Wakefield East Consortium City Fields Representations to the Wakefield Retail & Town Centre Local Plan 31 July 2013 Contents 1. Introduction and Background ....................................................................5 2. Statutory Policy Context and Other Relevant Policies .......................7 2.1. Statutory Development Plan.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2. National Planning Policy Framework ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 3. Existing Foodstore Provision in the Wakefield Urban Area ........... 10 4. Responses to Specific Questions within the Wakefield Retail & Town Centre Local Plan Early Engagement Consultation .............. 12 4.1. Question 1............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 4.2. Question 2............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 4.3. Question 3............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 4.4. Question 4............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13 4.5. Question 5............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 4.6. Question 6............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 4.7. Questions 7-17................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 5. Appendix ...................................................................................................... 20 Key The Site 1. Introduction and Background Wakefield East Consortium (WEC) are promoting the comprehensive development of an urban extension east of Wakefield, known as City Fields. The site is allocated in the Site Specific Proposals Document (SSPD) as a Special Policy Area (SPA2) that has been secured through extensive working and negotiation with Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and an Examination in Public. Spawforths have been instructed to promote the site for development by making representations to the Wakefield Retail & Town Centre Local Plan Early Engagement Consultation June 2013. The land is approximately 146 ha in extent and is in the east of the Wakefield urban area located between the Aire & Calder Navigation and the existing built up areas of East Moor incorporating both brownfield and greenfield land. The site extends from the A638 Doncaster Road in the south to Ferry Lane/ Aberford Road in the north. The site is irregular with the largest development area to the east of Aberford Road/Bar Lane, close to Pinderfields Hospital. The completed development will comprise of approximately 2,500 houses, employment and supporting infrastructure including the Wakefield Eastern Relief Road, as well as community services and facilities. As part of the proposals and as identified in the SPA allocation, the site: “could include neighbourhood or district centres to accommodate ancillary retail, leisure, education and community uses. The scale of these ancillary or complementary uses will reflect the scale and function of the Special Policy Area and should accord with the Core Strategy, Development Policies and national planning policies”. The scale of the development and extent of the site justifies the need for new supporting facilities, which will be located in a new District Centre close to Pinderfields Hospital. As the site extends to some 3 km from north to south, there is also the potential for a new local centre in the south as well as potential local or neighbourhood facilities part way through the site, as part of a marina development on the canal. These are all set out in the Masterplan Framework document produced by Spawforths on behalf of the WEC. These elements must be considered and recognised within the emerging Wakefield Retail & Town Centre Local Plan. 2. Statutory Policy Context and Other Relevant Policies 2.1. Statutory Development Plan The statutory development plan for Wakefield comprises the: • Wakefield Local Development Framework (LDF): o Core Strategy (CS), April 2009 o Development Policies (DP), April 2009 o Site Specifics Proposals Document (SSPD), 12 September 2012 • Wakefield Unitary Development Plan First Alteration adopted January 2003 (UDP): o The LDF replaces many of the policies in the UDP. However the remaining saved policies of the UDP, including Retail, Leisure and Open Space policies, remain part of the statutory plan. 2.1.1. LDF - Core Strategy The Core Strategy identifies the places where most development should take place and those where development ought to be limited, in order to create sustainable communities. The key policies relating to this application within the Core Strategy are as follows: • Policy CS1 - Location of Development directs development including mixed-use development to the main urban areas with the ‘largest amount’ within the sub- regional City of Wakefield. • Policy CS2 - Retail and Town Centres promotes Wakefield City Centre as the primary centre and then Castleford and Pontefract as secondary centres. It acknowledges the role of other centres and that other retail provision will be of a scale appropriate to the size and function of the centre. • Policy CS4 - Sustainable Transport seeks to ensure that development is located in a way that it maximizes accessibility and reduces the need for travel by the private car. The thrust of the Policy is aimed at identifying how development such as housing may be justified in terms of how it is located close to shops and services. In the case of City Fields (Wakefield East), a large urban extension is proposed in an area with little existing provision by way of shops and services. Provision of these elements within the scheme may be considered in the following context, “development which generates a large number of passenger movements should be located in Wakefield city centre, in other town centres in the main urban areas or at locations which provide convenient access on foot, by cycle and public transport”. [our emphasis] 2.1.2. LDF - Development Policies The Development Policies document provides more detailed policies that link to the Core Strategy Policies. The majority of Policies relate to detailed design matters and do not need to be set out here. 2.1.3. LDF - Site Specifics Proposals Document The Council has the Site Specifics Proposals Document (SSPD), as part of the LDF. The SSPD provides a set of site allocations and proposals to take forward the vision, objectives and development strategy of the Core Strategy. The document includes land allocations to meet anticipated development needs relating to housing, employment and mixed use development. These proposals replace equivalent allocations and designations in the saved UDP. City Fields (Wakefield East) is identified as a Special Policy Area (SPA2) within the SSPD. The Policy states that: “The masterplan proposes a range of developments and uses, including residential, employment (mix of light industrial, warehousing and office uses) and recreational, environmental and community facilities.” The supporting text states: “Special Policy Areas are areas that are considered suitable for more than one use, or need to be developed in the context of a primary use, supported by ancillary or complementary uses. Such ancillary or complementary uses could include neighbourhood or district centres to accommodate ancillary retail, leisure, education and community uses. The scale of these ancillary or complementary uses will reflect the scale and function of the Special Policy Area and should accord with the Core Strategy, Development Policies and national planning policies.” 2.2. National Planning Policy Framework The National Planning Policy Framework directs Local Planning Authorities to prepare positive plans that seek opportunities to meet the development needs of their area and that whilst they should meet objectively assessed needs, there should be sufficient flexibility to adapt to ‘rapid change’. At the heart of the NPPF is the presumption in favour of sustainable development, which should be seen as a ‘golden thread’ running through both plan making and decision taking. The NPPF places an emphasis on ‘ensuring the vitality of town centres’. It indicates that policies for town centres should be positive and promote competitive town centre environments. They should