Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan
Chapter 3 - Vision and Strategic Objectives
(14) The Vision for South Kesteven's Local Plan
3.1 The vision for South Kesteven's new Local Plan looks to maximise the potential of the District, through supporting the delivery of jobs, growing the economy, enhancing the role of the town centres, and enabling villages and smaller settlements to deliver appropriate forms of sustainable growth. Together these will aim to provide a high quality of life to residents throughout the District, making South Kesteven the best district in which to live, work, invest and visit.
3.2 The Council is preparing a new Corporate Plan which includes the following five key areas:
- Connecting Communities
- A Sustainable South Kesteven
- Enabling Economic Opportunity
- High Quality Affordable Housing
- Being an Effective Council.
3.3 The Local Plan will consider the priorities and ambitions of the Corporate Plan, once it is adopted.
(50) 2041 Vision for South Kesteven
In 2041 South Kesteven will continue to be a vibrant part of Lincolnshire. It will have strong links to the growing economies of Peterborough, Cambridge and London, in particular. The distinctive local character, unique local heritage and environmental and cultural assets will be a source of enjoyment of all and will be enhanced where possible. Such features will continue to make an essential contribution to the economy, such as attracting people to live and work in South Kesteven and will continue to contribute to the visitor economy.
The District will have a successful, diverse economy providing employment opportunities for the local workforce, equipped with a wide range of skills to meet employer needs. It will be an area of sustainable, high quality growth and a popular place to work, live, visit and invest in.
The District will have drastically lower carbon emissions than present, and energy and transport infrastructure which supports low carbon lifestyles for South Kesteven residents. The built environment is suitably prepared for hotter temperatures and the impacts of disruptive weather.
South Kesteven will provide a high quality of life, consisting of sustainable urban and rural communities where people want to live and work and are able to do so in quality and enhanced environments. The District will be a safe place to live with strong communities.
The network of town and village centres will grow and develop appropriately, according to their size, and will provide a range of accessible services in a good environment. This will be achieved by:
- Creating the right balance of jobs, housing, services and infrastructure;
- Ensuring that development is sustainable in terms of location, use and form;
- Balancing the development needs of the District with the protection and enhancement of the natural and built environment;
- Addressing and mitigating any negative effects of development on the built and natural environment, including the effects of Climate Change;
- Working with partners and residents to develop a place that is welcoming to all.
Grantham
Grantham's role as the Sub-Regional Centre will be strengthened through significant housing and employment growth. The town will capitalise on its status as the sub-regional centre for Southern Lincolnshire and its position between Lincoln and Peterborough. The town will develop employment opportunities, particularly through the provision of a new junction to the A1 at the Southern Gateway as part of the proposed Southern Relief Road, making Grantham an even more successful sub-regional centre and leisure destination, providing for both the local community and visitors from a wider area.
New major Sustainable Urban Extensions to the south and east of the town will be developed at Spitalgate Heath in the form of a nationally designated Garden Village and the Prince William of Gloucester Barracks; there will be further significant residential development to the north and north-west of the town.
New employment opportunities, together with the good educational offer of the town, will help to retain and develop skills and talent.
A mixed use development comprising of residential development and employment opportunities will be developed at the Grantham train station. The town centre will provide a safe and attractive environment for people to shop, live and spend their leisure time. Pedestrians and other non-car users can move around safely and comfortably and there will be improved walking and cycling links from surrounding residential areas.
Stamford
The town will grow through a sustainable urban extension to the north providing a vibrant, well-designed, appropriately structured development that addresses local housing need and provides tangible benefits for both new and existing residents. The Stamford North Extension (SNE) will foster high quality public realm, built form and landscaping, whilst enabling the essential character of the historic town to be preserved.
Stamford will remain as a historic, rural market town and thriving tourist destination. The important heritage assets and green spaces will be preserved and enhanced where possible.
The local economy will be supported through the supply of land to develop a diverse, range of employment opportunities, resulting in a vibrant and modern economy, with increased jobs and enhanced prosperity that has capitalised on the location close to the A1 and links with Peterborough and Cambridge. The growth will be supported by improvements to infrastructure and services and will enable all sections of the community to enjoy a sustainable way of life.
Bourne
Bourne will have further developed its distinctive market town role. Housing development at Elsea Park will be completed and well integrated into the town. Planned growth has been identified to the north east of the town centre.
The Local Plan will preserve and enhance where possible Bourne's defining assets, including the heritage assets and green spaces. The economy of the town will be supported through the supply of appropriate land to develop a robust modern economy to increase jobs and enhance prosperity, particularly with respect to its relationship with food production and the Fenland economy. The growth will be supported by improvements to infrastructure and services and will enable all sections of the community to enjoy a sustainable way of life.
The Deepings
The Deepings will have further developed its distinctive market town role. Planned growth will take place through new developments to the east and west of the town to meet local needs and respond to market demands.
The Local Plan will seek to ensure that The Deepings' defining assets, including heritage assets and accessible green space are retained and enhanced where possible.
The economy of the town will be supported through the supply of appropriate land to develop a diverse, vibrant and modern economy to increase jobs, enhance prosperity and provide a better balance between housing and employment growth. The growth will be supported by improvements to infrastructure and services and will enable all sections of the community to enjoy a sustainable way of life.
Villages and Countryside
Outside the four main towns, new development will be focused primarily on those villages where there are good levels of services and facilities, having regard to the environmental and infrastructure capacity of those villages and the desire to safeguard existing services and employment.
All villages will retain their diversity and vitality, with thriving communities, well planned and carefully managed development. Villages will have sufficient jobs and homes for local people. Larger villages will continue to provide the necessary day-to-day services to ensure rural communities have choice in terms of homes, work and recreation.
The specialised needs of rural communities will be met through appropriate development that meets defined local needs. The diversification of the rural economy will be encouraged while recognising the importance of supporting the important agricultural economy; as well as protecting and enhancing assets; and the conservation and enhancement of heritage assets and their settings.
Summary of Proposed Changes
The vision for the district has been amended to strengthen the Council's commitment to tackling climate change and updated to include the change in plan period to 2041, and the areas of growth proposed through the Local Plan Review.
(43) Strategic Objectives for the Local Plan
3.4 To help prepare detailed policies and proposals, the overarching objectives of the Local Plan need to be clearly set out. The objectives listed below have been used in a consistent way in both this document and the parallel Sustainability Appraisal process. As before, with the challenges facing the Local Plan, the Strategic Objectives have been categorised as economic, social or environmental.
3.5 The table below details the Strategic Objectives of the Local Plan;
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Economic Enhancing Prosperity |
Objective 1 |
To welcome and encourage development that supports the sustainable growth and diversification of the local economy |
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Objective 2 |
To develop a strong, successful and sustainable economy that provides a sufficient number and wide range of employment opportunities for local people by:
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Objective 3 |
To broaden and diversify the employment base of the District to meet the needs of a changing local economy by:
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Objective 4 |
To strengthen the economic vitality and viability of town centres by adapting to changing consumer patterns in shopping, living and leisure. |
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Objective 5 |
To facilitate and sustain a network of sustainable communities which offer a sense of place, that are safe, inclusive and can respond to the needs of local people, establishing an appropriate spatial strategy that will guide the scale, location and form of new development across the District, providing the long term basis for the for the planning of South Kesteven. |
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Objective 6 |
To facilitate and enhance the role of Grantham as an important Sub-Regional centre by ensuring the town is the main focus for new housing, employment and other facilities, as well as enhancing the role and function of the market towns of Stamford, Bourne and The Deepings and the Larger Villages. |
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Objective 7 |
To make effective use of land by maximising the amount of development on appropriate previously developed sites and on sites in locations which reduce the need to travel. |
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Objective 8 |
To retain and improve accessibility for all to employment, services, community, leisure and cultural activities through:
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Objective 9 |
To make provision for an adequate supply and choice of land for new housing, employment, retail, leisure, culture and other necessary development, to meet the needs of the District to the year 2041, and in so doing improve the quality of life for all, whilst safeguarding the best and most versatile of our agricultural land. |
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Social Housing, Health, Social and Community Needs |
Objective 10 |
To ensure that new residential development includes a mix and range of housing types which are suitable for a variety of needs, including the need for affordable and local-need housing in the District. |
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Objective 11 |
To support new and existing community infrastructure. To ensure that relevant community and other infrastructure needs such as facilities for leisure, new or enhanced open space provision, green infrastructure, health, education, affordable housing, transport, water infrastructure and the arts as arising from new development is delivered through on and off site contributions. To contribute to improving the health and well-being of residents. |
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Environmental Protection and Enhancement of Environment |
Objective 12 |
To protect and enhance the District's natural, historic, cultural assets, blue green infrastructure (including trees, woodland, and watercourses) and the built environment through good design, sensitive use and management Improved networks that respect important local characteristics, by ensuring new development is well designed, promotes local distinctiveness, integrates effectively with its setting and secures community safety. |
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Objective 13 |
To proactively plan for and reduce the impacts of, and address climate change through adaptation and mitigation and to move to a low carbon economy, in order for the district to play its part in meeting national ambitions to meet net zero carbon by 2050. New development is appropriately designed to significantly reduce carbon emissions and is not exposed unnecessarily to the risk of flooding nor increases the risk of flooding elsewhere. Opportunities to incorporate blue green infrastructure (including trees, woodland, and watercourses) and adaptation for wildlife as a response to increases in flood risk are properly investigated, including through the provision of biodiversity net gain. |
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Objective 14 |
To promote the prudent use of finite natural resources and the positive use of renewable resources, through the design, location and layout of development and by optimising the use of existing infrastructure, wherever possible. |
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Objective 15 |
To minimise pollution which affects health and wellbeing and the environment. |
Summary of Proposed Changes
The Local Plan Objectives have been amended to accord with strengthened national policy on climate change and biodiversity net gain. The objectives have also been amended to reference the Council's commitment to reach net zero carbon by 2050 through the adaptation and mitigation.
3.6 The key diagram below indicates the broad spatial strategy for the Local Plan, and its context. The reasoned justifications for this are detailed in subsequent plan chapters.
Figure 5: Key Diagram
