Hockley Area Action Plan - Issues and Options

(9) APPENDIX A: PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT

East of England Plan

The East of England Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS14) provides a spatial development framework for the East of England. The strategy aims to deliver a more integrated pattern of land use, movement and activities that achieves a balanced mix of housing and employment. New development should sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres throughout the region, being places with high levels of service provision. Development plans within the region will make more use of previously developed land and buildings to protect Greenbelt lands, though in some districts a reassessment of such designation is needed.

Town centres, such as Rochford and Hockley, play a vital role in attracting investment and enhancing the environment through regeneration. The Plan aims to foster mixed-use economies throughout the region, with town centre development playing a key role in achieving brownfield development objectives and improving economic opportunities and quality of life for local people.

The region will see an overall growth in households largely through indigenous growth. Of the region's housing target of 421,500, the Thames Gateway South Essex sub-region has been allocated 55,000 dwellings from 2001-2021, with 4,600 allocated to Rochford District Council. New housing should be high quality and high density (where appropriate) to make most efficient use of land.

Rochford Futures Study 2007

This document conducts a baseline analysis of Rochford District's economic, social and environmental performance and identifies future drivers of change and challenges for the future.

The report notes that Rochford's economic performance is mixed, being a very small local economy with very limited growth. The district is 'well-off' socially, with relatively low social isolation and inequality. However, it has poor local services and amenities. Rochford's economy is relatively static and will need to grapple with globalisation and deindustrialisation more effectively in the future. The population is ageing, with a large expansion of the elderly population expected. House prices are high and development restraints are equally high. There has been a decrease in employment workspace and the local infrastructure is overloaded.

Key agents of change in the future will be deindustralisation, globalisation, stimulating enterprise growth and new migration and social cohesion. The study notes that the local authority will need to engage more effectively with the private sector to deliver economic growth in the face of public sector funding cutbacks. The aging population should be used as an asset rather than a burden, and there needs to be additional community facilities.

In terms of housing growth, there needs to be greater variety of housing types and more housing generally. Car dependence is problematic and is causing problems throughout the region.

Rochford District Replacement Local Plan

The Rochford Local Plan was adopted in 2006 and is valid for three years after which the Local Development Framework, including the Core Strategy, should be in place. Through the Plan, the Council seeks to promote sustainable development patterns that minimise land take and reduces the need to travel, especially locally. The Plan supports town centres and industrial estate enhancement throughout the District. Rayleigh, Rochford and Hockley are the three designated town centres that are the primary retail areas of the District. Retail development outside these centres is not favoured.

Particular attention is given to the area's character and ensuring that new development respects the heritage and character of place throughout the District. The density of new development will range between 30 and 50 dwellings per hectare, with higher levels permitted in town centres or places with good service provision. In developments of 25 units or more than one hectare in size, 15 percent of units must be affordable housing.

Rochford Core Strategy Preferred Options

Under the new Local Development Framework procedures, work on the Council's Core Strategy is now underway and the draft Preferred Options has been issued. The emerging Core Strategy sees a vital role for its town centres in accommodating new growth. The retail strategy outlined in the Preferred Options report seeks to strengthen the role of the District's town centres. A sequential approach to the development of new retail provision is promoted as a means of ensuring the vitality and vibrancy of town centres.

The emerging Core Strategy seeks to improve the quality of the built environment as a result of growth. New development is expected to make a positive contribution to local character and all major applications will require a design brief. Key planning objectives set out in the Core Strategy are:

• To work towards sustainable development by making the most effective and efficient use of land.

• To improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the District by providing the best possible environment, and satisfying social needs by making accessible provision for the necessary health, housing, educational, community and leisure facilities in the interests of the total well being of all groups within the population.

• To ensure the availability of land in appropriate locations for housing, commercial and industrial uses.

• To retain, conserve and enhance the built and natural environments, including the architectural and historical heritage, flora, fauna and their habitats, throughout the District.

• To make provision for transportation improvements to effect the most environmentally sustainable, efficient, convenient movement of goods and people.

• To define and protect the Metropolitan Green Belt, the undeveloped coast and areas of ecological interest by directing development towards the District's established settlements.

• To enable the existing business community to function as efficiently as possible and to support economic and regeneration development throughout the District

Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) 2006-2007

The AMR confirms much of the evidence presented in the above documents. There is expected to be a dramatic increase in the population of people over 85 years of age in Rochford, local service provision is low, and there is a need for more "quality of life" services.

The monitoring shows that 795 dwelling units are in various states of planning or completion. In 2006-07, 72% of new dwellings were built on previously developed land. The AMR states that the District has met housing targets recently, but that it is unlikely to do so in future unless additional land is allocated for housing.

Urban Capacity Study (2000 and 2007)

Two urban capacity studies have been conducted for Rochford District Council. The 2000 study found that intensification was unlikely to yield many housing units, that employment sites were generally too far removed from town centres to be suitable for housing and that car parks are of mixed quality and potential for housing because of the economics of structured.

The updated 2007 study generally found less scope for housing capacity than the 2000 study. The earlier projections for housing through intensification, subdivision and above shops did not materialize as expected.

Employment Land Study (2008)

In parrallel to the Area Action Plan the Council has also commissioned an employment land study. This was published in September 2008, addressing current supply and quality, future need and demand. The employment land study will form a technical background report to the Councils emerging LDF. It will be used to help understand what and how much employment land is required in the borough and whether there is any potential to release existing land supplies. The relevance for the Area Action Plan is the Eldon Way Employment Area in Hockley, the findings of which might impact upon the potential for change and development in Hockley.

Given the need for additional employment land in the District the Employment Land Study recommends that the Council adopts strong policies to protect existing employment land. On a strategic level it is recommended that land to the west of the District is considered as viable to be developed as employment land. It is strategically best placed to house such uses due to its relatively good connectivity to Southend and London.

The eastern parts of the District, on the other hand, are not strategically good locations for employment land. The Employment Land study recommends that Rochford District Council consider the east as a more appropriate location for housing and other uses when planning for future land use requirements.

Of particular relevance to the Hockley Town Centre AAP the Employment Land Study has assessed the Eldon Way employment area (referred to in the study as the Hockley Trading Centre). It notes that the employment area is a strategically well placed employment location and that reallocation should only happen if provision is made for office use within Hockley Town Centre as part of a mixed-use scheme.

Retail and Leisure Study (2008)

The Retail and Leisure Study undertaken for the District states that Hockley is performing poorly in terms of expenditure retention. It is not consider to meet the definition of a 'town centre' as set out in PPS6.

However, the study notes that the town centre benefits from a strong comparison goods sector and a good mix of independent traders. It has a well maintained pedestrian environment and exhibits a low level of vacancies compared with the national average.

The study identifies a number of opportunities for Hockley, building upon its existing strengths and designed to remedy identified weaknesses. The study considers there is significant scope to enhance the frontages along Spa Road, Main Road, Southend Road and Woodlands Road junction, to create a high quality core. The study notes that Hockley lacks suitable larger retail premises for prospective traders and is unlikely to attract national multiples due to its size and proximity to larger centres. It is suggested that encouragement of niche and specialist businesses could assist in the creation of a 'boutique' town centre. However, redevelopment and investment is required to achieve this and success is dependant on the broader economic situation.