Proposed Submission Core Strategy

THIS POLICY RECOGNISES THAT ALONG WITH THE PROVISION OF EMPLOYMENT LAND AND PREMISES THERE IS A NEED FOR A RANGE OF OTHER INTERVENTIONS WHICH WILL FOSTER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND GROWTH. THIS POLICY WILL HELP TO ADDRESS KEY ECONOMIC ISSUES IN ROTHER, AS IDENTIFIED IN THE EAST SUSSEX LOCAL ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT, INCLUDING LOW EMPLOYMENT RATE, SKILLS AND EARNINGS. THIS BROADER APPROACH TO ENABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH IS TO BE WELCOMED ALONG WITH RECOGNITION OF COLLABORATIVE WORK REQUIRED BETWEEN KEY AGENCIES INCLUDING THE LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP. HOWEVER, RECOGNITION SHOULD ALSO BE MADE TO ROTHER'S LINKS AND ROLE WITH EASTBOURNE, PARTICULARLY SOVEREIGN HARBOUR.

THE POLICY'S COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYMENT FLOORSPACE, WHICH COULD
DELIVER A 'STEP CHANGE' IN THE ROTHER ECONOMY, IS SUPPORTED.
PARTICULARLY, THE FOCUS ON MAJOR BUSINESS SITES AT BEXHILL WHICH
RECOGNISES THE PARTICULAR REGENERATION NEEDS OF THE BEXHILL AND
HASTINGS AREA.

THE COUNTY COUNCIL STRONGLY SUPPORTS THIS POLICY. IT SETS OUT, WITH
POLICY IM3 ON THE PHASING OF DEVELOPMENT, A STRONG YET FLEXIBLE
APPROACH TO SECURE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES REQUIRED TO
SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT. THE CORE STRATEGY'S COMMITMENT TO INTRODUCING A COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY IS WELCOMED.

THE RECOGNITION THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY PLAN (IDP) IS A 'LIVE'
DOCUMENT IS SUPPORTED AS BOTH NEEDS AND FUNDING STREAMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS HAPPY TO ASSIST WITH KEEPING THE IDP UP TO DATE BY FREQUENTLY REVIEWING ITS SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL PROVISION.

THE CORE STRATEGY'S GENERAL RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
BEXHILL TO HASTINGS LINK ROAD (BHLR) TO THE OVERALL DELIVERY OF THE
STRATEGY IS WELCOMED. AS IS THIS POLICY'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE BHLR IS AN INTEGRAL, AND CRITICAL, COMPONENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR BEXHILL AND FOR THE ECONOMIC REGENERATION OF THE WIDER AREA. THE POLICY'S SUPPORT FOR THE EARLY CONSTRUCTION OF THE BHLR OR IF IT IS DELAYED THE POTENTIAL TO ACHIEVE CONSTRUCTION LATER IN THE PLAN PERIOD IS STRONGLY WELCOMED AND SUPPORTED.

THE COUNTY COUNCIL STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE REDUCTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT TARGET FOR BEXHILL IF THE BHLR IS DELAYED AND THAT THIS WILL NOT AFFECT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OTHER TOWNS AND VILLAGES. TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT ELSEWHERE IN THE DISTRICT WOULD BE UNSUSTAINABLE, NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNATIONS AND PUT INAPPROPRIATE PRESSURE ON COUNTY COUNCIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE PROVISION.

THE COUNTY COUNCIL WELCOMES THAT THE CONTINGENCY APPROACH OUTLINED IN (III) OF THE POLICY WILL BE UNDERTAKEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL. IT WOULD THOUGH, BE HELPFUL IF THERE WAS FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE POLICY. IT SHOULD BE MADE CLEARER THAT (E) THE CONTINUATION OF A PRE-LINK ROAD DEVELOPMENT RATE, AS SET OUT IN CHAPTER 8, IS MERELY AN INITIAL RATE AND THAT IT WILL BE REVISED ONCE (D) THE DETERMINATION OF THE ACTUAL SCALE OF DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN AGREED. IT SHOULD ALSO BE CONFIRMED THAT THE POLICY DOES NOT PRESUME THAT A CONTINUATION OF THIS RATE FOR THE WHOLE PLAN PERIOD WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. THE COUNTY COUNCIL BELIEVES THAT THE CURRENT SITUATION AND TRANSPORT MODELLING RESULTS ALREADY SHOW THAT NO DEVELOPMENT CAN TAKE PLACE WITHOUT THE BHLR, DUE TO UNACCEPTABLE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ON THE A259. FURTHER TRANSPORT MODELLING WORK IS CURRENTLY BEING UNDERTAKEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ROTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL AND HASTINGS BOROUGH COUNCIL WHICH IS EXPECTED TO CONFIRM THIS.

THE COUNTY COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ROTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL AND HASTINGS BOROUGH COUNCIL TO CLARIFY THE POSITION AND TO INFORM DEVELOPMENT ALLOCATIONS WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT AND SITE ALLOCATIONS DPD.

THE GENERAL APPROACH TAKEN BY THE CORE STRATEGY, SPECIFICALLY IN THE
TRANSPORT AND ACCESSIBILITY CHAPTER, ACCORDS WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE EAST SUSSEX LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN 2011 - 2026 (LTP).

THIS POLICY'S AIM TO IMPROVE STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO STRENGTHEN
CONNECTIVITY IS STRONGLY SUPPORTED. PARTICULARLY, THE EARLY
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEXHILL TO HASTINGS LINK ROAD, IMPROVEMENTS ALONG KEY TRANSPORT CORRIDORS AND A COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH AGENCIES TO UPGRADE THE CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY OF RAIL CORRIDORS, WHICH INCLUDES INVESTIGATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A NEW STATION TO THE WEST OF HASTINGS.

THIS IS A ROBUST POLICY ON IMPROVING THE PROVISION AND USE OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT, IT ACCORDS WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF OUR LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN AND THEREFORE IS SUPPORTED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE POLICY'S AIM TO MINIMISE THE NEED TO TRAVEL AND TO ENSURE GOOD AND SAFE ACCESS ACCORDS WITH OUR LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN AND THEREFORE IS SUPPORTED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE POLICY ALSO IDENTIFIES THAT THE AIMS WILL PARTLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH WORKING WITH RELEVANT AGENCIES TO SEEK FUNDING FROM CONTRIBUTIONS. THIS APPROACH IS ESSENTIAL IN ENSURING NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS TO LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE ARE ACHIEVED AND THEREFORE IS SUPPORTED. IT COULD, HOWEVER, BE STRENGTHENED BY INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS TO WALKING AND CYCLING. IT MAY ALSO BE HELPFUL TO INDICATE HOW IT LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY PROCESS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY PLAN.