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Decision details
Local Development Scheme Priority Documents
Decision Maker: Cabinet.
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Purpose:
To consider and approve the development plan documents (DPD), area action plans (AAP) and supplementary planning documents (SPD) prioritised in the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment as the basis for preparing an amended Local Development Scheme.
Decision:
1. That it be agreed that the Core Strategy DPD, Development Delivery DPD and Central Maidstone AAP comprise the key documents in a review of the Local Development Scheme.
2. That it be agreed that priority be given to preparing a Parking Standards SPD, a Landscape Character Assessment Guidelines SPD and an Affordable Housing SPD to provide the detail necessary for the implementation of Core Strategy policies.
Reasons for the decision:
The
Council is required to produce a Local Development Scheme (LDS)
that sets out the range of DPDs it is
proposing to prepare together with a work programme over a minimum
three year period. Although there is no
duty to include a programme for the production of SPDs, the identification of key SPDs that are a priority to deliver Core Strategy
policies provides clarity for the public.
The
government has stressed the importance of keeping local development
schemes up-to-date. The LDS must be
agreed and submitted to the Secretary of State, and the scheme will
come into effect when the Council receives notification from the
Secretary of State. There is no longer
a requirement to submit the LDS to GOSE for comment or suggested
revisions.
The
report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment
recommends changes to the local development documents programmed in
the adopted LDS (2009) that will form the basis for a
review.
Maidstone’s LDS was first adopted in 2005, and was amended
in 2007 and 2009. There have been a
number of events since 2009 that have resulted in delays to the LDS
programme and led to the need for a review of the scheme:
· A deferment of the Core Strategy DPD timetable to enable the Council to set a locally derived housing target;
· A delay to the Gypsy and Traveller Pitch Allocations DPD programme as a result of the need to set a locally derived pitch target;
· Amendments to national planning policy statements; and
· Proposed changes to the plan making system emerging through the Localism Bill and the government’s Plan for Growth.
The 2009 LDS[1] incorporates the following development plan documents (DPD) and area action plans (AAP):
· Core Strategy DPD
· Gypsy & Traveller Pitch Allocations DPD
· Town Centre Regeneration AAP
· Maidstone Urban Extension AAP
·
Land Allocations DPD.
The 2009 LDS also confirms that the Council will give consideration to prioritising a number of supplementary planning documents (SPD) including:
· Planning Tariff SPD
· Parking Strategy SPD
· Landscape Character Area Assessment SPDs
· Character Area Assessment SPDs
· Air Quality SPD.
Core Strategy DPD
The
Core Strategy DPD, which sets the Council’s spatial vision
and objectives for future development in the borough, is the
lynchpin of Maidstone’s local development framework (LDF) and
its adoption is a priority for the Council.
Gypsy and Traveller Pitch Allocations DPD
The
purpose of the Gypsy and Traveller Pitch Allocations DPD was to
allocate land to meet the pitch target that was due to be
determined through the South East Plan Partial Review. The supply of gypsy and traveller pitches has long
been a local issue for the Council, so an independent DPD prepared
in advance of the Core Strategy was intended to address the urgent
need as identified in the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation
Assessment (GTAA). Future need for
pitches beyond 2016 would be addressed in the Land Allocations
DPD.
Alongside the government’s announcement that it intended
to revoke regional strategies, it was also confirmed that the South
East Plan Partial Review would not be completed. It will be the responsibility of local authorities
to set their own pitch targets in DPDs
based on evidence. The Council has
already given consideration to a local pitch target, and the draft
Core Strategy sets a target of 71 pitches to be provided between
2006 and 2016 as well as setting the criteria for determining
planning applications for pitches on previously unidentified
sites.
Due to
the time that has elapsed since work on the DPD commenced, a number
of private pitches have been provided through the grant of planning
permission or by appeal, and it is possible that the numerical
target of 71 pitches by 2016 will be met through the granting of
planning permissions. However, securing
a suitable site(s) for public pitch provision is a challenge and
the subject of ongoing work (as discussed elsewhere on this
agenda).
Furthermore, as the Core Strategy will confirm the pitch target
to 2016, any DPD that allocates land for gypsy and traveller
pitches cannot be produced in advance of the adoption of the Core
Strategy. Work on the DPD can commence
at an earlier stage but Public Participation consultation cannot be
undertaken before the Core Strategy is adopted.
The option to prepare an independent DPD for gypsy and traveller accommodation remains, although there is now an opportunity to consider a more efficient and cost effective approach to meeting need. Proposals to update the LDS include bringing forward the production of the Land Allocations DPD (under a new title of Development Delivery DPD) so it would now be timely to allocate pitches in the Development Delivery DPD. An updated evidence base to assess accommodation needs to 2026 will be prepared prior to the preparation of the DPD. The identification and development of a public site(s) can be pursued outside of the DPD process, so the merging of DPDs would not result in a delay to public pitch provision in the period to 2016.
This
approach would result in staff resource and cost
savings. The process for a DPD requires
staffing resources and budget to fund at least three consultation
stages and an independent examination. Not all time/costs involved can be avoided
but there would be significant reductions, particularly for
administration, consultation events and examination
costs. The primary risk to
incorporating pitch allocations in the Development Delivery DPD is
if there is a delay to preparing this DPD given its wide remit but,
balancing the benefits and risks of combining DPDs, this approach is thought appropriate and an
independent Gypsy and Traveller Pitch Allocations DPD is not
proposed to be included in the review of the LDS.
Town Centre Regeneration AAP
Priority will be given to the production of the Town Centre
Regeneration AAP following the adoption of the Core
Strategy. However, it is recommended
that this document is renamed the Central Maidstone AAP to allow
some flexibility to incorporate pertinent sites adjacent to the
town centre boundary.
Maidstone
Urban Extension AAP
The
Core Strategy no longer proposes an urban extension or strategic
development area as part of its strategy for the distribution of
development. Consequently, the
Maidstone Urban Extension will not be included in the revised
LDS.
Land
Allocations DPD
In the
2009 LDS, the Land Allocations DPD is programmed to commence in
2013. The recommended removal of other
DPDs from the updated LDS presents an
opportunity to bring this DPD forward, which will capitalise on the
vast amount of work undertaken for the Core
Strategy. The Land Allocations
DPD will contain site specific allocations for all land uses, as
well as designated areas of protection.
There
is a further option to include development management policies in
this document, which were outside the scope of the 2009
LDS. However, the saved Maidstone
Borough Wide Local Plan policies, which form part of the
development plan, are increasingly becoming outdated as further
government guidance and planning policy statements are
published. In addition to the Spatial
Policy team, staff resources from other
departments have been identified to assist in this
task. This approach will provide an
up-to-date policy framework for development management
processes. Given the wide scope of this
document, it is thought appropriate that it be renamed the
Development Delivery DPD.
Supplementary Planning
Documents
The
Core Strategy is the key LDF document, but it is a broad policy
framework document. Subsequent
DPDs and AAPs will strengthen the policy framework, but a
suite of SPDs will also be required to
add detail to Core Strategy policies as well as other DPDs. There are a
number of options for SPD production, but it is crucial to
prioritise those SPDs that will be
required to deliver the Core Strategy.
The
Planning Tariff SPD will no longer be required due to the
introduction of the community infrastructure levy. The Council has prepared an Infrastructure
Delivery Plan and will develop a charging schedule to set its
community infrastructure levy.
A
Parking Standards SPD and the Landscape Character Assessment
Guidelines SPD will need to be prepared as soon as practical after
the adoption of the Core Strategy to add detail to
policy. Similarly, an Affordable
Housing SPD will be required to expand on the detail of the Core
Strategy affordable housing policy, which will supersede the
currently adopted Affordable Housing DPD.
The
adopted LDS (2009) refers to a Parking Strategy SPD
but the parking strategy is a document that will underpin the
Sustainable Transport Strategy. The
Parking Standards SPD will set out local parking
standards for both new residential and commercial development,
acknowledging national guidance but informed by local demand,
accessibility levels and smarter transport choices identified in
the Sustainable Transport Strategy.
Further
Character Area SPDs and an Air Quality
SPD are desirable but are not critical to Core Strategy
delivery. Priority can be given to the
production of these SPDs and others
once key documents are adopted.
LDS Programme
Consequently, it is thought appropriate that the revised LDS programme prioritises the production of the following documents:
· Core Strategy DPD
· Development Delivery DPD
· Central Maidstone AAP
· Parking Standards SPD
· Landscape Character Assessment Guidelines SPD
·
Affordable Housing SPD.
A subsequent report will recommend adoption of a revised LDS, and seek approval to submit the LDS to the Secretary of State.
Alternative options considered:
The LDF must contain a Core Strategy DPD and a Proposals Map, and the Council has a duty to maintain an up-to-date LDS. The Council could confine its LDS programme to the production of a Core Strategy only but this approach is not recommended. Although the Core Strategy will set a policy framework, it will not deliver the level of detail necessary to implement all of its policies and strategies. The alternative approach would exacerbate a growing policy framework vacuum for development management processes, and would impact on the Council’s ability to plan for its growth in a sustainable manner.
Reason Key: Significant Impact on two or more wards;
Wards Affected: Boxley Ward; East Ward; (All Wards);
Details of the Committee: None
Representations should be made by: N/A
Other reasons / organisations consulted
N/A
Consultees
N/A
Contact: David Edwards Email: davidedwards@maidstone.gov.uk.
Report author: David Edwards
Publication date: 09/06/2011
Date of decision: 08/06/2011
Decided: 08/06/2011 - Cabinet.
Effective from: 17/06/2011
Accompanying Documents: