A Local Plan for Liverpool National and Local Planning Policy

1. A Local Plan for LiverpoolNational and Local Planning Policy David Hughes Head of Planning

2. Content • National Planning Policy Framework • Future of Local Plan Policy in Liverpool • What do Local Plans Have to do • Key Challenges for Preparing a Liverpool Local Plan

3. NPPF (1) The ‘Golden Thread’ • The presumption in favour of sustainable development, which should be seen as a golden thread running through both plan-making and decision-taking (paragraph 14 of the NPPF). • For plan-making this means that: • local planning authorities should positively seek opportunities to meet the development needs of their area; • Local Plans should meet objectively assessed needs, with sufficient flexibility to adapt to rapid change, unless: i) any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly outweigh the benefits when assessed against the policies in this Framework taken as a whole; or ii) Policies in this Framework indicate development should be restricted. • For decision-taking this means: • approving applications that accord with the development plan without delay; • where the development plan is absent, silent or relevant policies are out of date, granting permission unless: i) any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in this Framework taken as a whole; or ii) specific policies in this Framework indicate development should be restricted.

4. NPPF (2) The Economy (NPPF paras 18-22) • ‘significant weight’ should be placed on the need to support economic growth through the planning system. • investment should not be over-burdened by the combined requirements of planning policy expectations • Local Plan policies should recognise and seek to address potential barriers to investment (i.e. lack of infrastructure, services and housing). • Policies should avoid the long-term protection of sites allocated for employment use where there is no reasonable prospect of a site being taken up. • Applications for alternative uses on such sites should be treated on their merits having regard to market signals. • This could result in more allocated employment sites gaining planning permission for other uses.

5. NPPF (3) Housing (NPPF paras 47-55) & Brownfield Land (para 17 & 111) Housing • Local Authorities must ‘boost significantly’ the supply of housing nationally. • housing applications should be considered “in the context of the presumption in favour of sustainable development…Relevant policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up-to-date if the LPA cannot demonstrate a five –year supply of deliverable housing sites.” • Must allow for an ‘additional buffer’ of 5% or 20%, depending on the degree to which an authority has delivered against housing requirements in recent years • So having/not having a 5 year supply and deliverability drive all decisions Brownfield Land • Planning policies and decisions should encourage the use of land that has been previously developed, provided that it is not of high environmental value • There is no ‘brownfield first’ policy • Councils may set a locally appropriate target in this regard but, • Viability/Deliverability is key

6. NPPF (4)Natural Environment (paras 109-125) & Historic Environment (paras 126-141) The Natural Environment • Planning should contribute to conserving and enhancing the natural environment • Distinctions should be made between the hierarchy of international, national and locally designated sites, so that protection is commensurate with their status and gives appropriate weight to their importance and the contribution that they make to wider ecological networks. • Local planning authorities should set out a strategic approach in their Local Plans, planning positively for the creation, protection, enhancement and management of networks of biodiversity and green infrastructure; • If significant harm resulting from a development cannot be avoided (through locating on an alternative site with less harmful impacts), adequately mitigated, or, as a last resort, compensated for, then planning permission should be refused. • This indicates that developers, could offer compensation to ‘overcome’ harm and gain planning permission. The Historic Environment • The conservation of the historic environment is a core planning principle and an important consideration in the determination of planning applications. • where a proposed development will lead to substantial harm to or total loss of significance of a designated heritage asset, local planning authorities should refuse consent unless there are exceptional circumstances.

7. NPPF (5) Viability, Deliverability & Sustainable Development (Para 173) • Pursuing sustainable development requires careful attention to viability and costs in plan-making and decision-taking. Plans should be deliverable. • Therefore, the sites and the scale of development identified in the plan should not be subject to such a scale of obligations and policy burdens that their ability to be developed viably is threatened. • To ensure viability, the costs of any requirements likely to be applied to development, such as requirements for affordable housing, standards, infrastructure contributions or other requirements should, when taking account of the normal cost of development and mitigation, provide competitive returns to a willing land owner and willing developer to enable the development to be deliverable.

8. Future of Development Planning in Liverpool • The current UDP is our local plan - but obviously not upto date and limited weight if LPA cant demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing • The Core Strategy – stepping stone from UDP to a new Local Plan • Draft Plan prepared for consultation over summer 2015 • Final Draft to be presented to Government mid 2016 • Examination in public early 2017 • Adoption of new Local Plan mid 2017

9. What will Local Plan do? • Ensure that the right development happens in the right place at the right time, • Play a critical role in identifying and assessing: • How much and what development is needed and where, • what areas need to be protected or enhanced, and • whether proposed development is suitable • Producing the Local Plan should be a shared endeavour – led by the local planning authority but in collaboration with • local communities, • developers, • Landowners, • and other interested parties

10. The Local Plan must make provision to meet needs The Local Plan must be supported by robust evidence identifying the needs the plan must meet. For housing this means: • Need for new homes -Strategic Housing Market Assessment(SHMA) • Supply of sites - Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment(SHLAA) For Employment Uses: • Need for employment land and the supply available - Employment Land Study (ELS) For Open Space and Recreation Facilities: • Identify the amount needed and how to meet that need – New Open Space Study (OSS).

11. Challenges for Local Planning in Liverpool • Objectively assessing our Employment and Housing growth needs • DELIVERY - viability issues and browfield vs green space • Duty to Co-operate - sharing growth ambitions across Merseyside • Local considerations vs NPPF national policies

12. How Much Growth Do we expect? How much do we want?

13. LCR trends

15. Population trends and the need for homes How much land for new homes, green space – community infrastructure, transport etc Economic trends and the need for homes How much land for new jobs

16. Deliverability Issues • Local Plan must be deliverable • Housing delivery must be viable • Where does the market want to build? • How much demand is there for refurbishing terrace properties • In the absence of 5 year supply and a local plan can the LPA protect open spaces • Mayor has commissioned Green Space Review

17. Duty to Co-operate • Housing and Employment growth needs to be distributed across Merseyside • LPA's need to evidence that they have co-opertaed in allocating levels of growth • If one authority can't deliver its agreed growth levels - others will have to accomodate • Where and what type of employment growth will Liverpool and Mersyside need to plan for/encourage?

18. Local challenges vs National Policy • Post Housing Market Renewal Policy - challenges for North Liverpool in a no grant world • Pro-actively planning for conservation and regeneration issues in City Centre - eg tall buildings, future of private rental sector and students • CIL, s 106 and planning obligations to deliver conservation/regeneration

19. THANK YOU ANY QUESTIONS