Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan
Chapter 6 – Spatial Strategy
(10) Spatial Strategy and Settlement Hierarchy
6.1 The spatial policies are intended to provide the overarching framework for development within the District, providing the locational strategy to be adopted when allocating land for development. Government policy through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) is to promote the more efficient use of land by locating development, wherever possible, on previously developed land in sustainable locations.
(5) Assessing Local Housing Need
6.2 The Local Plan needs to make provision to meet the need for market and affordable housing over the plan period. This Regulation 18 consultation calculates housing need using the government's standard method.
6.3 The population of South Kesteven District is currently 143,400 and is projected to rise to 154,833 by 2041. The Local plan translates the growth in population into a need for a particular number of new homes, which it then distributes in a sustainable pattern across the whole of the district.
6.4 Whilst the Council is using the government's Standard Method to calculate housing land need for the plan period within this draft Local Plan, the Council has commissioned a Local Housing Needs Assessment which assesses housing need as well as affordable and specialist housing.
6.5 Since 2021 there have been 1,127 housing completions. Details on housing completions are recorded annually in the Council's Authority Monitoring Reports and Annual Position Statements.
6.6 The minimum Local Plan requirement for South Kesteven is 14,020 dwellings across the plan period 2021 – 2041, equating to 701 dwellings per annum. Whilst the housing requirement is based on the Standard Method Calculation, the Local Plan trajectory (which indicates broadly when and how much housing the Council expects to be delivered) contains a "buffer" of around 21% above the minimum Local Plan requirement of 14,020 new homes by 2041. The purpose of the buffer is to provide developers with a greater choice of sites and a contingency in case some which are included in the supply are not delivered within the timeframes anticipated. This should help ensure the Council delivers at least the full requirement.
6.7 Based on the context, vision and objectives of the Local Plan, Policy SP1 sets out the overarching spatial strategy for the Local Plan. This is then followed by Policy SP2 -Settlement Hierarchy. Taken together, they indicate how the total number of new homes that are to be built will be distributed across the district to achieve a sustainable pattern of development.
Policy Type: Significant Changes to Policy
(52) SP1: Spatial Strategy
The Local Plan will deliver sustainable growth across the District and throughout the Plan Period (2021-2041). To achieve new growth the Local Plan includes allocations for both housing and employment land.
All allocations proposed in the Local Plan are the most suitable and sustainable development options and provide for a variety of site types and sizes to ensure choice is offered to the market and delivery is achievable.
The housing need for South Kesteven, using the Standard Method, is 14,020 new dwellings. To ensure the need is met in full, the minimum Local Plan requirement for South Kesteven is 14,020 dwellings across the period 2021 to 2041.
The overall strategy of the Local Plan is to deliver sustainable growth, including new housing and job creation, in order to facilitate growth in the local economy and support local residents. The focus for the majority of growth is in and around the sub-regional centre of Grantham and the three market towns, with Grantham being a particular focal point.
Larger Villages will provide a supporting role in meeting the development needs of the District. Development should create strong, sustainable, cohesive and inclusive communities, making the most effective use of appropriate previously developed land (where possible) and enabling a larger number of people to access jobs, services and facilities locally. Development should provide the scale and mix of housing types that will meet the identified need for South Kesteven (as informed by the Local Housing Needs Assessment) and a range of new job opportunities in order to secure balanced communities (as informed by the Employment Land Study).
Decisions on investment in services and facilities, and on the location and scale of new development, will be taken on the basis of the Settlement Hierarchy as set out in Policy SP2.
Summary of Proposed Changes
Policy SP1 has been updated to reflect the new plan period up to 2041, and the new housing need.
The Local Plan needs to make provision for market and affordable housing over the plan period. The Government's Standard Method established a minimum need of 14,020 dwellings from 2021 to 2041, equating to 701 dwellings per annum. A Local Housing Needs Assessment has been prepared which confirms the use of the Standard Method.
The agricultural land section has been removed from Policy SP1 and placed into a new policy for clarity.
6.8 Grantham is a sub-regional centre and to ensure that Grantham continues to function effectively in that role both for the District and wider region, the majority of growth both already consented and proposed in the Local Plan is focused on Grantham.
6.9 Grantham and the three market towns - Stamford, Bourne, and The Deepings offer services and facilities to their local communities as well as supporting the network of larger villages and smaller settlements located around them. In order to ensure the continued success of these Market Towns development proposals which support and enhance their role as service centres will be supported. The Local Plan will aim to protect existing retail and community facilities and to ensure that new housing and employment-generating development is sustainably located so as to complement the natural and built environments of the four Towns.
6.10 Beyond Grantham and the three market towns (Stamford, Bourne, and The Deepings) the Larger Villages (as listed in Policy SP2) are considered to be the next most sustainable locations for growth within the District andtherefore should positively contribute towards meeting the District's overall growth needs. Allocations are proposed in some of these settlements, and the appropriateness of these sites has been demonstrated through a robust appraisal process.
6.11 Infrastructure capacity issues have been identified at some settlements and planning applications will be expected to help address the impact of development on infrastructure, where relevant.
6.12 The Larger Villages not only support their own communities but also fulfil the role of being a service centre to the smaller settlements and rural areas around them. Development within the Larger Villages may help to retain or improve the range of services available to both the larger villages and the other settlements served by them. The capacity of services (such as education, sewerage and water disposal) in some of these larger villages is at or near capacity. In some cases, a planned new development may bring about the provision of additional infrastructure which will resolve these issues. However, to ensure that existing infrastructure is not over-stretched, outside of the allocated sites other development within the Larger Villages will be carefully managed and should be small scale (generally expected to be on sites of no more than 11 dwellings).
6.13 In the Smaller Villages, (as listed in Policy SP2) there is limited capacity to accommodate new development, and whilst previously planning policies strictly limited development in these locations, it is the intention of the Local Plan to allow small, sensitive infill developments (generally expected to be no more than 3 dwellings) so that these smaller communities can positively respond to the housing needs of their people and fulfil their role as sustainable communities.
6.14 Development proposals on the edge of a settlement will only be supported in the following specific circumstances: where they are supported by clear evidence of substantial support from the local community or; where they form a Rural Exceptions scheme which meets a proven local need for affordable homes. In all cases the site must be well located to the existing built form, substantially enclosed and where the sites edge is clearly defined by a physical feature that also acts as a barrier to further growth (such as a road). The proposal should not visually extend building into the open countryside.
6.15 Where it is demonstrated that a proposal meets a proven local need for affordable housing the site should also be small in scale. In accordance with the NPPF in certain circumstances small numbers of market homes may be permitted as part of affordable housing exception sites to make them viable. The overall number of market dwellings provided in such cases should not exceed the number of affordable homes provided and must be determined by submission of a robust viability assessment which shows the minimum number of market houses that would be required to make the scheme viable and therefore guarantee successful delivery of the affordable housing component. The Council will have any such viability assessment independently verified. The applicant will be expected to meet the cost of this assessment.
6.16 Development proposals in the open countryside which do not meet the criteria set out in Policy SP4 and the new policy for Rural Exception Schemes will be restricted, unless exceptional circumstances apply as outlined in Policy SP5. This will ensure that development is located in the most sustainable and suitable locations, but also enables those essential needs of rural communities and the rural economy to be accommodated.
Policy Type: Significant Changes to Policy
Summary of Proposed Changes
Policy SP2 has been updated to reflect the conclusions of the Settlement Hierarchy Review (2023). Policy SP2 identifies 16 Larger Villages. The 15 Larger Villages in the adopted Local Plan remain and Claypole (a smaller village in the adopted Local Plan) has been reclassified as a Larger Village due to the availability of services and facilities.
Policy SP2 has been modified to clarify that SP3 and SP4 apply to residential development and any other location not listed in Policy SP2 will be subject to Policy SP5 – Open Countryside.
There have also been changes in regard to the category of Smaller Villages. Careby has been reclassified as a Smaller Village as it now has the key facilities to meet the Smaller Village criteria. Sedgebrook and Toft, have also been removed as smaller villages and reclassified as countryside due to the reduction of available facilities and services.
Policy Type: Minor Changes to Policy
(12) SP3: Residential Development within Settlements
In all settlements defined in Policy SP2, residential development, which is in accordance with all other relevant Local Plan policies, will be supported provided that:
- it is within a substantially built up area; and
- it does not extend the pattern of development beyond the existing built form; and
- it does not cause harm or unacceptable impact upon the occupiers amenity of adjacent properties; and
- it is in keeping with the character of the area and is sensitive to the setting of adjacent properties.
This Policy is to be read in conjunction with the Design SPD, and any development proposals will be expected to have regard to the Design SPD or subsequent guides or codes.
Summary of Proposed Changes
Policy SP3 has been renamed to clarify that it applies to residential development within settlements.
The Design SPD was adopted in November 2021. Policy SP3 has been amended to refer to the adopted SPD or subsequent guides or codes.
Policy Type: Minor Changes to Policy
(37) SP4: New Residential Development on the Edge of Settlements
Proposals for new residential development on the edge of a settlement, as defined in Policy SP2, which are in accordance with all other relevant Local Plan policies, will be supported provided that the essential criteria a – d below are met. The proposal must:
- demonstrate clear evidence of substantial support from the local community* through an appropriate, thorough, and proportionate pre-application community consultation exercise. Where this cannot be determined, support (or otherwise) should be sought from the Town or Parish Council or Neighbourhood Plan Group or Forum, based upon material planning considerations;
- be well designed and appropriate in size / scale, layout and character to the setting and area;
- be adjacent to the existing pattern of development for the area, or adjacent to developed site allocations as identified in the development plan;
- not extend obtrusively into the open countryside and be appropriate to the landscape, environmental and heritage characteristics of the area; and
- meet a proven local need for housing and seeks to address a specific targeted need for local market housing.
* the term 'demonstration of clear local community support' means that at the point of submitting a planning application to the local planning authority, there should be clear evidence of local community support for the scheme, with such support generated via a thorough, but proportionate, pre-application consultation exercise, where demonstratable evidence of local community support or objection cannot be determined, then there will be a requirement for support from the applicable Parish or Town Council or Neighbourhood Plan Group. If an application is in doubt as to what would constitute a 'thorough but proportionate', preapplication consultation exercise, then the applicant should contact the applicable local planning authority.
Summary of Proposed Changes
Policy SP4 has been amended to relate to new residential development on the edge of settlements. The rural exception scheme policy which has been removed and inserted into a new policy for clarity.
The requirement to enable the delivery of essential infrastructure is now not included within the policy as the delivery of infrastructure is required by other policies within the Plan.
Policy Type: New Policy
(4) NEW POLICY 1: Rural Exception Schemes
A housing scheme which meets a demonstrable local need for affordable housing will be considered acceptable as a Rural Exception scheme, provided that it is supported by clear up-to-date evidence that the proposal:
- is justified by evidence of local need and affordability, from an appropriate local housing needs survey; and
- meets the affordable housing needs of households who are currently resident, or have a local connection to the parish as defined in the Council’s published housing allocations policy; and
- the occupation of the dwellings will be secured in perpetuity to meet local need; and
- that no other more suitable site(s) is available within the settlement.
On Rural Exception sites the Council may consider market housing provision alongside affordable housing as a means of cross-subsidising the essential affordable housing provision. In such cases the total number of market dwellings must not exceed the number of affordable homes needed and should be supported by the submission of a robust viability assessment which demonstrates that the scheme only promotes the minimum number of market houses required to make the scheme viable (viability assessment will be independently verified and the applicant will be expected to meet the cost of this assessment).
Summary of Proposed Changes
A new policy – Rural Exception Schemes has been created detailing policy with regard to rural exception schemes. This section was included within Policy SP4 within the adopted Local Plan but has been separated out for clarity. There have been no amendments to the wording of the policy.
Policy Type: Minor Changes to Policy
(11) SP5: Development Outside of Settlements
Development outside of settlements will be limited to that which has an essential need to be located outside of the existing built form of a settlement. In such instances, the following types of development will be supported:
- agriculture, forestry or equine development;
- rural diversification projects;
- replacement dwellings (on a one for one basis) or;
- conversion of buildings provided that the existing building(s) positively contributes to the character or appearance of the local area by virtue of their historic, traditional or vernacular form; and
- are in sound structural condition; and
- are suitable for conversion without substantial alteration, extension or rebuilding, and that the works to be undertaken do not detract from the character of the building(s) or their setting.
Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation sites, subject to compliance with Policy H5 and Policy H6.
Employment proposals will be subject to assessment against employment policies.
Summary of Proposed Changes
A criterion has been inserted into Policy SP5 which details that Gyspy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation sites will be supported in the open countryside subject to compliance with Policy H5 and Policy H6.
Policy Type: New Policy
(12) NEW POLICY 2: Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land
Proposals should protect the best and most versatile agricultural land so as to protect opportunities for food production and the continuance of the agricultural economy. Development affecting the best and most versatile agricultural land will only be permitted if:
- There is insufficient lower grade land available at that settlement (unless development of such lower grade land would be inconsistent with other sustainability considerations); and
- The benefits and/or sustainability considerations outweigh the need to protect such land, when taking into account the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Sites of 1 hectare or larger which would result in the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land, must submit an agricultural land classification report, setting out the justification for such a loss and this criterion has been met; and
- The impacts of the proposal upon ongoing agricultural operations have been minimised through the use of appropriate design solutions; and
- Where feasible, once any development which is permitted has ceased its useful life the land will be restored to its former use, and will be of at least equal quality to that which existed prior to the development taken place (this requirement will be secured by planning condition where appropriate).
