Lancaster District Local Plan

Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Planning Decisions in Lancaster District are guided by the Development Plan. This is made up at present of the Lancashire Structure Plan and more detailed Local Plans. The Development Plan is now the most important consideration when dealing with development proposals.

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The District Local Plan

1.1.2

This document is the District Local Plan. It is the first to cover the whole District. It sets out where development should take place, what form it should take and when it should occur. It covers the period up to 2006. Influences on the Local Plan

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Influences on the Local Plan

1.1.3

Many influences have helped to shape the Local Plan. Through the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Central Government has set the legal framework within which the plan must operate. This requires the local plan generally to accord with Regional Guidance and the Lancashire Structure Plan. Central Government has also published a substantial body of national planning advice and guidance.

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National Planning Guidance

1.1.4

Twenty four Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs) have been prepared by Central Government. These notes prescribe the form and content of structure and local plans and give clear guidance on the position Government appointed inspectors will take on matters such as development in the countryside, green belts, out of town retailing, transport and nature conservation.

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Figure 1 - Population and Household Change

		1991	2006	Change
England and Wales	Private Household Population	47,490,000	50,029,000	+5.3%
	Number of Households	19,215,000	21,897,000	+14%
	Average Household Size	2.47	2.28

North West Region (Excluding Merseyside)	Number of Households	2,156,000	2,399,000	+11.3%

Lancashire(including Blackpool and Blackburn)	Private Household Population	1,375,553	1,435,959	+4.3
	Number of Households	555,676	618,438	+11.2%
	Average Household Size	2.48	2.32
Note; Assumes net migration gain to Lancashire in both households and population, mainly from the Metropolitan Counties

Lancaster District	Private Household Population	123,767	135,848	+9.7%
	Number of Households	51,656	60,025	+16%
	Average Household Size	2.40	2.26
	Population including institutional population and term-time students	130,137	144,743	11.2%

SOURCE; DETR HOUSEHOLD DATA STATISTICS HOUSEHOLD PROJECTIONS LANCASHIRE STRUCTURE PLAN 1998

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Regional Planning Guidance

1.1.5

Structure Plans and Local Plans are also influenced by Regional Planning Guidance. Planning Guidance for the North West Region of England has been published by Government Office for the North West (GONW). This guidance provides contextual information in the form of population and household projections for England and the North West up to the year 2011. There is also a regional development strategy which shows how this growth will be shared between the metropolitan areas and counties of the North West.

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The Lancashire Structure Plan

1.1.6

The Lancashire Structure Plan covers the period to 2006. It sets development targets for each of Lancashire's 14 districts. The Structure Plan assumes that the District's population will continue to increase as a result of migration gains and that housing demand will remain high as the population grows and becomes younger and households become smaller. The main Structure Plan proposals for Lancaster District for the Period 1991-2006 are;

a total population increase of 14,606 from 130,137 to 144,743;
a private household population increase of 12,081 from 123,767 to 135,848;
a household increase of 8,369 from 123,767 to 135,848;
a dwelling stock increase of 8,300 from 52,218 to 60,518;
a labour force increase of 7,802 from 58,222 to 66,024;
an industrial and business land requirement of 100 Ha;
a strategy of urban concentration that will protect the countryside and rural villages of north Lancashire from major development and direct the bulk of housing and business development to the urban areas of Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham; and
Green Belt protection for the open land located to the south of Carnforth and the north of Lancaster and Morecambe.

1.1.7

Figure 1 shows how national and regional population growth and declining household size will result in an increased number of households during the plan period and how the Structure Plan forecasts that these changes will be reflected in Lancashire and Lancaster District in the period to 2006.

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Neighbouring Authorities

1.1.8

The Council has also had to take into account the plans and policies of neighbouring local authorities, in particular the Wyre, Ribble Valley, Craven, Yorkshire Dales and South Lakeland Local Plans.

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Other Council Policies

1.1.9

In addition to the Local Plan, the Council has many other policies and ongoing initiatives which have a bearing on future development in the District. These fall into three broad categories; � Implementation, planning and management strategies such as the Arnside/Silverdale and Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plans and the Morecambe Bay Strategy; � Regeneration initiatives such as the Carnforth Project, the Cycle Strategy, the Morecambe Centre Project, Morecambe SRB, Middleton Wood, the Lune Riverside Millennium Project and the Lancaster and Morecambe Capital Challenge proposals; � The Council's commitment to Local Agenda 21 objectives which require development needs to be met in a way which minimises the demand for travel, promotes sustainable means of transport, maintains and enhances biodiversity, promotes renewable energy, protects natural resources and encourages the recycling of land and buildings. The Council has produced a separate Environmental Appraisal of the plan which illustrates how the plan meets these objectives.

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The Environment

1.1.10

Lancaster District is of considerable environmental importance and supports some of the most diverse and richest wildlife habitats and landscapes in the Country. Its environmental resources include; � Morecambe Bay; one of Britain's largest areas of wetland, a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, an EC Special Protection Area and a candidate EC Special Area of Conservation for Wild Birds; � The Arnside/Silverdale area, which contains numerous nature conservation sites, rare limestone pavements and Leighton Moss which is also a Ramsar Site and a Special Area of Conservation for Wild Birds; � The Forest of Bowland area which includes herb rich pastures and hay meadows and the Bowland Fells Special Protection Area, one of Britain's major areas of moorland and a vital habitat for birds of prey including the hen harrier.

1.1.11

An overriding objective of the plan therefore is to protect and enhance the environmental wealth of Lancaster District.

1.1.12

This Local Plan has also been influenced by the need to protect the Environment from long-term damage. The City Council supports the concept of sustainable development which is defined as development that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It will seek to ensure that the policies and proposals of the Local Plan do not cause unnecessary environmental damage or result in avoidable problems at a later date. This does not mean that there will be no development in green fields but that the Council will seek to ensure that development is directed to locations which minimise adverse effects on the Environment.

1.1.13

The consideration given to environmental issues is reflected in the Council's strategic vision for Lancaster District. Development proposals are complemented by detailed proposals to provide and protect urban and rural open space and conserve countryside areas, wildlife habitats and rural buildings, to manage land use change in rural and urban areas and to guide the form, style and appearance of new buildings.

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The Council's Vision

1.1.14

The Council's challenge is to meet the needs and aspirations of the community for homes, for jobs, for vibrant and stable communities and for a better quality of life particularly for disadvantaged groups whilst protecting the quality of the District's environment and safeguarding its natural resources. The Plan meets this challenge by setting out policies for future land use and development which seek to ensure that all development is as sustainable as possible.

1.1.15

The Council's vision is of a District:

which provides the best possible quality of life for all its residents and seeks to reduce disadvantage;
which meets the employment needs and aspirations of its residents, provides existing employers with the confidence to invest and is an attractive location for inward investment;
which is easy, safe and convenient to get around by bus, rail, on foot and by bicycle, both for the able bodied and for people with disabilities;
where new development is of the highest possible quality, reflects the District's distinctive characteristics, respects the principles of sustainable development and enriches its cultural heritage;
which recognises and respects its exceptional environmental quality and richness with a commitment to protecting and enhancing the natural and built environment;
whose town and city centres are attractive, stimulating, vibrant, safe and convenient places to live, work and visit at all times of day;
whose resort areas are given new life and purpose based on the unique nature conservation interest of Morecambe Bay;
whose areas of deprivation are regenerated with new housing, open space and woodland;
which protects the outstanding quality of its rural and village landscapes and maximises access to the countryside for quiet recreation so that the countryside is valued by everyone;
which reacts to changes in the rural economy by retaining a living countryside where local people can live, shop and find employment;

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The Council's Development Strategy

1.1.16

The vision is reflected in the Local Plan Development Strategy which has five main elements:

a strategy of urban concentration with a strong emphasis on the recycling of brown-field urban sites which directs 80% of new housing to the built-up areas of Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham and 20% to Carnforth and the rural areas;
protection of the North Lancashire Green Belt, the Arnside/Silverdale and Forest of Bowland Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the District's countryside and its nature conservation sites from development;
directing development to locations along the Primary Bus Corridor which links 48,000 people with the District's town centres, major employment locations, its hospitals and its higher education institutions, and seeking to improve bus facilities along the corridor and make buses more competitive;
protecting and enhancing the District's town centres as locations for living, shopping and working by resisting further out-of-town retail development, encouraging residential development in town centres and improving the town centre environment wherever possible.

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The Council's Environmental Strategy

1.1.17

There is a need to protect and enhance the environmental wealth of Lancaster District. The plan reflects the following principles of sustainable development;

Maintaining and securing the quality of the District's air and its river, sea, estuary and ground water;
Providing a framework for the conservation and enhancement of wildlife habitats, landscape features, open spaces and public access to the countryside and promoting habitat creation in new development;
Ensuring that new development preserves and enhances the District's cultural heritage, and character and local distinctiveness of its settlements;
Minimising the demand for travel by siting employment opportunities, shopping, social, educational and recreational facilities close to residential areas and in areas serviceable by public transport;
Encouraging high density development and energy sensitive siting, orientation and layout of new development;
Improving the quality and attractiveness of the District's rivers, watercourses, and coastline for amenity, recreation and wildlife;
Recognising and protecting the importance of green corridors and green spaces for wildlife, people, urban structure and the quality of life.

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How to Use this Plan

1.1.18

The Local Plan consists of two parts. The Written Statement contains the policies which the Council will apply in considering development proposals. The Proposals Map shows the locations where those policies apply including locations where development is proposed. Some general policies do not apply to a specific area and these are not indicated on the Local Plan Proposals Map.

1.1.19

The Written Statement consists of five chapters plus appendices.

Housing: which describes areas proposed for new housing, policies covering the design and location of new housing, policies covering particular types of housing such as social housing, sites for travelling people, sheltered housing, residential rest homes and nursing homes, houses in multiple occupation and flats over shops, and policies to regenerate the existing housing stock.
The Local Economy; which describes locations for new business and industrial development and policies for existing employment areas, office development, shopping and town centres and tourism related development;
Transport; which describes proposals for improvements to roads, public transport, pedestrian and cycle provision and policies governing car parking;
Environment Protection and Enhancement; which contains policies protecting the Green Belt, the areas of outstanding natural beauty, the countryside, managing and enhancing the countryside through new woodland, protecting and enhancing urban open spaces, listed buildings and conservation areas, safeguarding areas of nature conservation, geological and archaeological importance and safeguarding natural resources.
Recreation and Community Services; which sets out the Council's policies on existing and new recreational open space, golf courses and other recreational development as well as policies on community services such as schools and higher/further education, community facilities, hospitals, access for people with disabilities and crime prevention.

1.1.20

All policies in this Written Statement are numbered. Policies beginning

relate to Housing;

relate to Business and Industry;

relate to Shopping;

relate to Tourism;

relate to Transport;

relate to Environment;

relate to Recreation and Community Services.

Policy numbers appear both in the Written Statement and on the Local Plan Proposals Map.

1.1.21

There are areas within the District which are not covered by specific policies or proposals. The assumption within these areas is that existing uses shall remain broadly the same. Development proposals within these areas shall be considered on their merits taking into account any general policies of the Local Plan that may apply and any other material considerations.

1.1.22

Statements in ITALIC CAPITALS are statements of corporate intent by the Council. They are not local plan policies because they do not relate directly to the development and use of land but are included within the plan to give a complete picture of the Council's position on certain issues.

1.1.23

Appendices are located at the back of the plan and contain further information and guidance on the following subjects: � Provision for Play in New Housing; � Flat Conversion Standards; � Development affecting Motorways and Trunk Roads; � Previous Local Plan policies; � The District Wide Target for Affordable Dwellings; � Car Parking Standards;

1.1.24

Any maps and diagrams within the Written Statement are indicative only and do not form part of the Local Plan Proposals Map. All maps are reproduced from Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of H M Stationery Office. Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution. Lancaster City Council LA 078379.1996.

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The Proposals Map

1.1.25

The Proposals Map comprises the main Proposals Map covering the rural parts of the District, an inset map of the main urban area of the district entitled:

Proposals Map Inset No. 1 - Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham;

And three inset maps of the District's Town Centres entitled:

Proposals Map Inset No. 2 - Lancaster City Centre;

Proposals Map Inset No. 3 - Morecambe Town Centre;

Proposals Map Inset No. 4 - Carnforth Town Centre

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Supplementary Planning Guidance

1.1.26

Various documents have been prepared to assist with the interpretation and implementation of the Local Plan. These documents represent Supplementary Planning Guidance. These are the:

Lancaster South Development Brief;
Lancaster Moor Development Brief;
Kingsway Development Brief;
Luneside East Development Brief;
Bailrigg Business Park Development Brief;
Lancaster City Centre Strategy;
Shopfronts and Advertisements Design Guide;
Canal Corridor North Development Brief;
Canal Corridor South Development Brief;
Affordable Housing;
Morecambe Town Centre Strategy;
Residential Design Code;
Village Constraint Maps;

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The Environmental Appraisal

1.1.27

The City Council has completed an Environmental Appraisal of the policies and strategy of the draft Plan. This has been published along with the deposit edition of the Local Plan. It explains how the plan complies with Central Government guidance on sustainable development and identifies where the Plan's proposals are likely to have an impact on global environmental problems, on the conservation of non-renewable natural resources and on the quality of the local environment.