Part 1
Item 6
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REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND PLANNING
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To Regeneration Initiatives Officer Group
on Monday 12th June 2006
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TITLE: WEASTE SEEDLEY CLAREMONT NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
1) That Lead Member for Planning notes the intention to prepare a Neighbourhood
Plan for the Weaste Seedley Claremont area, recognising that this document will
be prepared in place of the Area Action Plan which had formerly been proposed.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report should be read alongside the report to Lead Member for Planning
(30/05/06) titled 'Producing Plans and Strategies in Salford' which proposes that
Neighbourhood Plans could be prepared as non-statutory documents for areas
across the City in order to set out a shared vision and guide future development. The
Neighbourhood Plan for Weaste, Seedley and Claremont would be prepared in place
of the Area Action Plan which had formerly been proposed.
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BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
Weaste Seedley Claremont Neighbourhood Plan - Draft Baseline and Issues Report
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ASSESSMENT OF RISK:
Low. Local expectations were raised with the proposal for an Area Action Plan to be
prepared for the Weaste Seedley Claremont area, and the setting up of a Steering
Group in mid-2005 to guide its production. There is a need to progress an area
planning initiative for the Weaste Seedley Claremont area in order to keep the local
community engaged and guide future development within the area.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
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LEGAL IMPLICATIONS: N/A
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Opportunities to commission consultants to support the
production of the Neighbourhood Plan particularly in terms of co-ordinating
community engagement are to be explored. In parallel, the scale of funding to
support these activities and potential sources will need to be considered.
COMMUNICATION IMPLICATIONS: N/A
CLIENT IMPLICATIONS: N/A
PROPERTY: N/A
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HUMAN RESOURCES: N/A
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CONTACT OFFICER: Mike Arnold - 0161 793 3646
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WARD(S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE(S): Weaste and Seedley; Claremont
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KEY COUNCIL POLICIES: Draft Replacement UDP; Draft Greenspace Strategy;
Draft Housing SPD; Housing Strategy; Community Plan.
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DETAILS:
1
Background
1.1
The Council's intention had been to prepare an Area Action Plan (AAP) for
the Weaste Seedley Claremont area. A steering group was established in
mid-2005 to guide the production of the AAP. The last meeting of the
steering group was held in October 2005 and there has subsequently been
significant pressure from members of the group to progress the area
planning initiative for the Weaste Seedley Claremont area.
1.2
Informed by the experience of preparing the Pendleton Area Action Plan, it
has however become clear that the production of AAPs is highly resource
intensive with significant cost and staff resource implications. The production
of an AAP would take around 3 years and has limitations in terms of the
flexibility that it allows.
1.3
It is therefore considered that the production of non-statutory documents
could offer a more effective solution for many of the City's neighbourhoods.
These could be prepared in a shorter timescale of 12-18 months and would
allow for greater flexibility. It is therefore proposed that Neighbourhood Plans
could be prepared for areas across the City (see separate report 'Producing Plans and Strategies in Salford').
1.4
The Weaste Seedley Claremont Neighbourhood Plan would be the first of
these plans to be prepared and would therefore act as a pilot for the
Neighbourhood Plan approach.
2
The Purpose of Preparing a Neighbourhood Plan
2.1
A Neighbourhood Plan for the Weaste Seedley Claremont area is proposed
in order to co-ordinate regeneration activity and secure the future stability of
the area. The Neighbourhood Plan will achieve this in a number of ways, by:
 drawing together the existing policy and investment context for the area
in order to co-ordinate activity and identify gaps;
 engaging the local community and key stakeholders to develop a shared
vision and direction for the area;
 identifying those areas where there is greatest need for public sector led
intervention; and
 identifying those areas with significant potential to act as a catalyst to
regeneration.
2.2
The Neighbourhood Plan has the potential to function as a corporate
document that draws together all elements of Council activity within the plan
area, including Housing and Planning, Economic Development,
Environment, and Children's Services. It would set out a shared vision for
the area through extensive stakeholder and community involvement in its
preparation.
2.3
The Neighbourhood Plan could be used to co-ordinate and guide future
development and investment within the plan area. The plan could also be
used to inform the preparation of Salford's Local Development Framework,
particularly in terms of securing a broad strategic fit with the Core Strategy
Development Plan Document (DPD) and informing the land use allocation of
key sites in the Allocations DPD.
3
Outline Process for Preparation
Steering arrangements
3.1
It is proposed to reconvene the Officer Group and Steering Group that were
established to guide the production of the Weaste Seedley Claremont Area
Action Plan.
Baseline and Issues Report
3.2
A draft Baseline and Issues Report has been prepared which will form the
basis of future discussion with the Officer Group and Steering Group. A copy
is attached for information, however it should be noted that this is an initial
draft that is yet to be subject to detailed internal discussion. The document
will be revised where appropriate in response to comments, and will be used
to inform the production of a project brief.
Use of consultants
3.3
It is anticipated that consultants will be commissioned in order to support the
preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan. The specific requirements from the
consultancy work will emerge from discussions with the Officer Group and
Steering Group, however it is expected that a significant component of the
consultancy work will involve the co-ordination of community engagement
activity.
4
Recommendations
4.1
That Lead Member for Planning notes the intention to prepare a
Neighbourhood Plan for the Weaste Seedley Claremont area, recognising
that this document will be prepared in place of the Area Action Plan which
had formerly been proposed.
Malcolm Sykes
Strategic Director of Housing and Planning