NEWSBRIEF 111 25 August 2024
ISSUES FOR THE LOCAL PLAN DROP-IN SESSIONS 2024
INTRODUCTION.
In 2023 Lancaster City Council announced the ‘suspension’ of the Bailrigg garden village scheme and a comprehensive review of the Local Plan to be completed by 2025. This review has now been put out for consultation with local residents. The first purpose of this Newsbrief is to alert CLOUD members to this review and to encourage everyone to participate. The tone of this consultation is different from that for the previous Local Plan - input from residents is positively encouraged and this should provide a welcome opportunity to contribute to the future development of the city.
The 2nd part of this Newsbrief covers the Labour government’s announcement (after the July 2024 general election) of new house building targets and associated planning policy changes.
Local Plan Review. You should access the relevant part of Local Plan Review by https://local-plan-review-lancaster.hub.arcgis.com/ And go to Everything you need to know about the Local Plan.
It is well worth reading Local Plan Vision which lays out a vision which embraces both the Climate Emergency and places it at the heart of the planning process. Key questions will of course involve how it can be made happen. Do look at the details of the individual themes to help inform your questions.
The Themes Addressed are as follows
Theme 1: Addressing the Climate Emergency
Theme 2: Design, Healthy Lifestyles & Safe Communities
Theme 3: Nature Recovery & Biodiversity
Theme 4: Protecting Landscapes & Townscapes
Theme 5: Transport and Connectivity
Theme 6: Right Infrastructure in the Right Places
Theme 7.1: Meeting our Housing Needs
Theme 7.2: Delivering the Right Types of Housing
Theme 8: Securing Economic Prosperity
Drop in Sessions are as follows:
• Lancaster Town Hall, every Wednesday (until September 18), 10am-3pm
• Morecambe Library, Tuesday July 30, 3pm-7pm
• Carnforth Train Station (on the platform), Thursday August 1, 3pm-7pm
• St Nicholas Arcade (in between Next & Boots), Saturday August 3, 10.30am-2.30pm
• Hornby Institute, Thursday August 8, 3pm-7pm
• Morecambe Festival Market, Tuesday September 3, 10.30am-2.30pm
• St Nicolas Arcade (in between Next & Boots), Wednesday September 4, 10.30am-2.30pm
Lancaster South – Ellel Village Hall Thursday 5 September 2024, 3pm - 7pm
• Caton Victoria Institute, Tuesday September 10, 3pm-7pm
• Booths Supermarket (Carnforth), Wednesday September 11, 3pm-7pm
The Council offers the following advice:
If you can’t make any of these events but you still want to talk to us about the Local Plan Review then don’t worry, please feel free to drop us an email at planningpolicy@lancaster.gov.uk , call us on 01524 582329 or write to us at the Planning & Housing Strategy Team, Planning & Climate Change Service, Lancaster City Council, PO Box 4, Lancaster Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA 1QR
Key Elements and Issues in the Revised Local Plan include :
Flood Risk. Sadly, flooding has been a major issue for CLOUD since its inception - both the appalling disruption and devastation suffered by residents whose homes have been flooded and also the flood risk from proposed new housing developments. It is therefore most encouraging to see that the Council is asking for our help in identifying flood risks. The website invites us to submit information and evidence on areas that flood. We invite CLOUD members in at risk flood areas to respond.
Affordable and Social Housing. Clearly more affordable and social housing is needed in Lancaster - in contrast to the unnecessary and unwarranted number of detached mansions which were proposed for Bailrigg garden village!
Funding for new schools and GP/health services. New housing schemes will require additional school places and GP/health services. What provisions does the revised Local Plan make to ensure these are provided?
Transport plans after ‘suspension’ of BGV - how is transport being reviewed and redesigned after the demise of the BGV link/Galgate bypass scheme? Especially what about public transport, cycle and walking routes in line with Climate Emergency (CE) declaration? The Local Plan Vision states ‘Our transport network is congested. How can be provide more alternatives to the use of private car? Are there opportunities to better promote the use of sustainable, low-carbon forms of travel like cycling and walking?’ This raises the question of how this will be achieved.
Improved public transport will be crucial in both urban and rural areas - what plans for such improvements and how will elderly and disabled residents be accommodated?
Biodiversity and agriculture - Again in line with the Climate Emergency declaration, what can be done to improve biodiversity while maintaining agriculture and food production within the Lancaster area? Conservation of existing green field sites?
Student housing by private sector developers - is it all needed for students or could it be repurposed for social housing?
New Lancaster Hospital. Ask if anything is known about the proposed new hospital to replace the RLI - the Government Health Secretary recently announced a review of the whole new hospital programme to establish whether it is viable and affordable. What Impact might this have on the Local Plan review?
Government announcement on house building targets. This new policy was announced in July and includes the imposition of annual house-building targets. See Government Press Release . When revision of the Local Plan started in 2023, it didn’t (and couldn’t be expected to) anticipate a General Election in July 2024 and a substantial change in Government housing policy. This raises issues such as :
Impact of govt housing targets on Local Plan revision
Might Govt housing plans ‘breathe life’ back into BGV? This remains ‘suspended’ so not (yet?) formally cancelled. What is proposed in the Local Plan revision in its place?
CLOUD is not against housebuilding per se and supports house building which is sustainably built; includes provision of affordable and social housing; is not car dependent and is supported by adequate public transport and active travel; is underpinned by investment in schools and GP surgeries etc . Our objections to Bailrigg Garden Village included the exceptionally high cost of road infrastructure, the lack of affordable housing and the access issues requiring a new bridge under the railway.
The new Government housing policy does have some positive features such as the emphasis on brownfield and greyfield sites and on affordable housing. However, on the negative side,it imposes mandatory house building targets. These are calculated on a proposed new methodology. According to a reliable community planning organisation, this new methodology would increase the house building target for Lancaster from 415 new houses per year under the existing methodology to 698 per year. This would take us back to the sort of target figures used in the past to justify Bailrigg garden village - a new town the size of Kendal.
We invite all CLOUD members to :
Read some or all of the Council's proposals for the revised Local Plan - see para 2 above.
We've identified some issues and concerns (paras 3 and 4 above) - do you have any other concerns?
Attend one of the Council's drop-in sessions to talk to Council representatives about the proposed Local Plan (or call or email them of that’s more convenient)
Let us know what the Council said in response to your questions.
Management Committee members will also be attending the drop-in sessions. We intend to submit a written response towards the end of the consultation period incorporating the views of CLOUD members.
To avoid confusion we will be sending a separate update on the Gladmans Appeal which is scheduled for October.
Do please take this opportunity to discuss the future of the whole Lancaster District https://local-plan-review-lancaster.hub.arcgis.com/
Comments