Introduction
Growth happens all the time in our urban areas and market towns as individual sites and buildings are redeveloped. This is called “brownfield” development and it is allowed for in national planning policy and in our existing Local Plan. There are existing policies to manage these developments to avoid negative impact on neighbours and harm to the environment, and to achieve high-quality design.
The new local plan will continue to manage this type of development. However, national policy now says that in the most sustainable locations, in and around town centres, high streets and transport hubs, we must make the most efficient use of brownfield land by optimising the density of new homes, employment and mixed-use development. However, we set out clearly in the Phase 1 consultation document that the new Local Plan needs to make sure we do this without compromising quality of life for existing and new residents.
It is also important to focus on supporting our town centres and high streets, given the expansion of online shopping and broader changes to the retail sector and high streets, the traditional range of uses and types of development in these locations will need to change, be flexible and innovate. A range of uses, activities, and facilities must be provided, and new ways of designing, such as focusing on mixed-used development, to bring places to live, work, shop, play and interact within easy walking distance of each other. Introducing new residents into the high streets and town centres through, for example more homes above shops or in close proximity can increase footfall and help to support local businesses.
We recognise that the high streets and centres in South Gloucestershire each have their own local character and that Yate, Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury each have their own unique market town characters. We want to make sure that approaches to optimise development in the most sustainable locations is appropriate to the character of each place – it does not mean one size or form of development fits all these places.
In the more suburban parts of our urban areas, which are further from local services, we will continue to manage development to fit with existing character.
Phase 1 consultation update
In Section 5 of the Phase 1 Local Plan consultation 2020 we investigated “building blocks” which could help us to make choices about our new strategy for growth. In line with national policy the first “building block” was to focus on further development of land within the settlement boundaries of our existing urban areas and market towns. In Section 6 Part 1, we explored in more detail the issues involved with increasing the density of development in places where there is access to local services and facilities by walking and cycling and good public transport links.
We set out the potential benefits of making the best use of brownfield sites in these areas including:
- providing more new homes of all sizes and types including affordable homes
- supporting our high streets, urban businesses, services, and facilities
- enabling more low carbon and active lifestyles and travel and reducing private car use
- reducing the need to use greenfield sites
We also discussed potential issues with this type of development. Key issues were:
- the importance of providing quality design which delivers good living conditions, including private and public green spaces for existing and future residents
- investing in local facilities and services
- potential loss of employment spaces and land to housing
Phase 1 – what you told us
In response to our consultation on urban lifestyles you told us that you broadly supported the new approach:
- the majority of respondents supported the concept as the starting point for the development potential for South Gloucestershire – however, a number of parish and town councils did not support significant increases in density within specific urban areas and market towns
- this support was subject to addressing key issues including respecting local character, affordable housing needs, amenity of existing and future residents, provision of public and private green space, and parking
- internal design issues that were considered important included good space standards, spaces for working from home, and natural light
- investment in local supporting infrastructure to serve additional residents was considered very important (public transport, schools, community and health facilities)
- the development industry supported the approach and considered that any issues could be addressed through good design
- there was caution from the development industry as to the viability of this type of development and the availability of land within existing urban areas and market towns, both of which would limit the amount of homes and jobs that could be delivered -allocated sites must be deliverable or developable with supporting evidence of demand for this type of development, site availability and suitability, and urban capacity
Urban lifestyles – what happens next?
We can now confirm that the new local plan strategy for growth will start by prioritising growth in our urban areas by optimising density in the most sustainable areas, subject to protecting and enhancing quality of life for new and existing residents.
In this consultation the ‘Urban lifestyles: What will be different? ’ section sets out examples of different levels of ‘optimised’ higher density development and how parking and public and private spaces can be provided in such developments.
This leads to a discussion on the emerging new policy approach to:
- set out density ranges that new development should meet in the most sustainable urban lifestyles areas
- introduce policy criteria that will support this approach and may lead to bespoke approaches to internal space standards, parking and private and public open space within urban lifestyles areas
- take account of key planning issues to manage planning applications so that we can maintain the balance between optimising density in urban areas and quality of life
If you are interested in proposals for particular areas these are set out in the ‘Urban lifestyles: locations and sites’ section.
Read the next chapter – Urban lifestyles – what will be different?
Go back to the Local Plan 2020 – Phase 2 Urban, Rural and Key Issues document landing page.