UDP Chapter 3 - Existing Council Strategies & Programmes
Unitary Development Plan
Chapter 3, 4, 5
Existing Council Strategies & Programmes
Strategic Guidance for Greater Manchester
Themes and Objectives for the Plan
| Chapter 3 - Existing Council Strategies & Programmes | |
| 3.1 | The Council has adopted a number of corporate strategies and programmes to guide its actions in important areas of its work. Although these exist outside of the statutory planning system they have a bearing on the preparation of the U.D.P. and provide further background to the policies and proposals which will be put forward. |
| Ten Year Investment Strategy | |
| 3.2 | Produced in 1989 and still being followed, this sets out to guide investment in the Borough in order to attract employment, and to balance development pressures against the protection of the environment and the wider benefits to the community. The strategy is based on five key elements: |
| (a) | Improvement of three strategic communications corridors, as a means of stimulating development activity and regeneration. |
| (b) | Promotion of key commercially marketable areas, for a small number of large, high quality schemes having both direct and knock on benefits. |
| (c) | Encouragement of new investment but resistance of investment being transferred from preferred sites, notably town centres. |
| (d) | Regeneration of the Tame Valley Industrial Corridor, through improvement of the environment and support for existing investment. |
| (e) | Attraction of investment to existing town centres and improvements to their access and environment, to counter the threat from out of town relocation. |
| Environmental Charter | |
| 3.3 | The purpose of this charter, produced in 1989, is to focus attention on environmental issues and to ensure that the Council takes every opportunity, both directly and indirectly, to improve or protect environmental conditions in the area. Action is outlined in the fields of planning, pollution, pesticides, hazardous substances, energy conservation, ecology, recreation and wildlife. |
| Equal Opportunities Policy | |
| 3.4 | This policy, produced in 1988, is essentially concerned with the Council's role as the major employer in the Borough, but the philosophy can be applied more generally. Economic Development Plan |
| 3.5 | This plan has been produced for the 1991/92 period and also contains a statement of strategy for economic development. The plan will be updated annually and the strategy reviewed after three years. It contains four specific policy objectives: |
| (a) | Increasing the number, quality and choice of jobs available to Borough residents. |
| (b) | Direct action to alleviate the effects of unemployment and other forms of economic disadvantage, e.g. low pay. |
| (c) | Creating opportunities to assist Borough residents in employment prospects with an emphasis on training and recruitment practices. |
| (d) | Creating conditions for private investment through improvements to infrastructure. |
| Anti Poverty Strategy | |
| 3.6 | Adopted in 1989, the strategy seeks to promote ways in which the Council can cater for the needs of the Borough's poorer residents, take action to reduce poverty and inequality, and improve the quality of life of disadvantaged groups in the Borough. |
| Tourism Strategy | |
| 3.7 | The aims of this strategy, produced in 1989, are: |
| (a) | To encourage increased spending by visitors to Tameside and the creation of job opportunities in the Borough as part of the Council's overall strategy for the local economy. |
| (b) | To encourage the development of facilities by public, private and voluntary sectors that will help meet the leisure and recreational needs of the Borough's own population as well as the needs of visitors, thereby retaining resident expenditure. |
| (c) | To identify major shortfalls in tourism related needs and opportunities. |
| (d) | To provide guidance for the allocation of local authority expenditure. |
| (e) | To enhance the image of Tameside in order to stimulate investment in the Borough. |
| (f) | To support funding applications to central government and the E.E.C. in order to maximise grant aid from external sources. |
| Hyde Renewal Area | |
| 3.8 | A Renewal Area was declared in central Hyde in 1990, to deal comprehensively with the poor physical condition of many of the houses in this area, complemented by a range of related transport, education, environmental, shopping, employment and social objectives. Implementation will be achieved through partnerships between the Council, the private sector and housing associations, in consultation with residents and the business community. The Renewal Area Strategy includes: |
| (a) | Clearance of approximately 500 unfit residential properties. |
| (b) | Building of replacement houses on the majority of cleared sites and on other available sites in and around the area. |
| (c) | Replacement of Greenfield Street School on a new site to serve the whole community, and redevelopment of the existing site to expand the commercial area of the centre. |
| (d) | Traffic calming measures in residential streets. |
| (e) | Provision of additional off street car parking. |
| (f) | Promotion of industrial development on certain sites. |
| (g) | Dry sports and other facilities to be developed adjacent to the leisure pool. |
| (h) | Environmental improvements throughout the area including cleaning of buildings. |
| Transport Policies and Programme | |
| 3.9 | The T.P.P. is submitted annually to the Government. It provides details of the Council's transport programme including its bid for capital funding, and contains a detailed policy statement on transportation issues, emphasising the following points: |
| (a) | Promoting the implementation of a balanced transport strategy. |
| (b) | Promoting the provision of an upgraded trans-Pennine route along the A57(T) /A628(T) strategic corridor. |
| (c) | Improving the highway network in the A635 strategic corridor. |
| (d) | Improving the accessibility of the town centres and the quality of their shopping environment to encourage their successful regeneration. |
| (e) | Promoting the development of a Channel Tunnel port within Tameside. |
| (f) | Improvements in the north-south corridor. |
| (g) | Improving access for industry in the Tame Valley industrial corridor. |
| (h) | Maintaining, making the best use of, and improving the transportation system. |
| (i) | Continuing to introduce traffic management measures to control the movement of heavy goods vehicles on inappropriate routes. |
| (j) | Introducing new and extended controls on overnight lorry and coach parking. |
| (k) | Implementing provision of safe, pleasant and convenient conditions for pedestrians. |
| (l) | Implementing a strategy for the provision of cycle routes and taking account of the needs of cyclists in highway schemes. |
| (m) | Encouraging provision of adequate and accessible car parking in the town centres. |
| Housing Investment Programme | |
| 3.10 | The annual H.I.P. submission is the means by which the Council bids for capital funding for its activities in the housing field. The submission now includes a Housing Strategy Statement presenting a broader view of the overall Council strategy of housing management, renewal and enabling social housing. The key objectives of this are: |
| (a) | Increasing the supply of social housing. |
| (b) | Maintaining and improving the existing social housing stock. |
| (c) | Widening tenure choice. |
| (d) | Diverting demand for social housing. |
| (e) | Meeting statutory obligations, particularly towards homelessness, unfit property, community care and care for children. |
| (f) | Maximising resources from all sources and making best use of existing assets. |
| Countryside Recreation Strategy | |
| 3.11 | The strategy, which covers the period 1993 to 1997, sets out a framework for the development and management of recreation in the countryside in Tameside. Its fourfold aims are; |
| (a) | To increase awareness, understanding and enjoyment of the countryside, allied to enhancing confidence and ability to enjoy its facilities. |
| (b) | To increase the opportunities for people to enjoy the countryside by improving the quality of the urban fringe and rural environment and providing specific facilities such as picnic sites, small parks, visitor centres and interpretive material. |
| (c) | To improve access to and within the countryside. |
| (d) | To promote the improved management of the countryside. |
| Sport and Recreation Strategy | |
| 3.12 | The strategy sets out what the Council wants to achieve and influence in order to improve the opportunities for participation and performance in sport and recreation for all sectors of the community, and to highlight where the local authority can work in partnership with others to meet these needs.
The strategy is a commitment to increasing participation in sport and recreation at the grass roots level, as well as improving opportunities for current performers and talented sports people. To achieve this, the Council intends to gear initiatives towards certain groups in the community who have not previously enjoyed access to facilities, as well as to improve provision of facilities. Groups who have been highlighted for attention include young people, the over fifties, women, the disabled and ethnic minorities. Facilities to which there is commitment for improvement and which may have a bearing on land use include countryside sport and recreation, golf courses and sports pitches. The strategy also deals with community recreation, health and fitness, as well as performance excellence, training and the organising of major events. |
Page last updated: 13 October 2006