The policies within this Chapter look to achieving the aims and objectives contained in Part 1 of the Unitary Development Plan (UDP). The aims and objectives of the Plan, where they relate to leisure, tourism and community facilities, and therefore these policies, are concerned with protecting and improving the Borough’s existing facilities, as well as encouraging and enabling the creation of new facilities. A high quality environment will be particularly important in ensuring the continuing success of existing and future tourism attractions in the Borough.

Leisure plays an essential part in people’s health and well being and, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of time and money people have to spend on leisure with a consequent increased demand for a greater range of leisure facilities.

Leisure and tourism are major growth areas of the national economy, and have the potential to make an important contribution to the local economy. Planning Policy Guidance notes “Open Space, Sport and Recreation” 2001 (PPG17) and “Tourism” 1992 (PPG21) highlight the important economic role of leisure and tourism. Tourism, in particular, can help support a wider range of amenities and services than might otherwise be viable in the Borough.

Leisure facilities are provided by both the public and private sectors, and would include: entertainment and cultural facilities, such as cinemas, night clubs and theatres; sport and recreation facilities, such as sports halls and swimming pools; and tourism-related facilities. Sport and recreation facilities would also include sports grounds, children’s playspaces and golf courses, all of which are dealt with in the Green Environment Chapter. This chapter deals only with indoor facilities.

The Council itself is involved in the promotion, financing  and management of a wide range of leisure facilities and activities, and is involved in providing new facilities, improving existing facilities, promoting increased participation, targeting various groups and promoting excellence.

The Council will continue to seek to improve the quality and range of leisure opportunities during the Plan period to ensure that Halton’s residents have easy access to the widest possible range of facilities as an essential contribution to improving their quality of life. It is currently preparing Leisure, Cultural and Tourism Strategies that will help guide development and support future bids for external funding for new facilities, supplementing the policies in this Chapter.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES

Community facilities help to maintain and improve the quality of life in a community. They provide places for people to meet socially, they provide leisure opportunities, they provide education and job training, and help promote   the health and well being of  the Borough’s population. Everyone will benefit from community facilities at one time or another.

Community facilities are particularly important elements of residential areas, providing a focus for local people and generating a feeling of community spirit and sense of place. They are also important in sustaining local centres and contributing to their vitality and viability.

Community facilities are provided by a wide range of organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors, and provide venues for a wide range of activities such as sports clubs, youth clubs, interest groups, playgroups, community groups and general leisure activities.

Major facilities are those which serve a district or Borough-wide catchment area (or even wider, beyond the Borough boundaries). Major facilities could include a wide range of leisure and community facilities, such as cinemas, nightclubs, theatres, bingo halls, bowling alleys, ice rinks, multi-use sports halls and swimming pools.

Major facilities are those which serve a district or Borough-wide catchment area (or even wider, beyond the Borough boundaries). Major facilities could include a wide range of leisure and community facilities, such as cinemas, nightclubs, theatres, bingo halls, bowling alleys, ice rinks, multi-use sports halls and swimming pools.

Leisure proposals on the edge of primary and secondary shopping areas will be required to demonstrate that there is quantitative and qualitative need for the additional facilities and that there are no suitable sites available within the primary and secondary shopping areas in question. Where a leisure scheme is larger than can be accommodated on a site within designated primary and secondary shopping areas, consideration should be given to the possibility of sub-dividing the scheme into smaller components.

In the interests of safeguarding the continued viability of the Borough’s town centres and to assist in their regeneration, development of major leisure and community facilities will normally focused within the town centres.

An assessment of the physical capacity and demand for the proposed development;

The development of major leisure and community facilities in out-of-centre locations has the potential to significantly effect the vitality and viability of the town centres through the diversion of trade, putting at risk the aims and objectives of the town centre strategies, and the potential to reduce investor confidence in the town centres. As such, planning applications for major out of centre leisure and community facilities must be accompanied by a full justification demonstrating how the above policy criteria can be met to the Council’s satisfaction. This should include evidence on:

Possible harm to the development plan strategy;

The adoption of a sequential approach to site selection and the availability of suitable alternative sites;

The likely economic impacts of the Borough’s town centres including the accumulative effects of recently completed developments and outstanding planning permissions;

Meeting sustainable travel objectives of reducing the need to travel by car and increasing the use of other modes of travel presented in PPG13 Travel Plan;

Likely changes in travel patterns over the catchment area; and

Local facilities are those which serve a local catchment area. Local leisure and community facilities would include neighbourhood sports halls, community centres, church halls, youth centres, medical and health centres, which are appropriate uses in town and neighbourhood centres.

For the majority of local facilities, the most appropriate location will be in and adjacent to town and neighbourhood centres, which are the focal points for the local community and already provide a range of shops, services, leisure and community facilities. Consolidating facilities in these centres will both ensure their continued vitality and viability, and enhance existing public transport links.

Community facilities are provided by a wide range of organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors, and provide venues for a wide range of activities such as sports clubs, youth clubs, interest groups, playgroups, community groups and general leisure activities.

There is increasing demand   for childcare provision, and  this policy seeks to ensure   that the development provides a satisfactory and safe environment for children, without undue disturbance to adjoining occupiers.

In residential areas, a detached property with a large garden would be considered the most suitable accommodation, although, in exceptional circumstances, the Council will consider a semi-detached or terraced property where there is suitable noise insulation between the party wall.

There is, however, no presumption that such provision is best located within residential areas. Provision of childcare facilities within or near the workplace can actually be more convenient for families and cause fewer nuisances to neighbours than in residential areas.

The use of a dwelling to care for up to 5 children on a commercial basis will not require planning permission for change of use.

The use of a dwelling to care for more than 5 children on a commercial basis will require planning permission for change of use to Class D1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order, 1987. It is considered that care of more than 5 children on a commercial basis is likely to change the character of the property’s use as a single dwelling and affect the amenity of the surrounding residential area.

A restriction on the deemed consent for change of use within Use Class D1, as permitted in the General Permitted Development Order 1995, will be applied where the location of the proposed childcare facility is considered unsuitable for all or some of the other uses within Use Class D1.

The site in Runcorn Old Town Centre, as defined on the Proposals Map, has been set aside for the development of a purpose-built arts and cultural centre. It is proposed that the centre will provide a large auditorium, studio space, music rehearsal space, dark and wet rooms, and an exhibition area.

Although Halton is not a major tourism destination, tourism does have a role to play in the Borough’s economy. It is therefore important that development that would have a negative effect on the tourism potential of its existing attractions is resisted.

This would include proposals that would reduce public access to a site or building, reduce the attractiveness of the surrounding environment, destroy buildings or features of interest, or result in noise, smells or disturbance which would detract from the visitor experience.

• Medieval history - Norton Priory Museum and Walled Garden; Halton Castle;
• Lewis Carroll - Daresbury church and the birthplace site;
• Industrial and Chemical heritage - Catalyst Museum;
• Transportation heritage - the historic canals, the bridges and ferry-crossing site;
• Natural heritage - the Mersey Estuary.

Other important attractions include Victoria Park, West Bank Promenade, Halton Town Park Miniature Railway and Ski Centre, the Cycle Museum in Runcorn Town Centre, and the Trans-Pennine Trail.

The water features of the Borough, including the estuary, rivers and canals, are important landscape features, adding variety and interest to the area, as well as being important historically. Policy GE29 in particular recognises the importance of rivers and canals and their potential for sensitive recreation and tourism development.

The Council is committed to improving the image of the Borough. One of the most effective ways of achieving this is to better market its assets. Halton has a rich and interesting history which should be greater promoted through tourism.

Tourism has an important role to play in the local economy and can be an important tool for urban regeneration. It can create jobs, it can support local amenities and services and create income for local businesses, and it      can act as a driver for environmental improvements.

Water sports (Canoeing, rowing, bathing etc.)  have all enjoyed an increase in popularity over the past decade. Advice in PPG17 states that development plans may encourage the imaginative   use of redundant mineral workings, disused commercial docks and unused agricultural land near water to provide moorings and watersports facilities.

Water sport participants need changing facilities, car parking areas, social facilities, training areas and chandlery services. In improving sporting and recreational facilities, this  policy will help to benefit the economy, through development of the leisure industry, it will also present a more attractive image to inward investors thereby supporting the local economy.

Powered watersports are normally incompatible with other users and generate high levels of noise pollution. Facilities for powered watersports can only be considered where conflict with other users and adverse impact upon amenity and nature conservation interests can be acceptable.