Review Of The East Midlands Regional Plan to 2026

Options For Change – Summary

Issued for Public Consultation: 24 October 2005Review Of The Regional Spatial Strategy For The East Midlands

IntroductionThe role of the Regional Plan is toprovide a long term developmentstrategy for the East Midlands over a 15 to 20 year period. This shouldinclude:• the scale and distribution of new

housing;• priorities for the environment such as

countryside and biodiversityprotection, and;

• transport, infrastructure, economicdevelopment, agriculture, mineralsextraction, and waste treatment anddisposal.

In addressing these issues, the RegionalPlan should not just repeat nationalpolicy set by Government. Nor should itgo down to a level of detail moreproperly dealt with by local authorities.Instead the Regional Plan shouldconcentrate on key regional and sub-regional issues, and look to apply the testof ‘adding value’ to the planning process.

More information on the Review of theEast Midlands Regional Plan can befound on the following web-site:www.emra.gov.uk/regionalplan

What is the East Midlands RegionalAssembly?The final Regional Plan will be issued bythe Government. However the documentwill be drafted for public consultation bythe Regional Planning Body. TheGovernment has designated the EastMidlands Regional Assembly as theRegional Planning Body for the East Midlands.

The East Midlands Regional Assembly isa voluntary partnership made up ofcouncillors from every local authority in

the region, along with representatives oftown and parish councils, business,environmental, social and voluntarygroups, and the Region’s six Members ofthe European Parliament. TheGovernment has given the RegionalAssembly three main functions:• Undertaking the role of the Regional

Planning Body;• Scrutinising the work of emda,

the East Midlands DevelopmentAgency;

• Ensuring regional policies generallyare consistent with the principles of‘Sustainable Development’.

For more information about the RegionalAssembly, visit the following web-site:www.emra.gov.uk

Options for ChangeThis document summarises an OptionsPaper issued for public consultation bythe East Midlands Regional Assembly inOctober 2005. The Options Paperincludes:• proposed changes to the Regional

Plan Sub-area boundaries to takeaccount of the latest information onthe extent of ‘housing market areas’across the East Midlands;

• proposed policies to guide futuredevelopment form; and

• options for the scale and distributionof new housing.

Your responses will play a fundamentalrole in shaping the final content of theRegional Plan. Please take the time to tellus what you think and let us know byMonday 16 January 2006. Either:• fill in the form on the web-site:

www.emra.gov.uk/regionalplan ande-mail the response form to:mandeep.dhadwal@emra.gov.uk

• or send your comments using theresponse form at the end of the fullOptions Paper to:

Mandeep DhadwalEast Midlands Regional AssemblyFirst Floor SuiteCouncil OfficesMelton MowbrayLeicestershireLE13 0ULFax: 01664 568201

Copies of the full Options Paper areavailable on the Regional Plan web-site: www.emra.gov.uk/regionalplan, or by contacting Mandeep Dhadwal or Peter Williams on 01664 502555.

Options For ChangeThis document summarises an Options Paper issued for public consultation by the East Midlands Regional Assembly in October 2005 as part of the review of East Midlands Regional Plan.

Issue 1:Sub Area BoundariesThe current Regional Plan divides the East Midlands into a number of sub-areaswhich recognise the diversity of theregion and provide a framework fordeveloping planning policy.

The sub-area boundaries were lastreviewed in 1999, largely on the basis of information from the 1991 census.Although the basic approach is stillconsidered to be sound, the Assemblyrecognises that more up to dateinformation is now available. Inparticular, the Assembly has recentlycommissioned research with theRegional Housing Board on the extent of ‘housing market areas’ in the EastMidlands. This takes into account a widerange of information, including data ontravel to work patterns from the 2001Census. The full Housing Market Areareport can be found on the RegionalPlan web-site: www.emra.gov.uk/regionalplan

It is proposed to amend the current sub-area boundaries on the basis of the Housing Market Area work, and to ensure that district council areas,Housing Market Areas and Regional Plan sub-areas all sit within each other.

Issue 2:Development Form Policies The Regional Vision includes theintegration of ‘…sustainable patternsof development that make efficientuse of land, resources andinfrastructure, reduce the need totravel...’

This raises a number of issues for the Regional Plan relating to‘development form’. The currentRegional Plan (RSS8) seeks to addressthese issues by setting out anoverarching framework for the locationof the future development in thefollowing two ‘core policies’. Can thesepolicies be improved for the newRegional Plan?

Locational Priorities for DevelopmentIn order to meet the Regional PlanObjectives and ensure the mostsustainable mix of locations within,adjoining and outside of urban areas, asequential approach to the selection ofland for development should beadopted in Local DevelopmentFrameworks in accordance with thefollowing priority order:a) suitable previously developed sites

and buildings within urban areas thatare or will be well served by publictransport;

b) other suitable locations within urbanareas not identified as land to be protected for amenity purposes;

c) suitable sites in locations adjoiningurban areas, which are or will be wellserved by public transport,particularly where this involves theuse of previously developed land;and

d) suitable sites in locations outside of(that is not adjoining) urban areas,which are or will be well served bypublic transport, particularly wherethis involves the use of previouslydeveloped land.

Sustainability Criteria In order to assess the suitability of landfor development, in accordance with thePolicy above, the nature of thedevelopment and its locationalrequirements will need to be taken intoaccount along with all of the followingcriteria:• the availability and location of

previously developed land and vacantor under-used buildings;

• the accessibility of development sitesby non-car modes and the potential toimprove such accessibility to towncentres, employment, shops andservices;

• the capacity of existing infrastructure,including the highway network, publictransport, utilities and socialinfrastructure (such as schools andhospitals) to absorb further development;

• physical constraints on thedevelopment of land, including,for example, the level of contamination,stability and flood risk;

• the impact that the development of sites will have on the region's natural resources, environmental andcultural assets and the health of localpeople;

• the likelihood that the site can beviably developed, taking into accountthe availability of resources (bothpublic and private); and

• the suitability of sites for mixed usedevelopment and the contribution thatdevelopment might make tostrengthening local communities.

Peterborough

Bedford

LutonMilton Keynes

Aylesbury

Banbury

Coventry

Nuneaton

Birmingham

Peak Sub-area

NorthernSub-area

Eastern Sub-area

Southern Sub-area

Sub-area3 Cities

West Midlands

North West

East of England

South East

Yorkshire and the Humber

Manchester

Sheffield

Corby

Daventry

Rugby

Kettering

Grantham

Grimsby

Immingham

Hull

ScunthorpeDoncasterBarnsley

Rotherham

Huddersfield

Oldham

Stockport

Stoke

Worksop

Chesterfield

Mansfield

Nottingham

LoughboroughCoalville

Leicester

Hinckley

Northampton

Derby

Lincoln

Boston

Skegness

MablethorpeGainsborourgh

Wellingborough

NNot to scale

MarketHarborough

MeltonMowbray

Newark

Proposed new Sub-areas - illustrative only

How much new housing development should there be?

Ref Title Description

1 Limiting Growth (below trend) This is based on the ODPM Trend Projections less 20% and implies areduction in projected in-migration from other Regions. However atthe Regional level, this option is virtually identical to the level of newhousing envisaged in the current RSS8, at around 10,960 newdwellings per year. This is equivalent to an annual increase in thetotal current housing stock of about 0.72%

2 Trend Based Growth Based on the ODPM Trend Projections. This would imply a level ofhousing growth of about 13,700 per year. This is higher than thecurrent RSS8, but recent levels of actual development have runningat around 13,500 new dwellings per year. This is equivalent to anannual increase in the total current housing stock of about 0.9%

3 Going for Growth (above trend) This is based on the ODPM Trend Projections plus 20% and impliesmaximising in-migration from neighbouring regions, in particularthe ‘Wider South East’. This would give a figure of around 16,440 new dwellings per year. This is equivalent to an annual increase inthe total current housing stock of about 1.08%.

Issue 3:The Scale and Distribution of New Housing A key requirement of the new RegionalPlan will be to determine the level offuture housing by local authority area forthe period up to 2026. The existingRegional Plan (RSS8) already includesthis information up to 2021 forNorthamptonshire as part of the MiltonKeynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy. The task for theAssembly and its partners is to advisethe Government on housing provision for the rest of the local

authorities in the East Midlands, and for the period between 2021 and 2026 inNorthamptonshire.

To inform this work, the Assembly hasdecided to consult on nine differentdevelopment options for the parts of theEast Midlands outside Northamptonshireup to 2026, and three different options for Northamptonshire for the period 2021-2026.

The options for the Region outsideNorthamptonshire are based on threeoverall levels of new housing

development (i.e. how much), and threeways of distributing new housingdevelopment (i.e. where). These optionsare based on work undertaken by AngliaPolytechnic University using the 2003Population Projections and the 2002Interim Household Projections issued bythe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister(ODPM). An explanation of the currentprojections can be found on the Regional Plan web-site:www.emra.gov.uk/regionalplan

Ref Title Description

A Trend Based This is based on the distribution implied by the ODPM TrendProjections, and would result in lower housing growth in manylarger urban areas and growth in many rural areas and small andmedium sized towns.

B Urban Concentration plus This is based on the policy stance in the recently adopted RSS8Regeneration and the most recent round of Structure Plans. It implies growth at

the main urban centres (the Principal Urban Areas of Derby,Leicester, Nottingham, and Lincoln), the identified Sub-RegionalCentres and in a number of areas requiring regeneration, but limitsgrowth elsewhere.

C Strong Urban Concentration This is based on Option B, but with higher levels of housing growth inthe Housing Market Areas covering Derby, Leicester, Lincoln andNottingham, with reductions in surrounding areas. Adjustments havebeen made on the basis of an additional 15% for each City, 5% foradjacent Districts and a decrease of 15% in all other Districts.

Where should new housing development be located?

In Northamptonshire, the level ofdevelopment up to 2021 has been set bythe Milton Keynes South Midlands(MKSM) Strategy, which forms part of theexisting Regional Plan (RSS8). These are

expressed as annual build rates for fiveyear periods running from 2001. The taskthe Assembly now has is to consider isthe level of housing provision inNorthamptonshire for the period 2021-

26. The Assembly has decided to consulton three options for this. In line with theMKSM Study and Sub-Regional Strategy,none of these options seek a reducedlevel of growth for the county:

No particular level of housing is being proposed or recommended at this stage.

Sustainability AppraisalA Sustainability Appraisal, which alsomeets the requirements of the EuropeanSEA Directive has been undertaken onall of the Options by independentconsultants. The results have beensummarised in the Option Paper and areavailable in full on the Regional PlanWeb-site: www.emra.gov.uk/regionalplan. The mainmessages are summarised below.

The higher the housing growth rate(Option 3 rather than Option 1),the more likely that:• Affordable housing will be delivered

and house prices overall will increasemore slowly.

• Homes built may increase faster thanjobs are created, which could increaseout-commuting from the region.

• Pressure will be put on environmentalresources such as water and minerals,and on environmental assets such aswildlife and the landscape.

• Total CO2 emissions and wastegenerated by the region will increase.

• Investment will be available forimprovements to the environment,community facilities, transport andother infrastructure.

ODPM Trend Based Distribution (Option A) would be likely to:• Balance housing growth with current

job forecasts, but potentially lead toincreased travel movements due tomore dispersed development.

• Support the economies of smallertowns and rural areas.

• Deliver affordable housing in morerural areas.

• Place pressure on more sensitivehabitats.

• Potentially increase the amount ofproperty at risk of flooding.

• Undermine regeneration efforts inurban areas, including outside theregion such as Peterborough andSouth Yorkshire.

Urban Concentration & Regeneration(Option B) would be likely to:• Deliver housing and potentially jobs to

regeneration areas, if economicactivity in these areas can beincreased.

• Address inequalities between thoseparts of the region experiencingdeprivation and those that are lessdeprived.

• Support community services and public transport where this is most needed.

• Improve environments where thismost needs to happen.

• Reuse brownfield sites although someof these sites have biodiversity value.

• Potentially place pressure on waterresources in parts of the north of theregion.

• Deliver less affordable housing in ruralcommunities.

Strong Urban Concentration (Option C) would be likely to:• Lead to greatest investment in

affordable housing and improvementsto services and environments in urbanareas.

• Risk an imbalance between wherehousing is built and where jobs arebeing created, unless efforts toincrease economic activity in urbanareas are successful.

• Support walking, cycling and publictransport in urban communities.

• Lead to reuse of brownfielddevelopment, but could place pressureon greenfield land around the PUAs.

• Potentially place pressure on waterresources in parts of the north of theregion.

• Deliver less affordable housing in ruraland coastal communities.

• Risk undermining regenerationobjectives outside urban areas.

Ref Title Description

NA Average Provision (2001-2021) This is based on the average level of planned provision for the period 2001-2021. This would give total figure forNorthamptonshire of 4,975 new dwellings per year the period 2021-2026.

NB Rolling forward the 2016-2021 This is based on planned figure for 2016- 2021.figure It would give a total figure for Northamptonshire of 5,415 new

dwellings per year for the period 2021-2026.

NC MKSM Study Indicative Provision This is based on the level of housing growth (2021-2031) envisaged by the original MKSM Study This would give a total

figure for Northamptonshire of 5,840 new dwellings per year for the period 2021-2026.

Mandeep Dhadwal

Mandeep Dhadwal

(Mandeep Dhadwal)

Ce document est destiné à recueillir vos impressions sur le futur développementdes East Midlands (région est des Midlands). Si vous souhaitez le recevoir enformat gros caractères ou autres, ou dans une autre langue que l'anglais, nousferons notre possible pour vous aider. Veuillez appeler Mandeep Dhadwal au01664 502555 ou envoyez un e-mail à info@emra.gov.uk

Bu belgede Dogu Midland bölgesinin ilerideki gelisimi ile ilgili görüslerinizi almakistiyoruz. Bunu büyük baskı veya diger bir formatta yahut Ingilizce haricindeki birdilde istiyorsanız, size yardımcı olabilmek için elimizden geleni yapmaya hazırız.Lütfen Mandeep Dhadwal’i 01664 502555 numaralı telefondan arayınız veyainfo@emra.gov.uk adresine e-posta gönderiniz.

If you would like to discuss the localimplications of the Regional Plan Review,please contact:

DerbyshirePeter L White, Derbyshire County Council e-mail: peterl.white@Derbyshire.gov.uktel: 01629 585231

Leicestershire Sharon Wiggins, Leicestershire County Councile-mail: Swiggins@leics.gov.uk tel: 0116 2658234

Lincolnshire Ian Lings, Lincolnshire County Council e-mail: ian.lings@lincolnshire.gov.uktel: 01522 550591

NorthamptonshireMark Chant, Northamptonshire County Councile-mail: mchant@northamptonshire.gov.uktel: 01604 236236

Nottinghamshire Roger Howes, Nottinghamshire County Council e-mail: roger.howes@nottscc.gov.uk tel: 0115 9823823

RutlandPeter Beever, Rutland County Council e-mail: Pbeever@rutland.gov.uktel: 01572 758211

Derby Rob Salmon, Derby City Council e-mail: Rob.Salmon@derby.gov.uktel: 01332 255020

Leicester Niles Holroyde, Leicester City Council e-mail: niles.holroyde@leicester.gov.uktel: 0116 2527220

NottinghamMatt Gregory, Nottingham City Councile-mail: matt.gregory@nottinghamcity.gov.uktel: 0115 9155555

Versions in Braille, large print and in severallanguages are also available.

Call Mandeep Dhadwal or Peter Williams on 01664 502555

East Midlands Regional AssemblyFirst Floor SuiteCouncil OfficesMelton MowbrayLeicestershireLE13 0UL

Tel: 01664 502555© East Midlands Regional Assembly, October 2005

Public Participation Support ServiceHelpline: 0870 850 9802web-site: www.planningaid.rtpi.org.uk

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