Agenda item
Local Development Framework Core Strategy
An officer from the council’s Strategic Planning and Transport department will explain how the development of housing may
happen in the area.
Minutes:
Rebecca Harrison introduced the Local Development Framework Core Strategy with the aid of a powerpoint presentation. She ended by saying that the Strategy was out for consultation until 7 November, so any comments should be submitted before that date.
Rebecca Harrison (RH) and Gail Goodall (GG) then answered questions from the public.
Q – Is the Tannery to be developed as a large brownfield site?
RH – we are aware of the site, and it has been promoted as a housing site through the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). We are also aware of the site’s constraints, including the bridge.
Q – Strensall has been designated a “large village”. Are there any safeguards to possible developments? Transport is also an issue in the village.
GG –The priority for Strensall will be brownfield sites and infill plots. Bear in mind that a new development could help improve local services such as drainage.
RH – there will be a permanent Green Belt put in place for the next 20 years. A Green Belt is an area where there are the most stringent planning restrictions; a Green Field site is simply an area that has not been previously developed.
Q – what are the “small infill plots” that might be developed in Strensall?
RH – No fixed definition of ‘small’ – this is determined on a site by site basis. These have not been defined, but they would have to be within the village boundary.
Q – what is a Rural Exception site?
GG –A rural exception site is used to provide 100% affordable housing in perpetuity, in areas where market housing would normally be inappropriate, and where the normal house building rate is very low.
Q – is there one in Strensall?
Cllr Wiseman – yes, one has been identified.
GG – Strensall has undertaken a Housing Needs Survey to inform local provision.
Q – York has developed a good deal to the north. What is to be done about the volume of traffic going through the village, which can be as slow as 3 mph? We were also promised a means of crossing the ring road.
RH – The Core Strategy sets out the Council’s priorities for Transport. Dualling the ring road would be extremely expensive, but as an improvement to traffic flow, extra lanes are being created at the junctions. Other improvements include new park and ride sites, bus priority measures and investing in the cycle network.
There was a query about the village design statement, which GG clarified in the Strategy.
Q – Strensall is desperate for affordable housing.
GG – the document looks at this. 25% would ideally be provided as affordable on brownfield sites, along with rural exception sites.
Q – given the cost of restoring the land
at the Tannery, would not developers not be put off and
rather develop on greenfield sites?
RH –The LDF requires brownfield sites to be developed first and it would be for the developer to demonstrate that the Tannery is not viable.
Q – what I find worrying is that the Green Belt can be overridden, which will affect wildlife.
RH – once in place the Green Belt cannot be overridden, it is the strongest planning tool available; wildlife is very important to us and is protected through the LDF.
Q – what is the timescale?
RH – inspectors will hold a public examination in March/April time– the Core Strategy should be adopted by next summer and the strategic green belt boundary will be set through this.
Q – how can we argue for or against the definition of the Green Belt?
RH –. The Core Strategy identifies the general boundary but the Allocations document will identify specific boundaries in detail. Officers will visit sites where the boundary is contentious.
Q – I went to a meeting four years ago and not a lot seems to have happened since then. What was the point of earlier planning work?
RH – we are building on earlier work. Producing an LDF is a long process with different stages. It starts off with very general issues and options and progresses to preferred options and finally a submission version.
Q – public transport has been going backwards – I’m not surprised people get in their cars – it’s getting worse and worse.
Q – more houses will require better transport
RH – from a planning perspective, transport priorities are set out in section 15 of the core strategy.
Q – what priority is given to the transport infrastructure?
Cllr Sian Wiseman – we would like a train station in Strensall. The Park and Ride service is fine for those within the ring road, but we only get one bus an hour. We need a cycle lane and a safe transport route for children – this has continually been denied due to financial restraints.
Q – no consideration is given to us in Strensall – the plan is centred on the city centre.
RH – We would encourage people to look at what the Plan says for rural York. It is city wide and deals with issues of development, rural housing and transport specific to different parts of the authority.
GG – we can feed back your concerns about transport.
Q – how many Rural Exceptions sites have been issued? How difficult is to get one?
RH – It is quite difficult to secure a rural exception site in order to ensure the best protection for sensitive Green Belt sites.
GG –. Rural exception sites are used to provide affordable housing in perpetuity in rural areas where levels of house building are normally low and market entry level properties are hard to find.
Q – can we request that transport planning officers attend the next meeting to answer questions?
Cllr Sian Wiseman agreed to this.
Q – I am concerned about the level of traffic visiting the farms on Cross Moor Lane, which are now large industrial units
Cllr Sian Wiseman – there have been no planning applications in that area lately.
There was a request from the public to residents to come to the Parish Council meeting to communicate their thoughts on these issues to the City of York Council.