Post on 19-May-2018
Planning Officers Society
Delivering strategic sites and
quality development – Part 1
28th June 2017
Planning Officers Society
the credible voice for public
sector planning practitioners,
pursuing good and effective
planning practice within local
government
POS Enterprises is the delivery arm of the
Society, providing support and services direct
to planning authorities and other public sector
clients
Plan for the Day• Introductions
• Art of Plan Making – Strategic Sites overview
• Approach to Strategic Sites – formulating your policy
• Workshop 1- challenges in policy formulation
• Case Studies
• Lunch around 1
• Delivering Quality Places
• Examples of Good Practice
• Workshop – implementing good quality
• Plenary session and close at 4
Planning Officers Society
Developing the Strategy –
reviving the art of planning
Session 1 – Strategic Sites Overview
• A recognition that good planning is about placemaking not just delivering housing numbers
• And about place keeping• Local Councils should be leading on the
future of their areas• Helping create high quality sustainable
communities
A synoptic approach
It all starts with the Local Plan
• This is the key to successful
delivery & achieving design quality
• Developing a clear vision
• Allocating the right sites
• Adopting sound policies
• Choosing appropriate
supplementary guidance
• Providing a sound basis
for s106 negotiations
A Shared Ambitious Vision
• What is the vision for the area?
• Is it shared by the local community
and key stakeholders?
• What are the objectives
• What is you areas USP?
• Are the problems, issues and
opportunities tackled?
• What does success look like?
Allocating the Right Sites
• Clear rationale for site selection supported by
your Sustainability Appraisal
• Willing landowner/s ideally with long term
interest in leaving a positive legacy
• Local community and stakeholders have helped
shape the proposals
• Infrastructure in place or high confidence can
be delivered in step with development
• A viable and deliverable development
Adopting Sound Policies
• Clear succinct policies which set out key
environmental, social, design and economic
requirements
• Provide basis for preparation of SPDs
• But don’t contain too much detail which is best
left to more flexible SPDs
Choosing Right Supplementary
Guidance Concept Plans set out the key structuring elements of a development in
diagrammatic form Development Framework Documents (DFDs) which set out in more
detail the two dimensional spatial and movement strategy for a whole of a development allocation which may be in multiple ownership;
Masterplans which set out more detailed three dimensional proposals for a specific phase of the development;
Design Codes which set out the three dimensional design principles for the design and appearance of buildings and the public realm;
Design Briefs which set out site specific guidance highlighting planning policies, constraints and opportunities and informs any planning application made for the site; and
Design Guides which set out more generic principles for the design of buildings or types of development across part or the whole of a district.
Negotiating Good Design
• Clearly established Design Principles
• Development Team approach including key
stakeholders
• Flexible attitude to highway design and parking
provision is essential
After the Planners have gone–
long term Place Keeping
• Research shows that residents feel a greater
sense of wellbeing when they feel they can
influence local decisions
• Consider how new communities are going to be
managed and maintained
• How local residents are involved to ensure
places thrive and become strong communities
• Local management arrangements for public
space and community facilities
National Policy Context
Para. 157 of the NPPF, Local
Plans should:
“ allocate sites to promote development
and the flexible use of land, bringing
forward new land where necessary and
provide detail in form, scale, access and
quantum of development where
appropriate……………….
Indicate broad location for strategic
development on a key diagram and land
use designations on a proposals map….”
Four Key Stages for Formulating and
Allocation : Policy to Delivery
Rationale – why a strategic site
and options considered? Appraisal
against other options.
Definition – defining the location,
extent and content of the
strategic site
Evidence to support – formalise
the evidence base
Delivery and Monitoring – setting
out potential routes forward to
secure successful delivery of the
site and how implementation will
be monitored
Rationale
Definition
Evidence
Delivery and Monitoring
Rationale
• Where does the need for a strategic site come from? Strategic evidence base; national objectives etc.
• How does the site key to fit with District wide delivery objectives/vision? Regeneration, infrastructure delivery etc
• What District wide environmental factors may restrict/influence choices?
Definition
• Why has this site been chosen
• Set out the options you have looked at; consulted upon; its sustainability; and explain fit with the wider vision for your area
• Advisable to identify contingencies in case this site doesn’t come forward
Evidence Base
• Provide a reasonable and proportionate evidence base:first 5 years more on deliverysecond 5 years less detail but more on process
• demonstrating deliverability is key;
• Be collaborative and work with landowners and stakeholders;
• Focus on potential showstoppers
Delivery and Monitoring strategic sites
• Set out policy route to delivery
• Sequence for masterplanning – SPD or outline?
• Need for delivery vehicles or funding mechanisms
Common Gaps in Policy FormulationSome of the most common areas that are not
assessed in sufficient depth can be:
What to avoid!! PINS report anon..
“Further, the timescale for the delivery of the northern SUE is unrealistic and the proposal has not proven to be viable in accordance with the requirements of the NPPF paragraph 173. There is no detailed analysis of viability of the scheme including the provision of infrastructure, the S106 requirements, and the normal site development costs. On this basis I consider that the Local Plan is flawed because there is no certainty that it can be delivered.”