Consultation Portal

I am pleased to introduce the Issues and Options consultation which is the first stage in producing the Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan 2020-2040.

The local plan aims to support the continued growth of Stoke-on-Trent whilst working within the overarching principles of sustainable development where we need to balance economic, social and environmental objectives to meet the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. As importantly, the local plan will support the principle of healthier communities and look to contributing to the health and wellbeing of our residents.

We look forward to hearing your comments and hope you will help get involved in shaping of the area over the next 20 years. This is the first of several opportunities to be involved in the plan making process.

Cllr Daniel Jellyman

Cabinet Member for Regeneration,

Infrastructure and Heritage

The local plan decides how much development should happen and where it will go in Stoke-on-Trent. It also guides decisions on whether or not planning applications can be granted and allocates sites for specific development uses. The Issues and Options Consultation is the first of many opportunities for local residents, businesses and other interested parties to have a say in how they want to see Stoke-on-Trent grow. The purpose of this consultation is to set out the subject of the local plan, covering the City, as well as establishing the key issues surrounding the city and how we can address them through the local plan.

This work replaces the previous joint local plan developed jointly with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council. The Borough Council withdrew from the joint local plan process in January 2021.

The Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan will build on previous evidence and consultations which gives us a good understanding of the issues which face the city. Further evidence has been produced to confirm our understanding of the key issues.

This stage of the local plan process allows us to rehearse well understood issues and options and to seek your views before we move to the next stage in the process in producing a draft local plan for consultation. The draft local plan will contain policies and site allocations to help guide development in the city.

It is acknowledged that there remains a strong economic and housing market relationship with Newcastle-under-Lyme and close cooperation will be maintained to understand the impact of our respective policies.

The local plan will be a statutory development plan for Stoke-on-Trent and will ensure that long term policies are in place to manage and meet the needs of local people and businesses for employment, housing, green space and supporting services. The plan’s time frame covers 2020 – 2040 and is being produced in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, statutory consultees and local people. This timeframe is in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework and aims to ensure the strategic policies look ahead over a minimum 15-year period from adoption and to anticipate and respond to long-term requirements and opportunities such as those arising from major improvements to infrastructure.

The Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan is also cognisant of the potential impact of the current pandemic (Covid -19) and the decision of the UK Government to leave the European Union. The approach is to ensure the local plan process progresses and to use the five-year plan review to consider the impact and decide if any adjustments need to be made. This allows us to ensure economic recovery is supported and that growth ambitions for the city stay on track.

Stoke-on-Trent strategic waste planning policies will continue to be dealt with through the separate Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Waste Local Plan (2013 - 2026). The Waste Local Plan recently underwent a review in 2018/19, which confirmed that the plan was still up to date, and is therefore still part of the Local Development Framework.

The Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan is aligned to the council’s Stronger Together vision and objectives.

The local plan will be produced in accordance with the current legislation governing plan-making and is consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework (2019) and associated Planning Practice Guidance (PPG).

The National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 15) is clear that the planning system should be plan-led and therefore plans should provide a positive vision for the future for the plan area by addressing housing needs and other economic, social and environmental priorities.

We will continue our extensive engagement with the local community, stakeholders and have regard to other relevant local strategies and plans of public bodies and surrounding neighbouring authorities through duty to cooperate discussions.

The local plan is being prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements. It will be subject to examination and will be assessed to determine whether the plan is “sound”. In order to determine whether a plan is “sound” the following tests will be considered:

• whether the local plan is consistent with the regulations and the NPPF;
• is the plan positively prepared – providing a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs;
• is the plan justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence; and
• is the plan effective – deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working.

Sustainability appraisal is a process whereby the potential social, environmental and economic effects of a plan or project are identified and assessed. To guide the appraisal of effects that the local plan may have, the council has prepared a sustainability appraisal scoping report which sets the sustainability objectives against which the plan’s policies and proposals will be assessed. Consultation on the draft scoping report forms part of the consultation on the Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan Issues and Options.

A full integrated sustainability assessment incorporating environmental, health and equalities impact assessments will be undertaken as part of the plan making process along with a Habitat Regulations Assessment.

During August to October 2020 the government consulted on the Planning for the future white paper. This proposes reforms of the planning process, bring a new focus to design and sustainability, improve the system of developer contributions to infrastructure, and ensure more land is available for development where it is needed.

A particular feature is the proposal that local plans should identify three types of land – growth areas suitable for substantial development, renewal areas suitable for development and areas that are protected.

The white paper is also clear about speeding up the local plan process. The council broadly welcomes the white paper proposals and will monitor its progress and adjust the local plan process in light of any developments.

The Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan Issues and Options has been published for a 6-week period of consultation between 10 May and 21 June 2021 . This is in accordance with the council’s statement of community involvement (SCI) which sets out how the public, businesses and interest groups within a local authority area can get involved in the creation of local planning policy and the decision-making process aimed at shaping where we live, work and trade. Comments can be made through the on-line consultation.

The questions have been provided to help you with your response. If you consider that there is an issue that the questions don’t cover, there is an opportunity at the end of the consultation document to add additional comments.

If you have any issues with engaging on-line please contact us and we will assist.

To find out details of all the consultation activities please check the council’s website at https://www.stoke.gov.uk/localplan.

All responses must be received by 21 June 2021.

Following this consultation, we will consider comments received and produce a report including the councils' response.

We will then make any amendments to the document and produce a Draft Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan consistent with Regulation 18, for consultation.

The Stronger Together Strategic Plan 2020-2024 sets out the strategic vision and priorities for Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the wider city. All delivery plans and strategies will align with the Stronger Together vision and the roadmap to ensure that service delivery right across the organisation is focussed on the same priorities and outcomes.

The table below shows how the local plan contributes to the priorities.

The Local Plan will help to facilitate and deliver the Stronger Together priorities in a variety of ways including:

• ensuring that we have the right homes, in the right places with the right mix to meet the needs of vulnerable residents including the elderly; disabled; homeless and looked after children;
• facilitating the physical and social infrastructure required to provide educational facilities and to attract and retain businesses which will provide the jobs which residents will have the opportunity to access;
• planning for the physical infrastructure required to support growth and make land available for employment and housing purposes, supported by a sustainable transportation infrastructure, whilst at the same time preserving and enhancing the culture and unique heritage of the city;
• supporting the delivery of physical and social infrastructure required to provide educational facilities, health and social care facilities;
• setting out policies to support retail centres to ensure centres can adapt to changes in shopping habits;
• promoting good design which will help neighbourhoods to be better connected and safer, especially through access to green space and leisure, made easier with walking and cycling, all contributing to better physical and mental health; and
• taking account of climate change and the need to be ensure new development mitigates any impact.

QUESTION 1: Do you think that the Local Plan should align with the stronger together priorities?

QUESTION 2: Do you think the Local Plan can support the priorities in other ways?

The local plan takes account of the following key council strategies:

Stoke-on-Trent “Room to Grow” Children, Young People and Families’ Strategy 2020-2024

Adults Strategic Partnership Plan 2016-2020

Housing Strategy 2017-2022

Empty Homes Strategy

Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-2020

Stoke-on-Trent Safety City Partnership Strategy 2017 – 2020

Stoke-on-Trent Greenspace Strategy 2018

Stoke-on-Trent Playing Pitch Strategy 2017-2022

Local Transport Plan

Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Industrial Strategy March 2020

Powering Up the City – Two Year Economic Renewal Plan 2020

QUESTION 3: Are there any other key strategies that the Local Plan should consider?

Stoke-on-Trent is a city and unitary authority area in Staffordshire, with an area of 36 square miles (93 km2). Commonly known as the Potteries, it was formerly and primarily an industrial conurbation. The six towns which make up the City of Stoke-on-Trent are Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke-upon-Trent and Tunstall.

Stoke-on-Trent occupies a strategically advantageous position between the major urban centres of Manchester and Birmingham and alongside national transport corridors linking the South – East and the Midlands to the North West. There are excellent transport links to both cities and London via the West Coast Mainline, and the M6. The A500 and the A50 provide east-west transport accessibility to locations such as Crewe, Nantwich, Uttoxeter, Derby, Nottingham and the M1. The Crewe-Derby-Nottingham rail line also provides access to key destinations.

In recent years there have also been a huge growth in small and medium enterprises (SME’s) in the area which has seen a significant change in the economic base. Traditional heavy industries in the plan area have given way to more modern types of industry, such as advanced manufacturing, service industries, research and development, storage and distribution and high technology industries. Large-scale former industrial sites within Stoke-on-Trent’s urban area are being redeveloped quickly supported by incentives such as the Ceramics Valley Enterprise Zone.

Stoke-on-Trent has a total population of 256,375 (2019 MYE). Going forward there will be a continuous increase in the number and proportion of persons aged 65+. This age group represented 17.2% of Stoke-on-Trent’s population in 2019 and is projected to be 20.4% by 2043. Stoke-on-Trent continues to experience significant levels of domestic out-migration while at the same time experiences significant levels of international in-migration and natural change (births less deaths).

Stoke-on-Trent is characterised by high levels of deprivation and is currently ranked the 14th most deprived local authority (out of 317) in England (based on the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation). The most deprived areas of the city are located around the wards of Tunstall, Burslem Central, Etruria and Hanley, Bentilee and Ubberley, and Blurton West and Newstead. Over 136,200 people in the city live in areas classified as being among the top 20% most deprived in England, which is over 53% of the total population. This means that 5 out of every 10 people in Stoke-on-Trent are living in the most deprived areas of the country (compared with 2 out of 10 nationally). Conversely, only 7.9% live in the three least deprived groupings in the country; compared to a ‘norm’ of circa 30%.

The GCSE data for 2019 shows that 58.8% of pupils achieving a standard (grade 4-9) pass and 35.5% of pupils achieved a strong (grade 5-9) pass in English & Maths GCSE. This compares to nationally 60% achieving a standard (grade 4-9) pass and 40% of pupils achieved a strong (grade 5-9) pass.

Life expectancy for men at birth is 76.4 years (significantly lower than the national average; 79.6 years) and the gap is increasing. For women, average life expectancy at birth is 80.3 years (also significantly lower than the England average; 83.2 years). Infant mortality rates (another key indicator of population health rates) are significantly worse than the England average (at 7.9 compared to 3.9 per 1,000 live births) (Staffordshire Observatory, 2018). Teenage conceptions, smoking related deaths and obesity are also local Public Health priorities and positive progress is being recorded over recent years.

The local plan will have to deal with several key overarching issues is to ensure sustainable development and healthy communities. These are golden threads that will need to run throughout the local plan and are covered in various areas of this document.

National Planning Policy Framework makes it clear that the planning system should be based upon and contain the presumption in favour of sustainable development, with clear policies to guide how this presumption will be applied locally. This includes issues such as:

• the importance of protecting the Green Belt and supporting the urban areas with regeneration of the centres and existing brownfield sites;
• the importance of sustaining and enhancing individual centres across the plan area and understanding their unique role, including their heritage and culture;
• the need to develop sites in appropriate locations with services and facilities accessible by walking, cycling and public transport;
• ensuring that new developments make the best use of existing infrastructure and where needed, new additional provision is provided;
• the need for new developments to be resilient and mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change;
• the need for new development to sustain and enhance the plan areas historic environment, biodiversity and geodiversity;
• the importance of prudently using resources and maximising their reuse recovery and recycling; and
• the importance of safeguarding public safety, environmental standards and amenity through the delivery of high standards of design and construction.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 23% of global deaths are due to modifiable environmental factors. A key theme the local plan will be the need to help prevent premature death and disease and promoting population health and well-being by ensuring the physical environment can facilitate a healthy and active population. In order to achieve this an integrated approach is needed to consider how the built and natural environment can support the areas' population both now and in the future. Policies within the plan will be developed to promote a quality built and natural environment, sustainable transport, green infrastructure, community facilities, cycling and walking opportunities and a variety of housing types and tenures; all of which assist towards ensuring a healthy population and reducing demands on health and social care services. This includes issues such as:

• reducing health inequalities across the plan area;
• encouraging design and linkages to existing community assets which help promote healthy lifestyles;
• managing the area's network of green spaces and corridors;
• supporting formal and informal physical activity and active transport choices which help promote healthy lifestyles;
• creating employment and training opportunities;
• maintaining, enhancing or providing essential social and community services and facilities including opportunities for sharing of services;
• maximising opportunities for cultural activities;
• delivering a mixture of dwelling types and tenures designed to enable a greater degree of self-independent living and working towards an age friendly city;
• securing environments which deter crime;
• maximising opportunities for carbon capture;
• resilience to the impacts of climate change; and
• improving the area's air quality levels.

QUESTION 4: Are there any other key objectives that need to considered to support sustainable development and healthy communities?

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) highlights the importance of infrastructure planning and delivery and clearly sets out that local planning authorities should aim to identify and coordinate the provision of infrastructure in order to support future development.

The provision of infrastructure is an essential element of growth and necessary to the delivery of successful, efficient and effective sustainable development. Providing infrastructure enables and supports development. It enhances economic growth by increasing housing and employment opportunities through the availability of additional land for commercial, industrial and retail development.

Strategic infrastructure can be categorised under three key areas including:

• Transport and utilities infrastructure - includes the provision of new or enhanced infrastructure such as the highway network, telecommunications systems, utility infrastructure, water supply and sewerage networks.

• Social infrastructure - consists of the provision of new or enhanced infrastructure such as buildings to support services such as libraries, leisure centres, primary schools, secondary schools, health care facilities and emergency services.

• Environmental infrastructure - includes the provision of new or enhanced parks, public rights of way, open space, woodland, waterways, waste infrastructure and drainage infrastructure that helps to create a more pleasant natural environment for residents and visitors.

Site infrastructure will still be required to make individual developments 'acceptable in planning terms' and it will be the responsibility of developers to demonstrate that they have taken account of the policies in the local plan when submitting a planning application.

An Infrastructure Delivery Plan will be produced to address the issue of strategic off-site infrastructure that will be required over the life of the local plan to having regard to the wider cumulative impacts of development. The location and / or scale of residential and employment sites potentially has a significant impact on the ability of existing infrastructure to absorb additional development. To bring development forward it is necessary to address these strategic 'deficiencies' to reduce barriers to development through the provision of new or enhanced infrastructure. Funding for strategic infrastructure will be met from a variety of sources including developer contributions; government grant, funding opportunities and the council’s resources.

There is active and ongoing dialogue with key service providers (highways; education, health; social care; leisure; environmental; water; sewage and telecommunications). Digital infrastructure is also becoming increasingly important and will need to be considered within the Local Plan. Once it has been decided what the level of development growth is along with the identification of sites confirmed to support development, more detailed planning can be undertaken with these service providers and an infrastructure delivery plan produced to accompany the local plan.

We know that there are pressures on the strategic and local road networks; there is scope for more sustainable travel including rail, bus, cycling and walking and a growing population will place pressures on education and health and social care services.

Ensuring alignment of the infrastructure requirements with the national infrastructure programme and the priorities of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise partnership is critical to development of the delivery plan.

QUESTION 5: Are there different ways in which the local plan can support the delivery of health and other facilities, at the local level, to improve outcomes for residents?

QUESTION 6: Do you have any thoughts on where you think educational facilities should be located?

QUESTION 7: How can we best take advantage of digital technology? Should all new development be required to provide high speed digital connectivity, for example?

QUESTION 8: Do you consider that the Local Plan approach to infrastructure and funding is comprehensive?

Background

The local economy has seen substantial levels of restructuring over the past 40 years or so, away from the traditional manufacturing base for which the area was internationally renowned, towards a more service-orientated economy, in particular logistics and distribution. The latter growth is due in no small part to the area’s strategic location at the heart of the UK and its impressive connectivity, with access to excellent road (M6, A50, A500) and rail (West Coast Main Line) links. Traditional heavy industries have given way to more modern types of industry, including advanced manufacturing, service industries, research and development, storage and distribution and high technology industries. This transition has left a legacy of large-scale former industrial sites within Stoke-on-Trent’s urban area which have the potential to accommodate future economic development to cater for these new industries.

In the last five years there has been significant growth in the city with more than 8,000 jobs created. The UK Powerhouse 2020 report ranked the city in first place for job growth nationally. The current pandemic – Covid-19 and the impact of Brexit give rise to unprecedented challenges for the economy. The City’s short-term response is through it’s “Powering up the City” strategy which continues the transformation of the City through investment and sustained growth; maintaining confidence; supporting business start-ups; retraining programmes; accelerating investment in digital infrastructure and re-purposing high streets and town centres. Trends in home working will need to analysed through the local plan evidence base. This will mean further development of communications, including broadband.

The local plan needs to take a medium/long-term view and seek to plan positively for balanced growth to meet the development needs of the city through a sustainable growth strategy.

An appropriate growth strategy needs to be set out within the local plan. The current employment evidence within the Economic Needs Assessment (ENA) uses the Experian (who are a leading provider in forecasting economic growth) modelling to reflect job growth, which closely reflects past trends and remains consistent with previous evidence. This should in turn be matched to the level of house building to ensure that workers are attracted.

There are four potential growth scenarios to be able to set the employment growth:

• growth scenario A – labour supply – this uses the government’s standard method for calculating housing growth to predict the growth in the economy;
• growth scenario B – Experian baseline – this uses the Experian baseline model to predict how the economy will grow over the plan period;
• growth scenario C – higher jobs growth – this again uses the Experian model assuming that the economy will grow at a much faster rate than predicted to deliver a higher number of jobs.
• growth scenario D – past take-up – this looks at the previous successes within the local economy within recent years and predicts the growth in the economy if this were to continue.

The table below sets out the estimated employment land requirement, and the make-up of that requirement based on each of the scenarios. This was as set out within the former Joint Local Plan so runs through to 2037. However, the Employment Needs Assessment will be updated to reflect the 2040 plan period.

Table 1: Employment growth requirement scenarios (2020-37)

It is important that the level of employment growth set out in the local plan is realistic and deliverable whilst ensuring jobs for the residents, but also responds to the sustainability of the area. The Employment Needs Assessment updated the 2015 study with regards to the employment land supply. This recognised that there is a deliverable supply of 149.6 hectares. This shows there is a surplus of land against all requirements, except for the past take up growth scenario as shown below.

Table 2: Comparison of growth requirement scenarios against current supply (2020-37)

Whilst in quantity terms there appears to be sufficient land to support employment growth, the challenge is to provide land in the best location to meet market requirements. There has been significant employment development in recent years, including delivery within the Ceramics Valley Enterprise Zone and at Trentham Lakes. This has now significantly reduced supply. With this regard, it is noted that a large amount of the supply does have end users in place, and other sites are of a lower grade and some distance from strategic road networks to be able to attract businesses. In particular the lack of any large strategic sites for logistics is highlighted.

The legacy of vacant former industrial sites has helped accommodate new businesses with sites being redeveloped. However, more attractive range and choice of new employment land is needed, which meets the needs of modern manufacturing, warehousing and distribution companies.

The above would imply that it would be reasonable to consider identifying additional employment land in the emerging plan to ensure sufficient flexibility and choice and ensure that the supply of land does not constrain the continued growth of the local economy.

Opportunities for intensification and adapting existing employment should be considered. For example, there is an opportunity to maximise the impact of the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone to accelerate the diversification of the area’s key industry from pottery to technical ceramics.

QUESTION 9: Taking into account the amount of housing needed, which growth level would it be realistic for the Local Plan to cater for?

QUESTION 10: How will we be able to ensure this level of growth is met?

There is a net outmigration of young people and graduates in search of better job prospects elsewhere. More jobs are needed which are secure, higher quality and better paid and which give better prospects for career progression. This also includes consideration of the Staffordshire University campus in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent which has emerged as a hub for digital and creative businesses.

QUESTION 11: How can we encourage graduates to remain within Stoke-on-Trent?

The well-established visitor economy needs to be supported to continue to grow. The heritage, history, local attractions, hotels and open spaces help bring people into the area for day visits or longer stays. The area takes on a national and international lead in tourism relating to ceramics as a unique draw for tourism. Ceramics are an integral part of the history of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, which is visible in the museums and canals.

Consideration needs to be given how to improve the offer for visitors. This could include an increase in choice of places to stay in the City and deliver a stronger tourism infrastructure of a quality that target markets expect and receive elsewhere. For example, a range of distinctive places to eat during the day and in the evenings, stronger welcome at the City’s road and rail gateways and more things to see and do in addition to the big ticket attractions.

QUESTION 12: How do we best support the local tourist economy?

Introduction

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that one of the key objectives is to significantly boost the supply of housing and it is important that sufficient homes of the necessary variety are delivered to meet the needs of existing and future communities.

There has been strong economic growth within Stoke-on-Trent. However, in order to fulfil the area’s economic potential, housing growth, in excess of that which is needed to support natural population growth, is necessary to retain and attract more people of working age to address an imbalance in the area’s demographic structure and, in doing so, form a locally available workforce that can assist with securing inward investment and raise aspirations through access to housing and employment opportunities.

The NPPF sets out that local plans should meet the needs of the area and to determine the minimum number of homes needed, this should be set out using a Local Housing Needs Assessment (LHN), using the Standardised Methodology as set out with the NPPG. The Standard Method has recently been updated in December 2020. This looks at population projections and includes an uplift for affordability. In the 2020 update, this added an uplift of 35% to the largest cities, including Stoke-on-Trent. The Employment Needs Assessment and Housing Needs Assessment will be updated to reflect this change.

The strategy and setting the housing requirement should be linked to the employment requirement. It is not possible to go for high growth in one and low in the other. However, it should be noted that Scenario A2 below is an additional scenario in light of the new 35% economic uplift. Consequently, it doesn’t directly correspond to a specific scenario within the employment section.

The scenarios set out below link with those in the employment as set out within the Housing Needs Assessment:

• growth scenario A1 – this is based on the government’s standard method without the economic uplift for calculating housing need and is currently set at 507 dwellings per annum;
• growth scenario A2 – this is based on the government’s standard method including the 35% economic uplift for calculating housing need and is currently set at 684 dwellings per annum;
• growth scenario B – as with employment growth, this uses the Experian model to predict the growth in the economy and therefore workers which will require housing and is currently set at 811 dwellings; and
• growth scenario C – again linked to the higher growth model for employment, this assumes much higher growth in the economy and therefore much higher number of workers and dwellings and is currently set at 1,074 dwellings.

The local plan must set a requirement which at least meets the minimum number as set out in the LHN, but also is deliverable. Delivery of housing is monitored in a number of ways, the government’s Housing Delivery Test (HDT), seeks to ensure that the requirement is being delivered. It is also important that any growth level for housing is matched to that of employment delivery.

Table 3: Housing growth requirement scenarios (2020-37)

In paragraph 11 the NPPF states that ‘plans should positively seek opportunities to meet the development needs of their area, and be sufficiently flexible to adapt to rapid change’, furthermore it is stated that local plans should as a minimum meet its identified needs. Therefore, enough land should be highlighted within the local plan to meet the requirement as set out in the above scenarios.

Evidence on the supply of housing land is contained within the Strategic Housing Land Availability (SHLAA). This assesses sites, in terms of deliverability, which have been promoted for potential residential development. This looks at whether a site could be ‘deliverable’, built out in the first five years of the plan, or ‘developable’ where a site would be built out within the plan period, or other where sites have a constraint stopping that needs to be overcome. The latest SHLAA is dated 2019 as it uses data from that period. The breakdown of the supply is highlighted further in the table below.

Further options to increase supply would be to look to the Green Belt. Before allocating land within the Green Belt for development, exceptional circumstances would need to be concluded. These are set out within the NPPF and include making use of underutilised land elsewhere, optimising density and discussing with neighbouring authorities. The Green Belt Assessment looked at the Green Belt within the city to see what contribution the area was to the Green Belt. This scored the areas weak, moderate or strong. SHLAA sites within the Green Belt have been categorised below, this does not consider other constraints that the sites may have.

In line with government guidance, the SHLAA only looks at sites of 0.25ha or larger, it is recognised that a significant amount of the supply of new dwellings within Stoke-on-Trent comes from sites smaller than this. Some of these sites are also changes of use or conversions of existing buildings. This has previously been referred to as ‘windfall’ development, as it has not previously been identified. Historical trend data has been used to understand the level of windfall development and this is considered to continue across the plan period. To avoid double counting, this is excluded from the first two years within the Five-Year Housing Land Supply Statement.

Table 4: Strategic housing land availability assessment sites

*SHLAA data is base dated 1^st April 2019 and therefore assumed some of these may now have planning permission.

It is important that the council sets out a supply of sites that are able to deliver against the housing requirement across the plan period. This will be set out in a trajectory within the local plan. Councils have to annually set out their supply of dwellings against their requirement. The council do this in the form of a five-year housing land supply statement. Should the council not be able to maintain a five-year housing land supply, then the land supply policies would be liable to be considered out of date. Whilst these controls set out to ensure the requirement is being met, there are no penalties for over delivery.

• growth scenario A1 and A2 – it appears that there are sites available to meet the growth scenario A within the existing urban area. This would require a mix of brownfield and greenfield sites;
• growth scenario B – this appears to reach the upper limits of the capacity of the urban area requiring both brownfield and greenfield sites with further pressure upon the loss of open space, and some potential small-scale Green Belt release where exceptional circumstances are proved, to ensure delivery across the plan period; and
• growth scenario C – This would place heavy pressure on releasing open space for development along with Green Belt release where exceptional circumstances are proved.

QUESTION 13: Which of the housing requirements set out above do you think should be adopted?

QUESTION 14: How should the local plan seek to meet and distribute housing delivery across the city?

The National Planning Policy Framework defines affordable housing as housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market housing. This can include housing for rent; starter homes; discounted market sales housing and other affordable routes to home ownership, such as shared ownership.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that provision for affordable housing should be sought for developments over 10 dwellings other than in defined rural areas where the threshold is reduced to five units or fewer. The Housing Needs Assessment suggests that there is a need of 139 affordable dwellings per annum within Stoke-on-Trent. It further suggested a greater proportion of affordable homes needed to be delivered over the next five years will only require one bedroom, although a need exists for affordable housing of all sizes with the exception of two-bedroom dwellings.

There is the ability to accept a commuted sum in lieu of onsite affordable provision, where the money will be spent on the provision of new affordable housing on suitable sites elsewhere across the plan area.

QUESTION 15: What approach should we take to ensure the right amount and type of affordable housing is delivered within the city?

The Housing Needs Assessment (2020) undertook an analysis exploring how the changing demographic profile across the plan area may generate the requirement for different sizes and tenures of housing over the plan period. It is expected that the area will see a sizeable growth in the number of older and one-person households. The local plan will have to ensure that the appropriate mix of housing is delivered and this will need to consider the following:

• ensuring the size of housing meets the changing demographics of the area;
• delivering adaptable and accessible homes; and
• widening the offer within Stoke-on-Trent to ensure that there is a range of dwellings types including the delivery of executive homes.

There are number of ways to bring forward new homes aside from new sites. This includes bringing empty homes back into use and building conversions.

Further detail on the design of development, including houses is in the Heritage and Design section.

QUESTION 16: How should we ensure that the Local Plan delivers the right types of housing?

Councils have to maintain a register of people interested in building their own home. There is then a duty to ensure enough building plots are made available to meet the demand. There are two main ways for the local plan to meet this, by allocating sites for self and custom build or requiring a percentage of development to be for self and custom build.

QUESTION 17: How can we best deliver self and custom build?

QUESTION 18: Do you think schemes above a certain size should be required to provide a certain percentage of self-build plots? (E.g. 10%)

Local authorities are required to provide for the accommodation needs of the gypsy and traveller communities in their local areas, following the appropriate guidance.

Stoke-on-Trent commissioned a new Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showperson Accommodation Assessment in 2020 (GTAA). The study identified that there are currently 55 Gypsy and Traveller caravan pitches in Stoke-on-Trent, of which 45 are on a local authority site and 10 are private authorised pitches. These are located at Linehouses and Lakeview, within close proximity to one another.

When comparing the levels of need for gypsy and traveller accommodation against the existing levels of provision within the next five years, the study identifies a shortfall of 10 permanent pitches in Stoke-on-Trent. In the longer term, a further five pitches are required in Stoke-on-Trent between 2026 and 2037. Sites for new pitches will need to be identified within the local plan.

In addition to the provision of permanent pitches, the study also identifies the requirement to plan for ‘transit pitch provision’. Transit pitches are temporary places where Travellers can stop whilst passing through a local authority area. There are currently 5 transit pitches within the authority. It is recommended that 0.5 additional transit pitches are provided across Stoke-on-Trent over the plan period. Alternatively, a negotiated stopping policy, particularly for larger encampments, could also be considered to address this need.

The study has confirmed that no additional travelling showperson plots are required within Stoke-on-Trent.

QUESTION 19: How do we best meet the needs for the gypsy and traveller community?

Background

Stoke-on-Trent is centrally located within England, almost equidistant between the cities of Manchester and Birmingham. There are excellent transport links by both rail and road. The West Coast Mainline and North Staffordshire railway provides frequent and fast connectivity to important markets. A500, A50, M6 and A34 provides 360-degree connectivity to and from important markets. This makes the area very well connected and at the heart of the national transport network through multi modes of road, rail, walking and cycling. Good sustainable transport and a well-designed, connected place is essential to the prosperity and well-being of Stoke-on-Trent and the quality of life for local people and visitors.

In terms of internal connectivity, the structure of the urban area, which contains the six town centres of Stoke-on-Trent, means that a complex highway and transport network has developed. These include the major roads identified above as well as more local distributer roads connecting each of the centres. There is also an extensive network of existing and former canals, watercourses, and railway lines throughout the urban area. Many have been transformed into accessible green corridors that provide opportunities for pedestrian and cycle transport. This gives the area a unique structure and character, with the numerous urban centres interspersed by greenery.

With the proposed level of housing and employment growth across the plan area, there is a critical need to address this dependency on the private car and increase the use of sustainable transport including public transport, cycling and walking, as alternative modes of transport as well as the need for significant investment in the infrastructure.

The council is considering the re-opening of some mothballed railway stations and the introduction of trams to increase the connectivity and sustainable transport options within the city.

Whilst there is an extensive cycle network across Stoke-on-Trent, with over 180km of routes and over 100km of which is off road, the level of cycling is low compared to other areas, and relative to the many short trips made in the area. Severance caused by the national rail and road network through the area, plus busy local roads form a barrier for walking and cycling. The council wants to improve infrastructure to meet the needs of people.

QUESTION 20: How can the Local Plan encourage and progress sustainable transport?

QUESTION 21: Are there other forms of transport that will be important to plan for in the future? (E.g. tram, autonomous vehicles, bus services)

The city is ‘polycentric’, meaning that it contains a number of centres which are based around the towns within its urban area. These have grown over time to form the wider city of Stoke-on-Trent, but still offer distinct centres in their own right. However, this lack of a single centre has created difficulties for energy efficient transport measures. This is because growth and investment are not focused towards a single central location resulting in dispersed travel demand and consequentially it is difficult for public transport operators to provide a viable network. The resulting complex travel patterns and wider problems with congestion on the road network mean that bus journeys are relatively slow and expensive. Use of bus transport and cycling are both below the UK average within the city and as such cars are creating high levels of congestion which have caused a negative effect on the air quality and the whole of the city has been declared an Air Quality Management Area.

In preparing the local plan, the city will need to consider the potential cumulative effect of future developments on air quality and whether new development in areas of poor air quality can support measures to reduce emissions. The local plan can further assist by ensuring, wherever possible, that the spatial pattern of development reduces the need to travel and that new development includes provisions for sustainable transport. This will be a key consideration for any potential future growth.

QUESTION 22: How does the Local Plan best address the issue of air quality?

Stoke-on-Trent is very well located geographically and has direct access to national transport networks via the A50 and A500. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that transport networks within the city suffer from high levels of congestion and so travel between different locations within the plan area may not be as efficient as it potentially could be.

Poor internal connectivity has a negative impact on the social and economic success of the area, with people being less easily able to access services and employment opportunities by public and private transport, and businesses less able to access workforce and move goods efficiently.

To achieve an efficient and less congested network, the local plan may need to safeguard land for improved junctions and highway infrastructure. This in turn would help reduce pollution in congested sections but also improve public transport connectivity and speed.

The local plan should encourage the improvement access and connectivity within the city and this will in turn help to alleviate traffic congestion on the strategic road network for all residents and visitors across the city.

QUESTION 23: How do you think the Local Plan can ensure the highway is more efficient?

Parking is a key element in the planning, design and operation of virtually all new development. Inadequate and poorly designed parking could affect the operational and commercial success of development and result in problems on the surrounding highway network. However, an over-provision of car parking is inefficient in land-use terms, unsightly and does not promote more sustainable access modes.

There is a need to balance the demand for parking provision to enhance highway and pedestrian safety, whilst promoting and encouraging sustainable transport choices and reducing carbon emissions. Parking provision and cost is vital in ensuring demand for parking is adequately met whilst also being a key part of a balanced transport strategy inclusive of public and mass transport networks. Ensuring there is suitable parking provision in new developments prevents uncontrolled on-street parking, which can have safety risks as well as being unsightly. The Council is looking to produce detailed guidance on parking standards.

QUESTION 24: Do you think the Local Plan should include parking standards?

The government is striving to increase the take-up of low emission vehicles. The Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 aims to increase the access and availability of charging points for electric cars, whilst also giving the government powers to make it compulsory for charging points to be installed across the country. Therefore, it is likely that pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will take an increasing share of the new car and van market over the plan period and we need to consider how the local plan can address providing sufficient infrastructure to serve this need.

The council needs to ensure all new developments have the ability to accommodate electric cars. The type of charging point would need to be dependent on development type. Household points use a typically slower charging rate,whilst faster charging public electrical vehicle points could be needed on commercial developments.

QUESTION 25: Should all new developments contain electrical vehicle charging points?

QUESTION 26: Should large commercial developments allocate a certain percentage of electrical vehicle charging points?

Introduction

Stoke-on-Trent has a clearly defined distinctive polycentric hierarchy of centres providing a range of shops, services and facilities. The network of centres across the area all have different roles and the hierarchy of centres reflects the needs of individual communities each centre serves.

The larger centres across the plan area fulfil a regional/ sub-regional retail role and support growth, attract visitors, investment and jobs. The plan area also has a large number of other centres which perform an important role in providing a range of facilities and employment opportunities within walking and cycling distance of where people live and work. These are defined as district centres, local centres, neighbourhood centres and village centres and provide a more localised role in providing shops and services in sustainable locations.

Stoke-on-Trent centres and the shops and services within them will continue to face considerable competition as people choose to do more of their shopping in large superstores in out of centre locations or to order goods and services online. This has been exacerbated further with the impact of Covid-19. Ensuring that centres at all levels in the hierarchy provide and retain a range of shops, services and facilities in order to maintain the hierarchy for all communities across the plan area is now even more challenging. Key to supporting sustainable communities is to maximise the accessibility of facilities and therefore reduce the need to travel.

The closure of shops not only leads to job losses, but also reduces the attractiveness of the area and potential loss of important buildings. Future alternative uses will need to be considered within the local plan policies where retaining existing retail uses is not viable.

QUESTION 27: What alternative uses would you like to see within the centres?

The NPPF is clear that centres provide an important role across the plan area and are at the heart of local communities. In order to ensure that the role of centres is maintained and they remain vital and viable it is important to define a network and hierarchy of centres which meets the needs of our communities.

The updated Retail & Leisure Study completed in 2019 has reviewed the health and performance role of all individual centres contained within the plan area with a more detailed analysis completed for the tier 1 (strategic centres), tier 2 (larger urban town centres) and tier 3 (smaller urban town centres). These centres are listed below:

Stoke-on-Trent City Centre (Hanley – Tier 1) is a principal centre across the plan area, and as such is the primary economic and social destination in the city. The city centre provides a main hub for retail, service users and transport and has a clear role providing comparison goods across the plan area and wider sub-region. However, it is a high vacancy rate which will need to addressed. A number of edge of centre and out of centre retail parks provide significant competition to the city centre.

Longton (Tier 2) is the largest town centre after the city centre. Like other town centres in the city, the vacancy rate (particularly given that a number of vacant units are long-term vacancies) presents cause for concern. This acts to reduce the overall vitality of the centre, and has a considerable negative impact in respect of environmental quality.

Stoke-upon-Trent (Tier 2) is the administrative centre of Stoke-on-Trent and therefore performs a key role for the wider city. The centre contains many buildings of historic merit, particularly in and around the conservation area to the north-west of the centre. Stoke train station, the primary access to the national railway network for the entire conurbation, is located adjacent the centre. However, Stoke-upon-Trent has a high vacancy rate and low levels of pedestrian activity throughout much of the centre. This could impact on the centre’s long-term viability.

Tunstall (Tier 2) has historically been based around the High Street, however the opening of Alexandra Retail Park to the east of the centre has diversified the offer of the centre. There is a cause for concern in respect of the centre’s increased vacancy rate.

Burslem (Tier 2) is a historic town which was once a key part of the area's ceramic industry. Consequently, the centre includes many historic buildings which are currently vacant. One of the biggest threats to the centre is the vacancy rate. This is impacting on the attractiveness of the centre, which not only impacts on footfall but means that potential operators are less likely to take space.

Fenton (Tier 3) is located between Longton and Stoke-upon-Trent and has a limited amount of floorspace accommodating retail uses. There are very few national multiple operators with a presence in Fenton, and the centre generally lacks a number and range of operators.

Meir (Tier 3) is the easternmost centre in the plan area and is located at the periphery of Stoke-on-Trent, at the junction of the A50 and the Sandon Road/Weston Road. There has been an increase in the number of vacant units since the previous study, which is indicative of general market conditions and the issues that the city’s centres are facing.

More encouragingly, the availability of high street units appears to have helped develop an entrepreneurial spirit, with a number of centres beginning to benefit from a greater focus on independent retailers and modern markets, which are frequently focused around food and drink operators.

The health of the centres is also equally as important at local and neighbourhood level. The should meet the day to day needs of residents. There are a number of indicators to measure the health each centre such as; diversity of uses; proportion of vacant street level property; retailer representation and intentions to change representation; pedestrian flows; accessibility; perception of safety and occurrence of crime; and the state of town centre environmental quality.

QUESTION 28: How do you think the Stoke-on-Trent centres can be supported?

QUESTION 29: Are there certain types of retail that you would like to see in your neighbourhood?

The NPPF directs local plans to allocate a range of suitable sites in town centres to meet the scale and type of development likely to be needed, looking at least ten years ahead. Meeting anticipated needs for retail, leisure, office and other main town centre uses over this period should not be compromised by limited site availability, so town centre boundaries should be kept under review where necessary.

The boundaries are important for encouraging growth and protecting centres from out-of-town unsuitable development, which could undermine its ability to provide the range of shops, services and facilities for local communities.

QUESTION 30: Do you think retail boundaries need to change?

The 2019 Retail & Leisure Study acknowledges the economic role evening uses can have on individual centres. There are a number of night-time uses operating such as cinema's, restaurants, public houses, bars and nightclubs which generate jobs across the area.

The night time economy can present a number of opportunities to diversify the offer and the role of individual centres. The evening economy however can also present a number of challenges, particularly with reference to anti-social behaviour, noise and indeed crime. The Local Plan will need to provide the basis for which decisions regarding proposals can be assessed against to ensure new evening and night-time uses are in the appropriate location.

QUESTION 31: How do you think the leisure and the night time economy can be supported?

The NPPF recognises design as a key aspect of sustainable development, indivisible from good planning, and should contribute positively to making places better for people. It is concerned with the quality of everyday places as well as ensuring the promotion of good design which includes its scale, massing, form, density, orientation and layout, as well as the proportions, materials, landscape elements, access and overall spatial quality.

Design quality is an intrinsic part of protecting our heritage; it protects the setting of our existing heritage, has the potential to enhance its character and significance, and well-designed buildings may even become valued as heritage in the future. Our priorities are to manage the historic environment positively to support growth, attract investment and to empower local communities.

The distinctive landscape of Stoke-on-Trent has evolved and informed our heritage, and so we recognise the importance of both the historic and natural environments in the planning process. Heritage can support and contribute to high-quality place making, act as a catalyst for regeneration, and help create a sense of place and identity for new development. The historic environment can include buildings, archaeology, town and landscapes, the contents of museums and archives, and cultural practices. We will adopt creative approaches to ensure that all these aspects influence and are part of high-quality place making.

The NPPF recognises design as a key aspect of sustainable development, indivisible from good planning, and should contribute positively to making places better for people. It is concerned with the quality of everyday places as well as ensuring the promotion of good design which includes its scale, massing, form, density, orientation and layout, as well as the proportions, materials, landscape elements, access and overall spatial quality.

Given the complex issues which have shaped the urban form of our city, the creation of a strong sense of place will need to be addressed within the policies. Consideration will also need to be given to reinforcing local distinctiveness, enhancement of the character, appearance and function of local street scenes, and wider townscape, and, in particular, built heritage, its historic environment, its setting and the settlement pattern created by the hierarchy of centres.

Through the site selection process, each site will need to function well in relation to existing patterns of movement and activity to produce an environment which facilitates and encourages health and well-being. Policies will need to optimise the potential of each site through the use the density and mix of development, without damaging the character of the area. This also includes urban form, building lines, frontages, plot sizes and patterns, building and storey heights, and massing. Gardens will also need to be considered, ensuring that the residents have access to private outdoor space.

Design also applies to the lifetime of the building. Plans should take a proactive approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change. Appropriate mitigation should be considered within the design of the development to make it safe for the future users of the site without adversely affecting others, for the lifetime of the development. For housing, this includes creating new ‘lifetime’ standard homes that are adaptable for older people and those with health conditions. 

Requirements could include level access front and rear entrances, an entrance-level bathroom, kitchen and dining area, and low-height windows. Lifetime homes provide stability for people and families, whilst also allowing communities to stay together.

The Council currently uses a number of methods to achieve good design, including the use of masterplans and design codes to help demonstrate that all important design issues have been identified as well as helping to provide a secure and agreed framework for the development of major sites. The content will also be informed by the 10 characteristics of good places set out in the National Design Guide. The Government recently consulted on a new National Model Design Code, which provides detailed guidance on the production of design codes, guides and policies to promote successful design.

Supplementary Planning Documents can also add detail to the policies in the development plan. They can be used to provide further guidance for development on specific sites or on particular issues, such as design. Supplementary planning documents are capable of being a material consideration in planning decisions, but are not part of the development plan.

There are, therefore, a number of options available to the Council to ensure good design, including:

• Utilising Design Codes
• Supplementary Planning Documents
• Detailed policy requirements
• A requirement for masterplans

QUESTION 32: Do we need additional measures, supplementary to national guidance and codes, in the Local Plan to achieve good design? (and if yes, what could those measures be?)

Stoke-on-Trent has a rich and diverse heritage of townscape characteristics that are unique to the area. The component towns and settlements of the modern city demonstrate strong, individual civic and cultural identities.

This comes from historical development – historic landscapes, townscapes, buildings and industrial archaeology, and also derives from the natural geography, which creates opportunities for distinctive views and landmarks, and the geology, which has influenced the use of materials.

To respect the character and identity of the unique character of the area, heritage assets need to be enhanced by well-designed new development and public realm.

QUESTION 33: In addition to conservation areas, are there any other areas that require particularly careful design to respect character?

Heritage assets are irreplaceable. It is important, therefore, that their significance is sustained and enhanced. The NPPF explains that ‘significance’ is the value of a heritage asset to this and future generations, because of its heritage interest. The interest may be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic. The NPPF states that plans should set a positive strategy for the conservation and enjoyment of the historic environment.

The City of Stoke-on-Trent currently boasts a total of 240 ‘designated’ heritage assets (comprising scheduled monuments, listed buildings, conservation areas and historic parks). Designated heritage assets are those that are recognised as having national significance and/or benefiting from statutory protection. In addition, the city also has 1,455 ‘non-designated’ assets (sites of archaeological interest and buildings of special local interest), all of which are recorded on the Stoke-on-Trent Historic Environment Record (HER). The NPPF defines non-designated heritage assets as being of importance to, and with a strong affinity or cultural association with a local area. Such assets are identified by the local authority, often with community assistance and input. Despite their predominantly local value, non-designated assets represent an importance aspect of national heritage protection and management regimes.

Both designated and non-designated heritage assets will need to be considered within the Local Plan. It will need to identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset that may be affected by potential development (including by development affecting the setting of a heritage asset) taking account of the available evidence. The Local Plan will take this into account when considering the impact of a proposal on a heritage asset, to avoid or minimise any conflict between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the proposal.

The Local Plan also needs to understand, manage and protect a broader concept of what constitutes the historic environment, including cultural heritage. Concepts for archaeology and conservation areas are now also more inclusive; setting needs to be assessed and understood for these assets in the same way that established ways of thinking consider listed buildings.

QUESTION 34: Do we need additional measures in the Local Plan to support national policies and guidance on the protection of heritage assets? (If yes, what could those measures be?)

There are 1,142 assets of archaeological interest recorded within the city (with information held on the Stoke-on-Trent Historic Environment Record – HER), comprising sub-ground remains and standing structures. The archaeological resource of Stoke-on-Trent encompasses most aspects and themes of the city’s wider historic environment outlined above. It also, however, includes unique evidence that is not repeated by any other form of extant heritage asset. It encompasses some 12,000 years of human activity within the area, but is dominated by material dating from the 17th-20th centuries. Unsurprisingly, evidence of ceramic production characterises this period, but the remains of other industries (e.g. coal-mining), workers’ housing, hostelries, commercial buildings, and churches and chapels are also well represented. 

Most archaeological assets in the city are non-designated, so need to be managed and protected through the planning process. The majority of the city’s known (and, in all likelihood, unknown) archaeological remains feature on brownfield sites, the redevelopment of which requires timely and appropriate assessment to properly manage the impact on buried and above-ground remains.

Sites with the potential to produce evidence of early activity within Stoke-on-Trent are clearly of considerable interest, but more recent remains relating to the city’s lost industries and its associated social fabric are also of equal relevance to the area.

QUESTION 35: Do we need to do more to protect, manage and promote the archaeology of Stoke-on-Trent? (If the answer is yes, please state what more could be done)

Background

Stoke-on-Trent has a rich and varied network of green infrastructure defined as a strategic network of multi-functional green spaces which support natural and ecological processes and provide a wide variety of distinctive landscapes and functions which can play an important role in creating sustainable healthy communities. The city benefits from a high number of designated sites within the city, with 41 sites covering an area of 567.5 hectares being identified. Preservation and enhancement of the natural environment is a key requirement of national planning policy and is vital to ensuring sustainable development.

To protect and enhance the range of designated sites in the city, we are required by national policy to create local policies that can be used to assess any development on or affecting any relevant wildlife and geological designations. In doing so, we need to offer a level of protection to these sites that is proportionate to their status (i.e. whether they are an international, national or local designation) and their contribution to wider ecological networks. However, it should be recognised that even locally designated sites still make an important contribution to local ecological networks. We also have a wider duty to plan positively for the creation, protection, enhancement and management of networks of biodiversity and green infrastructure.

To offer further protection to areas of environmental value, we are also required to direct development towards brownfield sites. It is therefore important to recognise that such brownfield sites can still be of high environmental value, and this needs to be taken into consideration in planning any future development.

The city has a significant network of green infrastructure assets – including parks, open spaces and habitats, which provide an important resource for people and wildlife. Green infrastructure provides attractive environments for outdoor recreation and exercise; helping to create a sense of place; providing biodiversity and habitat enhancement opportunities; as well as presenting other environmental benefits such as assisting natural drainage to reduce flooding and help us adapt to climate change.

The Green Space Strategy assessed over 600 open spaces in terms of their quantity, quality and accessibility. This study found that the overwhelming majority of the City’s open spaces are identified as excellent, good and above average standard and that a significant percentage of spaces fall into the ‘above average’ category but are just falling short of good or excellent. These are open spaces that can be targeted for improvements. However, a number of the city’s open spaces are of a poor standard and recommended to be considered for major improvements or reconfiguration (including alternative land uses) where they have been identified as surplus to requirements.

Conversely, some open spaces could meet the criteria for a Local Green Space designation. Where the green space is: a) in reasonably close proximity to the community it serves; b) demonstrably special to a local community and holds a particular local significance, for example because of its beauty, historic significance, recreational value (including as a playing field), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife; and c) local in character and is not an extensive tract of land. Local Green Space designations will be considered.

QUESTION 36: How do we best manage our green spaces?

QUESTION 37: How can we make our green spaces more accessible?

Biodiversity and geodiversity are a vital part of the environment and provide a wide range of benefits. A core principle of the NPPF is that planning should help in conserving and enhancing the natural environment, minimising impacts on biodiversity and preventing the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats such as ancient woodland.

Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 places a duty on all public authorities in England and Wales to have regard to their function for the purposes of conserving biodiversity. A key purpose of the duty is to ensure that it is embedded and is considered integral to the formulation of local policies and in the determination of planning applications to help deliver the government’s long-term Environmental Plan.

National guidance requires all development sites to achieve a biodiversity net gain, and the Environment Bill will set a legal requirement for new developments over 0.1 ha to improve a site’s biodiversity value (in terms of habitats rather than species) by at least 10%. This can be calculated using a metric comparing the amount and condition of the habitat on a site before development and the amount of habitat and its condition proposed to be created and/or enhanced after development.

QUESTION 38: How do we best meet our obligations in meeting biodiversity requirements?

Trees, hedgerows and woodlands are a vital part of the areas urban environment and provide a wide range of benefits. They contribute to the character of an area and function as wildlife habitat; provide shelter; carbon storage; cleaner air; flood alleviation and urban cooling as well as increasing the desirability of the area. Furthermore, there are many recorded health benefits such as, cleaner air, reduction in asthma and improvements to mental health. Therefore trees and woodlands are an important part of the local landscape and need to be managed accordingly.

Over the years, trees have been removed from street scenes and not been seen as being essential for developers to include within schemes. In view of the government's emerging policy for developers to provide street trees, the council intends to consider producing comprehensive guidance and engineering details in future documentation, specifying appropriate species, maintenance, geometric layout, and landscaping considerations. An option is to provide street trees and sustainable energy charging points on a utility verge/hard landscaping area adjacent to the highway.

QUESTION 39: Do we need to continue to protect trees and have a progressive approach to the increased use of trees and woodland in developments within the city?

QUESTION 40: Do you support the concept to provide street trees and sustainable energy charging points?

Effective planning is an important part of a successful response to climate change as it can influence the delivery of appropriately sited green infrastructure and impact on the reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. There is a statutory duty on local planning authorities to include policies in their local plan designed to tackle and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The government has taken a number of steps to limit the UK’s emissions of greenhouse gases through legally binding targets. As part of an international effort the UK has been signed up to the Kyoto Protocol since 1995 and in 2016 ratified the Paris Agreement. The 2008 Climate Change Act commits the government to reducing UK carbon dioxide and other targeted greenhouse gases by 100% in 2050 from the baseline 1990 levels.

One of the core principles of the NPPF is the use of renewable and low carbon energy resources. It indicates that planning has a key role to play in the delivery of new renewable and low carbon energy infrastructure in locations where the local environmental impact is acceptable.

The council has declared a climate emergency in which the city resolved to set up a Commission to deliver an action plan to address climate concerns. The Council will work with others on carbon reduction and request resources to make a contribution to UK carbon reduction targets.

The local plan will need take a proactive approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change, taking into account the long-term implications. There are a number of direct issues surrounding climate change which need to be addressed including; flood risk, water supply, biodiversity and landscapes and the risk of overheating from rising temperatures.

Climate change can be mitigated in a variety of ways. The way we plan and locate development is something that should be considered. When new development is brought forward in areas, care could be taken to ensure that risks can be managed through suitable adaptation measures, including through the planning of green infrastructure. For example, urban tree planting prevents the formation of heat island effects in urban areas, whilst simultaneously removing CO2 from the surrounding environment. New development could be planned help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as through its location, orientation and design.

QUESTION 41: Are there other measures that the Local Plan should include to address climate change and achieve the Government’s target to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050?

The design of buildings is also another solution for mitigating climate change. However, any local requirements for the sustainability of buildings will need to reflect the government’s policy for national technical standards. Increasing energy efficiency within the built environment decreases the energy demand of an area, whilst reducing energy bills. Where possible improved energy efficiency should be encouraged in existing buildings including when these are converted to another use or extended.

The local plan could set a requirement for non-residential developments to achieve a specific energy rating, although acknowledging that by setting ratings too high this could impact on the viability of the development.

QUESTION 42: What level of sustainable building design standards do you consider should be required for future developments?

Energy generation and use will have an enormous influence on the ability to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and therefore minimise the contribution to climate change. It also has the potential to have adverse impacts on local air quality if not properly controlled. Energy therefore cuts across a wide range of economic, social and environmental issues.

The local plan will need to consider making suitable provision for the transition to a low carbon and renewable energy network. The council has made progress in the development and installation of a district heat network and solar PV panels on existing buildings and this could be considered for further developments. The use of decentralised renewable energy will have the greatest contribution towards reducing emissions and meeting the 2050 target of being net zero carbon levels because the city is dense and compact with limited availability of land for commercial opportunities.

The local plan will need to consider identifying suitable areas for renewable and low carbon energy sources, and supporting infrastructure, where this would help secure their development. It will also need to identify opportunities for development to draw its energy supply from decentralised, renewable or low carbon energy supply systems and for co-locating potential heat customers and suppliers.

QUESTION 43: How do we best deliver renewable energy in the city?

Wind energy describes the process by which wind is used to generate electricity. The kinetic energy is converted from the wind into mechanical power through the use of turbines. The NPPF states that proposed wind energy development involving one or more turbines should not be considered acceptable unless it is in an area identified as suitable for wind energy development in the development plan; and, following consultation, it can be demonstrated that the planning impacts identified by the affected local community have been fully addressed and the proposal has their backing.

QUESTION 44: How do we best address wind energy potential within the Local Plan?

There are a number of complex flooding issues across Stoke-on-Trent as it is at the top of the River Trent Catchment and there are some fairly steep river valleys which combined with the density of development and heavily modified drainage network in the city, can cause a rapid response to rainfall. The urban area is densely populated and in places, steeply sloping. This makes it prone to rapid surface water flooding following rapid rainfall and flooding from smaller watercourses that are tributaries of the river.

A new Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) for the city provides a robust evidence base for considering flooding, including any future increases resulting from climate change. This will be used, along with other available sources, to identify areas at risk of flooding. The local plan seeks to direct development to areas at the lowest risk of flooding by setting out the sequential and exception test requirements across the city.

QUESTION 45: How do we balance flood risk within the Local Plan against the need for development?

Mineral planning ensures that the need for minerals by society and the economy and the impacts of extraction and processing on people and the environment are managed in an integrated way. The city is underlain by coal and clay reserves but active mineral operations are limited. It also still has nationally scarce resources of Etruria Marls with inactive permitted workings within the City.

QUESTION 46: How can the Local Plan continue to safeguard land for mineral extraction?

QUESTION 47: Are there any other issues that you would like to raise which have not been covered by the questions above?

https://webmaplayers.stoke.gov.uk/webmaplayers8/map.aspx?mapname=Local_Plan

Affordable Housing: Housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market (including housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership and/or is for essential local workers); Comprises of social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing for households whose needs are not met by the market. Social rented housing is owned and rented out to households by local authorities, private registered providers or other approved landlords. Affordable rented housing is let under similar arrangements but at 20% below local market rents. Intermediate housing comprises of homes for sale and rent and can include shared equity (shared ownership and equity loans) and other low cost homes for sale and intermediate rent.

Air Quality Management Areas: Areas designated by local authorities because they are not likely to achieve national air quality objectives by the relevant deadlines.

Ancient Woodland: An area that has been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD.

Brownfield Land: See ‘previously developed land’

Climate Change: Climate change is the long-term shift in average weather patterns across the world. Since the mid-1800s, humans have contributed to the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air. This causes global temperatures to rise, resulting in long-term changes to the climate

Conservation Area: Designated as conservation area any parts of area that are of special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.

Development Management (decision-taking): A function of the respective Councils' which considers and decides submitted planning applications against relevant planning policy and any other material considerations.

Development Plan/Development Plan Documents (DPDs): Planning strategies and policies to direct the future development of an area. They include Local Plans and neighbourhood plans (as defined in section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004) and are prepared by the local planning authority or qualifying neighbourhood plan body in consultation with the community.

District Heat Network (DHN): A system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements.

Draft Local Plan: This stage of the plan production process follows on from the Issues and Options. It is at this stage that the Council will present their preferred strategy, planning policy approaches to address the planning issues raised in this paper, site allocations for development and any other issues that arise through the plan production process.

Duty to Cooperate: This is a legal requirement in introduced by the Localism Act 2011. It requires that public bodies should engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis on strategic planning issues that cross administrative boundaries.

Ecological Networks: Sites and corridors of biodiversity importance that are linked together.

Economic Development: Development that generates jobs and economic growth. This can include industrial uses, warehousing, offices, retail and leisure.

Employment Land Review: This is an evidential study that identifies different levels of economic and employment growth over the plan period and the amount, type and location of land that is best suited to meeting the projected levels of growth.

Employment Need Assessment: The forecasting of the future need for employment land within the area, including an understanding of existing business needs. It takes into account the different types of employment and job growth within the area.

Enterprise Zone: Areas designated by the government which have the backing of the local authority and Local Enterprise Partnership. Within these areas planning processes are streamlined, lower rates of tax are applied and there is greater investment in infrastructure (including superfast broadband) to better enable economic development to take place.

Evidence Base: Up-to-date and relevant studies, data, information and analysis on the economic, social and environmental characteristics and prospects of the area to inform and support the preparation of the Local Plan.

Examination in Public: Before it can be adopted, a Local Plan must be examined by an independent inspector whose role is to assess whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements, and whether it is considered ‘sound’. To be ‘sound’ a document must be positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy.

Green Belt: Designated areas of countryside surrounding large urban areas. These are designated to prevent urban sprawl, safeguard the countryside from encroachment, prevent towns from merging together, and preserve the setting and character of historic towns to assist regeneration within the urban areas. Green Belt boundaries can only be amended when the local plan for the area is reviewed.

Green Infrastructure: A network of multi-functional green space which is capable of delivering a wide range of environmental benefits and quality of life benefits for local communities. Green infrastructure can encompass both urban and rural areas.

Greenfield Land: Land that has not previously been developed (see entry for ‘previously developed land’). This includes land currently or last used for agriculture and forestry and private garden land.

Heritage Asset: A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest. Heritage assets include designated heritage assets such as Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Listed Buildings, Registered Park and Gardens, Registered Battlefields or Conservation Areas as well as assets identified by the local planning authority (including local listing).

Historic Environment: All aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time, including all surviving physical remains of past human activity, whether visible, buried or submerged, and landscaped and planted or managed flora.

Housing Needs Assessment: An unconstrained assessment of the number of homes needed in an area. Assessing housing need is the first step in the process of deciding how many homes need to be planned for. It should be undertaken separately from assessing land availability, establishing a housing requirement figure and preparing policies to address this such as site allocations.

Housing Requirement: An objective assessment of housing needs undertaken within the Strategic Housing Market Assessment and Housing Needs Assessment (see separate entry below) which identifies the extent of the need for new housing without being influenced by planning matters such as the ability of the land supply to accommodate the levels of development - these matters are considered within the Local Plan preparation process.

Housing Market Area: This is the area within which the local housing market operates. The extent of the Housing Market Area is defined within the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (see separate entry below).

Intermediate Housing: A type of affordable housing (see ‘affordable housing’)

Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP): A body, designated by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, established for the purpose of creating or improving the conditions for economic growth in an area. The body that covers Stoke-on-Trent is the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Local Nature Partnership (LNP): A body, designated by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, established for the purpose of protecting and improving the natural environment in an area and the benefits derived from it.

Local Plan: The Local Plan is being prepared by the City Council to guide future development across the area. The final, adopted version of this development plan document will detail the strategy for development across the area up to 2040 and will contain detailed policies and site allocations which Stoke-on-Trent City Council will use to manage future development.

Local Planning Authority: The public authority whose duty it is to carry out specific planning functions for a particular area, such as creating planning policies or deciding planning applications. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is the local planning authority for the area.

Main Town Centre Use: Retail development, leisure, entertainment facilities, offices, arts, culture and tourism development. Examples include shops, cinemas, restaurants, bars and pubs, night-clubs, casinos, health and fitness centres, indoor bowling centres, bingo halls, theatres, museums, galleries, hotels and conference facilities.

Mineral Safeguarding Area: An area covering known deposits of minerals which are desired to be kept safeguarded from unnecessary sterilisation by non-mineral development. In the Local Plan area Stoke-on-Trent City Council are responsible for designating Mineral Safeguarding areas.

Monitoring: Involves the collection and analysis of data and statistics to understand how patterns of development are changing. An example of this is the collection of housebuilding statistics. Monitoring data can show how effective planning policies are in influencing development. Such information is reported by local planning authorities in their Authority Monitoring Report (AMR).

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF): The Government’s planning policies for England, which provide a policy framework that sets the parameters under which Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans should be prepared, and decisions on planning applications should be made.

National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG/PPG): The Government’s more detailed online guidance on national planning policies, which adds further detail to the NPPF.

Open Space: Space of public value, including not just land, but also areas of water (such as rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs) which offer important opportunities for sport and recreation and can act as a visual amenity.

Out of Centre: A location which is neither within nor on the edge of a town centre.

People with Disabilities: People have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment, and that impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Planning Policy (plan-making): A function of local planning authorities that prepares planning policies and development plan documents to direct decisions on development proposals within the authority’s area.

Pollution: Anything that affects the quality of land, air, water or soils and which might lead to an adverse impact on human health, the natural environment or general amenity. Pollution can arise from a range of emissions, including smoke, fumes, gases, dust, steam, odour, noise and light.

Previously Developed Land: Land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure. This excludes land occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings, restored land previously used for minerals extraction or landfill and private residential gardens.

Primary Shopping Area: Area in a town or city centre that is defined within planning policy documents where retail development is concentrated as the dominant use in that location.

Renewable and Low Carbon Energy: Includes energy for heating and cooling as well as generating electricity. ‘Renewable’ covers sources of energy that occur naturally and repeatedly, for example wind, water, sun and also biomass and geothermal heat from below the ground. Low carbon technologies are those that can help reduce emissions (compared to conventional use of fossil fuels).

Saved Policies: Older local plan policies that can remain in place following a direction given by the Secretary of State under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A list of currently saved policies in Stoke-on-Trent are available on the website.

Site Allocation: A site designated within a development plan document for a specific type of use. For example, housing, employment or retail development.

Social Housing, or Social Rented Housing: A type of affordable housing (see ‘affordable housing’)

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI): A document adopted by a local planning authority which describes how the public, business and interest groups within a local authority area can get involved in plan-making and the decision-taking.

Strategic Economic Plan (SEP): This is a document produced by the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP – see separate entry above) which sets out the vision, aims and objectives for economic growth within the LEP area.

Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA): This is an assessment of sites across a local planning authority area that may be capable of accommodating housing development. It is an assessment of all known sites in the area but it does not constitute a council’s view on which sites should or should not be developed for housing. The assessment is intended to identify whether or not sites are suitable, available and achievable for housing development.

Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA): This is an evidential study that examines the extent and the operation of the local housing market. It also identifies the extent of the housing needs that exist or are likely to arise within the defined housing market area.

Submission: This is when the final version of the Local Plan will be sent to the Secretary of State to be subject to an independent Examination in Public. There will be a final round of public consultation prior to submission and any resulting comments received will be considered by the appointed Planning Inspector who will oversee the Examination.

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs): Documents which add further detail to the policies in the development plan. They can be used to provide further guidance for development on specific sites, or on particular issues, such as design. Supplementary planning documents are capable of being a material consideration in planning decisions but are not part of the development plan.

Sustainability Appraisal: An assessment of the impacts of policies and proposals on economic, social and environmental objectives, i.e. ‘sustainable development’.

Sustainable Development: Development which contributes to meeting the long term economic and social needs of the community, whilst balancing this against the need to avoid creating an unacceptable long-term impact on the environment.

Sustainable Transport: Any efficient, safe and accessible means of transport with overall low impact on the environment, including walking and cycling, low and ultra-low emission vehicles, car sharing and public transport.

Town Centre: Area defined on the local authority’s policies map, including the primary shopping area and areas predominantly occupied by main town centre uses within or adjacent to the primary shopping area. References to town centres or centres apply to city centres, town centres, district centres and local centres but exclude small parades of shops of purely neighbourhood significance. Unless they are identified as centres in the development plan, existing out-of-centre developments, comprising or including main town centre uses, do not constitute town centres.

Unitary Authority: A local government authority with responsibility for all local government functions in that area.

Viability: Refers to the financial implications of development. If the costs of development do not allow for a sufficient financial return to the developer then the development will not be viable. Viability can be affected by the costs of developing the land, the costs of providing wider benefits such as open space or affordable housing, and the sale value of the completed development.

Windfall Site: A site not specifically identified for development in a plan, but which becomes available for development or is granted planning permission during the lifetime of the plan.