OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
2. Strategic Policies
S9
Sustainable transport
The
transport system will offer businesses, communities and individuals safe and
sustainable transport choices, helping to deliver a low carbon, successful economy
and
stronger, healthier communities through an integrated approach to transport and
development which accounts for likely demographic changes. The impact of new
development on transport issues will be assessed and development will be
located and designed to;
a) promote
public transport, cycling and walking as transport modes of choice, minimising
dependence on cars;
b) provide
and link to strengthened, improved and extended public transport, cycling and
walking networks and green infrastructure networks;
c) promote
connected, safe, resilient street networks, providing new roads or road
improvements where these mainly bring economic, environmental, safety or
community benefits;
d) minimise
the negative impacts of transport including air and noise pollution and road
safety through travel plans, demand management, improvement to existing
transport infrastructure, provision of new transport infrastructure and
appropriate parking for bicycles, cars and other vehicles;
e) reduce the need to travel; and
f) support community-based transport initiatives.
All the above are good words – the challenge will be turn these grand
words into achievable action.
S13 Town
centres
The
vitality, viability, accessibility and attractiveness of the following Town
Centres will be maintained and enhanced and their retail emphasis maintained:
Strategic Town Centre: Newton Abbot
Significant Town Centres: Dawlish and Teignmouth
Locally Important Town Centres: Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh
Although expecting to deliver some 15-20% of housing development
and some £25 million from Conmmunity Infrastructure Levy payments within TDC,
there is no acknowledgement of this under S13.
So that means that here is no commitment to SW of Exeter in terms of:
a) support as a sustainable location
for living, working and activity through the day and into the evening while
maintaining the essential retail character of primary shopping frontages;
b) support the key role of small
scale, local or independent outlets and the sale of local produce as part of
their local distinctiveness and character;
c) promote development in or adjoining town centres of a scale and nature
which will enhance their vitality and viability, including the following
provision for net comparison goods retail floorspace
d) invest to enhance their facilities,
environment and economic potential;
e) where possible, and in accordance
with the town centres first sequential
approach, locate major retail and
leisure developments within or on the edge of
town centres;
f) resist the development of new major
retail and leisure developments in out of
centre locations where they would significantly harm the vitality or
viability of a town centre, including those adjoining the plan area.
S23 Neighbourhood
Plans
The Council will support parishes and towns to prepare Neighbourhood
Plans which meet local needs and support community development, in general
conformity with Core Strategy policies.
2.29 There are a number of key, strategic
routes and facilities which need to function for strategic reasons. These are
listed in the policy above. Other more local impacts of development will need
to be considered on a case by case basis.
You will be aware of the problems regarding traffic congestion on many
radial routes from Aplhington, especially the virtual gridlock along the
Alphington Road corridor, and that it does not appear to be limited to peak
times. In-flow is balanced by out-flow at all times of day, and thi shas been
consistently near or at saturation between 7am and 6pm for many years. This
alone would make a new P&R site at the Alphington/Ide interchange with the
A380 virtually impractical. Yet the proposed site wouldn’t be big enough to
remove a sufficient number of cars from the corridor.
TDC
has identified a new P&R site within the development immediately south of
the A379. I can see a better site that is currently identified as industrial
use on the A379, near the junction with the A38.
I
believe that this site would mean that Stagecoach and others could offer a much
better P&R bus service, at the same time as ensuring that a separate high
quality public transport service could be offered to the residential houses and
other facilities in the areas of development. I fear that Stagecoach might
offer a combined route, addressing neither set of needs adequately, if the
P&R is too close to the main developments.
2.45 With the Localism Act coming into
law, proposals by Town and Parish Councils for Neighbourhood Plans will be
likely. The Council will act to help communities through this process, and
these will then, if adopted, become part of the Development Plan for the area.
In this way, local communities can express their wish for appropriate change in
a flexible and locally distinctive manner.
It is desirable - no
essential - that there is cross-boundary co-operation with adjacent parishes
and wards working together as Neighbourhood Forums, developing Neighbourhood
Plans and contributing meaningfully to a Development Framework.
4. Well Being
Housing
WE5
Exceptions Policy
The development of a site for 100% affordable housing to
meet the needs of the local community
Has there been any consideration of making the area South West of Exeter
a site of 100% affordable housing? Coupled with the provisions of WE7 blow,
this could aim to make the new development SW of Exeter a new and vibrant
community.
WE7 Variety in new dwellings
To ensure a
variety of housing provision sites of more than 20 dwellings should where
possible include;
a) 20% or more provision of 1 and 2 bedroom dwellings; b)
20% or more dwellings capable of being used as workplaces; and c) 10% or more
of dwelling plots sold to self-builders or small builders.
It is imperative that there is a more constant supply of 1 and 2 bedroom
dwellings in and around Exeter, and perhaps the South West of Exeter might be a
place to deliver them.
As a consequence of this policy, there a chance to reduce the number of
multi-car households.
WE 11 Green Infrastructure
To achieve
the expansion and maintenance of a comprehensive green infrastructure network,
the following will be promoted through determination of planning applications
and by partnership working;
a)
protecting, enhancing and extending existing green infrastructure assets and
providing new or replacement facilities;
b) establishing
a network of accessible, multi-functional green corridors for movement of
people and species, as identified in the Teign Green Network and future Green
infrastructure strategies;
c) promoting
good accessibility to green infrastructure for all d) requiring provision of at
least 60 square metres of public open space within or
near to new
housing developments in the following approximate proportions;
• childrens
play 5%
• young
persons areas 5%
• parks
30%
• playing
pitches 50%
• allotments
or community gardens 10%; and
e) public open space should be designed as part of the
overall green infrastructure and layout of the site, taking advantage of the
potential for multiple benefits including wildlife, sustainable urban drainage,
tree planting and landscaping.
Green infrastructure must be developed alongside development of housing.
It is unacceptable that these areas need to be adopted from the developers as
and when they are ready to hand it over.
In my own ward of Cowick,
there is a new development that has had households in place since August 2010
at least. But the Public Open Space has still to been handed over to ECC for
implementation. As a consequence the planned children’s areas are still in the
consultation and planning stage – with residents near to the site originally
proposed now raising objections. Not a good state of affairs.
5. Quality Environment
EN1
Strategic and Local Open Breaks
To maintain
the physical separation of certain settlements, development within the
following strategic breaks will be limited to that which retains their open
character and their contribution to the settlements’ setting;
Newton Abbot - Kingskerswell – Abbotskerwell - Torbay
Dawlish – Holcombe – Teignmouth
I am surprised that there isn’t a plan to have a strategic and local open
break between the TDC new development for South West of Exeter and the
Alphington development within the ECC boundary.
As well as allowing each development to retain their open and unique
character, it would emphasise the differences between the 2 settlements.
Also, it would ensure that developments don’t abut each other, with the
subsequent confusion on things like service delivery – missed bin collections,
different methods of recycling.
EN8 Biodiversity Protection and Enhancement
EN9 Important Habitats and features
EN11 Important Species
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