The Local Plan 2015 - 2030 INFRASTRUCTURE & PLANNING The Local Plan Review: Scoping Report Have your say! (Regulation 18 consultation ) Summary of responses made to the 2015 Public Consultation Page Left Blank 2 Contents Page No 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Headline Indicators ......................................................................................................................... 4 3. Summary of responses .................................................................................................................... 7 4. Specific responses ......................................................................................................................... 16 Question 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 24 Question 2 ............................................................................................................................................. 31 Question 3 ............................................................................................................................................. 39 Question 4 ............................................................................................................................................. 45 Question 5 ............................................................................................................................................. 49 Question 6 ............................................................................................................................................. 54 Question 7 ............................................................................................................................................. 60 Question 8 ............................................................................................................................................. 66 Question 9 ............................................................................................................................................. 73 Question 10 ........................................................................................................................................... 75 Question 11 ........................................................................................................................................... 78 Question 12 ........................................................................................................................................... 81 Question 13 ........................................................................................................................................... 84 Question 14 ........................................................................................................................................... 86 Any Other Issues ................................................................................................................................... 90 3 1. Introduction 1.1 On 9th June 2015 the Local Planning Authority held a consultation about its intention to review the 2005 Isles of Scilly Local Plan. This consultation was the required Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulation 2012 where 18.—(1) A local planning authority must: a) notify each of the bodies or persons specified in paragraph (2) of the subject of a local plan which the local planning authority propose to prepare, and b) invite each of them to make representations to the local planning authority about what a local plan with that subject ought to contain. 1.2 The Local Plan Review Scoping Report (the Scoping Report) and accompanying appendices invited representations from the public and statutory consultees over a 7 week period from 8th June to 24 th July 2015. 1.3 The scoping report set out a possible ‘vision’ for the islands as well as a number of issues it considered important for the Local Plan to address. These issues included Housing, Employment and the Economy, Physical and Social Infrastructure, Protection and enhancement of the Natural and Historic Environment and Sustainable Development. 2. Headline Indicators 2.1 A total of 80 consultation responses were received, including formal consultation responses from a number of organisations and Statutory Consultees: Historic England Natural England Environment Agency Marine Management Organisation RSPB Isles of Scilly Healthwatch Five Islands School – Student Council National Farmers Union Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust Cornwall Council Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership Duchy of Cornwall Islands Partnership The Council of the Isles of Scilly Strategic Development Tresco Estates 2.2 We also had responses from 63 individuals of which all of the inhabited islands were represented. Figure 1 below shows the number and location of respondents and Figure 2 sets out the breakdown of respondents by type. This includes permanent residents, second homeowners or organisations. 4 Number of Respondents by Location 1 2 11 6 7 53 St Marys St Martins St Agnes Bryher Tresco Non-Islander Figure 1 Number of respondents by Location Number of Respondents by Type 13 4 63 Permanent Resident 2nd Home owner Organisation Figure 2 Number of respondents by Type 2.3 The consultation ended on 24 th July 2015. Every household was written to directly inviting them to participate in the Local Plan consultation. This was a letter directing them where copies of the documents could be viewed and obtained. We did not send copies of the Scoping Report to all households. 1750 letters were sent out and Officers hosted drop-in sessions across all of the inhabited islands during the 2 nd week of the 7 week consultation. This attracted 117 people to speak to us about the Local Plan review process. 5 Number of visitors attending Drop-In sessions 2 2 38 25 8 42 Bryher 15/06/2015 Tresco 16/06/2015 St Martins 17/06/2015 St Agnes 18/06/2015 St Marys 19/06/2015 St Marys 20/06/2015 Figure 3 Number of visitors to island drop-in sessions 2.4 We have now considered all the responses. Sections 3-4 will provide a summary of responses received and section 5 will set out the Local Planning Authorities response, whilst section 6 will outline the next steps regarding the next stage of the Local Plan Review process. 2.5 We are grateful to all the organisations across a range of sectors, as well as individuals for replying to this consultation. Figure 4 Photographs taken during the Island Drop-In sessions (left to right: St Martins, St Agnes and St Mary’s) 6 3. Summary of responses 3.1 The Consultation posed a number of questions for consideration. Whilst there was no obligation to answer these questions, it is useful to set out the general responses to these questions. 1. Do you think the vision, aims and objectives of the Sustainable Economic Plan are appropriate? If not do you have any suggestions about what other objectives could be included? 3.2 A total of 47 respondents answered question 1 and a number of people had comments to make but made no indication as to whether they agreed with this question. Question 1 Percentage of respondents in Agreement Percentage of respondents in Disagreement Nil response Figure 5 Responses made to Question 1 3.3 As you can see from figure 5 above the majority of respondents gave no indication either way as to whether they thought the ‘vision, aims and objectives of the Sustainable Economic Plan were appropriate 41%. Although a higher proportion (39%) of respondents agreed with the vision. 20% disagreeing with the proposal to use the same vision, aims and objectives as the Sustainable Economic Plan. 2. Do you consider housing is a key issue for the Isles of Scilly Local Plan to address and if so what do you think the main issue is/issues are? 3.4 A total of 51 people responded to question 2 and a number of people had comments to make but made no indication as to whether or not they agreed. 7 Question 2 Percentage of respondents in Agreement Percentage of respondents in Disagreement Nil response Figure 6 Responses made to question 2 3.5 As displayed in figure 6 above the overwhelming majority of people, who answered this question, agreed ( 60%) that housing is a key issue for the Local Plan moving forward. 36% made no indication either way and 4% disagreed that housing was not a key issue. 3. Do you agree that new housing is required on the islands and if so do you have any suggestions as to how many, what type and where they should be located? 3.6 A total of 40 people gave an answer to question 3 with a number of people giving no indication but did provide some comments. Question 3 Percentage of respondents in Agreement Percentage of respondents in Disagreement Nil response Figure 7 Responses to question 3. 8 3.7 The majority of respondents chose to give no answer to this question (40%). A significant proportion, however (41%) agreed that new housing is required on the islands. Only 9% of respondents, who answered, disagreed that new housing is required on the islands. 4. Do you think the Council should be allowing some limited open market housing as a means of enabling housing development and to meet the wider demands of the islands? 3.8 A total of 44 people provided an answer to question 4 and whilst a number of people made comments to this question, the