Core Strategy Consultation on Strategy Directions 2008

Object

Representation ID: 19535

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

The vision for the rural area in 2026 should be amended to acknowledge that Central Government objectives, as expressed in PPS7, are to raise the quality of life and the environment in the rural areas through the promotion of, amongst other things, thriving, inclusive and sustainable rural communities and sustainable economic growth and diversification.

The Vision for Rother should be amended to acknowledge that villages will be the centre of sustainable rural communities, and that achieving this will require both housing and economic development over the plan period.

Support

Representation ID: 19536

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

The preferred strategy for Overall Spatial Development includes giving particular attention to meeting local needs and supporting vibrant and mixed rural communities, including limiting growth for a number of villages that contain a range of services, where new development will support such services.
It is acknowledged within the Core Strategy Consultation Document that the district is a predominantly rural area. Given this, the importance of maintaining services and infrastructure in villages is fundamental to the quality of life of a significant proportion of the District's residents. Associated with this, is an average fall in household size. The consequence of this is likely to be a reduction in services and facilities in villages which do not experience housing growth over the plan period. It is therefore of importance that the Overall Spatial Development strategy acknowledges the need for growth in those villages which contain a range of services and therefore positively contribute to residents of the village and its hinterland, in order to maintain and enhance the levels of services, and so sustainability of the rural areas of the District.

Comment

Representation ID: 19537

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

The Council indicate that their preferred strategy for determining the most appropriate
development locations is to apply a number of criteria, taking account of the accessibility of the
site and various physical and environmental constraints and opportunities.
Further criteria should be added to this strategy to state that significant weight will be given to
those development locations which have previously been considered and allocated for
development within the Rother District Local Plan 2006. This will reflect the merits of the site,
which have been identified in earlier assessments, and the consensus that will have resulted from an allocation for development.

Object

Representation ID: 19538

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

PPS7 states Government's objectives for rural areas include raising the quality of life and the environment through the promotion of thriving, inclusive and sustainable rural communities, sustainable economic growth and
diversification and more sustainable patterns of development. The aims and objectives for the rural areas should reflect these national aims by stating that residential and employment floor space growth will be supported within villages, particularly those villages which already provide services important to residents of the local area, and which need to be maintained and enhanced over the Plan period, to contribute towards the aim of vibrant, viable, sustainable rural communities.

Object

Representation ID: 19539

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

Paragraphs 9.15 to 9.21
Paragraph 9.18 states that the Preferred Option for housing distribution in villages is composite of number of options, but primary focus on Service Centres, as well as taking account of local need, dispersed development and accessibility, as well as environmental constraints.
PPS7 makes clear that away from larger urban areas, LPAs should focus most new development in or near to Local Services Centres where employment, housing, services and other facilities can be provided close together. It notes that this should help ensure those facilities are served by public transport and
provide improved opportunities for access by walking and cycling. It notes that these Centres, which might be a country town, single large village or group of villages, should be identified in as the preferred location for development.
Based on this, the Document should establish a housing distribution strategy in rural area with primary focus on Service Centres, to maximise the opportunity for accessibility by non-car
modes of transport. The housing distribution strategy for the rural area should therefore also focus on those few larger villages which provide the broadest range of local services served by public transport, such as bus and train.
These factors should determine the most appropriate location for development.
There is no justification for a more indiscriminate, dispersed approach, as the Document presently indicates will be used in part to influence the distribution strategy.

Support

Representation ID: 19541

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

Some LP allocations have yet to be permitted or implemented, including Policy VL8 for mixed use in Robertsbridge.
Given the previous detailed consideration of such allocated sites, and the ultimate consensus
that these represent the most suitable locations for development within the rural area, strong
support is offered to the proposed approach of
supporting the delivery of these outstanding allocations in the early phase of the replacement
LDF plan period. This will ensure that the previously identified need of these allocations can be addressed asap, rather than being delayed by a wider review of development phasing up to
2026.

Comment

Representation ID: 19544

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

Paragraphs 9.36 to 9.40
Rural Areas - Economy
The Employment Strategy and Land Review Document acknowledges that there is a
need for new employment floor space within rural areas, estimating this to be 10% (10,000m2) of the overall 100,000m2 required.
Paragraph 9.37 of the LDF Core Strategy Consultation Document indicates that the village of Robertsbridge (amongst other villages) has a particular need for employment. It acknowledges
that development of employment generating uses will be encouraged alongside housing
development on mixed use sites, where this is feasible.
PPS7 states that one of its objectives for the rural areas is to achieve sustainable economic growth and diversification. This underpins the wider aspirations set out in PPS3 for achieving a close connection between provision of additional housing and employment in order to promote sustainable development.
Given the acknowledgement in the Council's RSS that Robertsbridge already benefits from a good range of services and is therefore suitable for additional housing growth, it is appropriate that the village is also identified as suitable for additional employment floor space. This will not only underpin the existing role of the settlement contributing to the wider aims of sustainability, it will also help to ensure the appropriate balance of new jobs with new housing.

Object

Representation ID: 19545

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

Section (E) sets out aspirations for achieving housing development across broad spread of villages, having particular regard to their Service Centre role, available infrastructure and
services, and local needs and environmental factors.
This should be amended to note that the appropriate housing strategy for the rural area should predominantly focus on those few larger villages which provide the broadest range of local services, particularly where they are served by public transport such as bus and train.

Support

Representation ID: 19546

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

Box 17(E)(ii) notes that the proposed provision of 1,250-1,300 dwellings in the rural areas over the plan period will be achieved in part by "carrying forward outstanding Local Plan housing allocations". This approach is strongly supported. Existing housing allocations reflect previous assessments and consensus that these represent the most suitable locations for housing development up to the period
2011. Carrying forward these allocations into the emerging LDF ensures a consistency of supply and certainty within the Plan-making system.

Support

Representation ID: 19548

Received: 25/02/2009

Respondent: Trustees of the Glyndebourne 1991 L & P Trust

Agent: Mr. Dale Mayhew

Strong support is given to the identification of Robertsbridge as a Rural Service Centre, having regard to the existing high level of services and facilities in the settlement, together with its relatively high levels of accessibility by public transport, in particular the railway station on the Hastings to London line.
Box 17 identifies Robertsbridge as suitable for 46 dwellings from current unimplemented allocations, with a further 10-55 additional dwellings over the Plan period. The allocation is strongly supported.
This reflects the acknowledgement in the Council's RSS of the Rural Service Village role of the settlement, its existing level of services and the guidance in PPS7 to focus of
most additional housing development in rural areas on service villages to maintain vitality and viability of existing levels of services and infrastructure and to encourage sustainable patterns of transport use.