Issues Report

151 Pages·2012·10.59 MB·English

by  Angus Council

Angus Local Development Plan
MAIN ISSUES REPORT
November 2012
Contents
Page
Preface
What is a development plan? 3
Development planning in Angus 3
Key stages in the local development plan process 3
Introduction
What is the Angus Main Issues Report? 5
Consultation arrangements 6
Vision and local development plan strategy
What is the vision for development in Angus? 7
Local development plan spatial strategy 8
• Background 8
• Preferred option 9
Main Issues
Communities that are Caring and Healthy: issues and options for development 5
Communities that are Sustainable: issues and options for development 23
Communities that are Prosperous and Fair: issues and options for development 35
Settlement Strategies
45
Glossary
123
Appendices
List of consultation questions 126
Table of future intentions for Angus Local Plan Review policies 128
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1 | Preface
Angus Council would like to thank all members of the public, the key agencies, developers and landowners for their
input to the Main Issues Report via the initial awareness raising and consultation exercise in November and
December 2010. In addition, special thanks to Paul Christison, Kelly Ann Dempsey, Karen Van Eeden and
Gordon Pyper for the use of images within this document.
What is a development plan?
1.1 A development plan sets out a vision and strategy for how an area, including its towns, villages and
countryside, should be developed over time. It also includes policies and guidance to manage the process of
development and ensure that environmental, social and economic interests are all taken into account. There
is a statutory duty on development plans to contribute to sustainable development, which means that a
development plan should ensure that the right development occurs in the right place. Further general
information on development planning is available on the Scottish Government’s website:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/built-environment/planning.
Development planning in Angus
1.2 Within Angus (excluding the Cairngorms National Park area), the development plan will comprise the
TAYplan Strategic Development Plan (approved 2012) and the Angus Local Development Plan (LDP),
supported by any appropriate supplementary guidance. The TAYplan provides a broad locational strategy for
new development in Angus up until 2032. The Angus LDP will need to implement this strategy and in doing
so, demonstrate exactly how and where the TAYplan requirements for new housing and employment land
are going to be delivered up until 2024.
1.3 At present, the Angus Local Plan Review (adopted 2009) provides local planning policy and guidance and will
continue to do so until the LDP has been prepared and adopted. We anticipate that the LDP will be adopted in
late 2014.
1.4 In the Cairngorms National Park, the development plan will comprise the Cairngorms National Park Plan and
Cairngorms National Park LDP. These documents are being prepared by the Cairngorms National Park
Authority.
1.5 Further information on development planning in Angus may be found in the following places:
TAYplan Strategic Development Plan
www.tayplan-sdpa.gov.uk
Angus Local Development Plan
www.angus.gov.uk/developmentplans/
Cairngorms National Park Plan
www.cairngorms.co.uk/park-authority/national-park-plan/
Cairngorms Local Development Plan
www.cairngorms.co.uk/park-authority/planning/local-plan/
Key stages in the local development plan process
1.6 The main stages in preparing the Angus Local Development Plan and the broad project timetable are set out
in the approved Angus Development Plan Scheme (DPS) 2012. This document is available at
www.angus.gov.uk/developmentplans, at all Angus Public Libraries and at ACCESS offices. The diagram
overleaf is based on information from the DPS and also shows the relationship with the Strategic
Environmental Assessment and Habitat Regulation Appraisal processes that are required for the Angus LDP.
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Timeline for the Angus Local Development Plan (LDP) and its associated Strategic Environmental
Assessment (SEA) and Habitat Regulation Appraisal (HRA)
TIMING ANGUS LDP SEA STAGES HRA STAGES
Preparation of SEA Scoping
December 2010 Awareness Raising Exercise Report (submitted in April
2011)
Identify and gather
Preparation of Main Issues Environmental appraisal; of the
information on European sites
December 2010 - October 2012 Report (MIR) and supporting MIR. Preparation of SEA
that ought to be considered
documents Environmental Report (ER)
within the appraisal
Publication of MIR and
Publication of ER and
supporting documents.
November 2012 consultation alongside MIR.
Consultation in accordance with
Assessment of responses
Participation Statement
Publication of Proposed Plan and Publication of revised ER and Consult Scottish Natural
Action Programme. Period for consultation alongside Heritage (SNH) on draft HRA
Summer 2013
representations in accordance Proposed Plan. Assessment of record, prepared in accordance
with Development Plan Scheme. responses. with national guidance.
Publication of pre-examination Environmental appraisal of any
Revise draft HRA record to take
modifications (if required). modifications to the proposed
Spring 2014 account of any relevant
Public consultation if there are Plan. Publication of revised ER
modifications.
notifiable modifications. (if required).
Examination of Proposed Plan
Submit ER
Summer 2014 by Scottish Ministers Submit completed HRA Record
(as revised)
(if required)
Modify HRA record in light of
Environmental appraisal of any
Preparation and publication of SNH representations and any
Winter 2014 modifications. Publication of
any modifications relevant modifications to
revised ER (if required)
the Plan.
Publication of post adoption
Winter 2014 Adoption of LDP
SEA statement
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2 | Introduction
What is the Angus Main Issues Report?
2.1 The Angus Main Issues Report (MIR) is a consultation document for the preparation of a new local
development plan (LDP). It is a key stage in determining the planning policy and guidance that will apply to
the majority of the Angus Council area over the period 2014-2024:
DIAGRAM1: The Angus Local Development Plan will cover all of Angus with the exception of the part that is
within the Cairngorms National Park.
2.2 The MIR sets out what Angus Council believes are the most important issues for the future development of
land in Angus. These issues concern where land should be made available for new homes and businesses; and
the infrastructure that will be required to service new development. They also concern the following topics:
• Housing land supply
• Developing new affordable homes
• The location of new development
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Renewable energy generation
• The increased risk of flooding and erosion
• The goal of sustainable prosperity
• Developing high quality places
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2.3 A number of these planning issues were raised by members of the public and landowners/developers
through an early consultation and awareness raising exercise, undertaken between October and December
2010. The above list of main issues has also been compiled as a result of background technical and
monitoring work, which is available in the form of a monitoring report, topic papers and other documents
published alongside this MIR (see www.angus.gov.uk/ldpmainissuesreport for details). The public bodies:
Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Water, Scottish Enterprise,
Tactran, National Health Service Tayside, Historic Scotland and Transport Scotland have all been consulted in
preparing the MIR.
2.4 This document also contains a number of options for how the LDP could respond to the main issues. The
options for where new homes and businesses could be built are consistent with the strategy of the TAYplan
Strategic Development Plan, and also take into account the sites put forward by developers and landowners
through the early consultation and awareness raising exercise. Options for significant changes to the current
local plan take into account recent changes in national policy and guidance. All of the options have been
assessed through the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process, which is an assessment of the LDP’s
likely significant effects on the environment. Please see the Angus LDP Environmental Report (November
2012) for further details.
2.5 The rest of this main issues report is laid out to allow consideration of the local land-use vision and
development strategy in its broadest sense; the main issues which relate directly to the priorities of the
Council (as defined in the Angus Community Plan and Single Outcome Agreement 2011-2014); and the
future development of the seven towns and large villages of Angus.
Consultation arrangements
2.6 It is important to emphasise that no decisions have been made for any of the main issues. The new
development planning system requires that concerns about where development should or should not take
place, and on other land-use planning issues are raised at this stage in the plan-making process. The MIR is
the main opportunity for the Council to consult with its stakeholders and the wider public, so it is vitally
importantthat everyone makes their views known to Angus Council in response to this MIR.
2.7 Your views are therefore requested on the main issues and options that have been identified, including the
options for growth within the seven Angus towns (Arbroath, Brechin, Carnoustie, Forfar, Kirriemuir,
Monifieth and Montrose) and the rural service centres of Edzell, Friockheim, Letham and Newtyle. Responses
to the MIR should be brief and should (if possible) refer to the consultation questions that are included in
the remaining sections of this document. These questions are repeated in full at Appendix 1. Comments may
also be submitted on any other land-use planning issue and on the Council’s intentions for policies of the
current Angus Local Plan Review (see Appendix 2 for details).
2.8 The formal consultation period for the Angus Main Issues Report and the associated SEA Environmental
Report will extend until 5pmon Friday 04 January 2013. Responses should be made online at
www.angus.gov.uk/ldpmainissuesreport. Alternatively, you can submit comments by e-mail or by post using
the details given below. The council does however strongly encourage responses by the online resources, as
this will help to reduce the time required to produce the Proposed Local Development Plan.
Email [email protected]
Post Forward Planning
Planning & Transport
Angus Council
County Buildings
Market Street
Forfar
DD8 3LG
Telephone [phone]
2.9 A number of programmed consultation events will also take place during the formal consultation period,
details of which may be found at www.angus.gov.uk/ldpmainissuesreport.
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3 | Vision and Local Development Plan Spatial Strategy
What is the vision for development in Angus?
3.1 The TAYplan Strategic Development Plan sets out a broad vision for what the region (including most of
Angus) should be like in 20 years time. The TAYplan focuses on sustainable economic growth and a better
quality of life through a stronger and more resilient economy, better quality places, reduced resource
consumption and better resilience to climate change. The vision to guide new development is as follows:
‘By 2032 the TAYplan region will be sustainable, more attractive, competitive and vibrant
without creating an unacceptable burden on our planet. The quality of life will make it a place
of first choice where more people will choose to live, work, study and visit, and where
businesses choose to invest and create jobs’.
3.2 There is no requirement for the LDP to prepare a new vision to guide future development across Angus. The
LDP must however take account of the Council’s own vision for the area, which is stated in the Angus
Community Plan and Single Outcome Agreement 2011-2014 as follows:
‘Angus is a place where a first class quality of life can be enjoyed by all’.
3.3 The Council recognises that the strategy and policies of the LDP should help to achieve both of these
complementary visions. The Community Planning Partnership has identified five priorities that will help us to
achieve the Council’s vision and by adopting these as priorities for the LDP, we can also contribute to
achieving the TAYplan’s regional vision. These priorities are:
Communities that are:
• Prosperous and Fair
• Learning and Supportive
• Safe and Strong
• Caring and Healthy
• Sustainable
3.4 The Angus LDP will help to deliver all of the above priorities, but decisions on the main issues will contribute
most obviously and directly to building caring and healthy, prosperous and fair, sustainable communities.
The main issues that are discussed in this document have therefore been presented under the three most
relevant priorities of the Community Planning Partnership. This helps to show in a clear fashion that
implementation of the LDP will contribute towards meeting the two visions for the Angus area, by delivering
outcomes which clearly relate to the Council’s priorities.
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Local Development Plan Spatial Strategy
Background
3.5 At a regional level, the TAYplan Strategic Development Plan establishes a spatial strategy for the location of
development, setting out ‘where development should and should not go’. It is however for local
development plans (such as the Angus LDP) to provide further details on exactly where new homes and
business should be built; and on exactly how much development should take place in each town.
DIAGRAM2: A diagram adapted from the TAYplan SDP, which shows many of the region’s principal settlements,
including all of those in the Angus Council area. The key is shown in the top left hand corner.
3.6 The TAYplan SDP requires that the majority of new development takes place within our principal settlements,
with a focus on previously developed land and buildings. More specifically for Angus, the TAYplan SDP has
established that land within the settlements of the Dundee Core Area; Arbroath; Brechin; Carnoustie; Forfar;
Kirriemuir and Montrose will be the first choice for the majority of future development. The only part of the
Dundee Core Area that is within Angus comprises the existing settlements of Monifieth and
Birkhill/Muirhead. A settlement hierarchy has also been established as follows:
Qualifying places wholly or
Settlement Category partially in Angus Position in hierarchy and level of growth expected
Tier 1 Settlements Dundee Core Area (including These settlements have the potential to accommodate the
Monifieth and Birkhill/Muirhead) majority of the region’s additional development (2012-2032)
Tier 2 Settlements Arbroath, Forfar, Montrose These settlements have the potential to make a major
contribution to the regional economy but will accommodate a
smaller share of the region’s additional development (2012-2032)
Tier 3 Settlements Brechin, Carnoustie, Kirriemuir These settlements have the potential to play an important but
more modest role in the regional economy and will
accommodate a small share of the region’s additional
development (2012-2032)
Source: TAYplan Strategic Development Plan (approved 8 June 2012)
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3.7 In the countryside and outwith our principal settlements, the TAYplan offers an approach which balances the
importance of sustaining the rural economy with the need to protect the countryside. A level of new housing
and other appropriate development may be provided in the countryside and small settlements, but only
where this meets specific local needs or supports regeneration of the local economy, whilst respecting other
TAYplan objectives, such as locating most of our future development within the principal settlements. The
Angus Local Development Plan will need to determine the extent to which future homes, businesses and
associated infrastructure should be directed to areas outwith the principal settlements and how this should
be managed.
3.8 As part of its spatial strategy, the TAYplan also establishes three Strategic Development Areas for the Tier 2
settlements of Angus, which are as follows:
Strategic Development Area Type and indicative scale of development
Orchardbank, Forfar 25ha of employment land
Forfar Regional Agricultural Service Centre Employment land for agricultural services
Montrose Port Employment land for port-related land uses
Source: TAYplan Strategic Development Plan (approved 8 June 2012)
3.9 A site at Orchardbank is already identified in the current local plan and no further allocation of employment
land is required to meet the TAYplan’s indicative scale of development. The current local plan also
safeguards Montrose Port for the development of operations associated with the facility and offers support
for proposals which enhance its commercial function (where these are compatible with adjacent land uses).
The recent South Montrose Strategic Review (involving consultation on a draft masterplan) has resulted in a
set of planning guidelines that provide support for regeneration of the port area1. The possibility of
allocating land to support Forfar’s important role as a regional agricultural service centre is considered
elsewhere in this MIR, in the settlement strategy for Forfar.
3.10 Another aspect of the TAYplan strategy which concerns Angus is the provision of park and ride facilities to
the north and east of Dundee. The action programme for the LDP will require actions to investigate the
feasibility of sites for park and ride facilities to the east of Dundee only, on the basis that work is on-going to
confirm a potential site in the northern part of Dundee City Council’s administrative area and because there
is no feasible site within Angus and close to the city (i.e. one with access to/from the trunk road network
using a grade-separated junction). Areas of search for the park and ride facility to the east of Dundee will be
broadly identified in the LDP. The future development of Dundee East Park and Ride will be important for
realising the benefits of the Dundee Waterfront development by helping to reduce traffic within the city.
3.11 TAYplan also notes the longer term projects set out in Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Project Review
for upgrading the A90 (at Dundee) and for making improvements to the railway line at Usan (near
Montrose) both of which have yet to be fully defined. Where appropriate the LDP will take cognisance of
these projects through being consistent with the higher level strategies of the TAYplan and the National
Planning Framework 2. Any new projects from the emerging National Planning Framework 3 will also be
considered for their potential effects on Angus during the LDP process.
Preferred strategy: TAYplan principal settlements
3.12 In view of the TAYplan’s location priorities, the well-established strategy of guiding the majority of new
development to the Angus towns, whilst enabling a range of rural development for local needs, tourism and
leisure, remains valid. Monitoring of the Angus Local Plan and Angus Local Plan Review has shown that this
strategy has been successful in supporting the development of our largest settlements, whilst it has also
enabled tourist and leisure facilities, together with a reasonable amount of new housing, to be developed in
the rural area.
3.13 In accordance with the TAYplan and because of the general success of the current development strategy, the
LDP will focus on directing the majority of new development to the principal settlements of Angus. This
means that the seven main towns will continue to be the preferred location for the majority of new housing
and employment-related development, together with the majority of associated new infrastructure. It will be
important to ensure that our settlements are developed as high quality places, whilst respecting the high
environmental quality of our rural areas.
3.14 The Angus LDP must also implement the settlement hierarchy established by the TAYplan. Although parts of
Angus are included within the highest category for promoting new development, this Tier 1 settlement (the
“Dundee Core Area”) is almost entirely located within Dundee. It is not therefore Angus Council’s
responsibility for ensuring that the largest quantity of the region’s development occurs in this Tier 1
1 See Angus Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee Report 38/12 for details.
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settlement. Instead, it will be important for the Angus LDP to maintain a development strategy for the edge
of Dundee which is consistent with the approach of the emerging Dundee LDP and the TAYplan’s overall
requirement to ensure that land within settlements, and in particular previously developed land and
buildings, is prioritised. This means that the development of sites within the existing boundaries of Monifieth
and Birkhill/Muirhead will be prioritised and that as suggested for Dundee itself (through Dundee City
Council’s Main Issues Report), there ought to be limited greenfield releases in and around the Dundee Core
Area.
3.15 Within the development boundaries of the Angus part of the Dundee Core area, there are relatively few
opportunities for new development. In simple terms, the land has largely been developed or is in active use
as open space. Taking into account the relative lack of opportunities for development within this
development boundary, the majority of new development (mainly new homes and business premises) will be
directed to land within Arbroath, Forfar and Montrose. The other towns of Brechin, Carnoustie and
Kirriemuirwill also be a focus for development, but the overall number of new homes and businesses
during the LDP period will be commensurate with the role of these settlements as smaller centres of
population, offering fewer services and facilities. Because Monifiethhas similar characteristics to Carnoustie
in terms of its services and facilities (schools, health care facilities, town centre shops and services); there
may be scope for limited new development beyond the current boundary over the LDP period, as part of a
sustainable settlement strategy for Angus.
3.16 For the remainder of the land which adjoins the Dundee Core Area (outwith or very close to the current
development boundaries), the strategy will be to avoid conflicts with the strategies of the emerging Dundee
LDP and the TAYplan by making no new land allocations in this area. The existing opportunity site at
Strathmartine Hospital will however remain a development opportunity, to support the rehabilitation of
listed buildings and the removal of substantial dereliction.
The strategy for rural Angus: settlements
3.17 The TAYplan provides some discretion for the Angus LDP to determine where development should take place
outwith the principal settlements. In terms of new housing, the current local plan maintains the long-
established strategy of supporting the retention of population and services by providing opportunities for
new homes in the main villages, the smaller settlements and the open countryside. New employment-related
development is supported by a number of policies which require that proposals make a positive contribution
to the rural economy and are of a scale and nature appropriate to the intended location. These approaches
remain consistent with the TAYplan and are therefore reasonable options for the Angus LDP.
3.18 Monitoring work has shown that population decline in the remote rural areas of Angus has generally
reduced and has in many cases reversed since 2001 (see Spatial Strategy Topic Paper for details). At the same
time, there is no evidence to show that new housing has actually led to service provision such as local shops
and post offices being improved or retained across Angus. This could be as a result of wider changes in
society and in particular the increased use of the internet for shopping, banking and the delivery of other
services. It is important that we recognise that over the LDP plan period (2014-2024), the increased use of
technology may affect our preference for directing development to one area rather than another.
3.19 The preferred optionfor meeting the development needs of our rural communities is to focus on
supporting the larger rural service centres, by allocating small-scale development sites (whether these are for
housing, mixed use or employment) within Edzell, Friockheim, Letham and Newtyle. In addition, the
LDP would continue to provide opportunities for new housing and economic diversification in the open
countryside (where certain policy criteria are met), whilst a proposed landscape capacity-based review of
settlement development boundaries (see paragraph 5.14 for details) could allow for some modest expansion
of the smaller settlements.
3.20 The following diagram expresses the preferred development strategy by showing which towns and villages
will be expected to accommodate planned development, such as new homes, business premises and
community facilities:
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