MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL

AGENDA ITEM

Report Title: Middlesbrough Local Plan Issues Paper

Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Regeneration: Cllr Charles Rooney

Director for Economic Development and Communities: Kevin Parkes

Date:24th November 2016

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

  1. The purpose of this report is to seek approval to consult on the Local Plan Issues Paper.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
  1. It is recommended that the Executive Member approves the Local Plan Issues report for consultation.

IF THIS IS A KEY DECISION WHICH KEY DECISION TEST APPLIES?

It is over the financial threshold (£150,000)
It has a significant impact on 2 or more wards / x
Non Key

DECISION IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE

  1. For the purposes of the scrutiny call in procedure this report is

Non-urgent / x
Urgent report

If urgent please give full reasons

BACKGROUND AND EXTERNAL CONSULTATION

  1. The Executive approved the review of the Middlesbrough Local Plan in May 2016. The first stage in this review is the preparation of an Issues Paper. This Issues Paper is attached at Appendix 1, it covers issues such as:

a)Setting the strategy;

b)Population and housing;

c)Economic growth

d)The town centre

e)Infrastructure

f)Green infrastructure; and,

g)The historic environment.

  1. The Issues Paper simply seeks to identify those high level issues that the Local Plan should be seeking to address. It does this by asking a series of questions. These questions will then form the basis of wider stakeholder consultation both internally and externally with key partners and the wider Middlesbrough community. There is no commitment to a particular course of action or strategy at this stage, it is in essence an evidence gathering exercise. The Issues stage of the Local Plan process is required to comply with the Regulation 18 of the Local Plan regulations.

Population growth, housing and the impact on services and infrastructure

  1. The delivery of housing is a key component in the sustainability of the Council’s MTFP. It is also central to ensuring the town maintains a growing population that is able to deliver economic growth aspirations. Maintaining housing growth and identifying the town’s housing needs over the next 15 years will be one of the main issues to be addressed in the Local Plan. Within this there is the need to consider growing sectors of the community including the need to address the requirements of an elderly population, and the student housing needed to support a successful and growing University. The changing Government agenda towards affordable housing and identification of its delivery via starter homes raises particular challenges for Middlesbrough which will need to be addressed in the Local Plan.
  1. Delivering housing brings its own challenges critical of these is the impact of future population growth on the provision of services and infrastructure. Addressing these impacts of growth is a key tenet of the Local Plan review and will be covered in all other aspects of the review.

Economic Growth

  1. Traditionally economic growth within Local Plans has been covered by identifying land for employment uses (B1,B2, and B8 uses) usually in the form of industrial estates. Going forward the Local Plan needs to address what the future of Middlesbrough’s economic role will be and how this growth will be achieved. Should Middlesbrough concentrate on delivering growth in only certain key sectors e.g. the knowledge intensive based services (KIBS), focusing on digital media, grade A offices, and supporting the growth of the University? How will other more traditional employment needs be met? Where should economic growth be concentrated? What infrastructure, including housing, is required to support economic growth?

Role of the Town Centre

  1. Middlesbrough’s town centre has suffered significantly at the hands of out of town centres such as Teesside Park in recent years. It has to respond to changing needs and economic circumstances. The Council needs to consider what will the role of the Town Centre be going forward? A recent centre for cities report has suggested that if Middlesbrough is to act more like a city centre it should look to diversify the uses within the town centre, there needs to be a greater proportion of commercial, office and leisure uses, if so how? These in turn will create increased footfall to support the longer term growth of the retail sector.

Infrastructure delivery

  1. The provision of appropriate infrastructure to enable development will be critical to the town’s future success and in particular delivering economic growth. Infrastructure has a key role to play in creating successful places and sustainable communities. Questions to be asked at this stage include what infrastructure such as roads, schools, open space is required to support and facilitate development, where and how it will be provided? In addition the Local Plan will need to ensure that this infrastructure is in place at the right time to support development.

Historic Environment

  1. The historic environment can play a key role in supporting and facilitating economic growth and in creating a sense of place. It is important for the Local Plan to create a positive strategy for the historic environment in Middlesbrough both to protect the town’s heritage assets and to support economic growth. How can this be achieved? What role should the historic environment have in supporting economic growth? How can economic growth be used to protect and enhance our historic assets.

Environment/Green Infrastructure

  1. Creating a quality network of green spaces is central to creating successful quality communities and places where people want to live. Historically, the Local Plan has focused on protecting green space however a key challenge of the Local Plan going forward will be how green space can be used to support and enhance place making and economic growth. For example how can we use new development to create an enhanced network of green infrastructure that improves people’s access to and enjoyment of open space and recreational opportunities. Key to this will be the role of the area of land between Acklam and Marton Roads, Ladgate Lane and Saltersgill/Tolesby.
  1. The Issues Paper has been prepared in consultation with the Local Plan Member Working Group (LPMWG). The LPMWG considered the Issues Paper on 8th November and were supportive of the Issues contained in it.

Next steps

  1. Once approved consultation will be for six weeks. This consultation will be undertaken in accordance with the Statement of Community Involvement and will include following measures:

a)publication of the paper on the Council’s website;

b)making the paper available at specified places around the town including Civic Centre and libraries and community hubs;

c)informing relevant stakeholders of the consultation; and

d)providing a Member briefing.

16.The outcome of the consultation will inform preparation of the preferred options, which is the next stage in the process.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT (IA)

  1. The impact of the proposed Local Plan has been assessed and will not have a negative impact on any existing programmes. The impact assessment is attached at Appendix 2.

OPTION APPRAISAL/RISK ASSESSMENT

Option 1 - Prepare Issues Paper

  1. Preparation and consultation the Issues Paper is required by Regulation 18 of the Local Plan regulations. Preparation of the Issues Paper will ensure that the Local Plan preparation complies with these regulations.

Option 2 - Do not Prepare Issues Paper

  1. If preparation and consultation on the Issues Paper do not take place, the Local Plan process will not comply with the Local Plan regulations. Failure to prepare the Issues Paper may result in the Local Plan being found unsound at Examination delaying the adoption of the Local Plan. If the Local Plan were found to be unsound and as a consequence it was required to go out to consultation again this would have financial implications.

FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND WARD IMPLICATIONS

  1. Financial – There will be costs associated with the consultation on the Local Plan Issues Paper. These costs will be met by the Local Plan budget.
  1. Ward Implications – The new Local Plan will impact on all wards within Middlesbrough. A member briefing will be undertaken on the Issues Paper.
  1. The Local Plan Member Working Group have been involved in the preparation of the Issues Paper and are supportive of the Issues raised.
  1. Legal Implications - There are no legal implications associated with preparing the Local Plan at this time.
RECOMMENDATIONS
  1. It is recommended that the Executive Member approves the Local Plan Issues Paper for consultation.
REASONS
  1. The Local Plan is one of the Council’s key policy documents and is important in delivery of housing, economic growth and infrastructure. Supporting the above recommendation will allow progress to be made on the review of the Local Plan.
BACKGROUND PAPERS

The following background papers were used in the preparation of this report:

Executive Report Review of the Local Plan May 2016

CONTACT OFFICER: Katherine Whitwell

TEL NO: 729062

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Address:

Website:

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