Chapter 2
Resources and Implementation
2.1The Council cannot implement the Plan solely using its own powers and resources. The Council recognises that over the Plan period and beyond, it will continue to be faced with financial constraints and that it must make use of its limited financial resources together with external funding and grant assistance in a co-ordinated and prioritised manner. Increasingly, the successful implementation of the Plan's objectives and policies depends on the participation of the private sector, the government and public agencies, other organisations and the voluntary sector in partnership with the Council and each other. In drawing up the Plan, the Council has sought to make specific and realistic proposals which are capable of being implemented during the Plan period and which make the best use of available resources.
2.2One of the primary functions of the Plan is to provide a degree of certainty over where and what type of development will and will not be acceptable. This is essential to provide a stable background and confidence for statutory undertakers, public utility companies, businesses, organisations, developers and private individuals to make investment and development decisions.
2.3 The UDP sets out policies and proposals for specific sites and areas, for example allocations for new housing, employment, shopping and other uses. The successful implementation of these sites will depend on the actions of private businesses, and other agencies, organisations and institutions. The private sector is expected to be the major provider of houses, employment opportunities, shopping etc over the lifetime of the Plan. Other public, private and voluntary agencies will be responsible for, or will be able to assist the Council, in providing health, recreation, community and public transport facilities, and environmental improvements.
2.4 The Council recognises that in order to ensure that private sector development fully contributes to achieving the Plan's objectives, the Plan must promote and stimulate investment as well as guide and control it. To do this the Council will involve the Rochdale Partnership and other agencies e.g. Rochdale Development Agency, Oldham & Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder to assist the development process, and tackle regeneration through their activities and access to funding opportunities. The Plan must also give clear guidance on where physical regeneration and land-use change should be concentrated and prioritised in order to guide development and investment and ensure the commitment and co-ordinated involvement of all implementing agencies. The Plan's Spatial Objectives identify the broad approach in terms of areas of development potential and constraint, and the priority areas for regeneration, whilst more detailed policies indicate preferred uses and planning requirements. As well as including firm allocations for individual uses, the Plan also identifies opportunities for mixed-use development in order to provide flexibility for investors and developers. The Council will prepare supplementary planning documents and planning briefs to assist developers, use its own resources to acquire land and property and secure physical and infrastructure improvements to initiate and promote development.
2.5 The Council will take account of the UDP when co-ordinating and prioritising its own spending programmes and when making decisions on its own land and property holdings. The Plan will also be used to underpin bids (either by the Council or the other agencies involved) to secure grants or other forms of funding where these are needed to enable the successful implementation of UDP proposals. The Plan will also be used to lobby and influence other agencies to invest their resources in the Borough.
2.6 The Council’s most direct means of controlling and guiding development is through its powers to grant or refuse planning permission. These powers enable the Council to control both the location of new development and its quality. The Government has clearly stated that development plans should set out the main considerations on which planning applications are decided and thus the Plan’s policies will provide a firm basis for rational and consistent decision-making having regard to both local circumstances and national policy guidance. In applying policies aimed at regulating development, expert advice may be sought from statutory undertakers and external agencies responsible for such matters as heritage conservation, nature conservation, rivers and flood risk and pollution. In granting planning permission, the Council may attach planning conditions or obligations to secure the provision of facilities or other improvements needed in connection with the proposed development. This might, for example, include the provision of open space, play equipment, affordable housing, highway or other public transport improvements.
2.7 Many of the policies' justifications provide information about how the policy is to be achieved or the proposal implemented.