Northumberland Local Plan
Core Strategy – Full Draft Plan (to 2031)
Comments following mttg Jan 6th 2015
Council seeking feedback on:
Interim Viability Assessment report – ie whole plan viability, including equalising 106 Agreements
across the county
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) update – adjusted from last draft
Interim strategic infrastructure report
VISION – developed from previous drafts
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expanded, and includes ‘ …. communities will be healthier …….. its economy will be thriving and
competitive, diversified by continuous investment in ICT, green industries and physical links with the
Tyneside and Edinburgh conurbations. …… Visitor economy in particular will have matured and
grown as a direct result of continuous investment in the protection of its heritage assets.
Population Profile, and especially an anticipated increase in over 65 age group and decrease in core working
age group (projected to decrease by 22,150 by end of Plan – was a significant driver in strategy development
– eg increase in housing availability and areas suitable for economic development.
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could be said that their view of ageing population extent was overly pessimistic.
generally, land available for economic growth was available, but not necessarily in the right places
and housing targets would be reached with slightly expected increase
New bits to Economic Strategy - including:
Market Towns as drivers of economic activity – whole chapter on Town Centres, basically
‘consolidating what we have’
Spatial Approach – new map to identify – Growth Network, Investment Zone and Partner Authorities
(map very confusing due to colours used!)
Regional target – 100,00 new jobs by 2025, and 10,000 to 2031
Northumberland’s role in ‘providing workers to the rest of the region’. ie for commuters
Housing
provision of target figure for affordable housing would be on-going challenge
have amended assumptions re commuting and employment
required to plan for 23,520 new dwellings (1,176 per annum) to 2031 – was 800-900
focus for new development will be in ‘Main Towns’ (eg Hexham & Prudhoe) and ‘Service Centres’(eg
Corbridge and Ponteland)
new houses will respect local character (as opposed to new architectural styles).
to be new set of development criteria for villages – modified from Policy 2 (pg 37 in Full Draft Plan)
apart from Alnwick, the most recent proposals for housing in SE Northumberland, Central N’land and
W N’land – have been decreased. Figure for Alnwick – North N’land has increased from 3,750 to
3,900 (ie 150 increase). For new figures see tables under ‘Housing’ in notes for East Tynedale
Cluster.
Housing Distribution changes in the Central Delivery Area (see table in notes for E Tynedale Cluster)
– the changes will reflect:
a reduction in level and redistribution to reflect Green Belt constraints
allow for Morpeth’s role to be maintained and strengthened
other changes: - see notes/tables for E Tynedale Cluster
GREEN BELT
Tyne Valley GB Plan – 1987, minor adjustments; later N & W Hexham GB extended.
Basically, the current view will remain ie – GB boundaries only altered in ‘exceptional circumstances’
and where this may be necessary, done through ‘preparation or review of a Local Plan’.
Core Strategy process shows a need (/ requirement due to the fact that the GB is a strategic issue
and thus requires its own full Review) for a GB review.
There are 2 documents available on-line associated with the review.
The Review work has started, principally through production of settlement plans and their
associated GB, with assessments of how the GB reduces the risk of unrestricted sprawl to
neighbouring settlements. And, to assess where ‘stronger settlement edges could be developed’.
This is seen as Stage 1 of the Review and comments are sought.
As far as we are concerned the only plan that relates to us (there being no plan for Newton or Bywell)
is that for Stocksfield, whose GB boundaries border our Parish boundaries to a limited extent.
Stocksfield are considering their response and as a Parish we may find that our role, at the moment,
would be to echo their comments?
Renewable Energy & Minerals
Recognise that there is a limit to the scale of wind energy development without ‘severely affecting
special landscapes and cultural heritage ….. or impacting residential amenity’.
two pieces of on-going work -
impact of wind farms on tourism
assessment of landscape and visual impact of operational wind
farms/turbines.
there is a new policy on photovoltaics.
COAL – now a revised approach, including:
locally based criteria for each different key N’land Resource Area; to reflect different
considerations that should apply.
NATURAL & HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT
This chapter has been expanded to include:
a hierarchy of protection (from international to non-designation designations)
an ecosystem approach (ie one where even small changes in an environment that affect a broader
ecosystem will be material)
much more proactive approach re heritage areas, including World Heritage Sites.
always take account of landscape character
locally distinctive policies on ANOBs
protection of geological sites and best agricultural land
retain ‘tranquillity and dark skies’, and not just within ‘zones’
acknowledge educational, recreational values of natural, historic and built environment.
NEXT
Consultation on Pre-submission Core Strategy
June – July 2015
Submission Consultation
Winter 2015
Examination
Spring 2016
Adoption
Summer 2016
Cllr Anne Rutherford
21.1.15