Core Strategy Issues & Options

Comment

Representation ID: 18649

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

It is considered that the five themes cover the main issues affecting the District and that Rother in Profile represents a fair summary of the District’s key characteristics. However it is considered that the Profile and the corresponding 'Drivers for Change’ place too much concentration on the need to develop the urban coastal area and limit growths for the rural towns and villages. This should be re-addressed.

Comment

Representation ID: 18650

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

Croudace welcomes the acceptance that delays in the North-East Bexhill urban extension has created a Structure Plan housing requirement shortfall. The Core Strategy should rectify this early in the Strategy period (before 2011) by prioritising the delivery of sites, firstly bringing forward Local Plan sites to meet the shortfall. PPS3 requires Council’s to demonstrate a rolling 5 year housing supply.

The â€~Drivers for Change’ section and the Strategy should bring forward suitable sites in the short term to deliver affordable and market housing. Specifically, the Core Strategy should release existing phased sites e.g. land at Grove Farm, Robertsbridge.

Comment

Representation ID: 18651

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

Croudace supports the proposed Core Strategy timeframe to 2026. It is necessary for the Core Strategy to sufficiently flexible to respond to change. It is essential that the Core Strategy, and all other emerging LDF documents, include sufficiently flexible policies to respond to delays in the delivery of housing.

Comment

Representation ID: 18652

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

It is considered that the Council's approach towards a more spatial set of overall aims accords with Government policy and that the proposed refinements set out in paragraph 4.13 (a) -(h), are sufficiently comprehensive to respond to the themes and objectives of the Core Strategy and other Council documents, such as the Community Strategy. However, it is considered that an additional refinement could be added which reflects the need to ensure that everyone has access to a decent home within the District.

Comment

Representation ID: 18653

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

The Core Strategy should not include a policy prioritising particular housing types. The Strategy should be based on an up to date Housing Market Assessment, regularly updated to respond to market changes.

Demand for housing types will change. The Core Strategy policy should require the provision of housing types reflecting the latest Assessment and site-specific considerations. An arbitrary policy prescribing housing types would not be flexible and could create housing market imbalances.

If the Core Strategy restricts market housing in favour of e.g. affordable housing, affordable housing delivery may reduce.

Core Strategy policy should facilitate development in rural communities.

Comment

Representation ID: 18654

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

Croudace considers that the Core Strategy should include a policy which states that wherever possible existing employment sites should be retained as employment sites unless exceptional circumstances can be justified to support alternative uses. Such a policy is especially required given the increased land values of sites within existing urban locations for residential use and to ensure that existing settlements retain employment sites to promote their long term sustainability .

Comment

Representation ID: 18655

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

The Core Strategy should reflect PPG13 and PPS3 principles which set out the need for new developments to be located in areas well served by public transport and other sustainable transport modes. By focussing developments in such areas, there will be a sustained demand for public transport and other sustainable transport modes, creating an impetus for continued improvements to the transport system.

New development can contribute towards improvements in the local transport infrastructure commensurate with the proposed level of development. However, there is a requirement for strategic transport improvements, and this requires commitment from central and regional government. However, it is considered that the District should capitalise on the existing transport infrastructure in the short term, and locate development in locations well served by public transport and other sustainable transport modes.

Comment

Representation ID: 18656

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

The Core Strategy may beneficially include a policy requiring development to conserve and enhance natural, built and historic environment quality, taking account of site-specific considerations and other benefits outweighing potential development impacts.

Change will be required to meet sustained growth and regeneration objectives. The Strategy should identify this relationship to avoid development delays.

Some developments may appropriately include energy conservation/generation methods beyond Building Regulation requirements, provided the development is not rendered unviable. The Strategy should encourage but not require the inclusion of such technologies to avoid delay in housing delivery.

Comment

Representation ID: 18657

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

Whilst Croudace accepts its responsibility to provide necessary infrastructure improvements commensurate with the proposed level of development, it is considered that strategic investment from central and regional government is required in order to provide for strategic infrastructure needs.

Comment

Representation ID: 18658

Received: 01/02/2007

Respondent: Croudace Strategic Ltd

Agent: Charles Planning Associates Limited

It is considered that the general principles of the Local Plan provide a comprehensive basis upon which to determine the location of development. However, it is considered that the principles could be summarised and reduced, as it is not considered that every development will be able to fully accord with each principle and as such the Core Strategy should provide a more flexible approach. It is inevitable that change will occur in those twenty years, which may render some of the guiding principles redundant, it is therefore considered more appropriate to identify key principles which provide an element of fiexibility.