Meeting documents

1.

Existing regional planning guidance for the South East is contained in Regional Planning Guidance (RPG9) and covers the period to 2016. Once the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill becomes law, RPG 9 will become the spatial strategy for the region and be part of the statutory development plan.

2.

The primary purpose of this guidance is to provide a regional framework for the preparation of local authority development plans. The other purpose of this guidance is to provide the spatial framework for other strategies and programmes. These include the preparation of local transport plans by local authorities and the regional strategies of the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA).

3.

The South East England Regional Assembly has been reviewing elements of RPG9 (to 2016) in Stages. The first topic reviewed was Transport. The draft Regional Transport Strategy published in January 2003 was subjected to a Public Examination in July 2003. The Panel Report was published on 10th October 2003.  The other topics under review are Energy, Tourism and the Ashford Growth Area.

4.

The Milton Keynes/ S Midlands Growth area is part of a potential major growth area identified in RPG9.  The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy (incorporating proposed alterations to RPG9) was released for public consultation in July 2003 and considers a planning horizon up to 2016, in line with RPG9.

5.

Following Cabinet on 8 September 2004 the Council responded to the Strategy, lodging concerns about:

·

The lack of any consideration of or proposals for improved strategic transport infrastructure provision linking Aylesbury to the Thames Valley. The response highlighted that funding and a coherent strategy needs to be included in the sub-regional strategy to address this major omission, including a strategic road link from Aylesbury to the M40 and strategic links to the rail network, including from Milton Keynes/Aylesbury through Wycombe District to Heathrow.

·

The delivery mechanisms in place to implement the proposed growth in Aylesbury and Milton Keynes must ensure the provision of additional jobs as well as homes, otherwise transport problems highlighted above will be exacerbated.  These need to be jobs that add value to the regional economy

·

Mechanisms should be established through the sub-regional strategy to ensure that some of the affordable housing needs of the “high need” parts of the region are met through provision in the growth areas which have somewhat lower affordable housing needs.

6.

A Public Examination into the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy is to take place over 5 weeks, from 23 March with 2-3 sitting days each week.  Buckinghamshire County Council will participate in the whole Inquiry and has similar concerns to those of the District Council’s.  This Council is making a written submission, drawing on our response summarised in the preceding paragraph.  

7.

Proposals for development in Milton Keynes/Aylesbury Vale post 2016 will be considered in the new Regional Spatial Strategy, taking account of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands study published in 2002.

8.

During 2004-05, the Regional Assembly is undertaking a comprehensive review of RPG9 in as far as it applies to the South East. This will extend the time period covered to 2026.

9.

The current timetable for the preparation of the Plan is:

10.

While many of the key development principles contained in RPG9 remain relevant a full review is needed to provide an up-to-date framework.  The RSS will provide the statutory, long-term development context for a range of other plans and strategies. These include local development frameworks/ documents, local transport plans, community strategies and various regional strategies and statements including the Regional Housing, Economic, Cultural, Transport and Waste Management Strategies and the South East Social Inclusion Statement. In turn these strategies and statements will inform the development and implementation of the RSS.

11.

Where necessary the RSS will set out sub-regional policies and proposals to inform the preparation of local development documents, local transport plans, community plans and other relevant programmes.

12.

To help inform the debate as to whether cross boundary issues require specific treatment in the RSS, the Assembly has identified a number of areas of the region for further study. Wycombe District comes within two study areas – ‘Western Corridor’ (also embracing areas to Basingstoke, Newbury and Surrey – Wycombe is on the northern edge) and ‘London Fringe’ (now extended to embrace areas in the South-East covered by the Metropolitan Green Belt).  

13.

The Assembly is working with members and officers of local authorities and other Assembly partners to carry out these studies, which will draw on local expertise and recent study work.  The sub-regional studies are being coordinated by Member Steering Groups and officers from each constituent Authority are represented on Officer Groups. Our Member representatives are the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Planning, supported by the Link Member for Planning Policy and Research (Cllr. Hugh McCarthy).  This is a significant new work area and has to be balanced with the major tasks involved in the new Wycombe Local Development Framework alongside the review of the Community Plan.

14.

As well as being represented on the sub-regional study officer groups your officers are also involved through overarching SEERA advisory groups - Chris Swanwick (Strategy and Housing), Jerry Unsworth (Urban Renaissance) and Ian Manktelow (Affordable Housing).

15.

Once completed, the studies will provide the basis for a debate about whether specific sub-regional policies are necessary. In any event, the Assembly will be required to produce guidance on housing development for each district/unitary area.

16.

In so far as it relates to Wycombe District the work of the Western Corridor area (being coordinated by the Berkshire Joint Strategic Planning Unit) is more developed and discussion papers have been prepared and considered at recent officer and joint member meetings.  Some of the key issues for the sub-region so far identified are:

·

Housing numbers (options under consideration by SEERA include an increase of 50% above present house-building rates)

·

Jobs and skills gaps

·

Should the region be a growth area?

·

Affordable Housing

·

Tackling transport problems

·

Quality of life and protection of the environment (including the issue of the Green Belt)

·

Provision of supporting infrastructure – health, education, water, as well as transport

·

Striking a balance and having a vision

17.

One of the key issues to be addressed by the London Fringe Study is the future role of the Green Belt.

Key Stages in the South East Plan – based on information from the Regional Assembly

18.

The focus during the period to spring 2004 is on developing long-term thinking about future trends in the region and their spatial implications. Broad scenarios are being developed for the longer term taking into account possible social, technological, economic, lifestyle and environmental changes.  Work will be undertaken to develop spatial options for the region and to determine how best to arrange the allocation of housing requirements to each district.

19.

During this period the emphasis will be on the technical development of detailed spatial options for the distribution of growth and change in the region. The Regional Assembly will continue to work closely with local authorities and other partners in drawing up strategies for any areas requiring specific policies in the RSS to deal with cross boundary issues.

20.

Draft regional and sub-regional policies for inclusion in the RSS will be finalised following debate with Assembly members during this period. Elements worth highlighting are:

·

A joint Regional Planning Committee (RPC) and Executive Committee workshop will take place on 15 March to debate initial spatial options.

·

The RPC on 31 March and Executive Committee on 2 April will consider reports on these options (County Councillor Rodney Royston is a member on the RPC). A special plenary session on 7 April will allow Assembly members to consider the issues through structured workshops and debates.

·

A programme of 14 stakeholder workshops, organised by SEERA, will be held through April and May and confirmed dates and venues at this time include Mon 17 May - ‘Sub-regional level – Western Corridor & London Fringe’ at Slough and Tues 18 May - ‘Regional level, Buckinghamshire event’ at WWFC, High Wycombe.  

·

Issues and recommendations arising from these discussions will then go to the RPC on 16 June and Executive Committee on 2 July.

21.

A formal and wide ranging consultation will be undertaken commencing in late 2004 on a recommended spatial strategy, including the overall levels and distribution of development.

22.

Comments received during the consultation period will be taken into account by the Assembly in revising its draft proposals for submission to the Government Office for the South East in the summer of 2005. An implementation plan will also be drawn up as part of the strategy in consultation with agencies responsible for the delivery of policies and proposals in the RSS. An independent sustainability appraisal will be an integral part of the RSS process and will be used to inform the development of spatial options and policies on an iterative basis.

23.

The likely impact of the emerging South East Plan on our Community Plan and Local Development Framework (LDF) is both profound and uncertain.  In order to meet the Government’s target of an approved LDF by 2007 work needs to start now.  The time horizon of the LDF had been expected to be to 2016 (and may still be) - to align with the emerging Structure Plan and the approved Regional Planning Guidance.  Even if the new South East Plan keeps to timetable a decision on it cannot be expected before 2006 – late in the LDF process and after consultation on the full draft Plan.

24.

One benefit of undertaking the various studies over the next 6 months, to input to the LDF, is that the ‘evidence’ gathered and greater understanding reached can help inform this Council’s response to the South-East Plan consultation presently programmed for the end of 2004.   

25.

Initial discussions with the Government Office confirm that it is sound to commence the LDF process now but that we may want to consider a ‘core strategy’ for the LDF which has a longer time 'horizon' (to 2026) to minimise the issues that need to be addressed once the outcome of the South East Plan is known.  Particular care will also be needed during the consultation stages of the LDF to ensure avoid confusion regarding the changing regional context.  These issues will be kept under review.