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| 4. THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY |
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Introduction |
| 4.1 |
The Lancashire Structure Plan (1991 –
2006) (LSP), prepared by Lancashire County Council and adopted in
February 1997, sets the broad framework for development in Preston.
However, some aspects of the strategic context of the LSP have been
over-written by the issue of new national and regional planning policy
by the Government. The most significant for Local Plan is the revised
version of PPG3: ‘Housing’ published in March 2000 and new
Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) for the North West, which was published
in March 2003. This chapter sets out how the Local Plan will implement
these national and strategic policies at the local level. |
| 4.2 |
PPG3 sets out the objective for national
policy in Paragraph 1: |
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“The Government intends
that everyone should have the opportunity of a decent home. They further
intend that there should be greater choice of housing and that housing
should not reinforce social distinctions. The housing needs of all
in the community should be recognised, including those in need of
affordable or special housing in both urban and rural areas. To promote
more sustainable patterns of development and make better use of previously-developed
land, the focus for additional housing should be existing towns and
cities. New housing and residential environments should be well designed
and should make a significant contribution to promoting urban renaissance
and improving the quality of life.” |
| 4.3 |
In Paragraph 2 the guidance sets out objectives
for local planning authorities of which the following two have significant
effect on the development strategy of the LSP and Local Plan: |
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- provide sufficient housing land but give priority to re-using
previously-developed land within urban areas, bringing empty homes
back into use and converting existing buildings, in preference
to the development of greenfield sites;
- make more efficient use of land by reviewing planning policies
and standards.
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| 4.4 |
The Structure Plan was consistent with
RPG for the North West (published in May 1996). This promoted a modest
shift in emphasis to development along the north/south transport corridor
of the West Coast Main line and the M6 motorway (Crewe to Carlisle)
with complementary limitations on further expansion in the Mersey
Belt. However, RPG has subsequently been revised to reflect the governments
policy objectives regarding ‘urban renaissance’. |
| 4.5 |
Urban regeneration is central to regional
land use policy and this is maintained in the Structure Plan where
the bulk of new development is to be located in the County's main
urban areas. The re-use of derelict and underused land; the creation
of mixed patterns of land uses; and good accessibility to transport
corridors provide a basis for sustainable development. |
| 4.6 |
Preston is at the centre of the two major
transport corridors in Lancashire; the north -south corridor previously
mentioned and the west-east corridor stretching from Blackpool to
Colne and centred on the M55/M6/M65 spine motorway and the Blackpool-Preston
and Preston-Colne railways. |
| 4.7 |
The Structure Plan promotes growth in
these corridors and maintains restraint on development in other areas
of the County, to protect Green Belts, high grade agricultural land,
and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, for example. |
| 4.8 |
The scale of growth, particularly for
the major land uses of housing and industry is established by Structure
Plan policy. In Preston, the total dwelling requirement is about 7,200
dwellings to be provided between 1991 and 2006, some 11% of the County
total: for employment land within the same period, provision has to
be made for 180 hectares, some 15% of the County total. |
| 4.9 |
For the most part LSP proposes development
within and at the edges of Preston urban area. The greenfield areas
of Cottam and Longsands to the west and east of Preston respectively,
are a commitment from the former Central Lancashire New Town and will
continue to be developed for housing, subject to the provisions of
PPG3 (see 4.2 above). New employment opportunities will continue to
be marketed at Riversway, north Preston (off Eastway) and east Preston
off the new M6 Junction 31a. |
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| Provision for
New Housing |
| 4.10 |
Of particular significance is the LSP’s
designation of a new Strategic Location for Development (SLD) at Goosnargh/Whittingham.
The main rationale underlying the promotion of strategic growth is
the development of the brownfield site of a redundant hospital complex,
though following the Local Plan Inquiry, the Inspector proposed additional
greenfield land take to complete a mixed use development that will
continue to be implemented beyond the plan period. The LSP envisages
a development of about 1000 new houses to be built, in the long term,
along with complementary employment land, leisure, social and community
facilities. |
| 4.11 |
With the issue of PPG3, certain greenfield
elements of the proposed Goosnargh/Whittingham SLD appear to be at
odds with national policy and, at the modification stage of the local
plan’s progress, the opportunity has been taken to re-assess
proposals for the SLD. It is now proposed that development at Goosnargh/Whittingham
is restricted to the hospital site using, for the most part, brownfield
land previously occupied by hospital buildings to be developed at
the densities advocated in PPG3. |
| 4.12 |
Specifically, within the plan period development
is to be restricted to the land which already benefits from outline
planning permission. This is shown as a "commitment" on
the Proposals Map. This accords with the decision by the Secretary
of State to refuse planning permission for the proposed development
of all of the former hospital site at Whittingham, including the Gotfield
Front Fields. The Secretary of States decision letter stated that
“the release of that part of the Gotfield
Front Fields which does not currently benefit from planning permission
is not necessary at the present time and there is no urgency in releasing
further greenfield development land in Preston”. |
| 4.13 |
The LSP also proposes Broughton as a suitable
settlement for consolidation and expansion, which the Local Plan Inspector
interpreted as requiring 250 dwellings to be accommodated in the plan
period. This scale of housebuilding in Broughton could only be achieved
through the development of greenfield land and, therefore, to accord
with national policy, the modified Local Plan deletes the Broughton
proposals which are not necessary to meet the LSP housing requirement
for Preston. |
| 4.14 |
The modified plan does, nevertheless,
identify the line of the proposed bypass of Broughton, designed to
overcome existing traffic problems and cater for the projected growth
at the Goosnargh/Whittingham SLD. This proposal meets the Inspector’s
recommendation following the Local Plan Inquiry. |
| 4.15 |
Grimsargh was proposed by the LSP as a
settlement appropriate for rounding-off development, for which the
Local Plan Inspector recommended housing provision of about 200 dwellings.
As a result of an appeal decision issued after the Local Plan Inquiry,
planning permission has been granted on a site in the village and
this scale of development is now a commitment. |
| 4.16 |
Revised Settlement Development Boundaries
have been defined for Broughton, Grimsargh, Barton, Woodplumpton and
Lea Town. These boundaries establish the limits of the built-up areas,
beyond which open countryside will be protected from unsuitable development
and within which certain development may be permissible providing
it accords with development plan policy. The criteria for setting
these boundaries are set out in the Development in the Countryside
section (Rural Villages). |
| 4.17 |
With all these new developments, the Council
is keen to work in partnership with the development industry and be
responsive to the needs of local communities. Some new facilities
have recently been provided or are planned at growth points: a new
315 place school was recently opened at Cottam; a new community centre
is to be built at Longsands; a new primary school and sports and social
facilities are to be provided at Goosnargh/Whittingham. |
| 4.18 |
Where growth is to occur, the Council
will seek to maximise the opportunities to create high quality environments
with appropriate phasing of provision to match the aspirations of
residents. The policies in this document provide the basis for achieving
this, and whilst promoting some growth also allow controls to be made
on development when planning applications are determined. |
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| Policy DS1 |
Housing Land Requirement |
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| Provision will be made in
Preston for about 7,200 new residential units in the period mid-1991
to mid-2006 as specified in policy 43 of the Lancashire Structure
Plan. |
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| 4.19 |
As set out in Policy DS1, the Council
has adopted the figure of “about 7,200 dwellings” from the
Lancashire Structure Plan as the housing requirement for which the
Local Plan should base its housing proposals. The addition of 360
extra dwellings, as recommended by the Inspector as a contingency
allowance, derived as a remnant of the previous “predict and
provide” approach and is not appropriate to the “plan, monitor
and manage” approach required under the new PPG3 guidance. Paragraph
30 states that “they (local planning authorities)
should seek only to identify sufficient land to meet the housing requirement
set as a result of the RPG and strategic planning processes”. |
| 4.20 |
Appendix One sets out the way in which
the Council has examined the housing demand/supply equation within
the framework set by Government policy. It deals with the main components
of housing land supply which are: |
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- dwellings constructed to date (30 June 2002);
- conversions and changes of use;
- unidentified sites;
- vacant dwellings;
- clearance and replacement;
- New Town sites; and,
- current planning permissions.
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| 4.21 |
Overall, the contribution from these sources
of housing supply is 7,300 dwellings. This is marginally above the
LSP requirement for 7,200 dwellings. |
| 4.22 |
English Partnerships manages the assets
of the former Central Lancashire New Town Development Corporation.
These include a significant amount of housing land with approval under
Section 7(1) of the New Towns Act 1981. The majority of this is at
Cottam, on the western edge of Preston’s main urban area. |
| 4.23 |
Appendix 1 explains that, although this
land at Cottam is shown as a ‘commitment’ on the Proposals
Map, its greenfield status means that it will not be released for
development at least until 2006. |
| 4.24 |
Most of the component shares derive from
estimates. The Council puts great store in continuously monitoring
the various components of housing land supply in accordance with the
‘plan, monitor and manage’ approach to planning for housing.
This approach seeks to release land in a phased manner over the plan
period so as to avoid serious under or over provision. Applicants
are advised to contact the Council for information regarding the latest
situation. A significant over-supply of housing may be grounds for
refusing planning permission. |
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| Goosnargh/Whittingham |
| 4.25 |
Policy 6 of the Lancashire Structure Plan
identifies Goosnargh/Whittingham as a Strategic Location for Development
(SLD) to provide for a mix of new uses which may include: housing;
business; retailing (to serve local needs); leisure and nature conservation.
The main rationale for the SLD is the former hospital site. The explanatory
memorandum to Structure Plan Policy 6 envisages a development of 1,000
new dwellings in the long term, to yield finance for infrastructure
and community facilities. |
| 4.26 |
Policy DS2 below interprets policy 6 in
site-specific terms. The SLD encompasses the site of the former Whittingham
Hospital together with the adjacent villages of Goosnargh and Cumerargh,
and is defined on the Proposals Map. The former hospital site comprises
about 63 hectares of previously-developed land and 18 hectares of
"greenfield" land on Gotfield Front Fields, immediately
to the south of Whittingham Lane. Planning permission was granted
on appeal in 1998 (ref. 06/96/0615) for a mixed-use scheme incorporating
previously-developed land and about 3 ha of the greenfield land. The
extent of this planning permission is shown as a commitment on the
Proposals Map. This comprises up to 18.9 hectares of land for residential
development (sufficient for around 600 houses) and associated facilities,
and 2.6 hectares of land for new B1 business uses. It is proposed
to retain and re-use some of the former hospital buildings for office
(B1) use. The proposals also retain significant areas of mature landscaping
and open space. Some health uses have been retained on the eastern
side of the site. |
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| Policy DS2 |
Goosnargh/Whittingham |
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| As part of the Strategic
Location for Development (SLD), the redevelopment and re-use of the
previously developed land at the former Whittingham Hospital site
is promoted for a comprehensive mixed-use scheme comprising residential
development and associated facilities, Class B1 business floorspace
in the form of both new development and refurbished buildings, and
the retention of areas of mature landscaping and open space. |
| The greenfield land within
the SLD will not be considered for release during the period of the
Local Plan (up to 2006). |
| To address the highway capacity
constraints at Broughton crossroads, comprehensive proposals for development
within the SLD will be subject to an appropriate condition on any
planning permission in order that the traffic impact at Broughton
crossroads is not harmful to the free flow of traffic and highway
safety. Developers will be expected to make an appropriate contribution
towards the cost of constructing the approved Broughton Bypass, and
towards the improvement of public transport services. |
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| 4.27 |
The Secretary of State, in determining
planning application number 06/1999/0279, has concluded that Gotfield
Front Fields fall within the category of greenfield land as defined
in PPG3. The basic premise of PPG3 is to minimise the extent of greenfield
housing development by concentrating new house building on previously-developed
sites. The above policy takes account of his decision, and also the
fact that the previously-developed part of the site (together with
a contiguous part of the Front Fields) has the benefit of planning
permission for a mixed-use development. The Council will seek to ensure
that development is concentrated within the brownfield parts of the
site, and development within the greenfield area that has planning
permission is deferred until development of the brownfield part of
the site is well-advanced. |
| 4.28 |
As regards the greenfield element of the
SLD, the Secretary of State concluded that "the
release of that part of the Gotfield Front Fields which does not currently
benefit from planning permission is not necessary at the present time,
and that there is no urgency in releasing further greenfield land
in Preston." (paragraph 8 of the Secretary of State's
decision letter dated 14th March 2002). Preston's housing land supply
exceeds the Structure Plan requirement (see Policy DS1) so there is
no justification for the release of additional greenfield land at
least until 2006. Consequently, this greenfield element of the SLD
will only be released for development when it is justified in terms
of housing land supply and the site selection criteria set out in
PPG3. |
| 4.29 |
It is recognised in the extant planning
permission that the limited traffic capacity of Broughton crossroads
(the junction of the A6 and Whittingham Lane) is a constraint on the
development of the former hospital site. Consequently, the current
planning permission is subject to a condition limiting development
(to 150 dwellings and 7,000 square metres of business floorspace)
pending the commencement of the Broughton Bypass. Any subsequent planning
permissions will be subject to a similar condition if necessary. The
construction of the bypass is accepted as the solution to this capacity
problem, and Lancashire County Council has approved a scheme. In order
for the comprehensive development to proceed, developers will therefore
be expected to make an appropriate contribution towards the cost of
constructing the bypass, and towards the improvement of public transport
services. |
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| Density of Housing
Development |
| 4.30 |
PPG3 directs local authorities to formulate
plans which avoid housing development which makes inefficient use
of land and provide for more intensive housing development in and
around existing centres and close to public transport nodes. Historically,
low density housing development represented a high land take that
can no longer be sustained. Such development is also less likely to
sustain local services or public transport. Paragraph 57 directs local
authorities to avoid the profligate use of land. Policies which place
unduly restrictive ceilings on the amount of housing that can be accommodated
on a site, irrespective of its location and the type of housing envisaged
or the types of households likely to occupy the housing, should be
avoided. |
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| Policy DS3 |
Density of Housing
Development |
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| Residential development
on any site within the Inner Urban Area (Inset 2) of the Proposals
Map or on other sites with good public transport accessibility, such
as local centres or around major nodes along good quality public transport
corridors, will only be permitted where the density is at least 50
dwellings per hectare (net). |
| Elsewhere the net density
of residential development should be between 30 and 50 dwellings per
hectare. |
| Exceptions to this policy
will only be made where the applicant can show that the shape, topography
or setting of the site are such that a prescribed minimum density
per hectare is difficult to achieve in a satisfactory manner. |
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| 4.31 |
This policy reflects the advice to avoid
the inefficient use of land, leading to more sustainable patterns
of development. However, it is not unduly restrictive as it allows
exceptions to be made where the shape, topography, setting or other
relevant circumstances cause difficulties. |
| 4.32 |
For the purposes of Policy DS3, (following
the guidance in Annex C of PPG3), the approach to ‘net site density’
contained in “The Use of Density in Urban Planning” (DETR
1998) paragraphs 8.19 - 8.20, will be adopted. These state that “‘net
site density’ is a more refined estimate than a gross site density
and includes only those areas which will be developed for housing
and directly associated uses. This will include: |
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- access roads within the site;
- private garden spaces;
- car parking areas;
- incidental open space and landscaping; and,
- children’s play areas where these are to be provided
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It therefore excludes: |
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- major distributor roads;
- primary schools;
- open spaces serving a wider area; and,
- significant landscape buffer strips.”
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