NOTTINGHAM CITY ALIGNED CORE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PLAN DOCUMENT STATEMENT OF CONSULTATION Regulation 19 Summary of consultation, events and responses June 2012 Contents 1) Introduction 3 2) Issues and Options Document 5 3) Option for Consultation Document 8 4) Housing Provision Position Paper and Climate Change Policy Consultation 13 Appendix A Respondee List Appendix B Issues and Options - Report of Consultation Appendix C Issues and Options Comments Tracking Matrix Appendix D Option for Consultation – Report of Consultation and Response to Comments Appendix E Report of Summer 2011 Housing Provision Position Paper and Climate Change Policy Consultation and Response to Comments Appendix F Comparison between the Statement of Community Involvement and the engagement process 1) Introduction 1.1 The preparation of the Nottingham City Aligned Core Strategy Development Plan Document (DPD) began with the publication of the “Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategy Issues and Options” document on 15 th June 2009. Since that time the City Council has undertaken a range of consultation stages – utilising a variety of methods to receive feedback on the Core Strategy, consistent with the approach set out in our Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). These stages will culminate in Submission of the Core Strategy in Autumn 2012. 1.2 This statement sets out which bodies were invited to make representations, how they were invited to do this, a summary of the main issues raised and how they were taken into account, during the various stages of consultation undertaken as part of production of the Core Strategy DPD. This statement has been produced in accordance with regulation 19 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2012. Stages of Consultation 1.3 The timeline of the production of the Core Strategy is set out in Table 1 below; Preparation Stage/Document/Consultation Content Dates Review of previous Core Strategy Issues and Paper which set out work on new Options Paper issues for the Core planning system June 2009 (Monday 15/6/09- Strategy to address including Friday 31/7/09) and a range of preparation of options along with Issues & Options questions on those document options Consideration of Core Strategy Options for Report sets out the consultation Consultation Council’s Options - responses and February 2010 (Monday 19 Policies and the preparation of 15/2/10-Monday 12/4/10) reasoning behind the Option for options Consultation Consideration of Housing Provision Position Report sets out a responses and Paper and Climate Change revised Policy 1 – preparation of Policy Consultation Climate change and Housing Provision (Monday 25/7/11-Friday the Council’s Position Paper and 19/9/11) position on housing Climate Change provision, prepared Policy as a result of the intention of the Government to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies 3 Consideration of Publication Core Strategy Core Strategy responses and Monday 11 th June – Monday prepared with 19 formulation of the 23 rd July 2012 Policies published Publication Core on 11 June 2012 Strategy (Regulation 19) Statement of Submission Core Strategy Core Strategy Representations Programmed for November prepared with 19 (Regulation 22 (c) 2012 Policies Statement) 1.4 Each stage in the production of the Core Strategy is explained in the following chapters and the Consultation Responses Documents which were prepared after each stage are included in this statement’s appendices. The Council’s Statement of Community Involvement was adopted in June 2007 (Technical Addendum May 2010) and sets out the Council’s approach to consultation, and the organisations and groups which the Council should consult as part of the process. A full breakdown of individuals and organisations the Council has corresponded with is available in Appendix A. Appendix F summarises the key stages of community involvement as set out in the SCI and compares this to the actual engagement process. 4 2) Issues & Options Document 2.1 The City Council and Ashfield District, Broxtowe Borough, Erewash Borough, Gedling Borough, Rushcliffe Borough Council’s held a coordinated consultation on the Issues and Options for the Core Strategy. The consultation period ran for over 6 weeks from Monday 15 th June 2009 to Friday 31 st July 2009. The majority of consultation exercises were undertaken in June and July. Who was consulted? 2.2 The Council consulted the Specific and General consultees as required in the Regulations along with the public, businesses, agents and other organisations within the Greater Nottingham. The full list is set out in appendix A. How was the consultation undertaken? 2.3 At the beginning of the process, the Core Strategy Issues and Options document was deposited at the Deposit points, at all libraries and on the Council’s website. A notice was placed in local newspapers. The Council’s newsletter was distributed to every address in the City with various items of news in it including an article on the Core Strategy. A report was taken to the City Council Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Regeneration on 28/04/09 where the Issues & Options was endorsed for consultation. Consultation Consultation Undertaken Group General Public • Joint launch conference for invited general consultees – 22/6/9 • Staffed exhibitions in the City Centre 14/7/9 and 16/7/9 • 3 Parklife Events – Areas 1, 2,5 and West Area 22/7/9- 30/7/9 • Council’s newsletter Specific • The Specific Consultees where sent a copy of the Consultees Issues and Options paper along with a copy of the questionnaire. • Joint launch conference for general and specific consultees – 22/6/9 Councillors • A report was taken to the City Council Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Regeneration on 28/04/09 where the Issues & Options was endorsed for consultation. • Regeneration and Sustainability Select Committee – 14/07/09 Area Committee 9 Area Committees and City Centre Committee considered a Meetings copy of the Issues and Options document along with a copy of the questionnaire and officers attended each committee 1/7/9- 29/7/9. 5 Development • Joint launch conference for general consultees – 22/6/9 Industry • Officers organised a special meeting – a Business Breakfast for Developers on 2 nd July 2009. Lively debates ensued regarding the new LDF system and the effects of policy on Greater Nottingham. One Nottingham – • One Nottingham Board - 24/7/9 the Local • One Nottingham Lunchtime Learning – 24/6/9 Strategic Partnership Hard to Reach Groups: Young People Community Equalities Forum – 15/7/9 Older People Community Equalities Forum – 15/7/9 Ethnic Minorities Community Equalities Forum – 15/7/9 Disabilities Community Equalities Forum – 15/7/9 Homeless People Community Equalities Forum – 15/7/9 Local Voluntary • Community Equalities Forum – 15/7/9 Groups and • Dunkirk & Lenton Partnership Forum – 20/7/9 Interest Groups • Meadows Draft Neighbourhood Plan Launch Event • East/Central Meeting - 20/5/9 What where the main issues the Consultation Raised? 2.4 The full Consultation Responses Document is included at Appendix B. There were a number of issues raised at this stage including: Part A Comments • Developers felt the East Midlands Regional Plan housing figures should be treated as a minimum, while most others considered the housing provision to be too large • The focus on the built up area of Nottingham was supported, but with some people wanting a little more flexibility on the housing numbers to allow more development elsewhere • Although the vast majority of developers support the use of urban extensions, a small number object to them on principle. Members of the public and environmental groups object to the development of green field sites, especially in areas of high quality landscapes, and feel that a sequential approach should be taken to ensure greater use of brownfield sites. • The provision of or access to employment, retail and community facilities is important to reduce the need to travel • Several house builders stated that the Core Strategy could best support regeneration initiatives by identifying as many deliverable sites as possible through the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, and allow a steady release of green field and brownfield sites in areas of high demand alongside brownfield sites in regeneration areas. • Overwhelmingly respondents were against introducing a stringent policy approach to safeguarding all forms of existing employment land 6 and premises as a lot of existing sites were seen as being of poor quality and could be better utilised for other uses. • On balance, the comments did not support a Greater Nottingham overall affordable housing target and did support the development of targets at District level and/or submarket level. • New development to provide or improve access to Green Infrastructure and mitigate any impacts on it Part B City Specific Comments: • The majority of consultation responses indicated support for prioritising family housing on suitable sites • Almost all of the respondents agreeing that the scale of new retail development should be appropriate to the scale of the centre in which it would be located • Most respondents indicated acceptance that there may be some circumstances that would justify the development of existing open spaces and a common view was that priorities in respect of enhancing existing or creating new spaces should be assessed on a case by case basis • Important to balance competing needs for open space having regard to the quality, accessibility and quantity How have these issues been addressed by the Council? 2.5 All of the issues raised were carefully considered and had an important influence on the evolution of the Core Strategy, aiding the preparation of the Option for Consultation document. See also the ‘Issues and Options’ comments tracking table which sets out the comments made in response to each Issue and Option and the way in which these were addressed in the Option for Consultation document, taking account of the particular planning policy context at the time.