Stroud District Local Plan Briefing on Stroud District Local Plan (- Conrad Moore, Planning Strategy Team) January 2016

Agenda Local Plan Process and Timetable Weight and Status (NPPF) Overall approach – Development Strategy What else is new? Implementation and Review

Timetable to adoption Inspector’s Report 2 November 2015 Adoption by Council 19 November 2015 Replaces 2005 Local Plan immediately

Status in NPPF: 5 Year Land Supply Part of Development Plan “Proposed development that accords with an up-to-date Local Plan should be approved and proposed development that conflicts should be refused unless other material considerations indicate otherwise” (12) but “Relevant policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up-to-date if the local planning authority cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable homes. (49) Inspector has confirmed Stroud DC can demonstrate a 7.03 supply.

Status in NPPF: National policy NPPF is a material consideration “The NPPF constitutes guidance for local planning authorities and decision takes both in drawing up plans and as a material consideration in determining planning applications.”(13) “Due weight should be given to relevant policies in existing plans according to their degree of consistency with this framework” (215) Inspector has confirmed the Local Plan is sound i.e. consistent with national policy (now)

Presumption in favour of sustainable development Before : “where the development plan is absent, silent or relevant policies are out-of-date, granting permission unless any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in this Framework taken as a whole” (14) Now: “All plans should be based upon and reflect the presumption in favour of development, with clear policies that will guide how the presumption should be applied locally” (15)

Strategy Place-making Delivery Policies

So what’s the big idea? Strategic mixed use sites (WoS, Hunts Grove) “Actively manage patterns of growth to make the fullest possible use of public transport, walking and cycling, and focus significant development in locations which are or can be made sustainable”(NPPF,17) Strategic mixed use sites (WoS, Hunts Grove) Settlement hierarchy - Direct growth to higher tier settlements Conserve countryside by defining limits to growth

So what does that mean in practice? “Approving development that accords with the development plan without delay” (NPPF, 14) Sites allocated for development Housing sites within settlement limits (subject to criteria) Employment within key employment sites (subject to criteria) Retail within town and local centres Rural development in countryside

Managing growth – settlement hierarchy “The overall strategy focuses most large-scale and strategic development at the 1st-tier settlements, which inevitably results in settlements lower down the hierarchy being allocated less development.” (IR, 72) “In many cases, these settlements have already accommodated significant amounts of development in the past, including earlier within the current plan period,...and it is now appropriate to re-focus strategic development at the most appropriate and sustainable larger settlements.” (IR, 76)

Managing growth – settlement hierarchy Refuse strategic development at lower tiers in the settlement hierarchy Policy CP3 Development of a scale that individually, or cumulatively, leads to a level of growth that is contrary to the role of the settlement as identified in the settlement hierarchy, leading to a likely increase in the need to travel (by unsustainable modes of transport) to employment and to access appropriate services and facilities.

Managing growth – settlement limits “in the context of a local plan which fully meets the identified housing requirement, to allow unrestricted development outside existing settlement limits could undermine the established strategy of managing growth in the district.” (IR, 66)

Managing growth – settlement limits Refuse development outside limits that: Has an adverse impact on the intrinsic character, quality and beauty of the countryside; Leads to isolated homes in the countryside; Has an adverse impact on the local form and character, separate identity and setting of a settlement; Policy CP2 and Policy CP15

Managing growth – settlement limits Refuse development outside limits that: Is not within a reasonable (walking) distance to local facilities and services; (800m – Policy EI6) Development in a location where there are not, or will not be at the time of development, choices in the mode of transport available and which do not minimise the distance people need to travel to employment and to access appropriate services and facilities. Policy CP2 and Policy CP13

So what else is new?

Parish Cluster areas “All development proposals shall accord with the Mini-Visions and have regard to the Guiding Principles for that locality” (Policy CP4) Key issues and top priorities Vision Guiding Principles Opportunities, growth and key projects

So what else is new? CP7 – Lifetime communities HC3 – Strategic self-build housing EI2 – Regenerating employment sites EI2a – Former Berkeley Power Station EI9 – Floorspace thresholds for retail ES1 – Sustainable construction & design ES16 – Public art contributions

Developer contributions (CP6) CP6 – Infrastructure / mitigation of impacts CP9 – Affordable housing EI12 – Transport infrastructure ES11 – Canals ES14 – Natural green space ES15 – Outdoor play space ES16 – Public art

Rodborough Common SAC – Core Catchment Area & Mitigation Strategy

Mitigating impacts on SPA/SAC Policy ES6 – Providing for biodiversity Interim Strategy Rodborough Common £200 for every house built in catchment zone (towards defined mitigation schemes) Currently undertaking visitor survey for Severn Estuary to identify potential impacts on migrating birds

Other future tools and guidance CIL Planning obligations/Affordable housing SPD Heritage Strategy Sustainable Construction Checklist

Local Plan Review Within 5 years of adoption Consider unmet needs of neighbouring authorities Starting with review of SALA “Call for sites” December 2015

http://www.stroud.gov.uk/info/plan_strat/localplan2015/Stroud_District_Local_Plan_November_2015.pdf Local Plan link