CITY COUNCIL RESPONSE TO REPRESENTATIONS RECEIVED ON THE DRAFT CORE STRATEGY This schedule provides details of all of the comments received during the Draft Core Strategy consultation period, together with a brief response from the city council. A series of background reports to be published in February 2012 alongside the Publication Core Strategy will provide a much more detailed explanation of the reasoning behind the policies in the Publication Core Strategy and why other options have not been taken forward. GENERAL COMMENTS GENERAL COMMENTS Ref From dcs11 Civil Aviation Authority CABE Comment The Civil Aviation Authority do not wish to make specific comments on the Draft Core Strategy but recommend that the Council considers the need of such aerodrome(s) within your development plan and consult with the aerodrome operator(s)/licencee(s) directly. City council response Policy DEV7 of the Unitary Development Plan will continue to be saved after adoption of the Core Strategy, ensuring that aviation safety at Manchester Airport is protected. A list of all general development/aviation related issues were also submitted. dcs35 Chapter/policy General comment Policy A14 of the Publication Core Strategy sets out the approach to be taken to Barton Aerodrome (City Airport). The spatial framework in Chapter 6 of the Publication Core Strategy sets out a policy for each of 20 sub-areas in the city, providing clarity over their role and future direction. This should enable local communities to better understand the plan and its implications, as well as helping to guide the production of any Thank you for consulting the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). Unfortunately, due to limited resources, we are unable to comment on this document. However CABE would like to make some general comments for consideration. A good spatial plan is essential to achieving high quality places 1 6 JANUARY 2012 GENERAL COMMENTS Ref From Chapter/policy Comment and good design. CABE believes that getting the local development framework core strategies right is one of the most important tasks planners are undertaking. We have run workshops with over 50 local planning authorities to look at how well design is being embedded in core strategy documents, which form part of the local development framework. The workshops offer local authorities independent informal advice from an expert panel and allowed us to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current approaches to spatial planning and how design, functionality and space are dealt with in core strategy documents. There are three key messages for local planning authorities that have emerged from our workshops. Tell the story A good core strategy needs to tell the story of the place, explain how it works and highlight its qualities and distinguishing features. Telling the story helps everyone understand how the qualities of the place have shaped the strategy and its priorities for future quality. Set the agenda Use the core strategy to say what is wanted for the area, express aspirations and be proactive and positive about the future of the place and say how this will be achieved. Set out what is expected in terms of design quality and where necessary provide links to the relevant development plan documents or supplementary planning documents. Say it clearly Make the core strategy relevant and understandable to a wide audience. Use diagrams to inform the text and communicate the strategy and show what quality of place means. It is also important that there is a clear priority for design quality and place-making objectives in the core strategy, setting out the key principles. This needs to be explicit so that it cannot be 2 City council response neighbourhood development plans. The approach to design in the Publication Core Strategy has been significantly expanded, reflecting the importance of this issue in Salford. The design chapter now incorporates a comprehensive suite of twelve policies that should help to ensure high quality design across the city. Chapter 3 of the Publication Core Strategy provides a locally distinctive vision based on Salford’s Sustainable Community Strategy. The rest of the document sets out the policies and proposals for delivering that vision, with further details provided in the accompanying Implementation Plan. 6 JANUARY 2012 GENERAL COMMENTS Ref From Chapter/policy Comment challenged when applications are being determined. We also have a new publication called Planning for places: delivering good design through core strategies. This publication provides further detail on the three key messages above. It is available to download from the CABE website http://www.cabe.org.uk/publications/planning-for-places The CABE website also has further information about the workshops and key findings www.cabe.org.uk/planning. We have also attached some key questions that we use in the workshops for you to consider throughout the development of your Core Strategy document. You might also find the following CABE Guidance helpful: · Making design policy work: How to deliver good design through your local development framework · Protecting Design Quality in Planning · Creating Successful Masterplans – a guide for clients and Design Reviewed Masterplans · By Design: urban design in the planning system towards better practice“ (published by DETR) These, and other publications, are available from our website www.cabe.org.uk KEY QUESTIONS – CORE STRATEGY WORKSHOP Vision · Does it provide a locally distinct vision, setting out what the area will be like? · Is the vision communicated clearly and effectively? And in a way that others will understand? · Does the vision reflect the Sustainable Community Strategy? · Does the vision reflect the key characteristics and issues of the area? · Has the functionality of the place and its role within the surrounding context been considered? 3 City council response 6 JANUARY 2012 GENERAL COMMENTS Ref From Chapter/policy Comment Spatial Expression · Has a holistic approach to the function, role and key characteristics of place been adopted? · Has urban design evidence base and analysis informed the identification of issues and development of the options? · Does the Core Strategy reflect the Sustainable Community Strategy vision and objectives? · Has there been involvement and buy in from LSP’s, internal and external stakeholders? Is the plan realistic – has a delivery and implementation plan been set out? · Does the strategy understand, analyse and integrate transport, employment, residential, environmental and other spatial themes? Are these issues communicated spatially and effectively? · Does the document maximise the use of maps, diagrams, illustrations, photographs and examples to illustrate key points and characteristics? Are available mapping, layering and analysis technologies used? Design Quality · Has design been considered across all aspects of place? · How is design dealt with in the Core Strategy and has it been communicated clearly? Has a design ethos been embedded in the strategy? · What priority has been placed on design issues? Is there recognition of local design qualities? · Is the strategy robust? Will it help deliver the aspirations for the area? · Are there hooks in the core strategy to other LDF documents (AAP’s or SPD’s) that deal with strategic or detailed design issues? · How will the policy be implemented? Any quality monitoring or 4 City council response 6 JANUARY 2012 GENERAL COMMENTS Ref From dcs40 Graham Crook dcs58 dcs96 Ken Lee David Jones dcs108 Carole Bridge Chapter/policy Comment indicators required? Does it establish standards or assessment criteria for design quality? Does this extend to both urban design and building design standards? And how this will measured? The Core Strategy is a large document, which contains some of the most idealistic, visionary writing, I have ever read! It is unclear where the evidence has been derived, to make the claim that such widespread growth will be required over the next 20 years. Certainly, current evidence shows that we cannot sell many existing new houses, and many recently developed shop units in Salford West, have either not been occupied, or been vacated. People could be forgiven for thinking that the reasoning behind this proposal is the enormous revenue that would be generated by the Council, and the property developers. Supports the Draft Core Strategy. No comments made Need to be more specific as to development in Kersal in the Core Strategy. There are no improvements to transport links, no metrolink available. Bus services are chronic and unreliable and no rail link. There is no provision in the area for the It's Your Salford exhibition bus. There is no local library, no local shopping centre. Is Kersal the forgotten area? I feel very neglected in these so called development. Salford does need much redevelopemnt and investment to improve homes, social services and facilities. However, I do hope the same mistakes are not going to be made as in the 50's and 60's when Cross Lane, Ellor St was destroyed with all shops and local fcailities wiped out.Cross Lane is now desolate and the precinct, Broadwalk, Belvedere Rd is almost wiped out too. 5 City council response The scale of housing development proposed in the Core Strategy has been significantly reduced, from 33,750 over the period 2007-2027 at the Draft Core Strategy stage to 22,100 over the period 2011-2028 in the Publication Core Strategy. The scale of housing proposed is based on household projections taken from the Greater Manchester Forecasting Model, with an additional allowance for the impacts of the extra office development proposed in the city. It should therefore reflect a realistic assessment of likely demand. Noted. Policy SF2D of the Publication Core Strategy sets out the broad policy approach for Charlsetown and Lower Kersal. Policy A5 supports improvements to public transport services, but as it is a strategic document it is unable to deal with very detailed issues relating to bus services to particular neighbourhoods. Chapter 11 of the Publication Core Strategy seeks to maintain and enhance the existing network of town centres and local centres in across the city, so as to ensure that there are accessible shops, facilities and places to meet friends.