CHAPTER 1: Introduction

1.1. What the Document Covers

1.2. This document is the Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document for Ipswich. It forms part of the Ipswich Local Plan. It covers three areas of policy.

• Firstly it sets out a strategic vision and objectives to guide the development of the town (Chapter 6);
• Secondly it promotes the spatial strategy for the development of the town to 2036 through strategic policies within the context of the Ipswich Strategic Planning Area (Chapter 8); and
• Thirdly, it provides a suite of policies to control, manage and guide development across the Borough (Chapter 9).

1.3. It also includes two non-policy based areas. Firstly a section on the context to the whole document which explains, amongst other things, the planning system (Chapter 2), the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (Chapter 3), the Duty to Co-operate (Chapter 4), and an explanation as to how all Ipswich's planning documents fit together (Chapter 1). It also paints a picture of Ipswich in terms of its geography, history and character and provides some facts about Ipswich as a place (Chapter 5). Secondly, there is a section on implementation, targets and monitoring proposals (Chapters 10, 11 and 12).

1.4. At the back of this document there are a limited number of appendices providing more detail to the policies, for example on open space standards.

1.5. How the document is structured

1.6. The final draft local plan is written in two main parts. The first part 'Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document' sets out the vision of the future for Ipswich to 2036 and contains a set of general policies which will help to achieve this vision. It also contains a set of 'development management policies' which interpret these more general policies into policies which can be used in connection with processing planning applications and giving planning advice on future applications. The second document the 'Site Allocations and Policies (incorporating IP One Action Plan) Development Plan Document' identifies a range of sites for different uses across the whole Borough that are allocated for development. It sets out policies for town centre leisure and retail uses and policies for the Ipswich IP-One Area. Each of the two main policy chapters (8 and 9) follows the same broad structure. In each case a policy is identified and then structured into the following sections:

• A short introduction to the issue, where needed;
• The policy; and
• The justification for the policy, how it supports plan objectives and guidance on its implementation.

1.7 The purpose of the document

1.8 This document sets out the strategy for the future development of Ipswich to 2036. It indicates broadly how and where the Borough will accommodate development to meet local needs identified through the evidence base. It also explains how it will ensure this is done in a sustainable way. It contains detailed policies to enable the management of development in Ipswich. Proposed development will be assessed against all relevant policies contained within this plan, the Site Allocations and Policies (Incorporating IP-One Area Action Plan) Development Plan Document and any other relevant plan.

1.9 More fundamentally, the purpose of the document is to support the Council's 'place shaping' role. This involves the Council in showing community leadership and working closely with partners locally, to ensure that Ipswich's problems are tackled and that a shared vision for the future is realised in a coordinated way.

1.10 The Local Plan consists of a series of documents that together will guide development in Ipswich (for more information see Chapter 2).

1.11 The Local Plan itself sits in a context of many more plans and strategies prepared at sub-regional and local levels to guide the work of the Council and its partner organisations. Some of the key sub-regional and local strategies are illustrated in Diagram 1.

1.12 As the local plan develops, it is subject to Sustainability Appraisal (including Strategic Environmental Assessment) and a Habitat Regulations Assessment. At each stage of plan-making, the policies and proposals in the plan are reviewed to ensure that they comply with the Habitat Regulations Directive 92/43/EEC. An assessment is required under the EU Habitats Directive 4 to ensure that the Local Plan will not result in harm to the integrity of European protected sites. A Screening Assessment was undertaken to inform the First Draft Local Plan which identified those policies in the plan for which an Appropriate Assessment would be required as the plan moves forward. To support the Final Draft Plan, the Council have undertaken a Habitats Regulation Assessment to inform the policies and site allocations within it. The assessment ensures that the legal and regulatory requirements outlined under the EU Habitats Directive are adhered to as part of the plan making process. This has been assessment has been published alongside the final draft local plan.

1.13 Sustainability Appraisal is an iterative process which must be carried out during the preparation of a Local Plan. Its purpose is to promote sustainable development by assessing the extent to which the emerging Local Plan, when considered against alternatives, will help to achieve relevant environmental, economic and social objectives. A Sustainability Appraisal has been undertaken on all the different policy and site options considered during each stage of Local Plan preparation. The Sustainability Appraisal also considers the cumulative effect of the Local Plan on sustainability objectives. The Sustainable Appraisal Assessment of the final draft Local Plan is published alongside the plan.

1.14 When this draft local plan is adopted, it will replace the 2017 Ipswich Local Plan as planning policy for Ipswich.