Kinver NDP Issues and Options Kinver Neighbourhood Development Plan 2021 - 2037 Issues and Options for the Parish of Kinver Background information to support the first Public Consultation questionnaire, June 2021 Welcome to the Issues and Options document for the Kinver Neighbourhood Development Plan first consultation. This document provides background information and context for the First Household Questionnaire on the Plan. The Questionnaire is being delivered to every household in the parish in June 2021. A copy of the questionnaire, and other information about the Plan, can be found on our website, kinvernplan.co.uk. If you would like to become more involved in the Plan's preparation, or you are interested in being kept up to date with the progress of the Plan, please email [email protected] or call the Parish Clerk on 01384 873878. 1 Kinver NDP Issues and Options Table of Contents Public Consultation ............................................................................................ 3 1. A Neighbourhood Development Plan for Kinver .......................................... 4 2. More about Neighbourhood Development Plans ........................................ 5 3. Kinver Today ................................................................................................ 6 4. Key Themes for the Neighbourhood Plan .................................................... 7 4.1 Community and Amenities .................................................................... 8 4.2 Nature ................................................................................................. 10 4.3 Heritage ............................................................................................... 12 4.4 Economy .............................................................................................. 14 4.5 Climate Change .................................................................................... 16 4.6 Homes ................................................................................................. 18 5.0 Next Steps .............................................................................................. 19 Appendices (separate document) Appendix 1. What is a Neighbourhood Development Plan? Appendix 2. Local Plan Core Strategy: relevant policies Appendix 3: Community facilities for public use in Kinver parish Appendix 4. Sports and Physical Recreation Facilities in Kinver Parish Appendix 5. Open Green Spaces in Kinver Parish Hyde Lock, Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal 2 Kinver NDP Issues and Options Public Consultation This document provides background information for the first questionnaire about the Kinver Neighbourhood Development Plan (the Plan) which is published for informal public consultation in June 2021. The consultation is an opportunity for everyone in Kinver Parish to find out more about the Neighbourhood Plan and help to shape it at an early stage. This document sets out the key planning issues identified so far, as relevant to Kinver Parish. It invites your comments about how we can address them in our Plan. It has been prepared by the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group of parish councillors and local residents, on behalf of the Parish Council. There will be further public consultations on the Plan over the coming months. All responses will be considered carefully and will contribute to the Plan's policies and proposals. We are committed to keeping everyone informed at all stages and making sure all points of view are listened to. At the very end of the process there will be a local referendum and everyone on the electoral register will be invited to vote on whether the Neighbourhood Development Plan should be used to determine planning applications. Kinver High Street We need to know: • Do you as local residents and stakeholders agree with the objectives and key planning issues we have identified so far? • Which of the possible policy options and actions do you support? • Is there anything important that you think we have missed? • Do you have any other comments on how the Plan should develop? 3 Kinver NDP Issues and Options 1. A Neighbourhood Development Plan for Kinver Kinver Parish Council made the decision to prepare a Neighbourhood Development Plan, in order to ensure that Kinver continues to evolve in a way which serves its residents and future generations. Having a Plan in place will give us a greater say in planning decisions and in the protection of our special rural environment and built heritage. The 2020 Planning White Paper suggests that Neighbourhood Plans could have a greater role to play in future. The Neighbourhood Plan’s area is that of Kinver Parish (Map 1). It was designated by South Staffordshire Council on 24th September 2020. It will run to 2037, to match the Local Plan, and may be revised as required to keep it up to date. Map 1. Kinver Parish and Designated Neighbourhood Area. (Copyright OS 2021) 4 Kinver NDP Issues and Options A Steering Group made up of Parish Councillors and Kinver residents has prepared the first questionnaire. Once the results are in, the Steering Group will start working on the detail of the Policies and collecting the necessary further evidence to create the Plan. There will be several more opportunities to comment and to contribute to the development of the Plan over the coming months. We welcome and need participation and support from residents in developing the detail of the Plan. 2. More about Neighbourhood Development Plans Neighbourhood Development Plans were created to give local people a greater say in planning decisions that affect their area. They can set out local design principles; protect important facilities, historic buildings, the natural environment and open spaces; and identify where development should take place. Our ‘Made’ (i.e. adopted) Neighbourhood Plan will stand alongside the South Staffordshire Local Plan in determining the outcome of planning applications. A Neighbourhood Plan must reflect the wishes of local people. There will be a number of consultations to encourage local people to contribute ideas and expertise to make sure the Plan is right for Kinver. In addition, the Plan must be ‘examined’ to ensure it ‘meets the required basic conditions’, which includes being compatible with relevant national and district policies. The final Plan has to be approved by Kinver parish residents and stakeholders at a local referendum. For more detailed information, please see Appendix 1. A Neighbourhood Plan cannot do everything. Since it deals with planning issues, it cannot directly control matters such as services, public transport, health care and highways. However, it can protect structures necessary for such services; it can require or encourage new developments which have a positive impact on the parish; and can identify desirable uses for financial contributions from developers. A Neighbourhood Plan must take due account of both national and local planning policies. This means, for example, that the Kinver Plan cannot propose a smaller number of houses than have been specified in the South Staffordshire Local Plan. The National and Local Plan policies which our Plan needs to take into account are summarised in Appendix 2. 5 Kinver NDP Issues and Options 3. Kinver Today The parish of Kinver is located within South Staffordshire Council local authority area. It lies to the west of the urban areas of Stourbridge, Birmingham and the Black Country. The Parish extends over 4,196 ha and had a population of 7,225 in the 2011 census, which had changed little by 2019. Kinver is the main population centre, with outlying settlements including Stourton, Iverley and Lawnswood. Kinver village is dominated by the sandstone ridge of Kinver Edge. The Rock Houses and Kinver Edge are a popular visitor attraction under the National Trust. The whole of the non- built area of the parish is Green Belt, creating a green corridor to the west of the Black Country. The River Stour runs through the area and the parish includes beautiful stretches of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the Stourbridge Canal. The landscape is of woodlands, streams and undulating countryside, with a mix of arable and grazing land. Kinver parish includes a wealth of built heritage and archaeological assets, and two conservation areas (Kinver centre; and the canal corridor). Kinver High Street was laid out as a 13th century planned town with a wide central street, to house a market, flanked by houses each with long narrow plots (burgage plots), and the street retains a number of historic buildings. Kinver village is well served with shops including a supermarket, a pharmacist, a butcher, a bakery, four pubs, two social clubs, and several eating establishments and takeaways. There are 3 schools educating infants through to sixth form; and 3 pre-schools. The wider parish also contains pubs and restaurants, and other enterprises including farms, garden centres, care and retirement homes, liveries, and a major anaerobic digestion facility. Kinver parish abounds with societies, special interest groups and charitable trusts which add community cohesion to the parish. The majority of employment however is in nearby towns. Public transport is limited, and car use is necessarily high. 6 Kinver NDP Issues and Options 4. Key Objectives for the Neighbourhood Plan An overall Vision for the Kinver Neighbourhood Plan, and draft objectives, have been identified below. For each in turn, this document discusses the potential policies which could be included