"A Borough for Success"
Rugby Borough Development Plan
Adopted Local Plan - July 2006 - Written Statement - Chapter 3
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DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The Development Strategy
3.1 The Local Plan development strategy is primarily one which seeks to provide for sustainable development which meets the needs of residents of the Borough whilst minimising the need to travel and protecting the important natural and cultural heritage of the Borough.
3.2 In achieving this, the Local Plan adopts a tiered approach towards new development. Firstly, the majority of new development is directed to the main town of the Borough, Rugby. In accommodating most of the Borough’s development, Rugby town is able to provide for the majority of the Borough’s residents needs. Additionally, as the focus of the Borough, locating new development in Rugby town is likely to lead to a reduction in the number of trips people will need to make, particularly by private car.
3.3 Secondly, the needs of the rural area are also important and are addressed in this Local Plan. The amount of new development in the rural area is likely to be reduced when compared to previous years. This is primarily because a large proportion of the new developments which have been permitted in the past have not been to meet the needs of the communities in which they are located but are to provide for the general needs of the Borough or indeed adjacent areas.
3.4 Therefore, this Local Plan proposes a development strategy in rural settlements which is primarily aimed at meeting the needs of local communities and seeks to focus development towards appropriate sustainable settlements, the Main Rural Settlements as defined in Policy S3. These settlements are considered to meet the basic sustainability criteria and will therefore be the focus for the majority of rural developments. In doing so, the Plan permits limited infill developments within the Main Rural Settlements provided it is utilising previously developed land. Additionally, developments which are to meet a local need would also be permitted within Main Rural Settlements. Local Needs Settlements are also identified in the Plan, these are less sustainable locations but nonetheless are recognised as settlements in planning policy terms and should also be able to accommodate local needs developments. However, other types of developments in Local Needs Settlements will be restricted.
3.5 Finally, development in the countryside is also considered by the Local Plan. Nationally and strategically, developments in the countryside are restricted because they are often in unsustainable locations, have little access to services and facilities and can serve to undermine the viability of existing settlements. Nonetheless, this needs to be balanced against the needs of the rural economy and the contribution some developments can have towards supporting rural communities. With this in mind this Local Plan seeks to strike a balance between these often competing desires. Developments in the countryside will continue to be restricted, however, where developments are considered to provide a positive contribution to the rural economy, they are likely to be supported through policies in this plan. The boundaries of the urban area and the settlements included in policies S1 and S3 are shown on the Proposals Map (including the various Inset Maps), and define the limits to development.
Settlement Hierarchy
3.6 The Warwickshire Structure Plan (WASP) 1996-2011 provides a clear framework for establishing the amount of housing and industrial land to be provided in Rugby Borough during the plan period. Additionally, the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) sets out the future housing requirements for the region beyond 2011. These figures have yet to be distributed at the local level but this plan does seek to take into account these requirements to 2016.
3.7 The key objective set out in the WASP and the RSS is that most new development required during the plan period should be directed to the main towns, i.e. those with a population above 8,000. In Rugby Borough, Rugby is the only main town in Structure Plan terms. In all other settlements, the emphasis is on meeting the needs of local communities.
3.8 This objective is underpinned by the need to achieve sustainable development, to maximise the use of previously developed land and to reduce the need to travel. Therefore Policy S1 sets out the urban development priorities for Rugby. These priority locations are consistent with both national and strategic advice in seeking to concentrate the majority of development within or adjacent to the main town of Rugby.
Explanation
3.9 In accordance with Policy GD.3 of the WASP, most new housing and industrial development in the Borough will be directed towards the main town. Furthermore, in accordance with Structure Plan GD.5, Policy S1 identifies those locations which, by nature of their proximity to the urban area, may be able to accommodate development to meet the needs of the urban area.
3.10 The Council considers, that development requirements to 2011, and in respect of housing to 2016, can be met from either 1st or 2nd priority locations without the need to extend the search for suitable sites beyond those locations. It may be necessary however, beyond 2011 for the release of sites outside Rugby Urban Area to be considered. In this respect the provisions of Policy S2 will be most relevant.
Explanation
3.11 Policy S2 seeks to ensure that the most sustainable locations are the first to be developed. Policy GD.5 of the Warwickshire Structure Plan sets a strategic framework for development priority locations. Policy S2 is a reflection of that policy taking into account the availability of land in each of the priority locations. It is important in implementing Policy S2 that the priority sequence of Policy S1 is followed, and that land in a lower priority location is not released for development until higher priority locations have been developed, or have been shown to be undeliverable in the required timeframe.
3.12 In operating the development strategy policies of this Plan the Council will use the Plan, Monitor and Manage approach advocated in PPG3. The Council will produce an annual monitoring report (AMR) and through this will seek to identify potential risks in meeting requirements. Where the Council considers that a possible shortfall would arise, consideration will be given to the release of sites which may help alleviate this shortfall. Any shortfall will be identified in relation to ensuring a 5 year supply of land for housing and employment. A shortfall requiring the release of additional land will not exist unless it represents, in relation to housing, half of the required annual completion rate identified in Table 4 and, in relation to employment land, a deficit of 5 hectares.
3.13 The Council continues to regard Long Lawford and Dunchurch principally as rural settlements, but given the relationship of these settlements with the urban area it is considered that the Plan should recognise that these two settlements will have slightly different roles to that of other rural settlements. The settlements could therefore accommodate, in some form, development which was generally meeting a need other than specifically one local to that village. However, Policy S2 sets out that it will only be in circumstances where there is shown to be a shortfall in the 5 year supply of land, and all identified development options within the Rugby urban area have been implemented, or shown to be undeliverable within the required timeframe, that the release of large scale sites in Long Lawford or Dunchurch will be considered. For the purposes of this policy approach, large scale is defined as above 0.2 hectares or 6 dwellings. Policy S4 of this Local Plan sets out the Council’s approach to small scale windfall developments.
3.14 In allocating land through this Local Plan, the Council is satisfied that the needs of the Borough to 2011, and in respect of housing, to 2016 can be met from developments taking place within settlements and therefore does not envisage a need for any large scale developments outside existing centres of population. This would include large extensions to the town of Rugby and any development of the ‘mast site’ east of Rugby. However, the Council does envisage a need to identify ‘reserve’ housing and employment sites to ensure flexibility in provision and to accord with the Plan, Monitor, Manage approach. More detail on these reserve sites will be noted in the Housing and Economic Development chapters, but their early release will only be considered in accordance with Policies S1 and S2 of this Plan.
Explanation
3.15 The Strategy of the Local Plan is to concentrate the majority of development within Rugby urban area. However, it is recognised that certain rural settlements meet the basic sustainability criteria set out in the Structure Plan, i.e. a school, shop and bus service. The Council has taken into account the roles which these larger sustainable rural settlements play in their local area. It is therefore important that the role of these rural centres is properly reflected in the policies of the Local Plan.
3.16 The specific strategy for controlling development in the Main Rural Settlements is set out in the relevant policies of this plan under the subject headings. However this plan generally permits small scale developments within these settlements without a specific demonstration of local needs. Outside of the Main Rural Settlements, a general policy of restraint applies where it will be necessary to justify a proposal through a demonstration that it will be meeting an identified local need. However, the Council considers that there are some rural settlements which are either small, remote or do not contain any services or facilities that it would not be appropriate to consider any developments within them. Therefore only those settlements with a defined boundary will be considered as appropriate locations to accommodate development. All other locations for the purposes of this plan will be considered as countryside locations.
3.17 It is important that in order to provide for rural developments that are genuinely meeting a local need that developments are seen as having the expressed support of the local community. It is expected that the initial evidence of such a local need will be provided in a Parish Appraisal (or equivalent document) which has been prepared by the community. Additionally, the Council expects, where a Parish Plan has been prepared that all development proposals in rural areas should demonstrate how they are proposing to meet the recommendations of the Parish Plan.
3.18 The Borough Council has produced a companion guide in support of this approach to indicate how planning applications for rural developments will be considered. It is worth emphasising however, that as the Local Planning Authority, the Borough Council is responsible for making decisions on planning applications. Therefore in the absence of a Parish Appraisal (or equivalent document) the Council will consider applications in the light of all submitted evidence. However it is expected that where a Parish Appraisal has not been prepared, applicants will prepare their proposals taking into account the Borough Council's companion guide which accompanies this plan.
3.19 In relation to housing, local needs will include affordable housing
as defined in PPG3 together with specialised types of housing for local
people. Local people will include:
• A person or persons and their dependants residing permanently
in the parish, or an adjoining parish, for at least 10 years;
• A person or persons residing permanently in the parish, or an
adjoining parish, for 10 years or more within the previous 20 years;
• A person or persons required to live close to another person who
satisfies the above criteria and is in essential need of frequent attention
and/or care due to age, ill-health and/or infirmity;
• A person or persons required to live close to their place of work
in the parish or an adjoining parish.
• In relation to employment, local needs will include:
• A local business already within the parish and seeking modest
expansion;
• A new business of an appropriate scale that requires a rural location
and/or would diversify the local economy;
• A farm diversification scheme that would ensure the continuation
of an existing agricultural enterprise.
Explanation
3.20 This Local Plan Review has made provision for new housing and employment developments sufficient to meet the WASP requirement to 2011. In making allocations the Council has, as far as possible, sought to follow a sequential approach which concentrates the majority of development on the main town of Rugby, well related to existing services and facilities and on previously developed sites. In addition, the Council has identified Main Rural Settlements which meet basic sustainability criteria and play an important role in the delivery of services in the rural area. A number of Local Needs Settlements have also been defined which are suitable to accommodate specific local needs developments. Therefore it follows that a similar approach should be adopted to other developments which may occur but are not specifically included in this plan.
3.21 Therefore, the urban development priorities set out in Policy S1 and the rural settlement hierarchy in Policy S3 provide a basis for land use planning in the Borough. There is a clear commitment that new developments should maximise the use of previously developed land and also seek to reduce the need to travel, especially by private car. Given that adequate provision is made for new housing and employment developments, it is essential that any additional developments are justified with reference to the general objectives of the Plan.
3.22 The approach of this Local Plan is to concentrate windfall developments in the most sustainable locations. Therefore, particular preference is given to previously developed land within 1st priority development locations through policies S1 and S2 of this plan. Thereafter, other sustainable locations are also considered appropriate for limited infill developments on previously developed land. In all cases, the Council will seek to ensure that the proposals maximise the use of the land.
3.23 Other policies of this plan set out how local needs developments are to be accommodated within settlements but again, where a local need is demonstrated within a settlement the Council will expect that this should be met on a previously developed site. It will only be in exceptional circumstances that local needs developments will be permitted on greenfield sites.
3.24 The Council’s methodology for calculating the probable contribution from windfall housing developments in the urban area is to extrapolate the contribution from windfalls in the urban area since 1991 and to add a modest increase to take account of any additional windfalls which would arise in Policy S1 locations. The Council estimates that in Policy S1 locations an average of 50 dwellings per annum will be completed as windfall developments.
3.25 In the rural area, and more particularly The Main Rural Settlements identified in Policy S3, the Council has proposed a reduction in the overall provision of housing in accordance with both the Warwickshire Structure Plan and the Regional Spatial Strategy. It is therefore proposed that total rural housing developments, including local needs developments will average 28 dwellings per annum.
Controlling Supply
3.26 In seeking to avoid an over provision of windfall developments, having regard to the fact that in Rugby Borough the housing requirement set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy is a maximum figure, the Council will closely monitor annual windfall completions in both the urban and rural areas and report this in its Annual Monitoring Report which is now a statutory requirement. If significant over provision appears likely having regard to both planning consents already granted and the number of completed dwellings, the Council will consider the imposition of further restrictions on the granting of planning permissions for windfall housing developments, including temporary moratoria on all developments (except local needs developments). If by contrast significant under provision appears likely the Council will consider alternative options for rural housing provision, including concentrating the remaining required provision in one or more locations.