Proposed Submission Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document Review

For the previous consultation (March 2014) The Theatres Trust recommended that 'community facilities provide for the health and well-being, social, educational, spiritual, recreational, leisure and cultural needs of the community', and this would include your cultural facilities that contribute the to the social and cultural well-being of the local community, such as museums, pubs and music venues, libraries, galleries, cinemas and theatres.

However, it is clear that Policy DM32 does not include most of these cultural facilities (despite being included in Policy CS17) as they are considered 'Town Centre Uses'.

Therefore, we are unable to support this document and find it unsound as it does not contain any policies that protect and enhance cultural facilities as guided in item 70 in the National Planning Policy Framework which states that to deliver the social, recreational and cultural facilities and services that the community needs, planning policies and decisions should plan for the use of shared space and guard against unnecessary loss of valued facilities. Also to ensure that established facilities and services are retained and able to develop for the benefit of the community.

The Trust is pleased Policy CS14 now reflects other uses (arts and culture), acknowledging that the success and vitality of a town centre is more than retail development.

However, neither this or Policy DM32 include protection for existing cultural facilities such as theatres. Therefore the document does not reflect NPPF item 70 which states that to deliver the social, recreational and cultural facilities and services the community needs, planning policies and decisions should guard against unnecessary loss of valued facilities. Also ensure that established facilities and services are retained and able to develop for the benefit of the community.

Regarding Paragraph 2 of the Policy, we suggest that the change of use of one community facility (eg a post office) to another community facility (eg a place of worship) would still have a significant impact on the community.