Core Strategy - Lincolnshire County Councilparishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/Files/Parish/539/Core_Strategy_Oct_091.pdf · by vast sandy beaches backed by lively seaside resort activity

Core StrategyDraft Core Strategy

October 2009

1 Preface

This draft Core Strategy document was approved for consultation by the East LindseyDistrict Council on 16th September 2009. All responses received will be used to helpform the final Core Strategy to be submitted to the Secretary of State for formalexamination early in 2010.

Copies of this document can be inspected at any of the Council's Area Offices and at alllibraries throughout the District or, together with the Sustainability Appraisal, it can beseen on, and downloaded from, the Council's website www.e-lindsey.gov.uk . Here youwill also be able to see where public meetings and exhibitions have been arranged whenPlanning Officers will be available to explain, and answer your queries on, the document.

You may send in your responses on-line via the interactive version of the Core Strategydocument; or by e-mail; or by posting a paper version of the questionnaire, which canbe downloaded from the website or requested from the Council's Planning Departmentvia the various contacts listed below.

So that we can take your views into account, please make sure that your completedquestionnaire reaches us by 12 noon on Friday 18th December 2009.

E-mailed responses should sent to:- [email protected]

Posted responses should be sent to:- Planning Policy Team, Room 49, East LindseyDistrict Council, Tedder Hall, Manby, Louth, Lincolnshire. LN11 8UP

If you have any queries about this document please contact a member of the PlanningPolicy team on 01507 601111 ext 316, 318, 323 or 661

Draft Core Strategy2

Preface1

1INTRODUCTION1

3HOW WE ARRIVED HERE4PICTURE OF EAST LINDSEY8ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

14STRATEGIC VISION AND OBJECTIVES2

14SHARED VISIONS AND OBJECTIVES17LDF VISION19LDF STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

22SPATIAL STRATEGY AND CORE POLICIES3

22INTRODUCTION TO SPATIAL STRATEGY AND CORE POLICIES

23KEY THEME 1 (SUSTAINABLE AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES)4

35KEY THEME 2 (HOUSING)5

40KEY THEME 3 (DIVERSE ECONOMY)6

54KEY THEME 4 (INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES)7

59KEY THEME 5 (PROTECTING OUR BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT)8

67KEY THEME 6 (TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE)9

77ANNEXES10

77ANNEX 1 - GLOSSARY83ANNEX 2 - THE EVIDENCE BASE89ANNEX 3 - SAVED POLICIES92ANNEX 4 - INTEGRATION WITH OTHER STRATEGIES98Annex 5 - References

Contents

Policies0

23- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 1 - A SUSTAINABLE HIERARCHY OF PLACES26- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 2 - THE SHAPE OF FUTURE GROWTH28- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 3 - SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIY CLUSTERS31- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 4 - HOW PLACES WILL GROW

32- STRATEGIC POLICY SP5 - RAISING THE QUALITY OF OUR PLACESAND SPACES

33- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 6 - PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE35- STRATEGIC POLICY SP7 - HOUSING36- STRATEGIC POLICY SP8 - HOUSING ON OTHER SITES37- STRATEGIC POLICY SP9 - DELIVERING AFFORDABLE HOUSING39- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 10 - EXCEPTION SITES

40- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 11 - A STRATEGY FOR EXPANDING ANDDIVERSIFYING THE DISTRICT'S ECONOMY

42- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 12 - MAKING LAND AVAILABLE FOREMPLOYMENT USES

43- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 13 - HOW THE ECONOMY WILL GROW45- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 14 - COASTAL REGENERATION46- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 15 - RURAL DIVERSIFICATION47- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 16 - PROSPEROUS COMMUNITIES49- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 17 - TOWN CENTRE HIERARCHY

50- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 18 - VITALITY AND VIABILITY OF TOWNCENTRES

51- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 19 - HISTORIC MARKET TOWN CENTRES52- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 20 - LOCAL SHOPPING53- STRATEGIC POLICY SP21 TOURISM54- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 22 - CREATING INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES

56- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 23 - ACCESSIBILITY AND TRANSPORTSTRATEGY

58- STRATEGIC POLICY 24 - ACCOMMODATION FOR GYPSIES ANDTRAVELLERS

59- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 25 - GETTING THE BEST FROM OURLANDSCAPES

61- STRATEGIC POLICY SP26 BIODIVERSITY64- STRATEGIC POLICY SP27 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT69- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 28 – REDUCING FLOOD RISK

71- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 29 - SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ANDCONSTRUCTION

74- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 30 – RENEWABLE ENERGY

76- STRATEGIC POLICY SP 31 – SUPPORTING ACTION ON CLIMATECHANGE BY LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Draft Core Strategy

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced new types ofDevelopment Plans which will see the Lincolnshire Structure Plan and the East LindseyLocal Plan replaced by the East Midlands Regional Plan and the East Lindsey LocalDevelopment Framework.

1.2 The Regional Plan was adopted in March 2009 and provides strategic guidanceon the general scale and location of growth across the East Midlands including, settinghousing targets for each District in the Region. The Local Development Frameworkwill consist of a portfolio of documents and must conform to the broader strategy of theRegional Plan.

Development Plan Documents

Settlement ProposalsProposals MapDevelopmentControl Policies

Core Strategy

Other DPDs(whereneeded)

Area Action Plans(where needed)

Local Development Framework

SupplementaryPlanning

Documents

Annual Monitoring ReportStatement of CommunityInvolvement

LocalDevelopment

Scheme

Table 1 Structure of the Local Development Framework

The Core Strategy is this document and sets out the spatial vision and key strategicpolicies for the growth and development of the District up to 2026.

The Development Control Policies document will include policies to deal withimportant local planning issues that are not adequately covered by legislation, nationalor regional planning policy or the Core Strategy, to be used to help determine planningapplications.

The Settlement Proposals document will identify sites allocated for specific typesof development and may include policies for specific settlements.

1

1INTRODUCTION

The Proposals Map will show key strategic proposals for the whole District and mayinclude inset maps for particular places.

Area Action Plans. Although none are planned yet, these will be prepared to provideguidelines to manage change in places where there has been pressure fordevelopment.

1.3 These five documents are known as Development Plan Documents, so calledbecause they contain all of the strategic and other planning policies of the LDF. Otherdocuments in the LDF are:-

The Local Development Scheme. This lists all of the documents in the LDF andthe timetable for preparing them.

The Statement of Community Involvement. This explains how and when theCouncil will involve the wider community at the different stages of the LDF.

The Annual Monitoring Report. The Council will produce this document at the endof every calendar year to record and review progress on the LDF's outcomes.

Supplementary Planning Documents. These will be prepared, as and whenrequired, to provide more specific guidelines to help implement one or more of thepolicies in a Development Plan Document. They can be a material consideration whendealing with planning applications.

1.4 The LDF will differ from the old Local Plan, not only in the way it is prepared, butmore particularly in switching from a traditional "land-use" planning, to a "spatial" planning,approach. Land-use planning lays down rules for the development and use of land. Thisincludes allocating land for development and setting planning policies and legislation tocontrol development. This is how local plans have worked in the past.

1.5 Spatial planning takes a much wider and more strategic approach, looking more atthe roles of, and interaction between, places and spaces and the communities that usethem. It takes account of community aspirations for places expressed, for example,through Community Plans or Town and Parish Plans. More importantly, it highlightsopportunities for the Council and other organisations to promote and manage changethroughout the District in a co-ordinated way.

1.6 This Core Strategy will:-

lay down an overall spatial vision for the District up to 2026 ;

include objectives to help achieve the vision;

present a spatial strategy and strategic policies to meet all of the objectives;


INTRODUCTION1

broadly direct growth and development across the District; and

set challenging but realistic targets to help to make sure that planned change actuallyhappens.

1.7 Site allocations and development control policies will follow in the next twoDevelopment Plan Documents. Until such time as these policies are adopted, the "saved" policies (1)from the current East Lindsey Local Plan will continue to be used to helpdetermine planning applications.

1.8 A Partial Review of the East Midlands Regional Plan began in June 2009 with thepublication of the Options Consultation. The Partial Review will consider housing, transportand climate change issues. It will be informed by a Coastal Study currently beingundertaken by relevant authorities and statutory agencies to examine the impact of floodrisk from rising sea levels on the development potential along the Lincolnshire coast.

1.9 Because of the need to consider housing, transport and climate change issues onthe coast, the 2009 Regional Plan has restricted housing development to meet only existingcommitments and has set a maximum housing allocation in East Lindsey of 600 dwellingsper year, pending the findings of the Coastal Study. The existing commitment to housingdevelopment across the District already exceeds this target level of provision.

1.10 To comply with the Regional Plan, this Core Strategy will defer the allocation ofany additional general market housing growth until it can be reviewed in 2012, after thePartial Review of the Regional Plan is in place.

1.11 In this document we shall try to avoid using jargon but there will be timeswhen technical, legal or seemingly obscure terminology will be unavoidable. Aglossary of such terms is included in Annex 2. We shall avoid the use of all butthe most well-known acronyms, with the exception of "LDF", which shall be usedas shorthand for "Local Development Framework" throughout. The term "we"refers to East Lindsey District Council.

HOW WE ARRIVED HERE

1.12 This Core Strategy has been prepared under the terms of the Planning andCompulsory Purchase Act 2004 and, more particularly, the Town and Country Planning(Local Development) Regulations 2004, which were revised in June 2008.

1 "Saved" Local Plan policies can be seen on the Council's website at www.e-lindsey.gov.uk and any changes will be recorded in the LDF's Annual Monitoring

Report

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1INTRODUCTION

In short, this has involved:-

Gathering evidence from existing and new surveys and studies(2) to define the District'sdistinctive character and properties.

Understanding issues important to stakeholders and communities (3) to identifyproblems, challenges and opportunities.

Consulting widely on the Issues and Options Document in November 2007.

Drawing up and testing a spatial vision, strategic objectives and policy options throughpre-submission community and stakeholder consultation, Sustainability Appraisaland Appropriate Assessment (4).

Consulting with the community and stakeholders on the draft Core Strategydocument.(5)

1.13 All of the documents prepared in reaching this stage of the Core Strategy are listedin Annex 3 and can be seen on, or downloaded from, the Council's website -www.e-lindsey.gov.uk.

PICTURE OF EAST LINDSEY

1.14 WHAT MAKES EAST LINDSEY DISTINCTIVE?(6)

1.15 Extending over 1,800 square kilometres (over 700 square miles), East Lindsey isthe third largest district in the UK. It is also one of the most sparsely populated, with its140,000 population spread among some 200 settlements, only 41 having a populationgreater than 500 and only four having a population greater than 5,000 (Skegness -19,000; Louth - 16,000; Mablethorpe - 11,000; Horncastle - 6,500).

1.16 The average house price in December 2008 was £141,401, which is 7.1 times theaverage wage in East Lindsey, compared with the national average of £162,219, whichis 6.5 times the national average wage.

2 Surveys and studies included the Landscape Character Assessment, Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, Housing Needs Assessment, Retail

Studies, Biodiversity Study, Employment Land Review, Recreation and Open Space (PPS 17) Audit, Green Infrastructure Audit, Strategic Flood Risk

Assessment, Conservation Area Appraisals, Caravan Site Surveys

3 Issues were collated from extensive early consultation exercises with stakeholders and the wider community of East Lindsey, as documented in the Section

30 Statement in Appendix xxx

4 Sustainability Appraisal is a process to assess the economic, social and environmental impact of emerging policies. It was applied to the policy options of

the Core Strategy Issues and Options document and was repeated to test the policy options selected to be included in the Core Strategy submission

document. Appropriate Assessment was applied to Core Strategy policies to ensure there was no harm to the integrity of the two European Sites in East

Lindsey at Donna Nook-Theddlethorpe Dunes and Gibraltar Point - The Wash, both Special Protection Areas

5 Consultation on the draft Core Strategy took place between 30th September and 16th November 2009.

6 Statistics and conclusions are drawn from national Census statistics and published research and statistical returns.


INTRODUCTION1

1.17 The District is home to more older people than the national and regional norms.Its coastal towns and villages are popular retirement destinations. This top-heavydemographic profile has also influenced the provision and mix of community health andleisure facilities and, significantly, it means that there are fewer people of working age.

1.18 Wage and skills levels are on the low side but the Council with other partners isinvesting in skills training to redress this imbalance. The District has a much higher thanaverage incidence of small, often one-person, businesses in the service sector.

1.19 East Lindsey is a safe and healthy place to live with low crime rates in most crimecategories, and very little noise, air, light or water pollution. Many residents have migratedto the District for the quality of life.

1.20 There are pockets of social deprivation in several coastal and some inland ruralsettlements. Five wards in Mablethorpe are in the top 10% most deprived areas in theUK. Unemployment is slightly higher than the national mean, average earnings arerelatively low and dependence on benefits is high, particularly along the coast whereseasonal and temporary employment is common.

1.21 Although Louth and Skegness have the widest range of goods, services, educationand employment opportunities, the District does not have a single dominating urbancentre. Instead, its distinctive polycentric settlement pattern is a legacy of a long historyof small farming communities with local markets.

1.22 Four settlements (Louth, Horncastle, Alford and Spilsby) have built on their historicmarket town roles to grow and serve wider rural hinterlands. Mablethorpe and Skegnesshave grown to serve both a local rural hinterland and a vibrant tourism market. Thesetwo groups of settlements have contrasting characters. The former have attractive towncentres, with market squares streets typified by red brick buildings with pantile or slateroofs. The recession in the economy is affecting the vibrancy and vitality of the Districtsmarket town centres. The latter have a much more mixed visual character that isconstantly adapting to changing needs and fashions.

1.23 Louth is a busy Georgian market town set on the edge of the Lincolnshire Woldsand renowned for its many independent shops in an attractive historic core. Its fineperpendicular-style church, with the highest parish church spire in England, dominatesmany of the views from the surrounding countryside and from within the town.

1.24 Mablethorpe is a traditional family seaside resort with extensive pristine sandybeaches, backed by dunes to the north and a sea wall promenade that offers extensivesea views. The local town centre shops and services mix with tourist shops and activitiesresulting in a lively summer, but a contrastingly quiet winter, ambience.

1.25 Skegness is a lively and popular seaside resort - the fifth largest, by visitor numbers,in the UK. The core of the town is laid out in formal, spacious tree-lined streets withimposing individual-styled properties, contrasting with the activities on the sea front.The local town centre shops and services serve both holiday-makers and residents. TheEast Midlands Regional Plan 2009 recognises the need for regeneration of both Mablethorpeand Skegness.

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1INTRODUCTION

1.26 Horncastle is a small country market town that has built up a wide reputation asa centre for antiques. The River Bain is a prominent feature through the town and itsflood plain provides a distinctive "green wedge" of open space to the north and south ofthe town centre.


INTRODUCTION1

LincolnshireW

oldsAONB

N.E. LINCOLNSHIRE

WEST LINDSEY

N. KESTEVEN

BOSTON

SEA

NORTH

Main Towns

Centres for Growth

Railway

NetworkStrategic Road

KEY DIAGRAM

LOUTH

SKEGNESS

HORNCASTLE

SPILSBY

ALFORD

TATERSHALL / CONINGSBY

HOLTON LE CLAY

NORTH THORESBY

SOMERCOTESNORTH

BINBROOK

WRAGBY

WOODHALL SPA

& MANBYGRIMOLDBY

LEONARDSCHAPEL ST

INGOLDMELLS

MARSHBURGH LE

STICKNEYWAINFLEET

& SUTTONMABLETHORPE

Small Towns

Service Villages

1.27 Alford is country market town that has built up a strong arts and crafts tradition.The market place, working windmill, Church and recently renovated Tudor Manor Houseall feature prominently in the townscape and there are many attractive historic buildings,including thatched properties, throughout the town centre.

1.28 Spilsby's town centre, revitalised through improvements secured by HeritageEconomic Regeneration Scheme funding, boasts of its historical associations with theExplorer, Sir John Franklin.

1.29 Woodhall Spa is an inland Victorian spa resort distinguished by tree-lined streetsand large houses in generously proportioned gardens. It has developed into a nationallyrenowned golfing centre.

1.30 The Lincolnshire Wolds is the only Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the EastMidlands region and covers over one third of the District's area. Its rolling chalk hillscrossed by winding valleys create a peaceful and expansive landscape with fine views.Formerly sheep country, much of the traditional open grassland and hedged fields arenow in arable use but stretches survive in the valleys and on steep slopes. The grasslandsand abandoned chalk pits are an important habitat for rare flowers and insects and thereare several examples of fine mixed and ancient woodland. It is sparsely populated withscattered small villages but it retains an impressive sense of early history, typified bynumerous prehistoric barrows, ancients tracks, scheduled ancient monuments and viewsof distant mediaeval church spires and towers.

1.31 Between the Wolds and the coastline, the landscapes north and south of the RiverSteeping are classed as marsh and fen respectively. They are generally flat and expansive,giving long distance views where "large skies" are a distinctive feature. Whilst the peatyfens are generally devoid of trees and hedgerows, drainage channels being commonfeatures, the coastal grazing marsh is typified more by small hedge-lined fields andscattered small villages set within clumps of trees and aligned along low ridges setmarginally above the coastal flood plain.

1.32 The North Sea forms a clearly defined eastern edge to the District. Two highlydistinctive features dominate the 70 kilometres coastline. Extensive dune-backed saltmarshes form internationally recognised Special Protection Areas and National NatureReserves fronting the Humber Estuary and the Wash. These peaceful and remote areasare rich habitats for varied coastal flora and fauna and are important havens on birdmigration routes.

1.33 In contrast, the holiday coast between Mablethorpe and Skegness is characterisedby vast sandy beaches backed by lively seaside resort activity. Caravan parks along thecoastal plain, accommodating upward of 24,000 static vans, are a particular feature.

Draft Core Strategy6a

INTRODUCTION1

1.34 Farming remains the dominant land use across the District but its character haschanged, and continues to change, over the years. Many smaller farms have amalgamatedinto larger holdings and the earlier trend of hedge removal to form larger arable fieldshas abated and many new hedgerows are being planted. Farm diversification is increasingwith more farm-based tourism activities becoming a growing feature in the countryside.

1.35 The District's relative isolation, dispersed settlements, and thinly-spread publictransport services all add to the high level of car-dependency. Access to the national railnetwork is not easy and all local services, which linked many of the coastal communities,were lost to the Beeching cuts in the early 1970s. Stations at Skegness and Wainfleetprovide the principal rail links from the south of the District to the East Coast Line atGrantham via the "Poacher" line, a Community Rail Partnership project. Otherwise, railtravellers must start their journeys outside the District at Grimsby, Market Rasen, Lincolnor Newark.

1.36 Whilst red brick and pantiles are the traditional building material in most of itssettlements, East Lindsey boasts many of the best surviving examples of `mud and stud`buildings in the UK as well as a significant number of long straw thatched cottages.

1.37 The District displays an important historic heritage in the widespread distributionof 1,700 listed buildings, 17 conservation areas, 104 Scheduled Ancient Monuments,six parks and gardens of special historic interest and a registered Civil War battlefield atWinceby. In addition, there are thousands of records of registered sites of archaeologicalfindings.

1.38 These distinctive characteristics create a strong sense of "place", which is reinforcedby the pervading sense of history generated by the strong local associations with historicalfigures such as Alfred Lord Tennyson, John Smith, Joseph Banks and John Franklin. Formany people, particularly retirees, the District's peripherality offers a positive lifestylechoice.

1.39 East Lindsey is also distinctive for what it does not have - notably:-

motorways ( it has only 300 metres of dual carriageway);

out of town supermarkets ( the Council has striven to protect the vitality and viabilityof its town centres);

heavily trafficked roads (with a few exceptions at peak times on the A16 and insummer on coastal access roads);

derelict land ( there is no noticeable legacy of extractive or heavy manufacturingindustry); and

many brownfield sites (7) ( a lack of larger scale industry or sub-standard housing inurban areas means that most of the few brownfield sites are relatively small).

7 Planning Policy Statement 3 describes brownfield land as "that which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed

land and any associated fixed surface infrastructure"

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1INTRODUCTION

1.40 All of these distinctive qualities and characteristics highlight both opportunitiesand problems for the future development of the District.

ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EASTLINDSEY OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS?

1.41 If our spatial strategy and policies are to be effective they must tackle those issuesand challenges that are specific to East Lindsey and its communities, as well as those onthe national agenda. They should also exploit any opportunities to improve conditionsthat will benefit communities, the economy and the environment.

1.42 These key issues have been drawn together from our evidence base and extensivepre-submission consultation with stakeholders and the wider East Lindsey community,including a joint consultation exercise with the Community Plan Issues document, "What'sImportant to You?", in 2007. Further issues were identified in the Sustainability Appraisalof the initial policy options. A detailed explanation of the following issues appears in theIssues background paper.

Communities

Compared to that of the East Midlands and the UK as a whole, East Lindsey'spopulation has a relatively high proportion of elderly, economically inactive and infirmpeople. This places significant pressures on essential services.

Demographic imbalance is made worse by high outward migration of young adultsand inward migration of retirees.

There is a relative lack of skilled employment and high levels of seasonalunemployment.

Only 5% of the District could be termed "urban", with no single dominating urbancentre and over 200 small rural settlements widely dispersed. Physical isolationraises difficulties accessing essential services and facilities for some parts of thecommunity, particularly those without access to a car.

The District's rural character and tranquility is a valued attraction for residents andvisitors.

The District is a fairly ‘healthy’ place to live. However, there is a relatively high numberof households ( 24% according to the 2001 census) with one or more residents witha long-term limiting illness, reflecting the demographic imbalance.

Crime in the District is relatively low, with low crime rates in most categories of keyoffences, but fear of crime, especially vandalism and anti-social behaviour, remainsa concern for many older residents.


INTRODUCTION1

Access to green infrastructure is relatively limited. Whilst there is an extensive rightsof way network there are comparatively few sites with open or amenity access.

East Lindsey does not suffer from large scale social deprivation. However, there arelocalised ‘pockets’ where this is a significant issue with a dependency on benefit,particularly along the coast.

Housing

The 2009 East Midlands Regional Plan has restricted housing development to existingcommitments only (planning permissions already granted and remaining Local PlanAllocations) as set out earlier. To comply with the Regional Plan, this Core Strategywill defer the allocation of any additional general market housing growth until it canbe reviewed in 2012, after the Regional Plan Partial Review is in place.

There are divergent views about where new housing should be built. On the onehand some stakeholders feel that villages should be allowed more housing toencourage younger people to stay on, but on the other hand some feel, that toomuch building harms village infrastructure and character.

There is general support for a settlement hierarchy that balances housing growthand restraint relative to the infrastructure and size of towns and villages.

The national target of 60% for all developments to be completed on brownfield sitesis unlikely to be achieved given the rural nature of the District, the limited supply ofbrownfield sites and the make up of existing commitments.

There is significant shortage of affordable housing throughout the District, with over5,000 households on the Council's housing register.

There are different stakeholder preferences for locating affordable housing, rangingfrom focusing development on brownfield sites in the centre of towns and largervillages to releasing more land on the edge of towns and villages.

Pressure to increase housing densities to meet demand as the availability ofdevelopment sites decreases nationally raises issues in a rural District that may notapply in urban areas. Poor quality housing and inappropriate design that harms theintrinsic character of settlements is an emotive issue in many communities. This canlead to a loss of local distinctiveness.

Transport and accessibility

Rural isolation can create a problem for those who cannot access essential servicesor jobs easily - especially older or infirm people and those in villages with limitedpublic transport.

Community and Volunteer car schemes help to fill the gaps in public transportprovision.

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1INTRODUCTION

Car dependency is high in East Lindsey because of its sparse distribution of populationand many residents do not want to give up the use of their cars.

The District's only railway connection is from Skegness to the main East Coast Line.It is now managed by a Community Rail Partnership that has recently increased thecapacity of summer services.

The isolated location of East Lindsey on the eastern periphery of the East Midlandsregion and the nature of the District's roads are barriers to some forms of inwardinvestment.

The availability and location of car parking have been identified as key issues forthe vitality and viability of our market towns and access to services


INTRODUCTION1

Economy

The District has a relatively low percentage of employees working full time, a highnumber of self employed workers and a high proportion of residents classed asnon-economically active . This means that there are fewer people of working agecontributing to the local economy to sustain the services needed to support the largenumbers of older people.

The District is reliant on the two traditional dominant industries of agriculture andseaside tourism where there is also a significant reliance on seasonal work. Therelative value of the District's productive agricultural land to the economy couldincrease significantly over time in terms of national food security, given the globalimplications of climate change and the need to reduce CO2 emissions.

Although farm diversification can widen employment opportunities it has been madeclear in consultation that the farming industry should be retained and supported asa viable industry.

The expanding growth in IT and electronic communication provides opportunities forfurther expansion of small, footloose and home-based businesses.

Coastal settlements where the need for regeneration has been identified are also atgreatest risk from coastal flooding.

The long term future of the coastal tourism industry could be significantly affectedby climate change and sea level rise. This does offer opportunities as well asconstraints to growth particularly around green tourism.

Further opportunities for widening the coastal economy and attracting younger peopleinto the area have been identified that take advantage of the growing national interestin beach sports, including kite-surfing, power kiting, volleyball, surfing and sandyachting.

Opportunities have been identified to widen the tourism offer through greener, moresustainable tourism in areas such as the Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty(AONB), along waterways such as the Louth Navigation and along the wild coast andmarshes.

The District's diverse historic and cultural heritage also provides opportunities forthemed visitor activities, especially in the market towns.

The shortage of skilled workers and employees with management capabilities presentsa skills shortage that can deter inward investment.

Recurring themes arising from consultation on issues were the need to encouragegreater levels of inward investment and innovation, to diversify the overall economyof the District, and to support the agricultural industry in providing suitable alternativeemployment opportunities.

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1INTRODUCTION

Environment, landscape and biodiversity

The rural character of East Lindsey and the high quality of its rich and diverse naturalenvironment have been highlighted as assets much valued by residents and visitors.They have been identified as being suitable for both protection and exploitation.

A key issue will be how to balance the need to respect the District's distinctivecharacter and landscape and to diversify the rural economy through the introductionof more uses, especially tourism, into the countryside and around the market towns.

Whist biodiversity sites with national or international status are statutorily protectedfrom the harmful effects of development, it follows that potential threats to sites withlower levels of statutory protection will require greater attention. As well as the needto protect and the District's biodiversity, there was a call from consultees to improveand extend it.

The Sustainability Appraisal scoping report identified the need to balance the aim ofprotecting the character and integrity of historic buildings, and of integratingsustainable design and construction into new and restored buildings.

Water resources and water availability will be key considerations for all newdevelopments. Key issues include the lack of potable water available to supply newdevelopments in some locations and the increased surface water discharges fromhard surfaces of new developments.

Dark skies contribute significantly to the character of the Wolds and Marshes andneed protection from light pollution.

Landfill disposal of waste is no longer a preferred option. Whilst East Lindsey DistrictCouncil is proud to be a national leader in recycling domestic waste a longer termand more sustainable solution may be to follow the sequential ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’principle through the design, construction and operation stages of new development.

Climate change

Addressing the causes and effects of climate change is the Government’s principalconcern for sustainable development. It demands action at the local level.

Projected weather patterns of hotter and drier summers, wetter and warmer wintersand more intense periods of rainfall may lead to more regular and possibly extremeflood events. There are three sources of flooding within the District:- from the sea,from rivers and from drainage infrastructure. Adapting to flooding and climate changeis one of the most significant challenges to be faced by the District. Spatialadaptation, rather than continued reliance on mitigation measures, may be requiredin the long term.

The need to facilitate the development and investment necessary to diversity andregenerate the District`s communities needs to be balanced against flood risk.


INTRODUCTION1

The Lincolnshire Coastal Study aims to address this issue and inform the RegionalPlan Partial Review and the early review of this Core Strategy.

The District will be required to respond to the national and regional demands forincreased renewable energy supplies. Impact on the landscape and the food-growingpotential of the countryside is an issue.

Increased energy efficiency will be an essential requirement for the design,construction and operation of all new development. The standards of the Code forSustainable Homes (2006), its updates and subsequent Government targets andguidance will need to be embedded into design and construction policies.

The continued inward migration of elderly people into areas with a high risk of floodingis a cause for concern.

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1INTRODUCTION

2 STRATEGIC VISION AND OBJECTIVES

SHARED VISIONS AND OBJECTIVES

2.1 We have built up an LDF vision and set of objectives for the spatial development ofEast Lindsey up to 2026 after consulting extensively on the big issues affecting the differentcommunities across the District.

2.2 The LDF also aims to match up its vision with those of other statutory and communityplans and strategies so that, through shared action, their common priorities can be tackledmore effectively. The LDF's spatial policies will not be able to tackle all of the issues inisolation.

The East Lindsey Community Plan

2.3 The LDF will address the spatial issues of the East Lindsey Community Plan andalign with its vision, which, for East Lindsey, is one of:-

"a distinct, dynamic and proud district where organisations and communitieswork together for a better quality of life."

2.4 This is underpinned by three key principles:-

Sustainability - achieving progress in a way that benefits everyone and doesnot harm the environment locally or globally, now or in the future;

Cohesion - creating mutual respect and appreciation of the similarities anddifferences that make people unique; and

Engagement - involving the public, as individuals or as a community, in policyand service decisions.

2.5 The joint consultation with the Local Strategic Partnership on its Community Plan"A Community Plan for a sustainable future - What's important to you?" in March 2007revealed five common priorities where the LDF would need to play a key role. Thesewere:-

retaining local shops and services in communities;

tackling poor transport infrastructure;

providing more affordable housing;

conserving wildlife habitats; and

protecting local character.


STRATEGIC VISION AND OBJECTIVES2

These have helped to shape the LDF vision and objectives and, as an important role ofthe LDF is to deliver the spatial priorities of the Community Plan, they will be addressedin the Core Strategy policies.

East Lindsey District Council's Corporate Strategy

2.6 The LDF also aims to take forward the District Council's own ambitions for EastLindsey, as stated in its Corporate Strategy.(8) Under its overarching ambition for

"a District with healthy, prosperous and vibrant people and places"

the Council has priorities to:-

"improve our economic prosperity;

nurture our distinctive and vibrant communities; and

reduce inequality to improve quality of life."

2.7 The LDF's own vision reflects and builds on these visions and ambitions, applyingthem to the spatial development of the District over the next 15-20 years. It focuses onsix key themes, which will provide the framework for the Core Strategy and Core Policieslater on in this document.

The Lincolnshire Local Transport Plan

2.8 As transport is such a big issue in East Lindsey it is important that the LDF takesaccount of the County's Local Transport Plan (and vice versa). The second LincolnshireLocal Transport Plan (2006-2011) has a vision for the County's transport in 2030, whichis one where;-

there is good access by a choice of modes to services, jobs and for leisure;

there is good inter and intra-regional access to support a growing economy;

our sensitive rural areas are managed in ways that retain, and where possibleenhance, the value of the natural environment;

our streets in built-up areas are seen primarily as places where people can carry ontheir activities in a pleasant environment; and

there is a well managed and safe road network to maximise the reliability of journeysand reduce the impact of traffic on communities.

2.9 The LDF's vision and objectives reflect these aims and its Core Strategy will includemeasures to help achieve them.

8 East Lindsey Corporate Strategy 2007-2012

15

2STRATEGIC VISION AND OBJECTIVES

The Lincolnshire Local Area Agreement

East Lindsey District Council is a leading partner in Lincolnshire's Local Area Agreementwhereby organisations across the County are committed to tackling the key communityissues identified through the County Sustainable Community Plan. Of the ten prioritiesfor action identified in the Local Area Agreement document, "Big County, Big Skies,Big Future" , the following six resonate closely with our LDF and will be reflected inits vision, objectives and Core Strategy policies:-

create better communities through growth and improved housing provision;

tackle the causes and effects of climate change;

get connected (improve accessibility);

improve health;

improve skills and conditions for the economy; and

improve community safety.

National and Regional Planning Policy

2.10 The vision and objectives of the LDF have been guided by the underlying principlesof all of the Planning Policy Guidance Notes, Planning Policy Statements and the EastMidlands Regional Plan.(9)This does not imply repetition of national and regional planningpolicies but, rather, moulding and expanding them to suit the particular circumstancesin East Lindsey. By doing this the LDF can contribute to the regional and national visionwhilst tackling its own specific issues in the most appropriate way.

9 A full list of the Government's published Planning Policy Guidance Notes and Statements that were used to shape the LDF vision can be seen at Annex 2.

The Lincolnshire Structure Plan was "saved " until September 2009 when it was superseded by the Regional Plan



LDF VISION

THE LDF'S VISION FOR EAST LINDSEY IN 2026

"By 2026 East Lindsey will be a district with:-

A network of thriving, safer and healthy sustainable communities, wherepeople can enjoy a high quality of life and an increased sense of well-beingand where new development simultaneously addresses the needs of theeconomy, communities and the environment;

Affordable and good quality housing to meet the differing needs of EastLindsey residents;

A regenerated and diversified economy that builds on, and extends, theimportant agriculture and tourism base;

An inclusive, equal and diverse society that has addressed the issues of ruralisolation and deprivation;

A high quality environment that makes the most of its special qualities,particularly the coast, the Lincolnshire Wolds and the historic market towns;and

A commitment to tackling the causes and effects of global climate changethrough local action."

HOW THE DISTRICT WILL HAVE CHANGED BY 2026

2.11 The national and international economic context and response to climate changewill influence the development and growth of East Lindsey in the future. The LincolnshireCoastal Study and Regional Plan Partial Review will also influence the location and amountof growth that the District receives.

2.12 We must expect limited general market housing growth up to 2016 above thatalready committed to, in line with the Regional Plan. Housing growth beyond 2016 maybe diverted away from areas of high flood risk. In this early period we hope to see anexpansion, diversification and strengthening of the District's economic base and a stepup in the provision of affordable housing.

2.13 By 2026 the six towns of Louth, Skegness, Alford, Horncastle, Spilsby andConingsby/Tattershall will have developed so that they will be providing a wider rangeof services for the smaller settlements within their respective hinterlands.

2.14 The towns of Louth and Skegness will have grown to extend their roles as the twomain centres serving the northern and southern parts of the District respectively. Theywill have seen growth in affordable housing to meet the needs of their communities andthe delivery of existing housing commitments. With enlarged employment zones theywill have a wider range of employment opportunities for large and small businesses. The

17


two town centres will have physically expanded to embrace a wider range of shops,services, public spaces and cultural activities. In the case of Louth, much of the retailexpenditure currently being lost to Grimsby will have been recovered.

2.15 Coningsby and Tattershall will have achieved sustainable housing and employmentgrowth, developed in response to the long term commitment of BAE to the Eurofighterproject.

2.16 Mablethorpe will not have seen significant increase in market housing developmentbecause of the high flood risk, but will be benefiting from investment in economicregeneration projects including public realm improvements and more diverse tourisminitiatives.

2.17 New development in all market towns will have widened the range of shopping,business, cultural and leisure facilities to complement their distinctive historic character.The markets themselves will have expanded their roles as visitor attractions and outletsfor locally-sourced produce and as breeding grounds for new business start-ups.

2.18 "Secured by design" principles applied to new development will have helped toreduce the fear of crime. Communities will have taken greater control over their localenvironment and governance as they implement their town and parish plans, drawn upin collaboration with the LDF and the Community Plan. These will make it easier forvillages to develop in a way that better reflects the local consensus. A knock-on effectfrom this will be a more flourishing voluntary and social enterprise sector and a widerspread of Neighbourhood Management initiatives.

2.19 The Council will have helped to stimulate greater community awareness of climatechange issues and solutions, contributing to a significant fall in collective carbon emissionsacross the District.

2.20 New housing will be energy efficient as sustainable design codes will have beenapplied to all new developments. Ground-sourced, passive and solar powered heating,sustainable drainage solutions (including rainwater harvesting and permeable surfaces),will be commonplace for both commercial and residential developments. There will be agrowing self-sufficiency in on-site generated energy and a growing incidence of privatecontributions (of surplus energy) to the national energy grid.

2.21 The current large shortfall in affordable housing provision will have been reduced.Larger housing developments will include a wide mix of housing types, including familyhousing at densities that reflect the local character and create a high quality environment.Most new housing will be within easy walking distance of essential services, or else beclose to a public transport route.

2.22 A large coastal country park stretching from Sandilands down to Anderby Creekwill be providing a major wildlife habitat and recreational facility and will have providedthe springboard for a new tourism industry based on the wild coast and natural history.A growing network of smaller local community country parks, such as at Hubbard Hills inLouth and the Bain Valley in Horncastle will encourage more people to access and explore



the countryside as well as reinforcing the District's green infrastructure and wildlifecorridors. More people will be taking advantage of improved facilities to walk or cyclearound towns as well as taking more exercise in the countryside.

2.23 East Lindsey will be promoted as a major leisure and recreation destination,particularly for a green, sustainable tourism experience. Major redevelopment andinvestment in Skegness and the traditional holiday coast will have resulted in new visitorattractions. But this traditional tourism base will have been extended and, withMablethorpe and Skegness being on the national circuit of beach sports, our holiday coastwill be a focus for beach sports enthusiasts. The remainder of the coastal strip will berecognised nationally as a visitor destination for wild coast activities, including bird andseal watching and extreme sports. As a result, greater demands will be made of theCommunity Railway (The Poacher Line) linking Skegness to the main east coast line atGrantham.

2.24 Inland tourism will have expanded and diversified with promotion of the District'scultural heritage, promotion of the market towns' distinctive "themes", promotion of theWolds as a major visitor destination, links to the national cycle routes, celebration of theDistrict's aviation heritage, and more extensive provision of high quality holidayaccommodation and sustainable visitor attractions in villages across the District. All thiswill have extended the tourism and visitor season.

2.25 Agriculture will be in the process of adapting to climate change (particularly reducingwater supplies) with an increase in primary and secondary bio-fuel crops.

2.26 The District will be recognised as a high quality live-work environment withbusinesses using new technology and with a growing number of small businesses in thetowns and larger villages.

LDF STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

2.27 The LDF's vision sees the District moving forward towards 2026 on six fronts, orthemes. The following objectives, grouped under the six themes, are designed to turnthis vision into reality. Later, we shall see the strategic policies that are intended toachieve these objectives and the indicators we shall use to measure their performance.

2.28 To achieve our vision of "a network of thriving, safer and healthy sustainablecommunities, where people can enjoy a high quality of life and an increasedsense of well-being and where all new development simultaneously addressesthe needs of the economy, communities and the environment" we will:-

define a hierarchy of settlements and identify broad areas for growth within a spatialstrategy;protect and enhance the vitality and viability of our town centres;protect and improve essential community facilities in towns and villages;help to keep communities safe and reduce the fear of crime;require new development to contribute to improving the environmental quality oftowns and villages;

19


create economies of scale in urban development to extend benefits to villages andrural areas;ensure that service infrastructure is capable of accommodating planned growth;develop where possible on previously-used land in preference to greenfield sites.

2.29 To achieve our vision of " affordable and good quality housing to satisfy thediffering needs of East Lindsey residents" we will:-

provide land and opportunities for housing development, sufficient to meet the fullrange of housing needs throughout the District until 2026;enable the provision of affordable homes in sustainable locations to meet local needsand reduce the current shortfall in supply.

2.30 To achieve our vision of " a regenerated and diversified economy that buildson, and extends, the important agricultural and tourism base" we will:-

reduce reliance on seasonal employment;encourage and enable businesses to locate and expand within the District;encourage and enable appropriate rural and farm diversification schemes;widen the opportunities for high quality, sustainable tourism development throughoutthe District;protect, diversify and build up the seaside holiday role of the coastal resorts.

2.31 To achieve our vision of "an inclusive, equal and diverse society that hasaddressed the issues of rural isolation and deprivation" we will:-

make essential services and facilities accessible to all;cater for the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers;cater better for the transport needs of disadvantaged people, including those withoutaccess to cars or public transport;help to tackle the causes of coastal deprivation.

2.32 To achieve our vision of "a high quality environment that makes the mostof its special qualities, particularly the coast, the Lincolnshire Wolds and thehistoric market towns" we will:-

reflect and respect the District's distinctiveness in the quality and design of newdevelopment;conserve and enhance areas of natural history or landscape importance, in particular,the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty;conserve and enhance buildings and areas of architectural or historic interest,including archaeological sites;



2.33 To achieve our vision of "a proven commitment to tackling the causes andeffects of global climate change through local action" we will:-

direct development away from areas of most severe flood risk;maintain and enhance the District's biodiversity;require new development to be increasingly energy-efficient and carbon neutral;plan development to enable more travel by public transport, cycling or walking.

These objectives will shape and underpin all of the policies in the LDF. Should any gapsor uncertainties appear in policies in future, the objectives themselves shall serve aspolicy pointers to direct decision making.

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3 SPATIAL STRATEGY AND CORE POLICIES

INTRODUCTION TO SPATIAL STRATEGY AND CORE POLICIES

3.1 The Core Strategy policies open with a "Spatial Strategy" that sets the scene forwhere growth will, take place across the District over the next 20 years. It also says howmuch and what type of growth we can expect and how this might change the role andcharacter of places.

3.2 To achieve the LDF's vision and objectives the Spatial Strategy is based on a hierarchyof settlements, constructed to allow the most sustainable patterns of growth that bringthe widest economic and social benefits through economies of scale, whilst enabling theenvironment to thrive.

3.3 Growth is often taken to mean housing development, and little else. There are twogood reasons why this will not be the case in the first Spatial Strategy for East Lindsey.Firstly, the Regional Plan restricts new housing development to existing commitments.Emphasis will be placed on delivering a higher quality and mix of housing from thosecommitments. Secondly, although new housing is an essential part of regeneration, itshould not be seen as the driving force behind the regeneration of sustainable communities.A sound, diverse and, if possible, expanding economic and social base will provide a firmerfoundation for a long-term sustainable community.

3.4 Until the Regional Plan Partial Review has revealed the potential for housingdevelopment the term "growth" in this Spatial Strategy shall more specifically refer toeconomic, social and environmental advancement. An early review of this Core Strategywill follow the Regional Plan Partial Review and this will address, more fully than thisdocument, the further allocation of strategic housing development.

3.5 The Spatial Strategy is followed by core policies to tackle those strategic issues thatare key to the successful development of East Lindsey, but which cannot be dealt withsolely by national or regional policy in a way that adequately respects the District'sdistinctiveness and responds to its particular needs.


SPATIAL STRATEGY AND CORE POLICIES3

4 KEY THEME 1 (SUSTAINABLE AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES)

A SPATIAL STRATEGY FOR EAST LINDSEY

DEFINING THE ROLES OF SETTLEMENTS

4.1 The following sustainable settlement hierarchy, (10) based on the spheres of influenceof the seven towns in East Lindsey and the adjoining centres of Lincoln, Grimsby andBoston, has been drawn up following extensive comparative surveys of services andfacilities. It defines the current relative roles of settlements across the District and willhelp to guide the scale, nature and distribution of future development pending the outcomeof the Coastal Study and the Regional Plan Partial Review.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 1 - A SUSTAINABLE HIERARCHY OF PLACES

East Lindsey is made up of six types of place, each with a different role. Thedistribution, scale and nature of future development shall be guided by theirrespective roles pending the outcome of the Lincolnshire Coastal Study andthe East Midlands Regional Plan Partial Review.

Level 1 - Main Towns (or District Centres), comprising Louth and Skegness;

Level 2 - Small Towns, comprising Alford, Coningsby/Tattershall, Horncastle,Mablethorpe and Spilsby;

Level 3 - Service Villages, comprising Binbrook, Burgh le Marsh, Chapel StLeonards, Grimoldby/Manby, Holton le Clay, Ingoldmells, North Somercotes,North Thoresby, Stickney, Wainfleet (All Saints and St Mary), Woodhall Spaand Wragby.

Level 4 - Larger Rural Villages, comprising Bilsby, Croft, Donington on Bain,East Barkwith, Eastville/New Leake, Friskney (Village), Fulstow, GipseyBridge, Grainthorpe, Hagworthingham, Hogsthorpe, Hundleby, Huttoft,Kirkby on Bain, Legbourne, Ludford, Maltby le Marsh, Mareham le Fen,Marshchapel, Mumby, New Bolingbroke, North Cotes, Partney, Saltfleet,Saltfleetby, Sibsey, South Reston, Stickford, Tetford, Tetney, Theddlethorpe,Willoughby and Withern;

Level 5 - Hamlets and Small Rural Villages;

Level 6 - Open Countryside.

10 The settlement hierarchy has been drawn up based on a comparison of the levels of services and facilities in settlements across the District. This was

done by surveying the settlements, contacting Town and Parish Councils, examining the non-domestic business rates. It is a picture of the settlements

as they are at the present, further details can be found in the background paper available on the Council's website.

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4KEY THEME 1 (SUSTAINABLE AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES)

4.2 Level 1 - Main Towns (or District Centres) - Often, a single centre serves a wholeDistrict but, because of the large size and dispersed nature of our District, Louth andSkegness fulfil this role jointly. They both provide a range of higher order district-wideservices and facilities that cannot, because of economies of scale, be reasonably expectedin other settlements. These include:-

high quality further education and vocational training facilities;

a choice of secondary education;

a wide range of managed recreational and sporting facilities;

a public transport hub;

a defined retail catchment area;

a defined employment zone with opportunities for inward investment;

a primary health centre;

a fire and permanent police station.

Level 2 - Small Towns - These provide a range of convenience shopping, education,community and health facilities for the local needs of their own residents and those intheir wider hinterland. In particular, they will aim to have:-

secondary education facilities;

a defined town centre with a full range of shops to provide weekly shopping facilitiesand a range of financial and support services;

a serviced industrial estate;

health services;

a choice of recreational and sporting facilities;

a permanent library;

accessibility to green infrastructure;.

Level 3 - Service Villages - These provide a range of facilities for their own needs andalso provide for some of the needs of smaller villages within their immediate sphere ofinfluence. To fulfil this role, a service village provides:-

at least one convenience store;

a primary school;


KEY THEME 1 (SUSTAINABLE AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES)4

rural workshops and a range of premises for business use;

a doctor and/or dentist;

affordable housing to meet local needs;

a range of community facilities.

Level 4 - Larger rural villages - These provide essential services and some job opportunitiesfor their residents, and may provide basic services for neighbouring hamlets and smallervillages, but look to towns and larger service villages to provide a greater range ofcommunity facilities.

Level 5 - Hamlets and small rural villages - These are the remaining small villages thathave a limited range of services or facilities and look to higher order settlements to meetthe vast majority of their employment, shopping, recreational, business and educationalneeds.

Level 6 - Open countryside - This includes scattered groups of buildings set in the opencountryside landscape, where there is no structured provision of community services orfacilities.

THE THINKING BEHIND THE SPATIAL STRATEGY'S HIERARCHY OF PLACES

4.3 By identifying a settlement hierarchy we can see how places perform different rolesand relate to each other. Only then can we confidently direct new growth to thosesettlements that can provide the greatest benefits to the greatest number of East Lindseyresidents.

4.4 East Lindsey’s settlements do not exist in isolation. They form part of a wider patternthat stretches across the East Midlands and Yorkshire regions to include the higher ordersettlements of Boston, Grimsby, Hull, Lincoln and Nottingham.

4.5 The East Midlands Regional Plan already identifies Louth and Skegness as third tiertowns in the Eastern sub-region. They serve as the fist tier main town settlements - orDistrict Centres - in East Lindsey. Beneath these, it identifies the small towns of Alford,Mablethorpe, Coningsby/Tattershall, Spilsby and Horncastle, with the latter being urgedto strengthen its role within the hierarchy. It goes on to say that, given the dispersednature of the population, there is also an important role for some of the larger villagesin providing local services, particularly in the more remote rural areas.

4.6 The settlement hierarchy based on the larger service centre hinterlands has beendrawn up not only to recognise the relative spheres of influence of the service centres inEast Lindsey but also to take account of the influence of the higher order centres ofGrimsby, Lincoln and Boston in adjoining local authority areas. Settlements have beenallocated to their most appropriate level in the hierarchy following a district-wideassessment of their services, facilities, roles, accessibility and relationship with nearbysettlements.

25


4.7 In brief, the more sustainable places will appear higher up the settlement hierarchy.They will be better placed in terms of their scale, location, accessibility and provision ofinfrastructure, jobs, services and community facilities to provide for the needs not onlyof their own residents but also of those in their hinterland. They will also be most ableto grow to meet future needs although this will need to be balanced against flood risk forthose settlements in high flood risk areas. This may restrict housing development inthose settlements.

4.8 The Lincolnshire Coastal Study, the Regional Plan Partial Review and the early reviewof this Core Strategy may result in future policies that seek to move settlements up ordown this hierarchy in response to climate change and sea level rise issues.



Broad Areas of Flood Risk & Settlement Hierarchy

LOUTHMABLETHORPE

SPILSBY

HORNCASTLE

ALFORD

TATTERSHALL / CONINGSBY

Woodhall Spa

Stickney

& Wainfleet St. MaryWainfleet All Saints

Burgh le Marsh

Ingoldmells

LeonardsChapel St.

Wragby

Binbrook

Holton le Clay

North Thoresby

SomercotesNorth

ManbyGrimoldby

Bilsby

Croft

on BainDonington

BarkwithEast

New LeakeEastville &

Friskney

Fulstow

BridgeGipsey

Grainthorpe

Hagworthingham

Hogsthorpe

Hundleby

Huttoft

on BainKirkby

Legbourne

Ludford

le MarshMaltby

le FenMareham

Marshchapel

Mumby

BolingbrokeNew

North Cotes

Partney

Saltfleet

Saltfleetby

Sibsey

RestonSouth

Stickford

Tetford

Tetney

St HelenTheddlethorpe

Withern

SKEGNESS

Larger Village

Service Village

Sub Regional Centres

GRIMSBY

LINCOLN

Towns

BOSTON

Willoughby

Cluster Linkage Lines

Broad Areas of Flood Risk

THE SHAPE OF FUTURE GROWTH

4.9 Taking account of the Lincolnshire Coastal Study the East Midlands Regional PlanPartial Review in 2012 should clarify where future housing development can be directedin East Lindsey. Until then, the Council will proceed with growth based on economic andsocial regeneration, supported by existing housing commitments and small scale housingdevelopments consistent with the LDF's strategic housing policies. This strategy will bereviewed in the light of the Regional Plan Partial Review in 2012.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 2 - THE SHAPE OF FUTURE GROWTH

Most growth will be directed to the existing Towns and Service Villages andaway from those areas of highest flood risk on the coast. Development inthe areas of highest flood risk on the coast will be restricted to that whichcontributes to the regeneration of sustainable communities and the localeconomy.

Limited development in larger villages will support local sustainablecommunities. This will be balanced by restraint in smaller settlements andthe more rural areas.

Level 1 - Main Towns (or District Centres) - Louth and Skegness will continue to provideand extend the range of higher order services and facilities that, becuse of economies ofscale, cannot reasonably be expected in smaller settlements. Policies later in the CoreSrategy show how we will facilitate the expansion of their housing, employment and retailfunctions to serve their resident populations and those of smaller communities withintheir sphere of influence.

Level 2 - Small Towns - After Louth and Skegness, the small towns will be the focus forthe majority of development. We shall encourage growth in Horncastle to help widen itssphere of influence and reduce the reliance of communities in the south western part ofthe District upon the higher order, and more distant, centres of Lincoln and Boston. Weexpect, and will facilitate, additional growth in Coningsby in response to the anticipatedincrease in military and support personnel needed to serve the Government's Eurofighterproject.

Draft Core Strategy26a


Level 3 - Service Villages - New general market housing will be small scale and consolidatethe role of service villages by adding to the mix and choice of housing types, primarilyon brownfield sites within these settlements. Opportunities for general market housingin those Service Villages in areas of greatest risk in Flood Zone 3 will be severely restricted,at least until the Partial Review of the Regional Plan has clarified where housingdevelopment could take place. Development of employment uses and community facilitieswill be supported in Service Villages where they add to the quality of life of the villagecommunity or that of smaller settlements in its hinterland.

Level 4 - Larger Rural Villages - Parish Councils and community groups will be encouragedto draw up Parish Plans to plan and manage the future sustainable development of theirvillage. Their long-term vitality will rely as much on community-led initiatives as ongrowth opportunities, which will be limited to those that are essential to support orstrengthen the local community.

In order to increase their self-sufficiency, we will encourage these villages to developfacilities to meet daily community needs. Any proposed new housing will have to showwhy it cannot be located in a more sustainable settlement and why it is essential for thefuture vitality of the village. Neighbouring service and rural villages will be encouragedto share existing and new facilities and services. These villages will continue to look tothe towns and service villages to provide a greater range of, and higher order, communityfacilities.

Level 5 - Hamlets and small rural villages - These settlements cannot be expected togenerate the demand for more than a a limited range of services or facilities and willcontinue to look to higher order settlements to meet the vast majority of their employment,shopping, recreational, business and educational needs. In many cases, their principalrole is more likely to be commuter or retirement residential. Additional growth, particularlyhousing, which would only increase the need to travel and place greater stress on theprovision of local services and infrastructure, will be strongly resisted here. Opportunitiesfor small scale development of facilities, services or businesses to strengthen the socialor economic well-being of the local community will be encouraged.

Level 6 - Open Countryside - There is no planned growth for development in thecountryside or any of the clusters of buildings that are scattered about it. Opportunitiesfor development could be pursued where it is essential to be located in the countrysideand where it can provide tangible social or economic benefits to the local or widercommunity that cannot be provided in a more sustainable location. These developmentopportunities are most likely to be associated with farming and/or green tourism and bediscreet in scale. Maintaining and, where possible, enhancing the open and distinctivecharacter of the countryside, and the attractive features within it, will be a priority.

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COMMUNITY CLUSTERS WITHIN THE SETTLEMENT HIERARCHY

4.10 None of our settlements are self-contained units. They do not exist in isolation intheir position in the settlement hierarchy. They all have different roles and mustcomplement each other to provide the optimum range of services and facilities for allresidents across the District. But they are all controlled by economies of scale, whichmeans that not all of our 200+ settlements can provide all the services that their residentsneed or want. It is more usual for larger settlements to provide for smaller settlementsand for groups, or clusters, of smaller communities to “share” services and facilities. Thisspatial inter-relationship enables settlements of all sizes to be sustainable and is shownin figures 1.1 and 1.2.

4.11 Strategic Policy SP 3 shows how, within the district-wide hierarchy of places, thereare ten cluster groups of interdependent settlements which look to the seven towns ofEast Lindsey and the nearby higher order centres of Lincoln, Grimsby and Boston for theirmore specialised services. The higher order centres, to which settlements will look forgoods and services not available in their immediate cluster, are shown in parentheses.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 3 - SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIY CLUSTERS

Within each of the following cluster groups of settlements, the Council willprovide development opportunities to grow andmaintain a range of essentialand readily accessible employment, retail, housing and social facilities andservices for the benefit of all communities in the cluster group. Higher orderservices and facilities will normally be directed, first, to the higher ordersettlements unless they are in the areas of highest flood risk..

Louth cluster (Sub-regional centre - Grimsby)

District centre – Louth

Service villages – Binbrook, Grimoldby/Manby, North Somercotes

Larger rural villages – Donington on Bain, Grainthorpe, Legbourne, Ludford,Saltfleet, Saltfleetby, South Reston.

Skegness cluster (Sub-regional centre - Boston)

District centre - Skegness

Service villages - Burgh le Marsh, Chapel St Leonards, Ingoldmells, Wainfleet.

Larger rural villages - Croft, Hogsthorpe .

Horncastle cluster (Sub-regional centres - Lincoln, Boston; District centre- Louth)

Small town - Horncastle

Larger rural villages - Hagworthingham, Tetford.



Mablethorpe cluster (Sub-regional centre - Grimsby; District centres -Louth/Skegness)

Small town - Mablethorpe (including Trusthorpe and Sutton on Sea)

Larger rural villages - Huttoft, Maltby le Marsh, Theddlethorpe, Withern.

Alford cluster (Sub-regional centre - Boston; District centre - Louth)

Small town - Alford

Larger rural villages - Bilsby, Mumby, Willoughby.

Spilsby cluster (Sub-regional centre - Boston, District centre - Skegness)

Small town - Spilsby

Larger rural village - East Kirkby, Hundleby, Partney.

Coningsby - Tattershall cluster (sub-regional centres - Lincoln, Boston)

Small town - Coningsby - Tattershall

Service village - Woodhall Spa

Larger rural village - Kirkby on Bain, Mareham le Fen.

Grimsby catchment cluster (sub-regional centre - Grimsby)

Service Villages - Holton le Clay, North Thoresby.

Larger rural villages - Fulstow, Marshchapel, North Cotes, Tetney.

Lincoln catchment cluster (sub-regional centre - Lincoln)

Service village - Wragby

Larger rural village - East Barkwith.

Boston catchment cluster (sub-regional centre - Boston)

Service Village - Stickney

Larger rural villages - Eastville/New Leake, Friskney, Gipsey Bridge, NewBolingbroke, Sibsey, Stickford.

4.12 The Council will monitor the provision of community facilities and services to ensurethat no set of communities in one cluster falls behind those in another. Higher order,more specialised, services will continue to be provided in the higher order centres tocreate benefits of economies of scale and reduce the need to travel.

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4.13 This polycentric growth strategy would concentrate most development into thetowns so as to build up the critical mass and economies of scale necessary to generatea wider range of community facilities, better public transport, business opportunities andwider retail offer that could not only support their own populations but also spread benefitsto the surrounding rural communities. Where it is a more sustainable or practical option,lower order settlements may provide a key community facility or service that can beshared by all others in the cluster.

4.14 For both economic and environmental reasons this spatial strategy aims to reducereliance on services offered by higher order centres beyond the District boundaries, bycreating stronger centres within East Lindsey. Elevating Louth and Skegness to higherorder centres at either end of the District will increase the potential for improving publictransport and facilities for walking and cycling, essential if we are to reduce reliance onthe private car. Focusing growth and investment into these two centres will also strengthenthe District’s resistance to leakage of retail expenditure and jobs to Grimsby and Boston.Longer distance commuting and retail travel should decrease, with consequentimprovements to our collective carbon footprint.

4.15 Figure 1.1 shows that the settlement clusters in the south-western part of theDistrict fall outside the primary spheres of influence of the two District centres (Louthand Skegness), looking instead beyond the District boundary to the higher order centresof Lincoln and Boston. To remedy this potentially unsustainable imbalance, the Councilaims to accelerate service, commercial and employment growth in Horncastle.Strengthening Horncastle's role will reduce the reliance of nearby settlements uponBoston and Lincoln.

4.16 To balance and support this targeted growth approach, there would be restraintson non-essential development in the less sustainable settlements and the countryside.In order to build up and support potentially sustainable communities, growth (includinga limited amount of housing) would be allowed in the larger villages, especially where itwould help to strengthen the local economy and community facilities.

4.17 Having identified which places are to grow, the Spatial Strategy now explains howthis growth will be accommodated.



11

30a


Settlement Clustersand Links

LOUTHMABLETHORPE

SPILSBY

HORNCASTLE

ALFORD

TATTERSHALL / CONINGSBY

Woodhall Spa

Stickney

& Wainfleet St. MaryWainfleet All Saints

Burgh le Marsh

Ingoldmells

LeonardsChapel St.

Wragby

Binbrook

Holton le Clay

North Thoresby

SomercotesNorth

ManbyGrimoldby

Bilsby

Croft

on BainDonington

BarkwithEast

New LeakeEastville &

Friskney

Fulstow

BridgeGipsey

Grainthorpe

Hagworthingham

Hogsthorpe

Hundleby

Huttoft

on BainKirkby

Legbourne

Ludford

le MarshMaltby

le FenMareham

Marshchapel

Mumby

BolingbrokeNew

North Cotes

Partney

Saltfleet

Saltfleetby

Sibsey

RestonSouth

Stickford

Tetford

Tetney

St HelenTheddlethorpe

Withern

SKEGNESS

Larger Village

Service Village

Sub Regional Centres

GRIMSBY

LINCOLN

Towns

BOSTON

Willoughby

Cluster Linkage Lines

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 4 - HOW PLACES WILL GROW

In selecting or approving locations for development the Council will alwaysprefer the most sustainable option, including the re-use or redevelopmentof previously-developed land (brownfield sites) within an existing settlement,recognising the limited amount of brownfield land in sustainable locationswithin the District. We shall aim for at least 40% (11) of all new housingdevelopment to be on previously used sites.

Most new growth will be directed to Louth, Skegness, Horncastle andConingsby/Tattershall.

Limited growth on greenfield sites abutting and beyond the existingsettlement limits of the other Small Towns and Service Villages will beplanned to accommodate affordable housing, community and employmentuses where insufficient brownfield sites are available within the settlement.

Exceptions to this shall be where the scale or operational nature of a proposeddevelopment requires a specific location and its strategic contribution to theDistrict’s economy or community is so significant as to warrant specialconsideration.

4.18 The Council will apply a sequential approach, both in its selection of sites to beallocated in the Settlement Proposals Development Plan Document, and when determiningplanning applications, to favour previously-used sites within settlements unless flood risknecessitates an alternative approach. This not only protects the countryside fromunnecessary incursion by built development but also consolidates development withinexisting settlements to increase accessibility and reduce car travel.

4.19 Brownfield sites are generally insufficient in number and size to accommodate thescale of growth planned for Louth, Skegness, Horncastle and Coningsby/Tattershall.

11 This target is based on the average completions on Previously Developed Land over the last three years which was 48%

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TARGET AND MONITORING

TARGET - 40% of new housing development to be on brownfield sites eachyear.

MONITORING - Housing completion records - reported via AMR

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF OUR PLACES AND SPACES

4.20 Good design is important in shaping the places where we live, work and undertakeleisure activities. It is not just about buildings but includes the spaces between buildings,how they relate to each other and the street, the different uses of buildings and how theyoperate, and access around and between towns and villages. It is also an important factorin protecting and managing the change within the wider landscape.

4.21 The distinctive quality and character of East Lindsey’s environment should beenhanced through good design and the Council will not support development that doesnot achieve the highest quality of design.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP5 - RAISING THE QUALITY OF OUR PLACES ANDSPACES

The Council will maintain and enhance the local distinctiveness of theDistrict’s towns, villages and countryside by supporting proposals thatenhance their location and context, through their scale, design, siting andchoice of materials.

4.22 New development should aim to:

use the highest quality of layout, design and materials;reflect and the respect the local distinctive character of the town, village or countrysidesetting in which it sits;integrate with old and valued areas of towns, villages or groups of buildings incountryside;incorporate or connect to roads, cycleways and footways that provide safe, attractiveand convenient access to shops, jobs, schools and other community facilities;integrate planting, landscape features and open spaces;incorporate space for recycling and waste collection facilities;incorporate features and layouts that reduce crime and the fear of crime; andincorporate sustainable construction techniques, layouts and design concepts thatreduce local and global impacts on climate change.



4.23 East Lindsey has a variety of building styles and landscapes. There are over 200settlements and each displays an individual and distinctive character. New developmentshould recognise that local distinctiveness through high quality contemporary or traditionaldesign.

4.24 Landscaping is an essential part of the local distinctiveness of the different partsof the District and therefore should be an integral part of the design of new development.Structural and strategic landscaping can form an important element of the GreenInfrastructure capacity of the District. It can take many forms and fulfil different functions,including formal and informal amenity areas, play spaces, providing a setting for landscapefeatures or public art, defining pedestrian or cycle corridors, improving the setting ofbuildings or groups of buildings, providing visual links to adjoining development or helpingto integrate traffic or car parking into a residential environment.

4.25 Measures to reduce the risk of crime shall be designed into new development.


TARGET - N/A

MONITORING - Number of planning permissions refused on design groundsreported via AMR

PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 6 - PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE

The Council will work with providers, partners and developers to ensure thatinfrastructure is provided at a time, pace and level necessary to enabledevelopment to proceed within the phasing set out in the Core Strategy.

Availability of infrastructure and community facilities will be secured through:

Protecting and enhancing existing facilities where possible;Partnership working with services providers; andDeveloper contributions and planning obligations.

4.26 Infrastructure can cover a large range of elements, including electricity, gas, waterand sewerage, roads and transportation, as well as more community based facilities suchas schools and medical facilities. The availability of appropriate levels of infrastructureto provide for the needs of the community and the future population is a vital componentof a sustainable society. Most new development will add to existing demands on localinfrastructure. The availability of appropriate types and levels of infrastructure, in theright place and at the right time, is a critical factor in the delivery of new development,of any type. The inability of current infrastructure to accommodate any changes to theamount of or pattern of usage can slow the place of development and, in the worse case

33


scenario, can prevent it altogether. Major strategic infrastructure can take several yearsto plan and bring forward and it is therefore vital that the Council works with other serviceproviders to co-ordinate and, where possible, facilitate the provision of necessaryinfrastructure.

4.27 The infrastructure needs of communities can also be met through helping to supportand protect the integrity of existing infrastructure and supporting community infrastructureinitiatives of partner organisations, such as extra care facilities or health initiatives.

4.28 The Council will work closely with other service providers to establish where existinginfrastructure is at, or is close to, capacity and where additional works or service planningneeds to take place to meet any shortfalls over the period of the Core Strategy. We willalso establish any significant obstacles to these improvements taking place. Once thespatial picture of the availability of infrastructure and gaps in provision has beenestablished, the Council will use the information to inform the strategic decisions on thelocation, scale and form of development. The Council will also work with providers and,where appropriate, developers to establish the most expedient methods of securing thenecessary improvements. This may mean that development has to be phased to ensurethe proper provision of infrastructure. Where new development adds to the need foradditional infrastructure, that development should contribute to the cost of its provision.This may include on and off site works related to the development.

4.29 The East Lindsey Local Strategic Partnership has established an InfrastructureSub-committee to look at what infrastructure is available and what will be required in thefuture, to facilitate potential growth. The work of this group will help to bring forward theproposals in the Local Development Framework.


TARGET - N/A

MONITORING - Monitor the level of community facilities.



5 KEY THEME 2 (HOUSING)

5.1 The Council’s housing vision is one of " affordable and good quality housing to satisfythe differing needs of East Lindsey residents"

In particular it aims to provide land and opportunities for housing development, sufficientto meet the full range of housing needs throughout the District until 2026, within thecontext of the housing allocation of the Regional Plan.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP7 - HOUSING

New housing in the District will be guided to Towns and Service Villagesidentified in the settlement hierarchy (Spatial Strategy 1) to support theprinciples of sustainable development and to meet the specific needs of thecommunity.

Until 2016 existing housing commitments, made up of planning permissionsand undeveloped allocations, will provide for the majority of the Districts’housing needs.

5.2 The broad framework for the distribution of Housing across the District is establishedthrough the Regional Plan (2009) which proposes that an average of 600 new houses(per annum) should be provided using the capacity of existing planning permissions andundeveloped allocations; and subject to sites satisfying the necessary developmentcontrol criteria. The Partial Review of the Regional Plan is expected to be complete in2012 and a further review of housing distribution will be required at that time.

Commitments Existing &(Projected)

Built Actual / ProjectedYear

7282006 / 07

5342007 / 08

6122008 / 09

3401 (12)4502009 / 10

(2952)6002010 / 11

(2352)6002011 / 12

(1752)6002012 / 13

(1152)6002013 / 14

(552)6002014 / 15

(0)6002015 / 16

Table 1 Table H1 Housing Trajectory & 5 Year Housing Supply - 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2016

12 Outstanding Commitments at 1st April 2009 ( from Housing Land Availability Study)

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5KEY THEME 2 (HOUSING)

5.3 Table H1 shows a summary of the actual and projected house-building rates andcommitments in the District, at the beginning of April 2009. It assumes a fall in thenumber of properties built for the year 2009-10 to reflect the economic downturn with asubsequent return to on or about the average (600). Based on completions and currentplanning permissions, it is expected that about 5276 of the 6000 new houses proposedby the Regional Plan will be delivered by 2015, although the volatility of the housingmarket will influence this.

5.4 There are some 50 allocated sites (or parts of) which do not yet have the benefitof Planning Permission. At a density of 30 units per hectare these sites would have thepotential to provide a further 2315 houses.

5.5 Of these, approximately 1436 are on allocated sites that may not be deliverable inthe lifetime of this Strategy. These are located in the areas of highest flood risk or landowners have indicated that they are not developing in either the short, medium or longterm. Whilst the Council will operate a precautionary approach to proposals for newhousing development in line with the Regional Plan and within the context of PPS3(Housing) advice, it is important that the management of housing supply is planned,monitored and managed to ensure that the overall regional allocation is delivered. Thispotential capacity will be used to facilitate small-scale, development on brownfield sitesas set out in Strategic Policy SP8 and SP9 below.


Target - Maintain a minimum 5 year supply of Housing Land

Monitoring - Reported via the AMR.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP8 - HOUSING ON OTHER SITES

Outside areas of high flood risk, the Council will support the redevelopmentof small scale previously developed sites for housing in the Towns andService Villages. In Service Villages, such development will normally berestricted to infill development on street frontages where this reflects theexisting pattern and character of development.

Outside Towns and Service Villages housing will only be allowed where itprovides for accommodation for agricultural workers and other ruraloccupations whose operations depend upon on-site living accommodation.


KEY THEME 2 (HOUSING)5

5.6 The Regional Plan sets a ‘ceiling’ on housing development based on currentcommitments, and sets a target that previously developed land (PDL) should contributeland for up to 60% of all new dwellings. By promoting the re-use of sites in appropriatelocations the Core Strategy can contribute towards that objective and make an importantcontribution to the local economy . However, as recognised earlier a more realistic targetin East Lindsey is 40%of new homes on previously developed land.

5.7 Development on unallocated sites in the Towns and Service Villages shall be on siteswithin the settlement boundary that do not harm the character of the area or result inthe loss of undeveloped space that contributes to the character of the area.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP9 - DELIVERING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The Council will support the delivery of affordable housing in sustainablelocations across the District to meet the differing needs of the communityand to reduce the number of households in affordable housing need. To thatend it will seek developer contributions towards the provision of affordablehousing, of up to 40%(13) of the number of new houses proposed on all sitesusing the following thresholds:-

in the towns where 5 or more dwelling units are proposed;

in the villages, on sites for 2 or more dwellings

the Council will consider development viability in all cases and willnormally expect affordable housing to be delivered as an integral partof general market developments. However, on smaller sites, a financialcontribution or the provision of land may be considered inlieu of on siteprovision.

5.8 The need for housing in the District is set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS).It proposes that 3600 affordable houses should be provided in the Lincolnshire CoastalHousing Market Area (Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District), or 180 perannum (2006 to 2026). As a percentage of the overall housing target this equates to41% of new houses. It is expected that this will achieved through a mix of affordablehousing exception sites and mixed tenure development.

5.9 The Council’s Housing Needs Study of 2006 (Fordhams) also concluded that due tothe high levels of need an affordable housing target of between 40 and 50% would bereasonable. That report also suggests that to meet housing need, 1112 additionalaffordable houses would need to be provided in each of the following 5 years.

13 The Council is commissioning an independent viability assessment, the result of which may alter the 40% provision requirement

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5.10 The Central & Coastal Lincolnshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (2007)concludes that the Housing Register provides the best measure of housing need. Thelatest data from the Housing Register shows the current need for affordable homes in theDistrict is in excess of 5500 households and is increasing by about 300 per annum. Thegreatest demand is for accommodation in the towns (76%), with a further 16.5% seekinghomes in the Service Villages.

5.11 To meet that need the Council intends to focus the development of new affordablehomes in the towns and service villages to take advantage of the proximity to jobs, andcommunity facilities. In addition to the homes delivered through the Council's own HousingCapital Programme the expectation is that the majority of new homes will be providedas part of market housing sites and funded by developer contributions.

5.12 The Council recognises that the viability of different schemes and their capacityto deliver affordable housing can only be determined on a site by site basis. Accordingly,whilst the Council will seek a contribution of up to 40% affordable homes (of the totalnumber of houses) on new sites, it will use the Gross Development Value Calculationmodel to determine the level of contribution. To enable the Council to calculate theproportion of affordable housing, developers will be required to provide the Council withthe necessary information to calculate the Residual Land Value on a site by site basis.Where any dispute arises the Inland Revenue District Valuer will be asked to arbitrate.

5.13 However, to provide flexibility and enable the Council and developers to respondto changing economic circumstances, the level and nature of developer contributions willbe assessed on a site by site basis and may range between:-

on-site provision of serviced plots at nil value.A financial contribution, equivalent to the cost of delivery of 40% of the site’s capacity,that will then be delivered through the Council’s Housing Capital Programme.A combination of serviced plots and financial contributionOff site provision of land made available by the developer that will be ‘recycled’through the Council's Housing Capital Programme.

5.14 The Council’s preference will be to deliver affordable housing as part of mixedtenure schemes. Provision on alternative sites, and financial contributions in lieu of on-siteprovision, will only be considered where the developer can show that it is impractical tomake provision on site.


Target - Meet target for the delivery of Affordable Housing as set out in theLocal Area Agreement (LAA).

Monitoring - Reported via the AMR and the LAA.


KEY THEME 2 (HOUSING)5

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 10 - EXCEPTION SITES

Where local affordable housing need is proven, the development ofsmall-scale, affordable housing sites, on land not otherwise consideredacceptable for development, will be supported.

5.15 An exception site is one where housing would not normally be supported unlessthrough exceptional circumstances. Where exception sites are proposed the Council willrequire clear evidence of need. Evidence of need will be drawn from the Council's HousingRegister and local housing need assessments in small settlements.


Target - Meet the target for delivering affordable rural housing as set out inthe Local Area Agreement (LAA)

Monitoring - Reported via the AMR.

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6 KEY THEME 3 (DIVERSE ECONOMY)

EXPANDING AND DIVERSIFYING THE ECONOMY

6.1 The District`s economy is founded on agriculture and tourism. Diversifying theeconomy and regenerating settlements with identified problems of a relatively low skillsbase and pockets of severe deprivation will be challenging. Poor communications andaccessibility add to this challenge.

6.2 The strategy here aims to play to the District's strengths and opportunities includingthe high quality of life and working conditions afforded by its rural and coastal location,historic market towns and attractive landscapes, and well-established tourism and farmingindustries. We shall remove unnecessary and perceived planning policy barriers byclarifying the Council's overarching support for sustainable economic development andshall offer a realistic complementary alternative means of achieving long-term communityprosperity. Other strategic policies will spell out the Council's commitment to strengtheningthe tourism and retail elements of the economy.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 11 - A STRATEGY FOR EXPANDINGANDDIVERSIFYINGTHE DISTRICT'S ECONOMY

The Council will support growth and diversification of the District's economyby attracting new businesses, growing existing ones and increasingemployment opportunities.

The Council will particularly encourage businesses that are able to operateprimarily through electronic communication, businesses that value theDistrict's high environmental quality and quality of life, and businesses thatwiden employment opportunities in the agricultural and tourism sectors ofthe economy.

6.3 The Council's Economic Development Strategy(14) has set targets for increasing skillsand aspirations, stimulating competition and business growth and enhancing our visitorproduct.

6.4 Recognising that there is a clear link between skill levels and productivity, we aimto bridge the gap between local and regional average for skills by 2020. This we will doby working with schools and colleges to improve vocational skills and improve access totraining, working with employers to develop skills packages, working with partners toprovide business support and mentoring, working with communities (for example via theNeighbourhood Management Initiative)to develop the capacity of voluntary and communitygroups, and by creating incentives for excellence.

14 "Enterprising East Lindsey - Economic Development Strategy 2006-2020"


KEY THEME 3 (DIVERSE ECONOMY)6

6.5 Recognising also the clear link between competitiveness and business growth, weaim to develop a strong enterprise culture and, in the process, increase the number ofbusinesses by 400 between 2006 and 2020. This we will do by continuing to developindustrial estates, business centres and step-up units in accessible locations, workingwith communications infrastructure providers to improve electronic, broadband andtransport accessibility, working with business support agencies to promote innovationand best practice, and working through the Local Strategic Partnership to research keyeconomic issues and to market East Lindsey as a business destination.

6.6 We will raise the visitor spend and sustainable employment in East Lindsey byworking with business partners to access new markets, diversifying the tourism economyby marketing more of the District's landscape, heritage and cultural attractions (includingthe Wolds and market towns), working with the tourism industry to achieve a higherquality tourism offer, and improve visitor information and accommodation.

LAND FOR EMPLOYMENT

6.7 The Council has a long and successful history of assembling serviced land foremployment uses at strategic locations around the District. It shall continue to identifyland to help towards accommodating an additional 400 businesses between 2006 and2020. The Lincolnshire Employment Sites and Premises Study 2005 assessed demandand supply of employment sites in the three market areas of the District:- the Wolds, theCentral Area and the Coastal area and this has helped to form the distribution patternfor employment land in Strategic Policy SP 12.

6.8 The Wolds market area is centred on Louth and Market Rasen and offers theopportunity for those businesses seeking a location in a pleasant historic market town.Fairfield industrial estate in Louth is currently the primary location but there remains onlyenough allocated employment land available to meet demand to 2013.

6.9 The Central market area includes several small towns and service villages wheredemand has been largely steady but not uniform. Horncastle's industrial estate is almostfully developed, primarily by local firms, whilst 12 hectares has remained undevelopedfor some 12 years at Wragby. In Coningsby/Tattershall 4 hectares will be allocated andencouragement given to high tech businesses that can support RAF Coningsby and theBAe Eurofighter contract.

6.10 The Coastal market area stretches from Mablethorpe to Skegness where the localeconomy has focused heavily on seaside holiday tourism. Whilst Skegness has retaineda respectable market demand, Mablethorpe and nearby villages have seen their economiessuffer in recent years.

41

6KEY THEME 3 (DIVERSE ECONOMY)

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 12 - MAKING LAND AVAILABLE FOR EMPLOYMENTUSES

The Council will allocate 64.5 hectares of land for employment uses to meetanticipated demand to 2016, pending the early review of the Core Strategyin 2012.

This shall be distributed as follows:-

Wolds market area:

Louth - 20 hectares

Central market area:

Horncastle - 12 hectares

Alford - 3 hectares

Spilsby - 1 hectare

Coningsby/Tattershall - 4 hectares

Wragby - 11.5 hectares

Coastal market area:

Skegness - 9 hectares

Mablethorpe - 4 hectares

6.11 The Council is currently carrying out a study to establish the need for additionalland for employment in Skegness and this, together with the Employment Land Reviewand the findings of the Coastal Study, will be used to update the targets set in policySP12. In Horncastle and Coningsby/Tattershall, where there is no spare capacity onallocated employment land, the Council will promote the development of additional sitesto ensure that economic growth is maintained there. Elsewhere, existing undevelopedland (currently allocated in the Local Plan) will provide for the District's needs pendingthe partial review of the Regional Plan and this Core Strategy in 2012

6.12 Industrial estates and business parks will offer critical mass, business-to-businesssupport and serviced sites. In addition we will research and survey town centre commercialpremises to identify demand and opportunities for the release of additional employmentfloorspace. Sites for employment use will be allocated in the Settlement proposalsDevelopment Plan Document.



6.13 The Council has commissioned an economic baseline study for East Lindsey, thatwill include a reassessment of the prospects for economic growth over the next 25 years.Any amendments to the quantities of employment land provision, resulting from thisstudy, will be incorporated into the early review of the LDF in 2012.


Target: To grant planning consent for 5 hectares of allocated employmentland each year.

Monitoring: Planning Consent records via the Annual Monitoring Report.

HOW THE ECONOMY WILL GROW

6.14 We want to widen the employment opportunities throughout the District andplanning policies will aim to facilitate this. Building on Strategic Policy SP 11, we shalldirect the main employment uses into the centres of higher population in order to benefitfrom the economies of scale and reduce the need for excessive travel. At the same time,employment opportunities of an appropriate scale will be actively encouraged in thesmaller settlements where they can provide local employment and services. We willrespond positively to the opportunity to attract businesses that can contribute significantlyto the District's economy.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 13 - HOW THE ECONOMY WILL GROW

Most new employment developmentwill bewithin Towns and Service Villages.

Small scale businesses will be encouraged in all settlements where theycontribute to the local economy without harming the quality of life for localresidents.

Home-based businesses, particularly those based on electroniccommunication, shall be encouraged in rural areas.

The re-use of redundant rural buildings for business uses shall be supported.

Existing businesses will be encouraged to expand within the environmentalconstraints of their location. Where this is not possible, the Council will helpin their relocation to a more suitable location.

The Council will, exceptionally, support major employment developmentsthat, because of their unique locational requirements, their overriding nationalimportance or their essential contribution to the District's economy, mustbe located outside Towns or Service Villages.

43


6.15 Policies in the Development Control Development Plan Document will be drawn upto encourage the range of employment opportunities listed in Strategic policy SP 13. Atthe same time, the Council will encourage and assist new business enterprises, and workwith partners, to:-

identify and fill training and skills gaps,develop vocational colleges in Louth and Mablethorpe,operate a business support network,set up a business development grant scheme,set up a Business Champions Network and business forum to encourage knowledgesharing and spread best practice,actively seek to attract high profile businesses,provide incubator business space,promote industrial estates and business centres,promote the Lincolnshire Broadband initiative,provide business enterprise advice,investigate the potential use of brownfield sites,establish a capital grants scheme,undertake a feasibility study into tourism marketing opportunities, anddevelop on-line trading for local tourism businesses.

These are just some of the initiatives to be pursued through the Council's EconomicDevelopment Strategy.

COASTAL REGENERATION

6.16 The problems of a narrow tourism economy and pockets of multiple socialdeprivation in coastal communities are compounded by increasing coastal flood risk arisingfrom climate change. Providing regeneration options in this complex scenario is the subjectof the Lincolnshire Coastal Study. Its results will more fully inform a coastal regenerationstrategy in the early review of our LDF in 2012.

6.17 In the meantime, however, we recognise that coastal communities must not beallowed to degenerate through lack of action and there remain several opportunities toovercome deprivation and reinvigorate the economy and improve the quality of life.Because of the unresolved threat of flood risk, short term regeneration will be led byeconomic and social initiatives including uses that provide for the needs of the agingpopulation rather than general market housing development.



STRATEGIC POLICY SP 14 - COASTAL REGENERATION

The Council will give high priority to economic-led regeneration of the coastalsettlements between Mablethorpe and Skegness. In particular, newbusinesses that extend and diversify the tourismmarket, offer all-year roundemployment opportunities and contribute directly to the local economy, shallbe supported.

The Council's NeighbourhoodManagement initiative shall increase communitycontribution and commitment to coastal regeneration projects.

6.18 Recognising the particular economic and social needs of coastal communities, theCouncil set up a Coastal Action Zone initiative in 2004 to deliver sustainable developmentalong the coast. Although its official lifespan has expired, its objectives continue as oneof the eight priorities of the Sustainable Community Plan. In particular this strives toraise the special needs and issues of coastal communities on to the national and regionalpolicy agenda, tackle the problem of social deprivation to raise the quality of life of coastalcommunities and expand business investment and economic development opportunitieson the coast.

6.19 In addition to drawing up enabling Development Control Policies, we shall implementStrategic Policy SP 14 by:-

continuing to pursue Rural Development Programme funding for skills and trainingopportunities,proceeding with our successful bid for a small casino,developing the 21st Century Mablethorpe project, including a public realm workspackage and traffic management measures,securing the redevelopment of Skegness railway station,redeveloping the Southern Foreshore in Skegness,nurturing community contribution and commitment to regeneration through theNeighbourhood Management project.

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RURAL DIVERSIFICATION

6.20 Because of their nature or operational needs, some businesses have to be locatedin the countryside or in smaller villages. Many, especially farming, are vulnerable tomarket fluctuations and may need to turn to alternative enterprises to retain a viablebusiness. Where these are key enterprises that contribute significantly to the District'seconomy, we will encourage the introduction of new uses to complement and help sustainthe primary business.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 15 - RURAL DIVERSIFICATION

The Council will support development proposals on farms and other ruralbusinesses that are important to the East Lindsey economy where they willmake a long term contribution to sustaining the business and can operatewithin environmental policy constraints.

6.21 The aim here is to ensure the long term viability of farm holdings and key ruralbusinesses through appropriate diversification. It is not an opportunity to introduceinappropriate stand-alone new uses into unsustainable or sensitive locations in thecountryside or smaller villages. To this end, any additional uses must be complementaryto, and tied to, the original business, as well as being capable of satisfying all otherdevelopment policy criteria.

6.22 Diversification can take many forms but we will particularly support initiatives thatre-use existing buildings, bring about environmental improvements, add to the tourismoffer or improve the visitor experience.

CREATING PROSPEROUS COMMUNITIES IN A LIMITED-GROWTH DISTRICT

6.23 Our strategy of economic growth through increased investment and diversity willassist improvements in the economic rejuvenation of the District. However, because ofall of the barriers to growth in East Lindsey that have already been identified in theRegional and Lincolnshire Economic Strategies, it is reasonable to predict thatmacro-economic growth in the District will be steady rather than rapid up to 2026. Wewill not allow our communities to suffer a relative reduction in their prosperity or qualityof life simply because the District's economy cannot grow at a rate to match that ofurbanised and more locationally advantaged areas.



6.24 The Government-appointed Sustainable Development Commission identifies twelvesteps to a sustainable economy(15)whereby communities would be able to flourish withinlimits, and not have to rely on ever-expanding economic growth. To help build upcommunity prosperity in a low growth scenario we shall pursue a strategy of transitionto a sustainable economy to complement our economic growth strategy.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 16 - PROSPEROUS COMMUNITIES

The Council will help communities to experience growing prosperity andquality of life by:-

building a sustainable economy through increased commitment todevelopment, including employment, in public services, infrastructure,sustainable construction and renewable energy;providing for increased community participation in development projects;anddeveloping within environmental limits.

6.25 The aim here is to provide the means for rural communities to better look afterthemselves and allow them to flourish and increase their quality of life without having todepend on an uncertain economic outlook.

6.26 Investment in sustainable development projects can contribute significantly tolocal economies and the District's economy as well as providing services and facilitiesthat add to the collective community well-being. Strategic policies elsewhere in the CoreStrategy, which require sustainable development solutions, can be the springboard forsources of employment in rural areas where few traditional job opportunities exist.

6.27 Development projects that are initiated and managed by community groups arelikely to carry greater commitment and spread wider community benefit.

6.28 By making sure that development stays within environmental limits we can ensurethat communities remain (or become) sustainable and are, therefore, able to betteraccommodate further change to add to their quality of life and prospects for increasedprosperity.

15 "Prosperity without Growth?" - Sustainable Devlopment Commission - 2008

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ENHANCING THE VITALITY AND VIABILITY OF TOWN CENTRES

Town centres are essential to the economic and social well-being of the District. One ofthe LDF’s objectives is to protect and enhance their vitality and viability. If our towncentres are to be healthy, vibrant, vital and viable they should:-

have a rich variety and choice of shops and services to draw in people from the wholecatchment area, during the day and in the evening. In particular, they should includea variety of multiple and independent retailers;

be easily accessible with safe and convenient car parks, pedestrian and cyclist priorityareas and a convenient public transport node;

be set within a high quality and attractive built environment and public realm.

HIERARCHY OF TOWN CENTRES

6.29 In this Core Strategy the Council will define the relative roles of the town centresby setting them within a hierarchy of centres, (16) recognising that competition in themarket place means that not every town centre can provide all of the services and facilitiesthat people within its catchment area will expect. Instead, economies of scale will bedeveloped in the larger centres to provide the more specialist facilities that will serve awider, sometimes even a district-wide, catchment area. The lesser roles of local centreswill also be defined in relation to the larger town centres.

6.30 Retail Studies between 1999 and 2008 have identified Louth and Skegness as themain district centres; Horncastle and Mablethorpe as higher order centres; and Alford,Spilsby and Coningsby/Tattershall as secondary centres serving a more local catchmentpopulation. Below this level, village shops primarily focus on meeting essential localneeds. This variation in town centre roles is reflected in the settlement hierarchy andclusters defined in Spatial Policies SP1 and SP3.

6.31 The relative stability afforded by regional isolation has allowed an unusually highproportion of small independent retailers to operate successfully; This has added to theattractiveness and distinctive quality of the shopping experience in many of the District’shistoric market towns. This distinctiveness needs to be balanced with ensuring consumerchoice.

6.32 However, the shopping centres in East Lindsey have lost a considerable amountof higher-order and specialist trade to the regional and sub-regional centres. This hashad the effect of restricting the range of goods on offer and restricting consumer choice.

16 The hierarchy reflects the relative, size, offer and sphere of influence of the different town and service centres.



6.33 The East Lindsey Retail Studies have identified the need and opportunity to increasethe choice of goods offered by large scale convenience and comparison stores - thereby“clawing back” some of the trade currently leaking out of the District. The LDF aims tostrengthen the towns’ shopping offer and attractiveness- and consequently improve theirvitality and viability - through allocating sites and pro-active policies to encourage newstores where they will complement town centres.

6.34 However, a balance must be struck between clawing back expenditure and divertingcustom away from vauable independent outlets that currently contribute to the towncentres’ vitality and viability, and help to make them distinctive.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 17 - TOWN CENTRE HIERARCHY

The Council will establish a balanced hierarchy of town centres that will meetthe retail, cultural, business and leisure needs of East Lindsey residents andimprove the town centre experience for residents and visitors alike; and wewill pursue policies that will protect and enhance town centres’distinctiveness, vitality and viability.

The hierarchy of centres, reflecting the relative strengths of their catchmentareas (or spheres of influence) is as follows:-

District town centres

Louth, Skegness

Main town centre

Mablethorpe, Horncastle

Local town centre

Alford, Spilsby, Coningsby/Tattershall

Local service centres

Burgh le Marsh, Chapel St Leonards, Ingoldmells, Sutton on Sea, WainfleetAll Saints, Woodhall Spa, Wragby.

Local neighbourhood centres.

The majority of new growth in retail, cultural and financial and professionalservices (generally Use Classes A1 – A5) shall be directed towards theDistrict, Main and Local town centres. Any growth shall be in scale with thestatus of the centre within the hierarchy and shall add to its vitality andviabilty.

49


6.35 Development proposals in and alongside the town centres are more likely to gainfavour if they:-

add to, or help to create, a healthy mix of town centre uses;

encourage walking , cycling or greater use of public transport;

widen the attractiveness of the town centre to shoppers and visitors;

introduce appropriate residential accommodation into the town centre;

improve the townscape and built fabric of the town centre; and

add to the town centre’s vitality and viability.

EXPANDING TOWN CENTRES

6.36 Between 2008 and 2026, we can expect the towns’ catchment area populationsto have grown by about 25% and this will place additional pressure on town centreinfrastructure. But it will also provide opportunities, through increased economies ofscale, for town centres to extend their range and quality of goods and services to createmore vital and vibrant town centres. To do this, they will need to physically expand.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 18 - VITALITY AND VIABILITY OF TOWN CENTRES

The town centres of Louth, Skegness, Mablethorpe, Horncastle, Alford, Spilsbyand Coningsby/Tattershall will be encouraged to expand to contain additionalretail, business and cultural development serving the town’s catchment area.Any proposed retail development, that would harm town centre vitality orviability will not be supported.

By 2016, Louth should have expanded its convenience shopping floorspaceby some 2,200 square metres, Skegness by 2,500 square metres andMablethorpe by 1,550 square metres.

Principal Shopping Frontages will be defined in each town centre, which willbe reserved primarily for ( Use Class A1) retail uses to preserve the retailcharacter, shopper interest and investment confidence in the town centre.

Public realm areas in the town centres, will be designed to ensure safepedestrian circulation and to generate public interest and enjoyment.

6.37 The Settlement Proposals Development Plan Document will show the extent of thetown centres. The Council will normally expect all new major retail uses to locate in thisarea, to protect the vitality and viability of town centres.



6.38 The Council will also carefully identify the primary shopping frontages at the heartof town centres where the predominance of Class A1 retail uses is important in maintainingthe shopping character and attractiveness of the town centre. Other service and non-retailuses could dilute this character and harm the long-term vitality and viability of the towncentre as a whole. They are often more appropriately located in the secondary shoppingareas and elsewhere in the town centre where they would still be easily accessible.However, the Council also recognises that shopping is a leisure experience and thatcomplementary uses such as cafes and restaurants need to be included in central shoppingareas. In some peripheral secondary shopping areas there is the potential to introducemore diverse range of land uses including residential use.

6.39 Retail Studies have identified capacity for additional convenience and comparisongoods floorspace in the three towns of Louth, Skegness and Mablethorpe. Estimates forpotential new convenience floorspace up to 2016 are given here. These will be updatedin the light of future retail studies and following the publication of the successor to theGovernment's Planning Policy Statement 6. We do not feel minimum estimates foradditional comparison goods floorspace, especially for the longer term, are sufficientlyreliable to include here.

6.40 Public realm areas in the town centre should be exploited for the greater benefitof pedestrians, including pedestrian-focussed traffic management measures and publicart.

HISTORIC MARKET TOWN CENTRES

6.41 Already, together with LSP partners, the Council has been promoting our historictown centres and their local economy through town centre regeneration projects andcommunity events, including specialist markets and cultural activities. The Council isfunding town centre managers in Skegness, Mablethorpe and Louth. Their continued andincreasing success will depend largely on maintaining and improving the historicalenvironment and public realm, and widening the range of high quality retail and culturalattractions.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 19 - HISTORIC MARKET TOWN CENTRES

The distinctive historic market town centres of Louth, Horncastle, Alford andSpilsby will be supported as key visitor and shopper attractions. Theircharacters will be protected and will be enhanced by encouraging morespecialist and independent retail outlets and wider consumer choice withina healthy mix of town centre uses, by a requirement for high quality designin new buildings and refurbishments, and through environmentalimprovements.

LOCAL SHOPPING

6.42 With over 200 small settlements and a widely dispersed population, local shopsand services in East Lindsey take on a proportionately higher level of importance than inmore urban settings. They are a key element in a sustainable community. This has been

51


highlighted in the responses to consultation exercises on both the LDF and the CommunityPlan. Market forces often work against small rural businesses but, on the other hand,many are adept at surviving. The Council aims to prevent the loss of local shops whereverpossible for, once lost, they rarely reappear.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 20 - LOCAL SHOPPING

In the towns and service villages existing local and neighbourhood shoppingareas will be protected where they are important to the local communityand will be encouraged to expand to keep pace with growing demand. TheCouncil will require new neighbourhood shops to be provided as part of anynew development that generates a local demand that cannot be met byexisting shops.

Elsewhere, the loss of village shops and pubs to alternative uses will be seenas a last resort.

New retailing outlets will be encouraged to contribute to the local economyin rural locations where they meet a clear local need (such as a village shop);or where they are selling by-products from, and incidental to, an establishedcommercial use (such as business premises or farm).


Targets: Increase convenience floorspace in Louth by 2,200sq metres,Skegness by 2,500sq m and Mablethorpe by 1,550 sq m by 2016;

Reduction in convenience expenditure leakage from Louth from 54.6% to40% by 2016;

Monitoring: five yearly retail study; bi-annual town centre surveys; planningpermission records; reported via Annual Monitoring Report

WIDENING THE TOURIST MARKET

6.43 East Lindsey is in a strong position in terms of tourism, in that it has a breadth ofattractions that complement and contrast with each other. The strategy for tourismrecognises the importance of a diverse and dynamic tourist industry and is focused onproviding for each sector so that there is choice for visitors and each can retain thatcharacter that creates its attraction. Be that the lively and robust character of thetraditional seaside resorts, an appreciation of the qualities of the historic environment orthe quiet enjoyment of our countryside. Early consultation on issues showed broad supportfor an approach that sought to extend the holiday season, supports tourism withenvironmental focus and supports small local business.



STRATEGIC POLICY SP21 TOURISM

The Council will promote quality tourism and leisure facilities and seek toextend the holiday season by supporting proposals that:-

a. diversify holiday tourism and visitor facilities across the District;b. add to and improve existing visitor attractions and accommodation in

the market towns and inland villages;c. provide opportunities for the enjoyment of the District’s Wild Coast and

the countryside;d. promote the Lincolnshire Wolds; ore. add to the green and eco-tourism offer of the District and capitalise on

its environmental assets.

6.44 The coastal resorts of Mablethorpe/Sutton on Sea, Chapel St Leonards, Ingoldmellsand Skegness have a lively character, focused around the beach and other traditionalamusement activities. However, there are opportunities to broaden the range of activitiesin these resorts, helping to diversify the offer and widen the market. Adding to the rangeof activities available during inclement weather, will also increase the appeal and help toextend the holiday season, helping to reduce seasonal employment.

6.45 Alford, Horncastle, Louth, Spilsby and Woodhall Spa offer their own individualvisitor themes. The Council will encourage opportunities to increase the tourism potentialof these places, where that development adds to the quality of the environment and tothe attractiveness of the area. Other settlements such as Coningsby/Tattershall andWainfleet have the potential to accommodate new visitor facilities to support the localeconomy.

6.46 East Lindsey, with its attractive open countryside, historic interest andinternationally designated wildlife sites, is well placed to cater from those looking for aholiday with an environmental focus. The countryside offers great potential for walkingand cycling holidays or visits based around nature conservation and there are opportunitiesfor extreme sports on the wild coast. The Wolds AONB and Areas of Great LandscapeValue, the proposed Coastal Country Park, Fens and Marshes all have special characterand value. The countryside and small historic settlements also provide historic and literaryvisitor attractions.


TARGET - 10% increase in the number of planning approvals associated withtourism over the lifetime of the Core Strategy.

MONITORING - reported via AMR

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7 KEY THEME 4 (INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES)

CREATING AND MAINTAINING INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES

7.1 A pre-requisite for any sustainable community is that no-one should be at adisadvantage in accessing essential or desirable services and facilities. These includeeducation, health and public services, green infrastructure, sports and play facilities, aswell as local shops, pubs and post offices.

7.2 No single community can be totally self-sufficient for its essential services and mayneed to look to its neighbours to help meet its needs. By grouping towns and villagestogether in geographical clusters in the settlement hierarchy, Strategic Policy SP 3 aimsto create the economies of scale needed to retain the viability of otherwise vulnerablelocal facilities or, even better, generate new ones.

7.3 From this base, we will promote further development of community facilities wherethey can bring local benefits, and will resist losses of existing important communityfacilities.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 22 - CREATING INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES

All settlement clusters in the settlement hierarchy will be served by a rangeof accessible key community services and facilities, sufficient to maintaina high quality of life in all communities. Additional services and facilities,especially where they reduce the need to travel , will be encouraged on ascale appropriate to the status and role of the town or village within thesettlement hierarchy. Preference will be given to those proposals that willserve a cluster of rural communities.

Unless there is an overwhelming justification for their removal, services andfacilities that are key to the well-being of the local community should beretained.

7.4 We will undertake regular surveys of community facilities and will be guided byTown and Parish Plans in order to identify the particular and changing needs of ourcommunities.

7.5 The Council will encourage the development of new facilities, not only where theyprovide essential services but also where they add to the quality of life of the communityas a whole. This could include public art, local nature reserves, allotments, recyclingfacilities, community woodlands, cycle routes and community car schemes. We willsupport those projects that will be managed by the community, as this would be a strongpositive indicator of community ownership and long term commitment, adding to theproject viability and strengthening community inclusion.

7.6 Where a new facility is intended to serve more than one settlement or community,a location in the highest order settlement or a co-location with existing facilities wouldbe preferred.


KEY THEME 4 (INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES)7

7.7 The onus will lie with any developer who proposes to remove a key facility from thecommunity to show why there is firstly no longer a need for that facility and secondlyno other alternative community use for the facility.


TARGET -Minimum development of one additional community facility percommunity cluster by 2016.

MONITORING - planning consents/ Community Facilities Surveys - reportedvia AMR

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7KEY THEME 4 (INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES)

ACCESSIBILITY

7.8 The spatial strategy is based on a hierarchy of settlements, arranged in clusters toprovide a more accessible range of local services and facilities, thereby reducing traveldistances. However, we cannot escape the fact that, in such a large rural district, manypeople rely on their car and that this is likely to continue given the sparse nature of theDistrict.

7.9 It is essential that, even in a rural area, a policy to improve accessibility to communityservices and facilities is achieved as sustainably as possible, without increasing the needto travel.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 23 - ACCESSIBILITY AND TRANSPORT STRATEGY

By continuing to work in partnership with all transport agencies, the Councilwill improve accessibility throughout the District, providingmore sustainabletransport choices to reduce for car dependency but without disadvantagingany sector of the community. In particular, we will:-

- focus most new development in sustainable settlements accessible by arange of transport modes;

- pursue the greater provision and use of integrated public transport services,especially bus routes linking villages to their nearest towns;

- provide town centre car parking and encourage greater use of publictransport, cycling and walking;

- give preference to those development proposals that generate fewer andshorter trips;

- encourage the development and use of community transport schemes tocater for the special needs of disadvantaged people and communities,including those without cars or access to public transport, and to improveaccess to healthcare facilities;

- support the provision of infrastructure for increased cycling and walking,especially giving access to town centres, schools and centres of employment;

- through the Local Transport Plan pursue improvements to the roadinfrastructure, which are necessary to alleviate congestion or environmentalproblems or which are essential for successful economic regeneration.

7.10 We shall pursue improvements to public transport services through the actionplans of the Lincolnshire Transport Partnership and the Community Rail Partnership. Weshall assess the differing needs for town centre car parking by monitoring usage andshall respond by adjusting the provision of spaces or through changes in managementand charging policies.



7.11 The Council will apply a sequential test to development proposals to ensure thatthe more accessible locations are developed first. We shall explore opportunities forcreating walking and cycling routes and will require this to be a consideration of all majordevelopment proposals. In particular, we will pursue opportunities through the SustainableCommunity Plan, the Louth and Skegness Community Travel Zones' action plans, workingwith Sustrans, and where appropriate, through developer contributions.

7.12 Where appropriate, we shall act on those town and parish plans that have identifiedaccessibility issues and solutions. Where development would generate significant trafficmovements off site, or have implications for accessibility, we shall negotiate planningobligations to alleviate any problems and improve accessibility.


TARGET - N/A

MONITORING - Number of S106 agreements contributing to improvingcommunity accessibility. Reported via AMR

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7KEY THEME 4 (INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES)

PROVIDING FOR THE ACCOMMODATION NEEDS OF GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS

7.13 There is a recognised shortfall in the provision of accommodation for Gypsies,Travellers and Travelling Showpeople across the region and the Regional Plan asks for aminimum of 7 pitches to be provided in East Lindsey. A pitch provides an individuallyserviced household unit with an amenity building and sufficient parking space for up tothree caravans and support vehicles.

STRATEGIC POLICY 24 - ACCOMMODATION FOR GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS

The Council will ensure the delivery of sufficient good quality, appropriatelylocated residential and transit pitches to meet the on-going need for Gypsyand Traveller accommodation. In particular, a minimum of seven pitcheswill be provided on a site within or alongside a town or service village, locatedto provide easy access to community services and facilities.

7.14 We will apply the relevant criteria from ODPM Circular 01/2006 when consideringthe selection and development of a site and will encourage private rather than publicprovision and management. In particular, we will favour a location having easy accessto local services, facilities and the primary road network, and outside areas of high floodrisk. Sites should not adversely impact on, or suffer adverse impact from, neighbouringuses and should be capable of being laid out and landscaped to integrate visually intotheir surroundings.

7.15 We shall begin by testing the existing unused public-owned sites against theselocational criteria and, if found to be suitable, a site will be allocated in the SettlementProposals Development Plan Document.

7.16 We will continue to work with the neighbouring local authorities of Boston andWest Lindsey to monitor and provide for the changing accommodation needs for Gypsiesand Travellers in the wider area


TARGET - Minimum of 7 pitches allocated or with planning permission by2012.

MONITORING - Need measured via the Coastal Housing Market Assessmentand reported via AMR



8 KEY THEME 5 (PROTECTING OUR BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT)

GETTING THE BEST FROM OUR LANDSCAPES

8.1 East Lindsey displays a rich and varied landscape, much of which has been recognisedthrough national and international designations for its special quality and character, orfor the habitat it provides. These range from 56 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 6historic parks and gardens and 17 Conservation Areas to two Ramsar (17) sites, twoSpecial Areas of Conservation and the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty (AONB), which covers about one third of the District.

8.2 The District comprises four distinct Joint Landscape Character Areas (as defined bythe former Countryside Agency): the Lincolnshire Coast and Marshes, Lincolnshire Wolds,Central Lincolnshire Clay Vale and the Fens. The Council's Landscape CharacterAssessment 2009 further defines thirteen landscape character areas, each with their owndistinctive characteristics and sensitivity to change.(18)

8.3 There is much in the landscape to be protected for its special qualities and naturalhistory value but it also provides opportunities to enrich the quality of life for ourcommunities and to add to the rural economy, especially by appealing to tourists andvisitors. Our strategy here is to ensure that we balance the need to protect the mostvaluable resource whilst also releasing its community and economic potential.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 25 - GETTING THE BEST FROM OUR LANDSCAPES

The District's landscapes will be protected, enhanced, used and managed toprovide an attractive and healthy working and living environment to helpstrengthen the rural economy, by attracting new employers/employees andvisitors into the District, and to add to the health and quality of life of ruralcommunities.

In particular, we will encourage greater public access into the countrysidelandscapes and to the naturalistic coast to allow for their wider appreciationand enjoyment and to help sustain healthy communities.

We will encourage the development of designated and historic landscapes( Winceby Battlefield, LincolnshireWolds, Conservation Areas, Historic Parksand Gardens) as focal points for widening and improving the visitorexperience.

In so doing, we shall not allow the distinctive character of the landscapes,or their biodiversity, cultural or historic significance, to be compromised.

17 The Ramsar treaty was signed in 1971 is used to designate and protect Wetlands of International Importance.

18 The East Lindsey Landscape Character Assessment, prepared by ECUS Ltd for ELDC in 2008/09, can be seen on the Council's website www.e-lindsey.gov.uk

. More details are available in the Glossary

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8KEY THEME 5 (PROTECTING OUR BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT)

8.4 All proposed development, in its location and design, will be required to adhere tothese principles and shall be guided by the Council's Landscape Character Assessmentand the emerging Lincolnshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Assessment, whichshall be material planning considerations when determining planning applications.

8.5 The Council will welcome development that adds to the distinctive character of thelandscape, be it in a countryside or urban location, and will encourage development thatuses its landscape setting to grow the local economy for the benefit of local communities,provided it does not harm the landscape's character in the process.

8.6 The Lincolnshire Wolds, which were designated as an Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty in 1973 for their distinctive and high quality landscapes, are particularly sensitiveto change. Whilst we expect them to expand their role as a visitor destination, this shouldnot be at the expense of the distinctive landscape or of the quality of life of thecommunities within them. The close spatial and functional relationship between the smallsettlements and the landscape should be retained, as should the more significant viewswithin, out of and into, the Wolds. New initiatives and countryside management will bedirected and co-ordinated through the Wolds Management Plan, drawn up and implementedby the Wolds Countryside Joint Advisory Committee. The Council endorses all of theobjectives and policies in the Management Plan and shall make sure that all newdevelopment in, or affecting, the Wolds aligns with them.

8.7 The Lincolnshire coast is a unique and highly distinctive landscape feature in theEast Midlands Region. As such, it is a valuable resource. In East Lindsey, its charactervaries from wild naturalistic coast of tidal salt marsh, extensive sandy beaches and dunes,where change occurs at an almost geological pace, to an artificial man-made landscapeof holiday homes and tourist attractions, where change is almost constant. Whilst wewill encourage further high quality development and changes to the built up coast toreinforce and improve the tourism offer, we will permit only those uses, includingnon-invasive green tourism, along the naturalistic coast, which do not impose themselvesupon, or harm the distinctive character of, the landscape.


TARGET - N/A

MONITORING - Number of new landscape based visitor attractions; numberof new access agreements.planning consents/Wolds Management Plan -reported via AMR


KEY THEME 5 (PROTECTING OUR BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT)8

PROTECTING AND ENHANCING BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity

8.8 Biodiversity is a term commonly used to describe the variety of life on Earth. Thisencompasses the whole of the natural world and all living things with which we share theplanet. It includes plants, animals, physiographical and geomorphological features (rocks,soils and landforms), even invisible micro-organisms and bacteria which, together, interactin complex ways with the inanimate environment to create living ecosystems.

8.9 Biodiversity is a key indicator of the health of our environment and contributesgreatly to our quality of life. Enhancing biodiversity is one of the key principles ofsustainable development. It also has considerable economic and social benefits. Biodiversityis dynamic, however some species and habitats can be highly susceptible to the harmfuleffects of change. Changes in climate, agriculture, settlement patterns and other humanactivities have led to a decline in biodiversity in the District over the last 50 years. TheCouncil, along with other public bodies, has a duty under The Natural Environment andRural Communities (NERC) Act to raise the profile of biodiversity in England and Wales,so that the conservation of biodiversity becomes properly embedded in all relevant policesand decisions made by public authorities. This is referred to as the "Biodiversity Duty".The planning system has an important role to play, in balancing the need for economicand social development with the effective protection and enhancement of wildlife andnatural features.

8.10 The important role biodiversity plays in the distinctiveness and character of theDistrict, and how much value local people attach to it, has been demonstrated throughthe Issues consultation, carried out jointly with the Local Strategic Partnership. As aresult, an objective to “maintain and enhance the District’s biodiversity” has been includedin the LDF.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP26 BIODIVERSITY

The distinctive quality of East Lindsey’s natural environment will be sustainedby protecting, enhancing and linking sites designated internaltionally,nationally and locally for their biodiversity importance, species populationsand habitats identified in the Lincolnshire Biodiversity Action Plan.

8.11 The Council is a member of the Biodiversity Partnership and a signatory to theLincolnshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). The Lincolnshire BAP forms part of a nationalinitiative to provide action plans for the nations most threatened and declining speciesand habitats. The BAP includes actions and activities relating to development and theplanning process. The Council will apply the policies of the Plan and work together withthe other members of the Biodiversity Partnership to meet the objectives of the LincolnshireBAP.

8.12 Sites protected at a local level for their biodiversity are reviewed. There are 334sites in the District designated at a local level as Sites of Nature Conservation Importance(SNCIs) in 2009. Following Government guidance, the Biodiversity Partnership has agreed

61


new criteria for sites at a local level. Once reassessed, those locally important sites thatmeet the new criteria will be called Local Wildlife Sites (LWSs). A survey and review isunderway to enable this reassessment to take place and this should be completed by2011. A new set of criteria for sites designated for their physiographical/ geomorphologicalimportance have recently been agreed and a similar exercise is being considered for thesesites.

8.13 As a result of joint consultation with the Community Strategy, Climate Changeand the Environment was identified as one of the eight priorities and a theme groupestablished to help develop action plans stemming from the LSP consultation. The Councilwill work with its partners on the LSP, through this theme group, to achieve the objectivesof the LDF and the East Lindsey Sustainable Community Plan.

8.14 The District also includes sites of international and national importance forbiodiversity, including parts of the internationally important Wash and Humber Estuaries.These include designations of Ramsar Sites (19), Special Protection Area (SPAs) and SpecialAreas of Conservation (SACs), in the case of these internationally importantly proposedsites should be treated as if they are designated. All these sites are all designated asSites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), some with further designations such as NationalNature Reserve (NNR) status. The Council will continue to take an active role, throughpartnerships under the parent legislation and PPS9 (Biodiversity and GeologicalConservation), to safeguard these important sites. There are a number of policies withinthe Core Strategy that may bring forward development proposals, the location and natureof which may prejudice or harm the intrinsic value of these designated areas. Suchdevelopment must pass the most stringent tests. In the first instance, it should be provedthat the development cannot be provided in any other location, or in any other way.Secondly, it must be demonstrated that there are imperative reasons of overriding publicinterest why the development should take place. The Government considers that thefollowing guiding principles will be used for determining whether imperative reasons ofoverriding public interest are demonstrated:-

a need to address a serious risk to human health and public safety,

the interest of national security and defence,the provision of a clear and demonstrated direct environmental benefit on a nationalor international scale,a vital contribution to strategic economic development or regeneration,where failure to proceed would have unacceptable social and/or economicconsequences.

8.15 Whilst there will be very few development proposals meeting these requirements,when considering cases against these principles, in general, projects of national importanceare most likely to be judged as having imperative reasons of overriding public interest.Important regional projects may also be judged as such, while it is less likely projects ofa more local nature would be considered to override the nature conservation value of thesite.

19 see glossary



8.16 Development proposals likely to prejudice or harm these important sites must beaccompanied by an appropriate assessment, including an ecological assessment, of theimpact of the proposed development on such sites, including in combination with anyother plans or projects. Also details of any mitigation or enhancement measures that maybe required, along with details of site management to explain how this will be achieved.

8.17 The Local Development Framework is subject to Appropriate Assessment (underThe Habitats Regulations) throughout its preparation to ensure that its policies andproposals do not have a detrimental impact on these internationally important sites. Sitesof Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) give legal protection to the best sites for wildlife andgeology in England. They are notified and approved by Natural England. These sites areprotected for both their own nature conservation value, and as part of a national networkof such sites.

8.18 Sites identified for their biodiversity interest, at whatever level, do not exist inisolation and the linking of a network of sites makes a valuable contribution to the integrityof both individual sites and overall levels of biodiversity across the District.


TARGET - All local designated wildlife sites surveyed and compared againstthe Local Wildlife Sites Criteria by 2010/2011 as set out in the BAP.

Survey of potential new Local Wildlife Sites carried out and assessed againstthe Local Wildlife Sites criteria by 2015 as set out in the BAP

MONITORING - reported via AMR

BUILDINGS AND AREAS OF SPECIAL HISTORIC INTEREST

THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT

8.19 East Lindsey has a rich and diverse historic and cultural environment, includinghistoric market towns, architecture of national and international significance, parks,gardens; a registered battlefield; and a wide range of archaeological sites from all periods.

8.20 The environment should be valued for its own sake and there is a widespreadacceptance of the importance of the ‘familiar and cherished local scene’. The distinctivecharacter of each town and village is a source of local identity and pride, reinforcescommunity confidence, and enhances quality of life for the residents of the District. Highquality environments play a significant role in attracting visitors and investment. Emptybuildings are a wasted asset and carefully conserved old buildings, or high quality newones, can help revitalize run-down areas, creating more good homes, job opportunitiesand a better living environment. The historic environment also contributes to sustainabledevelopment with traditional materials such as timber, thatch and lime.

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8.21 The community has shown the value attached to the quality of the built environmentthrough the Issues consultation, carried out jointly with the LSP. Therefore, one of theLDFs aims is “a high quality environment that makes the most of its special qualities,particularly the coast, the Lincolnshire Wolds and the historic market towns”, with anobjective to “conserve and enhance buildings and areas of architectural or historic interest,including archaeological sites”.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP27 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT

The Council will maintain and enhance the local distinctiveness of EastLindsey’s historic environment by supporting only those proposals that:

preserve or enhance the special character, appearance and setting ofthe District’s Conservation Areas, and Historic Landscapes;

respect and preserve the special architectural or historic interest andsetting of the District’s Listed Buildings;

do not harm the site or setting of a Scheduled Ancient Monument; anyunscheduled nationally important archaeological site or monument; orany locally important archaeological site deemedworthy of preservationin situ.

CONSERVATION AREAS

8.22 Designation as a Conservation Area (20) does not commit an area to a fixed pointin time but rather it identifies opportunities for the management of change. ConservationAreas are intended not only to protect individual buildings but also to retain and developthe general character of the area. Building uses, local materials and the way they areused, the appearance, scale and form of buildings, the pattern of development, streetfurniture, surfacing, spaces between buildings, trees, green space and traffic impact areall factors that influence the appearance, quality and character of an area. Similarly,Conservation Areas cannot be divorced from their surroundings and development adjoininga Conservation Area can have a significant impact on its ‘setting’. New development inConservation Areas should be of a high quality design. Detailed policies for themanagement of Conservation Areas will be included in the Development ControlDevelopment Plan Document

LISTED BUILDINGS

8.23 The List of buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest is a national registerof our built heritage and buildings. Listed Buildings (21) are divided into three grades:Grade I buildings are those of ‘exceptional interest’; Grade II (starred) buildings are of

20 see glossary

21 see glossary



‘more than special interest’ and Grade II (within which the majority of buildings fall), areof special architectural or historic interest. This grade of the building does not affect theirimportance or the need for protection.

8.24 The architectural and historic significance of a structure is carefully consideredbefore any alterations are made. Preservation of any Listed Building is always the prioritybut buildings can and have evolved and develop their character over time. Change canoften be accommodated if it can be justified by showing it will not harm the specialsignificance of the Listed Building.

ARCHAEOLOGY

8.25 Archaeological remains are a finite and non-renewable resource, often highly fragileand vulnerable to damage and destruction. They are part of our national identity andare valuable both for their own sake and for their role in education, leisure and tourism.At present there are 104 Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) in East Lindsey and someListed Buildings are also an archaeological resource. Work within the scheduled arearequires Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC), for which application is made to theSecretary of State. In addition to SAMs, are ‘unscheduled monuments of nationalimportance or of particular local importance’, which are worthy of preservation in situ,as well as other sites where ‘preservation by record’ (ie excavation) may be acceptable.The Council will continue to work in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council’sArchaeological Team in its custodianship of these irreplaceable assets.

HISTORIC LANDSCAPES

8.26 Six parks in the District are currently listed in English Heritage's 'Register of Parksand Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, 1985'. This is under periodic reviewand other sites may enter the list. Because of their historic design and layout, featuresor architectural ornaments, these parks and gardens possess great quality and haveregional as well as local significance. They are a major asset to the District in creatingvaried and attractive landscapes that, in turn, increase the tourism or recreational potentialof the area. There are also several other unregistered parklands of noteworthy characterin the District that will form a material consideration when considering proposals thataffect them.

8.27 The Winceby Battlefield is included in English Heritage's Battlefield Register andretains extensive remains of the original features and landforms that provided the locationfor the Civil War Battle of 1643. The Council will seek to protect its historical landscapevalue, topographical authenticity, visual amenity and archaeological integrity.

8.28 The Heritage Assets that make up the Historic Environment are documented onthe Historic Environment Record (HER). This is maintained by Lincolnshire County Counciland is publicly accessible at their offices or through the Heritage Gateway(heritagegateway.org.uk) on the Internet.

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TARGET - No net increase of buildings on the Buildings At Risk Register

No Scheduled Ancient Monuments de-scheduled

MONITORING - Reported via the AMR



9 KEY THEME 6 (TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE)

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE - ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

9.1 The Council will put the need to tackle the causes and effects of climate change atthe heart of its strategy for sustainable development.

9.2 Measures will be applied to minimise, halt or reverse the impact of development onclimate change; to contribute towards national and regional targets for the reduction ofgreenhouse emissions; to help reduce the District’s collective carbon footprint and toprovide alternative solutions to the reliance on fossil fuels.

9.3 As local planning authority, the Council is required to respond the Government’stargets for addressing the causes and effects of climate change. The LDF’s Core Strategyis an opportunity to require and encourage communities and the development industryto achieve higher standards of sustainability.

9.4 REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

9.5 Carbon dioxide emissions from commercial, domestic and transport activities in EastLindsey in 2006 were calculated at 1,059,000 tonnes(22) That is 7.7 tonnes for everyperson. The Government is committed to reducing the UK's CO2 emissions by 20% to2020 and by 80% to 2050.(23) .

9.6 Only a concerted joint effort by local authorities, businesses, service providers andthe wider community can effectively tackle this global issue and help stop greenhousegases adding to global warming. The Sustainable Community Plan already includes actionsaimed at reducing carbon emissions. In its Carbon Management Programme, (24) theCouncil has committed itself to becoming a low carbon Council, and introduces a wholerange of measures to reduce its own emissions by 25% between 2008 and 2012/13. Itaims to lead by example. An important part of its remit is to increase communityawareness of, and facilitate a community response to, climate change. The LincolnshireLocal Area Agreement includes a target for a 12.5% reduction in carbon emissions acrossthe County between 2008 and 2011.

22 AEA Energy and Environment annual study undertaken on behalf of Defra.

23 Defra calculate that, by applying a series of carbon-reducing measures, most local authorities could expect to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions of

between 11% and 13% by 2010 and between 19% and 23% by 2020, each compared with 2004 levels

24 see glossary

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9KEY THEME 6 (TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE)

9.7 The LDF aims to tackle and adapt to climate change and help reduce our collectivecarbon footprint on four fronts:-

By reducing flood risk to life and property in the flood risk areas;

By ensuring development is located, designed and constructed in accordance withsustainable principles;

By facilitating the development of a range of renewable energy options;

By committing the Council to stimulating and supporting local community-led solutions.

REDUCING AND DEALING WITH FLOOD RISK

9.8 In East Lindsey the greatest risk of flooding arises from:-

- the anticipated rise in sea levels, which are projected to increase by up to a metre by2115 (25);

- fluvial flooding from the rivers and, to a lesser extent, the network of drains that servethe low-lying fens; and

- run-off from hard surfaces and development in built-up areas.

9.9 Pending the completion of the Lincolnshire Coastal Study and the Partial Review ofthe Regional Plan, we will pursue a precautionary approach towards new development inthe areas of greatest risk, but will also take into account the wider need to maintainand develop sustainable and regenerated communities.

25 Based on Table B.1 (PPS25)/DEFRA FCDPAG3 Climate Change Impacts October 2006


KEY THEME 6 (TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE)9

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 28 – REDUCING FLOOD RISK

The different levels of flood risk across the District are shown on map xx.Where development is necessary in an area of flood risk the Council willrequire mitigation measures to ensure that flood risk is minimised to thedevelopment itself and that it does not increase the risk of floodingelsewhere.

The Council will not normally allow any development :-

that would materially impede the flow of flood water, or increase therisk of flooding, or increase the number of people or properties at riskunless adequate measures have been put in place to alleviate the risks;

in the areas of greatest risk in flood zone 3 unless it is essential in thatlocation and has been shown in a Flood Risk Assessment to pose noadditional risk from flooding or can incorporate sufficient mitigationmeasures to reduce the risk to an acceptable level;

on land to the seaward side of the outermost sea defences unless it isnecessary in that location or where it would reduce the effectiveness oftidal or fluvial defences; or

in any tidal or fluvial flood zone unless the standard of defence ormitigation measures are appropriate and sufficient to safeguard thedevelopment.

Where development is necessary in flood zone 3 and it can be demonstratedthat it will be safe and provide wider sustainability benefits to the communitythat outweigh flood risk, it will be directed away from the most hazardouslocations including areas of rapid inundation.

9.10 Second generation Shoreline Management Plans (26) Coastal processes include tidalpatterns, wave height, wave direction and the movement of beach and seabed materialsarecurrently being drawn up to assess the risks from coastal flooding and erosion arisingfrom rising sea levels along the whole East Lindsey coastline and to offer a vision as tohow the coast can be managed in a sustainable manner over the next hundred years.Although not statutory plans, they will greatly influence the future development potentialalong the coast.

9.11 Sea defences have been developed and enlarged under the current ShorelineManagement Plans and are designed to provide between 1in 50 year and 1in 200 yearprotection from tidal flooding. Nevertheless, because of the low-lying nature of the coastal

26 A Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is a large-scale assessment of the risks associated with coastal processes and helps reduce these risks to people and

the developed, historic and natural environments.

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plains, there is a long-term risk of flooding which has been addressed in the Council’sdistrict-wide Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. The Council is currently updating thisassessment and the findings of this study will be used to shape the future strategicplanning for development in the District as well as providing evidence for dealing withplanning applications for individual development proposals.

9.12 The Council will act on the advice of the Environment Agency in applying this policyto make sure that new development does not put itself or other property at risk fromflooding and does not compromise the effectiveness of current and planned flood defences.


TARGET - No non-essential housing to be developed in Flood Zone 3

MONITORING - planning consents/ housing completion records - reportedvia AMR



9.13 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

9.14 Sustainable Development is defined, for the purposes of this LDF, as developmentthat is designed to the meet specific needs of our communities now without creating anylong-lasting problems for the future. It will allow ourselves and those who follow us tolive and thrive within the Earth’s natural limits. This will require us to look closely at allof the knock-on effects of development proposals and to plan for the effects of climatechange to make sure we are not storing up problems for future generations or theenvironment, either locally or on a wider scale.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 29 - SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ANDCONSTRUCTION

New development should adhere to the principles of sustainable development,sustainable construction and energy efficiency; and will be expected to havea net benefit on the local and global environment.

This means that new development:-

will not discriminate against any group of people by its location, design,access arrangements or operation;

minimises the need to travel, ensuring convenient access between homes,jobs, shops, and services by cycling, walking or public transport;

will not result in an unacceptable level of water, air, noise or lightpollution;

can be served adequately by essential local services or infrastructure;

will not irreversibly harm or deplete resources or features required foressential or planned development in the future;

will employ sustainable construction techniques and aim to be carbonneutral;

will employ the principles of water conservation and sustainable urbandrainage systems (SUDS)

poses no avoidable risk to public health and safety;

will be energy efficient, minimising the consumption of energy andproduction of waste; and

would cause no lasting damage to the environment.

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9.15 These principles mirror those in some of the priorities of the Sustainable CommunityPlan and the Council will work with all of the relevant partners to make sure they are putinto practice in a co-ordinated and efficient way. We will expect prospective developersto do the same in their pre-application discussions and planning applications.

9.16 Where there is a choice, development sites should be selected where they wouldgenerate fewest car movements and be within comfortable walking distance of essentialfacilities. The Council will encourage communities to join together in clusters to developand share key services and facilities, both to take advantage of the potential economiesof scale and to cut down on the need for longer distance travel to higher order servicecentres.

9.17 Development that includes measures to regenerate, recycle, re-use or reduce thedemand for, finite resources will be preferred to that which does not.

9.18 Water is a valued and vulnerable resource in the District. Development that willunacceptably deplete water resources or pose a risk to the quality of underlyinggroundwater will not be supported. Neither will development located around water sourcesbe supported unless it includes adequate measures for their protection from pollution.This is to prevent any contamination of the public water supply and to avoid having todeal with the consequences of water pollution.

9.19 Dark night skies (27) are a distinctive and valued characteristic of East Lindsey.Set against this is the need to ensure safety and security through the use of appropriatelighting. The Council will pursue a policy of seeking the absolute minimum amount oflighting necessary to meet this need.

9.20 Easy access to essential services and facilities (shops, schools, public transport,leisure facilities, power, water, sewerage, roads, medical facilities, etc.) is a key indicatorof a sustainable community. This is reflected in the settlement hierarchy where higherorder settlements are those with more services and facilities. It follows that, to besustainable, new development should normally be located where such services alreadyexist or can be easily provided. Development elsewhere can either impair the quality oflife for the prospective user (by lacking essential services) or place additional costs onthe wider community by having to provide additional services.

9.21 The Council will segregate new development from hazardous uses. Developmentwill not be permitted if it will pose a threat to the hazardous use or, conversely, if it couldbe harmed by its materials or operation. This will be a special consideration for proposalsin the hazard protection areas of Covenham Reservoir and Theddlethorpe Gas Installationand in the safeguarding zones around North Cotes, Binbrook and Coningsby airfields, thehigh pressure gas pipeline network, the bombing ranges at Donna Nook andWainfleet/Friskney Marshes, the Conoco Oil Terminal at Tetney Lock and Anglian WaterServices at Covenham.

27 those areas of the night sky unaffected (or minimally affected) by unnecessary light pollution



9.22 When considering planning applications, the Council will attach considerable weightto the need to protect and enhance the environment of the District. Whereverenvironmental damage is unavoidable, the Council will require environmental improvementmeasures to be put in place to compensate, reinstate or reduce the impact of the harm.

9.23 New developments will be required to achieve at least a three star rating underthe Code for Sustainable Homes with immediate effect, rising to at least a four star ratingfrom April 1st 2013 and at least a five star rating from April 1st 2016. We will includemore detailed policy criteria on sustainable design and construction in the DevelopmentControl Development Plan Document and draw up further guidance in SupplementaryPlanning Documents to expand upon the Council's current guidance note for developers(28)

.

9.24 .


TARGET - New housing to be built to Sustainable Code Standards 3, 4 and 5.


RENEWABLE ENERGY

9.25 Renewable energy is the name used to cover forms of energy that occur naturallyand are readily replaced. This includes energy from digestible material such as energycrops or agricultural waste as well as from the sun, wind, water and the earth. Interestin renewables in East Lindsey has so far focused on wind energy. However, the Councilis keen to encourage the exploitation of other renewable energy sources that have potentialin East Lindsey, including passive and photovoltaic solar, biomass, ground source heatingand aquifer thermal energy where this will not impact adversely on local communities,biodiversity or landscape character.

9.26 The Government is committed to reducing the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions by20% to 2020 and 80% by 2050. From the Kyoto agreement, the UK also has a commitmentto meet 10% of electricity requirements through renewables by 2010. Its policy now isto stimulate greater use of renewable energy sources, the Government’s planning guidanceon renewable energy is set out in PPG22.

9.27 At the time of writing, the District has three operational wind farms of 38 turbines,at Conisholme Fen, Mablethorpe and Croft, There is also significant wind energydevelopment off the East Lindsey coast, that is readily visible from many vantage pointswithin the District.

28 "Sustainable Design - Planning for the Future" - March 2008

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STRATEGIC POLICY SP 30 – RENEWABLE ENERGY

The Council will support the District's energy contribution from all forms ofrenewable sources.

Renewable energy projects will be supported where they respect the capacityand sensitivity of the landscape and communities to accommodate them.In particular, they will be assessed on their individual and cumulative impacton landscape quality, sites or features of natural history importance, sitesor buildings of historic or cultural importance, residential amenity, and thelocal economy.

Major development will be required to provide a minimum of 10% of itsoperational energy requirements from a renewable energy source.

(This will normally apply to non-residential developments of over 1,000square metres or residential developments of 10 or more dwellings)

9.28 The Council’s Landscape Character Assessment 2009 defines the distinctivelandscape characteristics and relative sensitivity to all types of development and changeof thirteen different parts of the District. This will provide the basis for the Council’sjudgement on the impact of a development proposal on the landscape, and it is to thisdocument that the Council will expect all Environmental and Landscape ImpactAssessments to relate when submitted in support of a planning application for renewableenergy projects.

9.29 Where the sensitivity of special landscapes may prevent large scale (29) renewableenergy projects, the Council will encourage the development of local, small scale andmicro energy solutions that contribute towards the self sufficiency (in energy terms) oflocal communities. In such cases, the impact on local amenities will be a key consideration.

9.30 The Council will take into account the locational requirements of different types ofrenewable energy production. Some are footloose and can be directed towards lesssensitive locations. Other forms of production have a specific siting requirement due tothe nature of the energy source. Only development that must be located in the countrysidebecause of the nature of the power source, or because it is a small-scale unit providingpower to a dwelling, farm or rural enterprise, would be permitted there. Large scale orcommercial development that does not have these special locational requirements shouldbe located within or alongside centres of population to minimise the effects of distributionand its impact on the landscape and, where appropriate, should have direct access to thestrategic road network in order to facilitate the delivery and removal of fuel and wasteproducts

29 Large scale” is defined as those energy developments listed in Schedule 2 of the EIA Regulations 1999, including the installation of more than 2 turbines

and/or a turbine hub height exceeding 15 metres and also industrial installations for the production of electricity, steam and hot water where the development

area exceeds 0.5 hectare



9.31 Wind turbine development impacts on the landscape, but it is the degree to whichthe landscape can accommodate the development that will determine if the proposal isacceptable. The Council will expect to receive a rigorous impact assessment with anyplanning application. It is important that wind turbines, through accumulation, do notdominate and adveresly affect the wider landscape of the District, which is an importanteconomic, cultural and biodiversity resource. Cumulative impact will be an importantplanning consideration.

9.32 In considering proposals for commercial wind energy development the Council willtake into account;

whether the number, siting, scale, design and size of the turbines, or associated gridconnection would have an unacceptable impact on landscape character, eitherindividually or when assessed cumulatively with existing or proposed development;

whether the development would cause nuisance to local communities from noise(applying the criteria of ETSU-R-97)(30) , shadow flicker, electromagnetic interferenceor other adverse impacts;

whether the development would cause harm to sites of importance for natureconservation or other features of historic or cultural importance; and

the impact on the local economy and particularly tourism


TARGET - Major developments to provide 10% of their operational energyrequirement from renewable sources.


SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ACTION

9.33 Local communities are becoming very effective at finding local solutions to climatechange problems. These emerge, more formally, through the Sustainable CommunityPlan and Town and Parish Plans but also through local action groups, includingNeighbourhood Management groups, Fair Trade Towns and Transition Towns. (31) The

30 "The Assessment and Rating of noise from Wind Farms" ETSU for the DTI

31 A Fairtrade Town is a town, or village, that has made a commitment to supporting Fairtrade and using products with the FAIRTRADE Mark a Transition

Town is one where a significant proportion of the people support community initiatives to address the issues of Peak Oil and Climate Change

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Council sees the LDF as an important tool in supporting and enabling localaction. Development that is instigated and managed by the Community is likely to carrylonger-lasting commitment and is therefore likely to be successful in the long term.

STRATEGIC POLICY SP 31 – SUPPORTING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE BYLOCAL COMMUNITIES

The Council will support Community-led development projects that effectivelyand appropriately tackle the effects of climate change at a local level.

9.34 We will set and try to enforce standards and targets to help tackle the causes andeffects of climate change but it is equally important to invoke a change in mindset, sothat sustainability becomes the accepted norm. We will raise community awareness ofclimate change and sustainable development and lifestyles through joint working withthe Community Plan's Local Strategic Partnership. The Council's Carbon ManagementProgramme is an example of how we can help stimulate community action on climatechange through good practice and by increasing awareness.


TARGET -Increase in the number of community initiatives included in Townand Parish Plans translated into development.

MONITORING - planning consents/ housing completion records/town andparish plans - reported via AMR

[1] “Large scale” is defined as those energy developments listed in Schedule 2 of the EIARegulations 1999, including the installation of more than 2 turbines and/or a turbine hubheight exceeding 15 metres and also industrial installations for the production of electricity,steam and hot water where the development area exceeds 0.5 hectare.



10 ANNEXES

ANNEX 1 - GLOSSARY

These may not be dictionary definitions of the terms used. Rather, they relate to theirmeaning in this document.

Affordable housing - Housing which meets the needs of households where they cannotbe met by the normal housing market. It will be at a cost low enough for eligiblehouseholds to afford, as determined by comparing local incomes to local house prices.Affordable housing includes "social housing", which is offered for rent or shared ownershipby the local authority or a registered social landlord. Affodable housing should not beconfused with low cost market housing.

Amenity - The environmental, social, cultural and physical attributes that create andinfluence the quality of life of individuals or communities.

Annual Monitoring Report - A document produced each year by the Council to monitorprogress on the Local Development Scheme and to judge the effectiveness of the LocalDevelopment Documents.

Appropriate Assessment - An assessment of the effects of plans, policies andprogrammes on sites of international importance for biodiversity.

Aquifer - A natural subterranean accumulation of water.

Area Action Plan - A Development Plan Document that focuses on a specific location orarea that is subject to significant change or conservation.

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) - A site with a statutory nationallandscape designation with the primary objective of conserving the natural beauty of thelandscape. The Lincolnshire Wolds AONB was designated in 1973 and covers about onethird of the area of East Lindsey.

Biodiversity - The full variety of life on earth or, more particularly in a local area; thebalanced mix of plant and animal species and their habitats.

Biodiversity Action Plan - A strategy to conserve and increase the variety of plantsand animals at a local level, in a manner that contributes to the national and global healthof species.

Brownfield site - A site where development has previously taken place. In its PlanningGuidance, the Government excludes agricultural land and buildings from this broaderdefinition.

Carbon footprint - A measure of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directlyor indirectly by an activity, usually expressed in equivalent terms of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Carbon Management Programme - The Council's corporate action plan to reduce itsown carbon footprint and to spread awareness to the wider community.

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10ANNEXES

Carbon neutral - The cancelling or offsetting of carbon dioxide emissions by compensatoryaction, resulting in no net increase in the carbon footprint. (see also "zero carbon")

Catchment area - The area from which people are drawn to a particular town or service.Known also as "hinterland" or "sphere of influence".

Climate change - Significant long term variation in the average global or regional weatherpatterns, usually attributed to human activity, taking account of temperature, precipitationand wind patterns.

Combined heat and power (CHP) - The simultaneous generation of usable heat andpower (usually electricity) in a single process. CHP is an efficient form of decentralisedenergy supply providing heating (and cooling) and electricity at the same time.

Community engagement - Residents playing an active role in the development anddelivery of services in their community.

Community Plan - A plan prepared by a partnership of local organisations, agenciesand interest groups, including the local authorities, that sets out key social, economicand environmental objectives for the community

Comparison goods - Shopping items that are usually bulkier and more expensive thanconvenience goods. They can include furniture, electrical appliances, clothes, etc..

Convenience goods - Everyday shopping items such as most foods, toiletries,newspapers, etc..

Conservation Area - An area designated to conserve and enhance the character of the(usually) built environments of historic or architectural importance, or natural areas ofparticular nature or landscape importance.

Corporate Plan - The Councils Corporate Plan which sets out its objectives and aims.

Decentralised energy supply - Energy supply from local renewable and low-carbonsources, usually on a relatively small scale.

Development - All building, engineering, mining or other operation on land or anymaterial change in use of buildings or land.

Development Plan - The collective name for all of the different spatial planningdocuments for the area, comprising the Regional Plan and the Development PlanDocuments in the Local Development Framework;

Development Plan Documents - These are the policy-related documents of the LocalDevelopment Framework and comprise the Core Strategy, Development Control Policies,Settlement Proposals, Proposals Map and any Area Action Plans that are needed.

Disadvantaged - A term applied to those individuals or communities who are less ableto achieve the quality of life normally expected by the general populous because of age,sex, health, race, disability or economic circumstance.


ANNEXES10

Economies of scale - Savings made by enlarging an operation.

Farm diversification - The establishment of enterprises unrelated to mainstream farmingbut which are operated as part of the farm holding to help maintain its viability. Suchactivities should be compatible with their countryside setting.

Footloose - Not bound by any specific locational requirement. A term usually used inrelation to employment.

Global warming - The observed and projected increases in the average temperature ofthe Earth's atmosphere and oceans, usually attributed to the effects of greenhouse gasemissions.

Governance - The process of administration and the discharging of statutory reponsibilitiesto the community.

Greenfield site - A site where development has not previously taken place.

Green Infrastructure - The District's network of protected sites, nature reserves,greenspaces, woodlands and other green linkages including river and canal corridors,significant drainage channels and disused re-vegetated railway lines, which are importantwildlife corridors.

Greenspace - Greenspace generally refers to public and amenity open space that isnormally vegetated rather than hard-surfaced, including urban and country parks, havingbiodiversity value or potential.

Green tourism - Tourism that safeguards and promotes an understanding ot theenvironment and does not harm the sites or communities being visited.

Habitat - The environment in which specific plants or animals live.

Hazardous installations - Development whose operations may pose a high risk to thepublic or environment through the production or storage of toxic, explosive or flammablesubstances.

Housing need - The quantity of housing required for households who are unable to findsuitable housing without financial help.

Infrastructure - The necessary basic services upon which all development depends,including seerage, electricity and gas supplies, roads, water, etc.. (see also greeninfrastructure)

Landscape Character Assessment - The East Lindsey Landscape Character Assessmentcontains thirteen landscape areas:- Stickney to Sibsey reclaimed fen; Wainfleet All Saintsto Friskney settled fen; Wainfleet reclaimed saltmarsh; Wainfleet Wash saltmarsh; Wragbyto Horsington woodland and farmland; Woodhall Spa to Coningsby river terrace; Binbrookto Tetford Wolds farmland; Hainton to Toynton All Saints Wolds farmland; Mareham leFen to Little Steeping Fenside woodland and farmland; Holton le Clay to Great Steepingmiddle marsh; Tetney Lock to Skegness coastal outmarsh; Donna Nook to Gibraltar Pointnaturalistic coast.

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10ANNEXES

Lincolnshire Local Area Agreement - A commitment by all local authorities andpartners working together through the Local Strategic Partnership to deliver the actionsand priorities of the County Sustainable Community Plan.

Listed Buildings - The list of buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest is anational register. Anyone can ask for a building to be listed, or indeed taken off the list.Applications are submitted to English Heritage who make an assessment and, if thebuilding is deemed to be of listable quality, make a recommendation to the Secretary ofState for Culture, Media and Sport, who makes the final decision. Listed buildings aredivided into three grades Grade I are those of "exceptional interest", grade II (starred)buildings are of "more than special interest" and grade II (within which the majority ofbuilding fall) of of special interest.

Local Development Documents - The collective name for Development Plan Documents, Supplementary Planning Documents and the Statement of Community Involvement .

Local Development Scheme - A document that sets out the programme and timetablefor the preparation of the Local Development Documents.

Local Strategic Partnership - A Local Strategic Partnership is a single, non-statutory,multi-agency body, which matches local authority boundaries, and aims to bring togetherat a local level the different parts of the public, private, community and voluntary sectors.

Local Transport Plan - A five year integrated transport strategy produced by the HighwayAuthority (in our case, Lincolnshire County Council) in partnership with statutory agencies,local authorities and the wider community.

Local Wildlife Sites - Sites that have been designated for some conservation value.They can include local nature reserves or Sites of Nature Conservation Importance.

Market housing - Housing, for sale or rent, whose price is determined by the openmarket.

National Nature Reserve - An area of national or international importance and managedfor nature conservation use.

Neighbourhood Management - A joint Council and community initiative to bringcommunities and service agencies together, particularly in disadvantaged neighbourhoods,to tackle local issues and improve services at a neighbourhood level.

Open countryside - The area outside towns, villages and other settlements, which islargely free from built development on a significant scale and where the countrysidecharacter dominates.

Peak oil - The point at which additional global oil extraction will no longer be able tomeet the accumulated and future demands for oil as an energy source.

Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 - This Act reformed the national statutorydevelopment plan-making process, introducing Regional Plans and Local DevelopmentFrameworks to replace Structure and Local Plans.


ANNEXES10

Planning Obligation (or Section 106 Agreement) - A legal agreement between thelocal planning authority and a developer, relating to a planning consent, which coversmatters outside the scope of a normal planning consent. They are intended to requirethe Developer to provide or contribute towards services, infrastructure or communityfacilities off site, the need for which are generated by the development.

Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG) - Documents issued by central Governmentsetting out its national land use policies for England on different planning issues (e.g.housing, town centres, emplpoyment, transport). They are being replaced by PlanningPolicy Statements.

Planning Policy Statements (PPS) - Documents issued by central Government toreplace PPGs, to provide greater clarity. They are more concise than PPGs and guidanceon practical implementation is usually included in companion guidance documents.

Ramsar Site - Designated by Central Government to protect wetlands of internationalimportance, especially for waterfowl habitats.

Regional Plan ( sometimes called the Regional Spatial Strategy ) - Prepared bythe Regional Planning Authority, this sets out the overarching strategic policies for thespatial development and use of land in the region for the next 15-20 years. East Lindseyfalls within the area covered by the East Midlands Regional Plan.

Renewable and low-carbon energy - Renewable energy is that which can be drawnnaturally and repeatedly from the environment without permanently depleting the naturalresource, including Low-carbon technologies are those that can help reduce carbonemissions. Together they include energy from wind, tidal , hydro-electric, solar, groundaquifers, biomass and waste sources.

Regulations(The) - Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England)Regulations 2004, and the Town and Country Planning (Transitional Arrangements)Regulations 2004.

Rural Diversification - The introduction of new business enterprises outside the townsand larger villages to sustain the viability of key rural businesses and to widen andstrengthen the local economic base.

Settlement - A well-defined grouping of buildings, predominantly residential but includingother uses, which have a recognisable form or identity and collective function. A loosecluster of dwellings in the countryside would not normally fall within this definition forthe purposes of the LDF.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - A site of national importance for wildlifeor geology, designated by Natural England (formerly English Nature) for protection.

Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) - A site of local importance becauseof its naturalness, size, rarity, diversity, fragility or typicalness, identified by NaturalEngland and - in East LIndsey - the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.

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10ANNEXES

Special Protection Area (SPA) - An international designation by Natural England(formerly English Nature) to protect the habitat of threatened species of wildlife.

Spatial planning - Spatial planning goes beyond traditional land use planning to bringtogether policies for the development and use of land with other policies and programmesthat influence the nature and function of places and spaces.

Stakeholder - A person, business or organisation that has an interest in, or will beaffected by, a particular policy, plan or proposal.

Statement of Community Involvement - A document that sets out the ways the localplanning authority intends to involve the community in the preparation, alteration andreview of all Local Development Documents and in significant development controldecisions.

Strategic Environmental Assessment - The name used internationally to describeenvironmental assessment of policies, plans and programmes. The European SEA Directive(2001/42/EC) requires that formal environmental assessment is carried out on someplans and programmes, including the documents in the Local Development Framework.It forms part of the Sustainability Appraisal.

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment - An assessment usually undertaken by a LocalAuthority at a district-wide level that considers both fluvial and tidal flood risk andexamines the risks involved for developing in different locations.

Structure Plan - A county-wide plan that set out the strategic planning policies to guidelocal plans. Together they formed the Development Plan before the Planning andCompulsory Purchase Act 2004. Structure Plans are now being phased out to besuperseded by Regional Plans.

Supplementary Planning Documents - Prepared by the Council, these provide guidanceto supplement the policies and proposals set out in the Development Plan Documents.They will not form part of the Development Plan or be subject to independent examination.

Sustainability Appraisal - A process - required by the Planning and Compensation Act2004 - whereby the the economic, social and environmental effects of the emergingstrategy and policies of the Local Development Framework (LDF) are tested against agreedsustainability objectives at different stages throughout the preparation of the LDF.

Sustainable Development - The most widely-used definition of sustainable developmentis that of the Brundtland Commission of 1987: - "development that meets the needs ofthe present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their ownneeds". The Government has translated this into four aims of sustainable development,all to be achieved at the same time and to be mutually compatible. They are:-

- social progress that recognises the needs of everyone;

- effective protection of the environment;

- prudent use of natural resources; and


ANNEXES10

- maintenenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment.

Sustainable Community - Community which uses its resources to meet current needswhile ensuring that adequate resources are available for future generations.

Sustainable drainage systems (SUDs) - An alternative to the traditional ways ofmanaging and, where possible, re-using water runoff from buildings and hard surfaces.It is designed to increase absorption by permeable surfaces to reduce the risk of on andoff-site flooding and to relieve pressure on rainwater drainage systems.

Windfall sites - Sites that are considered suitable for development but are not specificallyidentified as such in the Development Plan because of the uncertainty surrounding theiravailability.

Zero carbon - no net carbon emissions.

ANNEX 2 - THE EVIDENCE BASE

This Annex outlines the evidence used in the creation of this Core Strategy

LDF BACKGROUND PROCEDURES

PPS 12 (LDF structure and aims)East Lindsey Local Development SchemeEast Lindsey Statement of Community Involvement

HOW WE ARRIVED HERE

Regulation 25 Statement on pre-submission consultationResults of consultation on issues (inc joint LSP)

STRATEGIC VISION AND OBJECTIVES

District profile, including area, demography, settlement size and distribution, trendsHousebuilding recordsCommunity facilities and services, trendsCatchment areas, by TTW, shopping, schoolsRetail studies, leakage, capacity, trendsLandscape character assessmentMarket town character assessmentNo. independent shops as % of total in Louth compared with other townsTourism stats for Skegness, visitors numbers and spendHistorical documentation of all market townsNos of mud and stud buildings in the District –(compared with elsewhere)Outcomes of conservation regeneration projectsNos of Conservation Areas and listed buildingsProtected Areas – AONB, SSIs, SNCIs, CCA, SACs, SPAsProfile of farming economy, trendsProfile of tourism economy, trends

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10ANNEXES

Growth in number of commercial fishing lakesCar ownership in East Lindsey compared with region and UKCrime statisticsHealth statisticsPollution stats – air, water qualityDeprivation indicesUnemployment statsIncome levels compared to region and UKNos on housing benefits

ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

Gap between incomes and house pricesEmployment structure in East LindseyEast Lindsey wage levels compared with regional/national levels(un)Employment rates by sectorNo. small businesses as % of totalSkills levels in East Lindsey compared with region and UKStrategic road and rail networkPublic and community transport provisionCar ownership in East Lindsey compared with region and UKCar parking provision, use and chargingPopulation structure and trends, migrationSocial deprivation indicesCrime statistics and trendsRural v urban character/areasBrownfield land availability

SHARED VISIONS AND OBJECTIVES

Corporate Strategy (vision)Community Plan (vision)Parish plans

KEY THEME 1 (SUSTAINABLE, THRIVING COMMUNITIES)

Spatial Strategy

Sustainable settlement criteriaSustainable settlement testingSustainable location (for development) criteria

Vital and viable town centres

Criteria for vitality / viability of town centresTown centre expenditure leakage


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Retail studiesRecord of planning decisions on supermarket developments, including reasons forrefusal

Maintaining and improving community facilities

Community facilities / services by settlement

Parish plans

PPG 17 audit of open spaces

Sports facilities statistics

Keeping communities safe

Crime statistics, esp ASBO returns

Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership action plan

Secured by design guidance

Improving environmental quality

Infrastructure provision

Costs of infrastructure/facilities provision

Using planning obligations

KEY THEME 2 (HOUSING)

Allocating housing in sustainable locations

Housebuilding records/trends by settlement over the last 20 years (para 5.6)

East Midlands Regional Plan ( District housing allocation, para 5.6, option A1)

East Lindsey Local Plan parts 1 and 2 1995, part 1 Alteration 1999

SHLAA – identifying all available housing sites

Providing affordable housing

Affordable (inc Council) housing as % of all housing, trends

Empty properties register

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Housing Strategy investment in affordable housing

Housing needs report

Affordable housing needs

Housing register

East Lindsey Affordable Housing SPD/SPG

East Lindsey Local Plan exceptions sites policy (policy H6)

KEY THEME 3 (DIVERSE ECONOMY)

Making communities prosperous

East Lindsey Economic Development Strategy

Employment land Assembly by EL, including record of land allocated and developedfor industrial use in 1995 local plan

Employment Land Review

CAZ action plan

Commitment to coastal sub-regional study

Record of market town conservation-led regeneration investment and leverage

Road / rail linkages (lack of) within and beyond EL

Income levels in East Lindsey compared to UK

Seasonal unemployment

PPG4 and PPS7 references to re-use of rural buildings

Widening the tourism market

Tourism stats – visits / spend

National tourist / leisure activities trends

Promoting smaller businesses

PPG4 and PPS7 references to re-use of rural buildings

Providing higher skilled employment


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Skilled/semi-skilled labour levels

Income levels in East Lindsey compared to UK

KEY THEME 4 (INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES)

Making services accessible to all

Indices of deprivation

Public and community transport provision stats

Car ownership compared with region and UK

Community facilities and services by settlement

Population profiles – age, health, income streams

Community Plan action relating to accessibility to services

Providing for the accommodation needs for gypsies

Housing Act 2004 relating to gypsy accommodation

Planning Circular 1/2006

HMA housing needs report – re gypsy accommodation

KEY THEME 5 (PROTECTING OUR BUILT AND NATURAL HERITAGE)

Conserving the AONB

Designated and protected sites – Conservation Areas, SAMs, listed buildings, SACs,SPAs, CCAs, AONB, SNCIs, SSSIs etc

Getting the best out of our landscapes

Landscape character assessment

Protecting and enhancing biodiversity

BAP

Wildlife Sites Audit

Protecting buildings and areas of special historic interest

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Designated and protected sites – Conservation Areas, SAMs, listed buildings, SACs,SPAs, CCAs, AONB, SNCIs, SSSIs etc

KEY THEME 6 (TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE)

Reducing and managing flood risk

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment

Shoreline Management Plan(s)

Flooding records

EA’s flood risk mitigation criteria

Reducing our carbon footprint

Nottingham declaration on climate change

RSS renewable energy “targets”

Record of East Lindsey contribution to renewable energy (wind)

East Lindsey properties for sourcing renewable energy (wind speeds, geology. hoursof sunlight, potential biofuel crop acreage)

Government carbon reduction targets

Circular 05/05 – Planning Obligations


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ANNEX 3 - SAVED POLICIES

List of Saved Policies identified in Secretary of State's Direction September 2007

Local Areas and Settlement HierarchyA3

Protection of General AmenitiesA4

Quality of Design and DevelopmentA5

Foul and Surface Water DisposalENV3

Action Area Redevelopment SitesENV15

Sites for Environmental ImprovementENV16

Local Sites of Nature Conservation ImportanceENV19

Protection of Water QualityENV20

River CorridorsENV21

Protection of Open Spaces and FrontagesENV24

Development and Demolition Affecting a Conservation AreaC1

Development and Demolition Affecting a Listed BuildingC2

Historic BuildingsC5

Historic LandscapesC7

Planning for Disadvantaged Groups of PeopleC8

Advance Directional SignsC10

Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Areasof Great Landscape Value

C11

Protection of Buildings in the AONB and AGLVC12

Coastal Conservation Areas - CCA1 and CCA4C14

Coastal Conservation Areas - CCA2 and CCA3C15

Intensive Livestock UnitsDC4

Replacement Dwellings in the CountrysideDC5

Re-Use of Old Buildings in the CountrysideDC6

Conversion of Farm Buildings into HousesDC7

Land Allocated for IndustryEMP1

Business Support FacilitiesEMP2

Other Sites for IndustryEMP3

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Business ParksEMP4

TelecommunicationsEMP9

TourismT1

Main Coastal Holiday AreasT2

Holiday Service CentresT3

Mablethorpe and Skegness ForeshoresT4

Coastal Amusement CentresT5

Amusement Centres ElsewhereT6

Main Tourist AttractionsT7

Hotel/Guesthouse/Bed and Breakfast AccommodationT9

Loss of HotelsT10

New Visitor AccommodationT12

Static Holiday CaravansT13

New Static Holiday Caravan ParksT14

Touring Caravan or Camping SitesT15

Holiday and Seasonal OccupancyT16

Visitor Transit ServicesT19

Allocated Housing SitesH1

Low Cost HousingH6

Creating Extra Accommodation in Existing PremisesH9

Infilling and Subdivision of GardensH10

Design of New HousesH12

Residential Caravan Sites for GypsiesH14

Shopping in TownsS1

Loss of ShopsS4

Retailing from Industrial Estates and PremisesS5

Neighbourhood ShopsS6

Shops in the CountrysideS8

Hot Food Takeaway PremisesS9


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Sport and Recreation StrategyREC1

Main Sport and Formal RecreationREC2

Loss of Sport and Formal Recreation FacilitiesREC3

Local and Informal RecreationREC4

Local Country ParksREC6

Countryside Recreation: OutdoorREC9

Countryside Recreation: IndoorREC10

Noisy SportsREC11

Golf CoursesREC13

Commercial Horse Riding FacilitiesREC14

Loss of Key Community and Social FacilitiesCF2

Road Design in New DevelopmentTR3

Protection of Existing Car Parking SpacesTR4

Tourist Parking FacilitiesTR8

Lorry ParksTR9

Village ShopsS7

Table 1 Saved Policies

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ANNEX 4 - INTEGRATION WITH OTHER STRATEGIES

SUSTAINABLECOMMUNITY PLANPRIORITIES

CORPORATESTRATEGYAMBITIONS

LOCAL AREAAGREEMENTPRIORITIES

CORE STRATEGYPOLICES

Rural Services andAccessibility

To nurture ourdistinctive and

Creating bettercommunities through

SP1 – A SustainableHierarchy of Places

vibrant communities:growth and improvedhousing provision Development to

match communityneeds

N/ATo nurture ourdistinctive and


SP2 – The Shape ofFuture Growth






SP3 – SustainableCommunity Clusters

vibrant communities:growth and improvedDevelopment tohousing provision;match communityneeds

Promote SocialCohesion; Getconnected



SP4 – How Placeswill Grow



Climate Change andthe Environment

N/AN/ASP5 – Raising theQuality of our Placesand Space

Rural Services andAccessibility;



SP6 – ProvidingInfrastructure

Economic Prosperity,Education and Skills

vibrant communities:Development to

growth and improvedhousing provision




SP7 - Housing



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SP8 – Housing onOther Sites





SP9 – DeliveringAffordable Housing


match communityneeds, Housing tomeet individualaspirations



SP10 – ExceptionsSites

vibrant communities:growth and improvedhousing provision Housing to meet

individual aspirations


To improve oureconomic prosperity:

Improve skills andconditions for theeconomy

SP11 – A Strategyfor Expanding andDiversifying theDistrict’s Economy

Grown business andattract investment,Improve andbroaden the touristexperience




SP12 – Making LandAvailable forEmployment Uses Grown business and

attract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:Development tomatch communityneeds

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SP13 – How theEconomy will Grow

Grown business andattract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:Development tomatch communityneeds




SP14 – CoastalRegeneration

Grown business andattract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:Distinct identity forall our communities,Development tomatch communityneeds




SP15 – FarmDiversification

Grown business andattract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:Distinct identity forall our communities,Development tomatch communityneeds



Improve skills andconditions for the

SP16 – ProsperousCommunities

Grown business andattract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:

economy; PromoteSocial Cohesion;Tackling the Causesand Effects ofClimate Change

Distinct identity for


ANNEXES10





all our communities,Development tomatch communityneeds, CommunityParticipation indecision making,Harmonious, safeand inclusivecommunities,Development tomatch communityneeds

N/ATo improve oureconomic prosperity:


SP17 – Town CentreHierarchy

Grown business andattract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:Development tomatch communityneeds

N/ATo improve oureconomic prosperity:


SP18 – Vitality andViability of TownCentres Grown business and

attract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:Development tomatch communityneeds




SP19 – HistoricMarket Town Centres

Grown business andattract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:Distinct identity forall our communities,

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Development tomatch communityneeds



Improve skills andconditions for the

SP20 – LocalShopping

Grown business andattract investmentTo nurture ourdistinctive andvibrant communities:Distinct identity forall our communities

economy; PromoteSocial Cohesion




SP21 - Tourism

Grown business andattract investment,Improve andbroaden the touristexperience



Promote SocialCohesion; Tackling

SP22 – CreatingInclusiveCommunities vibrant communities:the Causes and

Development toEffects of ClimateChange match community

needs

Climate Change andthe Environment;


Tackling the Causesand Effects ofClimate Change

SP23 – Accessibilityand TransportStrategy Rural Services and

Accessibilityvibrant communities:Development tomatch communityneedsTo reduce inequalityto improve quality oflife: Reduce healthinequalities

N/ATo reduce inequalityto improve quality of

N/ASP24 –Accommodation for

life: Housing to meetindividual aspirations

Gypsies andTravellers


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N/AN/ASP25 – Getting theBest from ourLandscapes


N/ATackling the Causesand Effects ofClimate Change

SP26 - Biodiversity



N/ASP27 – HistoricLandscapes

vibrant communities:Distinct identity forall our communities


Tackling the Causesand Effects ofClimate Change

SP28 – ReducingFlood Risk

vibrant communities:Distinct identity forall our communities



SP29 – SustainableDevelopment andConstruction



SP30 – RenewableEnergy

Climate Change andthe Environment;


Promote SocialCohesion; Tackling

SP31 – SupportingCommunity Actionon Climate Change Rural Services and

Accessibilityvibrant communities:Community

the Causes andEffects of ClimateChange Participation in

decision making

Table 2 Integration With Other Strategies

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Annex 5 - References

Paragraph/ PolicySubjectParagraph/ PolicySubject

1.34, 1.35, Issues tobe Addressed, SP1,

Rural Areas1.22, 1.27, 2.13,SP1, SP3, SP12,

Alford

SP2, SP5, SP15,SP20, SP21, SP25

SP17, SP18, SP19,SP21

Issues to beAddressed, SP4

Previously Developed(Brownfield) Land

2.13, 2.15, SP1,SP3, SP4, SP12,SP17, SP18

Coningsby/Tattershall

Issues to beAddressed, 2.12,SP11, SP12, SP13

Employment/Economy

1.15, 1.22, 1.26,Issues to beAddressed, 2.13,

Horncastle

2.15, 2.22, SP1,SP3, SP4, SP12,SP17, SP18, SP19,SP21

SP7, SP8, SP9, SP10Housing1.15, 1.21, 1.22,1.23, 2.13, 2.14,

Louth

2.22, SP1, SP3, SP4,SP12, SP17, SP18,SP19, SP21

1.2, 1.8, 1.9, Issuesto be Addressed,

Regional Plan1.15, 1.20, 1.24,1.33, 2.16, 2.23,

Mablethorpe/Trusthorpe/ Suttonon Sea 2.11, 3.4, 4.5, 4.8,

5.2, 5.6, 5.8, 7.13SP1, SP3, SP12,SP14, SP17, SP18,SP21

1.15, 1.21, 1.25,1.33, 1.35, 2.13,

Skegness

2.14, 2.23, SP1,SP3, SP4, SP12,SP14, SP17, SP18,SP21

1.22, 1.28, 2.13,SP1, SP3, SP12,

Spilsby

SP17, SP18, SP19,SP21

SP2, SP5, SP7, SP8,SP9, SP13, SP17,SP20, SP21, SP24

Towns


ANNEXES10

Paragraph/ PolicySubjectParagraph/ PolicySubject

1.29, Issues to beAddressed, 2.28,

Villages

SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4,SP5, SP7, SP8, SP9,SP13, SP17, SP20,SP21, SP24

Table 3 Policy Refernces

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