Core Strategy Submission Document

Object

Representation ID: 16567

Received: 30/10/2009

Respondent: Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance

Agent: Strutt & Parker

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

In the Regulation 25 iteration of the Core Strategy Document, Policy H3 set out the General Housing Locations Post 2021 Preferred Option. This included a further 90 units directed towards South Canewdon, in addition to the 60 units by 2015, which have now been provisionally phased between 2012 and 2021.

It appears that the 90 units directed to South Canewdon after 2021 have at this stage have been redirected to other areas, although there is no explanation for this within the Core Strategy Document itself or any rationale available within the background documentation for the decision to do this.

Geographically speaking, Canewdon is one of only two significantly sized settlements in the east of the distirct. It is important that the sustainability of the settlement is maintained. Suitable development with the appropriate mix of housing would be enabled by an increased phased allocation as was preferred in the previous iteration of the Core Strategy document.

Under the Governement's Strategic Housing Policy Objectives set out in PPS3, Paragraph 9, the aim to create sustainable, inclusive and mixed comunities in all areas both urban and rural is emphasised. A larger allocation after 2021 will increase the provision of a mix of housing, consequently improving the long term sustainability and viability of the settlement, which is located in one of the more rural areas of the District.

This revised strategy for phasing would increase the potential for the Core Strategy Objectives and Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) Priorities to be met, as shown by the following:

- the objective to reduce inequalities of service provision (CS) by locating houses in a sustainable location close to existing services;
- to foster greater Community Cohesion (SCS) by providing community facilities such as public open space that includes play space; and
- to address the causes of climate change (CS) by providing housing in locations that are well served by sustainable means of transport.

Due to the changes made in the housing distribution post 2021 in the district since the Regulation 25 consultation document, the Submission document fails the test of soundness for policy H3 in terms of not being justified by a robust evidence base.

In addition, the policy is not considered to be the most appropriate strategy when considered against reasonable alternatives of allocating sufficient housing to the east of the District in order to support the provision of an appropriate volume and mix of types and tenures of housing in all areas urban and rural. Policy H3 is for this reason, also considered to be unsound through non-conformity with national planning policy under PPS3 which aims to enable the above mixed distribution of housing.