Canterbury District Local Plan Examination in Public
July 2015
Introductory statement – Ian Brown Assistant Director Planning &
Regeneration , Canterbury City Council
1. The city council has prepared and published a far reaching local plan which sets out a vision
for the district, through to the year 2031. In preparing the plan the city council has compiled
extensive evidence and engaged in wide ranging consultation and involvement over a
considerable period of time. The council and the community have experienced and adapted
to the numerous changes to the planning system at a national level and the preparation of
this plan has stretched across these changes. These include in particular : a change at the point the last plan was adopted to a system known as the local development
framework which then changed again to the current local plan system,
 changes to source legislation including the Localism Act and new local development plan
regulations,
 replacement of most of the government’s planning policy guidance notes and circulars with
a single National Planning Policy Framework and web based national Planning Practice
Guidance, complete removal of the regional bodies and plans. The South East Plan was
rescinded in March 2013 along with its ‘top down’ development targets.
2. In responding to these changes and to ensure a soundly based plan, the local planning
authority has throughout the plan’s preparation sought independent advice to ensure the
basis for taking decisions is thoroughly informed. This had also helped the plan’s response
to the many changes introduced in the National Planning Policy Framework and the new
development regulation requirements. This means that the preparation of the local plan has
ensured that the plan is NPPF compliant and is positively prepared as well as being justified
and effective.
3. The local plan and its preparation provides an opportunity for the city council to set out its
vision for the area up to 2031 and also to provide certainty for local people, developers and
other groups about how planning decisions will be taken. The local Plan is an opportunity
for us to set out a positive vision for the area and we have made a point of linking it also to
the council’s wider vison, as set out in the Corporate Plan. But the plan should also be
realistic about what can be achieved and when (including in relation to infrastructure). This
also means paying careful attention to providing an adequate supply of land for
development, identifying what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and
brought on stream at the appropriate time; and ensuring that the requirements of the plan
as a whole will not prejudice the viability of development.
4. The timeframe for the local plan is an extensive one and the challenge we have set ourselves
in preparing this plan is to deliver against the following objectives.
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Create well designed new communities with good access to jobs and services.
Deliver enough housing and the right types of housing to meet the needs of local people and
support new job opportunities.
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We also need to ensure that some of the key assets which make our district special are also
protected including the sensitive landscape and wildlife areas, other key environmental
assets in particular the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and also our world class heritage,
as recognised in our designation of a world heritage site and the conservation areas spread
across the district.
One of the other key challenges we have set ourselves is to ensure that, in planning for
development, we link this with the provision of new infrastructure – this is particularly to
address challenges of transport congestion but also to positively provide new facilities for
the new planned communities and to think of their future needs, particularly around schools
and health facilities – all of this to be provided in parallel with the new development coming
forward.
5. One of the other key strengths of our district is the attractive and vibrant villages which
make up a large proportion of our district’s population – we want to ensure that in planning
for our district these villages are protected and enhanced.
6. A further key asset and major source of business and employment in the district and one
which is particular to the City of Canterbury, is the education sector and this plan provides
for support for the growth of our universities and colleges.
7. The quality of life in our district is also in large part derived from the development of new
and improved cultural and leisure facilities and this plan recognises that and seeks to ensure
that these are protected and strengthened through the planning process.
8. In preparing the local plan the city council has devoted and assigned significant resource at a
time of increasingly constrained public finance. However, the city council has recognised
that to prepare a soundly based plan this resource is required and is a long term project they
have consistently supported.
9. The council has gathered a lot of evidence to underpin and feed into the plan and much of
this evidence shows that there is a need to grow and broaden the economy and to provide
new housing to meet local needs and support the local economy. This evidence has been
complemented by public opinion research, commissioned by the council at an important
point in early plan preparation, to gauge views of the whole community including ‘hard to
reach’ groups. This research demonstrated an innovative approach and showed that there
was support for and clear recognition of the need for new housing and business
development. But it also showed concerns about the potential loss of currently undeveloped
greenfield land and also the ongoing transport challenges we face.
10. The council, as the organisation responsible for plan preparation, has had to balance a
number of needs – supporting development and supporting investment in our community at
the same time as responding to the concerns of our community about the impact of that
new development. All of this must eventually be within a framework which must be
compliant with national and european legislation and regulations and at the final call be
capable of standing up to scrutiny in this independent examination under your leadership
Inspector.
11. This is not an easy task and through the preparation of this local plan at times this challenge
has been very significant. It is understandable that the aims and objectives and the detailed
proposals included in the local plan will not have universal support. However the city
council has been prepared to take the difficult decisions needed to prepare a robust local
plan and has sought to do this against the changing circumstances of the planning process
and taking account of the views gathered at the various stages of consultation.
12. The importance of having in place an up to date local plan was given even greater emphasis
last week, in the government announcements linked to the budget. These were highlighted
in the policy document - ‘Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation’. This
was launched by the Chancellor and Business Secretary and placed an onus on local
authorities to prioritise getting plans in place. Sanctions for not doing this will be announced
in due course. This announcement clearly also highlights government’s position that housing
delivery and development underpin a strong economy, hence it’s announcement linked to
the budget. This highlights also , if it were needed, the obligation on all of us to work to
prepare a local plan, which meets the needs and aspirations of our area.
13. All of this work, to prepare the plan, has therefore culminated in the holding of this
examination. The city council has played its part to prepare a local plan to this stage, the
evidence and working behind the local plan is in the public domain and has been updated
and added to as we have gone through the plan’s preparation. That evidence and the
statements and evidence of those objecting and supporting the local plan is now before you
Inspector and we look forward to taking part in the forthcoming examination, supporting
you in your examination of this plan and in due course the conclusion of your consideration.
Thank you.
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