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Date: 18 August 1999

NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL

REPORT

Ref: PGLMcW

Subject:

GLASGOW AND CLYDE VALLEY STRUCTURE PLAN - CONSULTATIVE DRAFT PLAN

Purpose of report

1. To allow members to consider the Consultative Draft Structure Plan for Glasgow and the Clyde Valley which has been prepared by the Joint Structure Plan Committee. A presentation on the main elements of the Plan will be given at the Committee Meeting. A summary of the plan is attached as an Appendix to this Report. Copies of the full Consultative Draft are available in the Members Library.

Background

2. Following the publication of the Structure Plan Issues Report in 1998 and circulation of a draft Policy Framework which was considered by Planning and Development Committee in January 1999, the Joint Structure Plan Committee has prepared a Consultative Draft Plan. This is an important stage in the preparation of the new Structure Plan, as it will set out the eight authorities’ view of the development strategy required for the whole Structure Plan area for the period up to the year 2020.

3. The agreement of the eight authorities is being sought for the publication of the Draft Plan which will enable the views of individuals, communities, neighbouring authorities and all interested agencies to be sought prior to the preparation of a finalised plan. That stage is scheduled for consideration by the Joint Committee in December this year and will again require the endorsement of the eight Councils before being forwarded to the Scottish Ministers for approval.

Sustainabilitv ImDlications

4. Since it is intended that the Plan will provide the long term development framework for the area, it is vital that it is founded on the principles of sustainable development. The Aims of the Plan are to increase economic competitiveness, to improve the quality of life and identity of local communities, to sustain and enhance the natural and historic environment and to improve access between work, home, leisure and shops. It is proposed that the development strategy is underpinned by the ‘Guiding Principles of Sustainable Development’ which should enable growth to be promoted whilst at the same time safeguarding and enhancing economic, community and environmental resources.

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Main Issues

5 . In style and format the Draft Plan contrasts markedly with the current Strathclyde Structure Plan as it is much shorter, focuses on the genuinely strategic issues and contains far fewer policies. In preparation too, the process has been different. It has been the aim of the Committee to engage key partner agencies including the Scottish Enterprise Network, Scottish Homes, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Strathclyde Passenger Transport throughout the preparation of the Draft Plan. The important role that these agencies will have in implementing the plan is strongly emphasised in the document.

7. The focus for development will continue to be on urban renewal in preference to further expansion into greenfield locations. Additionally, two significant rural investment areas are proposed, one for the Central Scotland Plateau in North Lanarkshire and the second for the Douglas Valley in South Lanarkshire.

8. The Strategy is based on three themes:-

(a) Within the conurbation areas, the strategy seeks to consolidate the existing communities with a particular emphasis on enhancing the role of town centres for retail, business and leisure activity.

(b) It recognises that the major renewal opportunities will be within a central ‘comdor growth’ that takes in a number of riverside locations along the Clyde, Glasgow City Centre and the M8/A8 comdor through North Lanarkshire. It is also recognised, however, that there are strategically important locations outwith this central comdor which provide key development opportunities of a strategic scale. These include Cumbernauid and Ravenscraig. The strategy seeks to ensure that development opportunities for business and industry both within and outside this ‘corridor’ are accessible to the communities, particularly to those where priority areas have been identified.

(c) The third complementary theme of the strategy is the ‘Green network’ which serves to protect and enhance the landscape around the communities, encourage appropriate ‘greening’ as part of the urban renewal process and promote improved access and recreational uses withjn the network, Within this framework the continued focus on urban renewal is therefore complemented by the designation and safeguarding of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Belt. At present no strategic adjustments are required to the extent of the current Green Belt, except where identified in the Structure Plan.

9. Three new ‘Flagship Initiatives’ are proposed which are large scale and will be particularly significant for the Plan area throughout the period of the Plan. One of the three is for Ravenscraig - Motherwell - Wishaw. The draft plan recognises the potential of the initiative to provide for business and industrial development, a new town centre and for improving the range and quality of housing.

10. The Integrated Transportation Framework is an essential element of the strategy. It includes

(a) guiding retail, office and other major travel generating development to locations well served by public transport;

(b) providing for walkways, cycleways and improved public transport and

(c) promotion of key road schemes including the M74 extension, the M8 Baillieston - Newhouse and the M80 Stepps- Haggs.

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11. An important issue for North Lanarkshire is Opencast Coal Extraction. The plan proposes that the current Structure Plans ‘ Preferred Areas’ are substituted by ‘Search Areas’ with only Badallan, Leadlock and Watsonhead identified in North Lanarkshire.

Comments

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The Consultative Draft Plan has updated and built on the draft Policy Framework which members of the Planning and Development Committee considered in January this year. In substance then, the Strategy, Development Priorities and Strategic Policies are all supported.

Several important issues are still the subject of ongoing work by the Authorities and Joint Committee, particularly the demand and supply for housing and retail development. Work by partner agencies, such as the evaluation of the Ravenscraig-Mothenvell-Wishaw initiative is also ongoing. The outcome of such further work will be incorporated in the Draft Plan if available or otherwise can be considered within the Finalised Plan.

I have sought comments from officers within the authority who will be users of the document and have received a number of comments recommending that a guide to using the document be incorporated and that for the purposes of consultation it should be made as jargon-free as possible.

With particular regard to the text on opencast coal, while the change to ‘search areas’ as a replacement for ‘preferred areas’ is welcome, the implications of Committee’s recent decision on the proposed development at Badallan needs to be considered. The area between Shotts and North Lanarkshire’s boundary with West Lothian has reserves of coal and it is possible that some areas could be worked within the terms of the recent Scottish office Advice. It would therefore seem to be prudent to change the specific references to Badallan and Leadloch to a more generalised search area termed ‘East of Shotts’.

Recommendation

1. That Committee supports the strategy, Development Priorities and Strategic Policies as a basis for consultation.

2. That the Director of Planning and Environment be authorised to discuss with the Structure Plan Manager any technical adjustments which would assist in clarification of the text and diagrams.

That the search areas for opencast coal be changed from ‘Badallan’ and ‘Leadloch’ to ‘East of Shotts’

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David M Porch DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT

2 August 1999

For further information please contact Phi1 Gaunt 6 16252

WEST of

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GLASGOW AND THE CLYDE VALLEY STRUCTURE PLAN

a LONG

ITAN AREA

SUMMARY

: July1999

I A COMMON FUTURE

The communities of Glasgow and the Clyde Valley are closely linked by their shared history and common future. Transportation networks and patterns of work and leisure mean that the future of

each community w i l l be affected by developments wherever they occur. A shared plan i s required to:

enhance and safeguard the quality of l i fe for i t s communities; and tackle the many economic, social and environmental problems that it has inherited

The eight authorities in the Clyde Valley have therefore prepared this Joint Strategy which sets out a Vision of our common future and which wil l enable collaboration in tackling problems and harnessing resources to cope with t o radical changes which the area wil l have t o face.

I n doing so, the Structure Plan seeks t o secure the long term status of the West of Scotland as one of Europe's key metropolitan regions. I t will also make a major contribution t o the implementation of the National policies for building a more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive Scotland. As such this new Metropolitan development Strategy sets out the context t o support the future work of the Scottish Parliament and European Union.

The Strategy wi l l be implemented in the main through private investment - in particular, industrial, commercial and housing developers. The Structure Plan therefore seeks to provide a framework for providing confidence for those who want to invest in our communities or i r?

providing new jobs and facilities. Equally it seeks t o provide existing communities with confidence that new developments wil l not undermine their existing quality of l i fe and amenity.

Our success in harnessing private sector investment requires a commitment of substantial public sector investment in the provision of services and infrastructure. To succeed, the Strategy must therefore be reflected i n the policies and programmes of the implementation agencies, in

particular the following Key Partners - the Scottish Office, Scottish Enterprise and the Local enterprise Company network, Scottish Homes, Scottish Natural Heritage, Strathctyde Passenger Transport Authority, Strathclyde European Partnership, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, West of Scotland Water, Scottish Sports Council, Health Boards and the Forestry Authority. Partnership i s therefore sought with a l l these key public sector agencies in the formulation of this Strategic Plan.

There are also important links between the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Structure Plan area and the adjoining authorities which have also been taken into account i n the preparation of the Plan.

The Plan for the Clyde Valley seeks t o transform the economic competitiveness and the living conditions of the area to enable individuals and communities to thrive. I n order to achieve this, the four main aims of the Plan are:

In order t o achieve the aims of the Plan the following indicators and targets are therefore proposed. A l l are realistic, based on past experience i f they are reflected in the policies and programmes of the implementation agencies.

Economic Growth

AIM: t o increase economic competitiveness by enhancing the attractiveness of the area for investment

Social Inclueion

TARGA: t o plan for an increase in the annual rate of business development - 10% 2005 - 2010

20% 2010 - 2015

30% 2015 - 2020 1 AIM: t o improve the quality of l i f e and ident i ty of local communities in terms of housing, jobs, services and environmental conditions, particularly for the most disadvantaged in society, t o assist social inclusion

I TARGET: t o double the available marketable industrial land related to Priority Areas TARGW. t o provide improved access to the peripheral Strategic Industrial Locations TARGET: t o increase the scale and range of urban brownfield housing, particularly in the

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Priority Areas I I I I I

Renewing the Environment

AIM: t o sustain and enhance the natural and historic environment i n particular by the re-use of existing urban land and buildings

TARGET. an increase in the rate of renewal o f urban land by over 100 ha/ year from a current Level of about 300 ha/year TARGA: t o restore 3000 ha of degraded or poorly managed urban fringe land over the

plan period t o assist the creation of a Green Network

Integrated Transportation

AIM: t o improve access between work, home, leisure and shops, and the distribution of goods, in particular by public transport and by the greater integration of land use and transportation.

TARGFT: t o sustain and seek to improve the current level of public transport patronage and reduce the proportion of other less sustainable modes of transport TARGFT: t o locate major new developments in, or related to, town centres or other

locations accessible by public transport

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THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The principles of Sustainable Deve\opment are embodied in International Agreements, European Policy and National Planning Policy. These are based upon passing on to future generations enhanced economic, social and environmental Resources. Incorporating Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development in the Structure Plan wil l enable development and growth t o be promoted whilst safeguarding the long term future of these resources.

Guiding Principles of Sustainable Development A. Safeguarding and Enhancing o f Resources for Future Generations

Economic Resources: The Structure Plan should promote long term economic competitiveness and job creation by:

creating and safeguarding a range of strategic investment locations ensuring development does not displace employment or divert investment safeguarding the vitality and viability of town centres assessing new development against the supply of and demand for available opportunities

Social Benefit: The Structure Plan should promote Social Inclusion, by:

giving priority t o communities, or individuals in greatest need and to linking areas of need t o areas of opportunity renewing and sustaining existing communities, having regard to the ability of communities t o accommodate further development and retain their identity recognising the special development needs created by the remoteness of some rural areas

Environmental Benefit: The Structure Plan should promote and enhance environmental quality by:

giving priority t o the recycling and decontamination of vacant urban land and buildings, and the enhancement of existing resources a presumption in favour of safeguarding the quality and extent of environmental resources minimising energy consumption, particularly for travel purposes minimising the risk of planning blight.

These Guiding Principles have been used i n the preparation of the Structure Plan and wil l be used in the evaluation of proposals that do not accord with the Structure Plan.

Guiding Principles of Sustainable Development E. The Assessment o f Development Proposals

Where a need for development has been established proposals for development w i l l therefore be assessed i n terms o f

a precautionary approach: t o safeguard resources from damage that cannot be reversed within the l i fe of the Plan

an explicit sequential approach of development proposals i s required in order to ensure that the most beneficial location has been selected

the securing of developer contributions towards any costs arising from development proposals are borne by those who benefit from it and not by other communities or future generations

Integration of l a n d Use and Transportation: The integration of land use and transportation requires there t o be a closer relationship between the location for new development and i t s potential transport impacts. This includes the need t o reduce the length of trips. Preference should also be given t o the movement of freight by rai l (or sea) rather than by road.

The STRATEGIC VISION

A Strategic Vision i s required to fulfil these Aims and Guiding Principles that wil l enable the area t o compete in terms of the quality of i t s business enterprises, the quality of l i fe of i t s

communities and the quality of i ts environment and transportation systems. This Strategic Vision wi l l be achieved by Consolidating Communities and the creation of a Corridor of Growth and a Green Network, which wi l l be central t o the future well being of a l l the communities.

The Structure Plan therefore wil l set out a Metropolitan Development Strategy for the period t o

2020 to assist in achieving this Longer term Vision for the area. It wil l also define the major policy changes that are required to achieve the overall aims and harness al l available resources for urban and rural regeneration to implement it.

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CONSOLIDATING COMMUNITIES

The Structure Plan will seek to Consolidate Communities by:

providing a range of locally accessible employment opportunities

improving the quality and providing an adequate range of housing, community facilities I and transportation to serve these communities

relating the scale of development to the capacity of communities to absorb change without loss of their amenity and identity

reinforcing the town centres as the preferred location for retail, leisure, community and a business functions

support Glasgow C i t y Centre and other key town centres which serve a wide range of I I

communities by providing an enhanced quality and range of facilities

generating and safeguarding a long term Green Belt

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URBAN DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES

The Metropolitan Development Strategy wil l give priority t o the renewal of urban areas by:

1 Sustaining Town Centres, in order t o strengthen community identity and well being, and support the greater use of public transport

2 Identifying Urban Renewal Areas, and Flagship Initiatives which promote the Corridor of Growth

3 Safeguarding Established Urban Expansion areas and seeking to ensure that they are better linked into the public transport network

4 Safeguarding the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Belt from the spread of built up areas and the encroachment of development into the countryside

In addition to Forth and Clyde Canal Millenium LInk, Central Scotland Forest, Loch Lomond and the Troissachs National Park, Glasgow International Airport and Glasgow New Neighbourhood Initiatives, which are already recognised as national urban development priorities, the Strategy identifies three potential Flagship Projects t o enhance the Corridor of Growth and capitalise on the main concentratf renewal opportunities.

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Flagship Initiatives to promote the Corridor of Growth

Clyde Waterfront capitalise on the existing industries (e.g. electronics and tourism) create high amenity economic development and 'reclaim the waterfront' for local communities key link in the Green Network at the heart of the Metropolitan Area capitalise upon the rail, ferny and cycle way networks and 'open up' the waterfront

Clyde Gateway link new development t o areas of employment need capitalise on the M74 (North) as the new Gateway to the

conurbation and develop green local transport plans create a Green-Network framework and capitalise on the latent potential of the Clyde as an environmental corridor

Ravenscraig - Motherwell - Wishaw a potential core high amenity economic development area capitalise on freight links and improve transport links t o the area improve the range and quality of housing potential for creating a new town centre being tested create major green spaces within the area linked t o the South Calder

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GREEN NETWORK and RURAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES

Priorities

Established National Priorities:

Central Scotland Forest; and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park;

the Forth and Clyde Canal Millennium Link

Green Network Init iatives including: Clyde Gateway Corridor

Ravenscraig Campsie Regional Park

Clyde Waterfront in Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire

Rural Investment Areas: Central Scotland Plateau Douglas Valley South Clydesdale

Other Rural Management Priorities: Clyde Muirshiel Campsies Upper Clyde Valley Clyde Estuary and Firth

The Metropolitan Development Strategy will support the integration of town and county through a Green Network and the development of rural communities through:

1 Established National Priorities for Loch Lomond, the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Central Scotland Forest

2 Green Network Init iat ives which are recognised as priorities for the creation of a comprehensive the Green Network

3 Rural Investment Areas where there i s a priority t o support the economic, social and transport needs of rural communities and environmental enhancement, and harnesses the preferred opportunities for the use of natural resources

4 Other Rural Management Priorities requiring integrated management

INTEGRATED TRANSPORTATION FRAMEWORK

Ease of movement for people and goods across the whole Structure Plan area i s essential t o the implementation of the Metropolitan Development Strategy. However, car usage and transport revenue costs are rising, while capital investment i s falling. I n addition, there i s an increasing separation between the home, workplace and shops. These trends need t o be reversed.

Better Access t o New Developments

If sustainable transport networks are t o be achieved, major new travel-generators, such as retailing, industry, offices and leisure, must be in places which are well served by public transport, for example by being located in town centres, or by limiting the levels of associated car parking. I n addition greater priority must be given t o pedestrians and cyclists.

Better Management of the Existing Network

The maintenance of high standards of access throughout the area i s central t o the Metropolitan Development Strategy. The Strategy therefore promotes Transportation Management Plans along the main transport corridors and business centres.

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Additional Transportation Investment

I n order t o sustain and enhance the level of accessibility t o the major lareas of long term development, the following investments are required:

Walking and Cycling: The Green Network requires t o provide a framework of longer distance walkways and a Strategic Cycleway Network.

Public Transport Schemes: the following options being evaluated by the SPTA will be safeguarded through the Plan:

developing further rail stations

Glasgow Airport - City Centre - rest of Scotland links links from Larkhall, Barrhead and Kirkintilloch t o the C i t y Centre a north and south electric rail link between Central and Queen Street 'joint running' or equivalent options t o extend the dedicated network

There i s also a need t o provide links t o the main centres of employment Cumbemauld e.g. Newhouse, and Renfrew.

O ! New Road Schemes: include: 4

" " - - Ciirurnfeven&l Llnk Stnlqk Burlnnr Ccnlrcr lntmationai Tnnrport radlitio Yrrr Links - INTEGRATED TRANSPORT FRAMEWORK

M74 Cambuslang - Kingston M8 Baillieston - Newhouse upgrade M80 Stepps - Haggs link Glasgow Southern Orbital (and M77 link)

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