The council is now working on the second of the documents that will make up the North Lincolnshire Local Development Framework. This is called the Housing and Employment Land Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD). It will set out where new housing should be built and where new employment opportunities will be located. It will also cover future settlement development limits and sites for Gypsies and Travellers.
A key issue for the North Lincolnshire Local Development Framework to tackle is where we will live and work over the next 15 years. The Housing and Employment Land Allocations DPD will address the key locations for new housing and employment to be developed. North Lincolnshire is an area that is growing - the population will increase over the coming years, so it'll be important to provide enough homes and jobs.
Over the next 15 years, the council must allocate enough land to accommodate almost 13,500 new homes. In doing this there are several things that we must take into account. These are:
· The locations must be sustainable - this means being located close to shops, schools, libraries, health facilities and public transport
· The need to create mixed communities - this means developing communities and neighbourhoods which have a range of house types to meet the needs of all sections of the community in North Lincolnshire. It also means encouraging high quality designs and layouts to make communities and neighbourhoods safe and interesting places to live
· Current planning policy - this prefers that new housing should be in sustainable locations, avoiding the loss of Greenfield sites, and wherever possible on Brownfield land. Greenfield sites should only be considered where they are in sustainable locations such as on public transport corridors on the edge of existing towns.
Also, as North Lincolnshire's population grows, the council needs to ensure there are enough jobs for people living in the area and to keep the area's economy healthy as well as encouraging new businesses and safeguarding existing jobs. Therefore, we need to find land, which can be used for businesses and other employment purposes.
Government and regional policy is for new homes and jobs to be located within or as close as possible to existing settlements and employers. This is to help reduce journey times and the need to travel by car.
In North Lincolnshire, we currently have major business and industrial locations in Scunthorpe, at the South Humber Bank port area and Humberside International Airport. Opportunities could include the expansion of land for business and industry in these places, as well as in new locations.
Issues and options consultation:
During late 2006, the council invited landowners, agents and developers to submit sites for inclusion in the Housing and Employment Land Allocations DPD. Following this an issues and options document was prepared for public consultation. This document set out the background as to why more new housing and employment sites needed to be provided in North Lincolnshire over the next 15 years. It also set out the background for the provision of future retail development as well as the provision of sites for Gypsies and Travellers. Finally, it discussed the issue of future development limits for settlements. The consultation period ended on 16 November 2007.
This consultation was followed up in summer 2008 with a further issues and options consultation covering sites for Gypsies and Travellers. This consultation ran from 11 August to 19 September 2008.
Pre-Submission Consultation - second stage:
Following the initial issues and options consultations in 2007 and 2008, the council prepared a second consultation document, which narrowed down the number of potential sites for housing and employment purposes and also included potential sites for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation. The Housing and Employment Land Allocations - Pre-Submission Consultation - second stage document was available for comment between 23 January and 6 March 2009. A summary of the comments received is now available to view.
Sustainability appraisal:
The first stage of the Sustainability Appraisal work has been completed. This involved producing an initial report called the Sustainability Appraisal - Scoping Report. The Scoping Report reviewed relevant plans and strategies and identified sustainability objectives and indicators against which the Housing and Employment Land Allocations DPD should be tested.
Alongside the Pre-Submission Consultation - second stage document, a Draft Sustainability Appraisal Report (SAR) was been published. The purpose of the Draft SAR was to ensure that the DPD is compatible with the principles of sustainable development.
Appropriate assessment:
As part of the development of the Housing and Employment Land Allocations DPD, North Lincolnshire Council has been required to undertake an appropriate assessment screening of its policies and proposals and their implications for European Sites, which are nature conservation sites designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
In the meantime, if you have any queries about the Housing and Employment Land Allocations DPD, please contact:
Spatial planning
Strategic Regeneration, Housing and Development
North Lincolnshire Council
Pittwood House
Ashby Road
Scunthorpe
DN16 1AB
Tel: 01724 297568
Fax: 01724 297886
Email: spatial.planning@northlincs.gov.uk.
For progress and updates on the Local Development Framework, visit our LDF news centre or contact the development plans team.
Local Development Framework pages:
· Local Development Framework
· LDF news centre
· Local development scheme
· Statement of Community Involvement
· Local development documents
· Core strategy
· Housing and employment land allocations DPD
· Sustainablility appraisal/strategic environmental assessment
· Regional spatial strategy
· LDF jargon buster.
Spatial Planning pages:
· Spatial Planning home
· Planning policy
· Local plan
· Research
· Minerals and waste
· Planning links.
Note: The above document is in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need a suitable reader to view it. A reader can be downloaded free from the Adobe website (full instructions for downloading the reader are provided on the site).