Thanet Local Development Framework Annual Monitoring Report April 2010 - March 2011

Executive Summary

This Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) covers the period 1^st April 2010 – 31^st March 2011 (the ‘reporting’ year). It monitors:-

1. Implementation of the Thanet Local Development Scheme and

2. The extent to which saved policies from the Local Plan are being achieved.

1). Implementation of Local Development Scheme

The Local Development Scheme (LDS) sets out the documents to be prepared and included in the Local Development Framework and the timescale for their preparation. The third revision of the LDS came into effect in February 2009.

Progress in preparing the development plan documents and supplementary planning documents is summarised below.

The consultation on preferred options and proposals milestone for the Core Strategy was achieved prior to the current reporting year, with the documents being in the public domain in line with the 2009 LDS target of September 2009. The formal consultation period ran from October 2009 to January 2010. Following the announcement by the Coalition Government regarding radical reform to the Planning System and announcement of a ’Localism’ Bill in November 2010, coupled with a need to examine our housing position following the abolition of the Regional Spatial strategy, work on the Core Strategy has been delayed. A decision on the future timetable will most likely be made in early 2012.

The Cliftonville Development Plan Document was adopted in February 2010, prior to the current reporting year.

The 2009 LDS programmes publication and public participation for the Developer Contribution SPD in June and July 2009. The public participation stage took place between September and December 2009. The document was adopted in April 2010 (during the current reporting year).

In the current monitoring year work on the Site Allocations document has not proceeded in line with the LDS for the same reasons as those affecting the Core Strategy. A decision on the future document preparation timetable is anticipated early in 2012 (please refer to paragraph 4.12).

Work on the Flat Conversions Guidelines SPD is timetabled in the 2009 LDS with early stakeholder and community involvement to be carried out by October 2011. However, in view of the revisions to the Planning System proposed by the new government, as detailed above and in the light of emerging policies on flats and family homes and discussions with Members, consideration has been given to widening the scope of the document to Quality Design embracing matters beyond the size of flats. However, progression of this will be subject to a review of the LDS as explained below.

Following Government’s proposals to revoke the Regional Spatial Strategy, amend the Local Planning Regulations and streamline national policy guidance, the Council needs to take stock of its document preparation programme. It is anticipated that a revision to the current Local Development Scheme will be prepared and brought into effect early in 2012.

2). Implementation of Saved Policies

This report assesses progress in implementation of policies in the Thanet Local Plan against a framework of indicators and targets. Certain of these indicators will need to be monitored over several years to establish trends and impact. The monitoring information for this AMR suggests that the Local Plan and the Cliftonville Development Plan Document’s policies are generally on track to help deliver development that is sustainable. However, economic development and growth has not yet accelerated towards the levels aspired to in policy. Some key messages are summarised below.

Economic Development

During the current reporting year 0.02 hectares of development took place at Manston Business Park. There has been 44.7 hectares of allocated land developed between 1998-2010/11, giving a percentage of 39% land take-up. The Local Plan target is unlikely to be met on the basis of recent delivery rates.

The total employment floorspace developed during the current reporting year was 2,759m² and 100% of this occurred on previously developed land.

During the current reporting year, 0.93 hectares of employment land was lost to alternative use, of this 0.02 hectares was on a safeguarded employment site. Of the 0.93 hectares of employment land lost, 0.78 hectares was for residential purposes. None of this occurred on any safeguarded employment site.

Supply of Land for New Homes

Until any alternative level of provision is established, the housing land supply is assessed against the requirements in the 2009 South East Plan. The supply significantly exceeds 5 year requirements.

The committed land supply is front-end loaded, and actual completion of new homes since 2006 has exceeded the planned rate, with completions in the AMR reporting year (889 net new homes) being notably above the South East Plan annual average rate (375 new homes).

Dwelling Completions and Structure Plan/South East Plan Requirement

Text Version

Sustainable Housing Development

Housing development in the district continues to make very efficient use of previously developed land. 98% of new homes delivered were on previously developed land. This significantly exceeds the 70% target in the 2006 Local Plan. 94% of new housing was located within 30 minutes public transport of a range of services, once again exceeding the target of 85%.

Thanet Local Plan Policies to deliver elements of affordable housing are beginning to ‘bite’ as the policy has gained weight and been applied as new sites come forward. During the reporting year 8 sites were eligible for negotiating an element of affordable housing and affordable housing or an alternative commuted sum was negotiated on 5 of these sites (75%). During 2010/11, there were 96 affordable units completed, of these 71 (74%) were social rent, 7 (7%) were intermediate rent and 18 (19%) shared ownership. The target set for 2008-11 of 280 new affordable homes was met over a year early and by March 2011 a total of 382 new affordable homes were delivered, 102 over and above the target.

Once again the target to bring 10 empty properties back into use in areas designated as in need of special attention was exceeded. During the reporting year, 108 empty properties were brought back into use and of these, 72 were in areas in need of special attention.

Town Centres

Since last year the vacancy rate in Broadstairs Town Centre has risen, whilst that for Margate and Ramsgate Town Centres has reduced. Once again, all units at Westwood Cross are being utilised. The target of not more than 5% vacancy in any single year period has been met for Broadstairs and Westwood Cross Town Centres but this target has not been met for Margate and Ramsgate Town Centres. This underlines the important policy objective of consolidating Ramsgate and Margate Town centres to reflect specific niche roles.

Open Space, Countryside and Farmland

Losses of such space and land are monitored through development granted as a departure to relevant development plan policy.

There were two applications granted during the current reporting year, amounting to a loss of 0.1 hectares of potentially best and most versatile agricultural land. However, one of these applications relates to retention of development and the other involves extension of time to a planning permission granted prior to the current reporting year. Therefore these losses will have been accounted for in previous years and do not represent additional losses.

There were nine departures to policy seeking to prevent irreversible loss of open countryside. The total number of hectares of open countryside that will be lost (if permissions are implemented) is 0.37. The majority of these relate to extensions to domestic dwellings, retention of development or extension of time to permissions granted in a previous year. It is of significance to note that an application for a solar park was granted at Ebbsfleet Farm, Ebbsfleet Lane, Ramsgate. This involves a loss of 11.97 hectares of open countryside but this development is considered reversible.

There were no irreversible losses of public open space and playing fields or loss of green wedges permitted in the current reporting year.

Cliftonville

Following its adoption in February 2010 this has been the first opportunity to assess the Cliftonville Development Plan document’s impact against monitoring indicators. During the current reporting year, no single bed or non self contained accommodation was permitted in the Cliftonville Development Plan Document area. In addition to this, no permissions were granted that would result in the net loss of family housing within this area, meeting the targets set in the document.

There were a total of seven residential schemes permitted within this area and of these, four (57%) included provision of flats. In addition, four (57%) of the seven schemes provided cycle parking in accordance with policy.

There were no applications submitted for either new tourist accommodation or conversion/redevelopment of hotels during the current reporting year.