St James Exeter and Thame NDP - review 15th April 2013 - Andrew Triggs, Planning Policy Officer South Downs National Park Authority

St James Exeter and Thame NDP – review

              15th April 2013

           Andrew Triggs, Planning Policy Officer
           South Downs National Park Authority

St James Exeter neighbourhood plan
•   Work began in May 2011.
•   Draft published for consultation 10 October to 23
    November 2012 (6 weeks).
•   Publicity of plan proposal 21 December to 8 February 2013.
•   Examination by written reps.
•   Referendum 2 May (same as Thame).
•   First neighbourhood plan to be approved in a non-parish
    area.

Reasoning for doing the plan
     “In the past the importance of the St James as a great living
     environment close to jobs, education, green space and
     services has not been fully recognised.

     Urban development has had an impact on areas adjacent to
     the City Centre whilst the conversion of family homes to
     Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) has changed the
     character and balance of the community.”

Extract from consultation materials

Vision: St James a vibrant neighbourhood with a
balanced and diverse community
“It will be a great place to live and work close to the City
Centre and University and will support Exeter’s character,
identity and cultural life. St James will become known by
people at all stages of their lives as one of the best parts of
the City in which to live. St James will be known for its strong
community, rich urban character, attractive green streets and
spaces and thriving natural environment. It will be safe and
enjoyable to move around on foot and bike and will be well
connected to the rest of Exeter and beyond by public
transport”.

Plan format and content

•   34 pages.
•   The Plan and consultation materials have been consistently
    presented and to a very high standard.
•   Appropriate use of maps, photographs and drawings to bring the
    plan alive and illustrate key concepts.
•   Identifies 6 priority projects: “the focus for community
    action…will achieve the biggest bang for the bucks”.
•   Suite of planning policies to “influence planning and development
    outcomes.”

Challenges being addressed are…
• Creating a clear vision and improving social, economic and environmental well-
  being.
• Defining a local hub or heart to strengthen the ward’s image and identity.
• Building on planning rules to restrict HMOs and rebalance the community.
• Encouraging types of development that meet community needs.
• Seeking to manage the impacts of traffic by encouraging sustainable transport.
• Improving the natural and built environment of the ward.
• Supporting and maintaining community facilities and services.

The verdict from the Examiner
The examiner’s role is to consider whether the plan meets certain basic
conditions, satisfies legal requirements and identify an appropriate area for a
referendum. Examiner recommended “minor modifications”.

•Policy wording needs tightening up to improve clarity and practicality.
•Use of the word “normally” in policies.
•A “priority project” is not supported by the community engagement.
•Presumption against development Hoopern Valley Park unnecessarily
restrictive.
•Enhancement of biodiversity when a proposal “is implemented”: unreasonable.
•Removal of the word “contemporary”.

Thame neighbourhood plan

•   Work began in September 2011.
•   Draft Plan consulted on 21 August to 3 October 2012 (6
    weeks).
•   Publicity period: November 2012 to 24 January 2013.
•   Examination by written reps and public hearing.
•   Referendum 2 May (same as Exeter St James).
•   First neighbourhood plan to allocate sites for future
    development.

Reasoning for doing the plan
     “The Neighbourhood Plan is the opportunity for the people of
     Thame to determine the future of the town. For decades, planning
     has been centralised at the District Council, who have made all of
     the decisions relating to Thame, often with little local knowledge
     and minimal consultation…
     South Oxfordshire District Council decreed that land must be
     allocated in Thame for 775 new homes over the next 15 years.
     Their solution was to allocate most of this housing to one large site.
     The people of Thame did not want this, so the Town Council fought
     the proposal at every stage”.
Extract from Thame Town Council website

Vision: Thame must maintain its character as a
real market town
“A market town is: a small town in the countryside which has
a regular market and acts as a centre for surrounding farms
and villages. To maintain this character the town must:
•continue to feel ‘compact’;
•continue to have a close relationship with the open countryside
around it;
•retain its markets;
•continue to act as a centre for the surrounding area, not just
residents;
•remain attractive to residents and visitors”.

Plan format and content
•   71 pages.
•   The Plan is professionally produced.
•   Organised into 3 sections: A Vision for Thame, Neighbourhood
    Plan Policies and Residential Site Briefs.
•   The Plan provides for: 775 homes, 3 ha. of new employment land,
    new retail within the Town Centre, potential locations for a new
    community facility, new & improved connections around the town
    and new / improved open spaces.

Challenges being addressed are…
• Dispersing new housing around the town rather than all on one site.
• Improving southern approaches to the town.
• Providing new homes within walking distance of the Town Centre.
• Requiring affordable housing to meet Thame’s needs (size,type).
• Enabling the amalgamation of a secondary school onto 1 site.
• Identifying 2 ‘reserve’ sites.
• Providing 3 ha. of new employment land.
• Focusing new retail development in the Town Centre (for comparison
  shopping). Encouraging uses which meet community needs.
• Recommending 3 sites for community uses.
• Seeking to improve pedestrian and cycle routes.
• Setting out where new publicly accessible and connected open spaces need to
  be provided.

The verdict from the Examiner
Proceed to referendum with minor modifications.
•Public consultation process: “an exemplary approach to public consultation in
neighbourhood plans”.
•Clear link between objectives and policy carried through the Plan.
•Infill sites policy provides inadequate safeguards to ensure site suitability and
good design.
•Statement resisting large out of centre shops should be omitted.
•Dismisses promoter of a rejected employment site that their land is more
sustainable than an alternative, allocated site.
•Dismisses promoter of a food supermarket on the “Cattle Market site” because
there is only a very small need for convenience floorspace.
•Use of developer contributions requires clarification for cycleway.

Contact:
      tim.richings@southdowns.gov.uk     01730 811752
      chris.paterson@southdowns.gov.uk   01730 811766
      andrew.triggs@southdowns.gov.uk    01730 811759