early engagement healthy · building planning growth and protecting places early engagement october...

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www.wakefield.gov.uk

Planning Growth and Protecting Places

Early EngagementOctober 2017

Plans

Northern, South East & Western Local Plans March 1987

Unitary Development Plan December 1994

Unitary Development Plan First Alteration January 2003

Your views are important and we want you to help us shape the future. This is the first of several opportunities for you to be involved.

Wakeeld Council is starting to think about a new local plan to guide the future growth of Wakeeld District. The Council is ambitious for the future and wants to see prosperous, healthy, resilient and inclusive communities, with opportunities for all to full their potential and lead fullling, active lifestyles.

This document considers the scope of the new plan, highlights key issues for us to consider and offers some options for deciding where new development should take place.

BackgroundWakeeld Council has maintained statutory development plan coverage across the district over the last thirty years.

The current development plan generally provides a policy framework to 2026, with housing and employment site specic policies to 2022. The planning framework promotes and makes provision for sustainable development and provides Wakeeld with a competitive advantage.

To ensure continuing success it is time to discuss and prepare a new development plan. The next plan needs to be set in the context of current and evolving national planning policy and guidance; social, economic and demographic trends; Leeds City Region and West Yorkshire Combined Authority priorities; national and local transport infrastructure projects, as well as the Council's Inclusive Growth ambitions.

Wakeeld has a proud industrial heritage built on large scale employers such a coal mining, chemicals, textile and clothing manufacturing, engineering, glass making and confectionery which have provided long term, high skilled and well paid employment. However, many of these traditional industries have declined in recent decades. Wakeeld has done well in planning for and delivering new employment opportunities. However, much still needs to be done in providing opportunities for everybody and all communities. Too many people and some communities feel excluded and left behind. Leisure, Recreation & Open Space Local Plan January 2017

Previous Plans

Core Strategy April 2009

Development Policies Document April 2009

Central Wakeeld Area Action Plan June 2009

Waste Document December 2009

Current Local Development Framework Plans

Site Specic Policies Local Plan September 2012

Retail and Town Centre Local Plan January 2017

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Vision

Wakeeld District will be attractive, prosperous, resilient and sustainable; supporting a high quality of life. The district will be making a signicant contribution to the prosperity of Leeds City Region. Residents and businesses will benet from innovation, new technology and inclusive economic growth, taking advantage of the district's connectivity to places across the region, the North and beyond.

New development and investment will be sustainable, ensuring the benets are spread across the district, supporting urban renaissance, regeneration and less advantaged communities. Sustainable patterns of living will support distinctive, vibrant and well designed places, with balanced communities, improved transport infrastructure and people living healthy, active lifestyles.

The district's rich historic and natural heritage, diverse wildlife, habitats and landscape, Green Belt and open spaces will be protected and enhanced. Improved standards of design and management will improve the quality of the built and natural environment.

This high level vision will be used to inform the spatial development strategy and spatial objectives underpinning the new local plan.

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OverviewIt is intended the next development plan will cover the period to 2036, in line with many of the higher level plans, frameworks and strategies, including the Leeds City Region Strategic Economic Plan. This will allow the plan to have a minimum 15 year plan period when adopted. The development plan will be a single local plan, rather than a suite of separate land use themed documents dictated through the former Local Development Framework regime. Commencing the new development plan cycle in 2017 should allow a new plan to be in place by 2021.

The scope of the plan will provide an ambitious, comprehensive planning policy framework to:

deliver sustainable, healthy communities;

deliver sustainable development;

address climate change;

promote a low carbon economy and technologies;

promote active travel and lifestyles;

promote high quality, well designed development and place making;

secure inclusive growth;

safeguard and improve the environment;

support social, economic and environmental wellbeing.

The plan will make provision for the objectively assessed need for sustainable development.

Question 1:a. Do you support our Vision for Wakefield?

b. Should anything else be included to deal with key issues for the district?

Key Issues to Deal With

Climate Change

Flood Risk

Air Quality

Sustainability

Homes

Jobs

Inclusive Growth

Connectivity

Smart City / Technology

Quality of Place / Development

Wakeeld District Local Plan 2036

02

Environment / Heritage / Open Space

Transport Infrastructure, including High Speed Rail

Scale and Distribution of DevelopmentPopulation and household projections, as well as economic forecasts, need to be considered in determining the appropriate scale of development for the local plan.

Household Projections and Strategic Housing Market Assessment

Government has published the 2014 Household Projections. The 2014 projections reinforce the downward trend in the rate of growth in households in Wakeeld district identied in the 2012 projections. They provide a cautionary note about the level of sustainable growth and provide a context for considering the scale of development to plan for in the new local plan.

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Household Projections for Wakefield and Neighbouring Councils

Doncaster2012 2014

559 498

Selby2012 2014

333 278

Barnsley2012 2014

756 797

Wakefield2012 2014

960 862

Kirklees2012 2014

1394 1426

Leeds2012 2014

2796

2458

2008 2010

1440

1200

2004 2006

14401600

2014


Households

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The household projections show a slowing of growth in all the districts except Barnsley and Kirklees. The Council has published the Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2016, which shows an objectively assessed housing need of 1,524 new homes a year between 2019 and 2034. The assessment is based on the 2012 sub national population projections released in March 2015. The assessment will be updated to reect the 2014 projections for the new local plan. The Government has recently published a new, standard methodology for assessing housing needs for consultation which will need to be taken into account.

Scale of Housing Growth

The current development plan has a requirement to plan for 1,600 new homes a year, based on the 2004 and 2008 projections, both indicating 1,440 new households forming each year. Projections since 2008 show a signicant slowing down of the rate of new household formation. Based on current evidence and long term trends in house building in the district, it is unlikely planning for the continued growth at the current high level is necessary. The table below shows a range of scenarios highlighting the number of new homes required in the new local plan.

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Additional Homes a Year

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

1,500

Additional Homes in Plan Period 2016-2036

22,000

24,000

26,000

28,000

30,000

To establish how much land to allocate to accommodate the additional homes would need an assessment of how much land is already allocated and undeveloped; how many homes already have planning permission, but have not been built and assumptions about the level of windfall development. For comparison purposes it is useful to note the Site Specic Policies Local Plan allocated land to accommodate 20,552 new homes, within a total of 30,966 new homes expected/planned to be built in the plan period.

Question 2:a. Do you think the Council should plan for

a reduced level of growth of new homes?

b. What level of growth of new homes do you think the Council should plan for?

Scale of Employment Growth

Establishing the amount of land to allocate for employment will need to reect the take up rate over an appropriate period of time, as well as market trends and signals. It will also be necessary to establish the suitability of the existing employment land supply. It is likely somewhere in excess of an additional 100 hectares of land will need to be made available. The new local plan needs to provide a framework suited to the emerging employment opportunities in advanced manufacturing, digital, creative, confectionery, distribution and tourism, driven by new and quickly changing technologies, lifestyles, economic markets, location demands, communications and connectivity.

Development Options69% of the district is designated Green Belt. The Green Belt boundary was reviewed in 2012 and the general extent of the Green Belt should remain in place beyond the current plan period to 2026. Exceptional circumstances are needed to remove land from the Green Belt. It will be important to have a clear basis for seeking to release land from the Green Belt, but this may be necessary to support sustainable economic growth and to meet our objectively assessed needs for development.

The local plan will look to identify as much previously developed land as possible to meet the requirement for new development land, in accordance with national planning policy. Nevertheless, greeneld land will be needed. There are several large Special Policy Areas, notably SPA2 Wakeeld East and SPA4 Castleford Riverside, which will continue to be the focus for signicant housing and some employment development during the next plan period.

The following development options provide a starting point for considering where development should take place. Views about these or any other options, or variations will help decide the development strategy.

Early Engagement October 2017

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Development Option AGrowth Across Wakeeld District

This option would see a continuation of the development strategy in the existing local plan (Local Development Framework) with most new development focused on the urban areas dened in the Settlement Hierarchy, generally reecting settlement size and function across the district.

The largest amounts of development would be focused on Wakeeld, with smaller but signicant amounts of development focused on Castleford and Pontefract. For other urban areas the scale of development would reect settlement size and function, spatial priorities for urban renaissance and regeneration and the need to tackle local high levels of deprivation.

In local service centres the scale of development would be appropriate to the size of the settlement, meeting the identied needs of the settlement and its immediate area and helping create a balanced sustainable community.

In villages and other settlements only small scale development would take place where it helps to meet identied local needs within the existing boundaries of the settlement.

Elsewhere development would be strictly limited, in accordance with Green Belt policy.

See Core Strategy policies CS1 (Location of Development) and CS3 (The Scale and Distribution of Additional Housing).

Larger settlements generally have a greater range of services and infrastructure, as well as higher levels of accessibility. It is likely development in and around these settlements is sustainable. It would be necessary to test whether a continuation of the existing development strategy would continue to deliver sustainable development.

Development Option BRegeneration Focused Growth

This option would see an increased emphasis on regeneration, with most new development focused in and around the urban areas, particularly where urban renaissance and regeneration remains a priority, primarily in the eastern half of the district.

The scale of development would reect settlement size, function and opportunities for regeneration and sustainable growth. Signicant amounts of development might be associated with Castleford, Featherstone, Knottingley, Normanton and South Elmsall.

Development in local service centres, villages and other settlements and elsewhere would be similar to option A.


Development Option CConnectivity and Regeneration Focused Growth

This option would see a focus on promoting development in sustainable locations, such as close to railway stations and to new transport infrastructure, including roads and high speed rail, particularly where there are opportunities to align proposals with urban areas where urban renaissance and regeneration remains a priority.

The scale of development would reect settlement size, function and opportunities for regeneration and sustainable growth. A limited number of urban extensions might be appropriate as part of a coherent sustainable growth strategy focused on connectivity and regeneration.

Development in local service centres, villages and other settlements and elsewhere would be similar to options A and B.

A focus on promoting development in sustainable locations e.g. within 2km of public transport nodes, particularly railway stations, merits consideration. In addition, there are several locations where proposals are emerging for urban extensions; these include south Featherstone, west Pontefract, south Knottingley, east Crofton, south and west South Elmsall, and south-west Ossett. These proposals are associated with new transport infrastructure, including roads and high speed rail. These potential growth areas will need to be assessed against an evidenced based sustainable growth strategy. Identifying and delivering associated infrastructure will be crucial.


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Development Options

Strategic Transport Links Railway / Station HS2

LEEDS

KIRKLEES

SELBY

DONCASTER

BARNSLEY

WAKEFIELD

Castleford

South Elmsall/South Kirkby

Hemsworth

Featherstone

Knottingley(inc. Ferrybridge)

Pontefract

Fitzwilliam/Kinsley

Ossett

Crofton

Ackworth(Moor Top)

Upton

Horbury

Normanton(inc. Altofts)

Stanley/Outwood

Ryhill/Havercroft

B

B

BB

B

C

CC

C

CC

C

Development Option A

Sub - Regional City & Focus for Long-term Growth

Principal Town & Focusfor Long-term Growth

Other Urban Areas

Other Urban Areas of Restraint

Local Service Centres

Villages

Development Option B

Development Option CConnectivity and Regeneration Focused Growth

Regeneration Focused Growth

Growth Across Wakefield District

B

C

A


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Question 4:Are there other options we should consider?

Question 3:Which option do you think we should take and why?

In all options there needs to be a particular focus on character of place, opportunities and constraints, to deliver high quality sustainable development and make sure individual settlements have a range of housing, jobs and services to meet local needs and in rural areas development enhances or maintains the vitality of rural communities.

We will need to create a policy framework which is agile and able to respond positively to significant changes likely to take place in the next 15 years, many driven by innovation and new technologies.


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Question 5: Do you think we are right to raise aspirations about the quality of design and places?

Quality of Place and DesignPeople aspire to life in safe, pleasant and well designed places, which reect local character and provide convenient access to jobs, services and facilities.

The Council wants to see greater focus on quality of place, public realm and urban design, in order to create the places and streets local people and businesses will be proud of. Places which are focused on people, incorporate high quality buildings and spaces, create a healthy environment, which are locally distinct, attractive, resilient and promote interaction, encouraging walking, cycling and low carbon sustainable transport.

The Wakeeld City Urban Design Framework and Wakeeld District Residential Design Guide will be used to encourage and deliver better places and higher quality design.

Issues

Housing

Meeting housing needs will be an important focus for the local plan. The plan will support the delivery of new homes for sale, rent, shared ownership, supported living, shared community living, custom-build, self-build, older persons, student accommodation and low carbon modular housing. Sufcient homes of the right type, size, tenure and affordability will be needed to meet peoples housing needs. The Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2016 provides important evidence to consider.

Employment

Changes driven by new technology, innovation, automation, articial intelligence, customer power and choice, convenience and individualism are increasingly shaping employment as well as the location and demand for employment land.

There is a growing need for people and businesses to be agile to adapt to these changes and this poses challenges for understanding and identifying employment land requirements in the new local plan. Work has been commissioned to help understand and anticipate market trends.

It seems there is a diverging market in terms of warehousing and distribution with strong demand for very large units as major distribution companies and retailers re-engineer processes based on integrated, increasing automated regional and national distribution centres, alongside strong demand for medium sized units close to consumer markets for local distribution and last mile deliveries. Automation and articial intelligence will enable better use of internal space and land with potentially an opportunity and demand for taller buildings. Opportunities may exist for intensifying, refurbishing and redeveloping of existing older industrial estates in prime locations for the emerging markets.

There is likely to be a continued focus on the M62 and A1 corridors. There is a need to recognise the growing importance and requirement for land to support the growing e-commerce sector. In addition, there is an emerging market for growing food, under LED lighting, in high capacity warehouses. There is also increasing interest and activity in relation to the industrialisation of house building. This process involves house frames being constructed off-site in a factory and delivered to site as a completed at-pack and assembled on site with ground works and sub-structure already in place. Roofs, external facings and internal electrics, plumbing, kitchens and bathrooms are then installed on site.

Question 6:Are there other emerging trends we need to be aware of?




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Infrastructure

Economic growth, new homes and jobs need infrastructure to create successful and sustainable places and living environments. The Council will engage with infrastructure providers to identify and secure the delivery of the infrastructure necessary to support the development set out in the local plan.

Investment in transport infrastructure is likely to be critical in deciding and delivering the appropriate development strategy for the district. Technology will play a fundamental role in shaping travel in the period up to and beyond 2036. Travel will begin to be delivered as a service, for individuals to choose and t to their own purposes through computer and mobile phone applications, integrated ticketing, services on demand, autonomous vehicles etc. Although the reason for and ways of travelling will change, it is likely the amount of travel will increase despite technology and the ability to work and meet “remotely” through the internet.

Rail travel is likely to increase substantially, continuing its current growth, as business and people seek to maximise opportunities. Similarly, road travel is also expected to continue to grow, particularly as a growing population and people's aspirations demand more services and goods to be delivered and opportunities for leisure travel expand.

The Government has decided to invest in High Speed Rail to deliver extra capacity and shorter journey times on an extended rail network. High Speed Two will provide a new rail line between London and Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and York. The eastern leg of the High Speed Two route will run through Wakeeld District as the rail line runs north past Shefeld to Leeds and York. The route runs to the west of Hemsworth, east of Crofton and west of Normanton before crossing the M62 into Leeds and towards York.

The local plan will need to take account of High Speed Rail and other transport infrastructure being planned and built. Work is underway through Transport for the North, Department for Transport, Highways England, Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Leeds City Region and Shefeld City Region to establish strategic transport infrastructure needs and delivery plans. This work includes considering the merits of a South Yorkshire Parkway Station on the eastern leg of High Speed Two. This work is not nished and no decisions have been taken about whether there will be a station or where it would be. Nevertheless, when a decision is taken it will be necessary to consider the implications for the Wakeeld District Local Plan.

Environment

Key to delivering sustainable development will be how we protect and enhance the district's rich historic and natural heritage, diverse wildlife, habitats and landscape, Green Belt and open space. Environmental integrity will help combat climate change, reduce ood risk, improve air quality and provide a high quality, healthy built and natural environment.

Retail, Town Centre, Leisure, Recreation and Open Space

The new local plan will carry forward our approach to planning for retail, town centres, leisure, recreation and open space set out in the recently adopted local plans. The plan will reinforce the importance of town centres as places for an increasing range of activities, as the dominance of shopping reduces in response to technological change, as well as recognising the crucial role, leisure, recreation and open space play in supporting active and healthy lifestyles and environments.

Call for SitesAs set out earlier the Council, in consultation with communities, will need to decide where development should take place. To assist this process there is an opportunity now for you to tell us about land you think should be considered for development. You will need to be able to provide robust evidence about the suitability, availability and deliverability of the land to support it being included in the local plan. You should complete a “Call for Sites” form.

The Council will consider reasonable site options for development and assess them through a Site Assessment Appraisal and Sustainability Appraisal Framework to decide which sites to include in the Initial Draft Wakeeld District Local Plan.

Sustainability Appraisal Scoping ReportThe Council has prepared a report setting out the scope of the Sustainability Appraisal to provide an opportunity for you to comment.


[email protected]

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Comments and Call for SitesPlease have your say at this initial stage by providing comments on the three consultations:

Early Engagement

Call for Sites

Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report

www.wakefield.gov.uk/wdlp2036

Spatial Policy Group Planning & Transportation ServicesWakefield CouncilWakefield OnePO Box 700Wakefield WF1 2EB

Your comments must reach us by Wednesday 6th December 2017 at 5pm.

Local Plan Timescale Future Consultation

Local Plan Early Engagement - 2017Consultation October 2017

Draft Local Plan - 2018Consultation October 2018

Publication Draft Local Plan - 2019Consultation July 2019Submit to PINS November 2019

Final Local PlanExamination March 2020Adopt Local Plan January 2021


For Further Information see:

Local Development Scheme July 2017

Statement of Community Involvement November 2017

Please comment in one of the following ways (the preferred way to comment is on-line):

http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/planning/policy/emerging-local-plan-2036

http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/planning/policy/community-involvement

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Impr

ovin

g

Planning

GrowthHealthy

Futu

re Quality

Com

mun

itie

s

Prosperous

Attractive

Pla

ces

Sustainable

Brighter Delivering

DevelopmentVibrant

Connected

ProtectingS

afe

Resiliant

Act

ive

Inclusive

Sec

urin

g

Building

www.wakefield.gov.uk/wdlp2036

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