BOROUGH OF POOLE

LOCAL ECONOMY OVERVIEW GROUP – THURSDAY 12 JANUARY 2006

REPORT OF THE HEAD OF STRATEGIC PLANNING SERVICES ON

REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY: SECOND DRAFT

1.PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

1.1To consider the Second Draft Regional Spatial Strategy, considered by the South West Regional Assembly’s Regional Spatial Planning and Transportation Group (RSPTG) on 19 December.

2.RECOMMENDATION

2.1That the Overview Group endorses the report as a basis for continued officer participation in discussions with the Secretariat of the Regional Assembly and commends the report to Cabinet as the Council’s position in respect of the Second Draft Regional Spatial Strategy.

3.BACKGROUND

3.1Members will be aware that under the new planning system the statutory development plan upon which planning decisions are made consists of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and the Local Development Framework (LDF). All Members of the Council have been kept informed of progress in the development of the RSS

3.2The South West Regional Assembly is responsible for preparing the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the South West Region, which will provide a regional planning framework to 2026. The Assembly has made formal ‘arrangements’ with strategic planning authorities in the region to deliver ‘detailed proposals’ arising out of sub regional studies (Joint Study Areas - JSAs). SE Dorset is one of these JSAs and Members will recall considering the consultation document Looking to the Future: South East Dorset in 2026 in January 2005. Proposals were agreed by the Strategic Planning and Transportation Joint Committee (consisting of Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Members) at their meeting on the 12th September, with a more detailed submission, including district housing allocations, agreed by the Joint Committee at a meeting on 10 November 2005. Because of the deadlines involved these submissions were ratified by Portfolio Holder decision on 7 December.

3.3During 2005 the Secretariat of the Regional Assembly have developed the Regional Spatial Strategy, which includes the South East Dorset proposals, as amended by the Secretariat. A First Draft RSS was considered by the Assembly’s RSPTG on 21 October. This Draft was also considered by the Joint Committee at a meeting on 24 November and comments were submitted to the Assembly. A Second Draft has now been prepared and submitted to the RSPTG on 19 December, and the views of the Section 4/4 Authorities (Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole in the case of this Sub Region) have been formally requested.

4.WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

4.1A further meeting of the RSPTG will be held on 12 January, when the Second Draft RSS will be re-considered in the light of the comments received. It will then be considered by the Assembly’s Executive on 18 January, before submission to the full Regional Assembly on 27 January. After that date there will be only limited opportunities for significant amendments before an Assembly meeting on 10 March agrees to formally submit the RSS to the Secretary of State.

4.2The submitted document will then be the subject of formal consultation and, probably in the spring of 2007, a public examination. Clearly, it will be of great benefit to both parties if the differences between the Assembly and the Section 4/4 Authorities are minimised. If this is not achieved, it will be more likely that the Secretary of State will have to impose a solution.

5.WHY IS THE RSS IMPORTANT?

5.1Members will know that the RSS will establish the framework within which the Council, as Local Planning Authority, formulates its own policies for the period to 2026. This alone would make it of vital importance. However, the RSS will also strongly influence, and in some cases even determine, the priorities for public expenditure in key sectors across the Region.

5.2The Government has decided to introduce a measure of devolved decision-making in respect of the regional funding of housing, economic development, and transport. There are to be clear assumptions about longer term funding in the period to 2016 and the regional agencies are to be given greater freedom to both establish priorities and to vary expenditure between the three funding strands. As a contribution to this process, the regional agencies have been asked to prepare advice on priorities and to indicate how they might cope with 10% more or 10% less funding. This advice has been produced in draft and it is clear that priority will be accorded to those areas that are to accommodate significant levels of growth. In particular, the RSS will incorporate the Regional Transport Strategy and will therefore determine priorities for spending on major capital schemes for the next 20 years.

6.KEY ISSUES

The Spatial Strategy

6.1The spatial strategy is set out in Section 3 of the RSS and seeks to promote sustainable development by allowing for:

  • “Significant change at a small number of strategically important cities and towns in order to support their economic role and regeneration
  • Smaller scale change outside of those places to achieve more balanced local communities and a better local environment”.

6.2This approach can be supported but it is further developed through the differing emphases applied to the northern and central parts of the region, the western part of the peninsula and the south eastern part of the region: in the first, the emphasis is upon “realising the economic and other potential”; in the second, it is upon “stimulating economic activity”; and in the third, which includes South East Dorset, it is upon “managing growth within environmental limits”. It is difficult to see how this adds to the strategy; it is superfluous and lends a spurious justification for subsequent policy. It surely cannot mean that growth will not be managed in the northern and central part of the region. Nor can it mean that South East should not strive to fulfil its economic potential. The wording reflects real issues; for example, growth in this sub region must have regard to environmental constraints. However, these constraints have already been taken into account in establishing the levels of development proposed.

6.3The real concern here is that the wording proposed reflects an attitude towards the sub regions that does not, itself, truly reflect the levels of development proposed in the strategy. It fails to acknowledge the levels of development that will be taking place here; second only to the West of England (Bristol-Bath) among the JSA areas in the South West. As a result, it could influence transportation priorities and regional funding allocations, generally (see paragraph 5.2, above). In this respect, it should also be emphasised that where most development to be accommodated is through urban intensification, it is much more difficult to secure the funding for infrastructure through S106 agreements than in circumstances where most new development is taking place on green field sites.

Transport

6.4Progress has been made in respect of transport and the Second Draft RSS acknowledges the M3/M27/A31 link from London to Bournemouth/Poole as a key element of the inter-regional road network. However, whilst there is a commitment to utilise an upgraded M3/A303/A358/M5 corridor as a second strategic route from London to Exeter, no such commitment exists to enhance the links from Bournemouth/Poole to the A31/M27. In addition, whilst Bournemouth is acknowledged as a major regional airport, only Bristol is said to be a major port.

6.5At the time of writing, the prioritisation of transport schemes has yet to be completed. The process currently being employed uses a scoring system against objectives that relate to urban growth and connectivity. Schemes shortlisted from this stage are then scored against environmental impact and value for money. Shortlisted schemes from this second stage are then assessed against deliverability criteria. Whilst it is expected that Poole Bridge will eventually be rated a high priority, the criteria are unlikely to favour other schemes from this sub region.

Development Densities

6.6The Draft RSS indicates that residential development should only exceptionally fall below 30 dwellings per hectare, that averages across housing market areas should exceed 40 dph and in excess of 50 dph in well planned mixed use developments in urban areas. Whilst reasonable in principle, the RSS adopts a numbers led approach, failing to mention: the importance of the characteristics of existing urban areas, a careful analysis of need, and local market conditions. Even PPS3 indicates a need to take account of local characteristics.

Town Centres

6.7The Regional Assembly have commissioned consultants DTZ to undertake an analysis of town centres across the region. This has yet to be completed and, as a result, a table that will show office, retail and leisure floorspace in the major cities and towns does not yet appear in the document. It will be essential that when it appears it does not conflict with the retail and leisure capacity work undertaken by Lichfields on this Council’s behalf. The latter is informing the Town Centre North Area Action Plan, which would be seriously undermined if the RSS fails to reflect our own background work.

Sub Regional Statement for South East Dorset

6.8The South East Dorset Spatial Strategy statement (Appendix 1, attached) is, like those of all the JSA areas, included in Section 5 of the RSS. It largely follows the format of the submission made by the Section 4/4 Authorities in September. However, the Assembly secretariat have made a number of changes, the more significant of them highlighted in the following paragraphs:

6.9Strategy: This section repeats the negative tone of the strategy set out in the main body of the RSS (paragraphs 6.1-6.3, above). The focus on “managing economic opportunities” might be expressed more positively, having regard to the very real potential that exists in the sub-region. The negative approach in the Draft RSS is exemplified by the exaggerated view of the role of retirement migration, which in the year 2000-2001 amounted to 7.3% of the total (65+), or 19.5% for the 50+ age group.

6.10Employment: Forecast growth in the Bournemouth and Poole Travel to Work Areas amounts to 42,000 jobs during the plan period, although the wording in the document is sometimes confused about how much of this growth is expected to be accommodated within the urban area. Whilst the proposals can be broadly supported, they are at the top of the forecast range and will require careful monitoring of the availability of employment land.

6.11New Housing: The JSA advice submitted by the Section 4/4 Authorities in last September proposed 1,545 new units per annum from the JSA area during the period 2006 –2026. 445 of these were expected to be developed in Poole, itself. The figures currently being proposed by the Assembly are confused but discussions at officer level indicate that the growth rate is about 1750 per annum. The increase arises from the expectation that 1000 dwellings could come forward at North Bournemouth and a further 2500 could be generated by further intensification, including higher density, within the urban areas. This might result in an increase in the annual figure for Poole to about 500. Whilst the JSA figure of 445 for Poole was based on assumptions made in an urban capacity study, it has to be said that planning permissions recently granted for sites identified in the study will result in more units coming forward than originally anticipated.

6.12In justifying the additional urban intensification, the Assembly Secretariat has suggested that the urban area adopts a more innovative approach, akin to the Mackay vision at Plymouth. Such a comparison is entirely inappropriate in a Regional Spatial Strategy and is inappropriate in substance: the circumstances of the two areas are entirely different; and it ignores the substantial work already undertaken in this area on regeneration, not only in the central area of Poole but also in the coastal zone of Bournemouth.

6.13It is suggested that the local authorities, in their Local Development Documents, should seek to secure at least 30% of affordable housing across the sub region, but that this could rise to at least 60% in areas of particular need, where this can be evidenced. This level of guidance is too detailed. It is appropriate for RSS to suggest, on the basis of housing needs surveys already undertaken, an overall estimate of the level of NEED, but the proportion of affordable housing secured will depend on a number of other factors, including: land ownership (on some local authority-owned sites 100% is achieved); Housing Corporation priorities; and commercial viability. These can only be assessed at the local level.

6.14There are a number of changes which might better reflect the circumstances of South East Dorset and these have been incorporated in a revised version of the Spatial Strategy Statement (Appendix 2, attached).

7.CONCLUSION

7.1There will be continuing discussions on the final wording of the Draft RSS during the coming weeks and officers should continue to negotiate on the basis of the approach taken in this report, together with any co-ordinated sub-regional response agreed by the Section 4/4 Authorities.

7.2The key issues identified in this report are:

  • The need to ensure that the RSS accurately reflects, in its wording and in its prioritisation of infrastructure requirements, the level and nature of growth to be accommodated in the area;
  • The need to ensure that housing growth and employment aspirations are appropriately co-ordinated;
  • That the level of new housing development is clarified and satisfactorily reflects the JSA submission made by the Section 4/4 Authorities; and
  • That the guidance offered in respect of affordable housing is appropriate to the regional level.

David Ralph

Head of Strategic Planning

Name and telephone number of officer contact:

David Ralph 01202 633327

Background papers:

Papers for Regional Strategic Planning and Transport Group of the Regional Assembly for 19 December 2005, including papers C (Sub Regional Spatial Strategy Statements), D (RSS Revised Housing Distribution), and E1 (Second Draft RSS):

These papers may be accessed via