Local Agenda 21, Chapter 11, Built Environment
Local Agenda 21 (LA21)
11. Built Environment
11.1 When most people think of Tameside they imagine it as a collection of urban townships to the east of Manchester, but Tameside is actually very different. It has a land area of 103.03sq k, but surprisingly, of this 49.30sq k is designated as green belt which means that the Borough could almost be described as semi-rural. There are approximately 220,000 people living in the Borough and these people inhabit about 90,000 households. New housing accounted for the construction of 350 new dwellings per annum in recent years.
Sustainable Land Use
11.2 The built environment has its part to play in achieving a sustainable future and it is the role of the planning system to achieve development that is sustainable. This is an added responsibility over and above the need to facilitate the provision of homes, investment and jobs. It is essential therefore that we, as a whole community, start to think about the land use pattern, the transport network and the services in the Borough.
11.3 Sustainable development seeks to deliver the objective of achieving economic development, both now and in the future, to secure higher living standards whilst protecting and enhancing the environment. To achieve this aim it is agreed that the priority for the Borough is to provide for the needs of the local economy and for the homes needed whilst concentrating development in existing urban areas. This, together with conserving natural features and cultural heritage, involves shaping development patterns in such a way as to sustain local services and minimise the need to travel.
11.4 In the urban areas of Tameside opportunities for radical change are limited. This is because the area is already very compact and services are mostly provided for within urban areas. However in terms of sustainable development there are initiatives which can be taken to achieve improvements and this Action Plan provides the first step towards implementing such a policy.
Development Plans
11.5 At present the Unitary Development Plan attempts to resolve a number of issues which are considered important in the context of sustainability. Generally the plan is consistent with the aim of conserving resources whilst allowing development to take place. There are clear and robust policies in place, which aim at conserving open land, natural habitats, urban greenspace and the built heritage of the Borough.
11.6 In the future there will be a need to accommodate more dwellings if, as forecast, the household formation rate increases. At the same time there is a need to accommodate the businesses required for the local economy to develop and grow. Careful consideration will need to be given to the location of this necessary development if economic growth and the satisfaction of housing needs are to be achieved in a sustainable manner.
11.7 There is an expectation that the appropriate policies contained in LA21's will influence the future formulation of development plans. If policy is developed further as indicated by this Action Plan it will ultimately become necessary to take into account all urban development sites before allowing greenfield sites to be developed. Strong policies are however already in place within the UDP, which adequately form the framework for this type of decision making. The forthcoming review of the UDP will be subject to public consultation.
11.8 The proposals contained in this section also deal with transportation design and education issues as they affect land use and the need to reduce vehicle trips. Land use is the major influence on movement and transportation systems. People travel because they need to move between activities that take place at the various different land uses. Whilst the opportunity for land use change is limited, as noted above, there is still a need to maintain and improve the match of living areas and local work, shopping and leisure activities, which is threatened by increasing car usage.
| Policy Number | Action | Time Scale | Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
Built Environment - Density and Design |
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| 41. | Develop and consult on a set of sustainable housing development guidelines as a way of demonstrating that higher density development with minimised car parking requirements in acceptable areas need not mean a substandard residential environment. | S | LPA, HBF, Local amenity groups and Central Government |
| 42. | Develop a method of assessing planning applications against sustainability criteria. The criteria would be laid down in a reviewed Unitary Development Plan, which defines sustainable development in the local context. | L | LPA |
| 43. | Offer higher density accommodation within those parts of the urban area which are accessible to public transport and which can provide a choice of accommodation. | S | LPA and HBF |
| 44. | Institute good design awards for new developments that meet sustainable criteria | S | LPA |
| 45. | Define and develop the concept of urban villages in Tameside as they could relate to a form of sustainable development. | L | LPA and local developers |
| 46. | Address conflict in planning guidance which seeks to improve safety/security of development and the need to provide direct segregated routes to local facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. | S | Central Government |
Obtaining the best from urban areas |
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| 47. | Greater preference to be given to the re-use and development of 'brownfield' rather than 'greenfield' sites, where necessary taking account of the potential health effects of contamination when determining the suitability of a site for a particular land-use. To improve the attractiveness of 'brownfield' sites to potential developers, and raise the percentage of development land needs met from such sites, the local authority should seek to maximise the rate of derelict land reclamation by:- (a) utilising all grants, planning powers and opportunities currently available and, (b) lobbying central government for further powers and resources for the acquisition and reclamation of such sites. |
S/L | Central Government, LPA, landowners and developers |
| 48. | In order to improve the quality of life for those living and working in the Borough the Local Authority should seek to minimise the number of "greenfield" sites released for redevelopment. Where possible these should be restricted to those sites with existing planning permission or allocated within the UDP. In addition the amount of green space within the existing urban area, as denoted and in the UDP, should be maintained increased when development opportunities permit. | S/L | Central Government, LPA, Landowners and Developers |
| 49. | Increase local authority powers for site assembly in urban areas so as to secure the economic use of urban sites. Provided powers are in place a task force could be formed to deal with assembling urban sites for development. | FI | Central Government and TMBC |
| 50. | Increase the amount of derelict and contaminated land reclaimed for development particularly within and near to the urban area. | S | English Partnerships and TMBC. |
| 51. | Improve the information held against vacant sites and speed the process of planning brief production as a way of bringing sites and sustainability issues forward for analysis | S | LPA, developers and consultees |
| 52. | Encourage the renovation and reuse of older housing and existing buildings in the urban area so as to reduce the need to build on greenfield sites | S | Central Government, Building Societies and LPA |
| 53. | Critical analysis of land earmarked for development in the UDP so as to ensure that the most sustainable and economic use can be put to the land as part of the UDP review process that will be influenced strongly by this LA21 plan. | S | LPA and consultees |
Transportation and Land Use |
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| 54. | Instigate telematics projects as one way of reducing vehicle trips originating from the business community. | S | TMBC, partners and the business community |
| 55. | Find way of sustaining essential local facilities as in the case of rural shops/post offices or facilities in urban areas where local communities have problems with support. | FI | Local authority and local groups |
Education and Public Opinion |
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| 56. | Educate people and especially children to the need to be responsible in the use of land for development. Improve environmental appreciation among members of the public as they relate to local issues. | S | LPA, Central Government and amenity groups |
| 57. | Develop "character" statements for different parts of the Borough and relate these to sustainability measures. These to act as a checklist for local discussion. | L | LPA/Local amenity groups |
| 58. | Put more resources into family planning education with the aim of reducing the growth of population helping to reduce the need for more or bigger dwellings. | FI | Central Government, LEA and Health Authorities |
| 59. | Encourage families to stay together as units so as to slow household formation rates. | FI | Government SS, LEA and Health Authorities. |
| 60. | Commission research into the housing market and consumers so as to draw conclusions about migration patterns, | S | Government and LPA |
| Type of Term | Description of Term |
|---|---|
| S = Short-term | those proposals which are either already in progress or to be implemented in the near future. |
| L = Long-term | those actions which are likely to be considered for implementation in coming years. |
| FI = Further Initiative | a proposal which, although desirable, is unlikely to be implemented in the foreseeable future. |