policies Plan Land for development Preferred Options document. This plan was accompanied by the Sustainability Appraisal also out for consultation which, takes into account the broader environmental, social and economic effects of development potential. Consultation on both documents closed on Friday 20th March 2015 yet representations continued to be received until October 2015. Together with the adopted Core Strategy and Development Management Policies they will provide the basis for determining planning applications. 1.2 This Site Allocations and Policies Plan consultation follows on from the Issues and Options consultation, which took place between 28 May 2009 and 10 July 2009. The Issues and Options consultation report was designed to cover the Local Development Framework as a whole (i.e. the Core Strategy, Development Management Policies and site selection criteria for the Site Allocations DPD). The summary of responses to the Issues and Options stage can be found on our website: Copeland LDF Issues and Options Issues: Responses to Consultation – Summary Report 2009. 1.3 The Site Allocations and Policies plan sets out Copeland’s supply of development land to meet the borough’s needs and growth aspirations for the fifteen year horizon of the Local Plan from 2013 to 2028. The Core Strategy sets out the strategy for growth in the borough and the Site Allocations and Policies Plan will identify the pieces of land that will deliver this growth. Once adopted, they will replace the remaining allocations that have been saved from the Copeland Local Plan 2001-2016. 4 The Site Allocations and Policies Plan Preferred Options document invited respondents to comment on: . Taking forward the strategic policies of the Local Plan Core Strategy, adopted in 2013; . Choosing which sites in the identified supply are suitable to be allocated now for development over the next 15 years; . Evaluating the supply of land available for employment development; . Ensuring there is enough space and other recreational land to support a good quality of life and that it is protected from development. 1.4 This report summarises the representations received in response to proposals within the Site Allocations and Policies Plan, both through stakeholder consultation events and written representations. It considers each of the questions in the Site Allocations and Policies Plan in turn. The summary of written responses (section 3.0 of the report) are grouped and presented in the same order as featured in the consultation document. Each of the questions are outlined in turn, with a summary of responses for each question, followed by the number of responses received to that question. As the number of respondents to each question is a relatively low figure these have been expressed as numbers rather than percentages. 1.5 It should be noted that some respondents selected an option and then provided comments to explain their answer, others selected the option they supported without giving any additional comments, and other respondents made comments without indicating a preference from the options available. The comments in the main section of this report represent an overview of the responses made. All comments made are available to view in detail in a separate appendix of this report. 5 2.0 The Consultation Process 2.1 Between January and March 2015 letters were sent out to stakeholders notifying them of the forthcoming Site Allocations and Policies Plan consultation. Stakeholder meetings and events were held with statutory consultees, community locality groups and members of the public inviting comments about the policies in the consultation document along with the suggestion of any new sites that should be included. 2.2 During the consultation period the Council received over 450 responses including 55 New Site Submission forms, 411 Site Comment forms and 18 Questionnaires. Most responses to the questionnaire were from landowners and agents, local residents and community groups and local, regional and national agencies. A petition was also received from a community association. Below is a breakdown of the number of different types of stakeholders making comments to the Site Allocations and Policies Plan consultation document as a whole. Developers, landowners and agents . Parish Councils . Copeland Borough Councillors and Cumbria County Councillors . Local residents . Local, regional and national agencies A detailed list of all those who responded to the Site Allocations and Policies Plan questionnaire can be found in a separate appendix of this report. 2.3 Key areas of comment under 3.2 ‘Proposed Site Allocation Policies’ cover suggestions around the wording of Proposed Policy SA1 ‘Principles for allocating land for development’; the support or objection to Policy SA3 ‘Settlement boundary review’; preferred options for the delivery of affordable housing, older peoples housing and housing to meet local needs; and preferred options for the amount of greenspace designated in the Local Plan.