Draft Core Strategy and Policies Focused Review

Object

Representation ID: 716

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Chapter 2 has been updated to reflect key changes at national level since the adoption of the current Core Strategy. Critically, the NPPF requires local planning authorities to use their evidence base to ensure that their planning policies meet the full objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing in the housing market area including identifying which sites are critical to the delivery of the housing strategy over the plan period to 2031.

Object

Representation ID: 717

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Crest agrees that the issues for Ipswich stem from how to manage and gain best advantage from the significant growth taking place. One key challenge identified is to accommodate growth in a way that enhances Ipswich's character and residents' quality of life. Crest considers that the Northern Fringe development is an essential part of the strategy for growth. The Northern Fringe landowners have a unique opportunity to deliver high quality residential accommodation within a sustainable new community which will integrate with existing urban form whilst creating its own unique identity. Its delivery will be a key solution to this challenge.

Support

Representation ID: 718

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Crest supports the vision. Criterion i) states that, during the plan period, land will start to come forward for development at the Northern Fringe, in conjunction with essential infrastructure. Crest fully supports this statement and considers that the Northern Fringe is a key element of the plan's vision. Crest welcomes the deletion of text that tied a development start date for the site to the latter part of the plan period, and supports a policy for the Northern Fringe that does not restrict start dates and subsequent development phasing. Crest considers that the proposed wording for criterion i) is appropriate.

Object

Representation ID: 719

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Although Objective 3 reduces the number of new homes, it remains an ambitious delivery target, which will only be met through a combination of brownfield and greenfield development. The plan needs to be sufficiently flexible to not unnecessarily restrict when these sites can come forward. Regarding Objective 4, Crest would welcome the inclusion on the key diagram of the 3 planned centres at the Northern Fringe. It is important to present a full picture of the spatial distribution and hierarchy of existing and planned centres. In Objective 7, the flood barrier should be a requirement rather than a 'should have'.

Support

Representation ID: 720

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Para. 6.17 states that in addition to providing new homes within central Ipswich, the delivery of a sustainable urban extension on greenfield land at the Northern Fringe will also occur during the plan period. Crest fully supports this strategy. Crest agrees that the combination of the Northern Fringe alongside all of the residential development opportunities in central Ipswich is the only way to ensure that the Borough's housing target can be met.

Support

Representation ID: 721

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

The key diagram is an important part of the Core Strategy. Crest supports the identification of key regeneration opportunities within the Borough and supports the principle of planning for a strong, healthy core. Crest fully supports the presentation of the Northern Fringe as the location of development to 2031 and welcomes the deletion of the suggestion that only limited development could take place there before 2021. This important amendment is a more positive policy and introduces suitable flexibility to allow the key supply of deliverable housing land to contribute materially to the housing target early in the plan period.

Object

Representation ID: 722

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Support the explicit reference to the Northern Fringe in this chapter through policy CS10, as a key source of housing land. Crest welcomes updates to ensure consistency with the NPPF; supports the principles that underpin the strategy; and welcomes recognition that a high amount of growth is needed. Crest supports in principle the intentions to ensure that new development complies with high standards of environment and sustainability, and agrees that the plan should not be prescriptive about how developments should meet these targets. However flood risk must be properly understood and especially the consequences of delay to the barrier's delivery.

Object

Representation ID: 723

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Crest welcomes the amendment of part a). Crest agrees that the central Ipswich areas will play a key role in contributing to housing delivery, but maintains that the Northern Fringe will be the major contributor to the sustainable delivery of residential development and new community facilities. Crest welcomes the acknowledgement that a sustainable urban extension to north Ipswich is planned subject to the prior provision of suitable infrastructure. Crest maintains that the Northern Fringe is a strategic priority for this plan period.

Comment

Representation ID: 724

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Crest notes the revised housing figure and the intention to allocate land for at least another 5,909 dwellings by 2031. The strategy to achieve this requires that the Northern Fringe must continue to be allocated, to contribute significantly to meeting the Borough's housing needs throughout the plan period. Crest notes the updated 2010 SHLAA and is satisfied that sites within the Borough are capable of delivering the housing requirement to 2023. Crest acknowledges changes to Table 3 regarding the Northern Fringe and welcomes the treatment of the site in the trajectory. Collectively the site will achieve 3,500 new dwellings.

Support

Representation ID: 725

Received: 10/03/2014

Respondent: Crest Strategic Projects

Crest welcomes the strategy that, whilst the Council will focus development on previously developed land, it recognises that greenfield land will need to be developed to meet its objectively assessed housing need.