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| 11. HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL
AREAS |
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Introduction |
| 11.1 |
Housing, or more accurately the residential
areas in which it is contained, forms the biggest and most widespread
land use in the urban area of Preston. Within the plan period, up
to mid-2006, residential development in some form or other is likely
to be the commonest and most noticeable form of development to take
place in Preston. Whether it be a small extension at the rear of an
existing house or a substantial estate of new detached houses, residential
development will affect more of the City’s residents than any
other form of new building. The majority of planning applications
dealt with by the Council in recent years have involved some form
of residential development. The Council’s policies for housing
and residential areas are likely, therefore, to have added significance
and provoke greater interest perhaps than other aspects of the Local
Plan. |
| 11.2 |
The Council’s corporate housing goal
is that Preston should contain an adequate stock
of well-maintained dwellings, meeting contemporary standards and catering
for the needs and wishes of all households within the resident population.
The Council strives to achieve this goal by corporate action in its
role as district housing authority, environmental health and control
authority as well as planning authority to tackle the severe and various
problems associated with housing. |
| 11.3 |
There are increasing problems in connection
with the condition of the existing housing stock. Despite considerable
efforts and resources being spent on the improvement and refurbishment
of both public and private sector housing, recent years have seen
the numbers of dwellings categorised as unfit for habitation increasing
at a greater rate than improvement works can be implemented. Deterioration
does not affect just the buildings themselves but also the environment
of the residential areas where they are located, which has suffered
degradation at an alarming rate. |
| 11.4 |
Since resolving to adopt the Local Plan,
the City Council has introduced additional supplementary planning
guidance (SPG9: ‘Housing Provision in Preston – The Monitoring
and Managed Release of New Sites for Development’) to tackle
the emerging problem of an oversupply of housing land. This SPG must
be read in conjunction with the policies in this chapter. Copies of
the SPG can be obtained from the Planning Department, and from the
Councils web site www.preston.gov.uk. |
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Objectives: |
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- TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT NEW DWELLINGS ARE PROVIDED IN THE
RIGHT LOCATIONS TO CATER FOR THE RANGE OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT NEED
THEM.
- TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE EXISTING RESIDENTIAL AREAS FOR THE COMMUNITIES
LIVING IN THEM.
- TO ASSIST THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
FABRIC OF OLDER RUN DOWN HOUSING AREAS.
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| Provision for
New Housing |
| 11.5 |
Policy relating to the provision of land
for housing is contained within the Development Strategy section of
the Local Plan. Specifically, policy DS1 identifies the provision
for new housing development within the plan period. |
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| Housing Development
outside Allocated Areas |
| 11.6 |
Despite the allocations made under policy
DS1, it is unrealistic to expect that all proposals for new housing
development will arise in those areas. A significant proportion of
development proposals will come forward for sites which do not fall
within allocated areas and, indeed, the contribution from small and
“windfall” sites has already been taken into account in
determining the scale of allocations needed in this plan. The majority
will be small sites (under 0.4 hectares) and can be anticipated from
areas defined as existing primarily residential areas, but others
can arise almost anywhere. In the recent past larger examples of such
“windfall” sites have come from the redevelopment of former
industrial premises, school sites which have become surplus to requirements
and a variety of other sources. |
| 11.7 |
PPG3 recognises that “windfall”
sites will make a contribution to the housing supply and requires
that where sites are not individually identified,
the plan should set out clear policy criteria against which applications
will be considered. Policy H1 performs this function. |
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| Policy H1 |
Housing Development
outside Allocated Areas |
 |
| Proposals for residential
development on sites not allocated for housing will be permitted where: |
| (a) |
the site is within the
main urban area or the settlement boundary of a rural village, as
shown on the Proposals Map; and, |
| (b) |
the site is located in
a primarily residential area and the proposed development meets the
requirements of policy D12 and policy H5; or, |
| (c) |
the site is located in
an area allocated for any use other than a primarily residential area
and the proposed development would not prejudice the general level
of provision or protection made for that use in other policies of
the Local Plan; and, |
| (d) |
the proposed development
is compatible with surrounding uses both in terms of its impact upon
those uses and the impact of the surrounding uses on the amenity of
future residents; and, |
| (e) |
the provision of necessary
infrastructure (roads, services etc.) will not have an unacceptable
impact on the local environment, the amenity of surrounding residents
or highway safety; and, |
| (f) |
if detailed matters of
design and layout are included in the proposal, the requirements of
policy D12 are satisfied. |
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| 11.8 |
Confining sites to the urban area (criterion
a) is a fundamental part of the plan’s strategy and is consistent
with PPG3 and later Government guidance, Regional Planning Guidance
and the Lancashire Structure Plan, but the Council also recognise
that proposals for housing will arise in rural villages. Settlement
Development Boundaries (SDB's) have been defined for each of the main
identifiable rural settlements in the plan area. Policy DC9 incorporates
SDB's as a policy tool to be applied to the villages of Barton, Broughton,
Grimsargh, Woodplumpton and Lea Town. SDB's distinguish the villages
from the surrounding open countryside. Thus criterion (a) above will
ensure that any housing development will generally fall within the
terms of the plan’s strategy for balancing the demands for growth
with the protection of the environment. |
| 11.9 |
Criterion (b) anticipates that development
proposals will often occur in existing residential areas where they
will usually be acceptable given adequate protection of amenity and
local conditions for both existing and future residents. |
| 11.10 |
Criterion (c) affords control in cases
where the proposal for housing development comes forward on a site
allocated primarily for another land use in the plan. Whilst in some
cases residential development may be acceptable, in the majority of
cases the allocation in the local plan has been made to ensure adequate
provision or protection for the particular use specified and its development
for housing may prejudice this. Unless the applicant can demonstrate
material considerations which override the Local Plan its provisions
should normally prevail. |
| 11.11 |
Criteria (d, e and f) together deal with
the mutual impact of the development and its surroundings and refer
to Policy D12 which specifically deals with the design of housing
development. |
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| Housing over Shops |
| 11.12 |
Through its role as district housing authority,
the Council is undertaking as many initiatives as possible to increase
the creation of housing accommodation for those Preston residents
in housing need. Since, through Government policy, the building of
Council houses is no longer a major means of provision, the Council
has worked closely with local housing associations and the Housing
Corporation to maintain a programme of new building. But an equally
positive contribution has been sought by maximising the use of the
existing housing stock, particularly property which is lying vacant
and unused. |
| 11.13 |
The Council has a corporate Empty Property
Strategy in place to help realise the potential of accommodation that
would otherwise deteriorate and become a major problem. This strategy
concentrates on vacant dwellings, but another significant potential
source is the amount of vacant or under-used floorspace above shops
and other commercial ground floor uses. |
| 11.14 |
The conversion of empty upper floors above
shops to residential use can have a number of advantages, including:
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(a) |
helping to meet housing need in general
and that of smaller households in particular; |
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(b) |
bringing vacant or under-used floorspace
back into effective use; |
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(c) |
maintaining and improving the physical
condition and appearance of buildings and the street scene; |
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(d) |
improving security by keeping a presence
throughout evening and night-time; |
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(e) |
providing accommodation within walking
distance of shops and other local services; and, |
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(f) |
injecting renewed life into City centres,
particularly during the evenings. |
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| Policy H2 |
Housing over Shops |
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| Planning applications for
the conversion of vacant or under-used floorspace above shops and
other commercial premises to residential use will be approved, provided
that separate access can be provided and subject to meeting the requirements
of policies H5 and H7. |
| Except where the proposed
living accommodation is directly connected with the business, proposals
will not be acceptable where the ground floor is used for the consumption
of food or drink, or a hot food take-away. |
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| 11.15 |
Living above shops associated with the
sale of hot food or drink may involve having to endure problems of
fumes, the smell of cooking and the disturbance caused by deliveries
and customers, often at unsociable hours of the day. Whilst this may
be acceptable to occupants who own or are otherwise directly associated
with the particular business, independent occupiers would find conditions
unacceptable and suffer a reduced standard of living as a result. |
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| Meeting Particular
Housing Needs |
| 11.16 |
The changes in profile of the population
and household structure that can be anticipated during the plan period
will, in turn, have significant consequences on the level of demand
and need for certain types of housing which are not recognised in
the previous assessments of requirement and supply in this Local Plan.
The most significant of these changes are outlined as follows: |
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(a) |
Elderly People - the trend towards
an increasing proportion of elderly people in the population will
continue and, in particular, increasing numbers of those aged 75 and
over will undoubtedly result in growing demand for specialised forms
of accommodation for the very elderly and the frail, including sheltered
housing, nursing homes and rest homes. A marked increase is expected
in the number of elderly people within the Asian community. |
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(b) |
Small households - are projected
to increase in significance over the plan period, continuing the existing
trends for greater numbers of unmarried people choosing to live alone
and increasing separation and divorce. The increase in single parent
and one person households caused by these trends will produce growing
demand for smaller dwellings. |
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(c) |
Large households - despite the
overwhelming trend towards smaller households, large families continue
to be prevalent, especially among the Asian community where custom
and culture sustain the extended family. Demand for large dwellings
to cater for such needs will continue to be felt. |
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(d) |
Disabled People - Over 14% of the
national population have some form of disability. There is a strong
correlation between age and disability and the projected increase
in the population over 75 is likely to increase the numbers with disabilities
and mobility problems. Specially designed or adapted forms of housing
will be required to meet these special needs. |
| 11.17 |
Most of these particular housing needs
will be met through the application of a corporate approach involving
both public and private sector suppliers of dwellings and housing
services. But, the policies contained in the Local Plan may help in
certain ways; control over density may help to promote the numbers
of smaller dwelling being built and provision of a range of sites
may meet the particular locational requirements of groups with special
needs. |
| 11.18 |
Government guidance, in PPG3 and Circular
6/98 now states that a community’s need
for affordable housing is a material planning consideration which
may properly be taken into account in formulating development plan
policies. The Lancashire Structure Plan contains two such policies:
Policy 43 is a general statement that planning permission may be granted
for affordable housing where the local authority identifies a need;
and Policy 44 is particularly aimed at the provision of affordable
housing in rural areas. |
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| Policy H3 |
Affordable Housing
in Rural Areas |
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| The development of affordable
housing in rural areas on small sites within and adjoining existing
villages may be permitted in exceptional cases, where the general
housing would not meet the requirements of policies DC2 and DC9, and
where a need has been identified as a result of a comprehensive needs
assessment for the local area. |
| Such affordable housing
should be for occupancy by households meeting one or more of the following
eligibility criteria: |
| a) |
existing local residents
on the Council's housing waiting list; |
| b) |
existing local residents
needing separate accommodation locally (newly married couples, people
leaving tied accommodation on retirements etc.); |
| c) |
people whose work provides
important services and who need to live closer to the local community; |
| d) |
people who are not necessarily
resident locally but have long standing links to the community (e.g.
elderly people moving back to a village to be near relatives); |
| e) |
people with the offer of
a job locally who cannot take up the offer unless affordable housing
were available. |
| Applications for single
homes will only be given favourable consideration where they do not
exceed 150 sq. m of floorspace. |
| Any dwellings permitted
as a result of this policy will be additional to the general housing
provision which the plan seeks to attain. |
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| 11.19 |
The term “affordable housing”
encompasses both low-cost market and subsidised housing (irrespective
of tenure, ownership – whether exclusive or shared – or
financial arrangements) that is available to people who cannot afford
to rent or buy houses generally available on the open market. |
| 11.20 |
Even though a development may be appropriate
because it provides for a specific need for affordable housing, it
is important that the policies for the protection of the countryside
are given due weight. In line with the advice contained in Circular
6/98, the Council has imposed a floorspace threshold on affordable
homes in the rural area. |
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| Caravan Sites
for Gypsies |
| 11.21 |
Recent years have seen a reduction in
the numbers of unauthorised encampments and a steady, but low use
of the authorised site at Leighton Street. Whilst there is presently
little demand for accommodation for gypsies and other travellers,
this policy will deal with any private proposals which are put forward. |
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| Policy H4 |
Caravan Sites for Gypsies |
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| a) |
Where there is an identified
need, proposals for Gypsy sites, which are well related to the pattern
of service provision including roads, schools, shops and other community
facilities, will be approved subject to there being no unacceptable
impact on the level of provision of such local facilities or to: |
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residential amenity; |
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nature conservation interests; |
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the local environment,
the character of the landscape or any site of historic importance; |
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road safety. |
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Subject to the above, favourable
consideration will be given to proposals for such sites which involve
the use of unused or under-used land. |
| b) |
The development of new Gypsy
caravan sites will not be permitted in the following locations: |
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within Green Belts; |
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on the best and most versatile
agricultural land; |
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within AONBs. |
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| Existing Residential
Areas |
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11.22 The definition of primarily residential
areas reflects the "comprehensive coverage" approach which
the Council has used in devising the Proposals Map (see paragraph
1/27) whereby all land in the City is allocated for a particular use,
or range of uses, and is subject to certain policies. |
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11.23 The areas defined as primarily residential,
and shown on the Proposals Map, are mostly made up of houses, flats,
gardens, local greenspace and residential streets. They also include
existing non- residential uses, such as primary schools, churches,
local shops and business uses which in many cases have no adverse
effect on the amenity of local people. |
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11.24 The principal criterion used in defining
a primarily residential area is therefore, that the predominant land
use is housing. The rationale behind the delineation of primarily
residential areas is to protect or enhance the amenity of residents.
As described above, an area can include a range of non- domestic uses,
such as schools, that are ancillary to the main residential use. This
criterion determines that the primarily residential notation applies
only to the main urban area and to the larger rural settlements with
defined Settlement Development Boundaries. |
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11.25 The majority of these non-residential
uses are suitable to, and make a positive contribution to the primarily
residential areas. However, some uses, in particular employment uses,
may cause problems through excessive noise, disturbance, traffic generation
etc., and therefore seriously affect the quality of the local residents'
lives. |
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11.26 It is important that developments
are controlled singly and cumulatively to ensure that the amenity
of the area is maintained, and wherever possible enhanced for the
enjoyment of its residents. |
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11.27 Proposals for development should
therefore pass a number of key tests before any planning permission
is granted. Moreover, if a development of any kind is likely to prove
detrimental to residential amenity, planning permission should be
withheld irrespective of whether in principle the type and nature
of the use involved is acceptable. |
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| Policy H5 |
Development Proposals
in Existing Residential Areas |
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| Where development is proposed
within existing primarily residential areas, defined on the Proposals
Map, the most important consideration in assessing its acceptability
will be its effect on residential amenity. |
| Proposals will be permitted
where all the following are met: |
| a) |
the design and scale of
the development is sensitive to, and in keeping with the residential
area; and, |
| b) |
there would be no significant
adverse impact on residential amenity, particularly by reason of noise,
general disturbance, and loss of privacy due to the activity under
consideration or the vehicular or pedestrian movement it generates;
and, |
| c) |
the proposal would not
lead to an over concentration of non- residential uses detrimental
to residential character or amenity; and, |
| d) |
in relation to existing
premises, any new building, including extensions, will reflect the
character of the area and adjacent buildings in terms of siting scale
and materials. Favourable consideration will be given to proposals
which contain measures likely to result in an overall improvement
to the environment and amenity of the surrounding area. |
| Conditions may be imposed
to guard against over-intensification of use where this would lead
to demonstrable harm to residential amenity, restrict use to the use
applied for, and otherwise control activity to ensure that residential
amenity is not affected. |
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| 11.28 |
The Council's fundamental approach to
development in residential areas is embodied in policy H5, and all
development proposals will be expected to comply with the criteria
it contains. This approach is applied to the main rural settlements,
as well as the main urban area of Preston. |
| 11.29 |
The following section of the plan and
the policies therein deal with specific forms of development and any
particular requirements that may be expected in connection with them. |
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| Backland Development |
| 11.30 |
In view of the restraint, applied through
this Local Plan, on sites at the edge of the urban area and in the
countryside generally, greater development pressure can be expected
in the urban area. In existing residential areas this could result
in an increasing number of proposals involving the development of
gardens and other “backland sites” where access is restricted
by surrounding houses and other uses. This type of development requires
careful consideration if “town cramming” is to be avoided
and adequate standards are to be maintained in residential areas.
In addition to meeting the requirements of policies D12 and H5, proposals
for “backland sites” will therefore be assessed against
the policy below. |
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| Policy H6 |
Backland Development |
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| On sites within the curtilage
of existing dwellings and on other sites where access is restricted
by surrounding land uses, residential development will only be permitted
where the proposal satisfies the requirements of policy D12 and policy
H5 and the following additional criteria; |
| a) |
where the site is within
an existing residential curtilage, sufficient external space can be
provided to safeguard the amenity of the residents of both the existing
property and the proposed dwellings; and, |
| b) |
individual vehicular access
to all dwellings can be provided without adverse effect on amenity
or highway safety; and, |
| c) |
the proposal does not prejudice
the development potential of an adjacent site. |
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| 11.31 |
The development of “backland sites”
which does not provide adequate private garden space would result
in over intensive residential use and detriment to the character of
the neighbourhood. The use of previously single access points for
a greatly increased number of dwellings can create traffic hazards
for both vehicles and pedestrians and proposals which cannot incorporate
any necessary improvements should be resisted. “Backland sites”
often result in piecemeal proposals being put forward for land in
an individual ownership, which physically forms only part of a much
larger area with potential for useful development. Proposals which
sterilise the development potential of adjacent land, through land
locking or other means, should be resisted. |
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| Residential Conversions |
| 11.32 |
Conversion and sub-division into smaller
units is often an effective means of bringing older and/or larger
properties, some of which may have fallen into disrepair, back into
effective use. Proposals for such conversions can also help to meet
particular housing needs by providing low cost accommodation for,
for example, single people. |
| 11.33 |
Nevertheless, such development intensifies
levels of occupation in an area and may give rise to additional noise
and disturbance. Adjoining residents may be affected adversely, either
directly, through party walls, or indirectly as a result of increased
traffic movements. Parking problems may also be exacerbated. External
works such as fire escapes, drying areas and bin storage can have
significant impact on the character of the area. |
| 11.34 |
Policy H7 attempts to boost the requirements
of Policy H5 to ensure that the conversion of dwellings into flats,
bedsits or Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) does not, individually
or cumulatively, cause detriment to the character and amenity of the
area in general or to residents of adjoining properties in particular. |
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| Policy H7 |
Residential Conversions |
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| Proposals for the conversion
of appropriate individual dwellings into flats will be permitted,
provided that they meet the requirements of policy H5 and the following
additional criteria: |
| a) |
the conversion, and any
external works necessitated by it, will provide acceptable standards
of accommodation, both internal and external; and, |
| b) |
it will not result in a
loss of private external area, or a loss of privacy through overlooking;
and, |
| c) |
adequate provision of car
parking space can be made for the occupants’ needs in accordance
with policy T25. |
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| 11.35 |
Large, detached properties are, generally,
more suitable for sub-division into smaller units. Terraced properties
are less adaptable, more susceptible to noise transmission through
party walls and more likely to compound on-street parking problems. |
| 11.36 |
Separate regulations exist to ensure that
properties sub-divided into flats, bedsits and HMOs meet safety standards
and provide acceptable accommodation. The need for sound insulation
can be considered when a planning application is determined, but approval
for other matters such as internal layout and fittings, fire regulations
and means of escape must be obtained from the relevant authorities. |
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| House Extensions
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| 11.37 |
Extensions to dwellings, if carried out
to a satisfactory standard, can provide valuable additional living
space for a family, which can improve their quality of life, cater
for additional children or other relatives, and prevent the need to
move house. |
| 11.38 |
Many of the planning applications which
the Council deals with are for extensions to existing dwellings and
the great majority create no problems. Extensions can, however, have
a significant impact on the street scene and ultimately the character
of a residential area. Policy H8 looks to ensure that domestic extensions
take place without detriment to the privacy or amenity of adjoining
householders or the character of the local environment. |
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| Policy H8 |
House Extensions |
|
| Proposals for house extensions
will be permitted provided they do not detrimentally affect: |
| a) |
(a) the residential amenity,
including sunlight and daylight, and the privacy of neighbouring properties;
or, |
| b) |
(b) the character of the
neighbourhood generally. |
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| 11.39 |
To illustrate the issues which are important
in designing proposals, the Council has prepared Supplementary Planning
Guidance entitled “Residential Alterations and Extensions Design
Guide” (SPG7). |
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|
| Hostels, Homes,
and Care Facilities |
| 11.40 |
The Council is concerned to cater adequately
for the demand for such facilities particularly those arising from
the central Government “Care in the Community” policy. However,
an uncontrolled influx of such establishments into a particular neighbourhood
can cause demonstrable harm through undue concentration. |
| 11.41 |
The “Care in the Community”
policy involves the gradual closure of large mental hospitals, such
as Whittingham, and the relocation and care of patients within the
community. Considerable uncertainty currently surrounds the policy
and it is difficult to estimate the demand for hostel-type accommodation,
which may result within the plan area. The Council will monitor the
situation carefully. |
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| Policy H9 |
Hostels, Homes and
Care Facilities |
|
| Proposals for residential
hostels, homes and care facilities (classes C1 and C2)* will be permitted
provided they meet the requirements of policy H5 and do not lead to
an over concentration of similar facilities in the locality. |
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| Non-Residential
Uses in Residential Areas |
| 11.42 |
The areas defined on the Proposals Map
as Primarily Residential Areas are exactly that: primarily but not
exclusively residential in character. They contain non-residential
uses like primary schools, local shops, open spaces, business uses
and some industrial uses. The incidence of such uses varies from one
area to another; generally the older established areas and those closer
to the City centre have the highest incidence. |
| 11.43 |
In seeking to maintain and enhance the
quality of residential areas, the Council aims to ensure that proposals
involving non-residential uses do not have any adverse impact on areas
which are primarily residential in character and that the cumulative
effect of such proposals does not alter the area to become primarily
non-residential. |
| 11.44 |
When determining planning applications
involving non-residential uses in, or adjacent to, residential areas,
their impact on residential amenity will be the Council’s primary
consideration in accordance with policy H5. |
| 11.45 |
Beyond that, however, there are further
considerations depending on the type of development which is put forward. |
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|
| Business and Industrial
Uses in Residential Areas |
| 11.46 |
Small scale industrial and commercial/business
uses, particularly those contained in appropriately sized and designed
buildings, can be acceptable in residential areas providing the type
of activity is carefully controlled to ensure that no nuisance is
caused. By definition in the Use Classes Order, business (B1) uses
can be carried out in any residential area without
detriment to the amenity of that area by reason of noise, vibration,
smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit. |
| 11.47 |
This acceptability has arisen in part
through changes in working practices which have resulted in “clean”
processes with no by-products which would affect the amenity of residents.
But care has to be taken that amenity is not impaired in other ways,
such as excess traffic generation and parking difficulties. |
| 11.48 |
Some of these uses can take place in a
residential area without requiring planning permission as they are
ancillary to the use of a house as a home. An example is someone working
from home in computer related work which generates no more trips than
would otherwise take place if the house was purely used for domestic
purposes. |
| 11.49 |
In PPG4: ‘Industrial And Commercial
Development and Small Firms’ the Government encourages mixed
uses within residential areas. Mixed uses can cut down on the number
of trips generated; they can increase security by maintaining activity
in an area during working hours; and increase the vitality of the
local economy by providing a variety of options for those starting
a business. |
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| Policy H10 |
New Business and Employment
Uses in Residential Areas |
|
| Within Existing Primarily
Residential Areas, defined on the Proposals Map, proposals for new
industrial and business uses will be permitted only where: |
| (a) |
the proposed use falls
within the definition of Class B1, and/or |
| (b) |
the proposal can satisfy
the requirements of Policy H5. |
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| 11.50 |
Conditions may be imposed when granting
planning permission to make acceptable a use which might otherwise
not be suitable in a residential area. Conditions could regulate activity
by covering, for example, hours of operation, use of machinery and
power tools, and controlling the type and extent of outside storage.
They could also be used to safeguard against intensification of use
and could restrict use rights so that control over subsequent uses
was established. |
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|
| Business and Commercial
Restraint Area |
| 11.51 |
However, in the Avenham area of Preston,
close to the City centre, the introduction of business and commercial
uses into streets which were once predominately residential, if not
wholly so, has progressed to an extent that the area’s character
has already changed to predominantly professional offices. Adjacent
areas could soon be under threat from the same type of development
pressure unless strict control is exercised to restrain the trend
to commercialisation. The Council is anxious to protect residential
areas near the City centre. A Business and Commercial Restraint Area
is proposed to fulfil this function. |
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| Policy H11 |
Business and Commercial
Restraint Area. |
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| Within the area of the City
centre defined on the Proposals Map as a business and commercial restraint
area, proposals for change of use of premises currently, or last,
used as residential accommodation to business and commercial use will
only be permitted where the applicant can clearly demonstrate that: |
| (a) |
residential use of the
particular property or site is no longer economically viable; and, |
| (b) |
the development will not
adversely affect the character of the locality. |
| Favourable consideration
will be given to proposals which contain measures likely to result
in an overall improvement to the local environment. |
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|
| Community and
Other Non-Residential Uses |
| 11.52 |
A wide variety of non-residential uses
can be found within residential areas. Schools, churches, health centres,
doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, public houses, community
centres and corner shops all serve the needs of local communities
and are, therefore, appropriate to such areas. This does not rule
out the need for careful control of proposals, individually and cumulatively,
to ensure that they do not erode residential amenity, the street scene
and the character of the area. |
| 11.53 |
Policy H12 fills this role and relates
to extensions, changes of use of part or all of existing property
as well as new build schemes. |
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| Policy H12 |
Community and other
Non-Residential Uses |
|
| Development for community
and other non-residential uses, not specifically covered by other
policies of the plan, will only be permitted in primarily residential
areas where individual proposals satisfy the requirements of policy
H5 and the following additional criteria: |
| (a) |
the proposal would not
lead to an over-concentration of non-residential uses; and, |
| (b) |
any new building, including
extensions, should reflect the character of the area and adjacent
buildings in terms of siting, scale and materials. |
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| Day Nurseries
and Play Groups |
| 11.54 |
The Council wishes to encourage the provision
of additional day care facilities for pre-school children, as the
demand for these facilities is likely to increase given the expected
rise in the number of children and the increasing tendency for mothers
to return to work. |
| 11.55 |
However, demonstrable harm may result
if a number of day nurseries were to locate in close proximity to
each other within a residential area, leading to a significant number
of vehicle movements when children are left in the morning and collected
in the afternoon. |
|
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| Policy H13 |
Day Nurseries and Play
Groups |
|
| Proposals for day nurseries
and play groups will be permitted in a residential area provided they
can meet the requirements of policy H5 and they do not lead to an
over concentration of similar facilities in the locality. |
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| Housing Renewal
and Improvement |
| 11.56 |
In the introduction to this section of
the plan it was stated that Preston was suffering increasing problems
in connection with the condition of the existing housing stock. The
great majority of housing need is met within the existing stock through
the resale or re-letting of existing dwellings. It is essential, therefore,
that the stock is maintained, improved to meet contemporary standards
and that any unfit or sub-standard dwellings are replaced or refurbished. |
| 11.57 |
Since the 1970’s the Council has
invested considerable capital resources in the housing stock in both
public and private sectors, and significant improvements have been
achieved to both the physical fabric of dwellings and the external
environment around them. Unfortunately the amount of resources for
this purpose has been progressively reduced in recent years through
Government control over public expenditure, whilst at the same time
the deterioration of the stock has continued. Effectively, therefore,
the scale of the problem is just as big. |
| 11.58 |
The main instrument for tackling the issue
of housing renewal is action taken under the provisions of the Local
Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Council pursues this to the
best of its ability in its role as district housing authority. This
legislation introduced a new approach in the form of Renewal Areas,
which are intended to deal with area improvement in a more comprehensive
manner than hitherto. Action in Renewal Areas (RAs) is to include
economic and community development initiatives, new build schemes
where possible and extensive environmental works in addition to grant-aided
improvements to dwellings themselves. RAs are generally larger than
previous improvement areas and they can include not just private housing
but also public sector housing and extensive areas in other land uses.
It is also anticipated that RAs will contain the areas most likely
to be treated through the clearance of unfit dwellings, although the
nature of the process of assessment means that it is impossible to
quantify or specify the degree of clearance that might be called for. |
| 11.59 |
As the main machinery for area based action
for housing improvement and renewal, Renewal Areas are, therefore,
highly relevant to the Local Plan and its measures to seek environmental
improvement in the areas of greatest need. |
| 11.60 |
The Council declared its first RA in Ribblebank
and subsequently declared a second in Deepdale. Other areas which
could benefit from similar action, if the necessary resources became
available, were identified by the Council in considering its renewal
strategy: these are in Ribbleton and Frenchwood with smaller areas
in Avenham and Old Lancaster Lane where action under previous legislation
was not completed. |
|
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| Policy H14 |
Housing Renewal and
Improvement |
|
| Development will be only
permitted within declared renewal areas, and potential renewal areas,
as identified on the proposals map, where; |
| (a) |
it contributes to environmental
improvement; and |
| (b) |
it will facilitate the improvement
of housing conditions, economic development or community development
initiatives within the area; and, following dwelling clearance on
any particular site, development will only be permitted for: |
| |
(i) |
housing; |
| |
(ii) |
greenspace; and/or, |
| |
(iii) |
community facilities. |
| Favourable consideration
will be given to proposals which contain measures likely to result
in an overall improvement to the local environment. |
| |
|
| 11.61 |
Department of the Environment Circular
6/90 -Area Renewal, Unfitness, Slum Clearance and Enforcement Action
requires that Renewal Area strategies should take full account of
any statutory planning framework already established for the area.
The Council has undertaken surveys and appraisals in all the declared
and potential RAs, in parallel with the preparation of this draft
Local Plan. This policy, together with others in the Local Plan affecting
these areas, will assist the Council in ensuring that any development
which takes place assists in achieving the planning and renewal objectives
which are essential if lasting improvements are to be made in these
areas. |
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