Proposed Submission Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document Review

Support

Representation ID: 5265

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

The County Council is committed to supporting the sustainable development of Ipswich. Through participation in the Ipswich Policy Area Board and on-going work to shape and implement the Local Plan, the County Council believes that, with the Borough Council, the requirements of the Duty to Cooperate have been met in respect of County Council functions.

Object

Representation ID: 5266

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Currently the Highway Authority does not have sufficient evidence to judge whether or not the residual cumulative impacts of the development proposed will be severe. This needs to be provided by IBC. The County Council will continue to advise IBC on commissioning further evidence to consider this matter. Modelling undertaken for the adopted Core Strategy suggested that the overall effects of development could be mitigated if sufficient sustainable transport measures were delivered. This model is being updated. It is likely that the planned growth will have significant localised impacts on the highway network, necessitating sustainable transport measures and highway mitigation.

Support

Representation ID: 5267

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

Notwithstanding the current gaps in the transport evidence base, the Core Strategy and Policies Document's approach to transport policy appears to be largely sound. Policy CS5 supports a strategic approach to delivering sustainable transport and is welcomed.

Support

Representation ID: 5268

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

Paragraphs 8.207 - 8.215 set out a series of strategic highway capacity measures which the Borough Council intends to support. The County Council agrees that the delivery of a Wet Dock Crossing has merit and the project is included within the Local Transport Plan strategy for Ipswich. The County Council is already seeking funding from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership toward progressing the project. Furthermore, the County Council will also lead efforts to investigate proposals for additional highway capacity to the north of Ipswich. This will be carried out with partners, including IBC, through the Ipswich Policy Area Board.

Object

Representation ID: 5269

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

National Guidance refers to the need for Transport Assessments to be proportionate to the scale and nature of development. Whilst the commitment to sustainable transport solutions is welcomed, IBC's proposed threshold of ten dwellings for a full Transport Assessment is tougher than the approach previously applied by national government and does not consider the role of Transport Statements. The County Council wishes to apply a more robust approach than that in the 2007 Guidance, but believes that indicative thresholds would be more appropriate. Depending on other feedback, ten dwellings would be a useful indicative threshold for requiring a Transport Statement.

Object

Representation ID: 5270

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Appendix 5 refers to a list of infrastructure to be 'included in the standard charge'. It is assumed that this list is not intended as a precursor to a Community Infrastructure Levy Regulation 123 List; this should be made clear through an amendment to the supporting text. Whilst the County Council agrees that development should be expected to fund each of these types of infrastructure (where consistent with relevant tests), the County Council would not support each of these types of infrastructure being funded under the Community Infrastructure Levy (rather than through the Section 106 regime).

Support

Representation ID: 5271

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

CS15 recognises the NPPF requirement for a proactive, positive and collaborative approach to ensuring sufficient school places. Planned housing growth is expected to generate additional pupils:
Early Years 68; Primary 169; Secondary 122; Sixth Form 27.
Schools and early years settings are operating at/close to capacity. Growth in pupil numbers from housing growth and population growth justifies CS15's positive approach and the need for a new primary school in the Town Centre. Windfall development (1800 dwellings) will also generate pupils: Early Years 180; Primary 450; Secondary 324; Sixth Form 72. This overall scale can be managed through expanding existing schools.

Object

Representation ID: 5274

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

CS15 encourages early education facilities to be located within/adjacent to district/local centres or co-located with schools, which is supported. However, Policy DM21 protects district and local centres for retail uses. Community facilities have significant value on high streets. They include early education (Appendix 4), but the criteria in DM21 set the bar too high. 'Prominent positions' (part (i)) is difficult to define and therefore ineffective. The required marketing strategy (Part (ii)) will restrict the County Council's ability to provide new early years facilities. Paragraph f. regarding accessibility is difficult to achieve when facilities are aimed at specific age groups.

Support

Representation ID: 5277

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

Suffolk Health and Wellbeing Strategy includes four strategic objectives:
Every child has the best start in life;
Residents have access to a healthy environment;
Older people have a good quality of life;
People have the opportunity to improve their mental health.
CS15 considers the educational needs of children. Other policies promote safe and sustainable travel and protect public open space and play facilities. Ipswich's population is ageing, though less quickly than the rest of Suffolk. Higher housing accessibility requirements are not needed currently, but may be considered through any further Local Plan review. Mental health is supported through policy DM5d.

Object

Representation ID: 5278

Received: 05/03/2015

Respondent: New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The County Council has no comment regarding the soundness of this policy, which appears to deliver the vision set out in the adopted masterplan. As set out elsewhere in the [County Council's] response, the County Council sees proper infrastructure mitigation as being the key issue for delivery of the Northern Fringe/Garden Suburb. CS10 requires that the Garden Suburb establishes a new library service on site. This is in line with the County Council's strategy for library provision.