Plan making - Neighbourhood plans - Advice on evidence - Topic two: Site allocations example

Specific issue: The wish to determine which sites are allocated within the neighbourhood area for any given use

Increasingly we are seeing neighbourhood groups where their local authority has an up-to-date local plan in place, wishing to undertake the process of allocating sites for particular uses. Most commonly this is for residential development but it could equally apply to employment or any other particular type of site allocation.

This could also apply to neighbourhoods where an LPA does not have an up-to-date local plan. Undertaking a form of sites assessment will help the LPA to establish what the potential housing requirement for that neighbourhood should be, which in turn will help to inform the overall housing requirement for the area.

In undertaking this task, it is important that the LPA agrees the process with the neighbourhood group which in turn agrees this with the community prior to undertaking the work. If there is agreement over the process, then there can be no complaint about the outcome.

It is likely that for many LPAs the process of evaluating sites as part of the Site Allocations process will already be established. There may be some work already undertaken which should be shared by the LPA or a site assessment toolkit already created. In these cases, it will be important to consider and agree with the neighbourhood groups whether and how the further assessment work is shared between the LPA and the neighbourhood group.  

 

Topic

Site allocations

Specific issues to be addressed

The wish to determine which sites are allocated within the neighbourhood area for any given use

What do neighbourhood groups have to be able to properly demonstrate with the evidence they collect in order to ensure that NP policy is robust?
  • That there is a transparent, objective and robust methodology for assessing sites and that this is done on a consistent basis.
  • That the community and other stakeholders (landowners, developers, etc) are signed up to the process of evaluation.
  • That the process of consultation is appropriate and that responses have been properly taken into account.
  • That the strategic infrastructure providers are capable of servicing the needs created by each potential allocation, i.e. there are no ‘showstoppers'.
  • That the sites selected represent the most sustainable locations and that they reflect strategic policy.

What questions should they ask (either through a survey or focus group, etc) in order to gather effective evidence?
  • A clear process of evaluation demonstrating why the sites have been assessed as they have.
  • The full list of sites for assessment – a Call for Sites process if not already undertaken at district level. Alternatively, identifying sites through local knowledge.
  • Availability – that the site owner is willing for their site to come forward.
  • Suitability – constraints information (mostly already collected by LPA). Is there any local knowledge about issues which can be gathered and tested, e.g. flooding, archaeology, etc? What infrastructure is needed to support development? Does it conform with district-level strategic policy?
  • Deliverability – that the site is viable for development. Assess viability work undertaken by LPA or supplement with further technical work by viability experts.
  • That all the reasonable alternative sites have been considered (vital if site development is likely to have significant environmental effects so would trigger the need for a Sustainability Appraisal).
  • If appropriate, information on landscape character which would inform any development if development is deemed to be suitable.
  • If appropriate, information on the character of conservation areas which would inform any development if development is deemed to be suitable.
  • Evidence that strategic providers can service needs – service plan, asset management plan.
  • Accessibility information by non-car modes – public transport, walking and cycling.
  • Local infrastructure needs that could be provided on-site.

 

 

What evidence have you got to help neighbourhoods demonstrate the issue and develop policy? - How useful is it for them? - Is it in a useable form?

    

Evidence

Useful?

Useable format?

Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA)

    

Affordable Housing Needs Assessment

    

Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)

    

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA)

    

Landscape/Townscape Character Appraisals

    

Character area/settlement appraisals

    

Conservation area statements

    

Ecology/biodiversity studies

    

PPG17 study + green infrastructure

    

Historic Environment Records (HERs)/archaeology studies

    

Contaminated land register

    

Employment Land Review (ELR) – if employment allocations

    

Retail/town centre studies/appraisals

    

5-year supply of sites

    

Constraints mapping - GIS

    

Sites mapping – GIS + planning history (link with SHLAA)

    

Data from annual monitoring reports, e.g. densities

    

S106 viability appraisals on local schemes to support applications

    

Community Infrastructure Levy viability appraisals

    

Sustainability appraisal

    

Existing community plans