Bolton’s Annual Monitoring Report 2008/2009 For more information contact: Planning Research Development and Regeneration 5th Floor Town Hall Bolton BL1 1RU Tel: 01204 333216 Email [email protected] December 2009 Local Development Framework – Shaping the Future of Bolton EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 6 SPATIAL PORTRAIT AND ISSUES .................................................................................... 9 PROGRESS WITH THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME ........................................... 17 MONITORING OF POLICIES & INDICATORS USING SIX PRIORITY THEMES ............ 32 1 Healthy Bolton .............................................................................................................................. 32 2 Achieving Bolton .......................................................................................................................... 39 3 Prosperous Bolton ........................................................................................................................ 42 4 Safe ................................................................................................................................................ 65 5 Cleaner Greener Bolton ............................................................................................................... 68 6 Strong & Confident Bolton .......................................................................................................... 76 APPENDIX ....................................................................................................................... 119 Appendix 1: Progress on Evidence Base ..................................................................................... 119 Appendix 2: Existing and Proposed Planning Policy Guidance ............................................... 146 Appendix 3: Saved UDP Policies & Incorporation into LDF .................................................... 148 Appendix 4: Local Development Documents Changes to Timetable ........................................ 151 Appendix 5: Definitions of Core Indicators ................................................................................ 154 Appendix 6: Glossary .................................................................................................................... 160 Appendix 7: Bolton National Indicator Set ................................................................................. 165 Appendix 8: Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment 2009 Site List ......................... 168 Appendix 9: Detailed Schedule of Sites with Planning Permission (Housing) ......................... 179 Appendix 10: Employment Completions – 1st April 2008 to 31st March 2009 ........................ 193 Appendix 11: Annual Employment land Resource Sites – April 2009 ..................................... 196 Appendix 12: Employment Development Sites Under Construction (Non Employment Land Resource Sites – April 2009) ......................................................................................................... 197 Annual Monitoring Report 2009 1 Local Development Framework – Shaping the Future of Bolton Appendix 13: Employment Development Sites with permission but not implemented (Non Employment Land Resource Sites – April 2009) ........................................................................ 198 Appendix 14: Annual and Average Employment Take Up Rates (1985 – 2009) ..................... 202 Annual Monitoring Report 2009 2 Local Development Framework – Shaping the Future of Bolton Executive Summary This is the fifth Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) prepared by Bolton Council. The AMR contains information about the implementation of the Local Development Scheme (LDS) and the extent to which policies set out in the Local Development Documents are being achieved. In the context of the new planning system, with its focus on the delivery of sustainable development, monitoring takes on an important role in assessing whether the policy aims and objectives are being achieved. This AMR covers the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 and contains information on five key monitoring tasks: • To review progress on Local Development Document (LDD) preparation and the implementation of the Local Development Scheme (LDS). • To assess the extent to which policies in Local Development Documents are being implemented. • Where policies are not being implemented to explain why and set out review actions. • Identify significant effects of implementing planning policies. • Set out whether policies are to be amended or replaced. The key proposed changes to the Local Development Scheme include revision of the proposed milestones for the Core Strategy to take into account a number of factors including delays in the publication of the Regional Spatial Strategy, and a decision that Bolton’s Allocations DPD should be prepared after the Core Strategy. The 2005 UDP policies continue to provide a relevant context for developments and support the Sustainable Community Strategy. Bolton’s story is one of determination and ambition, of a town built on aspiration and resilience. Since the middle of the 20th century the traditional manufacturing base has been completely re-shaped and other sectors have grown to replace manufacturing. Some production industries have modernised around new technology and the service sector has grown significantly. The borough of Bolton is one of ten metropolitan districts in Greater Manchester. Around half of the borough’s area is built up, but the remainder is countryside, mainly in agricultural use or open moorland. Annual Monitoring Report 2009 3 Local Development Framework – Shaping the Future of Bolton Issues Challenges and Opportunities The information from the spatial portrait, monitoring of policy, the Contextual, Core and Local Indicators has raised a series of issues, challenges and opportunities. The current economic conditions are set to put downward pressures on growth in the Northwest and the Manchester City Region, with unemployment rising and business conditions worsening in the manufacturing and services sectors. The challenge is to make sure that the City Region’s diverse knowledge economy is able meet the demands of this current economic crisis1. Bolton council is being pro-active in tackling these challenges. This influences all the issues and is not separately listed. Issues include the following: • The range of issues related to an ageing population. • An increasing number of households year on year. • A gap between the least and most well off, demonstrated by high deprivation levels in some areas. • Lower life expectancy and higher death rates than the national average. • Relatively poor educational attainment compared to the country as a whole. • The imperative to improve accessibility to jobs and services. • Current poor access to Bolton Hospital by non car modes. • The vision to reduce the unemployment rate in the deprived areas. • The fact that new jobs require higher skills. • The beneficial economic relationship between Bolton and the city region. • The opportunities in the town centre provided by planned investment in further education through bringing together the two colleges, and the fast growing university. • The vision to provide sufficient and well-located employment land and premises. • Opportunities that will be provided in the transformed and vibrant Bolton town centre. • The requirement to satisfy the identified need for facilities for disposal of waste and re-cycling. • There are active minerals workings in Bolton and more geological reserves are known. • Bolton’s recorded crime levels are reducing but perception of crime remains high. • The need to provide facilities for young people. • The need to reduce the number of children killed or seriously injured on roads. • The risk of flooding in river valleys. • To avoid listed buildings on the “at risk” register being demolished or significantly damaged. 1 Manchester Independent Economic Review, Economic Baseline Assessment: Unit 1 Economic Context, November 2008, P4. Annual Monitoring Report 2009 4 Local Development Framework – Shaping the Future of Bolton • Achieving the best from greenspace of all types as well as public open spaces and environments. • The need to achieve reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. • Improving the built environment especially in the inner areas of Bolton and Farnworth. • The protection of Bolton’s network of sites important for biodiversity and geodiversity beyond the designated sites, and the conservation and enhancement of landscape character and quality. • The opportunity of providing sufficient and well located housing land to support the Growth Points Bid. • The demonstrable need for affordable housing. • To continue to strengthen relationships between established and new communities. Bolton has a clear vision and a committed local partnership of private, public, voluntary, community and faith sector organisations. The Sustainable Community Strategy provides a route map that will guide Bolton to 2017. The Local Development Framework will be a spatial expression of the Bolton Sustainable Community Strategy, “Bolton: Our Vision”. The various components of the Local Development Documents will express the elements of the Community Strategy that relate to the development