PAPER C
Committee: ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, TOURISM AND LEISURE SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE
Date: 23 SEPTEMBER
2002
Title: PLANNING
POLICY ISSUES
REPORT OF
THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE AND ENVIRONMENT SERVICES
SUMMARY/PURPOSE
This paper provides feedback
from the Planning Policy Task Group and suggests priorities for future planning
policy work, with particular reference to the production of Supplementary
Planning Guidance (SPG). Members, through
Select and Development Control Committee, have raised the issues for
consideration.
BACKGROUND
Members of the
Planning Policy Task Group at their last meeting discussed a number of planning
issues that required further consideration.
Listed below are a number of areas of work, including SPG. In general terms, SPG would seem to be the
most appropriate way of providing clarification of the policy approach to
development. The items are prioritised,
given ongoing commitments to other areas of work, particularly in respect of
Project Cowes, Pan Village Master Plan and Urban Capacity issues.
Proposed
Changes to the Planning System - Local Development Frameworks
Members need to be aware that
any review of policy needs to be considered in terms of developing Local
Development Frameworks (LDF’s). This
needs to be integrated into the work programme for the section. Due to the resources involved, many local
authorities have halted review of development plans until the government makes
clear its approach. Decisions will soon
have to be made as to the validity of progressing with a part review of the UDP
(principally PPG3 issues) or starting work on an LDF for the Island. These decisions will have both capacity and
financial implications.
The Government will
shortly be releasing more detailed information on the processes involved,
including a timetable for necessary legislation. Any decisions will need to be reached in the light of this
further information, and consultation and advice from GOSE and others. The key issues with regard to the recent ministerial
statement are listed in Appendix 1 of this report.
Other Issues for Consideration
1.
Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance
(SPG) and Best Practice Guide
With the publication of the revised PPG3 – Housing (2000), the policy
background within which the provision of affordable housing is attained has
altered. This has been augmented by the
Housing Needs Survey (2001), which illustrates the increasing need for
affordable provision on the Island.
Affordable Housing SPG provides the opportunity to look at revising the
affordable provision targets and thresholds set out in policy H14 of the
Unitary Development
Plan (UDP) in order to ensure that the planning process can deliver
increased levels of affordable units.
This would enable the Council to meets its objectives set out in the
Community Strategy, Corporate Plan and Public Service Agreement.
The Best Practice Guide would additionally provide guidance to assist developers, Housing
Associations and other, on the Council’s approach to negotiating and delivering
affordable housing through the planning process.
2.
Design SPG
Design SPG
are amongst the most common mechanisms used by LPA’s to influence new
development. They effectively
supplement the more general policy based advice in the UDP. SPG does, however, have to be consistent
with national and local (UDP) advice.
The Council in the past has produced a number of design related
documents such as the Countryside Design Summary and Shop Front Design
Guidance, but there is an identified need for more wide-ranging guidance which
will assist in improving the quality of the Island’s environment in line with
Corporate and Community Plan objectives.
The design
of residential development is felt to be the area that would most benefit from
design SPG, which in addition will greatly assist in maximising the use of
brownfield sites in line with the assumptions made in the Urban Capacity
Study. The Government have produced a
‘toolkit’ (By Design, 2000) demonstrating how local planning authorities can
influence design. Design Guides form
part of this toolkit.
Some design
guides may relate to a single policy, eg satellite dishes. Others may be area-based and would relate to
a number of policies. They will enable
the Council to guide development, and make most efficient use of design skills,
as officers will not find themselves repeatedly giving the same advice.
3.
Open Spaces
Policy L10
of the UDP sets out the Council’s approach for negotiating the provision of
open space as part of new housing development to NPFA standards.
Although
the policy is clear as to the requirements there is a need to provide more
detail as to the Council’s corporate approach to the adoption and maintenance
of the open space, which involves more than just the planning process
(Property, Parks and Gardens etc).
Recent difficulties in negotiating and delivering open space provision
have highlighted the need for a holistic approach.
It is therefore considered that the best way to provide SPG would be as
part of a wider Open Space Strategy produced by the Council, which would set
out the corporate commitment. This
would need to link to the Cultural Strategy currently under production. The Government is about to publish detailed
guidance on the best practice for undertaking open space audits, which will
provide the background for SPG.
4.
Car Parking in Town Centres
The
Development Control Committee have expressed some concern over car parking
policies within the UDP, where the current approach allows developers to promote
schemes that provide zero off street parking in some town centre
locations.
In a
number of cases objections have been received from local residents who have
raised concerns in respect of current on street parking problems. Their view has been that any further
residential development would only give rise to more vehicles seeking to park
in already busy streets.
The Council’s approach in the
UDP follows the guidance in PPG 13 Transport, which states that parking
standards should be expressed as a maximum rather than a minimum. It goes onto state that developers should
not be required to provide more car parking than they wish. That does not mean that the UDP insists on
zero parking other than in the very centre of the town (High Street shopping
areas) but the Council cannot insist that developers provide parking off
street.
It is suggested that the
Council take a more proactive approach to promoting the benefits of town centre
zero parking schemes, for example by seeking dialogue with estate agents who
market sites with no off-street parking and consider other approaches to the
management of on-street parking.
5.
Wind and Renewable Energy
As part of
the Council’s commitment to renewable energy and progress towards meeting
national and regional targets there is a need to put in place a Renewable
Energy Strategy (RES) for the Island.
Through
the RES Task Group there has been a request to consider the production of
Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to assist in determining any future
planning applications received by the Authority. The starting point for any guidance would be Policy U18 of the
UDP – Development of Renewable Energy.
Any SPG would have to be developed through appropriate consultation
processes and even if prioritised and resourced would take some time to
produce. In the meantime, however,
officers from Planning Policy, Development Control and AONB Unit are in the
process of formulating a guidance note on the subject, which will set out the
information required by the Council in order to determine any application.
6.
Replacement Dwellings in the Countryside (policy H9)
7.
Light Pollution
Policy D14
sets out the approach to dealing with development, which seeks external
lighting and provides detailed criteria as to what may be acceptable. The principle aim is to ensure any lighting
scheme is the minimum required for the task.
Light
spillage or pollution becomes more apparent in open countryside where there is
little existing development, street lighting or external lighting. Unnecessary or intrusive lighting can
undermine dark skies for astronomy and wildlife.
In urban areas, lighting can
adversely affect nearby residents or give rise to highway safety issues but is
often proposed as an important deterrent to crime. The Council can impose conditions to ensure any lighting approved
is properly focussed and at suitable levels, however, concern has particularly
been raised over halogen security lighting which is often permitted
development.
Consideration could be given to possible removal of
permitted development rights (Article 4 Direction) for this type of lighting
when dealing with new development proposals in certain locations, for example
in the AONB. This is another matter,
which could be covered in Design SPG.
CONCLUSION
Following adoption of the UDP last
year and the application of policies through the Development Control process,
there is a need to review certain aspects of the plan, and provide SPG on
identified sites.
In terms of priorities, it is
suggested that affordable housing, design and open space are dealt with first,
provided resources are available to meet existing commitments. Such as Project
Cowes and Pan Village master Plan, as well as any new areas of work. The requirements of any new planning
legislation on the Council will also need to be considered as part of this
process.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
It is estimated that the final
printing and publication of various SPG’s will cost in the region of £10,000.
RECOMMENDATION
It is
recommended that:
1. that SPG
notes are developed as set out in the report.
2. that the
initial priorities should be affordable housing, design and open space.
|
Contact: Ashley Curzon,
Principal Planning Officer (Policy).
MJ A FISHER
Strategic Director
Corporate and Environment Services
APPENDIX 1
ODPM Statement – “Sustainable
Communities – Delivering Through Planning”
The
statement issued on 19th July 2002 by the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister (ODPM) is in response to the consultation on the Planning Green Paper,
which proposed major changes to the planning system. The list below highlights the key points from the statement, and
this paper then goes on to discuss the potential implications of the statement
for the IW Council.
Key Points
General
A Planning Incentive Grant, worth (in total), £364 million over three years will be
awarded to councils that are performing well against Best Value targets, and to
local authorities that improve their performance. New Best Value targets for development plans and quality of
outcomes will be introduced.
Compulsory purchase powers are to be
improved and strengthened, including improved compensation arrangements.
Development Control
Plans to scrap planning obligations and to replace them
with a scale of tariffs have been dropped.
There is to be an introduction of local
development orders and the current ‘outline planning permission’ will be
replaced with a ‘statement of development principles’. Repeat applications are to be refused. The duration of planning permission is to be
reduced from 5 years to 3 years.
There is to be an update of the General
Permitted Development Order in addition to the government helping to promote a
‘culture change’ in planning.
A new consultation document is soon to be
produced reviewing the enforcement regime.
In addition to this a review will also be carried out on the number of
statutory consultees for planning applications (but with no presumption that
the total will be reduced).
Twin-track planning applications will be
able to be refused.
Housing
Action will be taken against councils that fail to deliver
housing targets set out in regional planning guidance. Government will
intervene in failing authorities.
London and South East Authorities, not
meeting housing targets will face penalties.
The government has identified Ashford in
Kent, Milton Keynes, Stanstead and the Thames Gateway as growth areas for new
homes. Three more ‘millennium’ villages
are to be built on brownfield sites in Milton Keynes, Hastings and Shropshire.
Planning Policy
Local authorities to introduce Local Development Frameworks
(LDF’s) within 3 years of legislation being placed, with a requirement to have
an up-to-date programme for completion.
Meeting this programme will become a Best Value target. The government
has also decided to retain a proposals map as part of the LDF’s.
There is still the intention for
government to abolish county structure plans with Regional Planning Bodies
instead preparing regional spatial strategies (RSS), which will also have a
sub-regional dimension.
Inspectors will have more control over
running and programming local inquiries, in addition to making recommendations
at LDF inquiries binding on local authorities.
Pans to remove the right of objectors to
be heard during a public hearing during the LDF process have been scrapped.
There is to be statutory purpose for
planning to be included in any new legislation, subject to it not making the
system more complex.
Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) is to be
reviewed over the next 3 years, in addition to government setting itself a
timetable for dealing with call-ins and recovered appeals.
The government is set to introduce
Business Planning Zones (BPZ’s) so that ‘leading edge’ businesses can establish
themselves in areas of less stringent planning controls.