Uttlesford District Council: Draft Local Plan Pre ...

1 Uttlesford District Council: Draft Local Plan Pre-Publication Report on behalf of Takeley Parish Council Project reference GP 038 Date 16 December 2016 Gardner Planning Ltd Down Ampney Bendlowes Road Great Bardfield Essex CM7 4RR 07887 662166 COPYRIGHT The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of Gardner Planning Ltd. UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 2 Contents Provision Strategy Takeley Proposals Appendices Report by Railton TPC Ltd Bonnington Green Sites Corridors UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 3 District Council (UDC) is preparing a new Local Plan and intend to publish a Pre-Submission Draft (Regulation 19) version in early 2017. An initial Draft was to have been considered by the Planning Policy Working Group on 25 October 2016 and some detail was published as a press release, including a proposal for 230 new homes at Takeley/Hatfield Broad Oak.

2 However, that Draft was not published or considered but a note appeared on the UDC website saying that publication was postponed, although no specific reasons were given. Full Council held an extraordinary meeting on 16 November 2106 to debate a submitted motion, and respond to written questions, about the Local Plan process. The outcome is currently unknown. Parish Council (TPC) is concerned that even more housing may be allocated at Takeley and at a meeting with the Leader of UDC and Development Manager on 20 October 2016 TPC was informed that it is the Bonnington Green site which is likely to be allocated (Site refs: 02, 03, 04 HBO15). , with the support of Hatfield Broad Parish Council, instructed Gardner Planning Ltd (GPL) on 10 November 2016 to submit this Report which considers the likely Local Plan proposals and then makes the case against allocating this site in the Local Plan. When the Pre-Submission Local Plan is finally published, after reconsideration, then that site (or any other similar sites in and around Takeley) should not be included as a proposed allocation for housing.

3 Withdrew an earlier Local Plan in January 2015 after an unfavourable Inspector s report. Work has been underway since then on a revised Plan and the Planning Policy Working Group have been receiving and considering Draft chapters since July 2016. These documents are noteworthy: Report to the Planning Policy Working Group (PPWG) Local Plan Development Strategy UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 4 Presentation to PPWG Minutes of the Council Meeting - consideration of the PPWG Report of submission is fully supported by Hatfield Broad Oak and Gt Canfield Parish Councils. UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 5 PROVISION PPWG Report and Presentation ( ) states that the SHMA1 identifies Uttlesford s housing requirement 2011 - 2033 to be 12,500 homes (delivery of some 580 homes ). It states that after taking into account housing completions since 2011 and current commitments, the new Local Plan must allocate approximately 4,600 additional homes.

4 This is derived by deducting completions to date (2,468), commitments with planning permission (4,598) and windfalls (850) - a total of 7,916 units2 - then deducting 7,916 from 12,500 then rounded up to 4,600. The latest published figures for completions/commitments3 (November 2015) shows a total of 5,903 units 2015 - 2033. 5-year housing land supply (5 YHLS) from the latest projected completion numbers in UDC s November 2015 report4, with an annual requirement of 568 + 5%5 (596), is as follows: 5Y completions at 568 +5% (596) years 596 16/17 3489 17/18 3316 18/19 2689 demonstrates that no new permissions need be granted until 2018/2019 in order to maintain a 5 year permitted supply of housing. The February 2016 timetable is to have an adopted Local Plan by December 2017, and even if that slips an adopted plan should be in place by early 2018. By the beginning of the 2018/19 period, therefore, the housing land supply will be topped-up with many new allocations, not just the new settlements where, in any event, the developers submissions are that they will commence in 2019/22.

5 1 West Essex and East Hertfordshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment Report of Findings September 2015 2 Presentation to PPWG July 2016 3 UDC Housing Trajectory and Statement of 5-Year Land Supply Republished November 2015 4 UDC Housing Trajectory and Statement of 5-Year Land Supply Republished November 2015 5 NPPF para 47 pt 2 UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 6 hastily withdrawn Draft Plan in October indicated6 the following main sites likely to be allocated in the Plan: site units Easton park , Gt Dunmow 1,400 Stebbing ( Uttlesford /Braintree border) 1,400 Saffron Walden 700 Stortford Rd, Gt Dunmow 400 Helena Romanes, Gt Dunmow 150 Takeley 230 Newport 94 Total 4,374 assumptions have been made in this Table about Easton park and Stebbing. The 2,800 figure has been equally apportioned to each new settlement , no further details are available. park is potentially two sites (05 LtEas15 and 06 LtEas15).

6 However, site 05 (West of Dunmow - capacity 1188 - 2653) was dismissed on appeal7 in August 2016 so is unlikely to be proposed for allocation in the Local Plan. From the SHLAA site 06 (Easton park ) has a capacity of 8,514 - 19,015 homes, but completions in the plan period up to 2033 are assessed at 4,750 - 5,600. The Easton park promoter s submission8 envisages 7,000 completed homes within 20 years of commencement, or an average of 350 Commencement is likely to be in 2019/20 as envisaged in the submissions - allowing 2 years for adoption of the Local Plan and grant of detailed planning permission - which indicates completions over the 15 years to 2033 to be 5,250 homes. is also in two sites with combined capacity of at least 12,000, with later phases possible. Andrews Field (05 Ste15) has a total capacity of 7,500 homes but only a small area is within Uttlesford for which the promoter s submission envisages 725 units9.

7 Boxted Wood (06 Ste15) also straddles Uttlesford and Braintree Districts but the majority of the site is in Uttlesford . The promoter s submission proposes 3,500 homes in 6 UDC press release 7 APP/C1570/A/14/2213025, UTT/13/1043/OP 8 Easton park New Garden Development Prospectus May 2105 pp56 - 67 9 Development Vision June 2015 Capita p12 UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 7 Uttlesford10. The remainder (1,000 units initially) of the site is in Braintree District . The call for sites form completed by the developer, and the analysis of the SHLAA, envisages commencement in 2022 with a 10-year development period, thus delivering the 3,500 homes in Uttlesford within the Plan period. , if Easton park were to become an allocation in the Local Plan, on the evidence submitted and on the assessment of the SHLAA, it should deliver some 5,250 homes within the Plan period; the evidence for the Stebbing site of Boxted Wood indicates it would deliver 3,500 homes and Andrews Field 725 homes, all within the Plan period.

8 From this total of 9,475, provided by the developers and the SHLAA, it is unexplained how these two locations could only be counted on to deliver 2,800 homes, or 30% of the available capacity. not named so far, a possible third (or alternative) location for new settlement is Great Chesterford (SHLAA ref 10 GtChe15). Some 5,000 homes have been proposed, although the SHLAA estimates a range of some 4,000 to 9,000. The SHLAA concludes on suitability The site has good access to the strategic road network. There is a railway station in Great Chesterford but this site is not within walking distance of it. Great Chesterford has a number of facilities and services but a development of this scale should include a range of services. site would provide a better balance for growth in the District rather than the current focus on new settlements and other major development in the south of the District along the A120.

9 Site has the advantage of access to the M11 J9 (south) via the A11 - and north via J10. These junctions have more capacity than the A120/J8. There is also a station. It is also feasible that junction 9 could be reconfigured to allow access north and south. , MOD land at Carver Barracks is intended for disposal within the Plan period and has the potential to provide significant housing development in the north of the 10 Land at Boxted Wood Call for Sites Submission Statement AECOM June 2015 para p8 Uttlesford District Council UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 8 District (more than a windfall site ), but has not yet seemingly been factored into the Plan. UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 9 STRATEGY importantly, more development in the north of the District such as Great Chesterford is that it would be within or serve the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Corridor for which there is strong Government support through the National Infrastructure Commission, and in the Chancellor s Autumn Statement (23 November 2016).

10 National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has now published the Interim Report on the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Corridor (October 2016) with a strong and positive message about future housing/development/infrastructure strategic planning for this important corridor which covers an extensive area including North Essex as shown in Figure 9 (p33) of the Interim Report: UDC Local Plan Gardner Planning on behalf of Takeley Parish Council 10 is no need to refer extensively to this Report here, except to identify some main points, followed by this Report s comments. Relevant highlights include (emphasis added): scale of new housing required The Commission s central finding is that a lack of sufficient and suitable housing presents a fundamental risk to the success of the area. Without a joined-up plan for housing, jobs and infrastructure across the corridor, it will be left behind by its international competitors.