northumberland local plan core strategy update riding mill parish council 28 april 2014

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Copyright 2009 Northumberland County Council

Northumberland Local PlanCore Strategy Update

Riding Mill Parish Council

28 April 2014Steve Robson – Senior Planning Officer



Preferred Options Consultation• Preferred Options (Stage 1)

– February to March 2013– Drop in/ workshops and T&PC sessions attended by

almost 550 people– 4,518 comments from 635 people/ organisations;

• Preferred Options (Stage 2)– October 2013 to January 2014– Drop in/ workshops and T&PC sessions attended by

almost 1,200 people– 11,662 comments from 1,792 people/ organisations



On-going evidence work• Updating evidence:

• Housing – Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) and Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA)

• Economy - Economic forecasts, Employment Land Review

• Technical papers

• Strategic sites assessments / Green Belt assessments

• Renewable energy - Impact of operational wind farms and tourism impact study

• Water cycle study and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment

• Infrastructure study

• Whole plan viability work… etc!!!



On-going discussions• Adjoining local authorities• Statutory consultees • Town and Parish Councils

– Individual discussions where requested– Feedback sessions

• Neighbourhood Plan Groups• Green Belt Groups• AONB• Home Builders Federation



Strategic approach to housing

Extending choice across Northumberland’s housing markets to:•Reduce the levels of working age people moving out Increase the numbers of working age people moving in•Strengthen the labour force•Help re-balance and re-energise the resident population•Provide affordable housing•Assist in the provision for housing for older people and vulnerable groups •Maintain and enhance local services



Scale and distribution - housing

Tested a range of scenarios:– Top down – level of development required to meet

objectively assessed needs– Bottom up – impact at a lower level

Level of development (2011-31) – 24,310•South East Delivery Area 12,820•Central Delivery Area 6,270•North Delivery Area 3,740•West Delivery Area 1,480



Housing distribution – Central Delivery Area

Main Towns•Hexham 900•Morpeth 1500•Prudhoe 1000

Service centres•Corbridge 300•Ponteland 850

Rest of Delivery Area 1720



Housing - feedback• Objection from some local communities that the

level is too high – based on aspiration not need• Concern from some local communities over the

population modeling and scenarios • Development industry consider level should be

higher and the distribution is not correct – more required in Central Area

• General support for approach to most growth in Main Towns, followed by Service Centres, then rural areas



Affordable housing - approach

• Overall target for the provision of 30% affordable housing across Northumberland

• Contribution required for all open market residential development proposals of 2 or more units – where there is a need

• Presumption that affordable housing will be provided on site

• Where there are viability concerns the developer would be required to demonstrate it is an issue



Affordable housing - feedback

• Clarification required on how the 30% target will be achieved

• Concern from developers that the target is not deliverable or viable

• Support from parishes and local communities for clear mechanisms to require developers to deliver affordable housing where there is a need

• Concern about viability in rural areas



Green Belt

• Boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances - through Local Plan preparation;

• In order to deliver the strategy there is a need to review boundaries around: – Hexham, Prudhoe, Ponteland and some small settlements

along the Tyne Valley;

• Methodology to identify appropriate sites• Main Towns and Service centres boundaries to be

reviewed in Core Strategy, other settlements in the Delivery Document



Green Belt - feedback• Rationale and strategy does not constitute special

circumstances for Green Belt releases• Concern that appropriate alternatives have not

been consulted upon• Concern that review of boundaries around smaller

settlements may result in unwanted growth• Developers consider the boundaries around all

settlements should be reviewed through the Core Strategy



Emerging Policy – Riding Mill

• Identified as an ‘other settlement’ in the Central Delivery Area

• ‘Other settlements’ proposed to accommodate 1,720 dwellings over the plan period

• Riding Mill within Corbridge ‘small area’ with 300 dwellings proposed



Emerging Policy – Riding Mill

In ‘other settlements’ CSPO1 document supports development which:•Is of an appropriate scale for the settlement•Maintains and enhances local services and facilities•Meets defined needs•Protects the countryside from widespread new development



Emerging Policy – Riding Mill• The Delivery Document or Neighbourhood Plan

will (if required) allocate sites for housing in Riding Mill

• If Green Belt review around Riding Mill is required this will be done in Delivery Document

• NCC would welcome working with the Parish Council to determine the location of development and any Green Belt review

• Without Green Belt review affordable housing could be delivered on rural exception sites



Next steps• Prepare and Consult on a full draft Core Strategy

– Summer 2014• Consult on a submission draft Core Strategy -

Autumn 2014• Submission - Winter 2014• Examination - Spring 2015• Adoption - Summer 2015• On-going work on other elements of the Plan

– Community Infrastructure Levy – Delivery Document

northumberland local plan core strategy update riding mill parish council 28 april 2014

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