ROCHFORD CORE STRATEGY SUBMISSION DOCUMENT, SEPTEMBER 2009
RESPONSE OF ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL


1. General Comment

Essex County Council welcomes and broadly supports the Core Strategy prepared by Rochford District Council. The Strategy contains policies and proposals that address the spatial characteristics, issues and opportunities facing the District whilst respecting the distinctive qualities of the different settlements and parts of the District.

The County Council fully supports the maintenance of a strong policy approach to protection of the Green Belt and of the quality of environmental assets in the District whilst making adequate housing and employment provision within the District. The Core Strategy presents an approach that emphasises a balance of opportunity through the District and recognition of emerging economic prospects in the District and neighbouring areas. The intended preparation of more detailed Action Area Plans for London Southend Airport and its environs and for each of the three town centres of Rayleigh, Rochford and Hockley will further enhance the approach of the Core Strategy. The emphasis on the three town centres is particularly welcomed as offering a stimulus to improvement in the services and facilities available locally within the District whilst also affording possibilities of increased community focus.

2. Housing Distribution and Locations

The East of England Plan requires Rochford to provide a minimum of 3,790 additional dwellings between 2006 and 2021. In addition, provision for a further 1,000 dwellings should be made between 2021 and 2025 to ensure delivery of housing for at least 15 years from adoption of the Core Strategy (expected in 2010). Of this total requirement the District Council has identified a capacity of 2,000 dwellings through a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment. This means that the Core Strategy has to identify locations for about 1,750 dwellings to be delivered before 2021 and a further 1,000 dwellings between 2021 and 2025.

Policy H1 (The efficient use of land for housing) is supported. However, prioritisation of the reuse of previously developed land within settlements for additional housing is unlikely to provide a sufficient source of provision due to the generally residential nature of existing settlements in the district and the absence of potentially large sites of previously developed land. The assessment of potential for additional housing provision within settlements already includes the proposed re-allocation to substantially residential use of 4 existing employment areas.

Within Policy H2 (Extensions to residential envelopes and phasing) and Policy H3 (Extension to residential envelopes post-2021) the District Council has adopted a balanced approach to the distribution of additional housing locations, which is based on identification of tiers of settlements defined by reference to their accessibility to jobs, services and facilities (some of which lie outside the District) and the need to protect the valued environments within the District. This approach is generally supported, although implementation and delivery of individual schemes should give further thought to securing sustainable functional relationships between proposed development locations and availability of jobs, services and facilities.

The proposed scale and phasing of development at each of the identified locations in Policy H2 and Policy H3 should be capable of being supported by County Council service groups, provided that adequate and timely funding is available. The County Council would wish to work with the District Council to ensure that future infrastructure and facilities would serve and give benefit to the existing adjoining community as well as to the new development. In this respect it is noted that the Core Strategy proposes preparation by the District Council of a Planning Obligations and Standard Charges document (Policy CLT1). The District Council's document should fully reflect the County Council's own approach to this matter as set out in the County Council's 'Developer's Guide to Infrastructure Contributions'.

3. Economic Development

The approach to Employment Growth (Policy ED1) is supported. Given the economic structure of Rochford District the support to be given to protection and enhancement of the role of small and medium sized businesses; enhancement of the District's commercial centres; and development of a skills training academy is particularly welcome. These measures will assist in building on the existing economic resource of the District.

Proposals for the comprehensive development of London Southend Airport and its environs (Policy ED2) are supported. The further elaboration of proposals through an Area Action Plan will provide a firm foundation to realise the economic regeneration and growth opportunities presented by effective use of the Airport. The recognition of the potential environmental impact of the Airport and the commitment to work to mitigate any adverse impacts on the environment and local amenities is fully supported.

The location of the proposed Eco-Enterprise Centre to the North of London Southend Airport (Policy ED4) is supported. Creation of the Centre would assist reduction of the rate of business start-up failure in the district. Further the proposed location for the Centre would afford a clear offer to businesses within an area of varied business activity.

The continued protection and enhancement of existing employment land (Policy ED3) is supported, as is the identification of 4 existing employment sites for appropriate alternative, substantially residential, uses. Each of the 4 sites affords particular issues and opportunities whereby their redevelopment for other uses and relocation of existing occupiers would confer advantage for the immediately neighbouring areas and for the District as a whole.

4. Town Centres

The town centres of Rayleigh, Rochford and Hockley, and future plans for them, are closely linked to the economic development of the District but also present the opportunity to offer greater community focus within the District. The varied approach being taken to each of these town centres is supported (Policy RTC4, RTC5 and RTC6), notably the recognition of the role and purpose of the town centres beyond retail uses.

The contribution that the County Library service could make to plans for the town centres should not be overlooked. The 5 libraries in the District are substantial footfall draws in their localities and act as a 'community anchor store'. This has knock-on effects in encouraging use of neighbouring retail and service facilities. Further the Library service is currently looking at co-location opportunities for other services within the libraries which would enable them to act as a community focus.

5. Transport

The transport aspects of the Core Strategy are well balanced in identifying potential measures that would meet the needs of existing residents and businesses in the District as well as needs arising from future development. The approach reflects and makes good reference to the transportation aspirations of the County Council. The policy emphasis on close working between the District Council and the County Council to advance the transport aspirations is welcomed and fully supported.

In relation to parking standards (Policy T8 and Paragraph 10.30) the review undertaken by Essex County Council in conjunction with the Essex Planning Officers Association has now been completed. Revised parking standards have been agreed and signed off as County Supplementary Guidance, in accordance with PPS12, and is being applied by the County Council as Local Highways Authority.

6. Coastal Protection Belt

Policy ENV2 (Coastal Protection Belt) is not supported because in its current form it is not a suitable or effective replacement policy for Policy CC1 of the Replacement Structure Plan. Structure Plan Policy CC1 (The Undeveloped Coast - Coastal Protection Belt) currently remains a 'saved' policy of the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Replacement Structure Plan, April 2001 (following a direction of the Secretary of State, dated 27th September 2007, under paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 8 to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004). The existing Policy CC1 reads,
'Within the Coastal Protection Belt defined in adopted local plans there shall be the most stringent restrictions on development within the rural and undeveloped coastline situated outside existing built-up areas, and any development which is exceptionally permitted within this Belt shall not adversely affect the open and rural character, historic features or wildlife.'

Core Strategy Policy ENV2 should be revised to include specific reference to,
* Definition of the boundary of the Coastal Protection Belt in another Development Plan Document;
* the application of the most stringent restrictions on development within the rural and undeveloped coastline;
* any development exceptionally permitted not adversely affecting the open and rural character, historic features or wildlife.

7. Historic Environment

The importance of the historic environment in Rochford District is clearly identified within the Core Strategy document. Nevertheless, the policy guidance could be usefully enhanced to promote consideration and enhancement of the historic environment and use of the historic environment to shape place. This would be achieved by the following amendments to the Core Strategy,

* Policy ENV1 (Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Landscape and Habitats and the Protection of Historical and Archaeological Sites) should be amended by deletion of the final sentence and its replacement with,
The Council is committed to the protection, promotion and enhancement of the diverse historic landscape and extensive surviving archaeological deposits of the District.

* Paragraph 8.15 of the supporting text should be amended to better support the suggested amendment to Policy ENV1. The existing text of Paragraph 8.15 should be deleted in its entirety and replaced by,
The historic environment of Rochford District has developed through a history of human activity that spans over 450,000 years. Much of the resource lies hidden beneath the ground in the form of archaeological deposits. Other elements such as the historic landscape, the pattern of field, farms, woods and grazing marsh which characterise the District, are a highly visible record of millennia of agriculture, industry and commerce. Of particular significance are the coastal, island and estuarine areas where multi-period landscapes reflecting the exploitation of coastal and marshland resource survive. The District also includes the important historic medieval market towns of Rochford and Rayleigh.

* Page 16 (Sustainable Community Strategy Priority: Promoting a Greener District) should be amended to further support the approach to the Historic Environment. The fourth bullet of the Key Section/Policies of the Core Strategy should be amended to include the word 'historic', so that the first sentence of the bullet would read,
The Environment chapter seeks to protect and enhance the biodiversity, historic and natural environment of the District by protecting sites of local, national and international importance.

8. Community Infrastructure

The approach to Community Infrastructure is supported. The County Council would wish to work with the District Council to ensure that future community infrastructure and facilities would serve and give benefit to the existing adjoining community as well as to the new development. In this respect it is noted that the Core Strategy proposes preparation by the District Council of a Planning Obligations and Standard Charges document (Policy CLT1). The District Council's document should fully reflect the County Council's own approach to this matter as set out in the County Council's 'Developer's Guide to Infrastructure Contributions'.

In addition, it should be noted that,
* Some County Council services are not highly visible despite being regarded as highly desirable community services by local residents. The need to ensure adequate funding and contributions to enable these services to meet community expectations should be recognised and acknowledged in consideration of planning obligations and standard charges.
* The Adult Community Learning Centre at Rocheway, Rochford could be better located with regard to the wider Rochford/Castle Point area of service. Relocation of the Centre could provide opportunities both at the new location and for the current site.
* The Core Strategy should make specific reference to,
o Appendix H1, Location at South Canewdon: new Early Years and Childcare facilities;
o Policy CLT2, final sentence: insert after the words 'primary schools' the words 'and Early Years and Childcare facilities;
o Appendix CLT1, Other issues/comment: for Early years and childcare facilities add 'Land to be allocated within new residential areas, as appropriate'.

9. Implementation, Delivery and Monitoring

The inclusion in the Core Strategy of a section considering Implementation, Delivery and Monitoring is welcomed and supported. Nevertheless, the District Council, in moving towards implementation and delivery of the individual elements of the Core Strategy, should highlight those schemes and projects that are critical to achievement of other aspects of the Strategy.

Further, the monitoring proposal for Policy H6 (Lifetime Homes) and for Policy CP1 (Design) should be amended,
* Policy H6 (Lifetime Homes) - the identified monitoring tool is Core Indicator H6 Housing Quality Building for Life Assessments. The Building for Life Assessment methodology was devised to measure the overall design/layout quality of housing developments. It was not devised to measure compliance with Lifetime Homes, which is largely, but not exclusively, concerned with internal space standards and the provision of internal arrangements within dwellings to meet needs of all residents.
* Policy CP1 (Design) - the monitoring indicator proposed by the Core Strategy is not supported because it is unclear what the indicator would actually be measuring. The proposed indicator should be replaced by the Core Indicator, Housing Quality - Building for Life Assessments, as suggested by the County Council in its response to the Core Strategy Preferred Options, October 2008. A better approach would be to base evaluation and monitoring of Policy CP1 on the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's (CABE) 20 Building for Life principles, particularly as Government has endorsed these principles and is urging local authorities to use them to assess design quality. It is suggested that the monitoring arrangements for Preferred Option CP1 be deleted and replaced by the following text,
'The success of the implementation of this policy will be monitored by assessing schemes, or an appropriate sample of schemes, against the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's (CABE) Building for Life principles.'

10. Access to Housing

The Core Strategy notes the higher prevalence of older people in Rochford District and the need to support them. However, a more broadly based approach to access to housing should be adopted by Policies H4, H5 and H6. It should recognise the presence of other vulnerable adults in the community, for example, those with learning or mental health disability, and the range of possible forms of accommodation, including supported, sheltered and extra care accommodation. The high level of owner occupation in the District further emphasises the need for a broader approach. The emphasis on Lifetime Homes would not address the variety of future needs, whilst the potential exemptions to the Lifetime Homes policy standard in Policy H6 are likely to act against demographic trends.