5.21 Specific site allocations and development management policies that promote new development and protect existing land uses are effective planning tools for managing the use of land. Many site allocations already exist in the current Local Plan and they have generally proven to be robust in achieving their objectives.
5.22 It must be acknowledged though that some sites have not yet been delivered and this is normally related to the ability of the market to deliver. It is proposed to thoroughly review and modify the existing site allocations to ensure that they reflect renewed priorities of the Council, such as the climate and ecological emergencies and to demonstrate that needs are properly planned for.
5.23 The Council propose to allocate larger or significant development sites and that other opportunities for smaller scale or organic redevelopment and change (e.g. garage courts, change in local centres etc) will be supported by a facilitative and enabling policy framework.
5.24 To help diversify housing supply by encouraging smaller scale developers and self-builders, it is important for the Local Plan to embrace incremental change rather than expecting comprehensive development at a larger scale. This is often difficult to achieve and may never come forward due to complexities of land ownership. The policy framework will be supportive of incremental change and seek to simplify design and development requirements through design codes and guidance. Where appropriate, such as in the wider public interest, incremental changes will need to accord with wider spatial framework.
5.25 In addition, there could be opportunities to explore the potential for improvements to the Foxhill and Twerton areas in Bath. Working with Curo, who manage much of the social housing stock in these areas, we could explore improving existing housing, including making it more energy efficient (providing carbon emissions benefits in line with the Climate Emergency), more affordable to run and providing more comfortable and improved living conditions. this could also offer the opportunity to improve the quality of place and potentially to increase the number of homes, thereby providing additional affordable housing (including social rented housing) which is needed. The overall number of homes also needs to be increased in order to be able to access Homes England funding.
5.26 Following consultation on these site options, a detailed assessment of the transport impact of each site will be undertaken, to inform selection of sites to be included in the Draft Plan. The cumulative impact of all sites included in the Draft Plan will also be assessed. Any site allocations in the Draft Plan will define the site specific interventions that are required.
5.27 There are a range of potential site allocations that are included in the Local Plan Options document, as follows:
- Existing site allocations refreshed and refined to reflect updated priorities and to address the Climate and Ecological Emergencies.
- Newbridge Riverside is proposed for a more fundamental review that will seek to protect its important employment role and optimise the potential development capacity of the area. This will entail protecting existing floorspace and enabling its evolution as an employment area to focus on industrial, advanced engineering, R&D businesses and the Locksbrook Creative Industry Hub. No residential, PBSA or University related activity (that is not in the above sectors) would be permitted.
- Other sites on the edge of or close to Bath:
- During the preparation of the Core Strategy, the Council proposed a strategic allocation on three separate land parcels adjoining Weston and this was considered during the Examination stage by the Planning Inspector. All of the land was within the World Heritage Site, the Cotswolds National Landscape and the Green Belt. In addition, the land was identified as being part of the important green hillsides in the WHS Setting SPD, some of which was also part of the Bath Conservation Area. The Inspector concluded (para 184 of his report) that ‘the benefits do not clearly outweigh the harm that would arise to the National Landscape, the WHS and the conservation area … and there are not the exceptional circumstances to justify removing land from the Green Belt or for major development in the National Landscape.’ The Inspector recognised that parts of the land proposed would have less harm than the whole allocation, suggesting that these might be considered in isolation at a future date.
- The Council has not undertaken the detailed further assessment that is required to ascertain the degree of harm of smaller non- strategic sites, such as some of the component land parcels of this previously proposed allocation. There will be other non-strategic sites in different parts of the city too. The suitability of these sites and any other sites put forward as part of this consultation will need to be assessed as part of the preparation of the Draft Local Plan.
- Some assessment has been undertaken of those sites submitted as part of the Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) and further information is available here.
- A potential development location south of Burnett on the A39 has been included in this section for further exploration and to establish whether this has potential as a longer term location for growth.
- Land to the West of Bath is also considered as a potential option for helping to meet the development needs of the city. However, assessment shows that development here would be very likely to cause substantial harm to the World Heritage Site. Therefore, it is considered to be unlikely that an allocation for development in this location will be capable of inclusion in the Draft Local Plan. That said, it is included within this Local Plan Options document, to help ascertain whether substantial public benefits can be identified that might outweigh this substantial harm.