West Dorset District Council has published the 1st Draft of the Local Plan Review which will underpin development within our area up until 2036.
Local Plan Review Preferred Options Consultation – Appendix 1 (1)
Local Plan Review Preferred Options Consultation – Appendix 4 MAPS
The implications of this draft are that any additional housing sites over that allocated in the 2015 Plan will be focussed on the strategic sites at Vearse Farm.
In the 2015 Local Plan sites for some 945 dwellings were allocated for the wider Bridport area. In this review,which extends the plan time by 5 years, sites for 1061 dwellings have now been allocated (document pages 79/80), an increase of 116 which is somewhat less than the exaggerated numbers that were quoted by some in the media last year.
NO DEVELOPMENT SITES HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED WITHIN BRADPOLE CIVIL PARISH
During 2017 Bradpole Councillors had provided a substantial and well informed consultation response, based upon replies received from our own residents.
It is pleasing to note that this 1st draft of the review largely aligns with how Councillors responded last year. (See link below to Bradpole PC, response ref 12-ii)
Bradpole Council does take account of residents’ views as expressed in consultation responses and this is a case in point.
Bradpole Council is aware, from its own residents’ responses to consultations in recent years, that there is a demand within the Civil Parish for some “affordable housing” for local residents.
To this end Bradpole Council will continue to consider schemes that may come forward from local benevolent landowners to meet this need.
Local Plan Review Preferred Options Consultation – Appendix 1 (1) provides guidance on pages 133 / 134 of the draft review for Affordable Housing Exception Sites under policy HOUS2:
‘Exception sites’ are small sites used for affordable housing in perpetuity where sites would not normally be used for housing. Permitting the development of small sites for 100% affordable housing, as an exception, enables local housing needs to be met by keeping land values relatively low. Small sites for affordable housing exception schemes should be located within or on the edge of villages or towns.”
BUT IT ALSO WARNS:
“National policy indicates that small numbers of market homes may be permitted on exception sites at a local planning authority’s discretion. This is not generally supported because it: would reduce the likelihood of 100% affordable housing sites being delivered; could potentially increase land values; and could result in significant unplanned growth adjoining settlements.”
“Small numbers” is the important factor here and a figure of up to a max 25% market homes is considered appropriate by housing groups such as “Shelter”. Precise and unambiguous policies are therefore required. We will expect the forthcoming Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan to reflect this.
see our responses 17-iv & 17-v in: Bradpole PC Response to WDDC “Issues & Options” 2017
This Local Plan review is based upon a wide public consultation during 2017 so it is unlikely that the final document will differ greatly from this draft.
The final draft of the review is scheduled to be published at the end of July for ALL to comment upon and Bradpole Councillors will be carefully monitoring this and will respond accordingly at that time.
BRADPOLE PARISH COUNCIL WORKING FOR THE BRADPOLE CIVIL PARISH COMMUNITY
BPC June 2018
