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.

The Level of Detail

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

Planning Officers Society

Approach to Strategic Sites

Session 2 – formulating your policy

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….”

Policy Content

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

Evidence Base Content questions in

formulating a policy

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:

Inspectors comments…..

Rugby Masts SiteRugby Masts Inpector Comments

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.”

Planning Officers Society

Workshop 1

Questions to consider/discuss

• Particular issues, problems and barriers you have faced in formulating or implementing strategic site allocation policies

• Where could the policy have been improved?

• Are there any policies you consider to be good practice?